Solidarity against charity – No justice no peace .

The Uruguayan journalist, writer, (1940-2015) Eduardo Galeano has said
I don’t believe in charity. I believe in solidarity. Charity is so vertical. It goes from the top to the bottom. Solidarity is horizontal. It respects the other person and learns from other person . I have a lot to learn from the others. “
It has been repeated by many ad nauseam that “The crisis we are living is not just economic; it is also a crisis of values and institutions. It reflects the overall identity crisis of Modern Greek society, of the global financial system and of the neoliberal model that has been imposed. ”
Pretty much we know it and agree to it. However, despite this universal recognition, we don t succeed to proceed to the next logical step, which is the design of an alternative system of values and acts, starting from the person and extending to the social planning. We surrender our destiny to the professional politicians, who constantly deceive us with false promises and finally the only thing left us, is the sterile indignation which erupts in violence, the depressive withdrawal and the immigration…
The tragedy is that a certain part of population keeps on snowing themselves by supporting political parties, as if this is the only possible form of government!
But there is another, more creative way, between revolutionary violence and culpable apathy. And this is the peaceful – creative uprising of conscious citizens with solidarity … We become the change we want to see in the world, while we strive to pass the awareness-activation on the others.
It is not simply to tear down the old rotten system, that generates injustice, but to build in place a clear, functional and alternative one. A key weapon in the war against injustice, that causes poverty and humanitarian crisis, is solidarity. But a solidarity that is not limited to assisting the distressed, perfectly respectable and necessary, but extends to the fight against social injustice, intolerance, fundamentalism and racism at all levels. The international solidarity is joined not only to close wounds but also to treat the causes.
Solidarity means a new humanity grounded in justice, love, respect and collaboration of people, without discrimination.
The social economy, the alternative networks, the cooperative banks, the independent eco-communities, the voluntary action groups, the ecologists, the humanitarian organizations and generally all the goodwill people can be multiplied and worked together to create a genuine alternative Eutopia , in modern neoliberal Dystopia . This is precisely the aim of the Movement of Spiritual Activism “Light in Action”, which I serve.
The conscious active citizen can and must take on greater involvement in decisions affecting their lives. For this reason, the creation of a large forehead is required, beyond the divisive ideological differences, which will assert decisively direct democratic changes of government. It is time to put into practice the motto from “me” to “We”!
The participation in collective volunteering actions reduces the feelings of fear and anxiety and increases the feeling of control and companionship. Let us realize that we are all travelers on the same boat and we need mutual aid. To be concerned about our neighbor and the next generation, can provide us relief, rather than in the pocket but to the soul, something that until recently, our economic prosperity failed to secure us. The crisis is an excellent opportunity for effective internal and societal changes. It is up to us to seize it positively or lose it ..
I close with a quote from Nelson Mandela: “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom”
Yannis Avgoustatos, spiritual activist.
The speech above was part of a meeting (11.06.17) in the “Athinaion Politeia” to support the Solidarity Group “ Parea” http://pareagreece.blogspot.gr/