From GR-EXIT to GR-ENTRANCE: a solidarity campaign between Greece and Belgium

by Georgia Bekridaki (Solidarity for All)

We are very pleased to announce that the exports solidarity campaign organized between Solidarity for All (Greece) and the organization Climaxi (Belgium) was successfully completed! The aim of the campaign was on the one hand to spread the word to the Belgian people and collectives for the socio – political situation in Greece and the consequences of austerity policies, on the other hand to get practical support from Belgian associations, trade unions, environmental groups, solidarity collectives to the Greek worker cooperatives and small producers

So we created a “Solidarity food box”, a “solidarity package” that includes traditional products from cooperatives and the natural soaps made by the workers of the recuperated factory of VIO.ME. The campaign was mostly addressed to unions like ABVV General Confederation of Workers, associations, environmental groups, political organizations, social centers where they ordered a total of 2.2 tons of products.

The difficult conditions prevailing in Belgium – because of the climate of fear and widespread militarism of their daily lives – the three weeks the campaign lasted from 08-27 / 11 brought us even closer. The collectives who participated felt that the actions of solidarity among peoples is the answer to the non-support of EU leaders against Greece on the one hand and against the causes that generate wars and xenophobia on the other.

The Greek products arrived on the 17.12 at Herzele and we met all the solidarity people who participated in the campaign. The next day we travelled in Leuven, where a very warm event took place. We discussed about the struggles and the solidarity movement which developed in Greece the last 5 years of memorandum, while at the same time our Belgian friends expressed their interest not only because they got to know about the experiments imposed in Greece, but because they could see the impact also in their own country.

It is worth mentioned that the 20% surplus of the campaign will be donated to solidarity initiatives (food distribution collectives) in Greece and for the creation of a counseling infrastructure for the support of solidarity economy initiatives.

Download the presentation: Greece solidarity_campaign_english.pdf