Greece -- "The Greatest
Celebration on Earth" ???? with respect from Marijo and WAG New York
Dear All:
Please forgive "another transmittal" of this piece. I read this article and
found some typos and added some thoughts. Please bear with me. This written
assault, taken out upon my errant computer was not easy. Ask my computer.
Thank you all so much.
With love and respect:
Marijo Gillis (WAG, New York)
(My personal contact info follows my article)
For Publication
PLEASE CROSS POST
ATHENS 2004
"The Greatest Celebration on Earth" ???
(By Marijo Anne Gillis - Founder, WAG, New York (Welfare for Animals Global /
Welfare for Animals in Greece)
I peered out the window of the giant airbus as the powerful jet screeched to an
abrupt halt. It was 10:30 am and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Elefterios
Venezelou Airport was eerily quiet. In early summer, Athens is usually a
frenetic hub of activity. Tourists from all over the world flock to the "Cradle
of Western Civilization" for fun in the sun and trips to the majestic monuments
of a once exemplary civilization.
My history and love affair with Greece spans 30 years-dating back to my early
college days. I lived in Greece for 14 years, while married, and ran a
lucrative yacht chartering business. I like to believe that over the years, I
became somewhat of an expert on Greek cultural and social mores.
Modern day Greece pales in comparison to the mighty imprint she relinquished so
many millennia ago. She is but a faint shadow-- a dim memory of her ancient and
glorious past. I guess you could say that she has devolved into a disabled
offspring of colossal greatness.
I disembarked, cleared customs, said a prayer to the Lord for strength and began
a sad journey into the desperate, despairing world of the animals of Greece.
Unwanted, abandoned, brutalized, the fate of these creatures, both companion and
farmed are tenuous at best--especially in light of the 2004 Olympic Games.
I have made three investigative trips to Greece in the last nine months and have
filmed and photographed the innocent victims of abuse, neglect and disease in
horrifying municipal shelters, parks, back alley ways, farms and even private
homes. Fear, loneliness, starvation, brutality, pain and death are not just
vocabulary for the companion and farmed animals in Greece, but living
expressions of reality.
Low cost spay/neuter programs do not exist . Greeks believe that animals
deserve a sex life. Sadly, some Greek veterinarians are more concerned with
profits from all too often botched spay/neuters, which they perform reluctantly,
than with the hideous conditions of the animals they were trained to help.
"Voluntary" vets, from around the world have been denied access to practice in
Greece, lest they curb the inflow of bucks to the home grown variety. To hell,
I guess, with the nightmare of animal suffering in Greece.
Greeks proudly state that they do not practice euthanasia, yet, ironically mass
poisoning is their barbaric form of animal population control. Death sneaks up
furtively upon the starving animals as they ravenously devour food laced with a
lethal cocktail of rat poison, herbicides and pesticides. The end is slow and
brutally agonizing.
Wanton propagation in wretched, municipal shelters, where animals are trapped
in perpetual misery-- diseased and starving, results in new born puppies being
cannibalized by animals struggling for survival. These grisly scenes have been
captured on video.
Man's dominion over animals - an appointment by God, has apparently been
stripped of mercy, compassion and humanity.
Over the past year, my meetings and negotiations with Greek ministers, mayors,
and officials of the 2004 Athens Olympic Committee have produced promises to
raise the standard of animal welfare and embrace social responsibility,
especially in light of the "Games". Unfortunately for the animal victims,
promises are empty--rhetoric is meaningless.
Graphic reports of animal abuse in the daily papers and on TV do little to
mobilize a humane response by citizens. Government generated press releases deny
allegations of slaughter and criminal abuse and are little more than slick
smokescreens meant to mislead probing journalists and the conscientious world.
My investigations over the past two years, clearly point to a well planned,
systematic "house cleaning" campaign. Allegedly orchestrated by Greek officials
in cooperation with the 2004 Athens Olympic Committee, "gentrification" of the
streets in time for the onslaught of tourists to the summer games has resulted
in a massacre. Reports from Greece indicate that the animals are not the only
ones who are disappearing and taking the proverbial bullet for greed and
inhumanity. Several, Greek TV viewers state that a late night news report
indicates that allegedly, the homeless, gypsies, and other aesthetically
"undesirables" will be spirited off to mysterious venues for the duration of the
games. Perhaps to an island spa? - I shudder as I déjà vu Gestapo tactics !
While in Athens, I brought provocative expose material--facts, photographs and
film to the attention of a very powerful television journalist, Maki
Triantafylopoulos. His programs "Yellow Press" and "Jungle", air twice weekly
on Alter TV, a major network. Both broadcasts vie for the number one spot in
the ratings. He is feared for his relentless inquisitions and cunning reportage
on corruption and abuse and he wreaks havoc on the human pollution of Greek
society. He travels with a body guard and threats upon his life are taken
seriously. I like him very much. He is a gentle and compassionate man and is
hell bent on securing justice for the proverbial underdog. Please, no pun
intended. Several years ago, Mr. Triantafylopoulos' award winning expose on
Greece's hideous and macabre mental hospitals reached the television audiences
of one of America's most credible documentary programs.
I am grateful for this journalist's trust in WAG's campaign for the animals of
Greece. He "gifted" me, Athens attorney, Amalia Katsoula and South African
activist, Angela Fleming the opportunity to participate in a live one hour
program called "Yellow Press". A well known panel of guests, including
government officials and people from the entertainment and publishing world were
invited to express their views. I believe that we ignited an un-extinguishable
"torch". On the air, Mr. Triantafylopoulos promised to me and his millions of
viewers, that he will thoroughly investigate allegations of mass
exterminations and the disappearance of countless animals and he hopefully will
uncover the identification of the perpetrators.
After my rabble rousing visit to Greece in June of 2003, , at the invitation of
the Greek government, Athens Olympic Committee director, billionaire, Gianna
Angelopoulou-Daskalaki held a major press conference and promised financial
aid for the welfare of abandoned animals affected by the infrastructure for the
games. I am curious to learn the whereabouts of the "millions of euros" that
she promised for the animals. Did someone open a Swiss bank account?
Indulgences for the Olympic Games ( expenditures will indeed have dramatic
consequences for Greek citizens) idle in the billions of dollars and are
dramatically over budget. Thankfully, the international animal welfare community
has called for an active, united BOYCOTT of Greece and this action will
undoubtedly impact an already compromised economy. Oblivious to all but the
"glory of the Games", the 2004 Athens Olympic Committee turns a blind eye to
financial disaster, as well as to the grim animal issue which screams for a
humane solution.
Forever lobbying and pressuring officials, I arranged a formal meeting with
Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Alexandros Kontos, the minister's counsel,
animal advocates and three brilliant Athenian attorneys, (Amalia Katsoula,
Elias Pavlakis and Vasilis Alavanos), who are working together, pro bono, to
effect justice for animals and animal advocates. Prior to this meeting, the
Ministry refused communication with the animal welfare community. I am happy to
report that this dialogue between people and state continues. Another meeting (
attorney's in tow) with the Deputy Mayor of Athens, Tonia Kannelopoulou, charged
with animal welfare in the Olympic host city was extremely cordial. Once again,
the mayoralty made promises for reform that I feel sure they would like to keep;
however, rejecting assistance from foreign animal welfare organizations is not
wise. The Athens municipality's primitive, well intentioned actions have yet
to prove the verity of political oratory.
WAG and the heaven sent Angela Fleming, general secretary of Athens' Frontida
Zoon (Caring for the Animals) physically rescued several very ill, abused young
dogs from the garbage dump at Loutraki, a wealthy seaside resort some 80
kilometers from Athens. Loutraki's claim to fame is a popular gambling casino.
Infamous is the town dump which doubles as Loutraki's municipal animal shelter.
It is despicable as are the indifferent officials of the town, (partners in the
casino). Words cannot describe the condition of the animals. At this moment, I
find that I cannot find the fortitude to describe the misery, pain and
desolation that I witnessed. A happy ending for these rescued creatures, is
that WAG has provided veterinary treatment for the rescued dogs, (two were 3
week old puppies discarded as rubbish ) and foster care with loving families.
They are presently being medicated, loved, spoiled, fattened up and are
awaiting a mercy airlift and re-homing in Belgium. But, what about the tens of
thousand left behind?
During my 17 day stay in Greece, I had daily meetings with animal rights
activists and phone conferences with these wonderful people nation wide; the
only members of Greek society who seem to care about her tormented animals.
Sadly, these human bastions of animal rights continue to be ridiculed,
slandered, intimidated and marginalized by citizens and government officials
alike, and some of their actions appear to be governed by fear. The vicious
Greek e-zine, Tetrapodologein has made an egregious mockery of their compassion.
Happily, on June 6, 2004, the venue of the Greek Parliament played involuntary
host to a boisterous and passionate street demonstration. Gathering courage,
over 1000 angry animal activists took to the streets, with banners and
loudspeakers, protesting the mass poisoning of thousands of dogs and cats and
the government and the 2004 Athens Olympic Committee's alleged, reckless
complicity in the disappearance of the country's strays.
Even better news is the fact that the European media is covering Greece's
"little shop of horrors" with vitality and serious intent. As well, WAG just
completed production on a 5 minute, narrated documentary film which details
animal abuse in Greece . WAG will distribute the visual images to major media
outlets throughout North America and Western Europe. A major American network
has expressed interest in the expose. Adverse publicity will certainly impact
the influx of Greece's tourist dollars. Money is something that the Greek
nation's governing force comprehends -- the diminished ching-ching of that damn
Greek cash register god may catalyze positive action.
As the Olympic games draw near, much is being questioned about vital security
in defense of global terrorism and construction delays of the city's
infrastructure are foremost concerns. The Greek government blithely reassures
the media and turns it's arrogant attention to putting their city in the best
possible light.
As the world lobbies for assurances that the 2004 Athens Olympic Games will be a
safe and successful pageant, the needless and barbaric slaughter of her animals
continues. The world is perplexed and somewhat stunned by this country's
resistance to compassion.
As Greece assumes center stage, let us remember and never forget, that athletes
from around the world will exercise their prowess upon the blood stains of the
thousands of voiceless, vulnerable victims of greed and inhumanity. This will
surely outrage the millions of people who cherish their animals and the
creatures with whom we share this planet.
Alluring TV commercials and crafty print advertising, artfully displayed,
proclaim that the 2004 Athens Olympics will "unite the world". A full page ad
in a New York City newspaper, presented by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture,
states:
"At the dawn of the third millennium, more than 2,700 years after the first
Olympic Games, history will repeat itself as the Olympics return to the country
of their birth. The Greek nation and the whole world will embrace the unique
revival of the games, turning them into "the greatest celebration on earth".
Knowing what we know, this image strains credulity.
And so, dear readers, Greece continues to rape her own image with social
irresponsibility and moral bankruptcy. The 2004 Athens Olympic Games will hoist
a bright torchlight over the failures of Greek society and civic institutions to
live up to their obligations to meet the most basic, simple needs of animals.
Welcome to the 2004 Athens Olympic Games as GREEK ANIMALS RACE for their LIVES!
Marijo Anne Gillis - Founder
WAG, New York (Welfare for Animals Global/Welfare for Animals in Greece (5013c)
1775 York Avenue # 7H
New York, New York 10128
Tel. (212) 427-0587 Fax (212) 427-6381 (tel. # can be published)
E-Mail Twinkieperkyebby@msn.com
THANK YOU