On Saturday, 10 October 2026, at 08:00 Athens time, Voice of Greece’s “Fair Winds and Following Seas – Saturday Shift” will broadcast a special two-hour program from the Heroic Island of Kasos, dedicated to the 17th Panhellenic Conference of Small Islands.
The annual conference brings together mayors and representatives of islands with fewer than 1,000 residents, along with government representatives, to discuss the challenges facing these small but vital communities and the actions needed to support them.
ERT’s international radio service and Antonis Karagiannakis will be on Kasos to capture the discussions as they unfold, sharing views, perspectives, and interviews on issues affecting small islands across Greece.
Produced and presented by Antonis Karagiannakis
Sound engineering: Argyris Panteliadis
Broadcast: Saturday, 10 October 2026, at 08:00 Athens time, with a repeat broadcast at 20:00.
About the conference
The Heroic Island of Kasos will host the 17th Panhellenic Conference of Small Islands from 8 to 11 October 2026 at the “Emmanouil Marinos” Youth Center. The event is expected to bring together local government representatives, members of the scientific community, organizations, and residents of Greece’s small islands to exchange experiences and advance policies that support sustainable development.
Organized by the Hellenic Small Islands Network, the European Right to Stay program, the Municipality of Kasos, and the GRECO Islands initiative, the conference has an international scope and brings together participants from across regions.
Discussions will address key issues facing small island communities, with particular emphasis on partnerships and cooperation among islands, young people’s right to remain and build a future in their home communities, the development of effective island policy, and the priorities of the European Union’s new program for 2028–2034.
The conference’s slogan, “Nothing about us without us,” highlights the need for local communities to play an active role in decisions affecting their islands, ensuring that policies respond to their real needs.
Hosting the conference on Kasos carries particular significance. One of Greece’s most remote islands, Kasos faces the daily challenges of island life, including transportation difficulties, access to public services, and population decline. The conference will provide a forum for dialogue on the future of Greece’s small islands, with the aim of putting forward proposals for more effective national and European policies that strengthen social cohesion, support development, and sustain island communities.
