1st Symposium Nisyros Dialogues 2022 Day 1

How can landscape inspire man to create Culture? And how can monuments be turned into valuable tools for sustainable development and revitalization of local communities?

The 1st Symposium - «Nisyros Dialogues», the personal vision of Mr. Panagiotis G. Mihalos, President of the Foundation "Georgios M. Mihalos Foundation - Sustainability of Nisyros" NPO, which is held on his ancestral island of Nisyros, from June 16 to 19, in collaboration with the Natural Environment & Climate Change Organization (N.E.C.C.A.), aspires to include the enchanting Nisyros island on the world map of UNESCO Geoparks, highlighting its rare geological heritage, wealth and special environmental interest.

A breath from the active crater "Stefanos" and among the rocks of the volcano that speak of the past and the future of the Earth, in the presence of former Prime Minister of Greece Mr. Antonis K. Samaras, representatives of the Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, specialized researchers and academics of international scope, politicians, the Local Authority, but also residents of the island, Mr. Mihalos during the first day of work of the Symposium, stated : "Your participation here today and your heartfelt response is the greatest honor to the memory of his father, to whom the creation of the Foundation is due, while it is a very important testimony to the importance of the initiative, which tries to highlight the island as a center of international geological and environmental interest. The inclusion of Nisyros in the UNESCO international geoparks is a priority of the residents".

One of f the main presenterd of the Dialogues, Professor Dr. Nikolaos Zouros, President of the UNESCO Global Network of Geoparks, University of the Aegean and director of the Museum of Natural History of the Lesvos Petrified Forest, explained that UNESCO adopted the global network of Geoparks in 2015, turning it into the third most important pillar of protected areas. "More than 1,050 sites are on the list of World Heritage Sites, while 177 cities from 46 countries are already on the list of Geoparks, with Europe holding the distinction." After the active volcano of Kilimanjaro in the heart of Africa, but also the stone forest in China, Nisyros aims to become a geological monument of international value that, through proper management strategies, will lead to sustainable development, the creation of jobs and green tourism .

For his part, the Vice-President of the European Commission, Mr. Margaritis Schinas, referred to the Greco Island initiative, as a means of supporting the islands' energy transition to the era of clean energy. It is essentially a certification that will prove that some islands are a state-of-the-art ecological and sustainable tourist destination. "The assistance of the E.U. for this purpose, will exceed 100 million euros for the next 7 years. We are already preparing a study for Nisyros, but also for Patmos", explained Mr. Schinas.

The Most Reverend Metropolitan Mr. Nathanael of Kos and Nisyros, conveyed the message of the His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Mr. Bartholomeos, highlighting the multidimensional mobilization required for a more ecophilic policy and the development of ecological sensitivity, while the Mayor of the island, Mr. Christofis Koronaios, referred to the ongoing great projects of Nisyros, but at the same time emphasizing the disastrous prospect of the exploitation of the island's geothermal field.

The importance of N.E.C.C.A. as an umbrella for all geoparks, was highlighted by Professor at the NTUA and president of the Board of Directors of N.E.C.C.A., Ms. Maria Papadopoulou, in her speech, while the Mayor of Trikala and President of of the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE), Mr. Dimitris Papastergiou, submitted a proposal for Meteora to become the country's next geopark, after Nisyros. Deputy Mayor Kaisarianis, member of the Board of Directors of S.P.A.Y. (Association for the Protection and Development of Hymettus Mountain) and responsible for the development of the Hymettus trail network, Mr. Manos Kitsellis, referred to the example of the Hymettus trails that already allowed more than 10,000 citizens to discover the rare biodiversity of the area, resulting in the necessity to create a center of environmental education in the region, with the cooperation of N.E.C.C.A.

The attention of the guests was drawn to the results of a study - commissioned by the Foundation - by six students from the Postgraduate Studies program of the Digital Systems department, regarding the climate crisis, but also the actions that can be taken in Nisyros in the direction of energy saving. Among other things, the students proposed the transition to the electrification of cars and ships of the line to reduce energy to 25% per year, the use of wind turbines, the production of water with hydropanels, the shift to composting, the development of marine tourism with the aim of increasing revenues in island, the promotion of local products and the corresponding development of culinary tourism, the creation of Gothic arched greenhouses with a lifespan of 15-20 years, the construction of a lake tank for the collection of rainwater, but also the exploitation of the island's geothermal energy without drilling (shallow geothermal ).

"Without the agri-food sector on the islands, tourism will not exist," noted the agronomist in Agricultural Business Management and former Secretary General of the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food, Mr. Moschos Korassidis, who proposed the creation of a Locality Register, but also the promotion of a cottage industry through model farms.

The proceedings of the 1st «Nisyros Dialogues» were closed by the President and CEO of Inspiring Earth SA. Mr. Konstantinos Antonopoulos, speaking about the necessity of attracting investments. "You must create Enterprise Nisyros, a business plan with three main pillars of development, energy, tourism and the agri-food sector."

On Thursday, June 16, an informal dinner was held in honor of all the guests at the "Oxos" tavern, in the shadow of Panagia Spiliani. There, the guests had the opportunity to enjoy local delicacies, but also to watch the enchanting sunset, in a setting of relaxation and absolute natural beauty.

It is noted that the Key Note Speaker of the "Dialogues" during the closing dinner of the «Dialogues» is the former Prime Minister of Greece, Mr. Antonis K. Samaras.

You can watch the proceedings of the 1st «Nisyros Dialogues» live.

Participation is free for all.