Ioannis M. Karakostas

The author Ioannis (Ion) Karakostas, son of Michalis and Fotini, was born in 1937 in the village of Alevrada - Valtos, now part of the Municipality of Amfilochia. He is an author and thinker with a background in law, philosophy, and politics. He studied: 1) Law at the University of Athens and, by Presidential Decree 28-12-1974 (Government Gazette 534/30-12-1974), was appointed as a lawyer at the Athens Court of First Instance. 2) He pursued postgraduate studies at the Postgraduate Center for Public Studies and Research in Athens, where he studied philosophy, journalism, public studies, and political science. Concurrently, he studied sociology, criminology, and psychology. 3) He specialized at SELETE in Teaching Programs for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). SELETE (School of Educational Officers for Vocational & Technical Education) was established by Law Decree 3971/1959. Its successor is the current ASPAITE (Higher School of Pedagogical and Technological Education), established by Law 3027/2002, as a HEI. 4) He served as a professor of Criminal and Police Law at Higher Education Institutions, publishing relevant textbooks for students and introducing Police Law for the first time at the Police Academy, establishing it as a core subject, teaching it himself, and publishing two textbooks: a) "Introduction to the Science of Police Law" (published in 1978) and b) Police Law (published in 1987). 5) He attended foreign language courses at "OMIROS" and obtained a degree in English language learning. 6) He was the publisher of the weekly political newspaper "Neos Agonas" from 1990-1992. 7) He was the founder and drafter of the charter of the intellectual association "Amphictyony of Ecumenical Hellenism," serving as its General Secretary from 1992-1995, and established the First Amphictyony in New York for the Greek community there. 8) He was a founding member and drafter of the charter of the "Federation of Valtos Associations," established on 31-03-1982, and served as its vice-president, while also serving as president of the Brotherhood of Alevradiotes in Athens, for which he drafted the founding charter. 9) He served as a municipal councilor in the Municipality of Athens with the late Melina Mercouri's team. 10) He was a Member of Parliament in the Hellenic Parliament (1996-2000), a member of the Standing Committee on Public Administration-Public Order-Justice. From the Parliament's podium, he proclaimed the necessity of establishing a Direct Democracy regime and transforming the current United Europe into a European Commonwealth with a Direct Democratic regime, modeled after the Aetolian League. 11) He was a drafter of the charter and founding member of the "Union of Aetoloacarnanian Writers" and is also a member of the "Society of Greek Writers." 12) He conceived the idea of the "European Commonwealth," modeled after the Aetolian League, and in 1995 drafted a "Constitution Plan for the United States of Europe," published in his book "Overthrow of Unlawful Power" (published by Yiannis Vasdekis 1995), which he submitted, translated into English, to the European Parliament in 1999 as a Member of Parliament. 13) He is a thinker, proponent, and author of: i) Amphictyonic philosophy and Applied Sophotherapy, ii) "Direct Regional Democracy" and simultaneously the drafter of the Constitution-Regime of DIRECT REGIONAL DEMOCRACY. By 2013, thirty-five (35) of his books have been published and released. He taught and developed the content of the proposed Constitution of DIRECT REGIONAL DEMOCRACY at the "School of Direct Democracy" of the Citizens' Parliament to its executives and members. He delivers speeches and lectures on philosophical and political topics.