Global Voices » Asteris Masouras

Greece: TEDxThessaloniki 2012, the Courage to Create

Asteris Masouras — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:21:09 +0000

Twelve hours long, with more than 20 speakers and performers, over 700 attendees and 5.000 livestream viewers from 57 countries; on Saturday May 12, 2012, TEDx Thessaloniki 2012 provided an inspiring intermission from the agonizing climax of the financial crisis embroiling Greece.

The theme of this year's event was encapsulated in this short but evocative promo video, which “attempts to depict the sense and feeling of suffocation, anguish the crisis has inflicted upon people as well as the ingenuity to transform obstacles into tools of creation”.

Among the speakers that inspired the audience:

Athens-based Albanian journalist and author Gazmend Kapllani talked about the challenges of creativity and identity faced by immigrants;
Stand-up comedian Katerina Vrana performed in English and Greek on the interaction of the two cultures;
Greek-American startup CEO Eric Parks drew parallels between entrepreneurship in Greece and Homer's Odyssey;
American expat Marcie Mayer presented a sustainable agricultural cooperative project utilizing crowdfunding in the island of Kea, and teacher Aggelos Patsias his innovative elementary school at a remote village in Crete;
Czech “rogue economist” Tomas Sedlacek offered an iconoclastic, philosophical view of the financial crisis;
Albanian politician Edi Rama outlined his audacious project to transform his country's capital Tirana into a vibrant and safer metropolis, and to reinvigorate politics.

The entire event was eminently quotable, with several of the speakers providing insights pertinent to the crisis, avidly tweeted by the audience:

@fayko: Να λεμε εγω και μόνο εγω είμαι υπεύθυνος για τις πράξεις μου. Η θυματοποιηση είναι η εύκολη λύση. @gazikap #TEDxThess

@fayko: We should say: I and only I am responsible for my actions. Victimization is the easy way out. @gazikap #TEDxThess

@apas: Καταπληκτικός @erictparks - see the long term vision (Ιθάκη) and do fail and do fail fast. #TEDxThess

@apas: Amazing @erictparks - see the long term vision (Ithaca) and do fail and do fail fast. #TEDxThess

@vickyele: ‘Be present, have access. Listen. Learn. Voice. Have the courage to imagine' #TEDxThess #Rouka

@TEDxThess: Compromise in colors is gray and we already have enough of that.@ediramaal, ex-mayor of Tirana at #TEDxThess

@DimitrisTzouris: . @atomsedlacek says too much growth is causing the economic crisis, not the lack of it. It is a systemic problem. #TEDxThess

@fayko: If we dismantle the euro, this will mean the beginning of the crisis not the end of it. @atomsedlacek #TEDxThess

Several attendees blogged their impressions of the event. Athens-based fashionista Thalia Geladaki wrote about her favorite presentations:

Imagine a young person that abandons urban life to live in a small village named Fourfoura in Crete. Why? Because he chose to become a teacher and director of a primary school located in Fourfoura with only 4 teachers to cover the needs of six classes. What impressed me about Angelos [Patsias] was his modesty and his determination. It takes a lot of courage to persuade a small community that children can actually learn through different activities and interactions and not just through books. Children are learing via singing, dancing as well as by doing the garden or cooking. This to me is an example of how the educational system should be. Learn not only through books but through experience. You can follow Angelos and the “School of Nature and Colors” here.

Edi Rama on stage at TEDx Thessaloniki. Photo by Duncan Davidson, licensed CC BY-NC

Journalist Michalis Goudis compared Rama's political example to the dismal Greek reality [el]:

Η ομιλία του Edi Rama στο TEDx Thessaloniki κατέδειξε ακόμη περισσότερο τη γύμνια και την ανικανότητα του ελληνικού πολιτικού προσωπικού τόσο σε εθνικό όσο και σε τοπικό επίπεδο. [..] Το παράδειγμα του Rama αποδεικνύει πως η πολιτική είναι καθαρά και μόνο θέμα βούλησης και προθέσεων. Αρκεί να είναι κανείς διατεθειμένος να συγκρουστεί με μικροσυμφέροντα για να διαμορφώσει μία καλύτερη ευρεία εικόνα. Ο Edi Rama με τα μέτρια αγγλικά, αλλά το καθαρό βλέμμα και τις ακόμη πιο καθαρές ιδέες ενέπνευσε τους ακροατές του. Δυστυχώς, έχει ήδη επιστρέψει στην πατρίδα του κι εμείς απομείναμε με τη φαιδρότητα της ακυβερνησίας…

Edi Rama's speech at TEDx Thessaloniki showed even more how destitute and incapable Greek political personnel are, nationally as well as locally. [..] Rama's example proves that politics is clearly a matter of willpower and intentions; as long as one is willing to take on petty interests in order to better form the big picture. Edi Rama, in his mediocre English, clear look and even clearer ideas inspired his audience. Sadly, he's back home and we're left with the hilarity of the lack of government…

Local entrepreneur Nick Papanotas shared an insight gleaned from spending time with two accomplished speakers:

Geniuses have long ago killed their egos and that’s exactly the way to make breakthroughs. Get over your self and focus on your passion. Sounds like a cool way to make the world a better place, don’t you think?

At TEDx Thessaloniki, looking out on a rainy day. Photo by Maria Mouzakiti on Instagram, used by permission

Journalist Theodoris Georgakopoulos liveblogged TEDx Thessaloniki on Facebook. Charis Tasioulis summarized the event's sessions, and Petros Amiridis shared yet another insight:

My favorite part: We grownups have made mistakes, we do not know all the answers and we are just rebuilding a mistake. It doesn't matter who made the mistake, it doesn't matter why the mistake was made… we are here to fix it

Renowned TED photographer Duncan Davidson gave TEDx Thessaloniki 2012 a ringing endorsement:

Watching the TEDxThessaloniki team pull together their event has been much like watching any of the other talented teams I’ve seen pull together other events. Long hours. Late nights. Much coffee. It all came together magnificently on May 12th at the Olympion Theater into a world class TEDx event that was everything a TED-like event should be: inspiring, motivating, and thought provoking. Attendees were brimming with excitement and passion all the way through the day to the final performance. [..] Exhilarating. Wonderful. Tiring. A great day, no matter how one looks at it. More than anything, it’s wonderful to see people implement the spreading of ideas in their own communities and spheres of influence. It’s something that the world can definitely use more of.

And, with the crisis raging outside the venue, multimedia director Marineta Kritikou expressed the misgivings that many attendees must have been feeling about facing the day after:

@makemanet: Και μετα απο αυτή την ανάταση ψυχής @TEDxThess πρέπει να βγούμε έξω κ να αντιμετωπίσουμε την άλλη πλευρά της χώρας μας.COURAGE to ALL Of Us

@makemanet: And after this uplifting of the soul @TEDxThess, we have to go out and face the other side of our country.COURAGE to ALL Of Us

More on TEDxThessaloniki: Official site, blog, @TEDxThess on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube. Photos were also posted by Tom Tziros and Asteris Masouras on Flickr.

Greece: Police Violence Against Immigrants on the Rise

Asteris Masouras — Sat, 12 May 2012 08:14:51 +0000

Greek social media has been in uproar over a video posted on Facebook and Twitter, showing police officers overtly abusing a detained immigrant in downtown Athens. The incident occured at the end of January 2012, whilst the exact location has not been confirmed.

Motorized police (DIAS in Greek) as well as people in plain clothes, brutalized the detainee, who didn't resist arrest, as the video shows clearly:

According to film director Nikos Soulis, who recorded the incident, the man was burning garbage, endangering the cars parked beside them:

@nikosoulis: @Louki_p he was burning garbage bags..parked cars were endangered. They did well to arrest him, but then what? Why?

Police launched an administrative review over the incident, but the witness stated on Facebook that he wasn't called to testify, although he submitted the video to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Greece. Administrative reviews, often ineffective, have been ordered in the past over similar incidents.

In response to a comment by the Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrisochoidis (@chrisochoidis), on the occasion of the anniversary of the military coup of April 21, 1967, journalist Damian Mac Con Uladh (@damomac) urged the minister to take immediate action:

@chrisochoidis: Ακόμη και μια τραυματισμένη δημοκρατία είναι καλύτερη από καθόλου δημοκρατία.

@chrisochoidis: Even an injured democracy is better than no democracy.

@damomac: @chrisochoidis Minister, please assist in helping this “wounded democracy” by dismissing those cops who beat this man!

Although mainstream media mostly ignored the incident, reactions on social media were immediate and intense, and it was also publicized by activists abroad:

@teacherdude: No mention on Greek TV news of savage beating of immigrant in Athens by police caught on video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG4Cf1T8bR4 Hardly surprising.

@SykoFantiS: Υπάρχει κάποιος που πιστεύει ότι η ομάδες ΔΙΑΣ προσφέρουν έργο;

@SykoFantiS: Is there anyone who thinks that the DIAS teams are [serving and protecting]?

@v_emman: Αυτή δεν είναι αστυνομία, είναι συμμορία τραμπούκων. Ντρέπομαι για λογαριασμό σας. http://j.mp/Id5a2W @hellenicpolice

@v_emman: This isn't a police, it's a gang of thugs. I'm ashamed on your behalf. http://j.mp/Id5a2W @hellenicpolice

@libertarian: @hellenicpolice στο 4ο είχα δει να βάζουν κράνος σε κρατούμενο και να τον κλωτσάν στο κεφάλι.

@libertarian: @hellenicpolice I once saw a detainee fitted with a helmet and kicked on the head in the 4th precinct.

Numerous incidents of police violence against immigrants have been documented in the past, while in 2007, the publication of a video showing immigrants being abused in a police precinct caused an international furore. By August 2008, the Greek police had been convicted at least nine times by the European Court of Human Rights for incidents of abuse.

In its trial run, the Network to Record Incidents of Racist Violence recorded 63 incidents during the last 2 months of 2011, of which 18 are linked to police violence, and noted that “racist violence is spreading at a terrifying rate”. In a recent report, in view of the upcoming review of Greece by the United Nations' Committee Against Torture, international human rights NGO Human Rights Watch called the country's attempts to protect immigrants and vulnerable groups ”totally insufficient”, while in it's annual review for 2011, independent research network RED held up Greece as the most typical example of the outburst of racist violence and impunity in Europe.

During his previous tenure as Citizen Protection Minister, Mr. Chrisochoidis had committed to founding a bureau to address incidents of police abuse:

@chrisochoidis: .@asteris Περί ΓΑΠΑ: αναβαθμίστηκε η διερευνητική του δυνατότητα και αποκτά αυξημένη τυπική ισχύ καθώς θα κυρωθεί με νόμο και όχι με Π.Δ.

@chrisochoidis: .@asteris On GAPA [the bureau]: its investigative capacity has been upgraded, and it acquires increased formal power, as it will be ratified by law, rather than by presidential decree

The ‘Bureau tο Address Abuse Incidents' was founded by law [el] on March 2011, but has still to become operational. Greek NGO Hellenic League for Human Rights called [el] the legislative act “a clear setback” and “a much worse scenario” than what had originally been announced.

το Γραφείο δεν θα είναι ανεξάρτητος φορέας όπως αρχικά είχε δηλώσει ο Μιχ. Χρυσοχοϊδης και είχε ακολουθήσει μάλιστα και η ανάλογη ηλεκτρονική διαβούλευση, αλλά αυτό που το νέο σχέδιο νόμου προβλέπει είναι μια τριμελής επιτροπή [δικαστικών]. Η επιτροπή αυτή, όπως διευκρινίστηκε δεν θα έχει καμία δυνατότητα διερεύνησης της καταγγελίας αλλά θα κρίνει μόνο αν η καταγγελία θα είναι παραδεκτή, παρεμποδίζοντας ουσιαστικά την ποινική διερεύνηση.

The Bureau will not be an independent agency, as Michalis Chrysochoidis had originally stated, and as the online public consultation had specified, but what the new bill provides for is a tripartite [judiciary] committee. This committee, as clarified, will have no capacity to investigate complaints, but only to rule on whether they are acceptable, essentially inhibiting criminal investigation.

Over 2,400 members have joined a Facebook group [el] created after the brutal crackdown of protests at Syntagma Square, Athens, on June 28-29, 2011, in order to collect documentation on police violence, whilst almost 15,000 members have joined an older Facebook Cause titled ‘Stop Greek police brutality', created on the day after the police killing of 15-year old Alexandros Grigoropoulos.

Global Voices author Asteris Masouras collaborated in researching and writing this article.

Greece: A Poem and a Song for Dimitris Christoulas

Asteris Masouras — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 07:34:22 +0000

“He has the touch of history / And white hair / Mister Dimitris”. On April 6, the anniversary of the German invasion in Greece during World War 2, Stamatis Kalogeropoulos posted a poem [el] and a song on his blog, Ποίηση κι Αφήγηση (Poetry and Narration), written in memory of 77-year old Dimitris Christoulas, whose public suicide on April 4 in Syntagma square, Athens, opposite the Greek parliament, shocked the country. In a note left behind (translations in several languages here), Christoulas accused the ”occupation government” of eliminating his right to a decent living.

Global Voices in Greek Celebrates 1,000 Posts

Asteris Masouras — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:31:49 +0000

Launched in March 2011, at a time of increasing hardships and intense international criticism for Greece due to the dramatically unfolding financial crisis, Global Voices in Greek reached 1,000 published translations of Global Voices posts on February 8, 2012 - in just a little over 10 months.

A team of more than 20 volunteer translators, most of whom are young journalists, professional translators and activists, have been working together to bring to Greek speakers a selection of news from around the world.

The project affords its community the opportunity to expose Greek-speaking audiences to a wide range of stories and perspectives from around the world. This is especially pertinent at a time when the financial crisis is gripping people's minds and hearts, and when mainstream media, embroiled in a chronic crisis of credibility besides the financial one, are “downsizing” their coverage of all issues except those directly serving their financial needs.

Global Voices in Greek project logo

Top content

The first translation in Greek was of John Liebhardt's post “Libya: Mourning Mohammed Nabbous” by Alexia Kalaitzi on March 21, 2011; it was a fitting tribute to an iconic fallen citizen journalist. The 1,000th translation was of Silvia Viñas' post “Chile: NGO Report Reveals Increase in Sex Crimes“, translated by Veroniki Krikoni.

The top 5 posts in terms of number of hits so far have been:

The post on the North Korea prison camps also leads keyword search results, followed by the post on Mohammed Nabbous. Leila Nachawati's first story on the Spanish indignados protestors was a groundbreaking top result (the 217 hits on the following day is our ‘all time record'), as Greek protest0rs quickly followed their example.

Some of the translators of Global Voices in Greek

Posting statistics

The top five translators by number of posts were Asteris Masouras, Veroniki Krikoni, Alexia Kalaitzi, Mirto Dimitrakoulia and Margie Lazou. Unsurprisingly, given the historic uprisings it witnessed in 2011, the Middle East and North African region was the most popular, followed by Latin America and Southeast Asia.

‘Citizen media' was naturally included as a subject in almost all posts translated, followed by ‘Politics' (435), ‘Protest' (298), ‘Human rights' (273), ‘Digital activism' (230) and ‘Freedom of speech' (194).

April through July 2011 were the most productive months of the Global Voices in Greek project, all exceeding 100 posts (169 in June), with September the least productive (46). Almost half of the posts translated (448) were full length articles, as opposed to paragraph-long news updates.

Global Voices in Greek was accessed from over 900 cities around the world

Traffic

Global Voices in Greek has had 18,297 visits and 38,610 pageviews since its inception. Incredibly, hits seem to have come from 918 cities around the world! Diaspora Greeks are spread across the world, and spambots probably account for many of those exotic hits, but the number is still incredible, and hopeful.

Visitors, however, predominantly come from Greece (74%), with a 6% from Cyprus and a smattering of ~2% from the UK, US and neighboring Macedonia. Forty percent of users have Greek as the default language installed on their computers, which means 60% of visitors are multilingual, including Greeks (English has been extremely popular as second language in Greece in recent decades).

Social media is very effective in promoting our work, although 26% of web referrals come from Global Voices itself. An impressive 25% from Twitter, while 16% come from Facebook. Meanwhile, cyprusnews.eu, a Cyprus-based news aggregator directs a hefty 13.1% of referral traffic to the site.

Among sibling projects, Global Voices French and Spanish direct most referral traffic, for which fact we're grateful to both communities. All translations are automatically posted to Facebook and manually to Twitter, while a Google+ page also exists. We would welcome reader suggestions to improve social media use, and you can also follow our translators on Twitter.

Finally, Greece has now provided three Global Voices in English authors (Asteris Masouras, Veroniki Krikoni and Alexia Kalaitzi), with more authors from Greece and Cyprus forthcoming.

Greece: Photos, Videos and Liveblogs from Anti-Austerity Protests, Clashes in Athens

Asteris Masouras — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:13:56 +0000

Photos and videos from the latest massive anti-austerity protests in downtown Athens on February 12, 2012, the extensive clashes that ensued and their aftermath were posted on Real Democracy Now, while 19 photosets were uploaded on Demotix. Photos were also posted by Odysseas Galinos Paparounis and John Carnessiotis on Flickr, and on Athensville. A video showing an unprovoked police attack on a Thessaloniki rally went viral on Facebook. The events of the day were liveblogged in English by radiobubble and Greek Left Review.

Europe: Radio Documentary to Chronicle Long-Term Effects of Crisis

Asteris Masouras — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:06:14 +0000

Chronicles of a European Winter is a radio documentary series project focused on the actual effects of austerity measures amongst the populations of different European countries. It will be shot and edited between December 2011 and May 2012 in Greece, Ireland and Spain, and episodes will be licensed under Creative Commons.

MENA: Amnesty International's Forecast for 2012

Asteris Masouras — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:09:14 +0000

“Repression and state violence is likely to continue to plague the Middle East and North Africa in 2012,” forecasts Amnesty International in an 80-page report. It documents the extreme violence deployed by MENA regimes when resisting the unprecedented calls for fundamental reform heard in the region in 2011, as well as the amazing resilience of the protest movements. The report adds, “The refusal of ordinary people across the region to be deterred from their struggle for dignity and justice is what gives us hope for 2012.”

Greece: Twitter Campaign to Release Arrested Activist Reporter

Asteris Masouras — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:06:52 +0000

Several Greek users scrambled a Twitter campaign (#freemenacius) to demand the release of a young activist arrested while reporting for OmniaTV on protests in Athens on the third anniversary of the police killing of 15-year old Alexandros Grigoropoulos. @menacius and others arrested, including some minors, are charged with felony offenses and were allegedly beaten after their arrest [el].

Greece: Send Your Tale of the Financial Crisis

Asteris Masouras — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:40:02 +0000

Sendyourtale is a Greek blog that invites readers, in the manner of the PostSecret project, to send in their personal tales of the financial crisis, to be published anonymously in Greek and English.

Greece: Giving Aid to Inmates of Elaionas Women's Prison

Asteris Masouras — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:38:47 +0000

A team of bloggers [el] is cooperating with social workers at the Elaionas women's prison in Thebes, Greece, in order to give aid to imprisoned mothers and their children. The blog lists the team's actions, as well as inmates' current needs, for anyone wishing to volunteer material aid.

Greece: Anti-Austerity Protests Disrupt Ochi Day Parades

Asteris Masouras — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:24:58 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

Unprecedented protests in many Greek cities on October 28, 2011, disrupted parades by the military and school pupils held for the national celebration of ‘Ochi Day‘ (No Day). In Thessaloniki, the president departed his post at the dignitaries' podium after the parade was brought to a halt by protesters, some calling him a traitor, while in Athens, pupils marched holding mourning black armbands aloft.

Greeks are angry over the relentless and ineffective austerity measures, culminating in the recent “haircut” deal negotiated by banks and European politicians, which many fear signifies the beginning of a new foreign “occupation” of the country.

Thessaloniki parade “occupied”

Several local bloggers and activists in Thessaloniki found themselves in the middle of events, posting updates and photos from their cellphones:

@panws_k: Ντου από τον κοσμο στο δρομο της παρελασης, αυτοματως καπελακηδες, κλουβες και ΜΑΤ μας κλεισανε το δρομο #skg http://t.co/5qMZYAkw

@panws_k: People rushed onto the parade ground; blues, paddywagons and riot police immediately blocked our path

@gazakas: Στη Θεσσαλονίκη ο κόσμος έχει κατέβει στο οδόστρωμα και φωνάζει συνθήματα. απίστευτο. #skg

@gazakas: In Thessaloniki, people have taken to the street, chanting slogans. Unbelievable

@salonicanews: Αποχωρεί ο πρόεδρος της Δημοκρατίας από την παρέλαση!

@salonicanews: The president of the Republic is departing from the parade!

@panws_k used by permission" width="384" height="288" />: Police block protesters on the parade ground in Thessaloniki. Photo by Twitter user @panws_k used by permission

Citizen photojournalist Craig Wherlock later tweeted his testimony along with photos and a video, showing a squad of parading special forces reservists clashing with protesters blocking their way:

@teacherdude: There is no precedent for this.Street filled with ppl angry with the govt and they blocked the parade. In the end army etc forced to leave

@teacherdude: A lot of anger was directed towards German consulate which was next to stand set up for VIPs, Greeks see measures as an foreign occupation

Photographer Andreas Kakaris also posted numerous photos of the protest on Citizenside. The scene reminded journalist Andreas Panagopoulos of images from Egypt's revolution:

@AnemosNaftilos: Εικόνα αυτή τη στιγμή ΧΩΡΙΣ αξιολόγηση: Διαδηλωτές, στρατιώτες και τανκς στη μέση του δρόμου… Θυμίζει Φεβρουάριο, φέτος, κάπου αλλού

@AnemosNaftilos: The image right now WITHOUT an evaluation: Protesters, soldiers and tanks in the middle of the road… Reminiscent of February this year, somewhere else

The parade eventually continued, in a fashion, after protesters had replaced fleeing dignitaries on the podium, sung the national anthem and a rebel song that embodied the struggle against the colonels' junta, and marched alongside war invalids and veterans while applauding them. According to local blog Salonica News, up to 30,000 people ended up participating in the Thessaloniki protest [el].

The Ochi Day parade holds special significance for the northern city of Thessaloniki. The “co-capital” of Greece is being hit hard by chronically mounting unemployment (projected at 30% by year's end [el]), and the dereliction of industry in the Central Macedonia region. Conversely, while Greece suffers at the heart of the European sovereign debt crisis, it remains the largest importer of conventional weapons in Europe since 1999, and its military spending is the highest in the European Union.

Parade protests in many cities

Citizens while protesting vigorously for the economic misery of the country, are surrounded by riot police in Syntagma Square, Athens. Image by epoca libera, copyright Demotix (28/10/11).

In Athens, marching pupils held mourning black armbands aloft and brass band players tied black ribbons to their instruments. In preceding days, a call on social media centered around an impromptu Facebook group (since deleted) had advocated citizen protest on Ochi Day, based on the theme of the national holiday (”We Say No!”).

Theodora Economides, an indignant activist and member of the group, tweeted updates from the protest in Athens:

@IrateGreek: #Greece #Syntagma #28ogr #oxi #rbnews Cops blocking view to Amalias, ppl screaming “who will the schoolchildren parade for? For riot cops?”

@IrateGreek: #Greece #Syntagma #28ogr #oxi #rbnews Random pol are coming to me to get #oxi flyers & stickers to distribute to crowd.

Protesters, and even parading pupils, in many Greek cities similarly expressed their disapproval of the austerity policies and the perceived capitulation of the “haircut” deal. Athens News journalist Damian Mac Con Uladh reported from Corinth:

@damomac: Lots of students turning their heads the other way as they march by church and state in #korinthos #oxi

@damomac: Politicians had to make a quick exit after #korinthos #oxi parade. No hanging around, although crowd were calling for hangings

Pupils parading in Poligiros, Halkidiki did a synchronized about face to turn their backs on dignitaries while marching in place, and in Thraki pupils left the parade to join protesters. Similar protests, as well as instances of attacks on ruling party members also occured at Trikala, Kozani, Pyrgos, Lamia, Preveza and other cities (citizen media portal radiobubble news compiled a complete list in Greek), with dozens of cellphone videos posted later on YouTube. Several photosets of the protests in Athens, Thessaloniki and Patra were posted on the Demotix Greek unrest hub.

Photographer Christos Roussis put both the parade and protests in Chalkida to music, in shades of grey - very much the palette of thoughts in austerity-ridden Greece:

Theodora Economides pointed out the importance of these protests:

@IrateGreek: I wonder if foreign media understand how important it is even small towns in#Greece protested presence of officials in #28ogr parades #oxi

Why “no”, and what's next?

Ochi Day campaign protest banner. "If not now, when. If not us, who?" Posted by @IrateGreek

Freelance journalist Matthew Tsimitakis laid out the reasons behind this unprecedented act of collective defiance:

The Greeks do not welcome the news of the agreement European leaders reached on Wednesday in Brussels cutting the Greek debt by 50%. Instead they fear that it will signal more austerity and deprivation affecting even greater parts of the population. Greeks feel that democracy is canceled now and the country is “occupied” by the IMF the ECB and the European Commission under the authority of the Germans and turned into a protectorate.

Blogger and newsfilter Greekdude provided a measured, pessimistic analysis of the state of affairs:

I very much fear that what we are entering in, is a circle of anger and pessimism. Greeks have enough reasons to feel that way. People are laid off every day while new taxes and austerity measures are imposed. Together with unemployment, crime and poverty rates are rising as well. The media are compounding the situation by having a negative influence on the public. [..] Saying ‘no’ is expected when your life is turned upside down and the only thing left is uncertainty. However, I’m afraid that the situation won’t get any better before people move on the next step, if not this, then what?

At the end of the emotionally charged day, usually irreverent and wacky blogger Antidrasex offered a serious admonition:

@Antidrasex: Καληνύχτα σε όλους σας. Το συνάνθρωπο σας και τα μάτια σας. Δεν κερδίζετε φως αν του βγάλετε το μάτι

@Antidrasex: Good night everyone. Look out for your fellow human. Your sight won't improve if you pluck out his eye

In an imminent follow-up post, Global Voices will focus on reactions to the unprecedented Greek protests during Ochi Day.

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

Greece: Vote of Confidence and the Future Referendum

Asteris Masouras — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 07:52:15 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

On the evening of October 31, 2011, in a politically risk move [el], the Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou called for an immediate vote of confidence in parliament [el] and a referendum for or against the latest EU bailout loan, while addressing the parliamentary group of the ruling PASOK party. Although Papandreou has ruled out elections, a premature poll may be in the cards, in case of a negative answer to the referendum dilemma.

The news took European and international power circles by surprise, as is apparent in related articles by the Guardian, Reuters, CNN, the New York Times and other news outlets.

Addressing [el] the PASOK parliamentary group, Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos remarked that the referendum should be seen as an opportunity for unconventional institutional initiatives:

From page of the Guardian newspaper featuring the Greek crisis, from @guardiannews

And of course, the intervening period until the referendum must be a time of big institutional and political initiatives. It is an opportunity to take unconventional, revisionist initiatives towards a new state, a modern representative constitution.

Accordingly, he threw down the gauntlet at citizens, by essentially posing the dilemma “stay in the Eurozone and with PASOK, or return to the drachma and the financially lean conditions of post-war times”:

Now citizens themselves will be called to answer, with logical cohesion and consistency, with a beginning, middle and end, by supporting the parliamentary majority: Are we for Europe? Are we for the Eurozone? Are we for Euro? Do we consider the balance as positive? Do we believe we should stay in this group of developed states and not go back to Greece of the drachma, or to Greece of the '60s and '50s?

The announcement was received in a generally negative climate, with critical comments with respect to the timing of the announcement of the future referendum, as well as of the potential triggering of elections. Many comments on Twitter were posted under the hashtags #dimopsifisma and #referendum.

Main opposition party New Democracy tweeted:

@neademokratia: Elections are the only solution! http://ht.ly/7eoU6

Journalist Diane Shugart commented on the televised statement of the press officer of the Greek Communist Party (KKE):

@dianalizia: and the fun starts now in #greece. communist party rejects referendum, calls for elections instead.

Foivos Panagopoulos in the Netherlands comments on the impact of the referendum on the global economy:

@suorm: The Greek #referendum is going to be a snowflake that's going to create a massive avalanche across the EU/Asian/NA market. Bye-bye EU right!

While in Athens, Εliana and Cyberela comment on the announcement itself in two tweets:

@Cyberela: Too much democracy today in #Greece. #Referendum

@ElianaVou: Surreal is an understatement for today's events. Either PASOK has totally lost the plot or PASOK has totally lost the plot #dimopsifisma

Kyriakos Pierrakakis and Maria Katsikovordou wonder about the cost of the referendum in this financially difficult period:

@Pierrakakis: Who'll incur the cost of the referendum?

@mariakatsme: Good morning, let me be a bit “populist”: The referendum will cost us 110 million Euros #dimopsifisma. Maybe we should drop it and spare families from cutting off their electricity? #christmas

While Sofia Mandilara left the immediate reaction of global markets without comment:

@thesspirit: Dow Jones drops by 275 points within minutes. No further comments.

Many ironic and humorous comments followed in a similar vein, reviving an older Twitter meme with possible question choices for the referendum:

@YBoyio: #42 is the answer to the Ultimate Greek Dilemma. The question of the referendum is still unknown! [”42″ is the answer to the unknown question about Life, the Universe and Everything, in Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy]

@arkoudos: I propose to hold a referendum to decide on the question of the referendum #dimopsifisma

@jasongrig: Tolerance or guilt? #dimopsifisma

@IrateGreek: Default or bankruptcy? #dimopsifisma

Three days before, on October 28, the celebration of the “Ochi Day” anniversary to commemorate the induction of Greece into World War 2 in 1940 had been marked by protests.

The last Greek referendum took place in 1974 [el], to decide whether the system of government would be a constitutional monarchy or a parliamentary democracy.

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

Thumbnail image shows Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou. Image by Xristina, copyright Demotix (01/11/2011).

Greece: Polarized Reactions to the Debt “Haircut” Deal

Asteris Masouras — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:47:02 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

The Greek “haircut” debt deal reached by European politicians and banks after a year and a half of agonizing negotiations and unpopular and ineffective austerity measures, has been touted as a solution to stem the sovereign debt crisis.

However, many Greek citizens have reacted with uncertainty and anger to the deal, fearing that it will incur austerity with no end in sight, and that the permanent oversight it imposes will compromise national sovereignty.

“Haircut” analysis

Pensioner protest. Banner reads: "The Greek government has offended my personal worth & merit. As an irritated citizen, I ask for my direct moral satisfaction. The grandfather". Image by Alexandros Michailidis, copyright Demotix (27/10/11).

The particulars of the “haircut” deal - an unfortunate and frequently derided misnomer for conditional and partial debt abolition - have baffled even journalists and seasoned financial analysts, let alone taxpayers. Financial blogger Zerohedge posted an analysis, claiming that the 50% haircut deal will only reduce the Greek debt - currently $374.76 million - by 28%, leaving the additional debt incurred by the bailouts untouched.

In a more reassuring overview [el] posted on Protagon.gr two days earlier, Greek economist Yannis Varoufakis had outlined optimal conditions to make the best of the situation:

Το κούρεμα είναι αναπόφευκτο, πρέπει να είναι μεγάλο (για να έχει νόημα) [..] έπρεπε να έχει γίνει πριν δυο χρόνια, ή τουλάχιστον να το έχουμε χρησιμοποιήσει ως διαπραγματευτικό μέσο. Τι θα σημάνει τώρα πια για την καθημερινότητα του πολίτη [..] Εξαρτάται (1) από τον αντίκτυπο που θα έχει στην Ιταλία και στις Γάλλο-γερμανικές τράπεζες και (2) από το κατά πόσον οι πλεονασματικές χώρες θα προσπαθήσουν να συνδέσουν το κούρεμα με μέτρα που στόχο δεν θα έχουν την βελτίωση της ελληνικής οικονομίας αλλά νέες τιμωρίες για τους έλληνες προς παραδειγματισμό των Ιταλών

The haircut is inevitable, it must be large (for it to make sense) […] it should have happened two years ago, or we should at least have used it as a bargaining chip. What it will mean for citizens' everyday lives […] will depend (1) on its impact on Italy and Franco-German banks, and (2) on whether surplus states will try to link it to measures meant not to better the Greek economy, but to punish the Greeks in order to make an example to them for the Italians' sake

Nick Malkoutzis, deputy editor at daily newspaper Kathimerini wondered out loud:

@nickmalkoutzis: If someone has better understanding please tell me: non-Greek banks losing approx 60 bn in haircut but being given 30 bn in sweeteners?

Software engineer Manolis Platakis, one of the many Greeks who emigrated abroad to find employment, mused dejectedly:

@emufear: Spent some time today explaining to my colleagues how the 50% haircut does not (even close) mean 50% reduction in Greece's sovereign debt.

A former economist (@albertjohn on Twitter) based in Thessaloniki published an analysis of the quandary Greece faces on his blog, Redesigning the Foot:

the problem with Greek austerity measures and structural reforms is all that money that has gone outside the country. Greek assets, including properties, will become even cheaper and capital will flow back in (hailed as a success) to buy them back up. Citizens, the poor, the ex-middle-classes, will be worse off (hailed a success. Well done Greece, more competitive, fly the flag, bright future etc). The result will be an increase in inequality and a re-vamped oligarchy energized by financial occupiers who would then slip away quietly.

Erik Wesselius, a senior policy researcher for lobbying watchdog Corporate Europe Observatory, whose Twitter avatar features the Greek flag in solidarity, also cautioned that the deck might be stacked against Greece:

@erikwesselius: ISDA, winner of EU Worst Lobbying Award 2010http://www.worstlobby.eu/ decides if Greece triggers a CDS payout.http://bit.ly/rW8Ouk #ISDA #CDS

Journalists Andreas Panagopoulos and Yannis Bogiopoulos laid out a plain and harsh explanation of the deal [el]:

@AnemosNaftilos: To ΠΑΣΟΚ παρέλαβε το χρέος στο 115% του ΑΕΠ και τώρα διαπραγματεύεται να το φτάσει στο 120%, το 2020! Κατάλαβες;

@AnemosNaftilos: [Ruling socialist party] PASOK received the debt at 115% of GDP and is now negotiating to take it to 120%, in 2020! Get it?

@Yboyio: Το χρέος μειώνεται 100 δισ για να πάρουμε δάνειο 130. Τα υπόλοιπα είναι μπούρδες. Το δε 120% του 2020 είναι χάντρες για ιθαγενείς

@Yboyio: The debt is being reduced by 100 bn so we can get 130 in loan. The rest is bullshit. As for reaching 120% [of GDP, the 2009 national debt level] by 2020, it's a pipe dream

Reactions to prime minister's announcement

The Greek prime minister addressed the nation in a prerecorded speech [el], following a live press conference by the country's finance minister. Journalist Diane Shugart echoed sentiments common among Greeks [el]:

@dianalizia: οι ευρωπαίοι θα είναι μόνιμα στην ελλάδα για να επικοινωνούμε εύκολα, είπε ο βενιζέλος. να, σαν την πεθερά σου που εγκαταστάθηκε στο σπίτι.

@dianalizia: [Finance Minister] Venizelos said the Europeans [troika oversight committee] will be permanently based in Greece so we can communicate easier with them. Kinda like your mother in law, who just took up residence.

@dianalizia: ουάου! πάλι πρωτοτυπίσαμε. είναι η πρώτη φορά που νικήτρια δυνάμης (της μάχης των μαχών, μάλιστα) βρίσκεται υπό κατοχή.

@dianalizia: wow! we're innovating again. It's the first time that the winner (of the mother of all battles, no less) ends up occupied.

The official Twitter account of the Greek prime minister posted highlights of his upbeat and reassuring address as it was being broadcast on television [el]:

@PrimeministerGR: Εμείς θα φτιάξουμε την Ελλάδα κανείς άλλος. Μην περιμένουμε ούτε κακούς δαίμονες ούτε θεούς να έρθουν να κάνουν την δουλειά για εμάς #Greece

@PrimeministerGR: We'll fix Greece, noone else. Let's not expect foreign devils or gods [”wizards and dei ex machina” in the speech] to come and do the work for us #Greece

The speech was ill-received, with journalists and citizens - who had been agonizing for days over the outcome of negotiations - deriding both content and delivery. Web designer Cyberela pointed out a glaring omission [el]:

@Cyberela: Ούτε μία κουβέντα ο @PrimeministerGR για την *ανεργία*. Σαν να μην υπάρχει.

@Cyberela: @PrimeministerGR didn't say word one about the *unemployment*. As if it doesn't exist.

Political communications consultant Vivian Efthymiopoulou was aghast [el]:

@vivian_e: Εχει γίνει πλέον σαφές ότι τα κάστανα από τη φωτιά θα πρέπει να τα βγάλουμε μόνοι μας. Οι άνθρωποι θέλουν αλλά δεν μπορούν. Όλοι τους.

@vivian_e: It's become obvious that we'll have to pull the chestnuts out of the fire ourselves. These people want to but can't. All of them.

There were some calls for positive action, echoing the prime minister's plea for Greeks to work together. Communications expert George Flessas [el]:

@gflessas: Αντί των αναλύσεων και των αφορισμών χρειάζεται θετική δράση: για μείωση δαπανών,προσέλκυση επενδύσεων, μηδενισμός γραφειοκρατίας κλπ

@gflessas: We need positive action instead of analyses & aphorisms: to reduce wastefulness, invite investement, zero bureaucracy etc.

Writer and journalist Manolis Andriotakis blogged about the need to provide tangible hope to the coming generations [el]:

@andriotakis: Δώστε στα παιδιά εργαλεία να σκέφτονται, να κρίνουν, να δημιουργούν κι όχι να ονειρεύονται τη Δυστοπία http://bit.ly/uAv9sa

@andriotakis: Provide tools to children that will allow them to think, judge and create, instead of dreaming of Dystopia http://bit.ly/uAv9sa

Just say no?

Documentary journalist Janine Louloudi pointed out a potentially inauspicious and prophetic slip of the prime minister's tongue:

@janinel83: Through his twitter account #Papandreou asks every Greek to have his own “small revolution”..talk about wrong choice of words…#gap #Greece

Students parade with Greek flags during Ochi Day, Thessaloniki, Greece. Image by Alexandros Michailidis, copyright Demotix (27/10/11).

The level of discontent with politicians in Greece is high, with many ministers and parliamentarians accosted by angry crowds in recent months over austerity policies. Reportedly, no high ranking government officials attended the school pupils' parade - and subsequent protests - in Thessaloniki, on the eve of the national celebration of October 28, 2011, for the ”Ochi Day” (”No Day”). Even Chinese dignitaries were mistakenly booed [el] during a recent visit to the Knossos archeological site in Crete.

Teacher and citizen photojournalist Craig Wherlock, present at the earlier incident, commented:

@teacherdude: About the bravest thing a Greek minister can do is to try and walk thru the streets of Athens.

In the wake of the “haircut” deal, indignant activists celebrated Ochi Day in their own fashion this year, urging people through an impromptu Facebook campaign (since deleted) to hang banners with the word “Ochi” (No) from their balconies and protest at local parades.

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

Greek Financial Crisis and Anti-Austerity Protests: The Story So Far

Asteris Masouras — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:24:44 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

After a year and a half of desperate rescue negotiations and bailout tranches doled out by the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank and the European Union, the intractable and increasingly ineffective austerity measures imposed by the “troika” (three) on Greece's socialist government, have been met with unrelenting protests. The drama of the European sovereign debt crisis with Greece in its center is coming to a head, as politicians desperately seek options to disentangle the European Union from mounting debt.

Runner statue mocked up as a rioter. Photo courtesy of the Athens indignants' multimedia team, licensed as CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

The Greek indignant movement, inspired by the “Arab Spring” uprisings and the European revolution movement that began in Spain, is centered mainly around sit-ins in public squares in Athens and Thessaloniki. It seemingly foundered during the summer, after a series of violent police crackdowns, but appeared to be picking up steam again in September, as collective anger began boiling at the imposition of yet another round of austerity measures following the bailout agreed at the emergency Eurozone summit in July.

The effects of austerity

With youth unemployment at over 40% and uncertainty hovering over diminishing work prospects at home, continuous austerity has engendered a new immigration wave, this time of Greece's brightest youth, compounding the drag on the economy by a forced and elective retirement rush brought on by downsizing and raised retirement age.

Austerity itself may constitute a human rights violation, as a United Nations expert noted in July. The relentless cascade of austerity measures is taking a toll on the everyday life of Greeks, with social services being curtailed and even the affordability of basic goods taking a hit due to staggered VAT increases and salary, pension and benefit cuts. A recent publication in the Lancet medical journal claims that the crisis is also incurring adverse health effects on the populace, while suicides and criminality are reportedly mounting.

Mass 'Indignant' protest in Athens. Image by endiaferon, copyright Demotix (29/05/2011).

Creative Greeks are affected by the austerity as well, using blogs and social media to vent their frustrations. Published blogger and copywriter Constantina Delimitrou paints a glum picture of the financial insecurity [es] gripping the minds and bodies of Greeks:

Οι περισσότεροι είμαστε με μόνιμες τανάλιες στα στομάχια για το περισσότερο μέρος της ημέρας και της νύχτας. Ένα βλαμμένο συνοθύλευμα από φόβους, αγωνίες, εικόνες τρομακτικές που δε θες αλλά σου σφηνώνονται στο κεφάλι και δε σ’ αφήνουν να πάρεις ανάσα. [..] ακούς να ρωτάνε πόσα μακαρόνια να βάλουν στην άκρη για μια ώρα ανάγκης, πώς θα πάνε στη δουλειά χωρίς φράγκο και πόσο νερό άραγε να θέλει ένα μποστάνι στο μπαλκόνι. Και εκείνη η κυρία ένα βράδυ στο μετρό. Που έκλαιγε για δέκα ευρώ στο τηλέφωνο. Τα παιδιά της στο νοσοκομείο και δεν έβρισκε δέκα ευρώ να ταΐσει τα εγγόνια. Και αυτός που μιλούσε δεν είχε να της δώσει. Και δεν είχα ούτε εγώ. Αλλά και να ‘χα, πώς να πλησιάσεις τον άλλο να τον βοηθήσεις;

Most of us have permanent pliers gripping our bellies for most of the day and night. A stupid mess of fears, anxieties, terrifying images that stick in your head unwittingly and won't let you breathe. […] you hear them wondering how much spaghetti to shelve for an hour of need, how to go to work penniless, how much water does a balcony plot need. And that lady, that night at the subway. Crying over ten euros on the phone. Had her children in a hospital, and she couldn't find ten euros to feed her grandchildren. The listener didn't have any to give her. Neither did I. And even if I did, how do you approach somebody to offer help?

Athens indignants' general assembly, 29/5/2011. Photo by Cyberela, licensed CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Web designer Cyberela dryly comments on her prospects as a chronic hemangioma sufferer:

@Cyberela: Φυσικά τις θεραπείες που κάνω τώρα δεν μπορει να μου τις πληρώσει η ασφάλιση. Ο κόσμος με αιμαγγειωμα είναι καταδικασμένος στην Ελλάδα.

@Cyberela: Naturally, my social security can't cover my treatments. Hemangioma sufferers in Greece are doomed.

And actor Haris Attonis tweeted a laconic observation on migration:

@hartonis: Οι μισοί γνωστοί μου μετακόμισαν στο εξωτερικό. Οι άλλοι μισοί, μέσα τους.

@hartonis: Half my friends emigrated abroad. The other half, within themselves

Police clashes

Rampant police violence is exacerbating the social pressures. The most serious incidents occurred when unprecedented police violence against protesters at Syntagma square in Athens on June 28-29, was denounced by international human rights organizations, who noted the massive use of teargas and urged the Greek police to refrain from using excessive force.

Indignant sit-ins, already depopulated due to summer vacations, were raided by police at night and dismantled, with restrictions reportedly placed [el] in some cases to prevent future gatherings, as happened later to sit-ins in Spain and the United States. The customary prime minister's opening speech at the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair in September was greeted with angry protests and clashes, as disparate groups converged on the heavily policed square outside, while another emergency property tax was being announced.

Social media usage

Protest at Syntagma Square, 25/5/2011. Photo courtesy of the Athens indignants, licensed CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Twitter has emerged as a mainstay platform for citizen journalism and activism in Greece, since the riots over the police killing of a minor in 2008. Several activist news curators used tweet aggregation tools to chronicle the anti-austerity protests, producing an impressive body of work.

Theodora Economides (@IrateGreek on Twitter) used Chirpstory to curate chronicles of most of the major protest events in Athens, while Antonis Gazakis (@gazakas on Twitter) posted daily livetweeted minutes of the Thessaloniki indignants' general assembly on Storify.

Myrto Orfanoudaki Simic collected videos of June 29 police brutality. Meanwhile 31,000 users liked the Facebook page of the Athens indignants, while 5,000 users have liked the Thessaloniki indignants Facebook profile. Dozens of photographers have been posting Greek protest photoreportage work on Demotix since early 2009, while thousands of photos and dozens of videos by activists and citizen journalists have been posted on the blog of the multimedia team of the Athens indignants in Syntagma Square under a Creative Commons license since these protests began.

On a humorous note, Theodora also started the #GreekPoliticianManual hashtag, based on Iyad El Baghdadi's Arab Tyrant Manual, to poke fun at the ethics and practices of politicians. The Angry Greeks vs. Angry Birds spoof, created by ToonPosers video art team, has garnered 105,000 hits on YouTube.

Follow the Twitter account (@GVEuropeCrisis) of our special coverage project Europe in Crisis for daily updates on the impact of the sovereign debt crisis on Greece and other European countries.

This article is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

Greece: Distributing Food From the Haves to the Have Nots

Asteris Masouras — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:02:22 +0000

“We can” [el] (@boroume) is an initiative started by volunteers and restaurants to combat excess food waste, acting to utilize it for charitable purposes by supporting the Food Bank foundation.