A Citizen’s Guide to Greece 2015
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Giving up the ghost
Posted July 26, 2015 by DW
It was a metaphor that was not uncommon in earlier moments of the crisis, that of Greece as a patient on life support. The notion of a sick man of Europe has a long pedigree after all. It has come back with a vengeance now, most recently in the form of a commentary by Maria […]
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The Citizenship we need now is about transforming institutions
Posted March 27, 2012 by pdcadmin
By Ian Kehoe In these unprecedented times in Greece, it is more important than ever to question the purposes and outcomes of social projects and institutions in order to make sure we are really tackling the underlying causes and behaviours that led us to this crisis. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in alternative […]
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Mirrors of democracy: “Black mirror,” S01E01
Posted March 30, 2013 by pdcadmin
By Maria Mavrommati The first episode of British Channel 4′s mini-series Black Mirror (2011) explores the nature of modern democracy in the most colorful ways. The dominance of image (with “image” meaning both a visual representation of something and a popular conception of someone), television language and conventional understanding of the essence of truth and […]
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A dark vein of intolerance
Posted January 13, 2013 by pdcadmin
By Ginger Gibson While continuing to identify as a Republican, former Secretary of State Colin Powell on Sunday criticized the GOP for a series of racist attacks against President Barack Obama. “There’s also a dark vein of intolerance in some parts of the party,” Powell said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “What do I mean by […]
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Fall 2015 highlights at the Dukakis Center
Posted April 5, 2016 by Politis
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 […]
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Politicized Greek porn?
Posted February 5, 2013 by pdcadmin
By Kostas Kallergis In an attempt to identify with the widespread anger in Greek society, targeted mainly against corrupt politicians, the country’s biggest porn production company has produced its latest gem, a politicized porn movie (!?!?!) where terrorists rape Ministers’ wives. The movie’s title is “Impact” (the rhyming Greek headline translates into something like “The […]
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Business and Politics in Greece
Posted December 4, 2012 by Politis
The lines separating the worlds of business and politics in Greece have often been blurred. Businesses are not free from state intervention, on the one hand, but, on the other, business interests have often played a preponderant role in political decision making. Is it possible that these times of crisis are also an opportunity to […]
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Suddenly, elections that haven’t much mattered may have a real impact
Posted May 31, 2013 by Politis
Catchy title in today’s euronews: “Could youth vote stir up next European elections?” Excerpts from Anders Melin’s article below. “A survey released by the European Commission last week showed 65 percent of eligible voters below the age of 30 plan to vote next year, with a particular rise among first-time voters. That represents a sharp […]
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Four things we learned on May 6
Posted May 9, 2012 by DW
By David Wisner The crisis in Greece is political. Very few of the reforms the governments of George Papandreou and Lucas Papademos pledged to undertake in exchange for loans from the Troika have materialized. The evaluation of public sector employees to have begun this week has been put off indefinitely. Very little has been done […]
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Citizenville
Posted August 4, 2014 by Politis
The story of one man’s quest — and a politician’s no less — to modernize the “most modern” of America’s cities… “Citizenville is the story of how ordinary citizens can use new digital tools to dissolve political gridlock and transform American democracy. As social networking and smart phones have changed the way we communicate with […]
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The Human Library
Posted March 22, 2013 by Politis
The Human Library does not consist of actual books but of people who are willing to share their stories and experiences with others, in order to fight prejudice and promote diversity. Human Library Greece was initiated in October 2009 in Athens by a group of volunteers, in collaboration with the global network of Human Libraries […]
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Wanted: Laugh Doctor
Posted March 6, 2013 by Politis
Ζητούνται Γελιολόγοι στην Ελλάδα του σήμερα, όχι άλλοι Γελωτοποιοί… By Fotinie Efstratiadou Τις προάλλες, η οχτάχρονη κόρη μου ντύθηκε αστυνομικίνα στο καρναβαλίστικο πάρτι του σχολείου. «Μαμά, εσύ τι θα ντυθείς;» με ρώτησε. Σκέφτηκα… «Γιατρός», της είπα. Μου φάνηκε εύκολο. Θα απευθυνόμουν στους γνωστούς μας στο φαρμακείο για τα απαραίτητα. Πράγματι, οι συνεργάτες ήταν πρόθυμοι και […]
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Is this what revolution looks like now?
Posted June 29, 2013 by pdcadmin
By Francis Fukuyama Over the past decade, Turkey and Brazil have been widely celebrated as star economic performers—emerging markets with increasing influence on the international stage. Yet, over the past three months, both countries have been paralyzed by massive demonstrations expressing deep discontent with their governments’ performance. What is going on here, and will more […]
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The rally that did not happen
Posted May 15, 2012 by KK
By Krysta Kalachani Athens, May 13, 2012. Nothing about Athens and the rally. No news in the hashtags and no photos, and I thought that when I went there it was late, but I guess people were very few really. Yup! I can imagine, I myself was on the track again with the motorbike… Believe […]
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Citizen walkers, walking citizens
Posted March 13, 2014 by DW
By David Wisner This past Sunday I finally had an opportunity to experience a car-free waterfront. I went down to Leoforos Nikis and sat with some students — young people who were born and raised in Thessaloniki — to enjoy the hush and feel the energy of citadins taking their morning promenade. We got to […]
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In praise of public servants
Posted January 9, 2013 by Politis
The Dukakis Center hosted the inaugural Business & Politics Forum in Thessaloniki last month. One of the speakers, Efi Stefopoulou of the General Secretariat of the Government, gave a standing room audience at the Elektra Palace Hotel a brilliant taste of what a truly competent public servant can do. Thankfully, she told her audience that […]
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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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Tea Party right, Tea Party left
Posted February 9, 2013 by Politis
From yesterday’s CNN, the following report that Senator Rand Paul will deliver the official Tea Party response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address on February 12. “Tea party leaders are turning to Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, to deliver their message following President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address, a speech that will […]
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Live coverage of the US General Election, November 6, 2012
Posted November 6, 2012 by DW
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Yes? No? Vote, and stay engaged
Posted July 3, 2015 by DW
We have an expression in the US. “Vote early and often.” Lest you think I am encouraging you to commit voter fraud, I actually have something else in mind. If you vote when young you are likely to continue to want to vote whenever you have the opportunity. Make it a habit. Just look at […]