ABSTRACT
Over the last five years, a dramatically increasing number of citizens’ initiatives have been emerging throughout Greece, as a response to both deteriorating living standards and a new social and political landscape, brought about by the harsh austerity measures taken by Greek governments, in return for loans from the IMF and European institutions. The range of activities of these initiatives is impressive: they involve tangible, result-oriented projects, collective kitchens, solidarity pharmacies, schools, medical centres, social grocery shops, and so on, thus addressing the basic needs of the most disadvantaged members of the community. They also organise cultural events, awareness-raising activities and political activism against Greece’s austerity measures. A special place in this spectrum of initiatives is occupied by social solidarity economy activities, such as labour collectives, cooperatives, time banks and community exchange networks.
