Announcement: Fourth Festival for Solidarity and Cooperative Economy in Athens

* Festival: 4th Festival for Solidarity & Cooperative Economy ; 16-17-18th of October, 2015 in Academia Platonos Park- Athens

Martin Mair writes:

“Members of various solidarity networks, cooperative initiatives and innovative structures in Greece organise, for the fourth time in a row, the Festival for Solidarity & Cooperative Economy.

The festival will take place in Athens in the 16-17-18th of October in Plato’s Academy Park.

This year we would like to focus exclusively in action and highlight remarkable practices aiming to inspire society and prove that there are those alternatives that can help us meet our needs.

We want to open more to society and to shout even louder our slogan “*Anotherworld is real*” and necessary more than ever. A world based on creativity, self-sufficiency, sustainability and solidarity.

For this reason we will create in the festival, an autonomous village in which practical workshops will be held, answers to basic questions will be given and discussions will be taking place.

In the thematic corners of the village, the visitor will be able to meet or learn how to cover his needs for food, health, education, labor, energy, technology, housing, transportation etc. and find a way to express himself and create with his fellow villagers.
Inside the festival will also function our alternative currency that we will use to make transactions with selected producers.
Clothes and books exchange bazaar and collective kitchen will take place.

People offering work (villagers) will be rewarded with free food for their services .

The aim of the festival is to give a practical example of another world that is here, to prove that we can live in a different way.
There will be presented an important effort to continuity of the functioning of the autonomous village beyond the end of the festival, through the creation of the Integral Cooperative in Athens.

The Solidarity & Cooperative Economy Festival advocates a world that promotes communication and mutual exchange aiming to move towards a society based on participation and cooperation, self-management, solidarity, sustainability, self-sufficiency and respect to nature and human.

We want the festival to speak to the hearts of those who seek alternative humane solutions. To provide inspiration for launching similar initiatives in other greek cities.

We want to unite and together make it happen.”