A Citizen’s Guide to Greece 2015
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On friendly politicians and false equality
Posted October 11, 2013 by M P
By Maria Patsarika The latest article in Kathimerini English edition by Takis Theodoropoulos makes a very good point: “The [second person] singular is the form of the collapse, which is often falsely equated with democratic equality” (free translation). Let us not be so naive as to fall for the casual manners and elusive straightforwardness that […]
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Good citizenship: Not a theoretical concept… simply a “good thing”
Posted March 5, 2012 by pdcadmin
By Ruth Sutton “1066 and All That,” a spoof history of England, gently assists its readers through the complexities of social change by inserting the regular insightful and analytical comment: “This was a good thing.” Looking back on this period of instability in Greece and Europe in general, I can’t help wondering if, years on, […]
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Should we look to ancient Athens?
Posted April 21, 2016 by Politis
By Claudia Chwalisz Editor’s note: Originally published on policy-network.net as “An Athenian solution to democratic discontent,” February 19, 2015. Reposted by permission of the author. New forms of contact democracy and innovative forums that allow political and economic institutions to deliberate with citizens are important steps in the long-term battle to renew representative democracy for the […]
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Dismantling the Greek Tammany Hall
Posted April 24, 2013 by Politis
Politis reprint The information gradually coming to light regarding corruption in the Greece’s local government demonstrates to what extent fraudulent behavior had spread across the country. Judging from the kind of evidence that is currently emerging, it is becoming increasingly clear that a large number of mayors had developed small fiefdoms based on clientelism, were […]
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The injustice of the Greek justice system
Posted April 2, 2013 by Politis
Politis asked EU law expert Anna Maria Konsta for her comments on a recently published review of the Greek justice system compared to other EU member states. Here are her remarks. “Even if these data date back to 2010, they are still indicative of the inefficiency of the Greek judicial system. In Greece, it takes […]
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OneRun Boston
Posted May 26, 2013 by Politis
Thousands of runners who never finished the Boston Marathon last month, along with bombing victims and spectators, gathered in the rain on May 25 to run the OneRun, a one-mile road race that spanned the last mile of the Boston Marathon. The race started at Kenmore and ending at the finish line in Copley Square. […]
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Citizen? No more
Posted February 8, 2013 by Politis
The Canadian paper Globe & Mail has published a searching editorial on the circumstances under which citizenship might be revoked. The case at hand involves the question of what punishment to mete out to Canadians who commit acts of terror or acts of war against Canada — or, by extension, to any Canadian person having […]
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Can Facebook remake government?
Posted September 5, 2013 by Politis
Excerpts below from an article in TechCrunch last about about the prospect of Facebook and other social media to remake government around the world. Is there hope? Mark Zuckerberg has a grand vision that Facebook will help citizens in developing countries decide their own governments. It’s a lofty and partially attainable goal. While Egypt probably […]
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Civic engagement and the practices of democracy
Posted April 8, 2016 by Politis
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Fathers, sons, and political preferences
Posted May 22, 2013 by DW
By David Wisner There is a wide ranging debate ongoing these days about the sources of political behavior, be they social or genetic. Elias Dinas of the University of Nottingham has published a very interesting bit of research on the effects on youth political socialization of politically engaged parents. The general question asked is how […]
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Greece: an emerging market?
Posted March 4, 2013 by Politis
Is Greece an emerging market? Strange as it may seem, an American firm named Russell Investments believes so. Is this good news? In an analysis by Mat Lystra and Ryan Naranjo entitled Greece: Reemerged, explains in detail the reclassification. But lest one think that this is good news for the Greek economy, the inverse is […]
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Erroneous Press Reports on U.S. Consulate General, Thessaloniki
Posted April 9, 2013 by Politis
Athens (April 8, 2013) — Erroneous press reports have appeared overnight suggesting that the U.S. Consulate General in Thessaloniki is closing. As the Consulate announced on February 15, certain U.S. citizen consular services and notarial services will be provided only on a periodic basis in Thessaloniki from the end of May onwards. Those services will […]
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The best and the brightest
Posted September 19, 2015 by DW
In the spring of 2006 I invited Pavlos Geroulanos to visit the Dukakis Center to speak on the topic of “youth and politics.” At the time Geroulanos was something like chief of staff to the then-president of PASOK, George Papandreou, having recently returned to Greece from the US, where he had done an MBA at […]
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Gov 2.0: the state of play
Posted March 30, 2013 by pdcadmin
By Logan Harper For many, Gov 2.0 is about putting government in the hands of citizens. Whether it’s a mobile app alerting residents to a local meeting or checking social media networks to see which roads are clear for the morning commute. The term should be defined primarily by its utility in helping citizens or […]
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You don’t have to go to Greece, you know…
Posted February 3, 2014 by pdcadmin
By Francesca Kareivis I had to get a physical examination to study abroad and when I told my doctor I was going to Greece the first thing she said was “You know, it’s not too late… You don’t have to go.” Needless to say, not many people supported my decision to study in Greece. And […]
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Circle dancing with the Greeks
Posted April 19, 2012 by DW
By David Wisner I first drafted this note over a year ago. If anything, the tendency I described, and its implications for the future of Greece and the EU, are all the greater. A worldly Greek acquaintance likes to tell the following anecdote. Foreign investors of a bygone era come to Greece, only to lose […]
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Inaugural European Citizen’s Summit
Posted June 4, 2013 by Politis
The eight networks member of the Civil Society Contact Group, a cross-sectoral coalition of NGO actors, are organizing the first Citizen’s Summit taking place in Brussels from 24 June 13.00 to 25 June 14.00 2013. The event will bring together for the first time professionals, practitioners and activists from across the different sectors of culture, development, […]
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Is the crisis over?
Posted May 17, 2013 by DW
By David Wisner “Phew, that was tough,” is the initial impression left behind by Nick Malkoutzis in his comment in the pages of today’s Kathimerini English edition. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, now. “And like that… poof, the crisis is gone. More bailout loans approved by the Eurogroup, a sovereign rating upgrade from Fitch, […]
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Saying of the day: 5/13/13
Posted May 13, 2013 by Politis
“I learned… that writing is play. So is reading. They are things you do to enjoy yourself. I found out that I enjoyed writing, and I could do it for hours on end, for my own amusement, rather than for any assignment or to get a good grade.” — Elias Kulukundis
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This is not Sparta
Posted December 23, 2012 by pdcadmin
By Nikos Konstandaras Groups of left-wing protesters have been fighting to obstruct university reforms which, among other things, will put an end to their lengthy dominance. At the same time, groups of far-right thugs have stepped out of the shadows and can now be heard bragging that the time of their own dominion is coming. […]