Between September 14th and 16th 2014, the RIPESS Europe Coordination Committee met in Athens. They were hosted by Solidarity4all and the Synallois cooperative. Two members of these organisations presented the Greek context during the RIPESS General Assembly that took place in June 2014, as well as the significance of their activities that are aimed at coping with the difficulties that the citizens who are victims of the financial crisis. The measures imposed by the Troika (which is what the Greeks call the European Union, the IMF and the World Bank) have lead to serious impoverishment of the Greek people, as well as a the rise of unemployment (factories and shops and services have closed down), as well as the degradation of working conditions in terms of job insecurity and low salaries. The Committee wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the situation, and meet with people who are organising the resistance to the degradation of living conditions.
The first day was dedicated to presenting RIPESS to the members of the various associations and cooperatives that have been springing up all over the territory. The principle of these meetings is to encourage dialogue between participants and help build strategies that will support citizens’ initiatives, so that there will be improved collective organisation as well as improved living conditions.