Active  Citizen - Individual, Political, Social and Human Rights


The concept of the “citizen” and, thus, of the “active citizen” emerged in ancient Greece. According to Aristotle, a citizen who had a passive attitude towards public life was indeed a useless citizen. Contrary to the traditional view of Aristotle, modern liberal politics focus on  individual freedoms and rights, while citizenship in the globalized society gains an ecumenical dimension. In the context of societies with supranational characteristics, citizenship relates to newly established concepts, as post-national citizenship, european governance, global civil society and cosmopolitanism.

The level of democracy and the role of the state in society are largely defined by the status of individual, political, social and human rights. While traditionally, both left and right of the political spectrum parties promote the central role of the state with only slight reforms in its functions, Neoliberal parties worldwide suggest the invigoration of the market. Civil society organizations meanwhile, like KMOP, suggest that the empowerment of civil society as the only viable solution.

Civil Society actors promote the concept of an open and free civil society as a way of achieving more democratic procedures. A responsible citizen is one who pays attention to the needs of the collectivity and not only his/ her personal needs. Such a citizen feels and acts as part of a wider whole and that is the true challenge of the coming years:  open and free civil society, participation, respect and sharing. Our societies will advance only if citizens are equally concerned on what they can offer to as well as gain from the community.  

Civil Society actors view the active citizen as a responsible one, who is informed about his/ her rights and obligations, expresses his/ her views freely and actively participates in public life.

For a citizen to be active, he/ she must be well informed, trained and familiar with the alternatives for his/ her participation in public life. Above all, he/ she must have a free access to information of his/ her interest. This kind of Information may broaden available choices to him/ her, support him/ her in decision making and promote his/ her active participation in a local, national and European level.

Since its foundation, KMOP promotes the development of civil society by:

• Supporting initiatives for the protection of the individual, political, social and human rights
• Participating in public debates, in relation to mechanisms and measures that promote better life quality and the advancement of civil society.
• Representing the civil society in all kinds of Institutions and Networks. Indicative is the participation of the organization in the Monitoring Committee of the Regional Operational Programme of Attica (PEP Attikis) for the EC’s 3rd Community Support Framework (CSF), its participation in the NGO network monitoring the implementation of the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, its participation in many activities of COFACE (Confederation of Family Organizations in the European Union) and, finally, its participation in the “Greek Developmental Platform”.
• Implementing European projects for the enhancement of the citizens’ active participation and the empowerment of social dialogue. Some of the most significant such projects are carried out under the framework of the “Europe for Citizens’ Programme; Where projects include ‘Families speak up for Active European Citizenship’ (2007), ‘DIA-EU. Dialogue with the E.U. The voices of the citizens’ (2010), ‘Mo.D.E.: Mobility for Democracy in Europe’ (2010), while in the context of EuropeAid, KMOP participates in the project ‘Improving the development and capacity of Social Dialogue and Social Partners in Bosnia – Herzegovina’ (2010).