Introducing Ecogenia—a year of service for climate solutions in Greece

Proximity and distance have taken on new meanings during the course of the pandemic; and in our case, this has facilitated connections that in normal times would have been unlikely. While we have never met in person, seeing as we are based on opposite sides of the world in California and Abu Dhabi, my cofounder, Erika Spagakou and I are united behind our common vision for a sustainable future for Greece and have spent the past year turning it into a reality.

That reality is Ecogenia.

Our shared passion for sustainable development and alignment in our values carried us into co-founding an innovative non-profit, the first of its kind in Greece, that would design and carry out a roadmap for sustainable change with active citizenship as the foundation. We are now a team of over 20 people from around the world with a deep connection to Greece. Although we have never met, our team dynamic, collaborative nature, and belief in the mission keeps us moving forward.

What is Ecogenia?

εcogenia is a service and training opportunity for Greeks, ages 18-28, with a focus on sustainability. With the Sustainable Development Goals as a guidepost, εcogenia service members will address the critical societal, economic and environmental issues in Greece.

But what does εcogenia mean? Let’s start with the pronunciation: Eco-Yen-Ya.

And now you will have to pardon me for being a Greek stereotype as I break down the multi-purpose meaning of this word for you.

εcogenia is a play on words, it is pronounced exactly the same way as the Greek word οικογένεια, which means family. The spelling of our version of εcogenia is intentionally different, as it brings your attention to the Greek root word εco (οίκος) and also to the suffix, the greek word genia (γενιά).

εco or οίκος: Greek word for house and also the English prefix for ecology and economy.

genia or γενιά: Greek word for generation

εcogenia is a vision for Greece. It is a youth service and training program, empowering the current generation to roll their sleeves up and get to work on the solutions to the current crises constricting Greek prosperity. This generation is one that is defined by three crises: the climate crisis, financial crisis and public health crisis.

Now, imagine if every young Greek had the opportunity to spend at least a year working on solutions to these crises – offering inspiration and hope to current and future generations. We know service years are effective, with generations of impact already exhibited through programs like AmeriCorps in the United States and Unis-Cite in France. We are bringing this proven concept from abroad into the Greek context. In this post-COVID recovery, this will help Greeks rebuild a stronger, more sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous Greece.

We are aspiring to drive brain gain in the country, specifically one that is bolstered by a green workforce.

How will we do this? By devising a viable civic service model, whereby young Greeks are given the chance to offer their talent, ideas and service to support initiatives that foster sustainable development at the community level, in exchange for short-term paid employment and intensive professional training opportunities.

We believe that the answers to Greece’s development challenges rest in empowering the next generation of Greek sustainability leaders; that is simply good for development, good for Greece, and ultimately good for the planet.

We encourage an ecosystem of collaboration and welcome the opportunity to speak with you about our initiative. As a nascent organization, there are ample opportunities to get involved and support our work. We are in the midst of running a crowdfunding campaign to kickstart our efforts and secure some seed funding. We appreciate any amount you can contribute and hope you can help us spread the word about our efforts with your network.

You can check out our website and contact us to learn more and get involved.