Do you want to implement activities that will bring positive change in your neighborhood?
Would you consider working with refugees living in Athens?
Do you want to help create a more sustainable and friendly city?
Residents, citizens' initiatives, refugees who have received asylum and the local authority join forces for the first time to benefit the city.
co-Athens creates the framework within which groups come together to collaboratively design and implement funded activities and urban interventions.
This is a call open to active citizens of Athens to carry out activities with meaningful and positive impact for the city, in collaboration with refugees participating in the European pilot program of the City of Athens, Curing the Limbo.
Selected groups will receive funding and advisory support throughout the program; from the initial concept development stage to its implementation.
co-Athens is being developed within the context of the European pilot program Curing the Limbo and the integration strategy implemented by the City of Athens. The aim is to create an innovative model of cooperation - a model for European cities.
Curing the Limbo (2018-2021) is a European pilot project of the City of Athens implemented in partnership with the University of Athens, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the Athens Tourism Development and Development Company (EATA). The program is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the UIA initiative.
Thematic categories of activities
- Interventions in public space
- Promotion of the local tourism product
- Cultural activities in neighborhoods
- Sport and well-being activities
- Environmental protection
- Cleaning and highlighting of surfaces - facades of buildings
Intervention areas of co-Athens
- Kerameikos - Metaxourgio - Kolonos - Platonos Academy
- Victoria – Archaeological Museum - Exarcheia - Neapoli
- Amerikis Square - Koliatsou Square - Agios Eleftherios - Kato Patisia
Co-Athens activities program at a glance:
- They receive multifaceted ongoing support from the Curing the Limbo program.
- They bring together refugees, who have received asylum and reside in Athens, and active citizens of the city.
- They integrate participating refugees into groups that operate with equality and mutuality.
- They are exploring and proposing sustainable solutions to real city challenges.
- They activate local communities and bring positive change across neighborhoods.
- They create and support an innovative model of integration of refugees participating in the Curing the Limbo program.
How do I get in touch with refugees participating in Curing the Limbo in order to plan a project proposal with them?
Once eligible for Phase 2 of the program, citizens’ groups will have the opportunity to create partnerships with refugees participating in Curing the Limbo through connecting workshops. Participation in the connecting workshops is mandatory.
Can a group collaborate with refugees who do not participate in Curing the Limbo;
To submit a proposal in Phase 2, each group must collaborate with at least one refugee participating in the Curing the Limbo program. It may, however, enter into additional collaborations with refugees who do not participate in the program.
Can groups of refugees apply at the Phase 1 of co-Athens?
Yes. All groups/ teams which will make it to Phase 2 will have to collaborate with refugees who participate in Curing the Limbo.
Can a refugee be the accountable person for implementing a proposed activity?
Yes, to the extent that he/she is able to produce and provide the required supporting documents.
How can I know that a proposed intervention in the city meets the legal requirements and specifications for it to be implemented?
During the supporting workshops for the design of the proposals to be submitted in Phase 2 of the open call, the project's consultants, in cooperation with the services of the City of Athens, will ensure that the proposed actions are tailored in such a way that comply with the applicable laws and regulations of the City of Athens.
If a proposed collaborative project fails to connect with refugees participating in Curing the Limbo in accordance with the specifications of the open call, is it possible to get funding and implement it?
Planning a project in collaboration with refugees who participate in Curing the Limbo is a prerequisite for submitting a proposal in Phase 2 of co-Athens. Exceptionally, if it is not possible to connect with one or more of the refugees participating in Curing the Limbo, or if cooperation is terminated for reasons of force majeure, then the action may be financed provided that it is linked to the existing services offered by the Curing the Limbo program or complementary thereto.Greek and English language courses, audiovisual, music and digital applications workshops are organized as part of the Curing the Limbo implementation, and psychosocial support, job counseling and affordable house counseling are offered. The projects proposed should provide ways in which they can be linked to any of the above services (eg training program refugees in the project field, organization of skills-enhancing workshops), or cover program needs (eg. day care for children of refugees who attend the program’s courses).
Is there a limit to the number of refugees I can collaborate with in Phase 2 of the program?
No, there is no limit.
Will there be a signed agreement between citizen’s groups and Curing the Limbo participant refugees?
Yes, each collaborative group will sign its own Terms of Reference which will specify the terms of cooperation between its members.
During Phase B’ of the program, can the collaborative teams create further collaborations towards a bigger final project.
Proposed projects cannot be merged. Each project proposal is submitted with its own budget and timetable for implementation and cannot be combined with other projects to obtain bigger funding.
Can a proposal's budget include costs for the work of refugees involved in a collaborative project?
Yes, the remuneration of members of each co-working group is an eligible expense. It goes without saying that these costs include all legally required insurance and employer contributions.