On June 11, the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center- EKKOMED, participated alongside the City of Athens Municipality at the international meeting “Cities for Media and Information Literacy” organised by UNESCO to announce the candidate cities. At this inaugural meeting, attended by representatives of municipal authorities and local government bodies from around the globe, Athens Mayor Haris Doukas presented Athens’ candidacy for inclusion in the UNESCO MIL Cities initiative, which was launched and is coordinated by EKKOMED.
In his address, Haris Doukas emphasised Athens’ dual identity as both a historical symbol of democracy and a modern, wide-ranging European capital. ‘In today’s rapidly changing digital world, critical thinking and informed public discourse are more important than ever,’ he noted. ‘Athens is committed to empowering all citizens – especially young people and vulnerable groups – with the necessary skills and spaces to safely and responsibly navigate the modern information landscape.’
EKKOMED was present at the meeting through the Creative Hub GR and emphasized the uniqueness of this initiative for Athens’ candidacy, a city with dynamically multicultural elements, as reflected by its 4,000,000 inhabitants, as well as “the only candidate Mediterranean city with a strong digital and educational footprint with a focus on young people involved in Media and Information Literacy.” (Irene Andriopoulou).
EKKOMED is acting as a hub for the initiative and will be responsible for coordinating local actions through an information campaign to galvanize communities and develop programs with a substantial impact, in accordance with UNESCO’s objectives.
Through this involvement, Athens reaffirms its commitment to transparency and open governance, social inclusion, digital literacy, and international cooperation – paving the way for a more informed and resilient urban society.
In the same vein, EKKOMED has undertaken the Greek translation and adaptation of the Guide “Guidelines, Creating UNESCO Cities for Media and Information Literacy” (UNESCO, 2024), which is already available on the UNESCO website in six languages: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000391748 .
EKKOMED is incorporating the initiative to support Athens’ candidacy as a City of Media and Information Literacy into the framework of its broader activities with UNESCO, through the international educational network, UNESCO MIL Alliance Euro-Mediterranean Branch, which it has been coordinating since 2018.
More about the meeting here: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-accelerates-global-piloting-media-and-information-literacy-cities
Information: educate@ekkomed.gr