Written by: Dora Psoma & Grigoria Simouli

On 8^th July 2024, IDEA training, one of the ᴇNᴀBʟS project partners, hosted an awareness event at their headquarters in Thessaloniki, Greece, focusing on the ᴇNᴀBʟS project and the local Media’s role in Sustainability Projects through the Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) concept.

The awareness event was held in the context of the Smart Media Dashboard Project workshop. The Smart Media project has created a digital tool that will change the way journalists use metrics in the media world. The Smart Media tool responds to the need for media and journalists to know who, when and how news is read by the public.

The event was organised for 25 journalists from Northern Greece, who work for the region’s largest news agency, Makthes.gr. The aim was to inform the journalists about the ᴇNᴀBʟS project’s objectives and ongoing actions, particularly in the topics of Sustainability, Biodiversity Loss, and NBS. The journalists were keen to gain deeper insights into these critical issues and the innovative research methods the ᴇNᴀBʟS project is developing.

Topics-questions discussed during the ᴇNᴀBʟS project event:

1. Are Greek media engaged and/or interested in raising awareness for EU projects? Are they aware of the ᴇNᴀBʟS project?
2. Why is it important for local media and journalists to engage in Sustainability and NBS projects?
3. What is the importance of the ᴇNᴀBʟS project for local communities in Northern Greece?
4. How can journalists contribute to highlighting the role of ᴇNᴀBʟS in the area of Northern Greece?
5. What are the gender dimensions of the ᴇNᴀBʟS project activities in the local communities of rural areas in Northern Greece?

These questions and topics were discussed together with PhD Candidates and Teaching Staff from the PJL – Peace Journalism Laboratory of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Professor Nikos Panagiotou pointed out the role of “Positive -peaceful- news and innovative research projects that promote cooperation among the EU countries and raise our awareness regarding Sustainability”.

Presentation session, Networking and ᴇNᴀBʟs Survey

During the event, IDEA’s Project Manager Dora Psoma delivered a presentation with an overview of the ᴇNᴀBʟS project and highlighted the upcoming Living Labs, which will play a crucial role in testing and implementing NBS solutions. This segment sparked significant interest among the participants, who were eager to learn how the ᴇNᴀBʟS Living Labs would function and what outcomes were to be expected.

The coffee break offered an additional opportunity for networking and engagement. Participants were encouraged to visit the ᴇNᴀBʟS news stand in the IDEA foyer, where they could collect informational brochures.

The brochures featured QR codes, allowing the journalists to access and contribute to the ongoing project surveys directly. This interactive approach was well-received, enhancing the participants’ connection to the project. All 25 journalists seized the opportunity to fill in the ᴇNᴀBʟS questionnaire (T1.2.) and became more familiar with NBS concepts.

QR codes for the ᴇNᴀBʟS website and social media were also displayed in the IDEA foyer.

The 25 journalists were particularly impressed by the project’s innovative focus on integrating Sustainability and NBS into Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training (VET). The meeting was concluded with the journalists submitting their contributions to the ᴇNᴀBʟS survey and congratulating IDEA team for this initiative.