HELMEPA: HELMEPA Newsletter

 

This is a landmark year for HELMEPA and our members. Together, we will celebrate the 40th Anniversary of HELMEPA, a historic Association with a pioneer DNA, that has proved to be a proactive, resilient, and impactful community of stakeholders committed to marine environment protection, safety at sea and sustainability, with outstanding Social Responsibility and Community Volunteer participation throughout Greece and abroad.

For 40 years now, by studying, educating, collaborating, monitoring, empowering, facilitating, exchanging, and producing knowledge, calling to action, HELMEPA lives up to its commitment for responsible and sustainable lives lived by, for and with the sea.

And we want to thank you for your valuable contribution. Your membership matters. Together we have reached, engaged, and cultivated the environmental mindset of thousands of people throughout Greece. A quarter of a million volunteers, a huge human element within and beyond the borders of Greece, have joined forces throughout the years, as a bulwark for all that “Sea is life” really stands for.

New tools, new activities, new programs (SDGs, Sustainability, ESG) will be announced throughout the year.

Olga Stavropoulou, Director General, HELMEPA

Together, we can save the seas #HELMEPA40years

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Since our last newsletter, we are proud to report record participation in all our key programs: 3,377 seafarers & staff trained – 9,500+ children applied for volunteers – 5,360 volunteers cleaned 130km coastline and our membership network now consists of 1,978 vessels, 211 companies/organizations and 14,000+ seafarers. 

HELMEPA Wins Sustainability Award at Lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Awards 2021, a significant recognition for our 40 years impactful action. “A big thank you to all our members, new and old. This award belongs to all our BoD members, the Secretariat and all of you who truly reflect the Greek entrepreneurship […] HELMEPA is committed to engage and empower all of us to take action and work towards a sustainable planet. I am confident that synergies, knowledge-sharing, teamwork, brave decisions and Greek Filotimo are the key ingredients to our continuous success.” HELMEPA Chairperson Semiramis Paliou. The award was presented by Mark Darley for Lloyd’s Register. #GreekShippingAwards #Recognition #Sustainability #SDGs #Impact #NextGeneration. Read more

Record of beach cleanups. In less than three months HELMEPA coordinated 196 cleanups all over Greece, covering 130 km of coastline, with the voluntary and active participation of 5,360 citizens. Besides the waste collection and proper disposal, the volunteers contributed to the scientific study of the problem, by recording the collected waste, providing valuable data on the amount, type, and origin of marine litter. Cigarette ends along with single-use plastics are placed in the first (negative) positions in the top10 list of marine litter found on Greek coasts. To date, more than 14 million people have participated in the International Coastal Cleanup, the largest voluntary event of its kind worldwide, having collected in total more than 100,000 tons of garbage. HELMEPA is the national coordinator for the 31st year in Greece!  #OceanConservancy #Volunteers #CitizensScience. Read more

US Coast Guard – HELMEPA engagement to optimize the preparation of Seafarers and Vessels for PSC inspections in US ports and to further enhance safety, pollution prevention and sustainability. Representatives of managing companies-members of HELMEPA addressed questions directly to Rear Admiral John W. Mauger, Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy of the US Coast Guard. #Pollution_prevention #sustainability. Read more

The most thematically diverse, specialized and diverse Voluntary Refresher Training Program was announced with 36 new topics, 31 webinars and 60 instructors, with new webinars on ESG reporting, sustainable finance, soft skills, and labs on Sustainable Development. #MembersOnly #WiderCommunity #GreenShipping. Read more

HELMEPA partners with Blue Generation Project with the mission to inform almost 40,000 young people aged 15 to 29 about employment prospects in the fast-growing sector of the Blue Economy e.g. coastal tourism, aquaculture, ocean energy, marine biotechnology, shipbuilding, maritime transport and fisheries. The project is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment. #CareerDays #StudyVisits #Mentoring #MobilityExchanges
Read more

45 scholarships have been awarded since 1998 with HELMEPA standing on the side of the contributing to the need for human resources on specialization and quality 
#NewGeneration #Scientists #BrainGain. Read more 

New Edutainment Series for Children by HELMEPA Junior is now available in the #Official_School Skills Seminars, upon approval by the Institute of Educational Policy. A strong social impact project, co-produced with our member #SQLearn, combines fun learning with environmental mindset cultivation at early age, available for all kids and educators, titled “Dive Into Knowledge”. 

#HELMEPAJunior #NewGeneration #DigitalToolkit #FunLearning #OceanLiteracy. Read more

With record participation (8.051 children already) HELMEPA Drawing Contest was announced inviting children to participate in the anniversary celebrations and paint the iconic #HELMEPA_Seagull #Youth_Activities. Read more

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Sea Otters are one of the most endangered mammals due to their precious fur, dense with 140 million hair. Their love for sea urchins is beneficial for Kelps (underwater forests with giant algae) as sea urchins are the enemy of algae.
Otters, with their inexhaustible appetite, keep the sea urchin population at a low level, which is very good not only for scams, but also for tackling climate change; the shells absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store them at the bottom.
That’s why we call them the ‘superheroes’ of climate!

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Wholeheartedly thanks to our Donors who have helped us significantly to undertake more activities that support our mission and work for healthy seas. 

#maritime_training programs #youth_education #international_collaborations

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We collaborate with the new generation offering them access to infotoolkit in order to enable them to take action, being our future environmental leaders
Youth Ambassadors @OPEN TV (view video)

The vision of HELMEPA founders remain our guide.

Featuring @Naftika Chronika

Eleni Tsolka, Environmental Awareness Manager, spoke @Radio1 of Magnisia about the beach cleanup campaign organized by HELMEPA

HELMEPA pioneers in the promotion of values on sustainable development in the maritime community and the wider Greek society
HELMEPA featuring @Naftemporiki

• HELMEPA received the Sustainability Award at Lloyd’s List Greek Awards 2021 I @KATHIMERINI
• HELMEPA Chairperson Mrs Semiramis Paliou wins the Newcomer of the Year Award at Seatrade Award Winners 2021 I @MARITIMES.GR
• HELMEPA-USCG engagement for the better preparation of Seafarers and Vessels I @NAFTEMPORIKI
• HELMEPA participated @EBEN AWARDS 2021 with Director General Mrs Olga Stavropoulou I @in.gr
• HELMEPA has awarded 45 scholarships since 1998 and will continue to support the new generation I @ELNAVI
• Record of participants at the International Coastal Cleanup organized by HELMEPA I @TA NEA
• Great success of the HELMEPA Beach Cleanup Campaign I K issue of Kathimerini
• HELMEPA at CLIMATHON 2021 in Piraeus I @NAFS
• The Municipality of Kea participated at the International Coastal Cleanup Campaign with 85 students/volunteers I @KYKLADIKI
• The pandemic and the environmental challenge I @MAGNISIANEWS
• The Municipality of Leros along with 4 schools participated at the International Coastal Cleanup I @KALYMNOS NEWS
• HELEMPA Junior is 28 years old I @THE SEANATION