On the weekend of May 3–4, 2025, Andros hosted a special two-day event titled “ANDROS – CYCLADES: REGIONS OF IMPACT FOR GOOD.” The event aimed to highlight the potential of the Cyclades, and particularly Andros, to become part of the global community of Impact Regions — areas that build a collective vision of prosperity with a positive footprint for people, society, and nature.

The event was an initiative of Athanasios Koutsianas (Impact Strategy, Symbeeosis) in collaboration with Sofi Lamprou and Dimitris Kokkinakis (Impact Hub Athens), with the support of the Andros Club, the Bioregional Weaving Lab, and the R.I.T.A. network. We were honored by the organizers’ invitation for our team to participate in the event, and we gladly responded, contributing our own experience and work in the field of immersive engagement with the landscape and local heritage.

On Saturday, May 3, a WALKSHOP was held — an experiential hike on the circular route of Livadia, organized as a maintenance hike by the Andros Routes team. Anna Voulgari, Route Angel of the trail and resident of Livadia, warmly welcomed us. Alongside local community members and visitors from other parts of Greece, we walked the path, maintained it, and shared experiences within the natural and cultural landscape of Andros, concluding at the May Day festival organized by the Livadia Cultural Association.

On Sunday, May 4, the action continued with a WORKSHOP at the Andros Club, where representatives of the local community — both new and long-time residents, seasonal and permanent — gathered, along with organizations interested in the regenerative development of the island.
There, Olga Karagianni, manager of the Andros Research Center and coordinator of the Andros Routes initiative, gave an overview of the Center’s multi-dimensional work. Referring to its core pillars — the trail network and Andros Routes, the Oral History Group, water sources, and water management — she emphasized how community engagement and the preservation of natural and intangible heritage can act as driving forces for a model of sustainable, participatory, and locally rooted development.

The presence of Pedro Tarak, co-founder of Sistema B and keynote speaker of the event, added an international perspective to the discussion. Tarak spoke about the importance of regions with a positive impact and the power of local economies when they operate with a collective purpose, trust, and systemic thinking. 

For Andros Routes, our participation in this initiative was not just a presence, but an opportunity for dialogue, connection, and shared exploration. We thank the organizers for the invitation and everyone who joined us — with the hope that this seed of collaboration will continue to blossom.