The Mentor Awards
In a Press Conference that took place in October 2003 in the hotel N.J.V. Athens Plaza, the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and member of the Board of Trustees of the Mentor International Foundation, Mrs Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, presented the aim and the work of the Foundation to the journalists and announced the award of the Centre for the Treatment of Substance Dependant People (KETHEA), with the Mentor Award being the first: the Mentor Prevention Achievement Award.
This is an award which, among 150 candidate institutes from 49 countries, was presented to KETHEA for its prevention programme applied for the parents, students and teachers of the 132nd Primary School of Athens from September 2000 until June 2002.
The aim of the programme was to prevent the use of substances along with the general promotion of the students’ psychosomatic health, with the active participation of teachers and parents. During these two years the programme was attended by 217 students, 19 teachers and 85 parents in total.
The presentation of the award along with prize money of 100,000 Euros aimed at the further development of the KETHEA prevention programmes, took place on Saturday the 11th of October in Zurich. The committee of the scientists specialised in the sectors of confronting substance-dependence and health education, which evaluated the programme, reports that the involvement of KETHEA is distinct due to the high effectiveness towards the personal development of the children, their psychosomatic improvement as well as supporting the parents so that they are able to cope with their role more effectively.
In her brief speech, Mrs Vardinoyannis expressed the satisfaction and pride that she felt as a Greek citizen for this honorary discrimination of KETHEA, as this “proves, as she characteristically said, that in the end, the human quality, people and their visions, is what provides the country with power and prospect”.
Then, Mrs Vardinoyannis pointed out that, for the past 10 years, the Mentor Foundation constitutes the only international non governmental organisation in the world that is activated on a global level on the prevention of drug use by children and young people, in collaboration with the World Health Organization the UN International Drug Control Programme as well as governments and independent organisations.
“In the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, said Mrs Vardinoyannis, we are 22 members in total from various countries, under the Presidency of Queen Silvia of Sweden. We are all convinced that the key for the achievement of our aim lays on the prevention. We believe that the most important weapon against drugs is the power of the resistance in each one of us, especially the children and young people, against the pressure exerted by life and society; the “NOs” that young people can say: No to insecurity; No to the easy way; No to the mass; No to the alienation; No to drugs. For this reason, the Mentor Foundation programmes have as their main objective to reinforce the self-confidence of the children, young people, parents and teachers to such extend so that they are able to say “No” - no to the massive pressure, no to drugs.
”To achieved this aim, the Mentor Foundation has supported the group works for the prevention of addictive substances and educational programmes in four continents and has invested more than 20 millions dollars in order to organise and reinforce drug prevention worldwide. In its effort, the Mentor Foundation is financially supported by individuals as well as enterprises in all over the world.
”In order that these initiatives become more known, the Foundation established the International Mentor Awards which include: the Achievement Award for the programmes that were proved to be very effective for drug prevention and the Innovation Award for the programmes that applied and have potential. Moreover, the Mentor Foundation honours those individuals and organisations which propose new and innovative ways in the drug prevention sector with the Youth Initiative Award”.
Then, the President of the Board of Trustees of KETHEA, Professor Nikolaos Paraskeuopoulos, spoke who referred to the background and purpose of applying for candidacy to Mentor Foundation programme and the impulse that the international recognition will give to the KETHEA prevention activities as well as the money prize that accompanies the award.
The Director of KETHEA, Dr Charalampos Poulopoulos referred to the need for integrated and consistent interventions for prevention addressed to the students, parents and teachers which will reinforce the factors protecting from the use of substances, which will be more than a simple briefing or produce a panic environment concerning the phenomenon of drugs.
Finally Mrs Sotiria Tsiotra, who is in charge of the prevention programmes of KETHEA in Basic Education, presented the awarded programme, reporting on the following:
“The programme evaluation revealed important personal changes in the students, such as the improvement of the self-esteem and self-knowledge, improvement of communication skills and management of the difficult situations, acceptance of diversity. These skills have been proved to be able to shield the children toward the use of substances and other harmful forms of behaviour.
The school environment, which has an intense cross-cultural character, was also considerably improved as the bonds, collaboration and mutual understanding among the students were reinforced and the prejudice and mistrust were softened.
Positive changes in the attitude of the students toward the school and the educational process as well as their relations with the teachers were noted. An explicit school policy on health issues and child protection was also formed. The parents and teachers also reported that they received an important support, so that they are able to better respond to their role requirements.
- 2011
- UNESCO Heads of States Forum
- There is HOPE!
- Cultural Heritage - Climate Change - The teacher's role - Presentation of the book "The country of two suns"
- International Women's Day - The Educational Institute AKMI IVT honours Marianna V. Vardinoyannis.
- The "Pancretan Association of Athens" honours Marianna V. Vardinoyannis.
- Marianna V. Vardinoyannis "Woman of the year 2011".
- Excellence Awards, Greeks who are Role Models for the New Generation.
- Presentation of the Greek publication of Mrs Marianna V. Vardinoyannis' book "Labouring with the Challenges of Female Identity: Insights into Minoan Society".
- 2010
- Presentation of the book "Labouring with the challenges of female identity: Insights into the Minoan society" at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
- The Global Forum against human trafficking.
- Marianna V. Vardinoyannis - ELPIDA Children's Oncology Unit.
- Makistos smiles again!
- 83000 signatures for the "1GOAL: Education for All" campaign.
- 10th Annual Meeting of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors
- An event for the "1GOAL: Education for All" campaign.
- International campaign supporting Greece.
- The international "1GOAL: Education for All" campaign.
- First meeting of the Friends of the Aswan Heart Centre.
- 2009
- Global Campaign for the Climate Justice.
- Inauguration of the new Acropolis Museum.
- Declaration of the International Conference "Climate Change and Challenges for the Future Generations".
- International Conference "Climate Change and Challenges for the Future Generations".
- International Conference «Crossing Borders to Protect the Children of the World» and the Cairo Declaration.
- International Conference in Bahrain "Human Trafficking at the Crossroads of East- West" and the Manama Declaration.
- Summer Deaflympics - Athens 2013.
- 2008
- The Vienna Forum against human trafficking.
- Mothers - Olympic Champions of Love.
- Universal call for the Climate Change.
- The 4th Global Youth Employment Summit on the fight against poverty and unemployment, in Azerbaijan and the Baku Declaration.
- The appeal of Ancient Olympia.
- The “Alexandria Center for Hellenistic Studies” in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
- Marianna V. Vardinoyannis "Great Lady of the Patriarchal Throne of Alexandria".
- 2007
- 2nd Workshop on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts.
- The Chart of Paris against cancer.
- The first Oncological Hospital for children in Greece.
- Lecture of the H.E. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak in Athens, Greece.
- Fairuz Concert in Athens, Greece.
- International Youth Forum for Peace in Sharm El Sheikh.
- Global Humanitarian Forum.
- Makistos smiles again.
- 2006
- Round Table " The Business Community against Human Trafficking".
- Fundraising Dinner to support the “End Human Trafficking Now” global campaign.
- The "Athens Principles" in Davos.
- International Center for Peace Studies.
- Protecting youth from drugs.
- The Multicultural Children Centre “Athina” in Belgrade.
- 1st Workshop on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts.
- Marianna V. Vardinoyannis – Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur.
- 2005
- Helping the children of Palestine- Fundraising dinner in Cairo.
- The UN Millennium Development Goals and Civil Society.
- The Declaration of 22 Greek organisations on the UN Millennium Development Goals.
- 2004
- Exhibition of Traditional and Contemporary Handicrafts from Jordan.
- International Conference “Women in the Service of Peace” in Paris.
- International Conference “Women defending Peace” in Geneva.
- 2003
- 2nd European Conference of Legal Practitioners on juvenile matters.
- Exhibition "Breaking the Veils", Exhibition of women artists from the Islamic World, at UNESCO.
- Exhibition “The Unity of an Unique Monument: the Parthenon”, at UNESCO.
- The Mentor Awards.
- Awards to mothers.
- 2002
- Bibliotheca Alexandrina. A wonder of the modern world.
- Mother: A Symbol of life, hope and peace.
- Speak Truth to Power: Human Rights Defenders who change our world.
- Contemporary Societies - Multicultural Co-existence- The position of the child.
- The protection of the World Cultural nad Natural Heritage.
- 2001
- The child: victim of war and messenger of peace.
- 2000
- A Model Area for creative activities in the Municipality of Ano Liosia.
- Mother: A Symbol of life, hope and peace.
- Children: Symbol of hope, will, courage.
- The Meeting of Athens and Delphi on Children and Peace.
- The Declaration of Delphi on Children and Peace.
- 1st International Conference for the Culture of Peace.
- Early Childhood Resource and Training Center in Bethlehem.
- 1999
- By the side of mothers and children behind bars.
- Juvenile disappearance and abduction.
- The Hague Appeal for Peace.
- International Conference “Family and Children in the European society of the 21st Century” in Paris.
- Support for the children - victims of war in the Balkans.
- By the side of the earthquake victims.
- International Conference “Sexual abuse of children and paedophilia in the Internet”.
- 1998
- A three-point shot for a life.
- European Forum "FAMILY - EUROPE - 21ST CENTURY: Vision and Institutions".
- Family and the mass media.
- Presentation of the Minutes of the European Forum "FAMILY - EUROPE - 21ST CENTURY: Vision and Institutions"
- 1997
- International Conference “Priority to the Dignity and Safety of the children in Europe”.
- By the side of the children of Xanthi.
- Embracing children suffering from AIDS.
- The International Convention on Children's Rights and the role of the European Union.