Activities

Answers to these crucial questions were given by the special event held on Wednesday 22 April at Kallithea City Hall, organised by AMKE “Bridges of Peace” in cooperation with the Directorate of Primary Education D’ Athens.

The discussion was moderated by journalist and newspaper editor-in-chief (“To Vima”), Tania Bozaninou, who underlined the challenges educators face given the dominance of the internet in children’s lives.

For his part, the Mayor of Kallithea, Kostas Askounis, dwelt on the pivotal role of the school in the social inclusion of migrants, citing as an example the local structures for learning the Greek language.

The invited speakers’ remarks covered a wide range of contemporary educational reality:

Digital Media & the Child: The Director of Education, Ioannis Koumentos, analysed the impact of technology on childhood.

The Teacher in the Digital School: Education Counsellor Ioannis Parkosidis described the new skills required today.

Artificial Intelligence & Ethics: Ionian University Professor Sotiris Livas focused on the legal and ethical dilemmas of AI in the classroom.

Redefining the Role: The Principal of the 5th Gymnasium of Kallithea, Katerina Papagaryfallou, spoke about the changes in educators’ everyday vocation.

The Family Perspective: Dilek Ozdemir, a mother and former educator, shared her experience of the opportunities offered by the new educational environment.

The event concluded with an open dialogue with the audience, demonstrating the educational community’s great need to exchange views and concerns.

The Awards Ceremony of the Dialogue and Inclusion Awards 2026 was held in Athens for the third consecutive year, continuing an institution that highlights people and organisations who, through their work and contribution, advance dialogue, social inclusion, education, the defence of human rights and peaceful coexistence.

The third edition highlighted and honoured personalities from journalism, justice, social solidarity, education, entrepreneurship, interfaith dialogue and public administration.

The event is organised by AMKE Bridges of Peace, with the participation and support of Religions for Peace Hellas, AMKE Synesis Pigi and the Olympus Youth Centre.

The Dialogue and Inclusion Awards were created in order to recognise and honour people who are models of contribution and cooperation. Through their action they contribute substantially to promoting dialogue and mutual understanding, to strengthening social inclusion and equality, to defending human rights, to education and the empowerment of young people, to social solidarity, to the development of entrepreneurship and employment, as well as to building bridges of cooperation among different communities and cultures.

The awardees are selected on the basis of their significant contribution to building a society founded on respect, cooperation, inclusion and peaceful coexistence.

“Bridges of Peace” took part in the international academic conference held on 5 and 6 February in India, on the pivotal role of social movements in cultivating trust and cooperation in multicultural societies.

Together with academics and civil-society representatives from around the world, key issues were examined such as building trust among different communities, interfaith dialogue, multiculturalism and the creation of channels of communication.

In the course of the discussions it was highlighted that the Hizmet Movement transcends local borders, functioning as a strong global bridge of cooperation and mutual understanding. At the same time, various ways of strengthening social cohesion were analysed—from education and the cultivation of a culture of dialogue to shared social initiatives.

This year’s theme, “Crossroads of Cultures”, highlighted the way in which different traditions and communities meet to shape contemporary Athens. Among hundreds of entries, 200 works were selected and exhibited to the public throughout the day, showcasing the outstanding talent of the participants.

The event was presented by OPEN TV journalist Elvi Michailidou, while a greeting was delivered by the President of AMKE “Bridges of Peace”, Anthimos Sideris, underlining that “photography is a window onto the world” and praising Athens as a living meeting point of cultures. The event was honoured by the presence of local-government representatives, including the Deputy Mayor of Athens, Thanasis Cheimonas.

The works were evaluated by a distinguished jury, which included internationally recognised photographer Naia Poultidou and journalist Selahattin Sevi (velev.news).

Warm congratulations to all the awarded creators and to the participants who captured, through their own gaze, the unique cultural pulse of our city!

The Awards Ceremony of the Dialogue and Inclusion Awards 2025 was held on 17 June 2025 in Athens, for the second consecutive year, continuing the initiative that began in 2024 with the aim of highlighting and honouring people who actively contribute to dialogue, social inclusion, education, human rights and peaceful coexistence.

The second edition highlighted personalities from different areas of social life who, through their work and contribution, are examples of cooperation, social responsibility and active participation.

Focusing on the theme “STREET CULTURE”, this year’s edition brought to the fore the living cultural life and the rhythms of everyday life in the streets of Athens. The action gathered 280 entries from people of all ages, highlighting the many and fascinating faces of the capital through the creative gaze of the contestants.

The curtain fell at the historic Zappeion Megaron, which hosted the event for a second consecutive year, in the presence of distinguished personalities from the worlds of art, culture and academia. At the same time, the public had the opportunity to walk through the open exhibition and see up close the 44 shortlisted photographs, the 3 main prizes, as well as the 12 honourable mentions.

Among the hundreds of outstanding works, first prize went to Eleni Tziortzi, second place was taken by Ritsa Karasmanoglou, while third prize was awarded to Giorgos Tsigas.

Warm congratulations to those who distinguished themselves, and a big thank you to all the participants who embraced this year’s contest with their creativity!

Distinguished personalities from academia, law, literature and social life took part in the discussion, offering both their analyses and their personal testimonies.

Opening the round of speeches, Sotiris Livas dwelt on the need to dismantle conspiracy theories surrounding Gülen, highlighting his role as a “bridge-builder” and the gradual evolution of his action from the local to the global level. Katerina Markou then focused on Gülen’s devotion to pluralism, democracy and human rights, underlining his commitment to intercultural dialogue and Western values despite the persecution he suffered.

From the standpoint of legal scholarship, Omfali Migadaki spoke of her personal acquaintance with Gülen and the Hizmet Movement, noting the members’ deep devotion to freedom, equality and justice, centred on the principle that truth constitutes real power. In parallel, writer and translator Persa Koumoutsi shared her experience of translating his book “Love and Tolerance”, pointing out that love is the core of his teaching, inspiring peace, solidarity and intercultural dialogue.

Anthimos Sideris focused on the importance of education and selfless service and, through moving examples —such as teachers working with orphans in Egypt and the experiences of refugees— highlighted the prevalence of the collective “we” over the individual “I”, comparing the Movement’s values with the philosophy of the Hellenic World. Finally, Mehmet Ates described Gülen as a leader with “two wings”, who combined religion with the positive sciences to address the problems of the age, closing his remarks with the message of a Greek doctor who bade him farewell as a “worker of world peace” and stressing the responsibility to continue his work.

The Awards Ceremony of the Dialogue and Inclusion Awards 2024 was held on 18 June 2024 in Athens and was the first edition of a new institution dedicated to recognising and highlighting people who, through their work, contribution and public action, contribute substantially to promoting dialogue, social cohesion and inclusion.

The event was organised on the initiative of AMKE Bridges of Peace, with the participation and support of Religions for Peace Hellas, AMKE Synesis Pigi and the Olympus Youth Centre.

The Dialogue and Inclusion Awards were created as an institution recognising the contribution of people and organisations working for a more inclusive, just and peaceful society.

Across different areas of social life, the awards highlight initiatives and personalities who contribute to promoting dialogue and mutual understanding, to social inclusion and equality, to the defence of human rights, to education and the empowerment of young people, to social solidarity, as well as to building bridges of cooperation among different communities, religions and cultures.

The first edition of 2024 laid the foundations for an institution that continues to be held every year, honouring people who are examples of contribution, cooperation and social responsibility.

The contest fully achieved its aim: it brought the public into a genuine encounter with the technique and magic of photography, while also revealing the unique beauty, history and vitality of Athens. Participants enjoyed the creative journey, capturing the city through their own distinctive gaze.

Warm congratulations to the contest winners: 1st Ioanna Enezli, 2nd Giorgos Kypriotakis, 3rd Agis Petropoulos.

A big thank you to all the participants who embraced this action and shared their creativity with us!

The venue hosted a total of 50 works by students aged 6 to 14, highlighting the power of children’s art as a carrier of cultural heritage, peace and international solidarity.

The first exhibition, titled “Dress in Greece from Antiquity to Today”, is the culmination of a creative contest in the framework of World Children’s Rights Day. The action offered refugee children the opportunity to come into contact with Greek culture and to capture their own view of the evolution of Greek dress, while during the opening awards were presented to the students who stood out.

In parallel, the second exhibition, “Hope”, after its successful presentation in Unna, Germany, continued its journey in Athens, presenting 35 unique paintings on the theme of nature and drought. Through a multicultural dialogue in which children from 29 countries took part (Germany, Mali, Pakistan, Brazil, India, Afghanistan, USA, Japan, Australia, France, Laos, Vietnam, Turkey, Eritrea, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kenya, Lithuania, Kosovo, Serbia-Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Ghana, North Macedonia, Syria, Iraq, Armenia and Ukraine), it was shown in practice that the artistic creation of younger generations functions as a global language of hope.