Our Mission
Organize and Transform the Hellenic Diaspora for the Progress and Prosperity of Greece
δέον, το [δéon]
That which is binding, needful, right, proper.
“μᾶλλον τοῦ δέοντος”, Xenophon, Memorabilia, 4.3.8
“παρόντων τὰ δέοντα μάλιστ᾽ εἰπεῖν”, Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, 1.22
“Πρὸ τοῦ δέοντος”, before it be needful, Sophocles, Philoctetes, 891
“ἐν δέοντι”, in good time, Euripides, Medea, 1277
Source: “δέον”. Henry George Liddell. Robert Scott. A Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1940.
Our Story.
The financial crisis in Greece had a detrimental social and economic effect on the country, causing 500,000 people to emigrate seeking better opportunities. The diaspora still maintains a strong connection with the country - a bond if you will. So, while others see a Greece that is losing talent to other countries, we saw an opportunity:
Organize and transform the Hellenic diaspora into a catalyst for the progress and prosperity of Greece.
Deon Policy Institute was founded by a group of Greek academics, entrepreneurs and young professionals who wanted to leverage their expertise to support Greece in its recovery and modernization path.
Our Institute seeks to foster a sense of unity and shared purpose among all Greeks in the diaspora. And we welcome you to join us.
Our Objectives
We are a non-partisan think tank that actively shapes policy and contributes to public discourse, by drawing on the expertise of the Hellenic diaspora. We aim to:
Create an impactful and collaborative network between the Greek diaspora by bringing together experts from around the world.
Provide evidence-based recommendations to Greek stakeholders addressing deficiencies and promoting opportunities for Greece to prosper.
Communicate complex socio-economic problems and solutions to the general public to raise awareness on best practices.
Our Institute is a values-driven organization: integrity, inclusion, and transparency are at the core of our mission.
Our Theory of Change
Evidence-based: Our team has strong academic foundations and is a vocal proponent of evidence-based policies. To that end, our policy recommendations are rooted in best practices that have already been successful in other countries, to minimize risk of failure.
Diaspora-led: The Hellenic Diaspora has achieved immense success across the world. We leverage this network, because not only do they have best-in-class knowledge, but also have an in-depth understanding of Greece, and can therefore tailor their policy recommendations to serve the country’s needs.
Impact-focused: We prioritize impact, by targeting priority agenda items. We focus on known challenges and opportunities, prepare action-oriented policy proposals, on narrow topics, and support implementation in a hands-on way.
Our Vision for Greece
The financial crisis experienced by Greece starting in 2009 was one of the deepest and longest crises experienced by a nation during times of peace. In combination with the financial crisis, Greece also experienced a humanitarian crisis, a political crisis, an austerity crisis, as well as a refugee crisis. After almost a decade of crises, Greece has emerged as one of the fastest growing countries in the European Union. As Greece rebuilds itself after the crisis, it needs to focus on addressing foundational and institutional challenges. Deon Policy Institute aims to support through policy recommendations in four sectors that it considers essential for reforming the country. These four sectors were prioritized as they are critical for sustainable economic growth and social cohesion.
The foundations of a productive economy
The driving engine for sustainable growth
An opportunity and a threat in a changing world
A source of strength for a small nation