Corruption.....

Having little time, I'm finding it hard to keep my blog updated, but today I felt the need to keep you updated on the story of the gas pipeline. So, the story of the pipeline is....

After 8 months of hard work, and fighting hard to keep this beautiful part of Greece ... beautiful, yesterday we were informed by an executive of the Greek Gas Company, DEPA, that they have done nothing in these 8 months to find a different location for the pipeline. The Greek government has done nothing, the company has done nothing, and as far as the local authorities go... they have done nothing. For 8 months we have been in touch with Greek ministers, members of parliament, and the result has been that they have not even blinked an eyelid.

Yesterday evening the representative of DEPA confessed that the only reason he was in the area, was to pressure the local communities that the gas pipeline and compression station should pass between the tourist regions of Perdika and Sivota. He stated that in 8 months NOTHING has been done in reaction to the uproar of the local communities.... NOTHING AT ALL. The reason it cannot go somewhere else... simple... he could not answer. Both the company and the government have spent 8 months lying to all and sundry. Stories of officials coming from Holland to find a new route- blinding all the residents of both areas to the actual reality that nobody cares.

We really need help here!! As far as the state and the company is concerned we are a bunch of villagers who don't even know what gas means. As far as they are concerned it is a risk free venture, with no danger. As far as they are concerned a compression station can blend in with the environment and go unnoticed to tourists, to the villagers, to all. As far as they are concerned there is a little or no pollution. As far as they are concerned it will bring affluence and wealth to our homes. As far as they are concerned, we have no say in what goes on in our own homes, in our village, or in our country.

For the past 8 months they have ignored all of our pleas. They have started to make anonymous phone calls to people who are involved with fighting for their rights. They have tried to bribe others to keep quiet. They have even bought off reporters, TV companies so that they don't talk to the people of the area. A journalist told us that lots of money has been spent to keep the story inder wraps. They have spent 8 months playing games. They have put all their energy into inventing stories about the people who are fighting against them. Even the local authorities have been forced to keep quiet. Well this has just got to stop.

That, folks, is the Greece we live in. THIS IS EUROPE!!!!!!!!!!! If anyone can help, please get in touch...

http://greece-and-i.blogspot.com/2008/01/2500-souls.html
http://greece-and-i.blogspot.com/2007/12/keep-noise-down.html
http://greece-and-i.blogspot.com/2007/10/advice-needed.html
http://greece-and-i.blogspot.com/2007/09/perdika-greece-we-need-your-help.html
http://greece-and-i.blogspot.com/2007/10/perdika-greece-natural-gas-pipeline.html

Keep the noise down!!!!

It has been such along time since I have written, but there is a very good reason for this. Firstly, time has become a precious commodity, since I have been involved in fighting for the right to keep our community, Perdika, an environmentally safe place. Let me get you all up to date on the issue of the gas pipeline and compression station which we were made aware of in September. Since September, the people of our village, more than 200o residents, were informed of the construction of a compression station on the beaches of our village. The transit gas pipeline would be passing through our village and into our seas, transporting gas from Turkey to Italy. No attempt was made by the authorities to stop the plans, and so a group of local people decided to take the future into their hands. Our progress up to now is listed below:

1. Letters to all the authorities and government ministries about our concerns.
2. Meetings with the local authorities about the effects of such industry in this tourist region.
3. Meetings with scientists and environmentalists about the effects of the compression station.
4. Interview with local and national media about this venture.
5. Petitions with over 1000 signatures (and this is only the beginning)

These actions led to the Greek Gas Company DEPA, to a decision. They decided to look for a new route for the pipeline. The nearby town of Igoumenitsa proposed that the pipeline and compression station would be best situated on the outskirts of the town, where an industrial site was planned to be built anyway. The results though are still unknown. DEPA asked the locals in our community to keep the noise down, to not talk about the effects of the pipeline and compression station. The local authorities asked us to keep the noise down, to not fight for our rights, as it was a case of give and take. Our Mayor even had the audacity to claim that we had to let the company plan their route because, as he said, if we didn't then our village would not be given any funding for other plans that have been made.

KEEP THE NOISE DOWN!!!! This is the answer of the authorities and government officials. This is the answer of people who have been voted into their positions by us!!! This is the answer of the Greek State.

Our answer is no. We have rights which cannot be trampled upon by anybody. The only reason we can think of for keeping the noise down, is so that the company can do its job without bothersome locals, without fear of being stopped. If this is a venture of national and international significance, our voices must be heard. We are nationals. We are Europeans. We may live in a village, by choice, but we are not about to let our dreams, our hopes, our future, our livelihoods be thrown away just because it is convenient, less costly and less of a bother to pass through this area.

This is our home. These are our clean beaches. THIS IS OUR LIFE.

Thank you for listening.