Our village is located in the Bucolic setting of Thyrea region enclosed by Mt Parnonas range, in N. Kynouria Perfecture – part of Arcadia – in the Eastern part of the Peloponnese overlooking the Argolic Golf. It lies 85 klms North of Sparta and 33 klms South of Argos serving through the aeons as a battlefield for the Spartan & Mycenaean kingdoms the two oldest civilizations of antiquity & protagonists of the Trojan war as described by Homer. Thyrea is the ancient word for passage and a doorway to the future.

A sea of mountains covered with unique black pine forests full of wild life surrounds it. Moustos, a sea lake, with healing waters hosts all birds seeking sanctuary while flying to the North, to and from Africa. Two dried up rivers enclose the ancient olive orchard that still has an olive producing tree today, dated back in Homer’s time. A monument of Nature that withstood the test of time and provided green gold to the local Dorian People that had to deal with the stony and rough territory. Shepherds, fishermen, bee keepers and olive farmers are still pronounced part of the locals.

Youth flees this beautiful paradise as income generation is a very challenging matter.

KEY PROJECTS & FOCUS AREAS

Thyrea Living Lab is part of the Soil Missions EU Horizon program GOV4ALL focused on Governance and Business Models for Living Labs: Rural regeneration hubs for tackling soil health challenges in the Mediterranean region bringing communities across the Mediterranean together towards a regenerative approach to soil management that lays the ground for a future in which people, nature and soil can thrive together. Meraki People SME is the LL’s Ambassador.

Mush – Link project aims to gather together 6 organizations from the EU & Western Balkan countries with a single aim to promote mushroom farming as a sustainable agricultural method that support food security, circular economy and rural development. It is a VET (Vocational Education Training program) taking place between Jan 25 – Dec 26. Its main activities are researching, training and education of teachers and trainers in VET to ensure quality and effective learning experiences for both young and adult learners in the agriculture sector.

BioInSouth, a Circular Biobased Economy joint undertaking project supporting regional environmental sustainability assessment for the BIO-based sectors to improve INnovation, INdustries and INclusivity in SOUTH Europe has accepted “Meraki People” SME as an associate partner.

ONGOING EFFORTS & ACTIONS

2015 Invitation of Dr Gunter Pauli CEO of NOVAMONT and Principal of ZERI.org – Zero Emissions Research Innitiatives – for the initial informal local weekend at the village of Agiannis with 62 people from 8 countries were introduced to the Blue Economy including industries that use natural yeasts like beer making, breads and wines as well as fermentation techniques full of ancient wisdom put in a new perspective.

2016 World Health Innovation Summit in Karyes Village with 23 speakers and 85 people attending from 14 countries.

2017 Climate Kick (Meraki People Sme – 3rd National Winner) participated in the Global competition in Edinburg

2018 Institute of Evolutionaty Futures awards SME Meraki People an International Fellowship and introduces locals to the California Ecosystem of Social Innovation and World Cafe Methodology. 18th of May of that year, Meraki People is founded by Christiana Gardikioti and registered as an SME in Greece.

2019 our first tiny pilot mushroom production is established in our HQs to serve as a demo to bio ecomomy and applied circular economy practices for agriculture. Olive brunches presently burned are now serving as a growing medium for fungi and then put back in the soil that hosts the olive trees.

LOCAL IMPACT

When we started back in 2015 the prevailing atmosphere was :

this cannot happen in GREECE!

Too crazy for the locals to accept. Too far fetched

Locals were very sceptical and almost rude telling me to go have a check up at the local Mental Ward of the General Hospital!

In JUNE 2024 (1st round) and DECEMBER (2nd round) Thekla incubator of the Democretian Universtity rewarded us with the SME price with the most impact potential locally and nationally!

Gov4ALL gathered 6 partners

Meraki People LL Ambassador

New Agriculture New Generation NGO

Academy of Entrepreneurship NGO

Afforest4Future SME

NKUA (National Kapodestrian University of Athens) AI and Smart Agriculture Dept

Last but definately not least the LOCAL Cooperative of Olive Producers of Doliana Village (125 members)

All working to advance Living Soil linking soil health with human and planetary health

In numbers:

6 local events

33 speakers/presenters

18 Academic faculties including DRAMA and Philosophy as well as BIO STEM education lessons being developed

120 students attending Bio Economy litteracy in our HQs from 3 schools

3 new jobs and 4 on the waiting list

Our first product:

980 Hearts of recycled fabric full of levender carrying a message for the Local Public Administration Mayor to the Perfecture’s employees performed by a female team of 6 contemplating to incorporate as a Social Cooperative soon

75 people from all walks of life i.e. attended the local stakeholders event

Academics, Engineers/professionals/artists/farmers/Environmentalists/Technology experts/Data experts/Scientists/local council administrators including Mayor & 3 Vice Mayors, Civil Society/Local Media engaged for a week end in a fertile dialogue of impementing the 4Returns framework (inspiration – Economic – Environmental – Social) methodology

The notion of “CO” is foreing to them

Co operation

Co design

Co laborating

Co deciding

Co working

Lack of Capital and patient investment capital completely absent

VCs are looking for the next Unicorn in technology. They do not particularly want to invest in production while having an “open to calamities” deal such as farming with a 29 year horizon

Too eager to fall back into the unsustainable growth model used up to here

International Bio Economy Rural VET applied Learning Institution full of anyone willing to learn to make sustainable income while cooperating with others

And

A community bio fab lab promoting experimentation, Health science awarness and litteracy on Bio Economy

Belonging to ARK coworking space and UniLabs are great local dissimination and cooperation promoting activities and ecosystems

The Governor announced Peloponnissos to become the 1st Bio Economy region Nationally inviting Pharmaceutical investments as well as Cultural Technology Centre at the University to help promote the region as an Innovation Hub

Sustainable tourism with diving school, climbing school, mountain walking expeditions, rafting and food soul visiting places are part of the Municipalities aims. However, orgainising a Pilot Bio Economy village coupled with the International Pan’s Flute zero waste Festival seems distanced but DOABLE

Digitalising Culture and promoting Tourism, creative industries and bio based product making seems like a winning formula that seeks to be duplicated all over other villages throughout Greece

Local Authorities (Mayor Cabylis and Local Council with 23 villages participating

Universities

Thrace,

Agricultural Universtity of Athens Dr Vemmos Stavros ,

National Kapodestrian Universtity of Athens Dr Karras (AI) and Dr Vorgias (Biology), University of Patras (Dr Patinos George)

Local news paper (promo Kynouria News)

Olive oil processors Damaskinoelies Estate of Dr M. Ainatzoglou

Antonopoulos Organic olive oil Farmer

Business Consultants Atlantis SA

Financial Reporting and Business Growth Prefessionals: Kourogiorgas Dimitris (Accountant)

Diakonia Dolianon – Petri Dikaiou Civil Society female lead stewarding collective

Living Soil testing and practicing Agroforestry engaging a plethora of local helpers

Biobased and recycled fabrics hearts

Fighting extreme conditions of drought and ill weather …

To create 3D fishing farms