Letter from Greece.

Athens, October 3, 2016

  

Dear all,

as you know the grassroots social solidarity movement that developed in Greece the last five years, came about as the evolution and maturation of the mass anti-Troika mobilizations of 2011. It constituted a significant venture of a different kind of social organizing and an example of efficient response to the austerity on a national and international levels.

Through the triptych solidarity – self-organization – resistance various collectives were formed on the basis of equitable participation and mutuality. Their efforts shaped novel criteria and a new perception for social and political action and dealt efficiently with the everyday battles against the poverty that affected the society on multiple layers. The solidarity movement brought the hope that there are ways of collective effort and action which can bring results and that can lay out the foundations for deeper social transformations.

The political support of the international movement has been significant in such effort. It succeeded very quickly to respond to the negative representation and hostile atmosphere against the Greek people. It reinstated the truth about the crisis in Greece and how this related to the struggles and fates of all the people in Europe and beyond. At the same time, the material support of the international solidarity movement to the local solidarity structures in Greece has been priceless, as it guaranteed their ability to be financially and politically independent.

Solidarity for All, which kicked off in the fall of 2012, all these years has worked within the solidarity movements with full respect to the autonomy of the various structures. It acted with constant and diligent concern for resolving occurring issues and needs, for the logistical and media support of the activities of the movement. It contributed considerably in the foundation of solidarity networks along its various sectors, or, on a regional and nationwide level among the variety of solidarity actions. Thus it created the conditions for exchange of experiences and the formulation of common projects and mutual support. Simultaneously it organized larger nationwide campaigns and facilitated the interconnection of the solidarity movement with international solidarity initiatives and social movements.

In this manner the solidarity movement managed to give substance to the hopes of the people in Greece. It contributed significantly to the defeat of the pro-Troika establishment in Greece in January 2015 and again in the battle of the OXI (NO) referendum in the summer of 2015. The solidarity movement rooted in the neighborhoods stood as the best “representative” of hope in practice, manifesting the potential for a different route beyond the imposed realisms of “TINA”.

The political change in January 2015, but mainly, and in a tragic manner, SYRIZA’s U-turn after the determined OXI of the Greek people, brought the solidarity movement before big challenges and new kinds of dilemmas. This had a direct impact on the work of Solidarity for All, which despite the efforts of many people has reached a definite closure of its circle and work.

Important issues, such as the relationship between state-government-party-movements-society have not found an answer, or at least an attempt for one. On the contrary prevailed, in an automatic way, the instrumentalization of all the grassroots movements for governmental aims, which resulted in a breaching of our foundational principle of the autonomy of the movements and the solidarity structures. After the July’s 2015 turn and the signing of the third memorandum, those issues acquired a new dimension. Severe objections in critical policies of the government brought it often face to face with the movements and the needs of the society.

The three founding members of Solidarity for All, who sign this document, estimate that there is no room anymore to carry on our efforts for the development of movements of solidarity – self-organization – resistance, as we aspire within Solidarity for All. We feel obliged, in the name of our common steps all these years to inform you about our decision to continue in new endeavors outside Solidarity for All. We consider ourselves fortunate that we put all our efforts and contributed in the making of this fantastic (ad)venture of social solidarity. In the formation of a movement that supported, inspired and created a model of grassroots organizing, from below, that now other people, especially in Europe, share, too.

Always active.

Before the impasse we pave new paths.

For ever with you.

Myrto Bolota

Christos Giovanopoulos

Tonia Katerini

Comment:
The writers of this statement include nationally and internationally respected, prominent, activists in the Greek people's 8 year battle over the relentless imposition of deep austerity. Constructed by the IMF, the European Council and the European Bank, but in close collaboration with a series of Greek governments, now including that led by Syriza, the Greek people have been the victims of a cruel and despotic experiment conducted by Europe's rulers. Their resistance contains the richest experiences that have yet emerged in the modern era in their creation of new, alternative models of politics and even society. The evolution and crises of those models is of critical importance to all those who seek an alternative to capitalism.

Also see Blog 13. 7. 16. The Left in Greece - and Britain!