On 15 November 2024, the Cities 4.0 Forum took place in Komotini within the framework of the NES-3 Cycle, focusing on cooperation among local government, civil society, academia and youth.
The first thematic session highlighted successful practices, including Thessaloniki as the European Youth Capital 2014, presented by Babis Papaioannou, Policy Officer at the European Commission, and Komotini as the National Youth Capital, presented by Vasiliki Mantenidou from the “Exagono” Youth and Volunteer Centre of the Municipality of Komotini. The discussion explored both successful approaches and ongoing challenges, underlining the importance of further strengthening cooperation between local authorities and civil society.
The forum then turned to collaboration between academia and civil society, including a discussion on the Komotini Model United Nations (MUN), presented by two local students together with Professor Dimitris Triantafyllou, an academic in International Politics.
In the youth-focused session, particular emphasis was placed on strengthening Youth Work as a recognised professional field, with contributions from Giota Arvaniti (SCI-Hellas), Thomas Tsikos (Youth Center of Epirus) and Aris Paraschos (U.S.B). Sotiris Petropoulos (HIGGS) also joined online to discuss volunteering and the institutional support of small and medium-sized civil society organisations.
The forum concluded with a discussion and proposals aimed at strengthening youth participation and support at both local and European level.
