SONGSOPTOK: Let us forget for a moment the UN definition of
‘humanitarianism’. What is your personal definition? In what context would you
apply the word?
CHRYSSA VELISSARIOU: "In this
world, which is increasingly shrinking, each of us needs all the others. We
must look for the human being no matter where he/she can be found. When Oedipus
encountered the Sphinx on the road to Thebes and she raised her riddle to him,
his response was: the human being. This simple notion destroyed the monster. We
have many monsters to destroy. Let us ponder over the response of Oedipus
"(my translation from greek abstract in the conclusion of C. Seferis’s
speech in Stockholm on the day he received the Nobel Prize for Literature - all
the talking you can read by clicking here) And here you can find details about Oedipus and the riddle of Sphinx to
which I’m referring
SONGSOPTOK: What, according to you, are the specific types of events that
call for humanitarian actions?
CHRYSSA VELISSARIOU: Humanitarianism
is a life attitude that considers the human being as the first value of life:
"to shape people with strong and nice body, with clean thoughtful mind,
with strong will and love and respect for their fellow human beings " (Al.
Delmouzos) So any action which serves these purposes is a humanitarian
action: from the actions to defend the education and health of each person
to the struggles against war, poverty,
hunger, thirst, misery, sexism, racism, or in favor of the dream for world
peace and respect for the cultural heritage of all peoples.
SONGSOPTOK: Why, in your
opinion, do countries and societies even need humanitarian actions, often
initiated and coordinated by the so called first world economies?
CHRYSSA VELISSARIOU: External
development assistance, to reconstruct a country's infrastructure,
institutions, and economy, is often a key part of the peace. This assistance
ensures that the country can develop, instead of sliding back into conflicts. Funding for humanitarian aid and
development assistance comes mostly from foreign governments. Approximately 50
percent of funding is channeled through U.N. agencies. Much of this is then
allocated to partner agencies that implement the programs.
SONGSOPTOK: Can individuals play a significant role in initiating or
participating in humanitarian actions? In what way?
CHRYSSA VELISSARIOU: Each person by
himself can be a small torch of humanitarianism. Many such torches cooperating
in small groups and many such groups around the world will make the earth shine
like a sun of agape, of love for the fellow men, of compassion, of true humanitarianism.
I will bring forth the Greek humanitarianism paradigm. The Greek
spirit is by tradition humanitarian. The two factors which makes the difference
in our national tradition is our Antiquity in which we are immersed and the
Christian Greek Orthodox tradition.
The Ancient Greeks first, into the polytheistic world of the
pre-Christian antiquity, with the impulsive reactive spasm of their
unparalleled creativity, captured the essence of man, understood the greatness
of human imagination and highlighted the importance of the human mind, noting
the among time rumblings and the archetypal shakings of its reflection. The
Greeks, among the ancient ethnic world, had as purpose of education the
ennoblement and culture of man: «Ως χάριέν εστ’ άνθρωπος, όταν άνθρωπος η»(How
nice is man to be a human being, Menander)." Protagoras also said
«Πάντων χρημάτων μέτρον άνθρωπος»
(criterion and measure of all the things is the human being).
The Greek Soul, inconceivable, unfading, indomitable, maintains Humanitarianism
not only alive but free, not only free but also active and with a mysterious
effect, extracts it from the places of the past and expels it to the times
ahead.
The Greek Orthodox Christian ethics which I know and experience is
also essentially a social Ethics, it is humanitarianism in its depth , agape
for fellow humans. The fellow man takes forever value in the eyes of the
faithful Christian Greek, almost identified with God, the highest good.
Agape, the fragrant flower of the soul, the outpouring of the
inner beauty of man, weighs harmoniously in glorious array the monism and
dualism, the "final hesychasm and the uninterrupted creativity",
aligns directly in the peristyle of the high ideals the offering and the sacrifice,
the action and the freedom, because, as Rabindranath Tagore said , "only
what is done out of love is free”. Therefore, when someone works with love, he
finds freedom in the action.
So it is necessary values of humanitarianism of Ancient Greek
Philosophy to be transferred to the youth all over the world. But this transfer
needs not to be done through a restricted teaching method. The infertility of
the usual study of ancient texts hinders the development of the mind and tired
teenage spirit. The bravery, honor and virtue are left in his thinking essentially
as simple words and not as aims. Respect and hospitality are downloaded in his
mind as episodes in the Odyssey which do not need analysis, since such questions
are not cultivated in school.
Thus, it becomes evident the need to transform the educational
practices of humanitarian education in the modern school. Cooperation is
neither knowledge nor a single skill that must be developed. It is a way of
life and as such should be taught experientially. Through group work, through
joint events, creative walks and tours to attractions and natural beauty, the
collaborativeness will be turned into cooperation. The consistency in the small
community of the school will develop into a social cohesion. And all this without
the teenager to lose neither his individual personality by being transformed in
a human mass, neither to compete with classmates.
Let me emphasize that the educational process for future
humanitarians does not need only cooperation. Dialogue is one instrument which
will bring together the students. But we are talking about an open dialogue, a
dialogue between the students without the mediation of the teacher.
The essence of the culture of humanitarian values is within the open
questions for which the teacher does not know which exactly will be the answer,
how they will evolve, but he knows that they will lead to doubt and judgment.
However, the substantial humanitarian education-without reducing
the importance of science's or technological teaching subjects, but in
harmonious relation and dialectic relationship with them- cannot remain
anthropocentric. The anthropocentrism as perception is inhumane. It leads to
disregard for nature, for the ecosystem and develops unilateral practices
against nature.
Aristotle noted that "the nature of man has the desire to
learn." So humanitarianism emphasizes precisely the value of free thought,
of artistic creativity, encourages the bizarre and out of social stereotypes
imagination of a researcher, supports the ingenuity without limitation,
promotes the flight of poet's imagination. Humanitarianism is logical and
nonsectarian. It supports freedom of research in all its forms and opposes all
forms of censorship. It acknowledges the scientific method as the most reliable
and efficient to acquire knowledge about the world without making any deduction
in the value of art, music, literature and other ways of cultural expression in
order to bring people to the recognition of all forms of truth, the different
options on things.
Humanitarianism expresses the freedom of research. Humanitarianism
believes in a free mind that is able to look and judge events, situations,
people and ideas. This is of course the form of democracy that works with
humanistic principles which allows the citizen to raise issues, to discuss, to
argue, to disagree with respect to the principles and values of the other one.
It is undemocratic to deny anyone to question, to ask. True democracy does not
set error labels on individuals just because someone disagrees.
The aim of general education of a society which shapes its youth
to play the role of individuals initiating or participating in humanitarian
actions is the all-round intellectual culture which signify the overall
outlook, the critical thinking, the ability to analyze and generalize, the
discernment but also the openness towards new ideas but most of all a culture
based on the agape meaning the love and compassion for the fellow men.
SONGSOPTOK: What should be
the role of the world community, especially organizations like the UN, to
encourage humanitarian actions in different countries, especially those
suffering from internal war or external aggression? Do you think that their
efforts are sufficient? If not, what else should be done to help the countries
/ societies / populations in need?
CHRYSSA VELISSARIOU: The four main
actors in humanitarian aid and development assistance are:
International Organizations (IOs) and Regional Organizations
(ROs) (or Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs)): The most important actor in the provision of humanitarian aid
and development assistance is the United Nations (U.N.) and its various
agencies, funded by member states. The World Bank and regional development banks
also fund development projects.
Unilateral assistance: As well as
multilateral assistance, many countries also direct aid unilaterally through
their own foreign-aid and development agencies. In addition to a sense of moral
obligation, aid can be part of foreign policy.
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs): NGOs increasingly play a key role in providing humanitarian aid
and development assistance, both directly and as partners to U.N. agencies.
They often have advantages over IOs or foreign governments. For example, they
are less limited by political constraints and their diversity and independence
allows them to work in very difficult places.
The Military: The military
acts primarily to ensure a secure environment in which relief agencies can
operate. In some circumstances, the military may also provide aid directly,
usually when IOs and NGOs find themselves overstretched or unable to deal with
security problems. The military can be used to manage and coordinate the
overall humanitarian response and to deal with technically and physically
demanding needs, such as restoring communications and supply routes. Coordination
and effective leadership of the humanitarian relief effort is extremely
important in order to minimize duplication and conflicting activities and to
maximize the exchange and flow of intelligence in an extremely difficult and
stressful working environment. Coordination is usually provided by the United
Nations. There is also a development of the strategy , the mandate, the
principles and the legislation of the process of humanitarian aid through the
European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO),
formerly known as the European Community Humanitarian Aid Office , which is the
European Commission's department for overseas humanitarian aid and for civil
protection. The European Commission has a mandate to save and preserve life in
emergency and immediate post-emergency situations, whether these are natural or
man-made. Following these principles, the Commission is committed to preparing
every year a Strategy document in order to co-ordinate and to programme
activities efficiently and in an appropriate manner adopting an impartial
approach based on needs. In 2013, ECHO focused its humanitarian aid in nearly
90 countries. It identified the five largest humanitarian operations as the
Sahel region of West Africa, including further response to the conflict in Mali
(€82 million), Sudan and South Sudan (€80 million), the Democratic Republic of
Congo (€54 million), Pakistan (€42 million) and Somalia (€40 million). 40% of
the European Commission humanitarian assistance went to Sub-Saharan Africa. The
reserve budget was utilized in order to respond to major humanitarian crises in
Syria, Mali, the Sahel, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar,
and the Philippines. ECHO also funds forgotten crises, such as in Bangladesh,
Colombia, Yemen, Algeria, Pakistan, and Myanmar. European humanitarian aid is
based on the principles of humanity and solidarity therefore its implementation
depends on the application of international law, and in particular
international humanitarian law, and on the fundamental principles of
impartiality, non-discrimination and neutrality. ECHO’s humanitarian actions
are based on compliance with international law and the humanitarian principles
of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence. Its implementation
therefore depends on the application of international humanitarian law (IHL). Humanity
means that human suffering must be addressed wherever it is found, with
particular attention to the most vulnerable; neutrality means that humanitarian
aid must not favor any side in an armed conflict or other dispute; impartiality
means that humanitarian aid must be provided solely on the basis of need,
without discrimination; and independence means the autonomy of humanitarian
objectives from political, economic, military or other objectives. Since 1
November 2014, humanitarian aid is managed by a dedicated Commissioner,
Christos Stylianides. The European Commission set out an initiative to create
more than 18,000 positions for EU citizens to volunteer worldwide in
humanitarian situations between 2014-2020. The initiative trains volunteers
together in a European training program before deployment with certified
humanitarian organizations. Financial support, focusing on building up
resilience and civil protection capacity, was agreed for five pilot projects
involving approximately 150 volunteers in 2012.
SONGSOPTOK: What should ideally be the role of the governments in
humanitarian actions – both in afflicted countries and in the other countries
of the world? Are government activities sufficient in this context?
CHRYSSA VELISSARIOU: States have four
main roles and responsibilities regarding humanitarian aid: (1) they
are responsible for ‘calling’ a crisis and inviting international aid (2) they
provide assistance and protection (3) they are responsible for monitoring and
coordinating external assistance (4) they set the regulatory and
legal frameworks governing relief assistance. These functions are
critical to initiating and managing a relief response and will shape its
effectiveness. The state’s primary responsibility in responding to disasters is
clearly recognized both in law and in statements of principle. For example UN
Resolution 46/182 states: “The sovereignty, territorial integrity and national
unity of States must be fully respected in accordance with the Charter of the
United Nations. In this context, humanitarian assistance should be
provided with the consent of the affected country and in principle on the basis
of an appeal by the affected country. Each State has the responsibility first
and foremost to take care of the victims of natural disasters and other
emergencies occurring on its territory. Hence, the affected State has the
primary role in the initiation, organization, coordination, and implementation
of humanitarian assistance within its territory”. The Sphere
guidelines ‘acknowledge the primary role and responsibility of the state to
provide assistance when people’s capacity to cope has been exceeded’. The Hyogo
Framework for Action 2005–2015 also notes that each state has primary
responsibility for taking effective DRR measures and commits governments to
ensuring, ‘that disaster risk reduction is a national and local priority’
(ISDR, 2005). It is the responsibility of states to ensure the
safety and security of their citizens (O’Callaghan and Pantualiano 2007). The
protection of civilians, whether understood primarily in physical or legal
terms, remains first and foremost the duty of governments, a reflection of
their sovereign authority over, and responsibility for, all those living within
their territory (Pantuliano and Callaghan 2006). National
governments also set the laws and regulations governing how aid agencies may
operate within their territory. Wherever they work, NGOs are obliged to
register with the government and are generally required to report on their
activities (IFRC, 2007). Government regulations may facilitate or impede the
international relief effort. Constraints may include delays in issuing visas or
customs clearances and unclear or punitive tax regimes. Since 2001, the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has
been engaged in a large‐scale review of
international response, laws, rules and principles in
natural disasters (IDRL). The Federation has now produced guidelines for domestic
facilitation and regulation of international disaster relief and initial
recovery assistance (IFRC, 2007b; Hewitt, 2006; Picard, 2007; Costa, 2008). The
Paris Declaration on the harmonization of international development assistance
aims to ensure its effectiveness by placing responsibility for the delivery and
management of aid both on donors and on aid‐receiving governments. This approach is now being seen as applicable in emergency contexts (OECD‐DAC 2005 and
2008a). Ownership – partner countries
exercise effective leadership over their development strategies and coordinate
development actions. Alignment – donors base their overall support on partner
countries’ national development strategies, institutions and procedures. Donor
governments have also committed themselves to OECD Principles of Good
International Engagement in Fragile States, which include a ‘focus on state
building as the central objective’. Finally, the Good Humanitarian
Donorship (GHD) initiative ‘reaffirms the primary responsibility of states’. At
the same time international humanitarian organizations and the governments
which fund them are committed to the humanitarian principle of independence.
How independence is defined varies and there is a surprising lack of guidance
or even discussion about how to put it into practice. The GHD initiative gives
by far the broadest definition, focusing as it does on autonomy from
‘political, economic, military or other objectives’ (GHD, 2003). Bouchet
Saulnier (2007: 156) gives a similar definition: ‘Humanitarian action must be
independent from any political, financial or military pressures. Its only
limit, its only constraint and its only goal must be the defense of the human
being’. There has not been much exploration of how a commitment to independence
(or of how donors should respect the independence of aid recipients) can be
reconciled with a commitment to respect the primary responsibility of the
state. Discussing the notion of independence in relation to the Red Cross
principles, Jean Pictet (1979) notes the fundamental tension between
humanitarian autonomy and the fact that, in practice, aid agencies must work
with and alongside national authorities. As Pictet puts it, the Red Cross
asserts its political, religious and economic independence and
must: be sovereign in its decisions, acts and words: it must be free
to show the way towards humanity and justice. It is not admissible for any
power whatsoever to make it deviate from the line established for it by its
ideals. This independence is also the guarantee of the neutrality of the Red
Cross. At the same time, however, the Red Cross and Red Crescent National
Societies work as ‘auxiliaries in the humanitarian services of their
Governments and subject to the laws of their respective countries … auxiliary
status … constitutes one of the fundamental principles of the Red Cross’. By
its very nature, Pictet says, the Red Cross – and other relief organizations
–must cooperate with national authorities and obey the laws of the host country.
In conflict contexts, where the state is unable or unwilling to meet the population’s
basic needs, international humanitarian relief remains the aid instrument of
last resort. In these contexts it may neither be possible nor desirable to work
with the government, either because it does not control the areas where
services are needed or because donors are unwilling to engage for political
reasons. Whatever the case, there is still likely to be a need for longer‐term approaches that seek
to align with the national government, to the extent possible. Despite the tensions between them, it is
possible to respect both humanitarian and developmental principles. The
commitment to neutrality and independence is compatible with the principle of
encouraging and supporting governments to protect and assist the civilian
population. Humanitarian agencies should pay greater attention to respecting
state sovereignty and ownership over humanitarian as well as development
strategies, and to view substitution for the state as more of a last resort.
Equally, development agencies should be committed to the humanitarian
principles of independence, neutrality and impartiality. There are many contexts where governments are either
parties to a conflict, flouting humanitarian and human rights law, too corrupt
or simply lack the capacity for international aid agencies to work more closely
with them than they do already. In these contexts this line of argument
maintains, international aid agencies should keep their engagement with
government to a basic minimum and preserve operational independence; keeping
governments informed about what they are doing and maintaining a low profile to
avoid interference or getting thrown out of the country. A problem
with this viewpoint is that keeping governments at arm’s length is often
unfeasible. To believe otherwise is politically naive and opens agencies to
being manipulated by astute and controlling authorities. Aid agencies working
in difficult environments need strong political antennae in order to work with
the authorities, and be prepared to both formulate collective ‘red lines’ and
to act on them if they are no longer able to function.
SONGSOPTOK: In your opinion, do religious institutions
play an important role in humanitarian actions? In your own experience, what
kind of actions have you witnessed that have been pioneered by religious
institutions?
CHRYSSA VELISSARIOU: Religion plays a
very crucial role in humanitarian intervention and its role has been increasing
gradually since the last two decades. While working with the community, Faith
Based Organizations (FBOs) should adhere to the core humanitarian principle
like the Red Cross Code of Conduct, ‘Sphere and HAP standards and Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. It should be the guiding factor for all
humanitarian interventions in the event of an emergency. FBOs should be secular
in regime in the sense that it does not discriminate the community on the basis
of their religion and beliefs but rather uses religion or faith as a tool to
mobilize resources from like minded donors. Love
and solidarity with our fellow man does not appear to be a simple obligation.
This need led to the creation of "Mission" of the Archdiocese of
Athens. The Mission was founded in 2010 by the Archdiocese of Athens in the
form of non-profit organization with a national and international scope in the
context of its activity in the humanitarian, developmental and educational
space. Objective and constant pursuit is APOSTOLI (MISSION) become today the
means, the tool, the humble people rate relief. This decision is not only the
expression of anguish of the Greek Orthodox Church for whatever is happening
and unfolding lately in our country, but also its contribution to the extent
possible, to the collective effort made by many sides to halt the tide of
crisis. But this without panic, with the experience of a teaching, that this
place overcame many similar difficulties over the course of history. The
Destination of the Greek Orthodox Church "which is also its long-standing
destination" is "to be the world's source of high spiritual life,
freedom and love for all human beings, brotherhood and peace, rejection of
hatred, malice and injustice, helper of the ailing humanity in its troubled
path. " The complex of works of "Apostoli" are: A. Standard
Environmental Center in Parnitha mount. B. Reintegration Unit for drug addicts
C. Care unit and treatment of autistic children. D. Care facility prostrate E.
Elderly pensions. F. Doubling of food portions for homeless(currently exceeding
10,000 daily). Areas such as: cultural heritage, environmental protection,
cooperation with foreign institutions, the strengthening of the Greek Orthodox
Mission in Poor Countries are among the priorities of MISSION. International Orthodox Christian Charities
(IOCC) supports one of the largest established networks to deliver life-saving
humanitarian aid inside Syria where more than 12.2 million people are currently
in need of assistance, 7.6 million of which are internally displaced. In
addition to its work inside Syria, IOCC staff is working regionally to address
the growing needs of more than 4 million refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq,
Armenia, Greece, and Serbia, as well as people in need in those host countries.
Responding to one of the worst humanitarian and refugee crises in history, IOCC
is one of the few international nongovernmental organizations working on the
ground across Syria to provide aid to people who have been displaced inside the
country by the civil war. In providing this aid, IOCC works in close
partnership with the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East.
Since February 2012, IOCC has provided relief to more than 2.7 million people
inside Syria affected by the crisis. Although all these I believe that exactly
because of the basis of our religion and beliefs the Orthodox Church which is
extremely wealthy financially and with no taxes on its incomes and possessions,
should reinforce further its humanitarian work in Greece and outside Greece and
become again a poor Church which gives all it has for the well-being of the
fellow man as exactly Jesus Christ taught us.
SONGSOPTOK: Non Governmental
Organizations (NGO) are often in the forefront of humanitarian actions and yet
there have been widespread criticism about the efficacy and utility of NGOs in
different countries, especially in Asia & Africa. What is your own
experience? Should NGOs be given more power and independence where humanitarian
actions are concerned?
CHRYSSA VELISSARIOU: There is little
accountability in the humanitarian and development industry. There are no
barriers to becoming an NGO and no comprehensive or enforceable performance
standards for NGOs. Codes of conduct have been developed, such as the Red Cross
Code of Conduct (1994), but compliance is voluntary. Because of the high staff
turnover in humanitarian organizations and the different nature of conflicts in
different countries, it is hard to build institutional memory to improve the
efficiency of aid operations and to implement lessons learned. The need to
maintain a high profile in order to secure funding can influence NGOs' decision
making, they cannot afford not to be seen at a disaster. This situation is
aggravated by the impact of uneven media coverage of disasters. The 1994 Code
of Conduct of the International Federation of the Red Cross explicitly states
that NGOs' work must be neutral. However, it is rare for the effects of aid to
be neutral even if the provision of it is neutral. Furthermore, it is
frustrating to give humanitarian aid to people without being able to protect
their human rights. In working with the military, humanitarian agencies,
especially NGOs, risk losing the neutrality that gives them their advantage. In
addition, being associated with one side can endanger the work and the staff of
NGOs.
Development assistance may interfere with local
capacities to deal with problems. This can make recipient countries dependent
on aid, and encourage development techniques that are unsustainable when
foreign aid dries up. In addition, the most educated and capable members of the
local population are often employed by foreign agencies, where they are paid
high salaries to work as drivers, translators, or administrative staff. As well
as wasting valuable human capital and expertise, hiring these skilled people
for relatively low-level jobs detracts from local initiatives to govern and
develop. If local NGOs are encouraged to undertake development programs, they
are often provided with monetary grants, encouraging more costly initiatives
than are unsustainable in the long run. Often, NGOs will focus their resources
on winning such grants, rather than helping the local communities. In addition,
instead of working together to increase their effectiveness, they will be
locked in competition against one another. What civil society initiatives
really need is less expensive, long-term commitment. "One of the
most controversial examples of a humanitarian aid operation was in the case of
Hutu refugee camps in Goma, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo)
following the Rwandan genocide. Fearful of retaliation by the Tutsis, two
million Hutus fled to neighboring countries for protection. In the Goma camps,
Hutu militia members responsible for the genocide against the Tutsis continued
to wield considerable power, terrorizing refugees, forbidding them to leave the
camps, distributing anti-Tutsi propaganda, and recruiting and training troops
from among them. Because of their position of authority, many aid agencies used
the Hutu leadership to distribute food. This reinforced their power and enabled
them to buy weapons, which they used for attacks on Rwanda. In early 1995 two
major NGOs, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and International Rescue Committee
(IRC), withdrew. MSF reported that, 'The continued diversion of humanitarian
aid by the same leaders who orchestrated the genocide, the lack of effective international
action regarding impunity, and the fact that the refugee population was being
held hostage, presented a situation contradictory with the principles of
humanitarian assistance.' The president of IRC said, '[T]he whole aid community
has been overtaken by a new reality. Humanitarianism has become a resource and
people are manipulating it as never before. Sometimes we just shouldn't show up
for a disaster.'" -- William Shawcross, p. 142-143. The success of
humanitarian aid operations ultimately depends on the ability of organizations
to work together. Whether ‘working together’ means information sharing or joint
operations and projects, inter-organizational coordination is not simply the
product of two organizations choosing to share resources, personnel or
projects. It is also a product of the
inter-organizational structure in which those organizations exist. How does the
humanitarian aid network situate certain organizations to be in better or worse
positions to work with other organizations? How does an organization’s position
affect various relief and recovery outcomes? Which types of organizations
occupy or play key ‘broker’ or mediating roles during humanitarian aid
operations? By first identifying how the network structure affects inter-organizational
coordination and humanitarian aid outcomes, practitioners and emergency
managers will be better able to identify key organizations for specific types
of relief or recovery activities. Before policies that influence the aid
network can be made, policymakers, emergency managers and public health
practitioners need to know more about the humanitarian aid structure and its
effects on aid operations.
SONGSOPTOK: What should be
the aim of humanitarian actions in afflicted countries – short term relief or
long term actions that would help societies build up their own strengths and
resources? Please share your knowledge or experience about long term actions
undertaken anywhere in the world.
CHRYSSA VELISSARIOU: Short term
relief actions are preventing human casualties and ensuring access to the
basics for survival: water, sanitation, food, shelter, and health care.
Additionally, in the case of conflicts, away from the main fighting, the
priority is to assist people who have been displaced, prevent the spread of
conflict, support relief work, and prepare for rehabilitation. The key
requirements of long term actions include: (1) Reconstruction of property and
infrastructure: to facilitate return of the displaced security, governance,
transport of food and supplies, and rebuilding of the economy. (2) Transition
to normal security conditions: demilitarization, demobilization, reintegration
of ex-combatants and an adequate police force. (3) A functioning judiciary to
enforce the rule of law. (4) Governance and government services. (5) Democratization:
representative government to moderate conflict. (6)Economic development and a
stable macroeconomic environment to promote political stability and facilitate
a solid financial base for government. (7)Local capacity building: once the
donors leave, the country needs to function independently of aid. Development
assistance must attempt to reduce inequalities between groups, and reduce
economic incentives to fight, by controlling illicit trade, for example in
arms, drugs, and diamonds. Perhaps the most important principle of development
assistance is the use of aid conditionality to promote economic and political
practices that strengthen peace building. Donor assistance is often conditional
on acceptance of a peace settlement by all sides, and continued commitment to
implementing and consolidating peace.
SONGSOPTOK: It is often seen that the strongest help and support comes from
within the communities affected by conflicts or natural disasters. How, in your
opinion, can communities be empowered to successfully face such situations?
What, in this context, could be the role of formal or informal grassroots
organizations?
CHRYSSA VELISSARIOU: The informal
organization is the interlocking social structure that governs how people work
together in practice. It is the aggregate of, norms, personal and professional
connections through which work gets done and relationships are built among
people who share a common organizational affiliation or cluster of
affiliations. It consists of a dynamic set of personal relationships, social
networks, communities of common interest, and emotional sources of motivation.
The informal organization evolves, and the complex social dynamics of its
members also. Tended effectively, the informal organization complements the
more explicit structures, plans, and processes of the formal organization: it
can accelerate and enhance responses to unanticipated events, foster innovation,
enable people to solve problems that require collaboration across boundaries,
and create footpaths showing where the formal organization (NGO’s) may someday
need to pave a way. Informal organizations also possess the following potential
disadvantages and problems that require astute and careful management
attention. (1) Resistance to change (2) Role conflict. The quest for informal
group satisfaction may lead members away from formal organizational objectives.
Role conflict can be reduced by carefully attempting to integrate interests,
goals, methods, and evaluation systems of both the informal and formal
organizations, resulting in greater productivity and satisfaction on everyone's
behalf. (3) Rumor. This can undermine morale, establish bad attitudes, and
often result in deviant or, even violent behavior. (4) Conformity. Social
control promotes and encourages conformity among informal group members,
thereby making them reluctant to act too aggressively or perform at too high a
level. This can harm the formal organization by stifling initiative,
creativity, and diversity of performance. Although informal organizations
create unique challenges and potential problems for management, they also
provide a number of benefits for the formal organization. (1) Blend with formal
system. Formal plans. policies, procedures, and standards cannot solve every
problem in a dynamic organization; therefore, informal systems must blend with
formal ones to get work done. (2) Lighten management workload (3) Fill gaps in management
abilities (4) Act as a safety valve. The
informal group provides a means for relieving the emotional and psychological
pressures by allowing a person to discuss them among friends openly and
candidly. (5) Perhaps a subtle benefit of informal groups is that they
encourage managers to prepare, plan, organize, and control in a more
professional fashion. Managers who comprehend the power of the informal
organization recognize that it is a "check and balance" on their use
of authority. Changes and projects are introduced with more careful thought and
consideration, knowing that the informal organization can easily kill a poorly
planned project. (6) Understanding and dealing with the environmental crisis.
Grassroots organizations are indispensable to local development because of the
role they have played for years in channeling demands and mobilizing collective
work. A grassroots organization brings together community representatives or
more specialized groups such as producers, women, sports and religious
associations, and groups working with NGOs, that are connected to these
grassroots organizations. The above groups
and others of that kind can assist in establishing support policies for local
development since they facilitate interaction with civil society. At the same
time, they can be an obstacle if members of these organizations at the local
level do not accept some new guidelines. Given
the institutional weaknesses of municipalities and the need to strengthen
community grassroots leaderships, a specific kind of social intervention by
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) has proven to be especially effective and
helpful in reinforcing both grassroots leadership and municipal government.
This social intervention is distinguished by the institutional stability of the
NGO in question and by a comprehensive and local vision of development. Some
NGOs experience and accumulation of social — not state — capital constitute a
comparative advantage, even against the experience of local administration by
the state. Before the state take up the need for local development, some NGOs
are already involved in this task and are carrying out analyses and
multisectoral plans with provincial and/or microregional scope. The
institutional capital accumulated by various NGOs represents a resource that
cannot be ignored in local development processes. Especially when it is
considered that several municipalities do not have even the minimum
institutional experience required to undertake development. Furthermore, NGOs
whose social intervention is ongoing, localized, and multisectoral within the
framework of a consistent strategy of local development, promote the
consolidation of regional grassroots leadership capable of channeling demands.
They also help municipal government train human resources, formulate
institutional procedures, and incidentally, to obtain external resources. It
must be emphasized that not every NGO can be an adequate channel; only those that
have institutional stability, experience working in the municipality, and a
vision of and commitment to local development in multisectoral terms.
There is great debate over the best theoretical and practical
framework for aid to help poor countries develop. Some economists argue that
aid is only effective in a good macroeconomic policy environment: foreign aid
must complement, not substitute, domestic measures to improve the economy.
Others argue that, as long as agriculture and industry in developed countries
are still heavily protected through subsidies and trade barriers,
less-developed countries will never be able to fully participate in the world
economy and achieve economic development. The debate over how to improve the
effectiveness of humanitarian aid and development assistance and minimize their
potentially negative consequences is ongoing and intense. Initiatives such as
Mary B. Anderson's Collaborative for Development Action attempt to promote
discourse on this subject, and to question the role that humanitarian agencies
play in conflicts. As humanitarian aid and development assistance work becomes
more professional and more academic institutions offer these topics as fields
of study, now is an important time to develop these subjects further. Humanitarian
aid and development assistance are not straightforward, and they mask many
political failures. Ultimately, however, they play a crucial role in saving
lives, and a role that can be continually improved as lessons are learned and
applied. It is extremely important for field teams to have appropriate and
clearly defined intervention strategies, good knowledge of the field context
and training on how to identify and reduce the risks of corruption,
particularly operational risk factors associated with the procurement,
transport, storage and distribution of relief goods. As a complex global
phenomenon with significant local consequences, corruption is a critical aspect
of humanitarian thinking and action. Good governance and transparency are at
the heart of NGO legitimacy. NGOs must work with Transparency International,
the OECD and other institutional partners and private donors in order to fight
corruption effectively. Strengthening community involvement in the
implementation and evaluation of humanitarian (and development) programs
improves the ‘acceptance’ of NGOs by the beneficiary population and helps to
mitigate against corruption and promote better local governance. We need an
open debate on the risks of corruption and how to address them, without
undermining donor funding to and beneficiary confidence in NGOs. As well as
strictly operational considerations, corruption constitutes an important
ethical and political challenge for humanitarian NGOs.
NGSOPTOK: Women and
children are most vulnerable in situations of conflicts or disasters. What,
according to you, are the specific actions that need to be taken to ensure the
safety and security of women and children?
CHRYSSA VELISSARIOU: After the EU was
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012, the Barroso Commission accepted the
prize money on behalf of the EU and allocated it to a new initiative called
Children of Peace. Approximately €2 million was set aside for the Children of
Peace projects in 2013. It was increased to €4 million in 2014. This shows
already the importance of the protection of children through humanitarian
actions. Children rights demand children protection since they cannot protect
themselves. Almost half of the world’s forcibly displaced people are children
and many spend their entire childhood far from home. Whether they are refugees,
internally displaced, asylum-seekers or stateless, children are at a greater
risk of abuse, neglect, violence, exploitation, trafficking or forced military
recruitment. They may also have witnessed or experienced violent acts and/or
been separated from their families. However, children are highly resilient and
find ways to cope and draw strength from their families and communities. By
learning, playing and having space to explore their talents and skills,
children can be active members of the community. The UN refugee agency UNHCR
promotes the participation of children in the design and delivery of protection
and assistance measures, works to protect children of concern in partnership
with children themselves, their communities, national authorities and relevant
local and international groups, including the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and
non-governmental organizations, promotes non-discriminatory access for all
children of concern to national child protection systems and is committed, in
the spirit of partnership, to strengthening these systems where gaps exist. This
includes, for example, conducting best interest assessments for vulnerable
children, ensuring that unaccompanied or separated children have access to
family tracing and reunification services, and engaging children through
activities and education that build their skills and capacities. Every country
has one or more national organizations for the protection of children. Their
protection is every country’s duty. To this theme I just quote THE CONVENTION
ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD as UNICEF has stated it and about the Protection
rights of any child: “keeping safe from harm Article 4 (Protection of rights):
Governments have a responsibility to take all available measures to make sure
children’s rights are respected, protected and fulfilled. When countries ratify
the Convention, they agree to review their laws relating to children. This
involves assessing their social services, legal, health and educational
systems, as well as levels of funding for these services. Governments are then
obliged to take all necessary steps to ensure that the minimum standards set by
the Convention in these areas are being met. They must help families protect
children’s rights and create an environment where they can grow and reach their
potential. In some instances, this may involve changing existing laws or
creating new ones. Such legislative changes are not imposed, but come about
through the same process by which any law is created or reformed within a
country. Article 41 of the Convention points out the when a country already has
higher legal standards than those seen in the Convention, the higher standards
always prevail. (See Optional Protocol pages.) Article 11 (Kidnapping):
Governments should take steps to stop children being taken out of their own
country illegally. This article is particularly concerned with parental abductions.
The Convention’s Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution
and child pornography has a provision that concerns abduction for financial
gain. Article 19 (Protection from all forms of violence): Children have the
right to be protected from being hurt and mistreated, physically or mentally.
Governments should ensure that children are properly cared for and protect them
from violence, abuse and neglect by their parents, or anyone else who looks
after them. In terms of discipline, the Convention does not specify what forms
of punishment parents should use. However any form of discipline involving
violence is unacceptable. There are ways to discipline children that are
effective in helping children learn about family and social expectations for
their behavior – ones that are non-violent, are appropriate to the child's
level of development and take the best interests of the child into
consideration. In most countries, laws already define what sorts of punishments
are considered excessive or abusive. It is up to each government to review
these laws in light of the Convention. Article 20 (Children deprived of family
environment): Children who cannot be looked after by their own family have a
right to special care and must be looked after properly, by people who respect
their ethnic group, religion, culture and language. Article 21 (Adoption):
Children have the right to care and protection if they are adopted or in foster
care. The first concern must be what is best for them. The same rules should
apply whether they are adopted in the country where they were born, or if they
are taken to live in another country. Article 22 (Refugee children): Children
have the right to special protection and help if they are refugees (if they
have been forced to leave their home and live in another country), as well as
all the rights in this Convention. Article 32 (Child labour): The government
should protect children from work that is dangerous or might harm their health
or their education. While the Convention protects children from harmful and
exploitative work, there is nothing in it that prohibits parents from expecting
their children to help out at home in ways that are safe and appropriate to
their age. If children help out in a family farm or business, the tasks they do
be safe and suited to their level of development and comply with national labor
laws. Children's work should not jeopardize any of their other rights,
including the right to education, or the right to relaxation and play. Article
33 (Drug abuse): Governments should use all means possible to protect children
from the use of harmful drugs and from being used in the drug trade. Article 34
(Sexual exploitation): Governments should protect children from all forms of
sexual exploitation and abuse. This provision in the Convention is augmented by
the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child
pornography. (See Optional Protocol pages.) Article 35 (Abduction, sale and
trafficking): The government should take all measures possible to make sure
that children are not abducted, sold or trafficked. This provision in the
Convention is augmented by the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child
prostitution and child pornography. (See Optional Protocol pages.) Article 36
(Other forms of exploitation): Children should be protected from any activity
that takes advantage of them or could harm their welfare and development.
Article 37 (Detention and punishment): No one is allowed to punish children in
a cruel or harmful way. Children who break the law should not be treated
cruelly. They should not be put in prison with adults, should be able to keep
in contact with their families, and should not be sentenced to death or life
imprisonment without possibility of release. Article 38 (War and armed
conflicts): Governments must do everything they can to protect and care for
children affected by war. Children under 15 should not be forced or recruited
to take part in a war or join the armed forces. The Convention’s Optional
Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict further develops this
right, raising the age for direct participation in armed conflict to 18 and
establishing a ban on compulsory recruitment for children under 18. Article 39
(Rehabilitation of child victims): Children who have been neglected, abused or
exploited should receive special help to physically and psychologically recover
and reintegrate into society. Particular attention should be paid to restoring
the health, self-respect and dignity of the child. Article 40 (Juvenile
justice): Children who are accused of breaking the law have the right to legal
help and fair treatment in a justice system that respects their rights.
Governments are required to set a minimum age below which children cannot be held
criminally responsible and to provide minimum guarantees for the fairness and
quick resolution of judicial or alternative proceedings. Article 41 (Respect
for superior national standards): If the laws of a country provide better
protection of children’s rights than the articles in this Convention, those
laws should apply. “ From birth to death, in times of peace and war, women face
discrimination and violence from the state, local society and family. The women
constitute a particularly vulnerable social group, which according to place of
residence, age, religion, manners and customs of its people, has to face
numerous social problems against it. Despite the hard struggles that have taken
place with a view to equality between the sexes and the alleged achievement of this objective, the fact is that millions
of women suffer daily from prejudices and stereotypes and become victims of
violence and uncontrolled behavior of men who act as a pundit. The girl
infanticide deprives countless women of life itself. Every year, millions of
women are raped by their husbands or their partner, from family members, from
friends and strangers, by employers and colleagues, by police and soldiers.
Women, children and men suffer from domestic violence, but the vast majority of
victims are women and girls. In armed conflicts, violence against women is
often used as a weapon of war in order to humiliate the women themselves or the
community to which they belong. Violence against women is not confined to any
particular political or economic system, but is prevalent in every society in
the world. Not knowing dividing lines in terms of wealth, race and culture. The
power structures within society which perpetuate violence against women are
deep-rooted and intransigent. Violence, as experience or as a threat, prevents
women from around the world to exercise and fully enjoy their rights. The root
cause of violence against women lies in discrimination which deny women
equality with men in all areas of life. Violence is rooted in discrimination
and simultaneously serves to reinforce discrimination. Violence against women
is neither 'normal' nor 'inevitable'. It is an expression of specific
historically and culturally defined, values and standards. Social and political
institutions foster women's subservience and violence against women. Poverty
and marginalization fuel violence against women and also result from it.
Worldwide, women have higher poverty rates than men, poverty is more intense
than that of men, and the numbers of poor women are increasing. While the
negative effects of globalization leaving more and more women trapped on the
margins of society, is extremely difficult for these women to escape abuse
situations and to achieve protection and redress. Illiteracy and poverty severely
limit the potential of women to organize to fight for change in the situation.
Young women are often subject to sexual assault not only because they are women
but because they are young and vulnerable. In some societies, girls are
subjected to forced sex because of the error that sexual contact with a virgin
will cure a man of HIV / AIDS. But age does not offer any protection. While
some societies respect the wisdom of older women and offer them higher social
status and greater autonomy, others abuse those who are fragile and alone,
particularly widows. Control of women's sexuality is a powerful means by which
men exercise their dominance over women. Women who do not conform to
established standards of femininity often face severe punishments. The violence
during armed conflict is destroying the lives of men and women, but systematic
rape, as seen in many recent conflicts, is primarily directed against girls and
women. The rapes, mutilations and murders of women and girls are common
practices of warfare and committed both by government forces and armed groups.
The forms of violence that are closely related to sex is also endemic in
militarized societies or struck by war. In societies that are strongly
influenced by the "culture of weapons", the ownership and use of
weapons magnify existing gender inequalities, strengthening the dominant
position of men and maintaining the subordination of women. Violent disputes in
the home often become more deadly for women and girls when men have guns. Two-thirds
of illiterate people worldwide (876 million) are women, number which according
to UNICEF will not change significantly over the next 20 years. Millions of
women, adults and non-victims of sexual abuse one or more times in their life.
Nevertheless complaints are minimal, and in some countries in Africa, the
Middle East and Asia the heinous practice of genital applicable organs of girls
(female circumcision). Today in these countries more than 114 million women
have undergone this ordeal. In India, Pakistan, and elsewhere in Southeast
Asia, women who are pregnant female fetuses forced abortion, and if they manage
to give birth, often take them and kill them. More features the statistics in
many African countries are the following: CHAD: Only 15% of births take place
under the supervision of a doctor or midwife, while 49% of girls aged 15-19 are
married, most involuntarily. ETHIOPIA: Only 8% of women give birth in the
presence of a doctor or midwife, 49% of girls 15-19 are married. MALI: Doctor
or midwife is present only in 24% of births. 91% of women are uneducated, while
50% of girls are married before adulthood. Apply clitoridectomy. NIGERIA: Only
15% of births are presence of a doctor or midwife, and is married girls aged
15-19, 62%. 97% of the female population is illiterate. Hundreds of Nigerian
victims of trafficking and selling in Europe. Apply clitoridectomy. UGANDA: 50%
of women aged 15-19 are married, while 67% of women are uneducated. 38% of
births are supervised by a doctor or midwife. Apply clitoridectomy. BANGLADESH:
Only 14% of births done by a doctor or midwife. 50% of the female population
among girls are married. In this country, and the percentage of women who are
forced into prostitution is too big. Many of them have not come of age.
Imperatives to prevent the phenomenon of violence against women in various
continents: 1) Humanitarian emphasis on education and vocational education of
every girl in the world 2) Information and awareness of citizens in matters of
gender-based violence (domestic violence, rape, prostitution, sexual
harassment, illegal trafficking in women for exploitation / trafficking), and
to prevent such phenomena. 3) Informative campaign-campaign at national level
to the current institutional framework related to violence against women and to
highlight the role taken by the GSGE - as the competent governmental mechanism
- for support and assistance to battered women. 4) Utilization of different
communication tools and events (conferences, leaflets, brochures, etc.), as
well as sponsorship and communication media. 5) Production and dissemination of
printed, electronic and audiovisual material (advertisements in newspapers and
magazines, posters, brochures, stickers, calendars, broadcast commercials,
television campaign, videos, photos, announcements, press releases, etc.).
Certain categories of material will be produced in ordinary immigrant
languages. 6) Advanced campaign to young women in order to prevent and empower
them to confront the first expressions of male violence (psychological, etc.).
7) Thematic conference Organizing and sensitization workshops at regional
level. The education is a basic human right, vital to the development and
well-being of individuals and societies as a whole and the greatest
humanitarian tool. The UNICEF advocates quality basic education to all children
- boys and girls with emphasis on gender equality and eliminating disparities
of all kinds. UNICEF is working with a number of local, national and
international partners for the realization of its objectives, concerning the
right to education and gender equality. Primary information for Education: (1)
The number of children not attending primary school although they have the same
age, estimated to have declined from 115 million in 2002 to 101 million in
2007. Of these, 53 million are girls. (2) Worldwide, approximately 80% of
school age children attend school. In less developed countries, this figure
reaches 66%. (3) Attending of school in Primary Education reaches about 61% in
West and Central Africa, 81% in South Asia and 83% in the Middle East and North
Africa. (4) The largest population of children not attending school (2007
figures), located in sub-Saharan Africa, where around 45.5 million children did
not enroll in primary Education. Followed by South Asia (35 million), the
Middle East and North Africa (6.7 million), the countries of East Asia and the
Pacific (4.7 million) and the region of Latin America and the Caribbean (4.2
million). (5) Worldwide, only 49% of similar-aged children enrolled in
secondary education. The rest or even go to a class of primary school or have
dropped out. (6) The gap between the sexes as regards attending school in
Primary Education, has almost been eradicated in areas such as those of East
Asia (total enrollment in primary education as a whole is 98% for boys and 97%
for girls, while the overall school attendance rate is 88% for boys and 88% for
girls ), in the region of Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of
Independent States total enrollment in primary education is 92% for boys and
90% for girls, with an overall school attendance rate of 94% for boys and 92%
for girls. In Eastern and Southern Africa there are more girls than boys
attending primary classes with total enrollments in Primary Education to reach
83% for boys and 82% for girls, overall school attendance rate of 69% for boys
and 70% for girls. The education of girls is the key to ensure that the next
generation will receive training. About 75% of children outside primary
education in developing countries have mothers who did not go to school. To
achieve universal primary education by 2015, enrollment rates need to increase
worldwide by 1.3% per year for the next ten years. Some countries must perform
most impressive advances. For example, Benin should improve these rates by
2.88% each year, Eritrea by more than 4%, Nepal at 2.25% and Afghanistan 3.9%
per year. If most countries in the Middle East and North Africa, East Asia
& Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean continue with the increasing
enrollment rates in school , they will be in the Millennium Development Goals
of 2015. Countries that have abolished school fees saw tremendous increase in enrollment rates
in school: Kenya 2003 registrations increased from 5.9 million to 7.2 million
within a few weeks. Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi had similar success. There are
781 million illiterate adults worldwide, 64% of them are women. As we can see
the improvement of the situation in Africa on the issue of women's rights in
any field, whether it is called social or political, or educational, or even
religious is for the 21st century absolutely nothing!
SONGSOPTOK: How do you, as an individual,
practice humanitarianism? Is it an important part of your value system &
mental make-up? Please share your thoughts and experiences with us.
CHRYSSA VELISSARIOU: Well my greater
humanitarian action is my poetry. As a Greek I am instinctively humanitarian,
my people’s tradition is so. Our culture teaches us since we are born to help
one another and to practice hospitality and agape as our greater duty. We are
so few. We could not survive if we were indifferent the one to the other. Till
recently the word homeless had no meaning in the society of Greece. But after
the financial crisis in which we succumb for the past seven years - unfairly ,
I suppose, because of politicians corruption inside Greece and in EU and of course because
of banks profiteering – many people in
Greece face the specter of poverty, so we must act humanitarianly even for
people in our neighborhood or our family, many of whom now live unemployed,
without income or pension, sick and without a care in big cities even hungry
and homeless. I contributed in many anthologies around the world promoting
humanism with my poems, more than twenty of them. I want to mention my
contribution in the wonderful international anthologies of Brian Wrixon from
Canada, the activist works in the anthologies of Mutiu Olawuyi from Nigeria for
the 11th September NY attack, against violence and especially violence
against women, in two books about the work of the Great Nelson Mandela, in many
other books and magazines about Peace which I even stopped counting. I have
even been the editor for Europe in a wonderful anthology which was featured by
World Poetry Canada and International with chief editor the great poet Madan
Gandhi and Mutiu Olawuyi last year. I am also very activated in the war against
cancer . I write many poems about, most of them are in international and Greek
anthologies. Two of my digital art works with poems against Cancer on them took
part in a big exposition named SKIN at the City Hall of ParisVIII in November
2013 for the research on the treatment of patients of Breast Cancer. I
contributed also in many anthologies and events inside and outside Greece
against Poverty, War , Racism, Trafficking of human beings. I even organized a
big poetic event for the Poetathon about Peace of World Poetry Canada and
International in November 2013 running three teleconferences on Internet where
almost 40 Greek and International poets recited and commented poems about Peace
live. For this event World poetry Canada and International honored me with
their medal and called me Peace Ambassador of World Poetry to Greece 2014-2016.
In September 2014 I realized, with my friend poetess Chrissa Mastorodimou a
great event in the municipal cultural Center of Larissa, my town, with the
funding of local touristic enterprises and under the aegis of the Mayoralty of
Education and Sport of the municipality of Larissa, a great musical and poetic
event for Peace and the Respect for the cultures of all Peoples for the
international humanitarian organization 100 THOUSAND POETS FOR CHANGE, which
event was broadcasted to their platform in America live. This year I will run
two more Google on air events with poetry, music and videos for peace and under
the aegis of World Poetry Canada and International Peaceathon and the 100TPC too.
And so on … I will present you now some of my humanitarian poems and first of
all one which was inspired by your question.
THE LAST QUESTION
I have to write
something very hurriedly
I chew it over
for days
They asked me to
answer to
some questions
about love,
kindness, humanism ...
I answered
countless pages
How and what and laws
and wishes
and organizations
and organizing
and a few and a
lot
and our glorious
Greek ancestors ...
"Tell us
what exactly your actions of aid are
for your fellow
humans in need?"
The last question
I am in front of
it for a week at least
Everything I ever
did seems to me
so minimal or
even inflated
to mention it ...
REFERENCES:
CHRYSSA VELISSARIOU: Professor of Physics, specialized in Space
Physics, candidate Doctor in Education.
Prized by the Ministry of Education in Greece. Elected in the
Municipality of her hometown. Published
in Greek and English in over 20 Anthologies, internet magazines and two
personal books. Activist for Peace. World Poetry Canada and International
Ambassador to Greece 2014-2016 for Peace. 100TPC events organizer. More than
3000 poems on her blogs. She also writes in French and German.
***Readers are
hereby requested to please visit our ‘LAST PAGE” section to read the rest of
the poems! Thank You.***
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