Marathon Photos

Speakers

Speakers are presented per session and in order of appearance.

POLICY ON VOLUNTEERING

Pausanias Papageorgiou

CURRICULUM VITAE

Pausanias Papageorgiou was born in 1978 and graduated Greek public school in 1996. He has a Bachelor degree in Lawand a Bachelor degree of the department of Language, Literature and Media of Hamburg University. He continued his studies in the Institute of Ancient Greek and Latin Literature, where he took his master’s degree with honours. He took part in interdisciplinary research programmes and he acquired teaching experience in Germany. Subject of his scientific research is “ LawLiterature”and especially “Grammatic interpretation and verbal formulation of juridicalterminology and texts”.

Part of his research interests is also the relation between law and linguistic culture. He has practical experience in the designing of programmes aiming at the integration in European culture of multilingual citizens with immigrant background. He had been consultant of the Minister of State and since November 2015 he is the Secretary General for Lifelong Learning and Youth.

Pavel Trantina

CURRICULUM VITAE

President of the European Alliance for Volunteering

President of the Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship in the European Economic and Social Committee

Born in 1975 in České Budějovice, Czechoslovakia. Studied history and political science at the Faculty of Arts of the Charles University in Prague.

Worked as political analyst in the Office of the President of the Czech Republic (1996-2002), International Commissioner of Junák – Association of Scouts and Guides of the Czech Republic (1998-2008, mostly as a volunteer), Chairman of the Czech Council of Children and Youth (2004-2007), Director of the Department of EU Affairs at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, responsible for the preparation of the Czech Presidency of the EU Council (2007-2009), and Coordinator of recognition of non-formal education in the ESF funded project „Keys for life“ (2010-2011). Currently works both as freelance trainer, translator and project manager and EU projects and relations manager in the Czech Council of Children and Youth.

Member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) since 2006, specialized in youth issues, education, situation of young people at the labour market and volunteering, 2011-2015 Vice-President of the EESC Group III. Since October 2015 President of the EESC Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship.

A volunteer for more than 27 years on different levels in several organisations. Co-chair of the Working group on Legal Framework of Volunteering within the Alliance for the European Year of Volunteering 2011. Also, between 2010 and 2013, a Coordinator of the Volunteering working group of the European Scout Region. Chair of the EESC Coordination Group for the EYV 2011. Since its creation in 2012, he has been President of the European Alliance for Volunteering.

Kostas Hatzidakis

CURRICULUM VITAE

Kostas Hatzidakis is a member of the Greek Parliament and Vice President of the New Democracy Party.

He was born in Rethymno, Crete, in 1965.

He is a member of the Greek Parliament since 2007.

He is a lawyer in Athens

President of the Youth Organization of New Democracy (1992-1994)

Member of the European Parliament (1994-2007)

Minister in the Ministries of Transport and Development ((2007-2009 and 2012-2014)

Tasos Darsinos

CURRICULUM VITAE

Mathematician – MSc Analyst

Member of DEMAR’s Executive Committee and responsible of the Organizational Domain.

He was born in Leondio, Corinthus and graduated from the 5th High school of Athens. Graduated from the Physics-Mathematics faculty of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Holds an MSc diploma on Informatics and Business Research of the Mathematics Department of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

Member of SYNASPISMOS party since 1989 and a candidate member of the parliament in every electional period, at the 2ndelectional area of Athens.

Member of DEMAR party since establishing, member of the Central Committee and a member of Executive Committee of DEMAR since 2016.

Candidate member of the parliament of DEMAR party for the electional periods 2012- 2015 at the 2ndelectional area of Athens.

Member of the Coordinative Domain of the Executive Committee of DEMAR.

Candidate Mayor of Peristeri city at 1998.

Vassilis Leventis

CURRICULUM VITAE

Vassilis Leventis is the fourth child of Apostolos and Gregoria Leventis who were originally from Korakovouni, a small village in Arcadia. The Leventis family moved to Piraeus where Vassilis Leventis graduated from high school and in 1969 he was admitted as the 6th highest ranking candidate, to the Civil Engineering department of the National Technical University of Athens. During the '70s he ventured into discography, him self funding and producing a one time record.

His first involvement with politics occurred in 1975 when, as an assistant of the then dean of the Athens Polytechnic University, Kyprianos Biris, he contributed in composing articles 21 and 24 of the Greek Constitution and also participated in forming the DEPOS project.

He is fluent in German and has adequate understanding of the English language.

RECRUITMENT, ENGAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF VOLUNTEER SKILLS - QUALITY IN VOLUNTEERING

Vasileios Meichanetsidis

CURRICULUM VITAE

Dr. Vasileios Meichanetsidis, JCD, has studied Humanities, Religion, Law, Byzantine and Oriental Studies and Peace Building Management, Political Science and History in various European Universities. He has taught for a number of years at the European Schools of Brussels and the public schools of Belgium. He also served as Special Advisor to the Cyprus Ambassador to the Holy See and the UN agencies in Rome, Italy.

He currently works in the Department of Programmes and International Cooperation of “Apostoli”, a charity and development organization of the Archdiocese of Athens.

Dionyssios Kodellas

CURRICULUM VITAE

Graduate of the Law and Political Sciences School of the Athens University, Ambassador Kodellas joined the Greek Foreign Service in 1974. His almost forty year long diplomatic career, brought him to a large number of countries ranging from the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the Latin America.

Apart from the experience acquired serving in sensitive posts of the above mentioned continents, often during turbulent times, Ambassador Kodellas was as well actively involved in the multilateral diplomacy. He participated to a considerable number of International Conferences mainly dealing with the European Union’s relations with Latin American and African countries, while, during successive Sessions of the United Nations General Assembly, he was the Head of the Greek Delegation to the Human Rights Committee.

During the various times he was serving at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Athens, he held the post of the Spokesman of the Ministry, of the Director of the European Parliament Affairs and of the Director of the European Security Conferences.

Further to that, he has been Senior Adviser to today’s Commissioner to the European Union, then Mayor of Athens, Dimitris Avramopoulos, during the successful campaign which led to the nomination of Athens as venue of the 2004 Olympics Games.

Ambassador Kodellas continued working with Mr. Avramopoulos when the latter appointed him as his Chief of Staff in his successive government posts as Cabinet Minister of Tourism, Minister of Health and Social Solidarity, Minister of National Defense and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

From December 2013 to March 2014 he has been President of the Hellenic Red Cross Society.

Since, October 22 2016 he is the President of Special Olympics Hellas.

Married to Belén de la Morena, he is father of four sons.

Among other distinctions, Ambassador Kodellas is the recipient of the:

Grand Cross of the Order of the Phoenix of the Hellenic Republic

Grand Cross of the Order of the Couronne de la Chêne of the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg

Grand Cross of the Aguila Azteca of Mexico

Grand Officer of the Order of Wissam el Aloui of the Kingdom of Morocco

Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Knight of the Order of Leopold 1st of the Kingdom of Belgium

Alexander Theodoridis

CURRICULUM VITAE

He was born and raised in Thessaloniki, Greece and graduated from the German School of Thessaloniki in 1994. After a two-year apprenticeship in Miesbach, Germany (1994-1995, Accounting) he studied at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich (1996-2000, Magister Artium, Political Science, Economics, International Law) and the London School of Economics (2000-2001, MSc International Relations). After a short stage at the European Commission (DG External Relations, 2001-2002) he returned back to Greece to complete his compulsory army service (2002-2003).

For 9 months he participated in various actions of the Hellenic Rescue Team, including a mission to Afghanistan (December 2003).

After working a few years in the private sector in Thessaloniki (2004-2008) as well as the public sector in Athens (2008-2013), he co-founded Boroume (January 2012). Since March 2013 he has been 100% devoted into the development of Boroume.

He is a board member of NGO Ethelon (former Volunteer4Greece), a Junior Achievement Greece volunteer (virtual social enterprise mentor), a jury member of the Social Impact Awards and a Marshall Memorial Fund Fellow.

Theodoros Benos-Palmer

CURRICULUM VITAE

Theodoros Benos-Palmer has been committed to volunteering and environment since 1975.

The Scout Movement provided him with the first stimulus leading to more than 40 years of organic involvement, scouting games and challenges. For 10 years he served the Hellenic Society of Nature’s Protection (HSPN) as a member of its Board of Directors.

Over the course of his career he devoted 23 years as a professor and adults’ trainer in the fields of Business Management & Administration. For many years he has been a member and associate to major voluntary organisations (HSPN, ARCHELON, SHP, SEO, YWCA, HRC) where he generated and implemented numerous innovative volunteer projects.

He has founded and geared up the S.C.I.M.E. (1982), the HSPN Youth Club (1989), the “Sea turtle youth club – Helonoparea” (2006), the “Eco-generation / eco-genia” (2010) and the Volunteers Chamber (2013).

For the past 13 years he is the Director of ARCHELON – The Sea Turtle Society of Greece and he shares his free time with his 4 children and by creating and carrying out new schemes for nature and volunteerism.

CREATING LASTING PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND PRIVATE SECTOR

Μaria Alexiou

CURRICULUM VITAE

Corporate Social Responsibility Senior Manager, TITAN Group; Chair of the Board of the Hellenic Network for CSR and the Secretariat of the UN Global Compact Network Hellas.

Graduated from the Law Department of the Kapodistrian University of Athens and holds a master’s degree in International and European Law, specialized for Human Rights and Civil Liberties from the University of Leicester, U.K. Served as a Corporate Relations and Social Responsibility Manager in FANCO S.A. SPORTSWEAR MANUFACTURER (2000 – 2002), Training Director (1998 – 2000), Human Resources Development and European Programs Manager (1996 – 1998). Moreover, she served in the HELLENIC PRODUCTIVITY CENTER as Manager of Bilateral and International Affairs (1993 – 1995), Manager of Innovative and Transnational Cooperation Programs of the Institute of Technological Applications of the Center (1991 – 1993).

As expert, she has worked for different organizations including among else the Greek Ministry of Labor, the Hellenic Organization of Manpower, the Department of Research and Technology of the Greek Ministry of Development, CSR Europe, the European Foundation for Improving of Working and Living Condition, and other.

George Patoulis

CURRICULUM VITAE

Born in Athens. He entered the Athens Medical School in 1981 and specialized in Orthopaedic surgery at the Athens Laiko Hospital where he wrote a doctoral thesis on the subject of his specialization.

He graduated from the National School of Public Health, where he specialized in Health Economics. His trade unionist experience dates back to 1995 when he founded the Athens & Piraeus Association of Specialist Physicians (SEIAP) and was president of the association for 3 years (1995-1998).

In 1997, he established the Pan-Hellenic Society “Young Doctors” and he has served president until 2004.

He is founder and chairman of the Union of Professional Doctors of Attica (E.E.L.I.A.) (2002)

For 8 consecutive years, he has served member of the Board of Directors of the Athens Medical Society (I.S.A.) and vice-president for 3 years.

In 2011 – 2014 he has elected president of the Medical Association of Athens (I.S.A.) to today.

His involvement in politics began in 1998 when he was elected municipal counsellor for the first time at the Municipality of Pefki.

He is Founder and Chairman of the “Hellenic Healthy Cities Network” scientific society from 2005 until now.

In 2006, 2010 and 2014 he has elected Mayor of Amaroussion.

In 2008, he was elected member of the Union of Municipalities and Communities of Attica (TEDKNA) and president of Committee on Social Policy and Human Resources of TEDKNA, until 2010.

The period 2011-2014, he was elected President of Association of Municipalities for the Protection and Restoration of Penteliko.

Moreover, the period 2008-2010 he was served president of a non-profit organization HL7 Hellas.

In 2014, he has elected President of Central Union of Municipalities of Greece.

In 2015 and 2016 he has elected Vice President of the Council of Municipalities and Regions of Europe.

He has published the following works:

“Young Doctors” scientific magazine

A special publication entitled “FIRST AID”, which is distributed to the residents of frontier island areas and other areas of the country.

The ISA publication “Doctor Inflation in Athens”

The newspaper of the Union of Independent Doctors of Attica

The magazine “Dimon Ygeia” of Hellenic Cities Network

He is married to Marina Stavraki, philologist and he has a son, Alexandros.

Eleni Fagogenis

CURRICULUM VITAE

She studies Business Administration in the American College of Greece, worked in Communication and Advertisement for several years and for the Third Sector.

Since 1983 she a member of the Greek Guiding Association and in 2015she was elected a member of the Board of Directors.

Georgios Kassaras

CURRICULUM VITAE

Medical Doctor-Surgeon (Former military doctor, Brigadier of the Greek Air Force)

Doctor Kassaras is graduate of the Medical School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Military Academy. He has received his doctorate from the University of Athens, a Master Degree in Health Units Management from the CNAM (France) and has been further trained in laparoscopic surgery. He has served as Director of the Surgery Department of the Air Force Hospital, has published widely in Greek and international journals and he has participated in numerous international conferences.

He is member of the Greek Surgical Association, Association of Laparoscopic Surgery, and the Society of Endocrine Glands. He is Scientific Director of the Open Polyclinic of Doctors of the World in Athens and Secretary of the Board of Directors of MDM-Greece.

Maria Iliopoulou

CURRICULUM VITAE

Founding member and General Secretary of the Association “Friends of Children” in Skiathos island (supporting children with difficulties and training parents)Chairwoman and founding member of the non – profit organization “Greek Association for the Asperger Syndrome”, since 2006.

Previous Employment

Vice Mayor for the Child in the Municipality of Athens September 2014Chairwoman in the Athens Municipal Nursery (network consisting of 77 nurseries), 2011 – 2014.

Psychologist – Counselor in the Primary School of “Athens College”, 2004 - 2011.Lab assistant at the Technological Educational Institution, Department of Preschool Education 1996-2004

Editing “News for Children” at the Greek Television Channel as a Mental Health Counselor .

Studies and Practice

Educational Psychology at the University of GenevaMaster in Education (DEA) in Paris, RENE DESCARTES University, PARIS V, SORBONNENursery of ECOLE ACTIVE in Geneva, and CRESAS (Research center of school failure and school adjustment which comes under the National Institute of Educational Research of France (INRP).

Languages

Speaks French and English fluently, good at German.

GOOD GOVERNANCE, TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY - EXPLORING THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING

Anastasia Sotiropoulou

CURRICULUM VITAE

Anastasia Sotiropoulou is a lawyer member of the Athens Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association. She teaches at the American College of Greece – Deree College at the Department of Sociology and the Department of Management. She is a graduate of the Law School of the National Kapodistrian University of Athens from where she obtained her Ptychionas well as her LL.M. in Substantive and Procedural Criminal Law. Having completed her studies in Greece, she continued her legal education as a researcher at Harvard Law School. She also pursued her studies at Yale Law School where she obtained her second LL.M. as well as her J.S.D. Her academic and research interests focus on the area of corruption, particularly in the private sector.

She has worked as an associate in law firms and as a researcher and consultant for the World Bank’s Office of Evaluation and Suspension and Financial Market Integrity Unit. She is a member of Transparency International’s Greek Chapter and she actively participates in its research projects.

Marios Christou, ΒΑ, ΜΒΑ, BSc, PhD, ACA.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Studied Economics, Econometrics, accounting and Finance at the universities of Reading, Nottingham, Oxford and Maastricht School of Management and is a member of ICAEW qualifying working with Arthur Andersen & Co at the City of London. Has worked and cooperated with many universities. Currently is at the University of Nicosia leading the Centre of Economic Studies of the University.

He started scouting as a cub scout and a sea scout in Kyrenia, Cyprus. Following the Turkish invasion in Cyprus in 1974 continued as a scout and a rover in Nicosia. Has attended the Scout Basic Training Courses for all Sections ((Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Rovers, Network, Leaders and Commissioners) and Wood badge Courses for Scouts, Rovers Leaders and Commissioners. He is also a qualified sea scout skipper and he is a Leader Trainer.

He has served in the Cyprus Scouts Association as an Assistant Scout leader, a Scout Leader, a Troop Leader, a District Commissioner as well as a Head Quarter Commissioner for the Scout Section, an International Commissioner, a National Training Commissioner and a Deputy Chief Commissioner. In 2015 was elected Chief Commissioner.

In 2004 was elected vice chairman of the European scout Committee a position to which was re-elected in 2007 for a second consecutive term. From 2010 to 2017 has served as honorary Treasurer to the European Scout Committee. Has participated in a number of international and European Scout working groups on various issues (management, training, development and growth, finance, strategy etc) as well as in the last 9 European and 6 World conferences.

Dr. Sotiris Petropoulos

CURRICULUM VITAE

Dr. Sotiris Petropoulos is the Director of HIGGS, an organization aiming at strengthening Greek NGOs via training seminars and consultancy support. Since 2012 he has designed and implemented capacity building seminars for NGOs throughout Greece with more than 300 participants.

During the 2012-2015 period he acted as Project Manager and Core Researcher of the program “Thales-Evaluation of Greek NGOs” while since 2009 he has included in his research agenda Organized Civil Society and NGOs in Greece. He is lecturer at the University of the Peloponnese and he has published several articles in international scientific journals about Civil Society.

Basil G. Zotos

CURRICULUM VITAE

Studies:

1. Regent Street Polytechnic, Diploma of Architecture with “distinction” by the Royal Institute of British Architects 1965

2. Regent Street Polytechnic, Postgraduate Thesis (PhD level) with “distinction” by the Royal Town Planning Institute 1968

3. University of London postgraduate studies on "contemporary urban transportation” 1968

Founding member of the “Association of Greek Urban and Regional Planners” (SEPOX)

Professional activity:

1. Member of a special commission for the study of needs and proposals for the Thames River in the Greater London Area “Thames Side Environmental Assessment Group”

2. Coordinator of a “special study and proposals group” for the upgrading of the river banks of the Thames in the areas of Chelsea-Fulham-Hammersmith in London

3. Founder partner of “Architects Design and Planning Unit" (ADPU), with affiliated offices in Europe India and the Middle East

4. Partner of the British architectural and planning consultancy, "Owen Luder Partnership"

5. Founder partner and director of the design group "Design – Systems Ltd"

Distinctions - Awards: Over 50 distinctions and prizes in international and Greek competitions in architecture, urban planning and urban regeneration. He has completed many projects in the United Kingdom, the Middle East and Greece

Academic Activity: He taught and teaches "urban design" and "environmental management" in the United Kingdom

Research Activity: Over the last 8 years he has been involved in various European Union programmes on Architectural and Urban Planning research projects

Publications: More than 80 publications of papers and studies in International, English as well as Greek scientific journals

Member of the “Royal Institute of British Architects-UK”

Fellow of the “Royal Town Planning Institute-UK”

President of the BGS - "British Graduates Society" Greece

Since the 1960s, he has been called "a pioneer in the field of the environmental and urban regeneration", with his participation in a series of proposals and plans.

Konstantinos Polychronopoulos

CURRICULUM VITAE

Founder of "O allos anthropos" 53 years old.

Iro Liaropoulou - Benessaia

CURRICULUM VITAE

Iro Liaropoulou-Benessaia was born in Athens. She studied architecture in Paris and Montpellier (France). She worked in Algeria with the Ministry of Culture (restoration of historical monuments and museum design) and in the south of the country (Sahara) for the regional planning of this area. She worked later in Burkina Faso and Mali (West Africa) in various development projects funded by the EU and the Development Fund Agency (France).

Back to Greece,she dealt with issues of environmental awareness for the broad public throughher collaboration in several series of documentaries for the national television. She is currently involved in the design of bioclimatic and ecological buildings and participates in seminars for the teaching of bioclimatic design.

She is a volunteer of Peliti, a non-profit organization working for more than twenty years for the collection, preservation and free distribution of traditional seeds.