We rarely equate paying taxes with citizenship these days, although it is certainly one of those old-fashioned obligations we associate with residing in a certain place. French actor Gerard Depardieu (by the grace of God born a Frenchman, has now been offered Russian citizenship (along with the Belgian citizenship he sought a short while back […]
Voters in democracies often express their dissatisfaction for the candidates, the parties, and, indeed, the political system itself by abstaining from voting on election day. (American voters may also vote for so-called “write-in” candidates whose name does not appear on the ballot.) In India, voters will henceforth have yet another alternative through which to express […]
This post comes courtesy of Politis reader Maria Tsouri. “Europeans have common ancestors, as shown in research on the DNA of Europeans from England to the Balkans published by researchers at the University of California, Davis. The investigation showed that the differences go back only tens of generations and genetic affinities are greater than scientists […]
During the Fall 2015 semester the Dukakis Center was involved in three major undertakings, conceived above all to inspire young people to take an active role in the public life of their country. First, the Dukakis Center underwrote and was present at the annual Thessaloniki International Symposium organized by the Navarino Network, on Sunday, October […]
A relief fund has been created by the Serbian government for anyone who wishes to support victims of the terrible flooding in Serbia. Thank you for taking note and sharing this information with your friends and acquaintances.
Livestreaming from Here
“J’ai mal à la Grèce.” Angélique Kourounis
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 […]
By Andreas Akaras February is Black History Month, a monthlong celebration of the African diaspora’s contributions to America. During this month long observance, we Greek-Americans are reminded of the many outstanding Hellenes who stood with the African-American community in its struggle for freedom and dignity. From grade school, we come to know that America is […]
Bit and pieces below from an essay by Nicco Mele in Salon on Anonymous and the threats of hacking to contemporary security. “Anonymous, untraceable private networks—the kind that can be built by technology like FabFi or Tor—are called ‘darknets,’ literally networks that exist in the shadows of the Internet. They are increasingly easy to build, […]
Choose4Greece is an online application which calculates voters’ ideological congruence with political parties for the June 17 elections in Greece. Choose4Greece II represents an update, which takes into consideration the changes in the Greek political party landscape, on the initial application that was launched because of the significance of the May 6 general election and […]
“It is often said that our political system is incompetent, but it is doing a perfect job in reproducing the existing model. “ — Paschos Mandravelis, Kathimerini English Edition
By Maria Patsariki* A couple of days ago, and on the occasion of the Dukakis Center International Conference ‘Civic engagement and the practices of democracy’, a not so surprising theme was brought forward: young people are not interested in, and do not want to do, politics. The quotes were disheartening showing not only a lack […]
By Lydia Richards I am a study abroad student and a Dukakis Center intern at the American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) from the US, where I attend the University of Northern Iowa and major in flute performance. At ACT, I am taking several International Relations classes. As someone who has not spent a great deal […]
There has been a lot of talk in the UK about the so-called “Gagging Law” and its implications for democracy in Britain. Here the folks of 38 Degrees explain what all the fuss is about.
By David Wisner I read in Simon Johnson’s column in Bloomberg last week (later picked up by Kathimerini English edition) an interesting critique of the performance of the EU in the unfolding of Greece’s sovereign debt crisis. One of Johnson’s main points is as follows. “Greece came to the IMF in 2010 later than it […]
Indymedia. The website is on the Politechnic’s server, or at least was in the past. From time to time the people that write there are accused of being anarchists. Whoever likes can write on the website. They started as independent media and often there have been efforts to shut them down… Sometimes they were actually […]
“Unlike in Greece, corruption is not a way of life in Spain. Most Spaniards go about their daily business without ever paying a bribe. But experts say that the concentration of power in the hands of regional and municipal officials and their ties to the local savings banks created ideal conditions for corruption in […]
By Nicholas Piston* It was somewhat poetic taking the ferry across the Aegean in the cover of night. I made my way to the outdoor deck, my preferred place to sit whenever taking a ferry in Greece, and stared out to Piraeus, gazing silently at the gates I volunteered briefly at while in Athens (which will have […]
You are cordially invited To a presentation of photographs by photojournalist Dimitris Bouras “Beyond Dichotomies: Reassembling Global Challenges through the Local: Syria / Iraq | Research Project | 1991, 2003 ~ 2007, 2010 ~ 2015 or, the Aftermath of Despair and a Cartography of Hope ” Tuesday, December 1, 1PM ACT NEW BuILDING A-V ROOM […]