Free Kythera: D.T. on parade and other issues

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

KYTHIRA, March 11, 2024

Something troubling has come to our attention. The Board of Directors of the Parents’ and Guardians’ Association of the Potamos Elementary School (chaired by Georgios Sklavos, our mayor’s best man), without consulting the parents, decided to propose to the Municipality that the children of the Potamos Elementary School participate in the parade in Chora, Kythira, on the 25th^η March. Our objection initially concerns three issues, which have apparently not been taken into account.

1. Role of the Agencies. As supporters of direct democracy, we believe that participation on the boards of directors of various organizations is a public service, not an unconditional appointment, and should not be an opportunity for a few to make decisions for the many. Were the parents consulted? What about the teachers’ association? We find it unacceptable that the PTA board should be the one to interpret the educational role of the parade as an introduction and first exposure of children to the public sphere and to propose the terms for. Were the other parents consulted on such a serious matter, or did the board make the decision at the last minute without even informing them? Moreover, it makes no sense for a community council to have an advisory role while a parents’ association (especially regarding a broader, local issue) has a decision-making role.
2. The Concept of a Parade. The parade is not just about the school and the parents and the way children gradually come to understand their role in the public sphere, but also the local community, as a regular public gathering that strengthens social bonds—something entirely contrary to the military-style parades of regimes (which we fear some people secretly admire). Therefore, the two annual parades in Potamos must not be abolished—perhaps for the first time in history—because they are an integral part of public life. And finally, will Mr. Sklavos pay for buses to take people (the elderly, etc.) to Chora?;
3. The ongoing—and, as is constantly confirmed, systematic—degradation of the northern island with the dismantling not only of actual economic resources but also of symbolic institutions. Times are changing; some villages are declining, while others are thriving: we are saddened by the desolation of Karava, Mylopotamos, Potamos, Mitata, and so on; we are heartened by the (whatever) development of Agia Pelagia, Diakofto, Avlaimon, Livadi, and Kalamos. However, a political issue arises when there appears to be a deliberate intention and plan for depopulation. We ask (for 2^η incidents within two months, following the cancellation of funding for public works in villages where the mayor’s coalition did not come in first): Is there a grudge because the residents of the northern part of the island protested its chronic neglect during the recent elections?;

Unfortunately, the elementary school in Potamos still has problems that remain unresolved. The top priority for the Parents and Guardians Association—and consequently for the Municipality—should be the roof of the main building, which leaks every time it rains, posing a risk to the children’s heads! There is also the issue of broken tiles and windows that do not close properly. Furthermore, it is deemed essential to reconstruct the uneven schoolyard, where there is a daily risk of serious injury. Finally—and unfortunately not the least of the problems—is the issue of the school crossing guard. The fact that the municipality shifts responsibility for each issue elsewhere does not mean that they have actually been resolved.

In any case, such matters are discussed and decided by all stakeholders, and of course, no hasty, last-minute decisions are made. We are awaiting the mayor’s immediate response.