LEAD BENEFICIARY – MUNICIPALITY OF IRAKLIA
In the heart of Macedonia, at the Northwest end of the Prefecture of Serres and in the embrace of the fertile valley of the river Strymon, is the Municipality of Iraklia. It has a permanent population of 21,400 inhabitants and an area of 448,790 acres. It is surrounded by the Municipalities of Serres and Sintiki and the neighboring Prefectures of Thessaloniki and Kilkis, while it is 15 and 65 km away from the urban centers of Serres and Thessaloniki respectively and only 20 km from the border with Bulgaria. It is characterized by the intense lowland landscape with the varied arable lands, but also by the unique in beauty and environmental value Lake Kerkini and is surrounded by the mountains of Kroussia and Vertisco. After the latest changes in the administrative structure of the country, the Municipality of Iraklia includes 21 Communities, each of which has its own historical and cultural route and maintains its own traditional and ceremonial color, creating a framework of fruitful multicultural exchanges.
The Municipality of Iraklia does not present problems in its political role. The political representation from the small villages is satisfactory. Regarding its development role, the Municipality makes significant efforts for its participation in regional and local development processes. The main purpose for the proper functioning of the Municipality is to exploit and exercise the additional responsibilities provided to it in the context of serving the citizen from the nearest to this level.
The Municipality of Iraklia has extensive experience in the management and implementation of European financial programs. In the last programming period it participated in twenty-two programs, financed by the NSRF, INTERRG, the GREEN FUND, the Ministry of Rural Development, the Ministry of Interior.
Municipality of Iraklia was selected as lead partner because it has experience in previous Territorial Cooperation Programmes.
PB2 – The National Centre of Scientific Research “Demokritos” – Institute of Informatics and Telecommunications (IIT)
The National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos” (NCSR “Demokritos”) is the largest multidisciplinary research center in Greece, with critical mass in expertise and infrastructure in the fields of Nanotechnology, Energy & Environment, Biosciences, Particle and Nuclear Science, Informatics and Telecommunications. The NCSR “Demokritos” conducts world-class basic and applied research, for advancing scientific knowledge and promoting technological development in selected areas of national socio-economic interest. The Center also plays a pivotal role in graduate education and professional training and its unique infrastructure is employed for high-technology services to the Industry and the Society. The Centre’s personnel is composed of 700+ distinguished researchers, research support professionals and scientific associates. The Center is distinguished for supporting a visionary and dynamic research community that is currently under the process of re-orientating its efforts with emphasis on innovation exploitation and fostering of new businesses and synergetic cooperation with the private sector.
The Division of Demokritos that will participate in the project is the “Institute of Informatics and Telecommunications” with focus on research and development in the areas: focuses on research and development in the areas of Supercomputing Systems, Networks, Information and Multimedia Systems, Satellite and Broadband Communication Systems, interconnection – interoperability Satellite and Terrestrial Networks, Network Technologies – DWDM, advanced Telemedicine and Distance Learning applications (e-learning), Content Management Systems Development, Competency Management System Development, throughout Europe. NCSR “Demokritos” has a long experience in managing and implementing EC and National projects, such as, USEFIL, ProFouND, ConcORDE, Galenos, BASE2, INTERMED, Tileipokratis.
PB3 Municipality of Novo Selo
The Municipality of Novo Selo belongs to the South-East planning region and occupies the most south-eastern part of the country, it extends to an area of 424,82 km² and it is of rural nature. In the North, the territory extends to the crest of Ograzden Mountain, in the middle part is the wide plain of the river Strumica, and in the southern part, it rises to the crest of the Belasica Mountain. The Municipality of Novo Selo is a unit of local self-government, as a community of residents in a certain area, governed by law, which through its authorities and through the administration and organized public services. The municipality independently, within the framework of the law, regulates and performs matters of public interest, of local importance, determined by the Law on Local Self-Government, as well as other works but is not limited to: Urban Planning, Environment Protection, Local Economic Development, Communal activities, Culture, Sport and Recreation, Social Protection and Child Care, Education, Health Care, Protection and Rescue of Citizens and Material Goods, Fire Protection, Supervision over the performance of its tasks and other activities determined by law.
The Municipality of Novo Selo consists of the following 16 settlements: Novo Selo, Sushica, Mokrino, Mokrievo, Borisovo, Koleshino, Zubovo, Samoilovo, Smolare, Drazevo, Staro Konjarevo, Novo Konjarevo, Bajkovo, Badilen, Stinik and Barbarevo. According to the official census from 2002 there are 11 567 inhabitants living in the municipality.
Through the national road A4 and the regional road R1402, the Municipality is connected to the remaining municipalities in the region, and to the Bulgaria through the border pass.
The abundance in natural resources in the Municipality of Novo Selo creates favorable characteristics for economic development of the south-eastern part of the country, especially in the development of rural tourism. The main and most dominant economic sectors in the Municipality of Novo Selo are trade, agriculture, wood processing and tourism.
PB4 Youth Association FENIKS Novo Selo
The Youth Association Feniks – Novo Selo is an association of citizens, formed by willing participation of citizens, to exercise, care and coordinate their interests and beliefs, and perform various actions and activities. The citizens join the Youth Association – Feniks – Novo Selo, for the purpose of achieving a wider social interest, which meets the needs of expert and other assistance. YA Feniks – Novo Selo, as a citizen association, will accomplish its goals, tasks and activities in accordance with the relations regulated by the Constitution of the country, through its Statute, as well as with the Statutes of other organizations or coalitions that will represent a national body that will work in the field of youth (in case of membership in a union or coalition), as well as with other legal norms that regulate matters in this field. YA Feniks – Novo Selo is organized and operates on the whole territory of the country.
The citizens are affiliated with YA FENIKS -Novo Selo for the purpose of achieving a wider common interest and specific goals and objectives such as:
– Affirmation and activation of the young population towards better promotion of their interests;
– initiating youth participation in all spheres of human life;
– advocacy and protection of the rights of young people in general, regardless of their religious, national, gender, sexual or any other affiliation;
-promotion of democracy and human rights;
– Preventive action to prevent deviant phenomena in the society as well as from addictive diseases;
– Active work in the field of ecology and environmental protection;
– Promotion of the country beyond the borders and integration into European and world associations.
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