Our Approach
Research
Contributing to the creation and advancement of knowledge is a key part of what we do at MedINA. By focusing on an integrated view of nature and culture, our team of social and environmental scientists undertakes and coordinates research activities by bringing together experts from various disciplines and facilitating their collaborative efforts. But we don’t conduct research for research’s sake; our emphasis, instead, is on using the knowledge gained to raise awareness about cultural and natural heritage and issues of sustainable development, carrying our message far and wide through a range of publications, conferences and workshops, as well as supporting targeted actions that inform policy at the local, regional and international level. We believe that positively addressing the many complex issues facing humanity requires the integration of knowledge from a wide range of sources and the vital collaboration of experts, bridging the common divisions that so often limit our effectiveness.
No matter where we are working, our first point of contact is always the local community, taking care to involve its members from the earliest stages of a project. By using inclusive approaches that encourage discussion and debate, and by listening carefully to the views, concerns and aspirations of people in the community, we organise our activities in ways that work towards engaging local citizens and enabling their active participation. Our aim – by creating and supporting collaborative networks of people within communities, and by ensuring that they feel their voices are being heard – is to empower residents and groups as a whole through their involvement in MedINA’s projects. By assisting these networks establish their own route towards sustainable local development, we wish communities to have a greater control over their lives and their cultural and natural resources. And while recognising the many complexities with work of this nature, it is our firm belief that building resilient communities is the only sustainable way forward in a world where the local and the global are inextricably linked.
Working with communities
Working with communities
No matter where we are working, our first point of contact is always the local community, taking care to involve its members from the earliest stages of a project. By using inclusive approaches that encourage discussion and debate, and by listening carefully to the views, concerns and aspirations of people in the community, we organise our activities in ways that work towards engaging local citizens and enabling their active participation. Our aim – by creating and supporting collaborative networks of people within communities, and by ensuring that they feel their voices are being heard – is to empower residents and groups as a whole through their involvement in MedINA’s projects. By assisting these networks establish their own route towards sustainable local development, we wish communities to have a greater control over their lives and their cultural and natural resources. And while recognising the many complexities with work of this nature, it is our firm belief that building resilient communities is the only sustainable way forward in a world where the local and the global are inextricably linked.
Knowledge exchange & networking
We believe that we can have the greatest impact in our work by enabling a diversity of voices to be heard through the active sharing of ideas and approaches. Bringing people, organisations and visions together is therefore central to our approach at MedINA. We support the vital exchange of knowledge and facilitate networking amongst experts from a variety of disciplines, including cultural heritage management, anthropology, spatial planning, forestry, agriculture, ecology and sustainability. By organising conferences and workshops, and utilising networks throughout the Mediterranean and further afield, we hope to motivate and inspire collective action on local, national and global issues.
Working at the crossroads of nature and culture, we regularly come into contact with diverse approaches and practices regarding heritage management and sustainable development from across Greece, the Mediterranean and beyond. Believing that synthesis is at the heart of innovation, we blend these ideas with our own and anchor them to local projects in the places where we work, prompting action and positive change within communities. By thinking holistically about the wealth of existing knowledge that’s out there, we seek to bring the value of global experience to the dynamics of local realities.
Synthesizing innovative ideas
Synthesizing innovative ideas
Working at the crossroads of nature and culture, we regularly come into contact with diverse approaches and practices regarding heritage management and sustainable development from across Greece, the Mediterranean and beyond. Believing that synthesis is at the heart of innovation, we blend these ideas with our own and anchor them to local projects in the places where we work, prompting action and positive change within communities. By thinking holistically about the wealth of existing knowledge that’s out there, we seek to bring the value of global experience to the dynamics of local realities.