Anemos Ananeosis / Wind of Renewal was founded as a social cooperative in Athens in 2014. Born out of a desire to help in social and green innvation and economy, energy transition and climate protection, environmental protection, social inclusion and empowerment, sustainable tourism and intercultural dialogue. This period we are running two very important projects, E-Locum. about empowerment and inclusion of migrants, and WISE, about energy solidarity to women for reducing energy poverty among women.
We have received 11 international and European-level distinctions for innovation and contribution to social inclusion, social economy, social innovation, social and green impact. We have been awarded - between others - the European Citizen’s Prize 2018, by the European Parliament. The European Citizen’s Prize recognizes initiatives that contribute to the promotion of EU values and fundamental rights, mutual understanding and closer integration between people in the EU, cross- border cooperation that builds a stronger European spirit.
Welcommon (9/2016 - 2/2018) was an innovative, model community center for accommodation and social inclusion of refugees in Athens (“empowerment through the creation of a community”), which combined decent and safe housing with social inclusion and job integration of a total of 600 refugees, the most vulnerable: people with disabilities, serious medical conditions, serious psychiatric disorders, victims of torture, rape, trafficking, pregnant women, families with newborns. It was a structure not only for refugees but with refugees for the benefit of the local community as well.
From June 2018 until July 2024 we run the WELCOMMON HOSTEL, an inclusive and innovative hostel - www.welcommonhostel.gr - open to all the different travelers (tourists,, refugees, volunteers, erasmus students, nomads) and center for empowerment, collaboration, lessons free of cost for the most vulnerables, seminars, meetings, conferences, training on social and green issues. We also offered safe accommodation, socializing, intercultural environment, social inclusion and environmental awareness to all the travellers staying with us as well as accommodation and jobs to young refugees. It was a place for social gathering and experimentation, a center for innovation and art, as well as a centre for social and green innovation and economy. On two floors, there was a space for social and ecological activities.
It was an unpleasant surprise for us when a court decided, after a lawsuit by the owners - and many failed attempts in the past - to evict us for an alleged debt of ...781 to the water company (which was not true anyway). Although we are now awaiting the decision of the appeals court, this decision destroyed our project, which was innovative and inclusive.
We have close collaboration with refugees and migrants communities in Greece but also different european social and energy networks. We are a member of REScoop.eu, small islands network SMILO and ALF euro-med network for the intercultural dialogue.
We have hosted in our Welcommon Hostel at least 450 volunteers from all over the world for offering support to the most vulnerable, like interactive language - art - music lessons, socializing, environmental and climate awareness in a more intercultural environment.
It was a good example for promoting social change and sustainability, revitalizing neighborhoods, making bridges between communities, social groups, newcomers and local people, combining financial activity with values, social inclusion and ecological sustainability.
We combined sustainable tourism with empowerment and social inclusion of vulnerable persons, green and social innovation, and intercultural dialogue.
It was again an unpleasant surprise for us when the Labor Inspectorate considered our collaboration with volunteers as supposedly "undeclared work" and imposed a fine of 21,000 euros on us despite our objections, arguments and the reference to the laws, the provisions in our statutes and the public reports regarding our voluntary and social work without even a funding program. Two years later, the court has not examined our objections regarding the unacceptable destruction of our voluntary - social program.
