About Us
SAFE SOCIETY is a virtual platform offering legal and psychological consultation to victims of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse in Greece.
Our Mission
For a society free from violence.
We empower everyone who has experienced or witnessed abuse to make a conscious, proactive choice for a life without violence.
We offer free and non-binding consultation for directly affected individuals. We provide know-how and training for indirectly affected groups. Together, we create safe homes, safe communities, and a safe society.
We genuinely care
What makes us unique?
1. We provide accessible information to everyone who is directly or indirectly affected by violence. We aim to raise awareness and consciousness for the existence of violence and the ways to tackle it for individuals and the collective society with the informative part on our platform.
2. We lower the barriers by offering free and non-binding initial consultation for GBV survivors. We offer concrete and comprehensive legal and psychological help through an anonymous, end-to-end encrypted and secure consultation tool. Survivors of GBV can anonymously meet with psychological and legal experts to receive non-binding advice.
3. We deliver executive training to leaders, teams and organizations, and empower indirectly affected groups. We guide companies and organizations in designing policies to safeguard and protect their employees and clients. We also deliver educational seminars to lawyers and psychologists.
We are committed to be of service with Courage, Kindness and Compassion.
Our work cannot be done without courage. We stand up for ourselves and others. We deliberately step out of our comfort zones.
We are kind to ourselves and others. We strive to bring out the best in ourselves and in others. We loan our strengths to others to help them overcome their weaknesses.
We are driven to eliminate suffering. We put ourselves in the shoes of others. We compassionately accompany each other on our individual journeys towards freedom.
The Safe Society is a registered charity in Athens, Greece, established in 2022. Our tax number is 996642845 and commercial register (ΓΕΜΗ) number 165610501000.
We are exclusively financed by donations from private individuals and foundations, and our work is only possible through generous support from people who care for the work we do. Please consider donating to support the formation of a safe society.
Our Manifesto
What would you do if you felt safe? What have you not done because you felt not safe?
Would you have the same job, live in the same place, be in that very same relationship or finally be in a relationship?
What have you done out of fear? What have you not done out of fear? What lies behind your fear? Is there happiness, love, growth, a new job, a new goal, a new destination, a new relationship? Perhaps all the answers to the questions you didn’t dare to ask?
Imagine all the dreams that never become a reality because of someone’s fear. All the ideas that never manifest because someone was too scared to ask for help. All the potential that is left untapped because someone felt not strong or comfortable enough to step forward, to dare, to claim. Stopped and inhibited by anxiety and fear. Of course, there are many types of fears. Some are justified, others imaginary. All of them are unnecessary and a blockage to everyone’s individual and innermost potential.
At the the Safe Society, we dream of a world in which every human is empowered to tap into their potential. To liberate themselves, to break free from fears. To dare to (re)connect to their dreams.
People can only tap into their potential if the environment allows them to do so. That’s what we are creating. A space that is safe. An environment that lets you dare to ask for options on how to break through your fear. How to break free from a life you did not consciously choose. A space that enables you to choose a life free from violence - at your pace, at your time, at your disposal.
We are aware that there are countless reasons and issues that condition unsafe spaces in today’s world. We choose to start with one. Gender-based violence. And we are calling on all of you, people who have experienced violence, people who have executed violence, those who have missed to create a safe space for their employees, families, friends, and those who have succeeded in making others feel safe. We are calling on each and everyone of you, whether you are directly or indirectly affected - help us to create a safe society.
For we are only all safe if everyone's safe.
Meet our team
Born out of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers in Athens, SAFE SOCIETY is a team of thinkers and doers, committed to ignite social change for people in Greece. We are a registered non-profit organization in Athens, Greece.
Vanessa Davaroukas
Founder & Managing Director
The Bridgebuilder. Vanessa is the Founder and Managing Director of Safe Society. As a Social Scientist, she draws on experience in the non-governmental (UNDP), non-profit (The Azadi Project) and corporate sectors (AirBnB) with stations in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Her work aims to improve social policy and programming through rigorous research, and most of her current practice relates to trauma response. Vanessa's research focuses on resilience in migrants and refugees, psycho-social support for trauma survivors, and identity formation in times of disruption.
Born with German-Greek roots, Vanessa naturally brings two diverging perspectives to the conversation. She holds an M.A. in International Affairs from the Johns Hopkins University (SAIS), an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Bologna, and an M.A. in Educational Psychology from the American College of Greece.
Mirella Alexou
President of the Board
The Strategist. Mirella is an entrepreneur, holding 10+ years of experience in communications and strategy; her work has been utilized by UN agencies and a Fortune 500 company, and she has previously worked for Vogue magazine and RedBull. Mirella's work primarily focuses on social impact and sustainability. She has always been actively supporting initiatives pro-bono, including the World Economic Forum’s youth community in Athens, the Global Shapers, where she is currently serving as president.
Mirella has studied Communications, Media and Culture at Panteion University, and was the valedictorian of her graduating class. She’s a trained Climate Reality Leader by VP Al Gore at The Climate Reality Project, and she has been interviewed by the BBC, ABC and NPR for her work during the European refugee crisis.
Giannis Traiforos
Member of the Board
The Business Mind. Giannis is a seasoned finance professional with a focus on driving positive change. Currently serving as the Manager of the CEO Office at Blueground, Giannis brings a wealth of expertise in Financial Planning & Analysis. In his role, Giannis plays a crucial part in guiding the company towards sustainable growth and profitability. Leading a high-performing team, he adeptly implements strategic initiatives that foster progress.
Giannis's profound dedication to financial management and corporate success positions him as a valuable asset to any undertaking.
With his wealth of experience Giannis aims to make a meaningful impact in the world of finance and strategy.
Giannis holds an MBA from Warwick Business School, UK, and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Piraeus, Greece.
Nikolas Karampatzos
Member of the board
The Compassionate Defender. Nikolas is the legal brain behind Safe Society. Although his main interest is in climate change law and ocean governance, when the “shadow pandemic” of domestic violence accelerated at troubling rates during Covid19 lockdowns, he realized that the area of gender-based violence is not treated as it should be both by the competent legal actors and the society in general. As a result, many victims and witnesses face difficulties in trusting the authorities. Nikolas thus has a dual mission: first, to provide a safe space to victims of gender-based-violence in order to hear their voices and second, to involve experts from relevant decision-making sectors in order to build safe communities in a sustainable manner.
Nikolas is an Attorney at Law (Piraeus Bar Association) and is currently conducting a PhD at the School of Law of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.