🏛️ Greek Civil Eye

Bringing Transparency to Government Decision-Making in Greece

Greek Civil Eye is a powerful web application designed to enhance government transparency by making Greek government decisions easily accessible, searchable, and understandable to citizens. In an era where government decisions profoundly impact every aspect of citizens' lives, this tool empowers individuals to stay informed and engaged in the democratic process.

🌟 The Critical Need for Transparency

Why Government Transparency Matters

Government decisions shape our society, economy, environment, and daily lives. Yet, these critical decisions are often made behind closed doors, published in complex bureaucratic language, and buried in hard-to-access databases. This lack of transparency creates:

• Information Asymmetry: Citizens lack access to the same information government officials use to make decisions
• Reduced Accountability: Without visibility, it's difficult to hold decision-makers accountable
• Limited Civic Engagement: People can't participate meaningfully in issues they don't understand
• Inequality: Only those with specialized knowledge or connections can access and influence government processes

The Greek Context

In Greece, government decisions are published on the official Diavgeia.gov.gr platform, but the system has significant limitations:

• Complex Search Interface: Requires specialized knowledge to navigate effectively
• Technical Jargon: Documents use bureaucratic language that's difficult for citizens to understand
• Limited Accessibility: Not optimized for public use or citizen engagement
• No Contextual Information: Decisions lack background and impact analysis
• Poor Mobile Experience: Not designed for the devices most citizens use

🎯 Our Mission

Greek Civil Eye addresses these challenges by:

• Democratizing Access: Making government decisions accessible to every citizen, regardless of technical expertise
• Simplifying Complexity: Breaking down bureaucratic language into understandable terms
• Enabling Civic Engagement: Providing tools for citizens to stay informed and participate in democracy
• Promoting Accountability: Making it easier to track government actions and decisions
• Fostering Transparency: Creating a culture where government decisions are visible and understandable

✨ Features

🔍 Advanced Decision Discovery

• Real-time Monitoring: Track government decisions as they're published
• Powerful Filtering: Search by organization, priority level, date, and status
• Smart Categorization: Decisions automatically categorized by topic and impact

📊 Comprehensive Decision Analysis

• Detailed Information: Full decision text, metadata, and context
• Impact Assessment: Understanding the real-world implications of decisions
• Historical Tracking: Follow decision-making patterns over time

🌐 Seamless Integration

• Official Data Source: Directly connects to Diavgeia.gov.gr for authentic, real-time data
• External Links: Easy access to original government documents
• Mobile-First Design: Optimized for all devices and screen sizes

🎨 User Experience

• Clean, Modern Interface: Intuitive design that puts information first
• Dark/Light Mode: Comfortable viewing in any environment
• Accessibility: Designed with inclusivity in mind

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• npm, yarn, pnpm, or bun

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/greek-civil-eye.git
   cd greek-civil-eye

2. Install dependencies

   npm install
   # or
   yarn install
   # or
   pnpm install

3. Set up environment variables

   cp .env.example .env.local

   Configure your environment variables (see Environment Setup below).

4. Run the development server

   npm run dev
   # or
   yarn dev
   # or
   pnpm dev

5. Open your browser Navigate to http://localhost:3000

Environment Setup

Create a .env.local file with:

# Database Configuration
DATABASE_URL="your-database-connection-string"

# Optional: Analytics and Monitoring
NEXT_PUBLIC_ANALYTICS_ID="your-analytics-id"

# Optional: External API Keys
DIAVG EIA_API_KEY="your-api-key"

📖 Usage

For Citizens

1. Browse Recent Decisions: View the latest government decisions on the homepage
2. Search and Filter: Use advanced filters to find decisions by topic, organization, or date
3. Read Decision Details: Click on any decision to see full details, context, and impact
4. Access Original Documents: Links to official Diavgeia.gov.gr documents

For Journalists and Researchers

1. Track Specific Organizations: Monitor decisions from particular ministries or agencies
2. Analyze Trends: Use filtering to identify patterns in decision-making
3. Export Data: Access structured data for further analysis

For Civil Society Organizations

1. Monitor Policy Areas: Stay informed about decisions in your areas of expertise
2. Engage Communities: Share decision information with stakeholders
3. Advocacy Support: Use data to support policy advocacy efforts

🏗️ Architecture

Technology Stack

• Frontend: Next.js 15, React 18, TypeScript
• Styling: Tailwind CSS with custom design system
• Database: Supabase (PostgreSQL)
• Deployment: Vercel/Netlify

Key Components

• Decision Feed: Real-time display of government decisions
• Advanced Search: Multi-criteria filtering and search
• Decision Detail Pages: Comprehensive decision information
• Theme System: Dark/light mode with system preference detection
• Responsive Design: Mobile-first approach

🤝 Contributing

We believe that transparency tools should be built transparently. Contributions are welcome!

How to Contribute

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch

   git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name

3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request

Areas for Contribution

• Data Analysis: Improving decision categorization and impact assessment
• UI/UX: Enhancing user experience and accessibility
• Performance: Optimizing data fetching and rendering
• Internationalization: Supporting multiple languages
• Mobile Apps: Native mobile applications
• API Development: Public APIs for third-party integration

Development Guidelines

• Follow TypeScript best practices
• Maintain accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AA)
• Write comprehensive tests
• Document new features
• Use conventional commits

📊 Impact & Vision

Current Impact

• Increased Awareness: Citizens now have easy access to government decisions
• Better Engagement: More informed public discourse on government actions
• Accountability: Easier tracking of government decision-making processes

Future Vision

• AI-Powered Analysis: Automated summarization and impact assessment
• Citizen Participation: Direct feedback mechanisms on government decisions
• Comparative Analysis: Cross-jurisdictional government transparency comparisons
• Educational Tools: Integration with civics education programs

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Greek Government: For maintaining the Diavgeia platform
• Open Source Community: For the tools and libraries that make this possible
• Citizens and Activists: For demanding transparency and accountability
• Contributors: For their dedication to improving government transparency

📞 Contact & Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions
• Email: [email protected]

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Greek Civil Eye - Because transparent government isn't optional, it's essential.

Built with ❤️ for Greek democracy and citizen empowerment.