Pitágoras

Pitágoras (575 – 495 a.C.) nace en Samos, pero siendo joven abandona su tierra natal y visita la Mesopotamia y Egipto, donde adquiere grandes conocimientos matemáticos. Según Bertrand Russell, la matemática como argumento deductivo-argumentativo empieza con Pitágoras.

El pitagorismo incorpora cierto misticismo ya que creía que el alma había caído del mundo divino y estaba atrapada en la prisión que era el cuerpo. De esta forma, los sentidos son un impedimento para conocer la realidad.

El alma debe sufrir la transmigración a otros cuerpos, para ir purificándose hasta que logre volver al origen. Para esto, era necesaria la dedicación a lo menos material, ya que el conocimiento de lo abstracto libera la razón y el alma de su prisión. De esta forma, vemos como la Escuela Pitagórica le dará gran importancia a las actividades menos concretas, como la música o las matemáticas.

La filosofía de Pitágoras entiende la realidad de una forma matemática geométrica. De esta forma, podría decirse que su arjé son los números, tanto en la naturaleza como en lo material. Los cuerpos físicos son una unión de puntos geométricos, la extensión de éstos forma líneas, la prolongación de éstas, superficies, y así sucesivamente.

Para Pitágoras construir la realidad racionalmente significa dividirla en unidades, que se puedan medir, operar y abstraer de forma matemática, entendiendo finalmente todo como infinito. La teoría pitagórica introduce la creencia de que la razón es más fiable que los sentidos y es el primer paso hacia la racionalización de la multiplicidad de todo aquello que existe. Además, los pitagírocos fueron los primeros en hablar de la tierra como una esfera observando la sombra que proyectaban los astros en los eclipses.

Fuentes y bibliografía:

Fernández Martorell, C., y Montaner Lacalle, P. (2003). Història de la filosofia (1ª ed.). Barcelona: Castellnou.

Acordamos cedo e fomos visitar os familiares do Epá. Para não variar, o sol estava de rachar o cucuruto, mas tomamos coragem e partimos para mais uma volta pela ilha. Olha o ânimo do Pínakas:

Pínakas esperando o papai

Abandonamos isso aqui:

Gagou beach

Encontramos o primo do Epá e toda a família. De lá fomos para o restaurante Kutsi, que fica sob um plátano gigante. Vou mostrar a foto de todo mundo depois.

Restaurante Kutsi - Samos

Aqui a vista da entrada do restaurante. Na verdade é uma ladeira, que começa sob a placa da foto de cima.

Vista da entrada

Essa árvore do meio é a que estende sua copa sobre todo o restaurante. Apesar do sol, sob a árvore é tão fresquinho que chega a fazer frio quando bate uma brisa mais forte.

Pelo fato de ser uma encosta, creio que o ar está sempre em movimento ali, e ainda há um pequeno curso de água que foi surrupiado pelos donos do restaurante:

Fonte d'água

Essa água é uma delícia, e é tão gelada que até me doeram os dentes. Não, não é água de degelo, pq em Samos não há montanhas com picos gelados (o que não exclui a existência  de outras coisas com suas regiões geladas). Quando eu contar o passeio ao Pitagório vcs vão ver que coisas geladas abundam em Samos.

Almoçamos polvo e carne de porco. A comida estava ótima. Ficamos 2 horas lá. De novo eles conversaram sobre o Bóson de Higgs e sobre a conferência de Bretton Woods. Ou seja, não entendi nádegas. O fato de terem usado o grego como língua também contribuiu para isso.

Vamos lá, da esquerda para a direita, no sentido horário de relógio de ponteiros:

Foto de todos os almoçantes (exceto, claro, eu)

Epá, Anakreon, Irmã do Anakreon e mãe do Leonidas, que é o seguinte, a esposa dele com a filha (qual o nome delas mesmo?) e a irmã dela.

Esse Leonidas é primo do Epá. A mãe dele é essa da ponta da mesa, que é irmã do Anakreon (salvo engano). Ele casou com uma finlandesa e mora na Suécia, ou casou com uma Sueca e mora na Finlândia, vc escolhe.

A filha deles precisava ser batizada, e ele chamou o Epá para ser o padrinho. Preferiram fazer tudo em Samos pq é a ilha de toda a família, apesar de todos estarem morando em Atenas atualmente (exceto o casal, que mora na Noruega, como eu já havia dito).

Esse almoço foi mais para ser apenas um encontro mesmo, pois o batizado seria apenas no dia seguinte. Eles chegaram da casa deles na Dinamarca no dia anterior, então estavam meio cansados. Eles voltaram para casa (em Samos, não a da Suíça) para descansarem, pois o batizado seria no dia seguinte.

Como eu já disse, as moças são Tchecas. Falam tão bem o grego quanto eu. No inglês até conseguimos uma conversa razoável. Discutimos sobre o protocolo de Kyoto e sobre o mal de Minamata, até sermos interrompidos por fezes.

Elas trocaram a fralda da bebê, eu paguei a conta, quebrei os pratos, mijei no gato e fomos embora. Eles foram para a casa deles (em Samos, não a da Rússia) e eu, Epá e mr. Anakreon fomos dar outra volta pela ilha, e passamos por aqui:

Vista da pista

É isso mesmo! Nada!

Foi o Anakreon que mandou eu tirar essa foto. Quando eu voltar lá eu entendo o porquê.

Demos uma rápida passada em uma praia, tomamos umas 40 cervejas, 12 usos e 3 metaxa:

Drogba

No hotel, quando fomos jantar, vi uma mulher ao longe em contraste com o ocaso. Olha que legal:

Vista do restaurante do Gagou Hotel

20:31 de 3/7/2009

Fomos dormir pq o dia seguinte seria o do batismo.

Náite!

original article at http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/gavinhewitt/2009/10/greeces_immigrants_in_limbo.html

Greece’s immigrants in limbo

by Gavin Hewitt

Thursday, 15 October 2009

at BBC

photo appeared on the original article

On a hill above the town of Samos in eastern Greece are a series of long buildings with grey walls and red roofs. They could be a barracks but this is a detention centre for immigrants. It was built to hold 300 people. Today, 473 are held there. Fifty-three are women and 10 are under the age of 18. They live behind barbed wire and wait. They stay for between one and three months, their frustration gnawing away at them. These are people who have made long, often dangerous journeys to reach the shores of Europe.

Within minutes of us starting to film through the wire a young man in a red football shirt detached himself from a group and shouted out to us. Clinging to the wire fence he said he was from Somalia but looked as if he had come from West Africa. He demands to know why he is being locked up. “Why?” he pleads with me. In a refugee centre in town someone has written on a wall: “They don’t let us come. They don’t let us stay. They don’t let us go.”

A few claim asylum but that is no longer a popular option. It can tie up a migrant for months. In Greece only 0.1% of asylum seekers are successful compared to 76% in Finland.

The common story is that after a month or so they are transferred to a detention centre elsewhere in Greece. They are eventually freed and told they must leave the country within a month. The vast majority head west to other European destinations.

The UK remains the favourite country. In London they can find their own community which will provide them with work often in the underground economy. It is an abiding belief that the British will eventually allow them to stay. There is another factor that drives them west: Money. Those from Afghanistan are often in the hands of powerful and dangerous traffickers. Some in the camp here in Samos say that it costs the equivalent of £16,000 to get from Afghanistan to Britain.

Often their families back home have sold houses to pay the people smugglers. Some will have to pay the networks from whatever they earn in London or other European cities. Without work they and their families are at risk from the traffickers. They owe a debt and will not be deterred by officials or laws. One lawyer looked at this camp and said there could be £4m of business right there.

The Greeks know that they are, in effect, just passing on the problem but, in their view, they are overwhelmed. They want the rest of Europe to start taking a share of those who arrive on Greek shores. That is unlikely to happen soon. It is difficult for any country to take a quota of immigrants determined by others. In any event some fear that a quota system would only encourage others to head to Europe.

Immigration is a major issue for the European Union. The current plan is called the Stockholm programme and the aim is to have it approved by the end of the year. The

intention is to beef up border patrols by giving more money to Frontex, the relatively new body that operates planes and ships.

Certainly here in Greece there is little evidence that Frontex patrols have a deterrent effect. The traffickers tell the migrants that if a Frontex boat appears to jump in the water and they’ll have to rescue you.

Measures are being considered to make it harder to grant mass amnesties for illegal migrants but that leaves open the question of what should be done with them. The EU is also working on what it calls a “Return Directive”. It is expected to become law by December 2010 and is supposed to make it easier to send home illegal immigrants but the law only applies once a decision has been taken to deport an immigrant.

The UK has opted out of this. If it is intended to deter migrants it is unlikely to be successful. Detainees will have the right to appeal against deportation, to see legal advisers, family members and get medical attention.

It is a directive that will provide a lot of work for lawyers. It is the view of the UK that it could make returning illegal immigrants more difficult because detainees will have more power to challenge deportation.

When economies were growing fast and there were gaps in the labour markets some countries were relatively relaxed about these arrivals but with 22 million people out of work across the EU the mood is changing. There were 238,000 asylum applications last year and just over a third were approved. As to the number of illegal immigrants no one knows. There may be a decline in those trying to get to Malta or Italy from Africa. This is partly because of an agreement with Libya to restrict the crossings. But the numbers have edged up in Greece and Southern Spain.

The reality is that in the midst of a severe recession the migrants have not been deterred. Many fear for their lives if they return home owning money. Currently there is no common European approach to this problem. There are moves and initiatives but, for the time being, Europe is like a trip wire. It makes live difficult for the migrants but it does not seriously put them off coming and neither does it help them settle.

source: Kathimerini

I learned of the release of Agora at Kallisti in Spain on October 6th, 2009. I hope it’ll come out in the US soon.

Historical & Religious Context
Agora takes place in the 4th century C.E. (Common Era) in Egypt under the Roman Empire. This is the year that Christians in Alexandria go on an iconoclastic rampage, obliterating pagan statues and images throughout the city, as well as the Temple of Serapis. Co-emporer Theodosius (of Rome) orders that all non-Christian works be destroyed. Fire consumes the Great Library of Alexandria (established in 275 B.C.E. [Before Common Era]), considered one of the wonders of the ancient world. Among the works lost were parchments by the astronomer Aristarchus of Samos asserting that the Earth orbits the sun (see Ptolemy, 140 A.D.; Copernicus, 1543 A.D.), and dozens of dramatic works by Sophocles and Euripides.*

Hypatia, brilliant astronomer and philosopher, trapped inside the burning Library, fights to preserve ancient knowledge.

This is a mere 78 years after Constantine and his co-emporer Licinius accept Christianity (in 131 C.E.).*

In 321 C.E. (70 years prior to the setting of this film) Constantine declared that Sunday would thereafter be a day of rest throughout the Empire (although, he continued to worship Apollo despite his acceptance of Christianity).*

In 324 C.E. (67 years prior to the film setting) he bans “pagan” sacrifices and pillages “pagan” temples.*

A year after this the council of Nicaea is held* in which many issues are debated and doctrine of the Christian church is established (note, there are pieces of the Bible that were not included in the final agreement of this council, and Revelations was only barely approved.

About Hypatia
From About.com:Women’s History**

Hypatia dressed in the clothing of a scholar or teacher, rather than in women’s clothing. She moved about freely, driving her own chariot, contrary to the norm for women’s public behavior. She exerted considerable political influence in the city…

Cyril [Christian bishop, later made a saint] probably objected to Hypatia on a number of counts: She represented heretical teachings, including experimental science and pagan religion. She was an associate of Orestes ["pagan" opponent of Cyril - who objected to Cyril expelling Jews from the city, and was murdered for his opposition to Cyril]. And she was a woman who didn’t know her place. Cyril’s preaching against Hypatia is said to have been what incited a mob led by fanatical Christian monks in 415 to attack Hypatia as she drove her chariot through Alexandria.

Notes
*4th Century C.E. via EndNotes.com
**About.com: Women’s History: Hypatia: Philosopher, Astronomer, and Mathematician

A praia já é um espetáculo. E olha que só vimos uma pessoa curtindo o sol, e era moradora de um dos apartamentos de lá. Fomos almoçar por ali acho que 3x, nesse restaurante:

Restaurante com o toldo azul-esverdeado

A comida era ótima. Eles pediam uma gororoba de miolo de pão com alho que era uma delícia. O polvo era especialmente excepcional também.

Mas a curtição era jogar pão para os peixes. Filmei, mas não ficou legal:

Peixes comendo o pão

A ideia original era que ficássemos nessa praia, mas ainda bem que algo aconteceu e fomos para o Gagou. Lá tem mais estrutura. Mas mesmo assim essa praia é o bicho.

Não mergulhamos, eu mesmo nem levei sunga. Era mais para almoçar mesmo. Em outro dia voltamos e nadei um pouco. A água estava ótima, límpida como em todas as praias de Samos.

Daí fomos para o hotel. Eu, como de costume, estava sem dormir direito há alguns dias, então fiquei no quarto dormindo enquanto os dois foram passear.

O próximo post é só com esse passeio deles.

Quando voltaram, peguei a câmera e tirei algumas fotos do pôr-do-sol. Aqui a melhor:

Pôr-do-sol em Gagou beach

source: http://allileggyi-stous-prosfyges.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, 29th of September 2009.

The situation at the Samos refugee detention center

After one more summer of great influx of immigrants and refugees
to the Samos island, the situation has not improved at all.  In short, we want to share three incidents, which we believe adequately describe the theater of the absurd that is stagede at the expense of these people.

Right now in the center at Samos there are at least 500 people. Many of them sleep outside the facility with not even a bed sheet … Many families, many children!The staff is absolutely inadequate and the living conditions deplorable.
For these reasons, and other reasons, it is not difficult for anyone
to undestand why the single social worker of the Center
resigned a few days ago.   How can anyone resist the inhuman
and blatant indifference of all pertinent authorities?

At the same time in the detention center there are 15-20 (maybe more)
unaccompanied minors, who have benn illegally detained for more than 15 days in there.  In addition, 9 of them have been already there for 55 days virtually forgotten by the authorities after many of their peers had been transported to the Hospitality Center for Children in Mytilene more than 3
weeks ago.  It is well known that minors in accordance with the law should not be considered detainees, so situations such as these defy all legality.

Let us finally understand that we are dealing with people and not inanimate ‘packages’.

Right now at the port of Vathi you can see several refugees, with the paper of administrative deportation issued by the police in hand, but no tickets for Athens. This is because, for some unknown reason, the police didgave them the paper in order to go the Center, but the Prefecture, arguing that there is no money, did not give them  tickets.   One can reasonably ask:
What is the rationale behind this? What can these people, whose only asset is their despair, do?
Who would like to have “‘indignant’ citizens on top of  the  desperate refugees?

Let us be side to side with refugees and immigrants and not let anyone turn us against them!

There are no illegal lives!

Movement for Human Rights – Solidarity with Refiugees – Samos

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) During his visit to the Aegean island of Samos, on Friday Sept 18th, French Immigration Minister Eric Besson, accompanied by Greek Caretaker Interior Minister Spyros Flogaitis, visited the Italian vessel of Frontex and the immigrants’ reception centre, pointed out that Greece is confirming its good name regarding hospitality issues.  Besson was in Samos for a briefing on the situation prevailing in this eastern part of Europe, in light of the meeting today, among European Union Interior Ministers on justice and domestic issues, to discuss the increasing illegal entry of foreigners from the Turkish coast.

Ich wache in der noch stockdunklen Herberge auf und spüre, dass Jelle auch schon wach ist. Es ist ein etwas komisches Gefühl, nur zu zweit zu sein, und nachdem wir gestern doch ziemlich viel geteilt haben, wissen wir heute nicht so recht, wie wir miteinander umgehen sollen. Wir umgehen die persönlichen Thematiken und reden betont sachlich über z.B. das Wetter. Die ganze Nacht hat es ziemlich gestürmt, auch jetzt peitscht noch Regen in alle Richtungen. Wir trinken zusammen einen Automatenkaffee, dann mache ich mich auf den Weg. Im Moment brauche ich wieder ein bisschen Abstand, aber Jelle scheint es zu verstehen; er läuft heute ohnehin über Samos, ich die andere Wegalternative.

In der Herberge habe ich ein vergessenes Fleecehalstuch gefunden. Wie geschaffen für mich und meine ständig reinregnende Halspartie. Nun habe ich nicht nur warme Ohren und eine trockene Stirn dank meinem Stirnband aus Astorga, sondern auch einen warmen und trockenen Hals. Es läuft sich exzellent durch den mittlerweile schon Alltag gewordenen Dauerregen.

Der Weg führt kleine, verwunschene Wege entlang, wieder durch kleine Weiler wie vor La Faba. Das Malerische wird nur getrübt durch den Regen, der sich nach einer Stunde sogar in Schnee wandelt. Ich stehe mitten im Nichts, kein Pilger weit und breit vor oder hinter mir, ich kenne den Weg noch nicht, und plötzlich rieselt harmlos und leise feiner Schnee. Innerhalb von Minuten ist alles flächendeckend eingezuckert, und wie mir plötzlich bewusst wird, auch alle Markierungen sind leise und still verschwunden. Die Wege gabeln sich alle paar hundert Meter, normalerweise kein Problem dank gelben Pfeilen auf dem Asphalt oder an Bäumen oder auf Steinen. Es hört schon wieder auf zu schneien, es ist also bei weitem nicht so eine bedrohliche Situation wie bei dem eisigen Schneesturm in den Bergen von Manjarín, aber ich fühle mich trotzdem extrem hilflos. Dieses leise, harmlose Zuckern hat fast etwas hämisches. Siehst Du, ein kleiner Hauch Schnee und Du bist ein Nichts.

Auch als Nichts finde ich glücklicherweise meinen Weg, ich erreiche Sarria und die mir bekannte Herberge. Ich warte im Flur, und wieder keine Menschenseele weit und breit. Die recht jungen Herbergseltern wohnen in der Wohnung über der Herberge, ich höre ihre kleinen Kinder lärmen. Ich setze mich ziemlich patschnass auf einen edlen Stuhl und warte geduldig, bis zufällig die Oma über mich stolpert.

Auch hier wieder ein supertolles Badezimmer nur für mich, ich verweichliche total. Frisch gewaschen stolpere nun im Gegenzug ich über eine weitere Pilgerin – es ist die lockige Französin, die mich so lange jeden Tag “verfolgt” hat (bildlich gesprochen). Heute gibt sie jovial zu, dass ich schneller war. So sehr sie mir auf den Geist geht, so tut sie mir auch leid. Sie wirkt irgendwie, als würde sie gern mit jemandem reden, aber nachdem es nur immer über ihr tollen Leistungen geht, ergreift absolut jeder die Flucht. Ich mache mir einen heissen Tee, als mir der Gedanke kommt, ihr auch eine Tasse anbieten zu können. Sie ist mir dermaßen unsympathisch, aber vielleicht ist ja gerade das “Nächstenliebe”. Und die sollte ein guter Pilger ja schließlich beherrschen. So frage ich freundlich lächelnd, ob sie gerne eine Tasse hätte. Und sie lächelt höchst überrascht und auch höchst glücklich zurück. Und auch mein glückliches Lächeln kommt plötzlich ohne Kraftanstrengung.

Ich gehe ins Internet; José hat geschrieben, dass er jetzt in Madrid losfährt und gegen 18.00 in Sarria sein sollte. Ich gebe zum ersten Mal die Adresse von Pers Blog ein. Ich habe ihn gestern verloren, vielleicht liefert der Blog eine Erklärung. Ich bin erleichtert, dass wirklich eine aktuelle Seite zu finden ist. Der Text ist auf Dänisch, viel verstehe ich also auf die Schnelle nicht, aber ich lese etwas von Angelo – und dass sie alle zusammen in Fonfría gestoppt haben, weit vor Triacastela, und dass sie dann erst als heutiges Ziel Triacastela haben. Sie sind einen kompletten Tag hinter mir, das heißt auf dem Camino fast schon, dass man sich nicht mehr begegnet. Ich bin geschockt.

Ich gehe einkaufen, für ein oppulentes Paella-Mahl und für das Chaos-Cooking mit José am Abend. Auf dem Rückweg laufe ich Jelle in die Arme. Er freut sich total, mich zu sehen. Obwohl es regnet, bleiben wir mitten im Regen stehen (ich in meiner trockenen Nachmittagsmontur und ohne Regenausrüstung). Er hat heute klar Camino-Blues, es geht ihm gar nicht gut. Er ist in einer anderen Herberge abgestiegen, einer noch luxeriöseren, und da wären lauter Touristen, die nur über Taxi-Abkürzungen reden würden und zum Essen ausgehen würden. Ich muss irgendwie fast lachen, er wirkt so verzweifelt über Dinge, die er vor ein paar Tagen selber noch als völlig normal angesehen hätte. Ich bin irgendwie stolz auf ihn und seine Fortschritte. Er überlegt, ob er einfach seine Sachen packen und zu mir kommen soll. Ich bin überzeugt, dass ihm dieser Tag sehr gut tun wird. Manchmal braucht man die Verzweiflung und Entbehrung und das verlorene Gefühl, um den Camino in seiner vollen Besonderheit erfahren zu können. Ich verstehe ihn nur zu gut, ich sehne mich auch immer nach irgendwelchen netten, bekannten Mitmenschen, die mir aus Tiefs helfen. Aber am beeindruckendsten sind zweifellos die Tiefs, aus denen man sich selber heraushilft oder bei deren Bewältigung man eine ganz besondere Hilfe erfährt.

In der Herberge mache ich einen kleinen Mittagsschlaf. Ich habe viel zu viel Zeit, bis José endlich kommt. Und warten fühlt sich auf dem Camino einfach nicht gut an.

Als ich wieder aufwache, packt gegenüber von meinem Bett eine recht beeindruckende Erscheinung ihren Rucksack aus. Die Dame ist in meinem Alter, optisch aber das totale Kontrastprogramm. Die beeindruckende schwarze Mähne ist zu einem noch beeindruckenderen perfekten Turm gebändigt, das Gesicht ziert trotz aktuellem Nieselregen ein beeindruckender (ebenfalls sehr perfekter) Lidstrich in Bleistiftdicke. An ihrem Rucksack nesteln überlange (perfekt lackierte) Fingernägel herum, und ich komme nicht umhin, geistig den Namen des Herren zu missbrauchen.

Leider detektiert sie mich auch noch zielsicher als Landsfrau und verwickelt mich in ein Gespräch, während ich mit meiner Paella in der Küche festgenagelt bin. Ich erhalte eine satte Lektion in Sachen Schubladendenken; den perfekten Fingernägeln hätte ich höhnisch maximal einen Tag gegeben, aber sie ist seit Saint Jean unterwegs, und das mit 30-35 km pro Tag. Sie ist ein harter Knochen, und dabei noch perfekt auszusehen, Respekt. Ebenso wie die etwas künstliche Fassade ist auch ihre Art; sie scheint zwar nett zu sein, aber so recht öffnet sie sich nicht. Sie blockt ziemlich viel ab oder wirkt hinter dem dicken Lidstrich vielleicht auch einfach erhaben unnahbar. Mit unnahbarer Mimik und ohne Lächeln fragt sie dann auch, ob wir nicht zusammen kochen wollen. Mir tut es leid, es ablehnen zu müssen, ich bin ja schon mit José verabredet. Sie wirkt doppelt unterkühlt und meint, das wäre kein Problem. Ich habe das Gefühl, dass sie mir nicht glaubt und das Gefühl hat, dass ich sie nicht mag. Das trifft es absolut nicht und hinterlässt ein mulmiges Gefühl bei mir.

Die Zeit bis zum Abend wird mir ewig lang. Die Herberge füllt sich, mein Schlafsaal ist schon voll belegt, allerdings nur mit Leuten, die ich nicht kenne. Und so richtig neu kennenlernen will ich heute auch niemand mehr, nicht, dass ich noch weitere gemeinsame Pläne ablehnen muss.

Ich setze mich ein bisschen in die Kirche, laufe ein bisschen ziellos durch die Stadt und bin schon ziemlich frustriert von der Warterei, als ich vor 7 beschliesse, jetzt einfach in die Messe zu gehen. Kurz vor der Kirche läuft mir dann wie auf Kommando mein strahlender kleiner Spanier in die Arme. Er sieht super aus, ganz ungewohnt ohne Pilgerklamotten, sondern in stylischer Jeans und Jacke. Ich will ihm schnell noch die Herberge zeigen, dass er noch vor der Messe einchecken kann, aber er meint ganz ruhig und leise, dass er nicht in die Herberge geht. Ich kapiere nicht so recht; er meint, er wäre ja mit dem Auto gekommen und kein echter Pilger. Ich sehe das Problem nicht, er kann sich dort sogar einen neuen Pilgerausweis machen lassen. Nein, er pilgert ja auch nicht. Auch ab morgen nicht. Ich verstehe die Welt nicht mehr. Er meint ruhig, leise und beängstigend bestimmt und unumstößlich, dass das Pilgern ja meine Sache ist und er da nicht stören will. Ich kriege einen totalen Rappel; zwar habe ich ihm wirklich in Ponferrada geschrieben, dass ich es komisch fände, wieder mit ihm zu laufen, wo ich doch mühsam Abschied genommen habe. Aber der Abschied ist doch eh komplett für die Katz, nachdem er wieder da ist und in meinen Gedanken rumschwirrt. Ich rege mich furchtbar auf, am liebsten würde ich ihn grade wieder zurückgehen lassen, so wütend macht mich, dass er mich um zwei erhoffte Tage Pilgern mit ihm bringen will. Aber wie so oft ist er komplett stur, das merke ich. Er ist in allem ganz leise und entschieden und lächelt traurig. Im Endeffekt tut er es für mich, aber ich habe in dem Moment keinerlei Lust, das positiv zu sehen.

Wir gehen zur Messe, wobei ich das Gefühl habe, dass jeden Moment mein Kopf rauchend explodiert. Auf der anderen Seite sehe ich Jelle, aber er schaut immer stur geradeaus und trifft meinen Blick nicht.

Im Lauf der Messe werde ich wieder ruhiger und bin wieder ganz im Bann von Josés faszinierendem Glauben und seiner schlafwandlerischen Sicherheit in Gottesdiensten. Er weiss immer als allererster, wann aufzustehen oder hinzuknien oder was zu beten. Er strahlt so ein Zugehörigkeitsgefühl zu allen Kirchen aus, mit ihm kann man sich dort nur einfach völlig wohl und besonders fühlen.

Als alles gegen Ausgang strömt, bleibt Jelle in seiner Bank stehen. Ich vertröste José geschwind und robbe zu ihm hinüber. Ich frage, ob alles okay wäre. Er meint, er würde sich freuen, dass ich meinen Spanier wieder hätte. Merkt man kollosal. Er drückt mir noch einen Zettel in die Hand, den ich erst draussen lesen darf.

Ich rechne schon mit dem Schlimmsten, ohne zu wissen, was ich mir darunter vorstelle. Jelle schreibt mir, dass er sich den ganzen Tag ganz schrecklich gefühlt hätte, einsam, und dass er dann in die Kirche gegangen wäre und auf dem Vorplatz gesessen hätte und viele Stunden geweint hätte, zum ersten Mal in sehr vielen Jahren. Eigentlich ist es ein schöner Brief, ich habe ein Stück weit kommen sehen, dass er diesen Tag so erleben würde, und ich weiss auch, dass er diese Erfahrung hinterher sehr zu schätzen wissen wird. Trotzdem fühle ich mich total zerrissen, nicht kurz mit ihm darüber sprechen zu können, sondern mit einem schon wieder sehr selbstzufriedenen José zu seinem Hotel zu laufen.

Es windet und ist kalt, aber José findet, ich muss da kurz mit, schließlich will er ja möglichst viel Zeit mit mir verbringen. Ich spare mir hässliche Gedanken, ob ich mir deswegen jetzt den Tod holen muss, nur weil er tagsüber nicht mit mir pilgern kann, aber eigentlich bin ich schon wieder versöhnt mit ihm.

Er erzählt mir ganz wunderschön, wie seine letzten Tage auf dem Camino waren, nachdem wir uns getrennt hatten. Bereits am ersten Tag hätte es abends Probleme gegeben, einem Deutschen wäre Geld entwendet worden, und der hätte dann ihn verdächtigt. Ich sehe alles plastisch vor Augen, so emotional schildert José alles. Er hätte sich nicht erklären und verteidigen können, er hätte immer nur gedacht, wo ich denn wäre, um ihm zu helfen und dass ich alles hätte geraderücken können. Er wirkt auch jetzt noch ehrlich schockiert und verletzt, wie jemand ihn verdächtigen kann (wirklich schwierig, wenn man ihn kennt), wo er doch ein Bankdirektor und Christ ist. Zum Glück wäre der dänische Donner dann noch in die Herberge gekommen, der ihn ja gekannt hätte und der der aufgebrachten Menge versichern hätte können, dass es sich bei meinem armen Spanier um einen guten Menschen handelt. Vermutlich war auch einfach sein erklärendes Englisch hilfreich. José ist immer noch total erschüttert und traumatisiert von diesem Missverständnis, ich lache mich dagegen halb kaputt.

Wir buchen schnell Josés Zimmer, dann geht es endlich wieder Richtung warme Herberge. Wir stürmen euphorisch durch die Strassen, und ich bin erleichtert, dass alles wieder so unbeschwert und ungezwungen ist wie eine Woche vorher.

In der Herberge fragt José erstmal höflich, ob er überhaupt mit mir dort essen kann. Kein Problem, trotzdem legt er noch einen drauf und schäkert wieder eine halbe Stunde mit den Hospitaleras. Mir ist das ganz recht. Die perfekte Turmfrisur ist nämlich auch in der Küche zugange, und ich bin froh, nun doch noch ein bisschen mit ihr reden zu können und ihrer Fassade zu vermitteln, dass ich sie gern hab. Ob es zu ihr durchdringt, weiß ich nicht.

Die Herbergsmama läuft den Gang entlang, stockt auf dem Absatz und beäugt mich intensiv. Ob ich schon mal dagewesen wäre?! Mich überrascht ja nichts mehr.

Wie schon im Vorjahr gibt es auch dieses Jahr wieder ein uriges Kaminfeuer in einem kleinen Aufenthaltsraum. Wieder gibt es hauseigene Alkoholika zum probieren, allerdings bin ich mit den Gedanken diesmal ganz bei José. Er erzählt gelöster als auf dem Camino von seinem Leben und seinen Plänen und Träumen und Zweifeln; es ist ungewohnt und schön, ihn so viel von sich erzählen zu hören. Ich könnte ihm ewig zuhören. Wir halten uns wieder an den Händen, vielleicht fließt darüber ganz viel Energie. Oder durch seine Augen oder seine beeindruckende Präsenz. Wie bei unserem ersten Gespräch bin ich erfüllt von Freude, Hoffnung, Stärke und Glauben.

Das hält auch noch an, als er sich in sein Hotel verabschiedet und ich in mein Pilgerbettchen gehe. Ich bereue höchstens, dass ich nicht am Nachmittag schon etwas besser ausgepackt habe. Dafür, dass 9 andere schon tief und fest schlafen, mache ich für meinen Geschmack deutlich zu viel Lärm.

THE SITUATION IN GENERAL

According to an “Eleftherotypia” newspaper article, 3.000 refugees are detained in police detentions spaces (in the prison cells of police departments) and 3.000 more in dtetention centers. The detention center conditions, which are even more unbearable due to seasonal heat, could only be described as hellish during August due to the the inhumane overcrowding, which is now the situation at Greece’s mainland detention spaces as well. This has been described as unprecedented, with the facilities with no exception now being 50% over their capacity. Detainees are constantly being transferred from one detention space to the next, but constant “sweep operations” have gradually filled all premises. According to leaks, there are also some “informal” detentions spaces running. The only strategy of the pertinent ministry of interior is actually summary expulsions of refugees to Turkey.

The minister and deputy minister of interior are said to be in political rivalry, and their urge to meet with the “message of the euroelections”, the cleansing of Athens and urban centers of immigrants, has clashed with coordination problems and the lack of any realistic plan for “reception centers”, at the expense of refugees’ treatment of course, as described above. The minister is said to follow a plan of constucting four camps until the end of the year, the deputy minister two camps as early as mid September.

The situation is believed to worsen by the end of August when the new law which denies refugees to lodge an appeal for rejected asylum applications will be put in effect, opening thus the way for the deportation thus thousands of refugees whose applications are now pending.

“Now you will die!”: Coast Guard attempt to drown asylum-seekers in Lesbos

Source: http://libcom.org/news/now-you-will-die-coast-guard-attempt-drown-asylum-seekers-lesbos-03082009

Coast guard of Lesbos tied 12 Somali immigrants in an inflatable boat and then pierced its sides with knives in order to drown the helpless asylum seekers who were saved by passing cruise boat

The Coast Guard of Lesbos Island has been accused of attempting to mass murder 12 Somali asylum seekers, amongst which one woman. According to the case, on the 5th of July an Austrian European border Frontex Helicopter spotted an inflatable boat containing the 12 immigrants off Korakas Cape in Lesbos.

Upon the arrival of the Greek Coast Guard, the helicopter left, leaving the Greek cops to arrest the 12. The Coast Guard took the 12 out of their boat, tied their hands to their necks, beat them, and put them back in the inflatable boat before piercing its sides with knives. Then they let the boat go to the open sea telling the asylum seekers in English: “Now you will die!”.

Immediately the boat started getting water in, and sinking. The asylum seekers were saved from certain drowning when a British cruise boat passed by, saw them and saved them. The asylum seekers were then taken to Pagani detention camp on Lesbos from where they contacted the UN through a sympathetic lawyer. The Coast Guard adding insult to harm has called the UN law suit against them an act of provocation.

4 Iraqis on hunger strike in Arta

source: http://www.ele.gr/(A(YogGIgNBygEkAAAAYjRjNWU1YTAtZWRmMC00ZTU5LWIzNDYtMDE0NWY4ZjU0NDZjN4pB9lQR8gfgptGCq2k4zvtIU-Q1))/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=1945

In Arta, a town in north-western Greece of 25.000, four Iraqis went on hunger strike on the 9th of July, while another four Albanians are expecting for their asylum requests to be examined. The immigrants are not being accused of any crime, yet they have been locked up in a dirty and crowded cell at the police station for over two weeks, depending only on the good will of the police officers to leave the cell. The Iraqis, considerably weakened by the hunger strike and the conditions of detention, have even abstained from requesting political asylum and are hoping their hunger strike will help accelerate the process leading to their release and administrative deportation.

THE IMMEDIATE LEGACY OF THE PATRAS EVICTION: 23 immigrants on hunger strike in Agrinion

source: athens indymedia

On the 11 July 2009, the Patras TV channel “superb” broadcasted a live interview of the president of the police officers’ Union of Agrinion, a town of 100.000 inhabitants in Western Greece. The officer stated that 23 of 26 immigrants who had been arrested after the complete demolition of the 15-year-old refugee settlement in Patras by the authorities, and had then been transferred to the police headquarters in Agrinion, have now started a hunger strike. (The remaining three immigrants had been released.)

All 23 of the detainees (Somalis and Afghanis) were reported to be suffering contageous diseases, (mainly tuberculosis and scabs) yet were still being kept in jail instead of being taken to a hospital for proper care. The guards refused to go near them for fear of becoming infected and had therefore arranged for the immigrants to have direct access to the toilets. The police officers’ union president added that the immigrants had been offered to be returned to their countries on the expense of the Greek State but they had all declined.

A month later, on the 12th of August, four of the immigrants were transferred to the hospital, where they joined another four immigrants-hunger strikers who had been transferred there the previous day. All eight of them are in a critical condition. The original 23 immigrants were still refusing food until the 20th of August, when six of them were transferred to an unknown destination. 17 immigrants are now being detained in Agrinio, accepting water and food and awaiting the State’s decision about their fate.

Hunger Strike in Pagani, Lesvos

source and much material and updates at http://lesvos09.antira.info/

Published on 20. August 2009,

On 18th of August 2009, 160 unaccompanied minors detained in Pagani detention centre went on hunger strike to demand their immediate freedom. All of them are detained in just one room, where they share one toilet, many need to sleep on the floor due to lack of beds. Some of the minors are only eight or nine years old. 50 of them have been detained for over 2 months, the others have been in Pagani for several weeks already. The detention of minors is illegal under greek law.

Today, 150 people from a local solidarity movement and antiracist groups here to prepare the noborder camp took to the detention centre to show solidarity and support for their demand for immediate freedom. On arrival, the detained persons started shouting “freedom, freedom”, which was answered by the demonstaration. Messages in English and Farsi were read out as the migrants inside passed letters with their demands and concerning their situation to the outside.

All participants of the demonstration were severly shocked in the light of the unbearable conditions in Pagani. We learnt of a 13-year-old boy inside Pagani who was extremely sick and in urgent need of medical attention for two days already. However, none of the authorities responsible acted. It was only when we called an ambulance it was possible to transport the sick boy to the hospital. We also learnt of a heavily pregnant woman in a very bad health state. She however refused to be brought to the hospital since she didn’t want to leave her other two little children alone in Pagani.

We left with the promise to come back soon and to spread the information about these obvious human rights abuses worldwide and went to the city to confront the attorney responsible with his neglect in taking care of the minors he is in charge of.

One letter we received reads:

We are having hardship times in this worst jail, more than three months in a bad situation, without any supporters except you. The police refuses or rejects to explain our bad situation in this bad jail. We are more than 1.000 prisoners, ladies, guys as well as lots of children. So as a conclusion, please do whatever you can. We are waiting a lot from you, we need our freedom as well as our rights.

Best regards, prisoners

Samos Hunger Strike: almost 600 Samos immigrants go on hunger strike over transfers, expulsions

source: http://ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100002_06/08/2009_109598

The recent government policy of moving illegal immigrants to reception centers in northern Greece before expelling them from the country ran into more trouble yesterday, as 580 migrants being held on Samos went on hunger strike to protest the measure.

The migrants’ complaints were prompted by an attempt by authorities to remove 26 illegal immigrants from the island on Tuesday so that they could be transferred to another center in northern Greece.

Authorities have recently attempted to crack down on illegal immigration by stepping up the number of expulsions, while also taking into custody migrants squatting or renting accommodation in run-down buildings in Athens.

The practice of transferring migrants to northern Greece has, in recent weeks, met with the opposition of human rights campaigners who have attempted to prevent the operations from taking place.

Yesterday’s protest came as sources revealed to Kathimerini that one in three applications made this year to remain here by the families of migrants living legally in Greece will be rejected.

Sources said that some 9,000 applications had been made but that in some 3,000 cases, the requests would be turned down because the migrant who is the main breadwinner in the family was not earning enough money.

According to Greek law, for a migrant’s family to be allowed to remain in Greece, the head of the family must declare an income that is 20 percent more than that of an unskilled laborer, which amounts to 10,200 euros per year before taxes.

Campaigners for migrants’ rights have expressed concern that since, given the current economic conditions, many immigrants’ incomes do not reach this level, their wives and children will be deemed to be living here illegally.

The Interior Ministry said that migrants can appeal any decision to deport their families and instead of a residence permit will be issued with a document confirming their legal status (“veveosi”) that will then be renewed every six months until their case is heard.

Deaths in Kos and Igoumenitsa

from fortresseurope.blogspot

Children in prison in Thessaloniki

August 12, 2009

source: tvxs.gr

Two little girls from Afghanistan were among the immigrants detained in the Border Guard Station of Kordelio outside Thessaloniki. 8 year old Narges and 2 year old Farzona were arrested with their parents trying to board on forged documents on a plane to Stuttgart. Although the public prosecutor decided that the family should be trialed in October 2010, the police arrested them and detained the father and the rest of the family in different police prison spaces. In the mean time the police decision for their deportation was issued. Fortunately the next day a court decision ordered their release and their transfer to an NGO managed reception center.

After a week in Naxos, we were ready for a new adventure and started researching other islands further east in the Aegean.  Samos, in the Dodecanese was selected by Rough Guide in its “28 Places Not to Miss” in Greece for its natural beauty, and we began looking for a house or studio to rent.  Based on the descriptions of the four towns described in the guide (Vathy, Pythagoras, Kokkari, and Karlovassi), we chose the least touristy of the four, the port town of Karlovassi.  Unfortunately, we didn’t cross reference the Rough Guide and discovered over our first couple of days that Karlovassi was a post-industrial mutt of town — 1/4 sleeply seaside village, 1/4 agriarian suburb , 1/4 bedroom town for the islands’ military brats, and 1/4 of “other stuff.”  As we read later in a bookstore in Kokkari, the suggestion from Thomas Cook’s “Island Hopping” was to skip Karlovassi altogether.  This may have been a bit harsh, but much more practical given the beauty of Vathy, Pythagoras, and especially Kokkari.  To be fair, Karlovassi was the most greek town we have stayed in, as it is almost devoid of German and British tourists.  After a thorough tour on foot, it’s occasionally charming in its working class Greek character and unquestionably cheap.  It’s basically the Cleveland of Samos, although two of the finest and most pristine beaches in the Aegean are within 90 minutes by foot.

In our search for base camps, we typically research homes on VRBO and contact local specialty travel agents listed in the Rough Guide via email or phone.  Given a newly found desire for thrift after checking our bank balances post-Naxos, we sent out an inquiry for a small, functional duplex on the outskirts of town that was listed at a very reasonable 50 Euros per night.  The owner, an American woman, replied via email, and was understandably confused by the timeliness of our inquiry.  After we explained that we were currently on Naxos and ready to depart to Samos within a few days, we began negotiating the details of the rental.  Eventually, she accepted our offer of paying her off season rate for 7 days, with an additional 2 days at no cost.

As I’ve said to my friends and family traveling this year, “the world is on sale.”  When booking accommodation on both Jamaica and Vail on VRBO during the holiday season of 2008, I had successfully negotiated 20-40% off of the listed rates.  After a month in Greece, it was clear that the people were not talking openly with tourists about the lack of demand in the economy, but it was obvious in the sparsity of cafés and ease of buying boat tickets a day before departure.  I can certainly understand the strategy of collective silence, as driving prices down wouldn’t necessarily yield enough demand to make up for the difference.  That certainly hasn’t changed our strategy of “getting past no” which basically mimics the tactics of ” negotiating for cheap electronics on Canal Street in New York” described to my by my good friend from Bangalore, Arul Baskaran.  First, inquire about the price of the product.  Then suggest 40-50% of that price to be paid in cash.  Show the cash to the vendor, and accept their understandable rejection.  This audacious first move is simply to let them know you’re serious about negotiating and won’t be bullied.  Next, show the vendor your cash physically and offer 30-40% off of the asking price.  Again, reject their offer (usually about 20% off the price), and walk out the door.  Most likely, the vendor will stop you right as the door is shutting, and eventually suggest a close to final offer of 30% off their original price.  At this point, which you can haggle as much as you want.  In the case of VRBO, this communication is far less confrontational, as it happens via email or on the phone.  To “show your cash” simply state that you typically rent a similar house in the same location, which is being offered at the price you desire, but you’d prefer to rent the one being discussed.  Admittedly, this strategy works 50% of the time, as VRBO owners are a bit more principaled than your average hawker on Canal Street, so you should have several haggles going at once.

The downside of negotiating this way is that you typically end up paying a significant deposit on the house up front, which leaves you no room to negotiate any difference in the agreed upon price and actual accommodation, should the house not actually offer the amenities listed (ex. the internet doesn’t actually work).  As a slow traveler, your strategy can be altered to account for this discrepancy.  When visiting a off the beaten track place that you’ve never been before, research several different perspectives on the place (see the Frugal Traveler’s essay on research here).  Set up one or two nights accommodation in a simple hotel close to tourist services (internet, car rental, travel kiosks).  Try to arrive as early in the day as possible and if your hotel is acceptable, drop off your baggage and take a tour of your options.  Once you figure out where to lay to your head at night, begin the negotiation with the rental agency for the house or owner.  This strategy paid off for us in Naxos brilliantly.  We were able to negotiate a 140E/night suite in one of the most charming hotels in Hora to 95E for three nights.  One of the hotel’s managers was a delightful native who later helped us find a cheap, quiet, private studio close to St. George’s beach for 50E/night, well below the walk in rate of the neighboring studios.  Note that the success of this was also a consequence of us forming a quick friendship with the hotel manager, a former tourist office director.  The reduced price allowed us to spend our time in Naxos quite leisurely, cooking our meals in a simple studio and avoiding steep car rental costs (40E/day) by leveraging Naxos’s extensive bus service for day trips.  Had we employed the same strategy in Samos, we would have most likely settled on Kokkari or Vathy, given their architectural charm.

Could we have found a 1BR in Kokkari for 50E a night ?  It’s tough to say.  We find it considerably more comfortable to be in a 1BR and we were able to rent a car for part of our time in Samos which enabled us to really explore the island.  The bus system is much less extensive here, and leaves many of the remote beaches and hikes virtually untouched (if not a bit tough to find).   There’s definitely a tradeoff in terms of both negotiation and also what we’re calling the “total price to discover” a place.  In Samos, you have to factor in at least 4 days of 4×4 driving to see the island to your total cost.  It’s hard to say that given this additional expense that a studio in Vathy or Kokkari was within our budget to experience the island.  Long live the Cleveland of Samos!

//

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Como xa dixen nun post hai uns días, maña na Ponte de Loúzara celébrase a Feira de artesanía. Espero estar ali xa que o ano pasado paseino moi ben.

Xa vos contarei que tal este ano. Aquí déixovos a ubicación por se algún esta cerca e quere asistir. Esta na Estrada de Samos o Courel.

Flyet treffer Samos

Det har vært en lang dag, men endelig kom vi frem. Dagen startet fra leiligheten i Oslo kl. 03:00 norsk tid og da gikk turen til Gardermoen. Etter å ha plassert bilen på en parkeringsplass der oppe tok vi shuttlebussen inn til terminalbygget. Alt fungerte greit og da flyet tok av litt over 07:00 begynte jeg å forstå at det var ferie på gang.

Vel fremme på Samos merket vi varmen og en ting til. Jeg kan aldri være anonym noe sted. Da vi stod og ventet på baggasjen var det noen som ropte Jens-Chr. og det var ikke kona, hun hadde jeg kontroll på da hun stod ved siden av meg. Jeg tittet overrasket over på andre siden av båndet hvor ropet kom fra og der stod det familie. De hadde vært på samme fly fra Oslo, men vi hadde ikke sett hverandre der. De skulle også videre som oss, men til Patmos og ikke Tyrkia, dit vi skulle. Verden er ikke stor.

Nå sitter jeg her på Ali Babamhotel og nyter varmen som sniker seg inn i hver pore av kroppen.

Stine slapper av på strandpromenaden i Samos

Vi måtte vente noen timer på Samos, men det gjorde ingenting. Vi koste oss og ruslet rundt. Mat ble det også tid til.

Nydelig fiskempltid

Her har Stine fått seg en fisketallerken mens jeg tok en gresk salat. Sammen med lokal drikke ble dette en fin opplevelse på ettermiddagen.

17:00 gikk ferga og da var det enda en passkontroll og helsekontroll før vi gikk ombord i ferga. Svineinfluensa er noe de har hørt om her og vi har flere ganger i dag passert varmekamera som sjekker om folk har feber. Å se seg selv i varmekamera var ingen stor opplevelse, man ser enda rarere ut enn man tror:-)

Kusadasi

Klokken er straks 03:00 og da er det på tide å sette kursen til Gardermoen for å rekke flyet sydover. Ute regner det og jeg kommer ikke til å savne Norge de første dagene.

Første del av turen går til Samos i dag og deretter er det ferge over til Kusadasi i Tyrkia.

source

Q&A: Greece’s new immigration policies based on “dangerous generalizations”

10 Jul 2009 15:47:04 GMT

Source: UNHCR

ATHENS, Greece, July 10 (UNHCR) – Greece has introduced strict policies aimed at combating irregular immigration and passed legislation that could compromise the effective protection of people applying for asylum for the first time or on appeal. Charis Karanikas of the Ta Nea daily newspaper recently met Giorgios Tsarbopoulos, head of UNHCR’s office in Athens, to talk about the implications of this new legislation and a police crackdown on alleged illegal immigrants.

Excerpts from the interview:

What do you think of the latest measures?

The reasoning behind them is based on dangerous generalizations. We cannot speak only about “illegal” immigrants. Amongst them are many people who are in need of protection and whom the state is obligated to protect.

Should police measures be beefed up?

Yes, as regards the smugglers and the traffickers. But the problem cannot be handled only by police measures. Harsher policing at the border must be coupled with the creation of reception facilities.

What can be done in neighbourhoods inundated by immigrants?

Firstly, all those who are entitled to it under the law should be referred to special accommodation facilities. They include asylum-seekers and unaccompanied minors. Today, hundreds of people who have a right to this are homeless. In general, there is a need for shelter planning, regardless of whether people are legal or illegal.Will the violence seen in the central Athens neighbourhood of Agios Panteleimon, home to many homeless Afghan migrants and asylum-seekers, spread to other areas?I hope not.

How can this be avoided?

By isolating the extreme reactions, which simply serve to shift the problem. And through a dialogue between the government and the political parties, initiatives taken by the municipalities as well as talks with organizations of immigrants and refugees.

Do you agree with transforming military camps into reception centres?

Reception facilities and administrative detention centres for immigrants in view of their deportation are two separate things. It’s not enough to turn some installations into detention centres if you pretend to create proper reception conditions.

Can Greece address this problem alone?

No.

What’s your opinion about the European Union’s stand on the matter?

It is steering clear of establishing binding mechanisms and practices for fairer responsibility sharing among the member states.

How many immigrants arrive in Greece each year?

In 2008, 146,337 people were arrested for “illegally entering and residing” in the country. There are, of course, others who have not been arrested. On the other hand, an unknown number of those who have been arrested were already residing in the country. Therefore the official data needs further analysis.

How many of them end up in existing reception centres?

All those who enter the country without papers are detained for up to three months at the administrative detention centres. Those who request asylum are transferred to open reception centres, which are too few to meet demand.

What are conditions like at these centres?

Most of the detention centres do not meet the basic conditions of human rights. The exceptions include the new centres on the island of Samos and in the Evros region [Filakio], however both are faced with problems of overcrowding.

What about reception conditions?

Reception facilities in border areas should include services and specialized staff in order to ensure the identification of people who are entitled to protection, assessment of their needs, information about their rights and obligations, and facilitation for their access to the asylum procedure.

Do you think the number of people who apply for asylum is less than the number who need it?

Those who deserve asylum are fewer than those who request it. And those who request it are not all refugees who genuinely deserve it.

Why don’t those who need asylum apply for it?

It’s because they don’t get the right information or legal advice, especially in the border areas. It’s also because they don’t manage to submit their application . . . or because they don’t trust Greece’s very problematic asylum system.

What are the main problems with Greece’s asylum system?

The initial processing and decision-making is unreliable, and the refugee recognition rate is almost zero. Not all asylum claims are registered swiftly, while many asylum-seekers lose their right to appeal. The procedure for adjudicating the claims is extremely slow.

What are the most common complaints you get from immigrants and refugees?

Delays in the adjudication of their asylum applications; lack of shelter and social care; informal push-backs or returns to Turkey across the Evros River [in north-east Greece], cases of ill-treatment.

And what do you do about them?

It depends. We address formal letters to the authorities; we try to solve the problem in an ad hoc way if possible; and we often refer individual cases to non-governmental organizations which provide legal and social support.

Vou retomar de trás para frente o blog. Como não escrevi dos últimos 3 dias em Atenas antes de irmos a Samos, é daí que vou retomar.

Bom, teremos o mesmo problema de antes. Como se passaram vários dias, não lembrarei de algumas coisas. Além disso, pelo quantidaade de informação e o pouco tempo que tenho para escrever, talvez fique meio atropelado o assunto, mas vamos lá.

Nosso passeio ao centro histórico de Atenas durou 3 dias, mas vou contar como se fosse só um. Primeiro visitamos as ruínas ao redor do Monastiraki. A primeira delas é a biblioteca de Adriano (sim, aquele mesmo que já citei umas 5x):

Esquema da biblioteca

Só sobraram 4 colunas da entrada:

4 colunas da entrada da biblioteca

Logo ao lado dela há uma entrada para o complexo do centro, que engloba inclusive essa biblioteca. Compramos uma entrada (12 euros, vale por 4 dias e pode-se visitar 5 pontos, dos quais já havíamos visitado 2 antes). Logo no começo já temos essa vista da Acrópole ao alto e de um museu à esquerda:

Dentro do complexo

A verdadeira ágora de Atenas era aqui. Aqui que Sócrates discursava e aliciava jovens. Aqui q ele quase desonrou Alcebíades (não a contragosto). Aqui que ele foi sofista e depois sofista disfarçado. Deve ter sido aqui que ele conheceu Platão, que foi para ele o que Paulo foi para Jesus.

De cara já dá pra ver o templo de Hefestos, o deus da metalurgia, casado com a Afrodite, aquela mesmo que só andava de peitos de fora e dava uns pegas em geral, como Zeus, Ares e até Apolo. Bom, o templo dele é o mais bem preservado de toda a Grécia, apesar de ser um dos menos citados:

Templo e Hefestos

Colunas do templo

Saindo de lá, adivinha quem encontramos? Sim, ele mesmo:

Adriano

No caminho de volta para casa passamos por essa estátua de Péricles de Atenas:

Péricles de Atenas

Ele foi fundamental para o desenvolvimento do estado grego antigo, bem como para a democracia ateniense,’por conseguinte a romana e quiçá a mundial! Ele é quase um José Sarney da antiguidade! (sim, fui irônico)

Bom do museu que citei anteriormente temos uma visão melhor do templo de Hefestos:

Templo de Hefestos

Eu não sei o que ele era antigamente, mas agora é abrigo para alguns pouca-telha:

Corredor do Museu

Olha a expressão e o detalhe do olho dessa estátua de Sócrates, irmão do Raí:

Olhos

De lá fomos visitar a Acrópole, a parte alta da antiga cidade, centro político e administrativo e que servia de refúgio em tempos de guerra. Na frente da subida para a Acrópole há uma pedra imensa onde as pessoas sobem para contemplar a paisagem, tirar fotos, sentir o ar fresco e fumar maconha. O doa era de São Pedro e São Paulo, por isso estava ocorrendo uma espécie de missa ao pé dessa pedra:

Entrada da pedra

Acróple vista da pedra

Passamos tb pelo teatro de Dionísio, mas não entramos pq estavam preparando uma orgia dionísica lá:

Teatro de Dionísio

De lá dá pra ver o novo museu que visitamos no último dia antes de Samos:

Novo museu de Atenas

Bom, a entrada da Acrópole é assim:

Entrada

Eles reformaram uma parte para ficar mais parecido com o original e poderem recolocar partes que de outra forma ficariam separadas:

Colunas restauradas

Bom, vou mandar esse post daqui e depois mando outro com a visita à Acrópole mesmo, inclusive o Parthenon.

Roughly speaking, my grandfather met my grandmother in Alexandria, Egypt in the year 1910 . Just before that, my grandmother, Aikaterina (or Katerina), was hidden in a cave near her home on the Samos Island, to escape torment from pirates. The villagers of Nenedes (now Ambelos) sewed her into a mattress and took it with my grandmother in it onto a boat, which headed for Alexandria, Egypt. There her sister, Irene, met her and took care of her until Katerina married.

Irene and her husband George owned a rooming house. Andreas (Andrew) Halkiopoulos, a mechanic, rented a room from them. He wanted to marry Katerina while she was still very young, but Irene forbade this marriage until she was older.

I recall two photographs of our Greek grandfather, Andreas Halkiopoulos. One dates roughly to about 1910, and it depicts Andreas with another gentleman propped on the backrest of di Dion Bouton (an early French-made automobile) appearing content and enjoying a tour with Thomas Cook, Junior, who was driving. Cook was accompanied by his wife in the front seat. In the background, we see the stones of one of Giza’s great pyramids. Is this a Cook tour? Had Andreas just arrived to Egypt? …or was this a business tour? Where was the conversation going? Roads? Auto companies? Acquiring more vehicles for more tours? Developing Egypt, maybe Turkey, as well, for the travel and auto industries? The pyramids? The di Dion Bouton?

The Greeks, like the British, French and many other European entities were in Egypt to make money. Greece was in a terribly impoverished state in the early twentieth century, so many Greeks saw opportunity, as my grandfather did, to set up businesses in Egypt. To be an auto mechanic, then, included the tasks and prestige of an international businessman and a diplomat, especially in Egypt, a crossroad for so many foreigners. It was inevitable, then, that Andreas would run across someone like Thomas Cook, who continued his father’s pioneering exploits in Egypt, working the Egyptian tours before the British (in each case) tightened their administrative control over Egypt. All this explains the likely scenario behind the picture of my grandfather on a tour posing in front of the pyramids of Giza, the same ones on the cigarette pack, with the touring magnate Thomas Cook Jr.

(NEXT: The 1914 Picture)

http://www.ekathimerini.com/

Ankara snubs migrant repatriation pact

Asked about Greek calls for the reopening of the Orthodox Seminary on the island of Halki near Istanbul, Bagis said he backed it in principle but linked it to the thorny issue of the Muslim minority in Thrace. Meanwhile, Turkey’s Culture Minister Ertugrul Gunay indicated, in an interview with the Turkish mass-circulation daily Milliyet, that Ankara was leaning toward reopening the seminary. “Both my personal and the general inclination is that the school will be opened,” Gunay was quoted as saying.

While Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and her Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu yesterday pledged to work together on bilateral issues in their first meeting on the sidelines of an international summit on Corfu, Turkey’s Minister for European Union Affairs revealed, in an interview published in yesterday’s Kathimerini, that Ankara would not be honoring a bilateral repatriation pact with Greece.

“We refuse to become the world’s biggest refugee camp,” Egemin Bagis said, noting that bilateral pacts such as the one signed by Athens and Ankara should only be honored if similar pacts are agreed between so-called transit countries for would-be migrants, such as Turkey, and countries of origin, such as Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Bagis also reiterated Ankara’s opposition to the idea of a special partnership for Turkey with the EU. “We will accept nothing less than full membership. There is no alternative.”

source: http://www.ana-mpa.gr

Visit to Samos migrant centre

European Commission Vice-president Jacques Barrot, responsible for justice, freedom and security, on Monday paid a visit to reception facilities for illegal immigrants on the eastern Aegean island of Samos, accompanied by Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos. In statements afterwards, he acknowledged that Greek authorities faced a difficult task but also stressed Greece’s obligation to provide a refuge for immigrants arriving on its shores.

“I understand the difficulty facing the Greek government, which finds itself having to deal with an ever increasing number of migrants, as well as the obligation for Community solidarity, but also that there is an obligation on the part of the Greek government to offer refuge to the foreigners that come here,” Barrot said.

The Commissioner, upon his arrival on the island, was given a tour of the French vessel belonging to the EU Frontex agency and visited the Migrant Reception Centre on the island, where he talked with immigrants detained there.

In statements to reporters, he said that this was a more general problem that cost human lives and required cooperation with non-EU countries of origin or transit in order to be solved.

Pavlopoulos declared himself satisfied with what he had seen at the Samos centre and what the Commissioner had witnessed regarding Greece’s efforts to tackle a problem that concerned all of Europe.

“It can be understood that Greece is currently receiving the greater number of illegal immigrants. It is making huge efforts to accelerate asylum processes but, as I explained to Mr. Barrot, and as he has himself acknowledged, this does not solve the more general problem that concerns illegal immigrants who are not seeking asylum,” the minister said.

According to Pavlopoulos, coping with the economic migrants required solidarity between EU nations.

“We must carry out the agreement for migration and asylum, which means signing readmission treaties and putting pressure on countries such as Turkey to honour those agreements that exist. The solution, as Mr. Barrot will explain in Athens on Tuesday, is to look at the root of the problem, and this means that we must stamp out all this illegal trafficking of migrants that exploits human lives,” he stressed.

Samos is a mountainous island in the SE part of the Aegean Sea off the coast of Asia Minor. It is 27 miles long (E-W) and about 14 miles wide. The island is separated from the mainland by a strait of one mile.

Paul and his companions stopped at, or passed near, Samos on the return from his third journey.

Sailing from there [Mitylene], we arrived the following day opposite Chios; and the next day we crossed over to Samos; and the day following we came to Miletus. (Act 20:15 NAU)

English versions do not make it clear whether Paul stopped at Samos or came within sight of the island. These comments by Floyd Filson might be helpful.

Paul’s ship…either ‘touched at’ and anchored overnight at Samos (so RSV, though this is an unusual meaning for parebalomen) or ‘came near’ to Samos and passed by it on the E or the W to anchor for the night at Trogyllium. (Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible. IV:197)

Here is a view of the eastern end of Samos as a ship passes through the most narrow part of the strait between the island and the Turkish mainland.

Paul may not have visited Samos, but it is clear that he came very close.