Intervention at the Networking & Cooperation Forum on material deprivation and social exclusion in Western Macedonia — Kozani, 10 February 2026.
On 10 February 2026, I contributed to the two-day Networking & Cooperation Forum held in Kozani under the theme “Aspects and Data on Material Deprivation and Social Exclusion in Western Macedonia: Supporting Policies to Address Multiple Exclusions.”
The event formed part of the initiative to upgrade and broaden social and welfare services across Western Macedonia, bringing together regional and municipal authorities, social-service professionals, Community Centres, civil-society organisations and other actors working directly with citizens.
The central message of my intervention
My intervention focused on a simple but decisive point: social economy must be treated as a central pillar of regional planning and as a practical bridge between institutions, professionals and citizens.
People facing a complex need should not be expected to identify the right office, travel from one service to another or navigate fragmented administrative structures on their own. Effective support depends on genuine interconnection: services that know what the others provide, professionals who communicate, and a network capable of directing each person towards the right form of assistance.
I also stressed that social work is not merely a profession. It is a contribution to society. The human proximity and trust that still characterise the communities of Western Macedonia can become a real institutional strength when combined with organised cooperation.
From funded projects to lasting public value
Cooperation cannot depend on a single person, an isolated institution or a “magic wand”. It requires an everyday working culture in which organisations ask one another: What is happening? What does the citizen need? Who can respond? How can we act together?
When this happens, public funding produces more than the completion of a programme. It creates a multiplying social impact. Contractors, public services, Community Centres and the Unified Social Network become parts of a common effort centred on the citizen.
The most important test is continuity. The network and the relationships it creates must endure beyond the lifetime of individual funding programmes. That continuity can be secured only by demonstrating, through practical results, the value of our collective role.
Watch the intervention
English subtitles are available and the embedded player requests them automatically. If they do not appear immediately, select CC in the YouTube player.
The forum was organised within the framework of the operation “Upgrading and Broadening Social and Welfare Services in the Region of Western Macedonia” (MIS 6006870), supported by the Just Transition Programme 2021–2027.