Ecological Movement of Thessaloniki is the oldest existing Greek ecological organization, with active participation in matters that widely affected city life and beyond, such as environment, quality of life, human rights, respect of diversity, peace, solidarity. Countless battles have been fought on the streets, in courtrooms, on media, in people’s conscience, to save what is worth saving. And to create, here and now, a better world, a parallel city, active people networks, that support and inspire each other. We saved Seih Sou forest around Thessaloniki, as well as the forests in Halkidiki, from harmful interests, we ran the country’s first bike protest, we spread the principles of ecology, respect for all life forms, universal conscience, active solidarity, true freedom, clean production, organic, products, exurban cultivation, seed protection, social and solidary economy, and alternative living and thinking.
Since 2011, we have been successfully organizing Greenwave Festival, Thessaloniki’s ecological festival. In 2013, we founded Oikopolis, a social space in the center of the city, through which we organized and managed a large variety of activities about the environment and solidarity, and offered significant support to refugees fleeing warzones. This led to the creation of Alkyone, a refugee day center, also established in the center of the city, which provides support with food, clothes, legal and psychosocial services.
