The Alternative Festival of Cooperative & Solidarity Economy invites you to a three-day event on Solidarity, Creativity and Sustainability, held at the Self-managed Camping of Voula (Athens) from May 30 to June 1, 2014.
We consider that the so-called “crisis”* is mainly a crisis of consciousness and we counterpropose another world that we can create right now; a world that fosters communication, exchange and transition practices for a society based on participation, self-management, solidarity and respect for nature and human beings; a world that is evolving constantly and dynamically towards a new system of values beyond the existing models of smug individualism, excessive consumerism and the sacrifice of everything on the altar of profit. We no longer accept this world and we create today the conditions for its transcendence. Our three-day event, during which we affirm through practical workshops that we can now work altogether to create the conditions of the “New” and overcome the “Old”, is harmonized with the context of this new global reasoning.
Our choice of the Self-managed Camping of Voula as the hosting place of this event reflects our belief that the processes of management, decision-making, use and care of public spaces are purely political acts concerning the societies themselves and not some representatives who decide for citizens without citizens. We support the continuous and valuable efforts and struggles of the volunteers of the Self-managed Camping of Voula against government’s plans of privatization as well as their initiative to clean the area and give free access to the beach for all citizens, so as the place remains accessible to everyone, clean, safe and operational, a place of action, creativity and freedom of expression.
We will meet at a small distance outside the big city in order to participate in workshops and collective events on self-sufficiency and sustainability, social organization and self-improvement: artistic and experiential workshops, workshops on sovereignty over food, health, energy, workshops on body and expression, practices of natural building, seminars of non – violent communication and participatory decision-making will take place, in a relaxed environment near the beach, combining knowledge and entertainment. Children of all ages are welcome to participate in creative games, improvisation and workshops.
During the event, we will enjoy the tasteful menu of Nomadic Kitchen and other volunteer cooking groups. In order to reduce our environmental footprint we will bring our own dishes and glasses. Whoever has music instruments is invited to bring them in order to improvise altogether!
Let’s resist creatively!
Assembly of the Alternative Festival of Cooperative & Solidarity Economy
Participating groups: Art Bank, Agronaftes, Aftarkeia Network, Self-managed Camping of Voula, Votsalo-Solidarity Network of Koridallos, Iliosporoi, Nomadic Kitchen, Orizontas Gegonoton, Εco-villages, Informal Cooperative Rizari, Syn Allois, Synergatiko Kafeneio Akadimias Platonos, Spithari-Waking Life project, Time Bank of Athens-Syntagma Square, Transition initiative of Academia Platonos
*Crisis: From medieval latin “manifestation of a serious illness“. From Ancient Greek κρίσις (krisis, “a separating, power of distinguishing, decision, choice, election, judgment, dispute”), from κρίνω (krinō, “pick out, choose, decide, judge”)