On Friday January 21st more than 60 people attended the second online meeting with Stakeholders in Cyprus under the title ‘Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development’. It was organised by CARDET and the Cypriot branch of YOUTHShare Transnational Employment Centre.
The results of the transnational research conducted in the framework of the YOUTHShare project at regional level in the 4 countries under focus, Greece, Cyprus, Spain and Italy, showed that young people aged 25-29 face the biggest challenges in finding a job; especially in Cyprus, women not in Education, Employment or Training (NEETs) and people with a migration background.
Aim of YOUTHShare is to introduce youth into employment by using innovative methods and personalised support. In doing so, over 230 young people have been in contact with the cypriot branch of the YOUTHShare Transnational Employment Center. Since May 2020 more than 60 counselling sessions have taken place, as well as 6 career-oriented workshops. Additionally, through 2 online training series in cooperation with the Neapolis University Pafos, 56 former NEETs have received accredited certificates for their skills in Resilient Sectors of the Mediterranean Economies, IT and Web Based Economies and Social Entrepreneurship, through the YOUTHShare e-learning platform.
The local manager of CARDET stressed the importance of the Join2Share– The Sharing Economy Platform, where Social Economy Entities, Experts and Mentors join their forces to share experiences and offer consulting services to beneficiaries of the program.
The Stakeholders’ representatives noted the synergies that can be developed between YOUTHShare and their organisations. Mr Kostas Champiaouris, Commissioner for the Development of Mountain Communities, talked about revitalising the Mountain Communities and the 400 million Euros budget in place for this purpose. He also discussed the detailed plan of the Cypriot government to ensure the most beneficial course of action for the 113 mountain communities situated at the mountainous areas of Cyprus.
Ms Elina Christofidou, Inspection Officer at the Deputy Ministry of Tourism in Cyprus, underlined that Covid-19 has indeed severely affected tourism on one hand, but mountainous parts of the country have benefited on the other, since tourists, in order to avoid overcrowding in coastal areas, choose alternative holiday destinations. Wine tasting, hiking or even relaxing walks in nature, camping, visitable farms, are only a few of the advantages of mountain tourism. Mrs Christofidou underlined the opportunities arising from this tourism trend shift for both local development and unemployed youth.
Mrs Klelia Vasileiou, Commissioner for the Environment in Cyprus, stated that, besides its importance, circular economy nowadays provides plenty of new job positions. Soil, water and air, Mrs Vasileiou emphasised, are the three main factors that are in need of our protection. She addressed the matter of soil health and the need for the proper operation of aquifers, noting that the circular economy is an emerging field for the employment of youth.
Dr Stefanos Spaneas, Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Nicosia, discussed the developments in the field of Social Entrepreneurship in Cyprus. He noted the key aspects of acknowledging opportunities by social entrepreneurs and the distinction between them and commercial entrepreneurs: Whereas the first are mainly motivated by social responsibility, the latter are motivated by personal gain and profit. Mr Christodoulou, from the cypriot Agency for Cooperative Societies in his intervention clarified the legal provisions from the soon to come legislation on Social Economy.
The meeting presented 2 cases of successful efforts on social entrepreneurship. Both Val’s Place, a family run cafe/ bar where visitors can relax and enjoy the scenic views in Gialia, Paphos, and Casale Panayiotis Hotel, a traditional spa mountain hotel that offers the opportunity of wandering the trails and experiencing the life of locals, have managed to change not only the lives of their owners and employees but have identifiable impact upon the local communities. They are tangible examples of the enormous transforming effect of social entrepreneurship upon employment and social sustainability.
