General Assembly of the Friends of Paros and Antiparos: August 28, 2026, 10:00 AM, Nireas, Naoussa, Paros
As every year, the August General Assembly of the Friends reviews the past year and provides the Board of Directors with guidance on actions to be taken in the coming year. Please find below some points to contribute to our discussions.
A New Context
This year’s assembly takes place in a unique context, where the island’s existing problems are exacerbated by overtourism and overdevelopment, particularly in water management, waste treatment, and traffic. The devastating fire this summer brought this situation to a peak and served as a wake-up call, accelerating awareness among a wider segment of the population.
Thus, preserving the island’s Cycladic identity, respecting the environment, and promoting sustainable tourism and development—the reasons why the Friends of Paros were founded 25 years ago—are shared by a growing number of citizens. This growing awareness is not limited to young residents but also extends to other segments of Paros society, such as tourism professionals who increasingly understand that uncontrolled, chaotic development that excessively favours commercial activities and diminishes common resources is detrimental to their own economic activities. A new context is emerging that will benefit our work.
2026: A Year of Intense Activity
The past year has been rich in activities (see Bulletins 30 and 31). Our association has contacted approximately 1,600 people who have learned about our existence and our proposals. Bulletins 30 and 31 were distributed in over 3,000 copies. Our 10 electronic newsletters were sent to approximately 6,000 people. Several hundred books from the “Friends of Paros and Antiparos” collection were sold. The association’s website is regularly consulted and provides valuable information about our past and present activities.
Approximately 125 people paid their membership dues. In addition to donations for the restoration of the Despotikó archaeological site, we have received an additional €7,500 so far, on top of the €14,000 raised at the end of last year, which also helped fund activities this year. We also raised several thousand euros to help finance legal proceedings against what we considered to be illegal construction and the reconstruction of three ancient amphorae. The end-of-year general meeting will provide a comprehensive overview of budget execution. That being said, we warmly thank all donors and guarantee the proper use of their contributions.
More importantly, the Friends have participated not only in cultural activities illustrating sustainable tourism in practice, but also in the citizen movement, in collaboration with several associations and even local authorities. This collaboration has also continued with the five associations that created the organisation responsible for promoting an archaeological park in Marathi, the site of the ancient marble quarries.
2026/2027: Continue and expand our activities
- Continuing our publishing and cultural activities is one of the reasons for creating our association.
This allows us to raise awareness of our association, encourage new memberships, illustrate the principles of sustainable tourism, and above all, stimulate public debate. - Focus our legal actions on one or two emblematic cases that can have a real impact on the entire island.
- Conduct a survey based on an open-ended consultation questionnaire to gauge the opinions and concerns of as many people as possible who have a genuine interest in the future of the islands of Paros and Antiparos.
- Finally, cooperation with the various associations to address the numerous problems and promote solutions must continue and expand. The unity of civil society is the key to the success of its actions. This unity must be based on shared, concrete objectives to ensure equal visibility for all associations. While unity is necessary, it is not an end in itself. The Friends of Paros and Antiparos will work with associations that share our values and objectives.
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