A short report on tertiary education in Greece

In a few days, hundreds of last year high school students in Greece are going to be informed about their future studies as the Ministry of Education is going to publish the lists of admitted students to Greek Universities. Admission to tertiary education is one of the most important issues in modern Greece. Thus, almost all governments have tried to make several reforms and changes to the admission procedure to the Universities and the Technological Educational Institutes (TEIs).

Students’ effort to succeed in the final school exams begins at their 15, as soon as they enter the high school. The vast majority of students attend private tutoring lessons, which has a significant social impact especially during the period of financial crisis by reinforcing the black economy and the shadow education, burden further their families and enhance the social, economical and learning inequalities among the students. The wealthier students can afford to attend more and better quality courses, while many low-income students struggle to afford these private classes and have this privilege. After all, the whole educational process in high school revolves around the university admission exams, degrading the level of most lessons and the students’ general knowledge.

In Greece we can observe the following paradox: the Ministry of Education determines both the process of the admission and the number of admissible students, limiting the role of universities. For this reason, almost every year the secondary admission criteria change, such as admissible students without exams. In recent years, the university rectors ask for a reduction in the number of students admitted. Their claim has some logical basis, although this is not the main problem of Greek universities. In 2011 major structural reforms to universities were made on several issues, such as administration, student representation in governing bodies, inactive students deletion etc. These changes, although promising better quality universities, were actually meretricious, since the universities’ biggest problems remained unsolved. These are especially the underfunding, the big student-faculty ratio, which in some universities is over 50 and in many TEIs over 100, as well as the literally nonexistent evaluation of the faculty and the curriculum.

Any reduction at the number of students admitted is expected to affect in different ways. Firstly, a direct advantage is the better student-faculty ratio. The universities will have more flexibility in shaping their curricula and manage better their students. Also, students will be more focused when choosing the school that seems interesting to them. On the other hand, the disadvantages are many more! The total number of active students is one of the main criteria of state funding so the university underfunding will continue to exist. Many young people that will not make it to these universities will be forced to study abroad with all the consequences that this may have, such as brain drain, human and financial capital loss etc. Many, especially those who do not have the appropriate financial ability, will fail to study at all! All this happens at a time when Greece holds the highest youth unemployment rate in Europe and has a large and worrying number of NEETs (young people not in education, employment or training).

In recent years, mainly because of the crisis, many prospective students choose their university based on their place of residence regardless their interests and the field of studies. This, apart from creating disappointed students who live with their parents for economical reasons, is delaying their smooth transition into autonomy and affects particularly the regional educational institutions, since most of the students apply for a place at universities of Athens and Thessaloniki.

The Greek universities remain reliable and still have good reputation despite the challenges. This is because of both their highly qualified faculty, and the high level of students. Nevertheless, many young people are eager to study abroad. The main reason is to network and find a better paid job abroad and also enjoy better living conditions. Unfortunately, the non-formal education in Greece does not benefit from any substantial recognition and is not very popular among the population, despite the efforts of the civil society organisations.

Another significant fact is the number of Greek students that do not rely on their university courses and attend Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) provided by prestigious universities in Europe and the USA. The paper “Evaluating Geographic Data in MOOCs” (S.O. Nesterko et al) provides us with very interesting outcomes. According to this, there are more Greeks logging into HarvardΧ courses in proportion to the country’s population, while Greece has also the highest portion of successful completion of courses with 13.6% of students completing the course and receiving a participation/completion certificate. In addition, 3,875 students from Greece participated at HarvardX MOOCs courses placing Greece ahead of other European countries!

Concluding, we should highlight that it is not only important to regulate the number of admitted students, but also the admission qualifications. To achieve a substantial and qualitative change there should be a frank, fruitful and productive discussion between all stakeholders, the Ministry of Education, the Universities and the society as a whole. There should be enforced well structured long-term policies that will integrate smoothly and under good conditions the young people into the labour market, even when they fail to enter higher education.

Το παρόν άρθρο δημοσιεύτηκε στην ιστοσελίδα Balkan Observer

Read more...

How can young people wield more power around the world?

It’s not uncommon to hear politicians, political scientists and even activists talk about the need to “empower the youth”. Everyone calls youth to take a leading role in society, politics, economy and ultimately lead to a comprehensive change and development in every sector of human activity. But how can young people achieve it? What will motivate or provide them with guidelines?

On the occasion of the International Youth Day (August 12), the British newspaper “The Guardian” organised on August 11 a discussion entitled “How can young people wield more power around the world?”. The panel consisted of 10 young leaders from around the world, experts in participation and social engagement of young people. I had the luck and honour to be a member of this ambitious group and to contribute with my views and ideas in the public debate!

The discussion raised several issues, such as development, security, the fight against gender inequality etc. having always in mind the empowerment of youth. The primary question is how can we better leverage young people's skills and make them leaders of development. First of all, it is of high importance that young people are active and engaged in decision-making mechanisms at every level (local, national, international). When young people feel that their voices are being heard, then they can reach their full potential. We also need sustainable youth policies that in many countries do not exist or exist in a very abstract form. A good example of best practice on how young people can take decisions together with governments is the Council of Europe co-management system. Representatives from youth NGOs sit down in committees with government officials who together then work out the priorities for the youth sector and make recommendations for future budgets and programmes. It is a great challenge and still faces many difficulties, but works well for most of the cases.

A problem that many face or detect is the gap between young and older activists. Often they are not taken seriously or are treated suspiciously and disparagingly. We all advocate for a cause and we put our efforts together to achieve our goals. We shouldn't highlight the age of the activists, but their important role and action. There should be an honest dialogue and discussion among them. They should clarify their roles and take the best out of everyone. For example, young people may have more passion for the common cause and be ready to start a demonstration or a street-activity, but older people might have links with some media (TV, newspapers etc) and promote their cause more effectively and to a bigger audience through these channels. Activists should use all of their capabilities and “weapons” in a very efficient way. We have no space for inside brawls in our movements.

Among others, young people should instigate change and be the drivers of innovation, economic growth and trade, not just participants. Young people should not only wait for opportunities from the governments or the other institutions. They should start creating their own opportunities! As we all know, they are already the drivers of innovation! They should take more risks on business and try to invest on their skills. Some of the most successful start-up companies are founded and run by young people (often below the age of 25). We should be confident on our knowledge, abilities and skills and try to channel this in every way to our community. This can even lead to economic growth and development.

To facilitate the clustering, the Guardian reported the 11 ideas for leveraging the skills of the next generation of leaders that emerged through the discussion:

1. Recognise we already have youth who are leaders in development
2. Make young people the solution not the problem
3. Get rid of youth side events
4. Involve young people in government consultations
5. Acknowledge that we’re not one homogeneous group
6. Create more economic opportunities 
7. Encourage participation in civil society at a young age
8. Share knowledge and experience
9. Start your own initiative to hold leaders to account
10. Get everyone together to keep on top of youth priorities
11. Listen and act on what young people say

Unfortunately, young people especially in southern Europe nowadays do not trust politicians and politics. Most of them have given up with politics and don’t take an active role in society. We should build again a relationship of trust and mutual respect among youth and politicians. Young people should be the drivers of political change, be actively involved in every aspect of social life and be a crucial part of the decision-making mechanisms. We are not the future generation, but the present generation!

Read more...

Reviving youth engagement in Greece

Crisis and youth

Nowadays Greece is facing a financial crisis that has multiple effects on society, while Europe in general tries to identify or reconsider its position on the world. Many support that there is lack of core values in Europe, such as solidarity and respect between nations and states. Young activists try to prove them wrong! They organize themselves, cooperate smoothly, promote youth mobility and take various solidarity initiatives. They fight against populism and extremism by all means; they build tomorrow’s Europe by acting immediately today when and where needed.

Volunteering rise in Greece

Youth is one the most affected groups by the crisis in Greece. Youth unemployment rate stands at about 60% and young people’s future perspectives are grim, at best. Thousands of young people emigrated searching for better job opportunities and living conditions; the risk of a brain drain is clearly visible in the near future.

On the other side, the crisis led to a flowering of civil society and volunteering-based initiatives. New initiatives came out and many innovative youth-led projects implemented. Young people have to be nowadays adaptable in order to overcome the challenges and barriers they face. One of this successful youth initiatives will be presented in this article: Youthnet Hellas.

Youthnet Hellas: How it all started

In 2009 a handful of motivated young people from all over Greece decided to channel their vitality and energy in a new youth-led NGO, while making use of their rich experiences and useful knowledge on Youth Policies, European Mobility Programmes and Volunteering. They established “Youthnet Hellas”, a non-governmental organisation that aims to engage young people at different levels through innovative activities, and to promote young people’s active participation, information, social inclusion and active citizenship in community life. It soon became one of the most active and popular youth NGOs in Greece!

Youthnet Hellas’ specific goals include:

• enhancing the role of young people in decision-making processes;
• endorsing the development and implementation of policies supporting children’s and young people’s rights;
• encouraging environment-friendly activities;
• advocating for the respect and advancement of democracy, peace, diversity and human rights;
• strengthening of democratic values and human rights;
• encouraging exchange mobility and multicultural dialogue among young people regardless of their nationality.

Innovation in practice

Youthnet Hellas was innovative since its very first moments. It operates as an online organisation and thus an environment-friendly NGO. It doesn’t use offices, it consists only of volunteers and has never received any state funding. Its members and volunteers live in almost every city of Greece, from little islands and border villages to towns and big cities. Youthnet Hellas already counts more than 350 members and hundreds of active volunteers!

The flexible online way of operating gives the advantage to work with young people from villages and remote areas that don’t have access to any other organisations, projects, initiatives or activities. It gives them the chance to stay informed about youth policies, be more active in their community and take local initiatives.

The organisation’s website and social media pages are used as platforms to inform young people for all the formal and non-formal education opportunities available in Greece and Europe, as well internships and work opportunities. So far, more than 9000 young Greeks follow the news on social media and more than 15000 visit the website daily. The last years, more than 600 young people participated in more than 180 EU funded programmes. In 2014 only, 121 young people (in 35 projects) benefited from these funds!

Recognition at European level

Although working on a voluntary basis, Youthnet Hellas has an important presence, as well as distinctions in European level. Its actions are well recognised abroad in various ways. In 2013 Youthnet Hellas was awarded the European Citizen’s Prize by the European Parliament and the UNESCO label at UNESCO’s 8th Youth Forum in 2013 for the project “Training for Developing Youth Reporting Capacities”. The continuous efforts of its members and volunteers, and the implementation of innovative activities led to another prize in 2015, namely the “NGO of the Year” laureate at the European Democratic Citizenship Awards organised by European Civic Forum. In addition, Youthnet Hellas is the only Greek NGO member of the Advisory Council on Youth of the Council of Europe for the 2014-2015 mandate.

All these awards recognized mainly the innovative work that has been done during the writing of the “Greek Youth Policy Report” over the last four years, and the significant efforts to promote the educational mobility of young people in Europe.

Greek youth policy reporting

The absence of national initiatives and campaigns for young people is visible in Greece, so the youth-led organisation, need to step in and provide even more support to young people. During the last years Youthnet Hellas works hard on it and has already influenced the national youth policies by publishing the “Greek Youth Policy Report” annually since 2010.

In this report’s pages, the situation in the youth field in Greece is reflected every year. It highlights the well-organised work done in the youth field, and promotes the main actions and activities implemented by Greek NGOs and youth institutions. Thus, these organisations can see their work and efforts recognized. The report is not only published online, but is also available in printed version in public and university libraries across the country, giving it more prestige and publicity.

Youth policy reporting know-how transfer

Youthnet Hellas strongly believes and works towards a closer cooperation between stakeholders, actors and organizations in the youth field. Developing sustainable synergies among youth-led NGOs would empower more young people globally in a long-term period. Thus, know-how transfer between youth organizations and other relevant institutions is valuable to achieve this goal.

For this reason, the project “Training for Developing Youth Reporting Capacities (You.Re.Ca.)” was implemented on July 2015. 50 young people from 41 countries were given a trained in order to develop capacities so that they are able to create their own countries’ Youth Policy Reports. Experienced trainers transferred this valuable know-how to young people with the aim to develop similar initiatives in their countries.

The You.Re.Ca. project was sponsored by UNESCO and the State of Kuwait and was one of the 15 projects awarded the UNESCO label at UNESCO’s 8th Youth Forum in 2013 out of the 1532 totally submitted projects from around the world. Following its great success, the You.Re.Ca. project was presented during the 9th UNESCO Youth Forum in Paris and the Social Innovation and Global Ethics Forum 2015 in Geneva!

Defending Human Rights and combating hate speech

Youthnet Hellas is a European-oriented organisation that represents most of the core European values in Greece. Active youth participation is its most important sector, while it is active also to values such as respect of human rights, freedom of speech and democratic dialogue. In the past, Youthnet Hellas has contributed a lot with its projects and initiatives in other values such as tolerance and non-discrimination, minority rights and gender equality.

The absence of a National Campaign Committee, led Youthnet Hellas to become a partner of the Council of Europe’s “No Hate Speech Movement” campaign and run it in Greece, by creating a Facebook page and promoting the campaign online in Greek language. Already more than 2,000 people have been informed about this important campaign and many awareness raising activities are planned for the next months throughout Greece.

Looking towards the future

As the 2015 reaches to the end, Youthnet Hellas plans its future activities having in mind young people’s needs and expectations in Greece. It is of high importance to defend human rights and democracy in the times of crisis and Youthnet Hellas will have a leading role in it. Many projects are planned and will be implemented soon, including support mechanisms for young refugees, anti-bullying campaigns and many more. We all strive towards a better and fairer future for Europe’s young generations!

Το παρόν άρθρο δημοσιεύτηκε στο 2ο τεύχος του διεθνούς περιοδικού Activizenship

Read more...

Greek referendum: The aftermath

The result of Greece’s referendum could not be any clearer as the overwhelming majority of Greeks (61,31%) rejected the agreement plan submitted by the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund to the Eurogroup of 25 June 2015. Greek people decided to follow the “tough way” against austerity policies and poverty. They decided once again to oppose against technocrats’ ultimatums and hope for development.

Last week Greeks experienced a lot of challenges: immoral propaganda in the media, capital controls in the banks and high polarization. Many people stated that a national division is ongoing and civil war situations are observed. The vote result contrariwise shows that for the first time in history the election map is painted with a single color! Throughout Greece people voted for more democracy and dignity by sending their clear message both to Greek, as well as to European politicians for the future.

Soon the same night Antonis Samaras, former Prime Minister and current Leader of the Opposition, resigned as chairman of New Democracy (ND) party as he is considered the main culprit for the failure of the YES campaign. Early the next day popular Minister of Finance Yanis Varoufakis stepped down too in a very surprising move! He stated that “[he] was not welcome in the Eurogroup meetings by some of the other participants” and his resignation could be potentially helpful to Tsipras in reaching an agreement.

Alexis Tsipras, Prime Minister of Greece, was one of the big winners of the referendum’s results in and out of Greece. The popular support on him was confirmed massively. Most of the Greeks on the face of Tsipras recognize the first politician who did not “betray” their vote and fights for their interests. Also at European level, Tsipras’ speech in European Parliament on 8 July impressed many of the MEPs and was welcomed very warmly. During his short term as active in EU (and candidate for European Commission president) Tsipras has achieved to influence positively the Party of the European Left and the GUE/NGL group. He (along with Pablo Iglesias) is the main reference person of the European left in the last few years and the first leftist to govern a big EU country.

On 6 July Tsipras made a gesture of cooperation and called for a meeting of party leaders (except Golden Dawn) with the presence of the President of Greece. All, except the Communist Party leader, agreed to authorize him to continue the negotiations with the institutions in order to reach an agreement having as sole requirement Greece not to leave the Eurozone or the EU. It seems that the resignation of Samaras (ND) and Venizelos (PASOK) from the chairmanship of their parties helped to strengthen the spirit of cooperation among the party leaders.

But the main outcome of the Greek referendum is the lack of serious and strong leadership in the European Union. Juncker, Schulz, Dijsselbloem and other EU officials intervened openly in a major political issue in Greece without being impartial or objective. They interpreted the referendum’s question as a YES/NO to the Eurozone or YES/NO to the European Union. It was Schulz who called for the removal of Greece’s elected government in favour of a technocratic government! After the referendum they refused to accept the democratic result of it. They pretended that it was all for nothing and just “forgot” about their initial interpretation of the question. Fench President François Hollande beforehand stated that Tsipras is “inappropriate” to hold the negotiations and then called him for further negotiations...

Greeks during the referendum vote showed also their anger against European leaders for their timidity to take initiatives that could end the debt problem. They feel punished from the EU and blackmailed to sign their economic death. A few days ago (5 July) Spiegel’s Mathieu von Rohr tweeted that “Those who actually think Merkel can just close a deal with Tsipras now know absolutely nothing about German politics and public opinion”. This is the major problem that EU faces nowadays: the whole Union lies upon a person and his/her decisions or will. In addition, Germans or other Europeans who think that Greeks can be threatened by ultimatums know absolutely nothing about Greek politics and public opinion. During the years when a foreign power put ultimatums, Greeks always refused them! They prefer not to be told (or taught) what to vote or what opinion to support. This is the main reason why the YES campaign failed totally: corrupted Greek former politicians, EU officials and media oligarchs waved a finger to citizens guiding them on what to vote. All this by showing full ignorance of people’s everyday life and the problems they face.

All in all, it is very optimistic that people across Europe supported Greeks and their decision. Everyone should understand that the fight against austerity is not a Greek problem, but a European one as Italy or Spain could follow. It is also very important for EU’s future integration not to put countries against each other and (despite a few exceptions) this was achieved. Now Tsipras holds a strong popular legitimacy to reach a more fair agreement with the institutions.

Read more...

Greece on the Edge

“Greek citizens, we are facing a historic responsibility to not let the struggles and sacrifices of the Greek people be in vain, and to strengthen democracy and our national sovereignty—and this responsibility weighs upon us. Our responsibility for our country’s future. This responsibility obliges us to respond to the ultimatum based on the sovereign will of the Greek people”. With these words Alexis Tsipras, Prime Minister of Greece, in a surprise move announced a referendum to decide whether or not Greece is to accept the bailout conditions proposed jointly by the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank, which is going to take place on 5 July 2015.

Since late 2009 the so called “Greek debt crisis” started with the newly elected Prime Minister George Papandreou facing a major challenge so early in his mandate. On 23rd of April 2010, the Greek government requested an EU/IMF bailout package to be activated, and signed the First Economic Adjustment Programme. A second bailout package followed on 1st of March 2012 and triggered huge social turmoil. The economic and social effects of these austerity programmes impoverished the Greek society. The unemployment rate stands above 25%, GDP suffered its worst decline and the debt is totally unsustainable.

Papandreou was the first that announced a referendum to let people vote if they agree or not with the bailout programmes and austerity measures in November 2011. He decided to cancel the referendum and resign after an intense summit in Cannes and the international pressure he faced mostly by the French President Nicolas Sarkozy. A few days later Lucas Papademos, an economist, became the first technocrat Prime Minister of Greece.

Four years Later, Tsipras’ referendum has a great importance for the country and will shape its future. The question is: Should the plan of agreement, which was submitted by the European Commission, the ECB, and the IMF in the Eurogroup meeting of 25th of June 2015 and comprises two parts, which constitute their unified proposal, be accepted? The first document is entitled “Reforms for the Completion of the Current Program and Beyond” and the second “Preliminary Debt Sustainability Analysis”. Voters should decide if they approve (YES) or not (NO) this proposal. The first reactions were mixed as many supported the referendum as a valuable democratic tool and others stated that it is unnecessary or the question is not clear enough. Many criticized the short electoral deadlines too.

A few days after the announcement Greece became the first developed country to fail to make an IMF €1.6 billion loan repayment on June 30. Banks closed and people are queuing at ATMs and gas stations terrified by the prospect of a possible bankruptcy. The media (especially the private owned television networks) contributed to this and didn’t fulfill their role ruining polyphony and impartiality. YES campaign rally was given more than 47 minutes during the news shows, while the NO campaign rally was given only 8 minutes. The same occurred with representativeness of the two campaigns as mainly pro-YES politicians/artists/journalists were invited to television panels.

Although the question of the referendum is clear for the citizens, it is interpreted very differently by international institutions and politicians. The great involvement of European institutions in the electoral process demonstrates the lack of core democratic values by today’s European leaders. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker urged Greeks “not to commit suicide out of fear of death” and asked them to “vote YES, regardless of the question that is ultimately put to them”! Many interpret the question as a YES/NO to the eurozone, while others extend it to YES/NO to the European Union. This is the main argument of the opposition parties (New Democracy, The River, PASOK) who call voters to support YES in order to remain part of Europe and the eurozone although SYRIZA’s government has clarified that has no intention to leave either the EU or the eurozone.

Greeks are deeply divided! They have two options: to vote for accepting EU and IMF’s harsh ultimatums which will continue the austerity that has heavily damaged the economy during the previous years, or to vote for breaking up with the lenders which will have unknown consequences. Regardless their vote, they feel betrayed by the European leaders that showed no solidarity or patience. The newly elected government faced unprecedented pressure to accept and implement embarrassing austerity measures that would never put an end to the recession or foster development.

Many of the YES voters are misled by the spurious dilemma about Greece’s future in the EU and the eurozone. It is remarkable that most of them are high-class members and middle-aged who fear for the future of their businesses’ or high pensions. If YES wins on Sunday night then new austerity bailout packages will be imposed affecting more directly wages, pensions and taxes. Greece will remain by all costs in the eurozone not as a core member that will influence the decisions, but as an “ill-state” unable to follow the growing economy of the rest of eurozone.

Except the financial consequences, a YES result will mean political changes as the current cabinet is not willing to impose such unpopular measures. Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, told German Handelsblatt that “new elections would be necessary if the Greek people vote for the reform programme and thus for remaining in the eurozone and Tsipras, as a logical consequence, resigns” and concluded that what is needed is “a technocratic government, so that we can continue to negotiate”! Schulz’s statement was badly criticized even by his European comrades for his misplaced comments and partiality. This statement also vindicates SYRIZA’s allegation that opposition parties and European institutions have allied for a “regime change” in Greece and could be a message to Spanish voters who support Podemos for the upcoming elections later in November this year.

But what will happen if NO wins finally? The optimistic scenario (and the most probable) is that Tsipras will negotiate again with the EU and IMF having greater popular acceptance and strength which will play in his favor. The pessimistic scenario is that a Grexit happens and Greece leaves the eurozone (or the EU too). Most of the NO voters are pro-EU and do not wish a Grexit. They support a more fair political system in Greece that fights corruption and cronyism and they hope to create a new EU, based more on solidarity and not on financial issues. They consist mainly of young-aged “revolutionist” that dream a European Union of 28 (or more) strong equal states that take decisions by consensus and do not impose the law of the strongest.

Either divided Greeks vote for YES or NO, one thing is clear: Monday is a very crucial day. Both ways are full of obstacles and challenges and Greeks cannot afford recession for much more years. It is not only matter of economy, but turns out also as a matter of dignity! The austerity suffered so far and the EU’s rigid policy have had destructive influence in the Greek society. If things don’t change then we should expect greater rise of extremism and no one knows the final result this would have. Democracy, logic and prudence must prevail once again.

Το παρόν άρθρο δημοσιεύτηκε στην ιστοσελίδα Open Society

Read more...

Remembrance and Learning from World War II

Dear participants,

Distinguished guests,

It gives me a great pleasure and honour to welcome you all here today on behalf of the Joint Council on Youth of the Council of Europe. It is the co-decision body which brings together governmental officials and youth organisations in the framework of the co-management system of the Council of Europe and that establishes the youth sector’s priorities, objectives and budgets. One of the activities of the Joint Council on Youth that is of significant importance is the bilateral cooperation between the Council of Europe and the Russian Federation in the field of youth policy, in the framework of which this seminar is organised.

This year we commemorate the seventieth Anniversary of the end of the Second World War, the most destructive and widespread war of all times; the greatest disaster in the history of the humanity! Over 60 million people were killed, which was over 3% of the 1939 world population. Millions of people faced political, racial and religious persecution, including Jews, Roma, homosexuals and disabled people. In 1945, Europe has been looted and nearly ruined by this bloody war.

A couple of weeks ago, I was watching a very interesting interview with a war witness telling his story. Stepan Karnaukhov, aged 90 nowadays, is among the surviving veterans of the Great Patriotic War. His narrative was shocking and touching... “We didn’t know the sweet excitement or a tenderness of the first love. Instead we had wounds and bandages soaked in blood”, he said. And concluded crying “The war stole our youth. That’s not listed among the losses of war”. This is only one of the million witnesses of how deeply the war affected people back then. People like him survived the war carrying its horrors and nightmares through their whole lives. They have to live with it for more than 70 years...

In this point, please let me put an emphasis on the role of youth during the Second World War. The Second World War had a major and determinant impact on the lives of young people. Many youth left school to join the labour force or the military. Young people -regardless their age or gender- were fighting in the trenches to defend their homeland and to oust fascism. They kept their morale high and showed their bravery and patriotism in the battlefield.

But also when their countries were occupied, they kept on fighting for their liberation! In every country there were recruits by many young people eager for freedom. They were recruited voluntarily and formed illegal resistance groups, creating a strong youth movement with enormous potential! They were the catalysts of freedom and encouraged the whole population and nation with their strong commitment.

The remembrance of the Second World War is vital to keep our collective memory alive; to remember the victims and survivors; to honour the heroes; to raise awareness on the consequences of this tragedy. A famous philosopher, George Santayana, wrote that “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. We should always remember our past, but not be dependent from it totally!

The occasion of this Anniversary should be used not only as a remembrance, but also as a learning; learning of our mistakes, our differences, our similarities, our common grounds, ourselves. The Second World War was a great lesson to all of us! It taught us what humans are really able to do to destroy each other; how much pain can a man stand; how a real catastrophe looks like. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Holocaust and the Distomo massacre are only a few of the many fatal incidents during the war. The numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity commited -including genocides, massacres, persecutions, slave labour, and pogroms- can be called as a “black page” in our history.

But despite this disaster, this was not the end of Europe. The joint actions and efforts of the Allied Forces who fought united against fascism and Nazism inspired the European nations and founded the Council of Europe in order to achieve a greater unity between countries. Today, we are here meeting in the Palais de l' Europe, a building that symbolises the unity of Europe; a building that houses all the European nations. One should highlight that Europe wasn’t dead after the war; it was just heavily wounded. Europe achieved to regenerate through the ashes! But we are not there yet. There are many more things to be done in order to unite the whole Europe with respect to democracy and human rights.

We have many more challenges to overcome. The extremism and racism are in a rise; xenophobia still haunts many of our cities; military conflicts are on-going on our ground; unemployment, financial crisis, political instability and institutional distrust trigger more tensions; violence, terrorism and hate speech are not eliminated yet!

Dear participants,

Use these few days of the seminar to work on your thoughts, dreams and hopes about our common future. Look back in the past and plan the future wisely. It is in our hands never to live such a disaster again; we don’t deserve these tragedies. Take advantage of your youth and challenge the current stability or regression wherever you face it. Take initiatives and change your communities in local and national level. We should strive and fight all together for a more united Europe; a more fair Europe with respect to democracy, human rights and minorities; a Europe that is based on common understanding and tolerance; a Europe for all the Europeans! Probably the way is long but we already started it. Please don’t forget only one thing; you are not only the future of Europe; you are the present too!

My speech during the official opening of the seminar "Remembrance and learning from the Second World War" organised by the Council of Europe at the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War!

Watch the speech:

Read more...

Can Syriza really pull Greece out of austerity?

‘Tsipras can build a country that respects its citizens and their rights’

I’m a realist so I don’t expect great changes to come the day after the elections. But I hope that Greece under the leadership of Tsipras will end this harsh austerity. I believe he can build a country that respects its citizens and their rights, which are violated nowadays by the current government. I think that economy, reforms, unemployment, education, social protection and security are the key points that the new government should put more weight on. These factors affect all citizens and can lead to trusting or mistrusting politicians.

Despite the defamation suffered, Syriza is a pro-European party that respects the European institutions. I believe that Tsipras wants Greece to stay in the euro, but this doesn’t mean that we accept the unfair austerity. His vision of a better European Union can inspire the Greeks and Europeans to rally around him.

Dimitris Makrystathis, 25, Patras

Carmen Fishwick and James Walsh – The Guardian

Read more...

Co-management in our local communities

Now that World Forum for Democracy is over, many young participants contacted me asking how they can become members of the Advisory Council on Youth and be part of the Council of Europe’s co-management system! For the Europeans it is an easy question to answer. But what happens with non-Europeans? This article aims mostly at them and will give an indirect answer to this question.

First of all, what is the so called “co-management” of the Council of Europe and what makes it special? During the World Forum for Democracy, the co-management was presented in an unconference and some sessions, but also during many informal discussions. So, co-management is a decision-making process that brings together both government officials who usually take decisions and youth representatives who work in the sector that is affected by these decisions.

How does co-management work particularly at the Council of Europe? It follows a very simple procedure: Thirty representatives of non-governmental youth organisations together with forty-nine government representatives come together to develop a common position on the priorities, annual/pluriannual objectives, the main budget envelopes and the necessary budget specifications of the youth sector as a whole, within the political and budgetary framework established by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

More specifically:

• The Advisory Council on Youth (CCJ) is made up of 30 representatives from youth NGOs and networks who provide opinions and input on all youth sector activities. It also ensures that young people are involved in other activities of the Council of Europe.
• The European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) brings together representatives of ministries and organisations responsible for youth matters from the 49 States Parties to the European Cultural Convention. It encourages closer co-operation between governments on youth issues and provides a forum for comparing national youth policies, exchanging best practices and drafting standard texts.
• The Joint Council on Youth (CMJ) brings the CDEJ and the Advisory Council together in a co-decision body which establishes the youth sector’s priorities, objectives and budgets.
• The Programming Committee on Youth (CPJ) is a subsidiary co-decision body made up of eight members each from the CDEJ and the Advisory Council. It establishes, monitors and evaluates the programmes of the European Youth Centres and of the European Youth Foundation.

As you can easily understand, only 30 young Europeans are selected every two years to be members of the Advisory Council on Youth. This means that thousands of active young people from Europe and other continents are “excluded” from the decision-making processes at high level. But what is the solution? Should these young people quit their efforts to create better societies? Should they wait for their chance every two years? These questions can be easily answered. They should propose and try to implement the co-management system in local or regional level! Imagine a city or region that the decisions are taken together by the politicians and young people. This could change a lot in our societies and mainstream youth issues into politics!

But we should take into account that there are many obstacles to plan and implement such a co-management system! We all face different realities and our societies have different structures. What works in Europe doesn’t mean that could work in Asia for example or vice versa. Even the Council of Europe’s co-management system faces many challenges and problems! One big challenge could be how to convince politicians to accept that they have to negotiate or parley with young people before taking decisions. Another big issue is how the young representatives are designated: should they be elected or selected? And who elects or selects them, and which are the criteria of selection? Obviously there is not a single answer to these queries...

Despite the difficulties, one should not get disappointed! This article is about inspiring people and not discouraging them. The practice of Council of Europe could be a kind of manual if we want to bring co-management into our own communities. Young people should take initiatives regardless they succeed or fail. Don’t forget that sometimes failures make us stronger and wiser. All in all, try to think globally and act locally!

“It always seems impossible until it’s done!”

Nelson Mandela

Read more...

Is Transnistria the new Crimea?

On October 18, Moldova suspended the broadcasts of Russian TV stations (Rossia-24, Channel One, NTV and Rossia-RTR) due to propaganda tools they use. This is not the first time in recent months that Moldova clashes with Russia. The reason isn't other than the Transnistria dispute.

Transnistria (or Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic) is a landlocked state with limited recognition on the internationally recognized territory of Moldova in Eastern Europe. It is located between the River Dniester and the eastern Moldovan border with Ukraine. It covers an area of 4,163 km² and has a population of about 500,000 people. It has its own parliament (Supreme Council), president, government and currency. It is recognised only by three non-UN members (Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh and South Ossetia) so far and together have established the “Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations”. Many analysts refer to Transnistria as a “black hole” or Europe’s last Soviet Bastion...

Even before the dissolution of the USSR, Transnistria declared its independence in September 1990. In March 1992 the Transnistria War broke out between this de facto sovereign state and the newly created Moldova. The pro-Transnistria forces didn’t wish to separate from the Soviet Union and were supported by the Russian 14th Army during the conflict. In September 2006 a referendum was held, the seventh since 1989. Voters were asked whether they approved the possibility of renouncing independence and potential future integration into Moldova, or alternatively independence and potential future integration into the Russian Federation. The vast majority (>95%) voted for Russia and against Moldova in both polls. Transnistrian officials wish for closer ties with Russia and even proposed to adopt the Russian flag alongside the current state flag and the Russian ruble as the state’s currency.

Transnistria is based on an anemic economy, which is frequently described as dependent on contraband, gunrunning and human trafficking. Russia’s financial support (mainly through external trade) is vital for its sustainability. This is why for about 24 years, the Transnistrian region -a “frozen conflict” zone nowadays- remains in the tug of war between Russia and the West regarding the control of Eastern Europe. It could be characterized as a less-importance “battleground” until the Crimean crisis and its annexation by Russia. During last April, the Supreme Council requested Russia to recognize the independence and sovereignty of the state -and apparently its future union with Russia!

This annexation scenario can be further supported if we take into account that a month prior the request, Romania and Ukraine’s new government signed an agreement to enhance military cooperation. It should be highlighted that during the Transnistria War, Romania was the only state to support and supply Moldova with equipment and armed forces. According to many experts, a Crimea-like annexation is not possible mainly because Transnistria is landlocked and surrounded by non-friendly states (Moldova, Ukraine). But they believe that a new unique “Transnistria scenario” is going to be implemented soon if Russia feels that loses the control in the region.

But Transnistria is not the only dispute on the territory of Moldova or in the region. Bessarabia, a historical region in Romania, Moldova and Ukraine is still claimed by Romania as part of Greater Romania. In addition, Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia in Moldova held a referendum in February where the majority of the voters opted for closer ties with Russia and for the independence of Gagauzia if Moldova chooses to join the EU...

While the conflict in Ukraine is still on-going today, the future of both Transnistria and the broader region remains unclear. Nobody can be totally sure if the current status quo will be kept or Transnistria will become the 86th federal subject of the Russian Federation! The Cold War games are not over and a new “Berlin wall” could be erected in Eastern Europe.

Το παρόν άρθρο δημοσιεύτηκε στην ιστοσελίδα Open Society

Read more...

A lesson learnt from Scottish independence referendum

A few days ago a very important independence referendum took place in Scotland. Of course we are not going to talk about the political consequences of this referendum to the Scottish people or the country. But this referendum gave us a great lesson regarding the participation of young people in elections. For the referendum the normal voting age was reduced from 18 to 16 for the first time in Great Britain!

The vast majority of young people aged 16 and over participated in the voting procedure without any dissonances! Most of the youngsters were also actively involved in the two electoral campaigns (“Yes Scotland” and “Better Together”). All this happened without any major problems or difficulties for them.

This fact fostered again the discussions on the voting age across Europe. Vote at 16 is not a new issue and has been considered by many governments, policy makers and stakeholders since the mid-1990s! Austria is the first European Union member state that adopted the right to vote at 16 years in 2007. In addition, young people aged 16 to 18 years old can vote in some other European countries (like Bosnia-Herzegovina) only if they are employed or under other special conditions. In Germany and Switzerland the right to vote in local elections is set at 16 years in several states and cantons, too.

Many international initiatives have been taken so far to support lowering the voting age to 16. The most known were presented in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (May 2009) and in the European Parliament (September 2012). Most of youth organisations and associations (including the European Youth Forum) support such campaigns and advocate for them.

Why is voting at 16 so important after all? The percentage of young population decreases every year. There is a real risk that young people become marginalized in the political processes, both because of the numerical shortfall, but also because the political agenda will be dominated by issues relating primarily to the elderly people. This can lead to demographic imbalance between young and older people in democratic institutions procedures!

Young people should have the right to decide for their own future! Voting at 16 is going to enhance the role of youth in civic society and democratic participation. During a period of political instability in many European countries, we need to strengthen effectively the participation of youth into political institutions. This could be a vital counterweight to the continuous depreciation of the democratic processes that have occurred.

Το παρόν άρθρο δημοσιεύτηκε στην ιστοσελίδα European Youth Voice

Read more...

Stark picture for young Greeks

The problem of mass youth unemployment in Greece is nothing new. But a new report by McKinsey & Company paints a stark picture for the young and talented. For student Dimitris Makrystathis, saying goodbye to old friends has become the norm.

In a phone interview, Dimitris says three out of five of his friends are leaving Greece to find work.

According to the report, more than half of young Greeks feel their education is useless. With last years unemployment rate above 55 per cent, Dimitris isn’t the only one saying goodbye to his friends.

Απόσπασμα συνέντευξης

Τηλεφωνική συνέντευξη στην Καναδή δημοσιογράφο Emanuela Campanella

Read more...

More crisis, less democracy?

In the last few years when the world mass media refer to Greece there is only one theme; the financial crisis. Reporters and analysts discuss for long about unemployment rate, austerity measures and budget cuts. But is it all about money?

In Greece, there is the sense that the crisis except economy has affected democracy in a very negative way. Recently, the government shut down suddenly the Public Broadcaster (ERT). It was a pointless decision since ERT was a profitable corporation with a high quality program. For sure it is considered as a direct hit to the freedom of press! Meanwhile, most of the journalists are blamed for corruption and unfair support to the government.

During the crisis there is rise of all forms of violence. The crime rate is increasing while the police forces are unable to fight it. Thefts and robberies are common. Terrorism is at its peak, recruits new members and attacks more targets. Repression forces also use excessive violence against peaceful demonstrators in the centre of Athens.

In the political field we can observe an upsurge of extremist far-right parties that find supporters among frustrated poor people who believe that there is no hope to get it out of the crisis. Given the indignation of citizens against the current political system and using the unemployment as a pretext, they turn citizens (employed or unemployed) against immigrants, instigate brutal violence against innocent people and create an alarming new conservative, xenophobic and racist tendency into society. Golden Dawn, the major ultranationalist party in Greece, got 6.9% of overall vote in 2012. Nowadays, opinion polls point that its supporters include already 13% of the total voters.

All these highlight the dramatic situation of democracy in Greece nowadays. As a result we can observe conflicts between social groups and declining of social cohesion. Recently many experts published several articles that compare Greece to Germany’s Weimar Republic and express their fear about it. It is a high duty of young people in Greece and Europe to protect democracy by all means!

Το παρόν άρθρο δημοσιεύτηκε στην ιστοσελίδα European Youth Voice

Read more...

Socialist turmoil: Progressive Alliance vs Socialist International

Last May, the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) hosted an event in Leipzig to celebrate its 150th anniversary, during which the “Progressive Alliance” was launched. The Progressive Alliance is an international network of progressive, democratic, social democratic, socialist and labour parties that share the same values and principles. So far, almost 70 parties from across the world support and participate in this new initiative.

The establishment of this new organization rocked the boat in the international socialist field and caused tensions and rifts between them and the Socialist International. Founded in 1951 in Frankfurt, the Socialist International (SI) includes more than 160 parties and is the dominant political international. During its existence, the SI engaged notable political figures such as Willy Brandt, Lionel Jospin and Aung San Suu Kyi, among others.

The first dark clouds appeared earlier. In January 2012, the SPD suspended the £100,000 yearly membership fee payment to the Socialist International and in December of that year, the formation conference of the Progressive Alliance took place in Rome.

According to its founders, there are many reasons behind the new initiative. Sigmar Gabriel, the SPD chairman, along with the French Socialist Party criticized the SI’s leaders for mismanagement and the inclusion of undemocratic political parties into the organization. They also underline the SI’s inability to advocate effectively during these times of great change, economic crisis, social inequality and austerity.

Indeed, the Socialist International has been for decades the international affiliation of many African political parties which turned out to be criminal regimes; Ben Ali in Tunisia, Mubarak in Egypt, Gbagbo in Côte d'Ivoire are some of them. The SI proved to be an organization consisted of disparate political parties and movements.

Additionally, the SI leadership is accused of irresponsibility and lack of socialist ideals. More specifically, during a meeting of SI’s Council in Cascais, Portugal; Beatriz Talegón, Secretary General of the IUSY (International Union of Socialist Youth), expressed outrage at the privileges that SI’s politicians enjoy, while demonstrations against austerity and poverty take place worldwide. She stated her surprise at how to actually “promote revolution from a five star hotel in Cascais, arriving in luxury cars”...

It is widely believed that the Progressive Alliance aims to replace the SI in the following years, although none of the parties participating in the Progressive Alliance has openly expressed dividing intentions. The leaders of Socialist International consider the SPD’s initiative as hostile and disruptive for the socialist movement. For this reason, George Papandreou, President of the SI, didn’t attend Leipzig’s event and sent a harsh open letter prior to it. In this letter, Papandreou accused the SPD leaders of seeking the division of the global progressive movement, and of unfair criticizing. He cited various German press articles and uttered his point of view.

Behind the scenes, the “Progressive Alliance” initiative is considered as part of the Europe’s “Germanisation” plan. The President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz, the President of the group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament Hannes Swoboda and the President of the Party of European Socialists Sergei Stanishev are counted as strong promoters of Germany’s sovereignty in European politics. Along with Sigmar Gabriel, they are accused of imposing Germany’s agenda and interests in the European institutions. This fact irritates more the conflict between north and south, which spreads quickly in a global level.

It is more than clear that the Socialist International, and thus the global socialist movement, face a deep and painful split. While the austerity and recession beset Europe, while people in Africa and Asia fight for fundamental rights and freedom, while people in South America strive to achieve development, the Socialist leaders from both sides are involved in petty quarrels.

Today, 57 out of the 161 SI member parties are in power or in a coalition government. However, the prestige of socialist and social democratic parties is not as high as expected or intended. The criticism is increasing rapidly and people around the world need inspiration and motivation that the current leaders seem not to be able to provide. The fighting socialist movement does not approve appointed leaders, but instead indicates leaders through its struggles. Most analysts highlight that reform, in both people and structures, is necessary, while unity should be protected by all means. This political conflict will bring in a new era. It is only a matter of time to detect whether this new era will bring unity or partiality in the socialist movement.

Το παρόν άρθρο δημοσιεύτηκε στην ιστοσελίδα Open Society

Read more...