“We are all citizens” – Promoting civil society in Greece

I found myself on Crete two weeks ago. It’s always a pleasure to be on the Great Island. Cretan hospitality, the landscape, the beaches, the cuisine, the archaeology, the local grappa, the great cities…what’s not to like? I had spent an unforgettable week there on leave in July – not far from Kissamos, in the NW corner of the island. This time, I was on business in the capital, Heraklion, as the guest of the Bodossakis Foundation.

Since January, the Bodossakis Foundation has been acting as the co-ordinator for “We Are All Citizens”, a £5.8m programme that is funded jointly by the EEA states, Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway.

The programme aims to strengthen civil society and enhance the contribution of NGOs to social justice, democracy and sustainable development. Two sets of projects are already underway. On this occasion, I was invited to take part in the Cretan leg of a nationwide roadshow, to advertise the two final calls for project proposals: one of them to promote democratic values, including human rights, in Greece, and the other to help NGOs build a favourable environment in Greece for civil society.

The promotion of civil society is a cause dear to my heart. Perhaps it sounds trite to say this in English. After all, the UK charitable, voluntary and community sector is huge. Annual income is over £60bn. There are 164,000 registered charities, operating across every possible interest. It is natural for British people to volunteer or give.

While there are many great charities operating in Greece, it is perhaps surprising to find that the sector is not as big or as widely accepted here as it is in the UK.

There are perhaps many different reasons for this: the predominant roles of the family and of the Church; a traditionally powerful, monopolising state. There are, however, strong signs that the economic crisis is causing Greeks to reassess the role of civil society and its position in Greek life. This seems to me to be a correct response. With the shrinking of the state, new ways of meeting society’s needs and wants, and new forms of organisation and solidarity are surely going to be needed here in the years ahead.

The Bodossakis Foundation had asked me to give a flavour of the UK situation. For all the recent challenges, the UK sector has many advantages. A stable regulatory framework (with the Charity Commission at the helm); taxation policies that reward giving; a longstanding tradition of charitable foundation and charitable giving; strong acceptance of volunteering (in England alone, there are over 19million people who volunteer formally at least once a year); and a continuing spirit of innovation within the sector. It was a great pleasure for me to talk about the Canal & River Trust, which I had a hand in creating, and also to mention the charitable and voluntary interests of my Embassy.

The event was attended by a large number of charitable organisations, by private citizens, by representatives of regional and local government, the business chamber and the Bodossakis Foundation itself. There was palpable commitment and enthusiasm in the conference room. I enjoyed giving an interview to local Greek TV.

I don’t know how much all of this will make a difference. But every little must help. And I am clear that we lead not just by our words but by our example: by what we give from our pocket and of our talents. To that, I – and my Embassy – are committed.

More information about «We are all citizens» can be found here.