Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Tempora Purgatoria
The exhibition by Marios Eleftheriadis is on at the Loutra Paradeisios on Egnatia at the top of Aristotelous Square until 30/5.
Εγκαινιάζονται στις 19/4 η έκθεση «Tempora Purgatoria» του Μάριου Ελευθεριάδη.
www.mariosnet.gr/
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Greece's strawberry war ends in uneasy truce
In scenes reminiscent of Steinbeck's 1930's classic, the Grapes of Wrath, immigrant and minority workers have clashed with what Greek newspapers called "hired thugs' over pay and conditions. Amidst sometimes violent clashes agricultural workers in the Greek town of Nea Manolada, home to 90% of Greece's strawberry production took part in a four day stoppage aimed at getting a pay rise of 3.5 euros a day.
As of Sunday strawberry producers have agreed to rise pay from 22.5 to 28 euros for farm labourers.However, the figure of 28 euros only applies to European workers, non-Europeans will receive only 25 euros according to the Greek newspaper, Kathimerini. Fears still remain that the producers will fail to honour even this agreement, due to be take effect in Autumn, once media attention has died down. The local council sets the minimum wage for untrained labourers at 30.4 euros a day.
It should be noted that strawberrys, sometimes called "red gold" by local producers, retail at 1.5 to 3 euros a kilo on the Greek market
The newspaper also brought to light several cases in which the police force and members of the local authorities, which turned a blind eye this week to attacks on union and political activists by landowners, are also involved with various scams involving the sale of fake residence permits for immigrant workers.
Miltos Paulou, head of the European Union Agency for Fundemental Rights (FRA) stated that 70% of those working in intensive agriculture in Greece are illegal immigrants and that Greek law limits foreign workers ability to change jobs so allowing the kind of exploitation seen in Nea Manolada and many other areas.
Tags: Greece | agriculture | immmigrant workers | labor relations | Nea Manolada | strawberries | World
Monday, April 21, 2008
Going Home - Jon Allen
The music is Going Home by Jon Allen. you may recognise it from the LandRover ads. You can download it free of charge from Allen's site if you click here. All photos by Teacher Dude.
Greek farmers clash with migrants
Fighting has erupted in Southern Greece between strawberry farmers and migrant workers striking for higher pay.
According to a Greek trades union support the migrants, about 400 were attacked by farmers and what were described as "hired thugs".
Three trade unionists were hurt and one farmer was arrested, police say.
The clashes occurred in an area hit by last year's fires, and where slave labour conditions for fruit pickers have recently been revealed.
Source: news.bbc.co.uk
Tags: area | Asia | farmer | From | Greece | have | southern | strawberry | trade | union | About | according | ATTACKED | been | between | Clash | Conditions | described | erupted | Fighting | Fires | fruit | GREEK | Higher | HIRED | labour | last | MIGRANT | occurred | PICKERS | recently | revealed | SLAVE | strike | support | THUGS | were | What | Where | With | workers | World | year
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Duane Michals - The Atheist's Mass
"February 18, 1932) is an American photographer. Largely self-taught, his work is noted for its innovation and artistry. Michals' style often features photo-sequences and the incorporation of text to examine emotion and philosophy, resulting in a unique body of work.
Michals grew up in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. In 1953 he received a B.A. from the University of Denver. In 1956 he went on to study design at the Parsons School of Design with a plan to becoming a graphic designer, however he did not complete his studies. In 1958 while on a holiday in the USSR he discovered an interest in photography. The photographs he made during this trip became his first exhibition held in 1963 at the Underground Gallery in New York City.
For a number of years, Michals worked in commercial photography, working for Esquire and Mademoiselle, and he covered the filming of The Great Gatsby for Vogue (1974). He did not have a studio. Instead, he took portraits of people in their environment, which was a contrast to the method of other photographers at the time, such as Avedon and Irving Penn."
Beaten for demanding a three euro pay rise
Immigrant farm workers seeking a rise of three euros a day were attacked and in some cases beaten in Nea Manolada, Greece. The demand for the daily wage to be raised from 22 to 25 euros provoked violent confrontations between local farmers and the mainly immigrant work force in the town which produces 90% of the Greece's strawberry crop. In addition there were violent clashes between land owners and activists with the Greek trade union, PAME and members of KKE (Greek Communist Party) who were organising protests.
In a report in the Eleutherotypia newspaper also made note of the fact that the farm workers live in four shanty towns paying 100 -150 euros each for shacks, most of which have no access to electricity or running water. Forced to live in ghettos the newspaper also mentioned that workers also have restrictions placed on their movements as the camps are surrounded by barbed wire and spotlights.
Many of the children of the farm workers do not attend school, but rather work alongside their parents in the field according to a report by the newspaper. Without access to education or medical treatment those working in Nea Manolada are also victims of the local authorities according to an investigation by the the internal affairs department of the Greek police force with members of the local council involved with scams that allow land owners to sell workers for 300 to 500 euros paperwork that allow them to apply for residence permits.
Tags: GREEK | immigration | labor | Nea Manolada | World
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
John
I had the chance to catch up with an old friend today. Can't wait for the school term to end. This one has been a killer. 17 weeks without a break is way too long.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Greek politician faces one million euro law suit for criticising
In a move that sent shock waves through the Greek political world, Alexis Tsipras, the leader of the left-wing Synaspismos party has been sued for over 1 million euros for defamation by the Marfin Investment Group (MIG) over his criticism of the company's role in the sale of its 2.5 billion euro stake in the Greek state run telecommunication OTE to Deutsche Telekom. In addition the Greek TV channel, Star is being sued for 150 million euros over claims that MIG's funds had come via the Albanian mafia.
Tsipras, who was recently elected the president of Synapismos, has repeatedly called the controversial OTE deal a "fraud" and along with other opposition leaders has tried to block the sell of OTE to the German telecoms giant. In statement posted on the party's website Tsipras called the suit an "unprecedented attempt at penalising political life."
The other major Greek parties have been swift to condemn the action by Marfin. Government spokesman, Evangelos Antonaros, stated that the government disagreed with any attempt to sue any political leader for exercising their right to criticise. In addition PASOK party secretary, Giannis Ragousis, speaking to Alpha Radio said that the legal action was "unthinkable and unprecedented", adding that is was the duty and not just the right of political partys and leaders to engage in criticism and debate on public matters.
Andreas Vgenopoulos, vice-president of the Marfin Investment Group, claimed in a press conference that that the company had been the victim of a slur campaign organised by politicians, trade unionists and elements of the media. The lawsuit, he added, was needed to restore the honour and dignity of the MIG Group's 52,000 employees.
Tags: Greece | Alexis Tsipras | Andreas Vgenopoulos | Deutsche Telekom | Marfin Investment Group | OTE | Politics | Synaspismos | World
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Greek doping scandal spreads
The Greek doping scandal which started with the discovery of illicit substances in samples taken from eleven members of Greece's weightlifting teams on 7 March by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) has widened. The Hellenic Anti - Doping Council (ESKAN) announced today that four other Greek athletes had tested positive for banned substances, a fifth athlete refused to be tested. According to statements made by Asterios Deleyiannis, vice president of ESKAN on the Greek TV station NET, cyclists and handball players had failed dope tests.
The Greek Weightlifting Federation has decided not to ask for an examination of the B samples taken from the 11 members of the country's Olympic weightliting team. The Federation appears to be adopting the line first put foward by the team's coach Christos Iakovou that the positive doping results are due to a mix - up in the athletes dietary supplements by the chinese supplier, Auspure.
In a press conference, Iakovou's lawyer, Mixlis Dimitrakopoulos claimed that the Shanghai based company had apologised for what was termed a "tragic mistake" in an email in his possession. However, the email in question had no details of either the sender or recipient apart from the name Su Li. Nor was any explanation given as to how the supplement in question managed to find its way into athletes hands without passing Greek custom checks or why other athletes did not test posive.
Despite repeated attempts to contact Aupere via email the company has made no reply as whether they had indeed sent the email in question or if Ms Su Li is an employee. The company's website also was suddenly unavailable as of yesterday.
The Greek district attorney's office raided various althletic facilities in Agia Kosma in order to carry out searches of the weightlifters rooms. However, many in the Greek media have doubted the efficacy of such a move more than a month after the original surprise check by WADA and more than three days after the story broke in the local media.
Tags: Greece | WADA | Doping | eskan | Olympics | sport | weightlifting | World
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Greek doping scandal takes new turn
Claims made yesterday by the Greek Olympic weightlifting team's coach that a mix up in dietary supplements by their Chinese supplier was reason why 11 out of the 14 members of the team tested positive in a surprise doping test are coming under fire by large sections of the Greek media.
After a out of competition raid by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on 7 March traces of methytrelione, an anabolic substance 1000 times more powerful than testosterone were found, according to the Greek Nea newspaper. However, yesterday, Mixalis Dimitrakoploulos, lawyer for Greek weightlifting coach, Christos Iakovou, claimed that the results had been caused by a mistake in the order sent the team's dietary supplements by the Shanghai based, Auspure Life Sciences Co. Mr Dimitrakopoulos has claimed that the company involved has sent an email apologising for the "tragic mistake".
However, the email has raised more questions than it answers since it makes no direct mention of the banned substance nor has any reference to its recipient. Only the name Su Li was mentioned without any reference to the position this person holds in the company. Mr Dimitrakopoulos, in a press conference reported in the NEA newspaper, repeatedly refused to name the person, who is simply referred to as "Dear Customer" in the email.
The Greek national pharmaceutical organisation (EOF) has also cast doubts on the claims of a mix - up arguing that if the company had included highly toxic substances such as methytrelione in their dietary supplements they would have been obliged to send out an international alert and start a product recall.
Also a search of the headquarters of the Greek Weightlifting Federation in Athens by the Hellenic anti - doping organisation, ESKAN failed to find any official documentation showing that the supplements had passed through Greek custom checks nor any signs of its packaging. This raises the question of why a supplement readily available in Greece was instead illegally imported from China
According to in.gr the Greek team has not given up hopes of still taking part in the Olympics in August. There is hope that the IWF (International Weightlifting Federation) will follow the precedent set in Iran in 2006 when nine of the national team's eleven members were tested positive in a doping test. However, the country's top weightlifter, Hossein Rezazadeh, who tested clean was allowed to compete in the Dominican Republic a few days afterwards. Such a possibility would allow up and coming Greek weightlifter, Nikos Kourtidis to compete in Beijing.
Tags: Greece | WADA | Doping | Greek weightlifting team | Olympic Games | Sports
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Alexis Tsipras speaking at a rally in Thessaloniki today
Alexis Tsipras, leader of the SYN party at the Ivanofeio stadium today. I thought I'd practice my newspaper shooting skills today.
At the end of my tether
It's been pouring down all day today and the whole city seems to resemble some out-take from the movie Seven full of angry, aggressive people shouting and pushing each other out of the way. Nobody seems to give a damn anymore. I'm not sure I can hack it any more in an environment that seems to embrace and celebrate the worst in human nature.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
The Olympic torch's shadowy past
The Olympic torch's shadowy past
By Chris Bowlby
BBC News
The Olympic torch is being welcomed this weekend in the UK as a symbol of the sporting spirit, uniting people around the world in peaceful competition.
But the idea of lighting the torch at the ancient Olympian site in Greece and then running it through different countries has much darker origins.
It was invented in its modern form by the organisers of the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
And it was planned with immense care by the Nazi leadership to project the image of the Third Reich as a modern, economically dynamic state with growing international influence.
Source: news.bbc.co.uk
Tags: berlin | Greece | much | REICH | symbol | ancient | around | Care | competition | countries | darker | different | Dynamic | ECONOMICALLY | growing | idea | image | immense | International | leadership | lighting | modern | Nazi | Olympian | Olympic | origins | past | peaceful | People | planned | project | Running | shadowy | Site | SPIRIT | sporting | State | The | then | third | through | torch | uniting | With | World
Greek Olympic weightlifting team in doping scandal
11 out of a total of 14 members of the Greek Olympic weightlifting team have tested positive for banned substances according to the BBC (see here for story). The story came to light after a surprise check by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) that took place in Agia Kosmas on 7 March just before the national team' departure for Germany.
Christos Iakovou, the team coach has been suspended by the Hellenic Weightlifting Federation and has handed in his resignation. It should be noted that since Iakovou took charge of the team for the 1992 Barcleona Olympics Greece has won 12 medals, including five golds.
If the athletes also test positive in the second round of tests then the Greek team risks being excluded from both the Beijing Olympic games and the European weightlifting championship in Italy in two weeks time.
The Hellenic Weightlifting Federation issued the following announcement;
The Hellenic Weightlifting Federation announces that in a sudden doping check carried out by WADA under the orders of the IWF, out of competition, 7 March 2008, 11 out of the 14 samples taken from male and female Greek athletes were found positive. An examination of the B samples will be sought exactly in accordance with regulations. Consequently, the governing board will convene a special committee of enquiry in order to examine the issue. "
According to reports by NET channel the remaining three athletes were not present at the training sessions due to injury.
The magnitude of the scandal raises questions over why neither the Hellenic Weightlifting Federation nor the Hellenic Council Against Doping have not found evidence of illegal substance use earlier. Kostas Natsis, honourary president of the Sports Medicine Association of Greece argued that the country is the world's number one user of anabolic steroids when interviewed yesterday on Greek TV.
However, Greek officials interviewed by the state run NET channel have argued the the positive results were caused by the Greek team's use of Chinese Aminoxl, which they claim is not forbidden.
Tags: Greece | Doping | Olympics | Sports | weightliting
Friday, April 04, 2008
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Nato denies Georgia and Ukraine
Nato denies Georgia and Ukraine
Nato has confirmed it will not offer membership to Georgia or Ukraine but agreed to review the decision on the
ex-Soviet republics in December.The alliance also said it would not invite Macedonia to join amid protests from Greece over Macedonia's name.
But Nato confirmed that Balkan neighbours Albania and Croatia would be asked to join the club.
France's Nicolas Sarkozy announced at the summit in Romania hundreds of extra French troops for Afghanistan.
Source: news.bbc.co.uk
Tags: afghanistan | ALBANIA | Croatia | France | Georgia | Greece | Macedonia | Romania | Ukraine | And | confirmed | denies | join | NATO | World | would
Great but I managed to scoop them, at least in English as I wrote about this story three hours ago and put it on Now Public. However, I must admit that I got my info from the Greek media who have been talking about this all morning
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Dith Pran - Last Word
"New York Times photographer Dith Pran survived the Cambodian killing fields. He dedicated his life to telling the story of the Khmer Rouge's genocide." - New York Times
To see a video of his last interview click here.
When I was growing up I first learnt about the Killing Fields from John Pilger when I had the opportunity to see him deliver a talk about his experiences re-entering Cambodia after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime. The documentary, Year Zero (see the video below)and his lecture, which I attended when I was 16 made me want to become a journalist, an ambition that I then discarded when I realised that becoming one involved so many ethical compromises, at least in most cases.
I still admire those journalists that through sheer strength of will or talent manage to overcome those hurdles and speak out about issues that really matter rather than those that will raise circulation numbers.
Ironically, I've started doing my own bit of journalism at Nowpublic.com but without the pressure of having to please an editorial line I'm free to write about what I consider important.
I still admire those journalists that through sheer strength of will or talent manage to overcome those hurdles and speak out about issues that really matter rather than those that will raise circulation numbers.
Ironically, I've started doing my own bit of journalism at Nowpublic.com but without the pressure of having to please an editorial line I'm free to write about what I consider important.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Far - right politician
Kyriakos Velopoulos - member of the far right LAOS party which has 10 members in the Greek parliament. The leader of the party, Giorgos Karatzaferis was quoted as saying in 2002;
"First of all, I am not a Jew. Can the prime minister say that of himself? Secondly, I am not a communist. Can Mr Karamanlis say that?” asked LAOS leader Giorgos Karatzaferis, speaking in Corinth on May 28, 2002. “Thirdly, I am not a homosexual. There aren’t many who can say that,”"
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/content.asp?aid=89039
He is also the author of books claiming that the Mayans are in fact descendants of the ancient Greeks. Nice to know that such fine, upstanding educated folk are representing the people of Thessaloniki in parliament.
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