A Citizen’s Guide to Greece 2015
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New meaning to the word demos
Posted February 24, 2012 by pdcadmin
By Laura Strieth “Iceland Mob Rule” is what the Guardian called it but to me it seems like an evolved form of democracy. A country with the oldest continuous parliament dating back to 930, had the 3rd largest financial meltdown in human history and as a response: rid themselves of their government, the central bank […]
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Life lessons from Cyprus
Posted March 22, 2013 by pdcadmin
By Edward Scicluna, Minister of Finance, Malta There is nothing more undignified than the sight of a bankrupt person begging for assistance. The contrasts between the cosy and sometimes sumptuous living before the event and the state of helplessness and destitution soon after are stark indeed. While generous persons may come forward to offer their […]
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Live coverage of the US General Election, November 6, 2012
Posted November 6, 2012 by DW
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Save the homeland of Aristotle…
Posted March 12, 2013 by laura
By Laura Strieth A group called NoMines N. has posted the following petition regarding a project to mine for gold in the vicinity of Ierissos, on the third foot of the Halkidiki region. The campaign “calls for citizens all over the world to raise their voice in condemnation against the development of mining activities and […]
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We want out
Posted January 31, 2013 by Politis
As reported yesterday in Greek Reporter, as many as One Greek in three would consider leaving Greece, as the economic situation becomes ever more dire. They report, “The startling statistic came from a a survey carried out on primary and secondary school pupils by the Children’s Ombudsman. Out of 1,211 pupils from 22 schools around […]
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Everything in order to not tell the truth
Posted January 22, 2013 by pdcadmin
By Pantelis Boukalas All those stereotypical expressions that recur in our speech probably once carried some actual meaning before losing it somewhere along the way. The value of these expressions was mostly undermined by overuse, which was in turn prompted by two apparently contradictory desires that in fact complement each other. On the one hand, […]
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GovLab
Posted April 21, 2013 by Politis
“The Governance Lab (The GovLab) aims to improve people’s lives by changing how we govern. We are seeking new ways to solve public problems using advances in technology and science. Innovations in technology and science are empowering individuals to engage with one another – and with traditional institutions of governance – to tackle problems more […]
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Dukakis Lecture 3/20/13
Posted March 19, 2013 by Politis
The Michael and Kitty Dukakis Center for Public and Humanitarian Service Cordially invites you to attend A Dukakis Lecture Featuring Stan Draenos, sometime resident historian, Andreas G. Papandreou Foundation “Andreas Papandreou’s New Nationalism and Kennedy’s New Frontier: Greece in the Tangles of the Cold War” Wednesday, March 20, 5 PM ACT New Building Conference Room […]
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Saying of the day: 2/22/13
Posted February 22, 2013 by Politis
“It is my heartfelt conviction that in Germany more Europe does not mean a German Europe. For us, more Europe means a European Germany.” — Joachim Gauck
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The future of democracy in Greece
Posted February 24, 2012 by DW
By David Wisner Wolfgang Munchau is right, but for reasons he does not suspect. In his column in this past Monday’s Financial Times, Munchau laments the implications of this most recent round of Eurozone negotiations with Greece. In short, he concludes, if Germany wins, Greek democracy loses. The article generated considerable reaction. Munchau, who famously […]
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Inspiration Exchange
Posted May 16, 2012 by PR
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And what about the political corruption?
Posted March 12, 2013 by M P
By Maria Patsarika I read an article by Thanasis Skokos in Protagon yesterday about corruption. Actually, it is one of the many articles out there discussing the extent to which politicians who have misused power and public funds are now confronting justice and people’s outrage. Laying responsibilities on the financial side of things is a […]
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What our dilemmas teach us
Posted June 16, 2012 by M P
By Maria Patsarika Whenever I am faced with a dilemma I know that my choices are limited. Dilemmas represent difficult decision making, being torn between solutions neither of which is convincing enough to go for with watertight certainty. (Unless, of course, the dilemma is about choosing between Santorini and Crete for one’s holiday) On the […]
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What is needed now
Posted June 4, 2012 by pdcadmin
By Marten van Heuven The author is a retired senior US diplomat with extensive experience in European affairs. He contributed this note in response to an invitation by Politis for thoughts on the trans-Atlantic dimensions of the crisis in Greece and the eurozone. I find the situation in Greece and in Europe unsettling, in part […]
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Here’s to your health
Posted April 14, 2015 by DW
I recently found myself obliged to spend some time in a public hospital. Aside from the obvious benefits to my health, it was a most revealing experience. Ihave no complaints about my treatment. The rather negative opinion I had formed previously about this particular hospital, based largely on the impression of utter chaos and lack […]
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Paid for services rendered
Posted November 4, 2013 by pdcadmin
By Fotinie Efstratiadou Here is a story about a public servant — an employee at the public ambulance service in Northern Greece — who missed work for five years from 2006 to 2011 and yet was payed throughout without his superior having been notified. One is almost left speechless. What can one think of these […]
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The tyranny of little things
Posted January 14, 2013 by pdcadmin
By Nikos Konstandaras Our country bears many great wounds, which, over the years, brought us to the point of bankruptcy, ridicule and insecurity. But however great the problems which stem from the corruption and incompetence of our political elite and state machinery, from the chaos of the public sector, from the lack of national strategy, […]
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Lessons from a shipwreck to a shipwrecked country
Posted April 25, 2014 by M P
By Maria Patsarika This is not an easy piece to write. The tragic April 2014 ferry accident in South Korea, better deserves a an expression of humble, silent sympathy with the mourning families. Watching the story unravel on the news these days, however, one image kept coming back: inside the gymnasium, where the relatives […]
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Your Country Needs You
Posted November 13, 2013 by Politis
Ahead of the Thessaloniki European Youth Capital 2014 year, the British Embassy in Athens is organising a debate at Thessaloniki Municipal Council Hall on Wednesday, 13 November 2013 at 4.30, open to the public. Four young speakers from UK and Greece, Natalie Robinson – UK Young Ambassador, Sophie Rodgers – UK Young Ambassador, Ioannis Konstantinidis […]
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Crisis, what crisis?
Posted October 23, 2013 by DW
By David Wisner Some years ago, when I first settled permanently in Thessaloniki, I met another ex-patriot who had been here for decades already. How long? I asked her. “Long enough to think the Greek way of doing things is the normal way,” she replied. Won’t happen to me, I thought, naively. And continued to […]