A Citizen’s Guide to Greece 2015
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The economy has improved
Posted March 19, 2014 by KK
By Krysta Kalachani Everyone is smiles in Athens. The crisis is almost over. Hiring is up! Indeed, according to an article in a major Greek news outlet two weeks ago there have been considerably more net hires than fires since 2014 began. Now about those hirings… 53% of the total hirings (according to the Ministry […]
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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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Party time
Posted March 13, 2014 by DW
By Damian Mac Con Uladh Exports, imports and retail prices might all be in decline. And unemployment hovering over 27% for nine months straight. But six years into a recession that has ravaged the gross national product, there is one Greek industry showing impressive growth rates: the production of new political parties, movements and coalitions. […]
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Of civic rites of passage
Posted March 12, 2014 by Politis
Eric Liu posed an interesting question in the Atlantic yesterday. “… what if a rite… existed for everyone in America, attached not to a specific faith tradition but to a national creed of values, political traditions, and pro-social character? What if we created a civic confirmation experience that was both constructive and common to all?” […]
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How does it feel to be Ukrainian?
Posted March 10, 2014 by pdcadmin
By Iana Nazarenko In a democracy, realists claim that the government should represent the common will of citizens, or at least act in the interest of the state and its people. But what if it does not? Should then citizens take action and change the situation, even if at the cost of hundreds of lives? […]
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National Day of Unplugging
Posted March 7, 2014 by Politis
About Do you have multiple cell phones? Take your ipad to the beach on vacation? Ever find it hard to get through a conversation without posting an update to Facebook? Is your computer always on? We increasingly miss out on the important moments of our lives as we pass the hours with our noses buried […]
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Virtual book launch at the Dukakis Center
Posted March 6, 2014 by Politis
The Dukakis Center will host a virtual launch of “Still at Aulis: Essays on Crisis and Revolution in Greece and the Eurozone,” a Kindle e-book by David Wisner, Executive Director of the Center, on Thursday, March 6, 2014, from 12 noon throughout the afternoon. Interested parties can follow the event on the “Still at Aulis” […]
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Preserving the historical memory of Thessaloniki
Posted February 25, 2014 by Politis
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I, Citizen
Posted February 14, 2014 by DW
By David Wisner I was invited not too long ago to discuss my views on citizenship on a local television program. What is different about citizens in Greece and in the US, was more or less the line of inquiry. I answered in somewhat broken Greek, and for fear that my thinking is not easily […]
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Boutique politics in times of crisis
Posted February 10, 2014 by M P
By Maria Patsarika A new company has come to my attention, called West Wing, a political consultancy. Unbelievable, where did this come from! A true ”boutique outfit,” that. As I was going through “West Wing’s” strategy – what a name they chose, huh, reminds you of American sitcoms – I thought that the facelifting that […]
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Imagine: a way out of the crisis
Posted February 8, 2014 by KK
By Krysta Kalachani I found this speech pretty optimistic as well as inspiring, and feel that it is worth reposting in Politis even if it has been available on YouTube since last December. It relates imagination (and fairy tales) with scientific progress, posits imagination as a way to get through all kinds of crises, and […]
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Politis forum: journalists or losers?
Posted February 8, 2014 by Politis
Politis has invited Krysta Kalachani and guest contributor Sakis Ioannides, of Parallaxi, to comment on Παναγιώτης Μένεγος, “Δημοσιογράφος, ο μεγάλος χαμένος (και) της κρίσης,” popaganda.gr, January 28, 2014. SI Let me summarize “Journalist, the crisis’ big loser,” an article by Panagiotis Menegos, one of the staff writers at popaganda.gr (a multimedia electronic magazine). Menegos wrote […]
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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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Who owns Thessaloniki’s history?
Posted January 30, 2014 by iankehoe
By Ian Kehoe Back in 2008, while I was talking about the history of Thessaloniki to a group of university students I realised that many of them did not even know that there had been a major Jewish population in the city. I was surprised to say the least, given that Jewish people had been […]
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On the “social” economy
Posted January 30, 2014 by DW
Politis recently published a post on efforts in Northern Greece to encourage active citizens to involve themselves in matters of “social economy.” Below we share excerpts on the subject from an article by Andrew Higgins in the New York Times. “In their search for solutions, Greeks are tinkering with a new kind of economy with […]
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Saying of the day 1/29/14
Posted January 29, 2014 by Politis
“I’ve never sung anywhere without giving the people listening to me the chance to join in — as a kid, as a lefty, as a man touring the U.S.A. and the world, as an oldster. I guess it’s kind of a religion with me. Participation. That’s what’s going to save the human race.” — Pete […]
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Absurdities
Posted January 20, 2014 by M P
By Maria Patsarika First, our ministers make earnest declarations that in order for smog percentages to diminish, people need to return to the use of oil for heating purposes. I’m sure it crossed all people’s minds: are they nuts? With such high oil prices, who can afford to buy it? And, surely, people would rather […]
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Visions of public service: Greece leads the way
Posted January 20, 2014 by DW
By David Wisner I have been on a quest over the past several months. I am looking for a vision of active citizenship suitable for our times. I admit to suffering from a bit of unease in this quest. In fact, the relative certitude I felt about the classic Anglo-Saxon model of public service I […]
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Open Government, E-Government, and Government 2.0
Posted January 8, 2014 by Politis
The MPA program at the University of North Carolina has a really useful “Citizen’s Guide to Open Government, E-Government, and Government 2.0.” They conclude that Open Government is here for the long haul. “Engaged citizens want clear, credible information from the government about how it’s carrying on its business. They don’t want to thumb through […]
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Only in Thessaloniki…
Posted December 17, 2013 by pdcadmin
By Diego Salas Things about Greece, Thessaloniki 1. Things I that I never thought I would encounter People in general have at least a basic level of English. Taxis are incredibly cheap. People treat you like a brother though you’ve met them only once. Ouzo as a casual Greek beverage. Greeks take hours to […]