“Acting for Monuments”
Public Meeting
«Acting for Monuments»
The non-profit Civic Company MOnuMENTA for the protection of the natural and cultural heritage of Greece and Cyprus and the Drymalia Municipality of Naxos island, organise the public meeting «Acting for Monuments», on Friday 21st August 2009, 7.30 p.m., at the main Square of Chalki Village with the kind support of The J.F. Costopoulos Foundation.
MOnuMENTA has been implementing the «Local Communities & Monuments» programme for the last three years, including several public meetings, public outreach schemes, publications and other activities. Through these and systematic participation in local activities, the programme attempts to inform and raise awareness in the local communities for the surrounding natural and monumental wealth of the island, the risks that it faces, and propose sustainable solutions. What is more, it attempts to research the ways that the past is being understood and addressed in the present through traditional or contemporary, local or imported practises and habits.
Working for some time with island communities and in the goverment system, we came across several inadequacies in the specification of the jurisdictions between the official carriers for the protection of natural and built monuments and considerable lack of acquaintance among the citizens in the ways that they could «act» for the protection and the sustainable management of the monuments.
This year, the programme invites a number of public and other carriers (e.g. Ministry of Culture, Drymalia Municipality, Cyclades’ Perfecture, NGO’s, University of Athens) and individual citizens in order to locate jurisdictions and responsibilities of each one of them and also to outline adequate ways of action according to which the citizens’ society could be informed and work for the protection of the natural and built environment; An important asset in the present, when the decisions for the future of the monuments are -more often than not- taken behind closed doors, with minimal participatory procedures.
Through this note, we would like to invite the active citizens of the island to participate in the meeting and the dialogue that will follow the 10’ talks of the invited speakers, proposing among others possible actions for the sustainable management of the monuments and solutions to the problems that endanger nature, history and the cohesiveness of the society. The conclusive dialogue will focus on the proposals for the salvation of two important monuments of the island, the hellenistic Chimarros Tower and the venetian Jesuit’s Palace, that were brought up several times in the previous public meeting of the programme (08.09.08) for the «Monuments of Naxos at Risk».
Further Info: Drymalia Municipality 22850 32647
MOnuMENTA info@monumenta.org http://www.monumenta.org, http://topikeskoinoniesmnimeia.wordpress.com/
https://lcmo.wordpress.com
6972268659, 6973308857
Building a factory in Chaironeia
The Central Archaeological Council of Greece (KAS) with the majority of votes cast in favour, reversed its last decision and allowed ENELCO’s large energy production unit to be built near Chaironeia’s archaeological site (the historic battlefield – a listed monument), converting it into an industrial zone.
Even though local communities of Boeotoia -under several schemata- acted swiftly and opposed the “imminent desecration of the site” a number of “exasperated citizens” demonstrated in favour of the new factory, commenting on the ‘development’ to be brought upon the area.
According to the majority of the citizens, the factory will have devastating consequences for the area environmentally and if 
built, it will be a negative precedent for the creation of other similar units.
Α public meeting at Chimarros Tower, Naxos, 12.08.08
On Tuesday 12.08.08 a public meeting was conducted at the Chimarros Tower, organised by the Filoti citizens’ society in the island of Naxos (Cyclades). The meeting attempted to raise awareness for the monument-symbol of the hinterland Naxos that faces multiple dangers.
The restoration of the monument commenced with the 2nd CSF but was not continued in the subsequent Support Framework. Thus, the excavation went half-way while the restoration project was limited to a protective frame built around the monument and the identification and arrangement of the fallen architectural members in groups.
In this meeting, several representatives from Drymalia Municipality and other local groups participated along with 70 citizens of Philoti (seated on the arranged spolia around the monument), an impressive number of people for a hot afternoon in August.
Three short lectures presented the history of the tower and the history of the funding received while in average moderate appositions by the citizens, pledged for the need of co-operation amongst the carriers in charge in order to recommence the restoration project.
Amongst the interesting issues arisen is the image of the Ministry of Culture presented by the majority of the people that spoke in the meeting. A distant, slow public service -hostile towards the citizens- that does not respond to their letters and pledges, being at the same time detrimental to the monuments and incapable to co-operate with other state services.
This image -complemented by additional data collected in our research- reflects a general public view for the Ministry existent in the local communities of Naxos and in general around the Aegean: A hostile and distant -almost Kafka-like- authority, that interrupts the “developmental” projects of the citizens in order to study meaningless “ruins”; A state mechanism, characterised mainly by absence of social responsibility being indifferent towards the public, without any “structured participative methods and possibilities of dialogue whatsoever”.
Although invited, representatives of the Ministry of Culture were absent and thus another opportunity of commencing a fruitful dialogue by putting things into perspective went astray.
Monuments of Naxos at risk – the citizens’ voice
Drymalia Municipality of Naxos and MOnuMENTA e-magazine (through the local communities & monuments programme) invite you to participate in the public meeting organised on Monday 8th September at 7.30 p.m. at the yard of the school in Aperathou village (Naxos), titled: “Monuments of Naxos at risk-the citizens’ voice”.
Monuments of nature and architecture are at risk in Naxos due to negligence, abandonment, lack of resources, aggressive development…
Main goal of the public meeting is to listen the voices of the local communities of Naxos and the visitors of the island about the monuments at risk and their views on possible protective actions.
Programme
• Brief presentations of various monuments at risk by: Municipality representatives, local environmental & cultural organisations and civilians.
• Open dialogue
Ruined edifices at Apalirou Castle, Naxos
Further info soon!
Naxos Festival 2008
Naxos Festival 2008
ART AND MADNESS
19/07-24/08, Bazeos Tower, Naxos
Production: Aeon Cultural Not-Profit Organisation
“For 2008, Naxos Festival has chosen as thematic axis of its program the relation between art and madness. For more than a century, the wide public has been “familiarizing” itself with this cultural bond, relation through theatrical texts, cinematographic work – but also through developing artistic perception of figurative creations, that acquire aesthetic autonomy.
Through the exhibition Psychotopia, the coexistence of international artists with modern artistic currents, the festival becomes, for the eighth time, a place for multicultural meetings and special productions, revealing Naxos island a perfect place for vacation, with a regenerating cultural atmosphere.
All the events are hosted at Bazeos Tower, a 17th century monument, in the hinterland of Naxos. A Junoesque environment, which embraces, inspires and underlines performers and events, continues to designate itself throughout Greece, as one of the best, for the eighth consecutive year. ”
For further Info: http://www.bazeostower.gr/eng/festival-08.html
“local communities & monuments” on air!
Last Thursday (08/05) Stelios gave an interview about the programme “local communities & monuments’ that was radiobroadcasted through ERA 5, 665 LW, at the show “Dromo Pairnei Dromo Afinei” hosted by Agne Stroumbouli.
Among the things discussed were: the island of Naxos and the complex of Cyclades (naturally…), the programme ‘local communities & monuments’, the differences between native-local knowlege and scientific dogma, intangible monuments and their silent loss, the MOnuMENTA e-magazine, the ecological movements of Athens et al.
Part of it will be published in the greek version of the blog (http://topikeskoinoniesmnimeia.wordpress.com) (in greek, obviously…)
The International Day for Monuments and Sites in Naxos
MOnuMENTA e-magazine participated at the celebrations of the International Day for Monuments and Sites through an educational activity the programme local communities & monuments of Naxos. The students of the schools in the Drymalia Municipality of Naxos painted the poster of the International Day for Monuments and Sites and visited -on the 17th April- the ancient quarry of Apollonas, where the large half-finished statue of Dionysus (‘kouros’) lies.
Activities took place in co-operation with the Cultural Organization of the Drymalia Municipality.
International Day for Monuments and Sites – Getting Naxos’ students involved!
Naxos’ students (Drymalia Municipality) create the poster for the “International Day for Monuments and Sites”.
18th April is the International Day for Monuments and Sites, an occasion to celebrate the diversity of heritage throughout the world, involving each year a number of activities advocating the shared cause.
MOnuMENTA e-magazine throught the programme local communitites & monuments organize a student activity-part of the “Monuments are around us…” project in Naxos: with the collaboration of Drymalia Municipality, students are invited to paint the poster for the International Day for Monuments and Sites; the monuments in Naxos are around us and provide plenty of ideas for the poster! The posters produced will be presented in an exhibition and shared through this blog, the MOnuMENTA and the Drymalias’ Municipality web-page.
Guidelines for the poster:
a)The poster could be a sketch, a painting or a collage involving any kind of techniques or colours.
b)The size should be A4
c)The poster should be titled “18th April-The International Day for Monuments and Sites”
d)Students should note their name and affiliation at the back of their painting and may sign it.
“Monuments are around us…”
The MOnuMENTA e-magazine through the Programme local communities & monuments and in co-operation with Drymalia Municipality of Naxos, organized -on Monday 3rd and Tuesday 4th of March 2008- the educational activity “Monuments are around us…” at the primary school of Filoti and the building of the Cultural Organisation of Drymalia Municipality at the island of Naxos.
The 95 students of the last 3 grades of the Filoti, Damarionas, Chemarros and Chalki schools were acquainted with local and remote monuments and various problems they encounter and suggested counter-active ways to help in their protection. Students from the villages of hinterland Naxos mentioned their local monument in danger; the Cheimarros Tower. This is a Hellenistic tower preserved in c.15m height while in its surrounding area a complex of olive processing installations has been uncovered. The tower is in urgent need of restoration since its state has been, lately, aggravated.
A leaflet has been distributed to the students in which information on local monuments and the need of their protection are summarized. Aim of the programme is to continue the co-operation with the schools in the small villages of Naxos.
Local Communities & Monuments 
“Run-down heritage sites embarass the Greeks” guardian.co.uk
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An interesting article has been published in ‘guardian’ on monday, titled: Run-down heritage sites embarass the Greeks.
In this, the poor preservation state of archaeological sites is criticised along with the inadequate number of personnel manning the sites, during the limited opening-hours to the public.
Even though most of the points made are valid (a fact that dictated mass employment of extra staff from the Ministry of Culture), the view of the article is quite worrying: Monuments, archaeological sites and museums are considered as products for mass, summer, touristic consumption. Culture is still considered the ‘heavy industry’ or the ‘competitive advantage’ of Greece as the official dialectics sustain since the ’60s; a ‘product’ detached from its historicity and local reality, ready to be consumed by the myriads of summer tourists that enjoy their pints in some bar built (illegally) on the sea shore. Some issues that totally reflect the state policy for tourism, in a “come ‘n enjoy…” mood.
According to the article, the main criterion for managing sites and judging the situation nowadays are accessibility issues and how many hours are the sites available to visitors. The needs of the monuments, their protection and conservation, along with issues involving the surrounding local communities (e.g. local communities and its reactions to mass tourism) are unavoidably considered as of minor importance.
The article could be accessed here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/23/greece.heritage
Written by Stelios Lekakis
June 27, 2008 at 10:04 am
Posted in Commenting on articles