If anybody doubts that Irony is a greek word, Syriza has apparently come out in opposition of the destruction of the refugee squats in Thessaloniki. In case you are not following greek politics very closely, Syriza is the major partner in the Greek coalition government. So Syriza is condemning their own government.
Hypocrisy is another greek word as well…
At least 40 people drowned this morning off Turkey when their boat capsized and sank while they were trying to cross to Greece. At least 244 people have died while trying to make it to Europe so far in 2016…
When you wake up to news like that day after day it is easy (and not entirely illogical) to feel overwhelmed, to want to shut down, to give in to despair. I struggle with these feelings and thoughts all the time. Where I find hope and strength is in the solidarity of ordinary people who faced with this reality day in and day out, in the midst of the worst economic downturn outside of a wartime, choose to work together, to not let the apparent impossibility of the task at hand stop them from doing the little bit that they can. And I find particular inspiration in the fact that these efforts are not guided by feelings of pity or charity, nor are they focused solely on addressing humanitarian needs. Solidarity groups and efforts in Greece, among many many similar efforts throughout the world, stand together with our fellow human beings who are forced to flee their homes and seek a better life somewhere else, not only in providing the basics of food, water, clothing, medical care, housing, but also in opposing the very actions and ideologies that create the conditions from which they need to flee and which profit from their deaths along the way. But most importantly, we stand together so that we can build a better world, one where dignity and freedom are paramount values and realities, where human needs supersede those of the banks and the states, a world where our children, ALL of our children, are safe, happy, well taken care of.
“Another world is not only possible, she’s on the way and, on a quiet day, if you listen very carefully you can hear her breathe.”
I believe solidarity is the heartbeat of this world.
Maybe he liked Lego or feared the dark.
Maybe he would have been the next Mozart or a good baker or an average Dad.
But he had a name: Aylan Kurdi, three, from Kobani.
via Alex Andreou. Photo by Reuters
#SayTheirNames #TearDownTheBorders
I don’t like the fact that this is the only photo of Aylan that we have. I don’t like that his death can become a sensational symbol or that it will simply be something “tragic.” Because it is not tragic. It is criminal. Aylan, and his brother Kuldip, five, who also drowned, are not dead because of some “accident.” They were murdered by policies that first made their homes uninhabitable and then by further policies that made their journey to safety deadly.
If Aylan was “european” we would have photos of him smiling, playing with his friends, blowing out the candles on his birthday cake, surrounded by family, and friends who loved him. We would have photos of him being a kid, not a symbol. But this is the only photo that we have. And we cannot just let him be one more nameless statistic.