Tag Archives: Greece

The New Hungry

Posted on by

despair

“I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for the minds and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

We are being told that here, in the United States, we are “in an economic recovery.”

Really?

That’s not what the folks working at the soup kitchens, food banks, and shelters are saying.  The number of people coping with food insecurity is not decreasing.  Quite the opposite.  College-educated, middle-class men and women are now very much a part of the “hungry” demographic in our society. I know them.  Hell, I’ve written about them. They are real people, not fictional characters.  Their stories are not embellished.  These are true accounts of their descent into a state of existence that is not only a new and unsettling experience for them, but also one that doesn’t have a frame of reference. Imagine, for a moment, what this must feel like.  When you’ve never been poor or hungry…  and suddenly you are. How do you wrap your mind around it?  What are your coping mechanisms?  More importantly, how do you get yourself out of this rut?  Before making a snap judgment, understand that there is no Dr. Phil quick-fix, one-size-fits-all solution.

We are being told that the economic crisis in Europe is over.

Really?

Let’s look at Greece, for example.  In an article from The Guardian, journalist Helena Smith writes “Against a backdrop of record unemployment, and with the country ensnared in its worst crisis in modern times, hardship is surfacing in ways that few would ever have foreseen. Hunger and undernourishment are part of that spectre.”   Xenia Papastavrou, director of Boroume (the leading food bank organization in Greece), was quoted as saying  “In traditional middle-class neighborhoods like Zographou,  the number of those requiring support has gone up from 50 to 500 since 2011.”

It would appear that the “new faces of hungry” is a global issue.

It would appear that the there will be no “Hallelujahs” in our immediate economic future.

I wish I could tell a different story.  Believe me, I do.  But, I can’t.  This is the reality.  You can choose to put your fingers in your ears and chant “lalalalalalala”…  but that won’t change the reality, I’m afraid.

The question then becomes “what can we do?” 

I can’t answer that for you. But I can tell you what I’m doing.  Damage control.  People can’t think or function properly when they’re hungry.  So, my immediate reaction is to help people who are experiencing hunger, probably for the first time in their lives.

Kindness. Pass it on. 

A little Socratic wisdom

Posted on by

I’m in a philosophical frame of mind these days.  So for the rest of 2016, my posts will highlight famous philosophical quotes and the philosophers who said them. This month (September), the focus will be on some of the greatest ancient Greek philosophers whose influence and thinking have transcended the passage of time.

SOCRATES

socrates-_line_engraving_by_p-_pontius_1638_after_sir_p-_p_wellcome_v0005528

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”

– Socrates, (469—399 BCE),  classical Greek philosopher

Socrates was considered the father of Western logic and philosophy. He espoused an ethical system based on human reason, rather than theological doctrine. According to Socrates, the more we come to know ourselves, the greater will be our ability to reason and make choices that lead to true happiness. His quest for knowledge focused on one simple idea: how to live a good and virtuous life. We know him through the writings of the students he mentored, the most famous of whom was Plato. It was Plato who later taught Aristotle, who then went on to tutor Alexander the Great.

He taught his students by asking them questions, with the objective of getting them to think for themselves. This became known as “the Socratic Method” which, in today’s world, is a method of teaching most often used by law and medical professors in universities and colleges across the globe.

“I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think”

– Socrates

Socrates refused to acknowledge class distinction or in other words, the “proper behavior” at the time. He spoke and mingled with women, servants and slaves just as easily as with nobility and scholars. This refusal to conform to social proprieties angered the so-called important men of the time. Socrates was subsequently arrested for impiety. His accusers (Meletus the poet, Lycon the orator, and Anytus the tanner) charged him with “denying the gods recognized by the state and introducing new divinities” and “corrupting the young.”  These accusations were considered (by those who favored Socrates) as being personally and politically motivated.

Socrates was sentenced to death by hemlock poisoning in 399 BCE. He died in his Athenian prison cell, surrounded by his friends. Socrates himself never wrote down any of his teachings. He focused on action, not words. His teachings and philosophy were later interpreted and written by his students, men like Plato who later went on to form their own philosophical schools.

“To find yourself, think for yourself.”

– Socrates

READ:

The Trial and Death of Socrates, by Plato

The Republic, by Plato

 

 

Never on a Sunday

Posted on by

Melina

Greek Actress, Melina Mercouri (Movie “Never on a Sunday“)

 “Relax. Refresh. Renew. Play. Sing. Laugh. Enjoy. Forgive. Dance. Love. Hug. Share. Kiss. Create. Explore. Hope. Listen. Dare. Trust. Dream. Learn. TODAY!”

― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience

The Food Crisis in Greece Reaches Critical Levels

Posted on by
crisis-and-hunger-in-greece-20131

“Hunger is insolent, and will be fed.”

— Homer

I am Greek, by marriage only.  Or so I’ve always thought.  Recently, I discovered that half of my maternal ancestors were of Greek origin.  Perhaps this explains my affinity for the country, the people, and the food.  For me, Greek food equals abundance, a Mediterranean feast of savory and sweet delicacies that make you want to loosen your belt, and throw any notion of dieting out the window.  After all, the Greek diet is one of the healthiest in the world.  I swear by it.  So, when I see the hunger and starvation that is spreading like an insidious virus throughout Greece, it makes me sick in my heart.

Nationwide, children are fainting from malnourishment and suffering chronic, painful bouts of hunger cramps.  A nation of proud and feisty people are being brought to their knees.  Not just the poorest of poor, or the working class… but, also the middle class.  Yet another country that is seeing its middle class disappear below the poverty line.

The Greek Orthodox Church feeds approximately 55,000 people per day and the soup kitchens are at full capacity, distributing an estimated 7,000 meals to people… just in Athens alone.

If it is indeed true that there’s reason to celebrate because the recession in Europe is coming to an end, Greece certainly hasn’t been invited to the party.

With every severe economic crisis, extreme conditions inevitably breed extreme behaviors. Not surprisingly, violence, domestic abuse, theft, vandalism and prostitution are at an all-time high in Greece.  However, on the other end of the spectrum, the outpouring of kindness and generosity from within Greece and from other countries has been heartwarming. Throughout the country, families are helping other families. In the Greek Expat communities around the world, there has been a wave of support for the mother country.

For more information on helping the hungry, homeless and jobless in Greece, please go to the Greek America Foundation‘s website and learn more about Project Hope for Greece.

Image via bookbar.gr.