Bodies and Organizations

DIAZOMA – Placing monuments at the centre of everyday life

The DIAZOMA Association was founded in 2008 with the mission to protect and promote Greece’s ancient theatres, integrate them into modern life and transform them into a vehicle for local and regional sustainable development. For the past 15 years, DIAZOMA has been acting as a catalyst to raise awareness and mobilize citizens and other bodies in restoring and socializing ancient monuments. Inspiring and guiding this noble effort is DIAZOMA President Mr Stavros Benos.

In recent years, the Association has been advocating the design of holistic programmes-cultural tourism products. They aim to preserve and restore ancient monuments, as well as connect them to prosperity and sustainable development. These programmes, Cultural Routes and Archaeological Parks, are implemented by utilizing the funding tools of National Strategic Reference Framework programmes and investing in a philosophy of synergies.   
 

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AKOMM-PSILORITIS Developmental S.A. was founded in 1988 with founding shareholders the Municipality of Anogeia, the community of Axos, the community of Gonia and the Agricultural Industrial Cooperative of Anogeia and is the most important development tool of the wider region. Since 1991, the area of ​​intervention of the company is the wider area of ​​the mountain mass of Psiloritis.

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The Association for the Protection of Asterousia, headquartered in Kapetaniana, aims at the cultural development and promotion of the settlements located in the mountain range of Asterousia. Additionally, its purpose includes the preservation, maintenance, and promotion of the ethnographic, cultural, and historical material associated with these settlements. 
Furthermore, it strives to document the archaeological sites of the region and highlight them, as well as protect and showcase the religious monuments of the area. Also, the Association contributes to reviving the traditional arts of the region, including the establishment of music festivals. 

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DAIDALOS S.A. is a Local Government Development Organization, based in Archanes, Heraklion. Among its objectives are the provision of scientific, advisory and technical support to its constituent municipalities and the Region of Crete, the promotion of social inclusion and social cohesion and the strategic planning and implementation of policies for sustainable development. Read less

The Municipal Enterprise for Culture, Tourism and Development of the Municipality of Heraklion – DEPANAL S.A. is a multi-shareholder municipal joint-stock company with the main shareholder being the Municipality of Heraklion with actions mainly of a cultural, business and construction nature and others aimed at promoting the local development, the implementation of human resource development and social care programs and the improvement of the quality of life of the citizens.  DEPANAL is responsible for the management of the Cultural Conference Center of Heraklion (https://www.cccc.gr/gr), which contributes to the promotion of modern cultural life, by organizing festivals, conferences and artistic events of high prestige.

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The Ecomuseum of Zagori is an open museum that deals with the protection and utilization of natural and cultural heritage for the benefit of local sustainable development. Its basic principle is that the monuments of a region remain "in situ" reflecting living testimonies of a particular era. 

Communication with visitors includes aspects of social life, production processes, socio-economic and natural history of the place.

At the same time, it interprets the spiritual, social and economic development of the place, which is directly connected to the natural environment and its effects in determining its special physiognomy.

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The Lifelong Learning Center, Educational Developmental "Ploigos" is a Civil Non- Profit Company based in Heraklion and develops regional activities, through the operation of educational centers in the Regional Units of Heraklion, Rethimno and Lasithi. The center was established in 1995 by seven development companies that cover geographically the largest percentage of the Region of Crete, providing adult vocational training to unemployed, self-employed and special groups of the active population. "Ploigos" is certified as a Vocational Training Center of regional scope in 9 thematic areas: environment, tourism, services, agriculture, technical - transportation, health and welfare, culture and sports, education, economics-management and computer science. It has organized special section for the development of actions to support groups of the population who are excluded from the labor market and are also subjected to social exclusion. Read less

The Management Unit of Samaria National Park and the Protected Areas of Western Crete, is a Legal Entity Under Private Law, which reports to the Ministry of Environment and Energy and is responsible for the administration and management of the Natura 2000 areas of Western Crete. These areas, apart from their self- evident value as environmental landmarks of Crete and Greece, are also fields of anthropogenic activities, with emphasis on tourism. The Unit seeks the participation and implementation of actions of local, regional and national character, aiming at the sustainable development and management of these areas. Read less

In the midst of the Karpathian Sea, between Crete and Rhodes, a strip of unparalleled authenticity will change the way you think about vacations. Welcome to the dreamlike Karpathos, the mythological homeland of Titans, ancient gods, and legendary heroes! Accessible via ports and an international airport, the second largest island in the Dodecanese offers everything you can imagine. Abundant exotic beaches with turquoise waters, organized or completely virgin, sandy or pebbly, will captivate your dreams! Pine forests and unique mountain landscapes will astonish you, while the twelve villages of Karpathos with their picturesque charm and authentic hospitality, along with excellent tourist services, will give you indelible memories. Mount Olympus, "perched" on the cliffs, with its countless little houses, will transport you to a culture that flourished centuries before technology!

Karpathos is not only an oasis of relaxation but also an endless source of energy. Hiking, water sports, rock climbing, diving, windsurfing, and sea excursions to the beautiful island of Saria attract friends from all over the world! For connoisseurs of good food, pure raw materials, local products, and timeless recipes are the trinity of taste. You will find authentic Karpathos everywhere, from the wild nature to the age-old traditions, the amazing festivals, weddings, and gastronomy.

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Nikos Kazantzakis Museum pays tribute to the great man of spirit, the writer, thinker, philosopher, politician, traveler Nikos Kazantzakis. It is in the central square of the village of Nikos Kazantzakis, the historical Barbarians (today's Myrtia). The "Nikos Kazantzakis Museum" Foundation is a non- profit Legal Enity under Private Law. The Museum's collection number over 50,000 objects (letters, holograms - autographs, publications - articles - studies, press releases, photographs, audio documents, animated items, theatrical material, works of art, personal items) some of which are presented in Permanent Exhibition and the rest are kept in the Archive of the Foundation. In addition to supporting research on the Kazantzaki project and the educational activity it develops, the Museum implements a rich program of actions, events and collaborations that make it now an important cultural institution of Crete, but also Myrtia, which hosts it, an attractive tourist destination. Read less