Waiting for the silent revolution
If something new is to arise in public life, it will not come from the exponents of sterile blanket rejectionism or those who still passionately cling to the country’s bankrupt political parties and the vested interests of yesteryear.
If something new is to arise, it will come from the young people who are making a mammoth effort every day so that they and their families can make ends meet – or who are trying to help their fellow citizens who are having a hard time amid the ongoing financial crisis.
Indeed, there are thousands of such people out there, and each one of them is writing history with solid albeit small steps.
You will find them among the soup kitchen volunteers doing their share to assist the needy and the homeless. In fact, it is in places like this that you can still find some of the generosity and humanism which Greece used to have in abundance as a society. You will see it in the eyes of young people who are making their first steps in the risky yet rewarding world of entrepreneurship. And you will discover it in the small, everyday stories of young people who are setting up innovative start-ups or small farming businesses.
If there is one thing that connects all these people it is the fact that they are looking straight into the future and they are working on practical solutions and ways to improve their lives; they are not just whining about the past.
Having said all that, there’s one thing that remains elusive: a convincing political vision and leaders who can inspire the certainty that they want to change everything in this land. The new will come out of creativity. We are surrounded by brilliant young minds who can stand up to any competition as long as they have the same opportunities, rules and the right framework. This country possesses excellent human capital. Now that the time of easy tricks and public sector appointments has come to an end, our best hope lies with the energy and talent of the younger generations.
This is a transitional period we are living in. The role of our politicians is unfortunately reduced to crisis management. They do not have the strength to open up new paths. And who are the people who will bring change to this country? Well, we don’t even know who they are because they act outside the triangle of sin (politicians, unionists and the mass media).
Their contribution to society is creative and it is silent.
