SOCIAL AFFAIRES - FLARE POINTS

Exclusion or Acceptance?

When small groups of youths use Molotov cocktails to wreak havoc in downtown Athens each year in memoriam of the 1974 student upsurge against the Junta, the Press talk of the usual «unknown fire-bombists». But the tiny groups are well-known to the police, they could be rounded up at any time. Those who really are unknown are, e.g., the group of toughs who once attacked the rampaging youths - to be taken care just afterwards by a civilian-plate police car.

An important minority living in Greece under social exclusion are homosexuals. Their exclusion has been always taking racist dimensions, but more recently things get darker through the AIDS epidemic which takes increasingly large proportions because of the cloud of secrecy shrouding the whole matter. While in developed countries homosexuality is recognised as an autonomous life choise, equivalent to others, in Greece it is just becoming a partial «acceptance» of an individual difference gaining non- exclusion of an individual from his or her social, professional etc. circle. Today, the solution for the medical aspect of AIDS in monogamy; the solution for non-exclusion is the interpersonal contract of social cohabitation, «homosexual marriage».

Of Junta nostalgics

The Cavarly comes at the escue

A recent event of policemen celebrating the Colonels Junta has brought back memories of an unpleasant period of recent Greek history. But politicians in charge of securityand public order are those who should accept responsibility for such occurences - just as they should be held responsible for the low level of routine police work.

ISSUE XIXL

For a human information society

Modern Wild West days at Amaroussion municipality, where the mayor has built a maze of one-way roads and of overlapping traffic regulations, that make one feel as if surrounded by hostile natives tracking his or her every step, ready to scalp if a wrong step is made. When will the Cavalry come to the hapless driver’s rescue;

ISSUE XLVIII

K.HATZIDAKIS

The social aspects of the new «information society» have not been sufficiently explored - even less prepared for. But the changes occuring already in work relations are quite extensive; they range from the very work conditions to social security coverage and they influence the lives of many people. These changes have been occuring in a spontaneous, only slightly regulated way while the State has mainly been active in the provision of infrastructure and some forms of training. As the information society is getting momentum, a more active role of the State is needed to guarantee equal access to the information society and reform of work relations.

Disregard for human life

Suppressing or freeing cannabis

A father kills, then dismembers his psychotic son. When the case comes to trial, the jury, the court, the prosecution, public opinion, the media, the family - all sympathise with the tragic father’s plight. Who has shed one tear for the dead child, whose crime was to be mentally ill?

ISSUE XLVII

Fourteen years of Prohibition

Criminalisation of the possession and use of cannabis is an expedient way to show concern about the drug issue, but certainly not a way to really face the social problems that are involved. Decriminalisation is just a half-way solution; only full legalisation of cannabis would face squarely the matter. Not only is there no hard evidence as to the addictiveness or the social noxiousness of cannabis use, nor of the link of cannabis use to opiates’ use (and, eventually, addiction), but criminalisation puts a stamp of «forbidden» to the whole cannabis affair which in turn exerts an important attraction mainly to the young. Repression works mainly in favour of the gangs that rule the drugs scene - or of police corruption.

Quae non faciet quod principis uxor?

The experience of the U.S. from Prohibition has not been very constructive. Riding a wave of genuine anti-alcohol public sentiment, Prohibition has been notoriously unable to attain its proclaimed aims. It was repealed after fourteen years of failed enforcement efforts, leaving behind increased levels of corruption and unethnical practices in public life.

ISSUE XLVI

The best of all possible wolds

It is short-sighted and cold-hearted to be shocked by the disclosures of Dimitra Liani, as to the personal life (and the political opinions and latest schemes) of late Andreas Papandreou. Most great men have had tumultuous personal lives: why should the late Greek leader be different?

ISSUE XLIII

An Olympic turning-point

Every now and then, the success of extreme-right wing parties fuel the discussion about racism and xenophobia in Europe. The real problem is that racist reflexes have grown in everyday life and that mainstream politicians and the media «play» with elements of racism and xenophobia. The Churches have been using the new environment to broaden their role in everyday life, offering help and assistance to marginalised groups _ but at the same time blocking their emancipation. Thus, a law-and-order mentality prevails throughout the societies, vindicating the starting positions of extreme-right parties at the hands of mainstream players.

ISSUE XLII

When Capodistrias speaks ancient Greek

Greece has hesitated for centuries whether to turn East or West, to decide which is its real cultural neigbourhood. The post-War years and especially the period after the accession to the E.U. have tilted the balance towards Western values and ways. Now, the Maastricht criteria and the Olympic Games have set goals with which Greece will have to actively measure herself - no longer basking passively in the glory of ages past.

ISSUE XLI

A. SYRIGOS

The reform of the structure of local authorities in Greece - the «Capodistrias» Programme to regroup smaller entities in larger administrative units - has met with resistance. While this matter has quite important aspects, especially since the regrouping of local authorities takes place by fiat and not through consensus, one should not overlook some more picturesque ones. The most evident is that the new entities that are being created are opting for names coming directly from the deep Greek Antiquity. The same option had been made just after the War of Independence, when Greeks were striving to identify with an illustrious past out of fear for their present...

About the Greek alphabet

Meaningless reforms in Education

An ongoing discussion about the possibility and the desirability of survival for the Greek script at the age of globalisation and the Internet.

Summer vacations and educational reform

The reforms voted by Parliament are far from adequate to really change the configuration of Education in end-of-century Greece. Abolishing entrance exams for Universities, limiting the working hours of teachers, opening un-ending opportunities for University professors to work in public sector businesses, this is not really the best way to introduce reform.
ISSUE ×XXVIII

G.MEGA

These days a new generation of young people was celebrating success in University entrance exams; those of them expecting to become teachers, little were they thinking of the hurdles standing before them. The reforms proposed by the Minister for Education so as to give a solution to some of the ills faced by the educational system (the issue most visible is the" queing" system through which graduates wait for decades in order to get posted in teaching posts) does not really offer credible answers: but neither does the rearguard action of the teachers' Unions.

Different models for the educational system

A.. MITSOPOULOS

Recently in Cyprus a law passed by Parliament to establish free post-graduate studies was vetoed by President Clerides, with the explicit support of University authorities who felt that post-graduate students should have a feeling of participating financially to their own studies. Eventually the law was enacted with a provision for tuition of some 1.000.000 drachma per annum, plus generous scholarships for poorer and/or exceptional students.
ISSUE ×XXVII

Rediscovering religion, or the era of «religion without God»

Ed.

A peculiar combination of resurgence of religious beliefs, even fervour, and of decline of established religions, churches and dogmas characterises this end of century. This trend does not work only in the spiritual sphere; it changes social behaviour, it has consequences in the way political systems operate _ especially in Europe. It is not by chance that in the recent rehauling of the E.U., the Amsterdam Treaty provides for freedom of religious and philosophical beliefs notwithstanding the fact that the E.U. has no competence in this matter.

Religion and the new European order

A. MITSOPOULOS

Public opinion is increasingly interested in evolutions in the realm of religions. The activities of sects have raised concerns even at the European Parliament. On the other side, while religious beliefs remain at a stable level religious practice is receding. The increase in material well-being and the feeling of security that has swept through Europe in the post-War decades, but also the involvment e.g. of the Roman Catholic Church in political argument, are to be found at the root of this change. In order to cover this void one sees the blossoming of sects, any number of spiritualist manifestations as well as the establishment of personalised value systems. Setting religion aside has brought amoralism, the deification of wealth, social tensions and hatred. Now the question is whether solutions may be found at a societal or an individual level.

The Alphabet

The practice of discounts in prices and in principles

The possibility of latinisation of Greek script is increasing everyday. Easy demonisation of this issue has discouraged real discussion about how such a change might influence national identity, or even about if such an eventuality is probable and why it mght happen. Changes in alphabets are not unheard of throughout history (Turks from Arab to Latin, Slovenes and Croats from Cyrillia to Latin, the Japanese to the use Kanji and Romaji). What is rather new is that latinisation of Greek may occur because of upwards pressure from down. Internet, computer use, ever-widening TV use leads new generations away from the Greek alphabet. Even the written press increasingly resorts to foreign words: «TO VIMA» even incorporates a Latin final «s» to its Greek script. Who can control evolution in any language?
ISSUE ×XXVI

E.TROVA

Greece has been slow to introduce in its legal order the rules provided for in E.U. legislation for public tenders in infrastructure production and for public procurement. The principle of E.U. legislation in this field is that the contracts go to the lowest bidder, or to the offer that is considered as being overall most advantageous financially. For extraordinary situations, an exclusion is provided for offers that are considered «unusually low». This option has been used abusively in Greece and one sees quite often awards to the 10th, the 18th or the 20th bidder. The legislative reform that is now being pushed forward in public tendering procedures seems all set to create a new generation of problems with existing E.U. legislation and jurisprudence.

Das Tor