I got an email last week inviting me to meet with the Greek Foreign Minister, Dora Bakoyannis (you may recall that
one of my uncles held the same job in the 1980s).
I'm heading off to Athens today to attend a conference starting this weekend in northern Greece (more on that in a sec), and the Minister's office coincidentally contacted me asking if I'd be in Greece any time soon. It seems that Minister Bakoyanni is very into the Internet and bloggers. Which is great. As I'd written before, Greece is behind many "western" European countries, like France and Spain and England, in its use of the Internet. I'd put Greece on a par with Italy in terms of its Internet use - and for neither country is that good. Perhaps a better way to put this would be, Greece and Italy appear to have embraced the Internet to the level we had embraced it in the US some time in the late 1990s. Some people love it, some people think it's a fad or downright dangerous, and others simply shrug, never having seen it, and not really planning to. But at the same time, in Greece at least, I've met a real core of great bloggers and online strategists that rival anything we have here in the states. So they're on the right track - the only question is to what degree the government and society will foster an Internet revolution, or fear it.
Anyway, so I'm meeting the Minister at her office on Friday and, while our conversation will be off the record, I was wondering if you have any questions for her? I've asked her office if I might interview her on cam or by audio for a few minutes after the meeting ON the record - so if I can, I'd like your suggestions for what topics you might find interesting. I just
read her resume, it's rather astounding. She and her family were exiled from Greece during the years of the military dictators (late 60s, early 70s). My uncle was jailed and tortured at the time as well, which is interesting since he's on the left and her family is on the right - dictators know no difference. She then returned to Greece, where her husband was assassinated by terrorists, got involved in politics, was herself the survivor of an assassination plot six years ago, and eventually became the first female mayor of Athens in its 3,500 year history. She now has been Foreign Minister (i.e., Secretary of State) for the past two years.
As for next week, I was invited to attend the Symi Symposium, an annual gathering of, well, it's hard to explain, so
let me let them explain:
The 11th Annual Symi Symposium will take place July 13-19, 2008 in Ouranoupolis, Greece. It will bring together about 30 of the most interesting thinkers, Nobel laureates, entrepreneurs, politicians, religious leaders, diplomats, scientists, and activists to address how progressive parties can develop successful political platforms that respond to the challenges of the coming decade, focusing on such issues on climate change and energy security; the reform or reinvention of international institutions; and the global food crisis.
The Symposium was first held in 1998 on the island of Symi, which has lent its name to this event ever since. Convened every year on a different Greek venue, the Symi Symposium is designed to nurture spirited debate in a discreet setting. Participants come from all over the world, and their divergent interests and backgrounds enliven both formal and informal conversations. The Symi Symposium has fostered ideas and friendships that have borne fruit in the form of significant projects, ventures, and public service.
It sounds really fascinating. We should have Internet access at the conference, so I hope to not just report on the conference, but get some good interviews, audio and video, with a number of the political and non-profit leaders from around the world. Then from there I'm flying directly to Austin for the Netroots Nation (aka Yearly Kos) blog conference. You can still register to attend the conference, it's open to everyone,
here (and the price has been discounted to $299 - unfortunately, conference cost to put together).
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