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P.Trigazis: Certain good things are happening for the first time in this country, despite the fact that some people don’t want to admit it



''FIRST TIME'' MANY TIMES

by Panos Trigazis*

 

Certain good things are happening for the first time in this country, despite the fact that some people don’t want to admit it.

For the first time, on 25 January 2015, the suffering Greek people selected SYRIZA, a party of the radical Left, to govern the country.

For the first time, this country’s spurned and humble people of the social left had their own government, resolved to serve their interests and visions.

For the first time, the Prime Minister of Greece, when visiting Cyprus, met with Turkish Cypriot fighters for peace and for the reunification of their island. When his predecessor, Mr. Samaras, visited Cyprus, he refrained from using the phrase “Turkish Cypriots”, as though they were not a constituent part of the Cypriot people.

For the first time, a government of Greece and its Minister of Migration speak in a different language about the migration issue, rejecting slogans like “let’s reoccupy our cities” through which, indirectly but clearly, migrants are defined as “invaders”. If such a thing were true, why should we save them and not leave them to drown when they try to cross the Aegean in some tub, and drag Greece through the international courts?

For the first time, in our country’s foreign policy, approaches are being made in a multi-dimensional and pro-peace direction; initiatives are being taken, such as the meeting of five countries (Turkey, Hungary, FYROM, Greece and Serbia) in Budapest to promote energy cooperation.

For the first time, on 13 May 2015, the President’s Mansion opened its doors for the President of the Republic, Mr. Prokopis Pavlopoulos, to personally welcome a group of Hibakusha (survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki) on the occasion of another visit to Piraeus by the Peace Boat. With them was Aaron Tovish, coordinator of the global movement Mayors for Peace, with 6,700 mayors in its ranks. Also present were representatives of Greek organisations for peace and nuclear disarmament.

For the first time, the Parliament of the Hellenes, on the initiative of its Speaker Zoe Konstantopoulou, held a special session on the Hibakusha, in the presence of the Japanese Ambassador to Greece, during which all political parties participated and spoke (with the predictable exception of Golden Dawn), and an opportunity was given to the undersigned as President of PADOP, and to Maria Arvaniti-Sotiropoulou, in her capacity as President of the Panhellenic Medical Association against the Nuclear and Biochemical Threat – the Greek branch of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), which began with two co-presidents, a Soviet physician and one American physician – to demonstrate their opposition to nuclear war and to demand that it be prevented by all means.

Upon reading the above, readers may say that other things are of greater concern now. It’s true that in our days, the socioeconomic problems of our people and our country have absolute priority. But let us not forget that peace is not just the absence of war. It is also democracy, human rights and social justice. As our poet, Tasos Livaditis said: “If you want to be called human / you will never for a moment stop fighting for peace and justice.” And let us not forget that the struggle for peace is in the DNA of the Left, as is anti-fascism, because “fascism means war”.

We wish and hope – not to say we are certain – that in the not-too-distant future, I will be delighted to report many other “first times”

 

*Panos Trigazis is the Coordinator of the SYRIZA International Relations and Peace Affairs Department

 

(June 12, 2015)



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