Go alive

“GO Alive” youth organisation is a youth NGO that started its official function in January 2020, just before the expansion of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Organisation consists of the members of the informal group of young people “Greek Odysseuses” that have been very active in the field of youth empowerment since 2017. More specifically, the organisation was established as an output of the Transnational Youth Initiative “GO Alive” (2018-2-EL02-KA205-004425) under the European program Erasmus which aimed at the development of Mindfulness and the promotion of initiatives and the acquisition of Leadership with the ultimate goal of Community Building.

GO Alive” youth organization is a youth NGO established in January 2020, which is located in the city center of Kozani in Western Macedonia, Greece.

The values, vision and aims of the Organisation are:

The educational, professional, cultural and mental empowerment and development of young people, especially those with fewer opportunities due to social, economic or geographical obstacles) and the improvement of their skills and competences, by facilitating their active citizenship, employment and transition to the job market.
The support of the mobility of young volunteers, trainees and employees by promoting youth work and youth initiatives.
The promotion of mindfulness, self-awareness, wellbeing, a healthy and a balanced lifestyle, with an emphasis on prevention and active / healthy aging.
The spreading of volunteerism, freedom, democracy, human rights, gender equality , social inclusion and solidarity, human dignity, the role of the active citizen and the whole European ideal in order to create a better future for the European youth, through the cooperation of different social groups of different nationalities, in the context of serving the society.
The dissemination and support of the European Youth Card.
The promotion of the mobility of young people outside and outside the borders, organizing local actions and interventions, as well as the use of new media.
The promotion of the values ​​of non-formal learning and education, which contributes to the socio-educational development of individuals, but also to education at all levels, especially to people who have dropped out.
The development of action plans against poverty, unemployment and social marginalization, especially for people belonging to vulnerable groups (immigrants, Roma, refugees, people with disabilities).
The implementation of programs to upgrade the quality of human life and protect the social and natural environment.
To foster social entrepreneurship, as well as research, specialisation and innovation.

We have implemented a dozen of local workshops on Mindfulness and Leadership that took place in Siatista, Greece, including guided meditation, active listening and working committees on local development. Also, we have organised sport activities and hiking trips, as well as Environmental Protection and Recycling events, fostering community building in the local society of Siatista.

Moreover, our “GO Alive” team has organised a series online of Experiential Seminar on Mindfulness and Leadership for targeted individuals from all over the region of Western Macedonia (including Kozani, Ptolemaida, Florina, Kastoria and Grevena) who have a leadership role and impact on our local community.

Also, we have organized youth meetings in the city of Katerini on a monthly basis on the promotion of solidarity and social integration of refugees through poetry, as well as events in Thessaloniki, Katerini, Kastoria and Kozani, which were aimed at young people aged 20 to 30 who want to improve their interpersonal relationships and are looking for ways to live their daily lives more calmly and mindfully.

We are partners in a variety of international Erasmus+ Key Action 1 projects, mostly focused on healthy lifestyle, wellbeing, youth empowerment and sustainability. From the beginning of 2022 until now we have participated as partners in at least 40 Erasmus+ projects, including youth exchanges, training courses, seminars and transnational project meetings, giving opportunities to more than 80 young people to travel in Europe.

We have recently implemented the first part of the project of the European Solidarity Corps “Development of Mindful Leadership Skills in the Management of Civil Society Organizations” we are looking for participants who are Administrative Officers of Civil Society Organizations who exercise leadership duties (M.K.O., Associations, Foundations , Voluntary Organizations etc.) and employees of the above Organizations, based in Western and Central Macedonia. Approximately 30 people in leadership positions attended to empower themselves through good mindfulness practices.

We are also involved as partners in three long-term Erasmus+ Key Action 2 projects:

Erasmus+ Cooperation partnership in youth work “YOU (th) in the moment” promoting mindfulness in Youth Work, involving Estonia, Latvia, Greece, Italy, Sweden and Ukraine (2021-1-EE01-KA220-YOU-000029012)
Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership Project “Ni-Ni and Yo-Yo : Youth Trajectories and Dilemma of Social Welfare Systems in Southern Europe” involving Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey. (KA220-YOU-B133F6A8)
Erasmus+ Small-scale partnerships in vocational education and training “ENDO-TEAM: a multidisciplinary team approach to endometriosis” (2022-1-IT01-KA210-VET-000081347)