The Dukakis Center and Transparency International Greece co-hosted a conference on “Gatekeepers of Democracy. Think Tanks, NGOs, and Civil Society: from thought to action,” in Athens on May 13. The event took place on the sixth floor of Public Syntagma, overlooking the Greek Parliament building.

Representatives of a diverse group of think tanks, NGOs, and other civil society institutions active in democracy promotion in Greece shared their experience on the state of civil society in the run-up to the 2019 European elections. Panelists included Amalia Zepou, Vice Mayor for Civil Society and Innovation at the Municipality of Athens, and Nikos Vettas, General Director of ΙΟΒΕ.

Anna Damaskou, Chair of the Board of Transparency International Greece, co-moderated the discussion with David Wisner, Executive Director of the Dukakis Center. The debate focused in part on the actual role played by these organizations in preserving and promoting best practices in civic engagement.

James McGann, Director of the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program at the Lauder Institute, University of Pennsylvania, delivered a stirring keynote lecture on challenges currently facing civil society worldwide. This was Dr. McGann’s first visit to Greece. With the support of the Dukakis Center and Transparency International Greece he was able to meet with various think tank executives in Athens.

Attendees on the night included Lambros Anagnostopoulos of the Anatolia College Board of Trustees, and Dimitris Keridis, of the ACT Governance Board.

from left to right, Nikos Vettas, Thodoris Georgakopoulos, Anna Damaskou, Giorgos Siakas, David Wisner

from left to right: Olga Daskali, Epaminondas Farmakis, Anna Damaskou, Stefanos Loukopoulos

from left to right: Anna Damaskou, keynote speaker James McGann, David Wisner

from left to right: James McGann, David Wisner

Former US government official and the Middle East specialist Alan Makovsky spoke at the Dukakis Center on April 4, on the subject of recent local elections in Turkey.

Mr. Makovsky spoke to students and faculty in a full amphitheater at the University of Macedonia (UoM) on such topics as the impact of the election results on the ruling party of President Erdogan and the likelihood of a rerun of the mayoral contest in Istanbul.

The event was co-hosted by the Institute of Defense and European Analysis, whose Director, former University of Macedonia Provost Ilias Kouskouvelis, served as co-moderator with David Wisner, Executive Director of the Dukakis Center.

Mr. Makovsky has served in the State Department and as Senior Congressional Aide, is currently Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress in Washington, DC. He had spoken previously at the Dukakis Center, in June 2014, at our conference on “The Future of Democracy in Europe.”

The old city walls of Ano Poli in Thessaloniki.

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A view of the Thessaloniki waterfront with its famous Umbrellas sculpture.

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The White Tower is the most commonly known monument of Thessaloniki and the symbol of the city because of its prominent position, long history and imposive architecture.

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Aristotelous Square is the main city square of Thessaloniki, Greece and is located on Nikis avenue, in the city center. It was designed by French architect Ernest Hébrard in 1918, but most of the square was built in the 1950s.

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The Arch of Galerius or Kamara and the Rotunda (seen in the background with its minaret) are neighbouring early 4th-century AD monuments in the city of Thessaloniki.

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A view of a sandy beach in Halkidiki, a half hour drive from Thessaloniki. Halkidiki is known for its jutting peninsulas, which feature Mediterranean forests that give way to sandy beaches in sheltered bays. Kassandra, the westernmost peninsula, is the most developed, offering modern resorts and nightclubs. The region's notable archaeological sites include Stageira, Aristotle’s birthplace, and Olynthus, known for its well-preserved mosaic floors.

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