We hope that you will have a fantastic time!

Second meeting for the Comenius Multilateral School Partnership Programme:

“Mission into the future: a quest for sustainability”

The purpose of this presentation is to provide you some information about the places in our city where we will go these days.

6th Secondary School

This is our school and it’s located in the foothills of hill Korilovos. It is a big building and it has a wonderful view from all directions.There are about 300 students and 30 teachers. Our school has won a lot of medals in basketball and football competitions.

This is the library in our school. There are many books which students can read at the school breaks.

This is the computer lab. There are 12 computers, which are in a very good condition and high quality. There is also a projector.

6th Secondary School

Ancient Theatre of Filippoi

In the era of globalization it is important, more than ever, to preserve cultural sites, traditions and ethos. On Tuesday we will have the opportunity to visit the ancient theatre. We’ll present a short lecture about the life of Ancient Greeks and their relationship with the theatre.

We will play a couple of games together!

Ancient Theatre

Here you can see more photos of the theatre.

Cave of AlistratiOn Wednesday we’ll have the chance to visit the cave of Alistati. Access to caves involves an emphasis on conservation due to their fragile nature.

The visit will help us develop our understanding of the natural resources and we will grab the opportunity to discuss about our ecological footprint and how we might reduce our impact on earth’s limited resources.

Cave of Alistrati

Saint Barbara

Citizens of Drama visit Saint Barbara’s lake to enjoy their coffee, lunch or dinner. For this reason we decided to take a walk... The best of all is that we will have free time to talk to each other . It will be an unforgettable experience!

The water sources of Saint Barbara is a natural wetland in the centre of the city of Drama and it is fairly considered as the unique characteristic of the city.

Many cultural events take place in the area during the year.

We will have lunch and dinner in the area of Saint Barbara! Meeting over lunch or dinner is always an excellent opportunity to exchange views and ideas and a starting point for lively discussions.

What keeps our society together?

This question is difficult to answer especially under the experience of the economic crisis, the impacts of capitalism and globalization, and the rise of fascism in Europe. Economic crisis in Greece is a result of a long period of political alienation. Citizens feel that laws are broken down, political decisions are unclear and unpredictable, and that they cannot influence the actions of the government. Social challenges of the last decade require us to make fast steps in our understanding of how our societal and political future can be managed in a sustainable way.

A visit to the Social Solidarity Clinic of Drama

The rise of the Fascist/Nazi party in Greece

Greek society is in emergency as austerity measures imposed by the Greek government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) hit the most vulnerable groups (unemployed, poor) and the middle class, leaving the wealthiest people (e.g. bankers, industrialists) almost unharmed. Official unemployment rates reach 28%, while the rate comes up to 58% for the youth between 18-35 years old. At the same time there is no growth plan to reverse the slide and lead to new jobs. Poverty rates at 30% while wage and pension cuts have reached 40% of the annual revenue since 2010.

Crisis is not the problem of the poor but the solution of the rich

This period is marked by a dramatic increase in suicides in Greece. It was estimated that the suicide rate in Greece was among the lowest in the world before 2009 (2.8 per 100.000 people), yet now it has been doubled at about 5 people per 100.000.

What is more, the health care system has suffered severe cuts; hence, for example, public health insurance funds can cover less than 50% of the medical treatment received.

Meanwhile, European citizens can hardly understand what is really going on in Greece as reports and policy briefs do not unveil real conditions, since the corrupted Greek government has embarked on a crusade to silence dissident voices. This crusade to its extreme led to the arrest of a journalist for publishing the names of hundreds of rich Greeks suspected of tax evasion. And all that are merely the beginning.

The present is burdensome and the future is expected to be dark…

The Social Solidarity Clinic of Drama (SSCD) is a self-organised initiative that resists to the austerity and inhuman measures imposed by the Greek government and the IMF.

SSCD is not a charity act; rather it is a symbol of political solidarity, direct democracy, citizens’ autonomy and isonomy.

The National Health System excludes more and more people, yet we believe that access to health care is a fundamental human right. For that cause, SSCD provides primary medical treatment and preventive healthcare to all people who cannot afford healthcare expenses, regardless of race, religion, and origin. Moreover, SSCD exerts pressure on the state in order to provide free access to secondary and tertiary health care to all people who have no health insurance.

People of different professions and skills participate and offer their services voluntarily in SSCD. Yet, the organizational structure of SSCD is non-hierarchical and open where every single member of the group has an equal say in all matters. What is more, SSCD is completely independent of political parties or other institutional and corporate structures. And this is one of the fundamental goals of SSCD: people participating in SSCD exercise autonomy, or simply put, they act knowing that it is themselves and not some external force that determines or leads them.

Nestos River

On Thursday, if the weather allows outdoor activities, we’ll visit Nestos river. We’ll enjoy a walk near the river bank and we will play environmental games. So we believe that you are ready for fun!

Renewable energy sites

In case there is heavy rain, we will visit renewable energy sites (wind farm and water dam) and we will discuss about renewable/green energy and its role in providing a sustainable energy future.