Initiative for Transparency

The Food Bank, along with more than 60 Civil Society organizations, co-signs a statement of positions and principles, aiming to highlight their transparent and reliable operation and their contribution to Greek society.
More than 60 organizations are working to build a relationship of trust with the public and the State, promoting the integration of transparency practices into the core of their structure and activities.
PRESS RELEASE
INITIATIVE FOR TRANSPARENCY: Collaboration for the COMMON GOOD
With the goal of highlighting their transparent and reliable operations, more than 60 Civil Society organizations co-sign a statement of positions and principles.
Athens, June 2024
The “INITIATIVE FOR TRANSPARENCY: Collaboration for the COMMON GOOD” has published a statement of positions and principles, aiming to showcase their significant contribution to Greek society, as well as to highlight the general framework for their transparent and reliable operations.
The statement has been co-signed by more than 60 Civil Society organizations that form this initiative.
This statement is initially addressed to all Civil Society organizations and subsequently to the general public, private sponsors and donors, and the State. It seeks to contribute productively to public discourse and is signed by many organizations known for their significant social work. The ultimate goal is for this document to serve as a valuable tool in promoting transparency, which is already embedded in their operations as a core value, fostering an open and constructive relationship between the organizations and the public. This will help restore their credibility and build collaborative relationships with the State.
Within this framework, the Initiative’s statement of positions and principles includes a series of proposed measures aimed at strengthening transparency within organizations. These measures include the obligation to publish the current Statute and Financial Statements on an annual basis, the implementation of transparent procedures for managing and allocating resources, the establishment of strict regulations and ethical codes, the continuous updating of the public on their activities, and the active participation of volunteers in internal processes and decision-making. Additionally, the statement offers ideas to foster closer interaction with the public and the State, with the goal of ensuring compliance with existing legislation and transparency regulations.
It is worth noting that the idea for this collaboration and the joint development of a statement of positions with this objective emerged from an informal initiative by members of Civil Society. Their goal was to propose ways to promote transparency and avoid generalizing isolated cases of dysfunction. At the same time, the initiative invites the State to assist in ensuring transparency, protecting both the public and recognized organizations that operate consistently and with integrity, offering significant services and valuable, long-standing contributions to Greek society.
In this direction, the collective effort of more than 60 organizations to contribute to maintaining trust through a framework of transparency and reliability has been transformed into the “INITIATIVE FOR TRANSPARENCY: Collaboration for the COMMON GOOD,” an informal partnership of Civil Society organizations. This partnership consists of the union of non-profit legal entities, represented by the co-signing organizations of the statement of positions and principles published by the initiative.
The key initiators of the initiative were Ms. Alexandra Martinou (TOGETHER FOR CHILDREN), Mr. Sotiris Petropoulos (HIGGS), Ms. Valia Fragkou (Philanthropy Advisor), Mr. Nikos Charalambidis (Greenpeace Greece), Mr. Dimitris Karavelas (WWF), Ms. Sofia Kouvelaki (The HOME Project), and Ms. Elina Sbokou (HOPEgenesis).
Mr. Sotiris Petropoulos, co-founder of HIGGS and a member of the **”INITIATIVE FOR TRANSPARENCY: Collaboration for the COMMON GOOD,”** noted: “Through our collective effort, we aim to ensure the transparent activities of Civil Society organizations and maintain their credibility. The statement of positions and principles, which we created through an open, participatory, and inclusive dialogue, aims to contribute to making transparency a key element of both the recognition and the operation of organizations. In this effort, we invite all stakeholders—other organizations, the State, funders, agencies, and the general public—to raise awareness, remain vigilant, and join us in this endeavor.”