Foreign and – often – Greek television reports relay to audiences images of rioters and police battling in the streets of central Athens against a backdrop of flames and smoke.
But that is a lopsided view of things.
Maria Soulandrou reports.

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When Sigmund Freud visited the Acropolis and the Parthenon for the first time in 1904, he reportedly couldn’t believe that it really existed as he had learned about it in school. Mary Beard wrote in her book, The Parthenon, that Freud had said he felt like he was walking by the lake of Loch Ness and had spotted the legendary monster. It was, he said, only seeing it with his own eyes that made him believe the Acropolis really existed.

That was how my two Spanish friends, Carlos Martinez and Isabella Rodriguez, felt when the first encountered the Parthenon. “I could never have imagined that I would feel such awe when I first saw it, even though I had seen… Continue reading →

This Friday the journey will make history. Everyone gathers in Assomaton Square in Thissio, waiting with anticipation for the adventure to begin, snacking gazing at the Acropolis a short distance away. The lighted Parthenon at night makes the eyes glow with the reflection of Greek heritage. But then the clock strikes 10, and it is time to say goodbye to the Acropolis, hop on our bikes and – night whispering our course in our ears – to get the party on-the-go started.

This is the Freeday Event, where anyone with a bike can set Friday nights on fire by joining riders who head for a different destination every week. The Event carries you in security and organization through the streets… Continue reading →

The pungent sting of teargas seeped into the car, while a swarm of faceless riot police, alien in gasmasks and segmented armor, lumbered into the square. As we sat in the car philosophizing the value of “dude let’s get outta here” vs. “dude relax it’s nothing”, several sharp explosions punctured the night, followed by shouting and the dull thud of flashbangs.In a show of mutual agreement that Greek politicians could learn a lot from, we concluded that Exarcheia was quite blasé after all, while Psiri was clearly the place to be.

Historically, Psiri has been home to influential artists and poets. It was here that Lord Byron first laid eyes on his muse, Teresa Makri, who inspired in him the… Continue reading →

Communication industry professionals and students explored social media and the changes that our digital lifestyle has brought to news, brands and NGOs at Communication Contexts 2012: Digital Pathways.

Veteran Reuters reporter Brian Williams kicked off the event, comparing his early years in journalism to today’s field work. Cutting through jungles, rushing to a makeshift airport, flying off to the nearest telephone line to get news from the Vietnam War was how things were back then. Today, just take a photo with your iPhone and tap send. But while e-dispatches are easy, “the facts are not enough,” said Williams, explaining that today’s audiences want analysis and thoughtful insights. Williams, who covered wars and natural disasters for Reuters for 37 years, now… Continue reading →

Driving down to Iera Odos one evening in April, I came to realize that the Votanikos Arena is sometimes used for alternative events and not just as a bouzouki place. When I arrived at Votanikos 9:30, more than 300 people were waiting anxiously to enter the concert area. Amazingly, It looked like it would be a sell-out. How many fans can an Austrian band have in Greece, anyway? Plenty. As I found out, I am not the only one who is up on emerging music genres.

You might not know who Parov Stelar is, but his music has been used on many shows and in TV spots over the past two years. Parov Stelar, the programmer of the Parov Stelar… Continue reading →

A world of hidden beauty normally draws scuba divers into the sea. But for one diving instructor, suiting up has been a form of deliverance. Idylli Tsakiri Karatzaferi has the story of a man whose attitude to life is the biggest lesson his students learn.

Every day that passes by, Kostas feels his body stronger and his mind more lucid. For the past four months he has been walking daily four kilometres in order to reach his destination. But he does not mind, because he chose to live.

Kostas is a member of Kethea therapeutic community for heroin addicts, and every day that passes by he struggles for his future. He is never sure whether he will be able to carry on the next day. Kostas, along with thousands of people involved in therapeutic programs, is crying for help. This is because he is facing the risk of returning to his old haunts and habits, as therapeutic programs are now at a dead end due… Continue reading →

At 2:30 on the crisp afternoon, the snow is clear in the hills that surround the town. The German soldiers point their machine guns at the five hundred male residents and start shouting. Two hours later the execution has ended. There are 12 survivors.

All the males gathered for the slaughter that day were age 12 and above. History had just witnessed the Massacre of Kalavryta. It was December 13, 1943.

The face of the town would never be the same. The psychological impact of the event would weigh on the survivors for the rest of their lives.

“Our lives were ruined,” said Giannis Kaldis, 11 years on that cold day. “Every woman had lost either her husband or sons.”… Continue reading →

The night has just fallen on the streets of central Athens. There’s not any national celebration or anything special to keep people outside their houses. It’s not even the weekend; it’s just an ordinary day of October 2010.

The exterior of the Kalimarmaro stadium begs to differ though. A person who would just happen to pass by would see a big semicircle of parents and children, teenagers, elderly couples, university students, police officers and pretty much all kinds of people while from the interior of the semicircle a cloud of smoke is making its way towards the sky.

This is neither a riot nor a demonstration. Getting closer to see the happening one would face a bunch of perfectly aligned… Continue reading →