THE ROAD TO THESSALONIKI

NAFPLIO , January 23^rd-24^th 2003

One of the reasons that the year 2003 will be remembered is that it is the year of the Greek Presidency of the European Union but an even more important reason that will make it unforgettable is the impetus with which the Greek Social Forum burst on to the political and social foreground.

The informal meetings of the Ministers of the European Union specializing in the neoliberal assault by their governments against the citizens of Europe will be etched less on the collective memory than the movement they unintentionally helped bring into action and which subsequently organized and coordinated the resistance of the Greek people against this offensive.

It is not by chance that the first real action which established the Greek Social Forum as a recognized movement was the demonstration which took place during the informal meeting of the Ministers of Employment and Social Affairs of the European Union on January 23^rd and 24^th 2003 in Nafplio in the Peloponese.

20,000 demonstrators – a completely unforeseen number –marched through the streets of the first Greek capital sending the message that something had changed for good in the resistance movement in Greece. Even more unexpectedly half the people participating in the demonstration chose to protest under the banner of the Greek Social Forum.

The organized forces were a minority in the block that constituted the Forum.

 People, both young and old, not belonging to any organization but who want to fight neoliberalism, war and racism had chosen the Greek Social Forum to give them a voice.  

The message of hope that the Greek Social Forum sent out from Nafplio found supporters everywhere. The political scene in the Peloponese suddenly came to life and more than 40 local Forums sprung into action almost overnight throughout Greece.