ESC: Building Solidarity Vol 4

Stagones Coop fosters sustainability, youth empowerment, and community building in rural Greece through education, organic farming, and creative collaboration.
Stagones Social Cooperative is a pioneering organization with over a decade of experience in promoting sustainability, youth empowerment, and community building. It is a forward-thinking organization based in rural Greece, with a mission to foster sustainability, organic food production, natural buiding, alternative education, arts and social change. Born from the shared values and aspirations of individuals who sought to “live lightly” on earth, Stagones was established as a community-driven initiative focused on meeting basic human needs—food, shelter, and community. Over the years, the cooperative has evolved into a hub of innovation and collaboration, creating a new paradigm of sustainable living.
Through a range of educational workshops, training courses, and events, Stagones fosters collaboration among young people, students, and professionals in partnership with organizations and universities at both local and international levels. Using primarily non-formal educational tools and methods, Stagones has organized numerous workshops on diverse topics, including sustainability, permaculture, natural building, organic farming, environmental education, intergenerational bonding, and social peace skills such as nonviolent communication and sociocratic methods.
At the heart of Stagones’ activities is the stewardship of an educational and research farm that exemplifies regenerative and natural farming techniques. The farm serves as a vibrant hub for learning and personal growth, offering participants a safe, nature-embedded space to explore democratic and agile tools in education while fostering cultural and creative exchange. This venue also hosts eco-festivals, gatherings, and camps, connecting like-minded individuals and initiatives, strengthening community values of inclusion, peace, ecology, and justice.
The cooperative has extensive experience in coordinating and participating in European-level initiatives. Since 2019, Stagones has actively engaged in Erasmus+ programs, hosting youth mobility projects such as SUSTRARE and SUSTRANET, which focused on sustainable living and natural building techniques. Stagones has also successfully coordinated long-term European Solidarity Corps (ESC) projects like Building Solidarity and Building Solidarity Vol.2, and a Youth Workers Mobility Training called Community Toolset, which explored tools for creating sustainable, democratic communities.
The organization’s involvement with EUDEC (European Democratic Education Community) underscores its commitment to alternative, non-formal methods of self-directed and agile learning. Stagones has hosted groundbreaking initiatives such as Europe’s first Agile Training, the Scholus Pocus pop-up schools, and collaborations with the Agricultural University of Athens to provide hands-on seminars in natural building techniques.
Stagones actively contributes to community engagement and education through its regular workshops, such as “Antidrastirio” for children aged 6-15, and partnerships with public schools in Evia to implement projects in school gardening and communication games. By fostering cross-generational learning and practical skill-building, the organization continues to expand its impact on local and broader communities, guided by its vision of environmental protection, cultural heritage preservation, and collective empowerment.