Solidarity against austerity and against evictions in Europe
On the occasion of the Week of Action in Solidarity with Greece and against Austerity from 20 to 26 June, the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung (Brussels – Athens) we are organising this international meeting on housing on 20 and 21 June in Athens. In co-operation with: Solidarity for All – Encounter Athens – Platform against Auctions – European Coalition for the Right to Housing and the City.
Many people in Greece and Europe are facing an acute housing crisis. More than 50% of the Greek population finds it hard to cover housing and living expenses every month. Many live in overcrowded homes facing inadequate housing conditions and energy poverty, without electricity and heating. Homelessness is rising dramatically.
People all over Europe face similar worsening housing conditions and violation of their basic rights, through forced evictions, privatisations of public housing and resources, financialization of housing and the increasing power acquired by the banking sector.
In Greece, the recent political changes and the new left government of SYRIZA have set as first priority to face poverty and housing problems. This will be a big and difficult task because of the long lasting recession and “external” pressures for further austerity measures.
Initiatives and networks all over Greece have been, and still are, organising in order to resist auctions and evictions, by protesting, networking, advocating, providing mutual solidarity and support. At the same time these initiatives intend to open the discussion on common housing problems to all grassroots and institutional/formal structures in order to develop tools and strategies and formulate alternatives against the present misery.
Concrete solidarity from all over Europe is needed to render visibility to the housing problems, to empower the emerging social movements in Greece and to advance the common struggles against evictions and dispossession provoked by the Troika and current EU policy direction on a European level.
PROGRAM
DAY 1 – Saturday 20/6/2015
12:00-12:30
Welcome/introduction
12:30-14:30
1st session: Land and housing dispossession (neoliberal policies in the urban spaces)
lunch break 14:30-15:30
15:30-17:30
2nd session: Debt as an instrument of social control (auctions and evictions)
coffee break 17:30-18:00
18:00-20:00
3rd session: Migrant and refugee housing needs in the European south
DAY 2 – Sunday 21/6/2015
12:00-14:00
1st session: Alternative housing policies
lunch break 14:00-15:00
15:00-17:00
2nd session: Collective ownership schemes, urban spaces as commons
coffee break 17:00-17:30
17:30-19:30
3rd session: Organising for action (struggles against evictions, occupations, organizing against banks…)
