"A man without culture is like a tree without fruit." This phrase by the French poet Antoine de Rivarol has never been as true and imperative as it is today. In an era where it is so easy to entertain ourselves by enriching the powerful, and so difficult to cultivate ourselves for our own enrichment, the reign of money finds it more profitable to stupefy the people than to elevate them. Thus, the YouTuber is better paid than the actor, and the computer scientist is better paid than the doctor.
Even worse for the nobles of the money reign: culture prompts us to question and imperatively challenge the established order.
In addition to not being profitable, culture as fuel for thought represents a risk, a danger, a fear for the Popes of the new economy. By diverting us from the new digital and media religion, we weaken them.
So, you may ask, why is it so important for us to cultivate ourselves, to become less ignorant, and to question the order of the powerful? After all, we could continue to spend our days on TikTok, admiring those influencers who inundate us with more or less luxurious brands and materialistic dreams in Dubai... The answer is simple. The answer lies in the soil that inhabits the soul of the people of this country, so much so that it is omnipresent in its anthem and its motto: Freedom. By questioning the functioning of our societies, culture guarantees us the ability to cultivate our freedom; this foundational pillar of Greek identity.
But culture requires effort: there are no cultivated men, only men who cultivate themselves, as later said by Marshal of France Ferdinand Foch, hero of the First World War. This effort can be made in different ways: by reading a book, studying, going to the theater, a concert, or watching a movie. Even going to church can be considered a cultural effort. It is easy to understand that this effort is hardly accomplished alone: to read a book, we need a library. To study, we need a university. To see a play or a concert, we need a venue... All these things necessary for the realization of a cultural project are underpinned by people, time, and energy.
This combination of factors allows the creation of culture islands. For the reasons I have previously mentioned, and especially to ensure that the Greek people remain a free people, each culture island, however small, must be considered as a garden to protect, as an impregnable fortress, as the guarantee of our freedom.
The Example of Anakara in Kefalonia στην Κεφαλονιά
On our island, a group of people has decided to dedicate time and energy to culture. For free.
Lixouri, it is now possible to attend Greek classes, go to a movie with your children, a concert, participate in artistic creation workshops... And all this for free.
This culture island is the Anakara association. And having been there several times, I must say that I am very positively surprised by all the initiatives put in place for the benefit of the population of our island.
Even if I do not share the political vision of most members of Anakara, it does not prevent me from admiring their commitment to the Kefalonians. And to warmly thank them for these moments of shared happiness, with my family and friends. I must even say that it would be good to extend the Anakara initiative to Argostoli and to our beautiful region of Eleion, where cultural activities are sorely lacking.
To carry out its activities in Lixouri, Anakara can use the premises of the university. But... With the closure of the university, these premises will be transferred to the municipality.
Culture in Danger
The mayor of Lixouri, whom we usually appreciate for his humor, recently indicated that he wished for Anakara to vacate the university premises to turn them into a storage space for municipal equipment.
In doing so, the mayor of Lixouri has decided, probably without realizing it, to destroy one of the few culture islands of our island. The mayor of Lixouri attacks one of these impregnable fortresses guaranteeing the Greek people of Kefalonia their right to cultivate themselves and therefore their right to remain free.
Faced with the outcry that followed this announcement from the town hall, the mayor decided to postpone his decision. And I must say that it is a courageous position on the part of the mayor of Lixouri to have recognized his mistake.
We now hope that he will follow through with his approach and simply cancel this project.
We do not need new storage spaces, nor new museums for tourists (as has also been mentioned). If we want to revitalize our island and this country, to bring back the brains and talents, the entrepreneurs and the workers, we need places for culture, for reflection, and for the elevation of the human spirit.
Anakara means "with the head high" in the dialect of our island, so let us hold our heads high, and not give in.
Gerasimos P.
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