Symbiosis is a non-profit organization founded in May 2011, headquartered in Thessaloniki, Greece, with a focus on promoting civic participation, social inclusion, and the protection of rights for migrants, refugees, and marginalized groups. It emerged from prior collaborations across the Balkans and Greece, particularly in the domains of education and anti-discrimination.
A defining initiative of Symbiosis is the School of Political Studies in Greece, established in 2014 in partnership with the Council of Europe. This School offers an annual cycle of seminars and training, aiming to foster dialogue among civil society actors, policymakers, and the media on human rights, democratic governance, and issues such as gender-based violence and migration. Symbiosis was recognized with the European Citizens’ Prize in 2020 for the activities of the School for Political Studies.
The organization is active in several networks, including the EU Fundamental Rights Agency’s platform and the Anna Lindh Foundation Network. Its staff includes experts with backgrounds in migration policy, refugee response, and local development across southeastern Europe.
Recent projects reflect this scope: Symbiosis has contributed to refugee integration assessments in Greek Aegean islands, managed EU-funded humanitarian programs, and designed education-for-civic-participation initiatives. The organization’s activities consistently emphasize public debate, documentation, and the development of civic awareness regarding rights and institutional practices. Symbiosis is also engaged in advocacy to strengthen the political, social, and economic participation of vulnerable populations within Greece and at European levels. The organization provides practical platforms for marginalized voices, aiming to address systemic discrimination with focused, participatory approaches.