“A Lifetime of European Values” – Speech of the President of the Diazoma Association at the EESC’s two-day seminar

The President of the DIAZOMA Association, Mr. Stavros Benos, had the honor to participate as a keynote speaker to the European Economic and Social Committee’s 12th Civil Society Media Seminar, a two-day seminar which was held  on 22 and 23 November 2018 at AEGLI ZAPPIOU, Kipos Zappiou, Athens, Greece.

During this seminar with title “Reasserting Europe’s values” in view of  the upcoming European elections, specialists, investigative journalists and politicians discussed the challenges and burning issues which are stirring contemporary Europe and highlighted the dynamic role that civil society can play in this context.

In his speech on “A lifetime of European Values”, Mr. Benos referred to the European Parliament resolution of 8 September 2015, describing it as a powerful weapon of Europe’s intellectual capital, which paves the way to the management of the cultural and environmental wealth of Europe and also offers financing solutions through the new NSRF 2014-2020.

Immediately afterwards, Mr. Benos shared the accumulated experience he has gained through three major stations of his public life: a) the reconstruction of the city of Kalamata after the earthquake of 1986; b) the establishment of Citizen Service Centers (KEPs); and c) the citizens’ movement DIAZOMA, analyzing their correlation with the European values.

EESC President, Luca Zaye, spoke about the rebirth of Europe, a vision embodied in the word REUnnaissance that can be realized through “values and technology”. The panel of speakers on the first day included George Katrougalos, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Markopouliotis, Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Greece and others. The opening of the seminar was conducted by EESC Vice President, Isabel Canio Aguilar.

You can read relevant articles at the following links:

Reasserting Europe’s values – EESC Civil Society Media Seminar – 2018-eesc