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For several months, Leonardo conducted research in the Epirus region, exploring how trust and distrust shape the relationships between local communities, migrants, public institutions, and non-governmental organisations. Inspired by the local migration context and the growing importance of mainland Greece in refugee reception and integration, he set out to better understand the human and institutional dynamics behind migration governance.

Trust, Distrust, and Migration Governance: Exploring Relations Between Local Communities, Migrants, and Institutions in Epirus, Greece examines how perceptions of migration are influenced not only by personal experiences but also by institutional communication, governance practices, and everyday interactions. Combining questionnaires with locals, interviews with professionals and NGO representatives, and an extensive review of academic literature, the project provides a comprehensive picture of migration governance in the Epirus region.

Rather than focusing solely on migration itself, the research highlights the importance of trust as the foundation of social cohesion. It reveals that while everyday interactions between local residents and migrants are often positive, confidence in the institutions responsible for managing migration remains considerably weaker. The study demonstrates how transparency, communication, and meaningful opportunities for interaction can strengthen relationships and foster more effective local governance.

As Leonardo reflects: "The research showed me that trust is built through everyday encounters. Strong communities are created not only through good policies, but through openness, dialogue, and the willingness to understand one another."

Download the project below to discover how trust, governance, and community relations shape the migration experience in Epirus.

For nearly five months, Natalia was part of the “Agios Athanasios” facility, where she facilitated non-formal educational activities with teenagers. During this time, she became increasingly interested in the role volunteers play within the centre and how their presence is experienced by the professionals who work alongside them every day.

The Volunteer Impact – Through the Staff’s Eyes was born from this curiosity. After experiencing life at the Youth Center of Epirus as a volunteer, Natalia wanted to explore how volunteers are perceived by staff members and what impact they have on the daily life of the organisation. Through a questionnaire completed by staff members from different roles, the project examines the contribution of volunteers, their influence on young people, the qualities that make cooperation successful, and the challenges that can arise in this unique working environment.

More than a simple report, the project offers a reflection on how trust, flexibility, and shared responsibility can transform volunteering into something far greater than support alone: a space for connection, learning, and mutual growth.

As Natalia reflects: “This project confirmed for me that the best support for young people happens when volunteers and staff work together and learn from each other.”

Download the project below to discover the staff perspectives behind the volunteer experience ! 

For nearly nine months, Anaïs was part of the “Agios Athanasios” facility, carrying out non-formal activities with teenagers and meeting people across and beyond the organisation. 

During her time in Ioannina, she carried out her project engaging with people she encountered along the way: fellow volunteers from and outside of the organization, individuals who chose to share a part of their experience. Over the months, through research, conversations, observations, and quiet moments of reflection, she gathered fragments of their journeys and put them into an interactive map. 

What emerges is not a single narrative, but a collection of voices, each offering a glimpse into the lived reality of volunteering in the refugee field in Ioannina.

"This project invites you to navigate the unseen map of volunteering in the refugee field in Ioannina. Volunteering is often described in simple terms as helping or supporting. But behind those words there is a more layered reality. This interactive map traces what cannot easily be measured. Behind organised activities, structured programs, and humanitarian frameworks there is something much more human : an experience shaped by uncertainty, learning, limitation, and growth. This project exists thanks to the people who shared their experiences. By assembling together fragments from different journeys, this map is shaped by those who took the time to speak, to remember, and to let their words become part of it."

Below, you can explore the interactive map and move through these collected stories and reflections. Each point offers a different entry into the experience, contributing to a broader picture that cannot be easily measured, but continues to resonate beyond the moment they were lived.

Now, it’s your turn to step into the map and discover what lies within !