The challenge
Geographical isolation is a significant challenge for environmental organizations on islands, as it usually hinders their ability to connect with each other and collaborate effectively. Limited resources, including funding and staff, further compound this challenge, making it often difficult for organizations to initiate and sustain collaborative initiatives among the islands.
The solution
Bringing together local environmental organizations from different islands of the Cyclades presents a valuable opportunity to leverage collective expertise, resources, and experiences for the benefit of environmental conservation and sustainable development in the region.
Cycladoscope serves as an umbrella initiative, incorporating the CPF’s hands-on efforts: It multiplies the impact of our work through networking and capacity building opportunities we offer to locals, as well as through project development, testing innovative pilots, enabling of projects scaling-up and replication.
The Cycladoscope includes:
- Our Islanders Forum, initiated in 2019 in Syros: The annual meeting for Cyclades residents, local communities and organisations which includes opportunities for networking and collaboration, experience and knowledge sharing, best practices’ and challenges’ exchange. Learn more here.
- Our online ‘CPF Community’ that enables regular interaction among our members and with us
- Online thematic meetings and webinars, offering specific knowledge from/to entities and persons with similar interests, knowledge and experience
- Meetings, introducing islanders to each other, and site visits to learn from each other and set a solid basis for future collaborations
- Extroversion actions to national and international audiences to make the efforts of local non-profits and associations known and heard
The initiative commenced with our own resources, responding to the needs of islanders, and has been supported by the MAVA Foundation (9/2021 – 9/2022) and the A.G. Leventis Foundation (2022 onwards). Learn about the Islander Forum supporters here.
Achievements
Throughout the years, we have built trusting relationships, stable and reliable partners across the Cyclades. This is the result of our continuous support to the islanders. The CycladoScope community now consists of more than 70 members from 16 Cycladic islands.
