PETITION
TO THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL OF MITHYMNA (MOLYVOS)
It is common knowledge, that during the last decades, thousands of people are uprooted from their homeland due to invasion of their country, civil wars or simply poverty. Having packed their hopes for a better world, they start on a voyage – an Odyssey towards Europe expecting to find a better life there. They are the refugees. They believe that in Europe they will be safe, they will live a decent life and enjoy the rudiments of civil rights.
The geographic position of our country is the main gate to their dream. Thousands of those come through Lesvos. According to the United Nations High Comission records, 13,000 thousands have been registered, in 2008 alone.
And it is the coasts of our municipality, along with the coasts of the municipality of Mandamados, where these refugees who have managed to avoid the illegal “trasporters” first come ashore. Wet, battered, tormented, in the illusion that their turmoil is over.
We witness their suffering and we are aware they are abused. Our country and our island in particular, have become infamous throughout Europe for the terrible state of the place where they are kept In the area of Pagani.The recent presentation at the Conference Center of Mythimna was stunningly informative.
We want to help these people and as minimum of humanitarian behavior, we, the citizen of this place request the Municipality of Mythimna for their factual cooperation and support for the construction of two waiting areas (places) for the refugees and two WC closets nearby.
- These waiting areas can be sheds, tents or kiosks.
- We propose their location to be in the greater area of Skala Sykamias and Molyvos at places that you will specify.
- At those places there will be banners with elementary information, for the refugees in English and in their native language. There will also be maps of the greater area so that they will be able to know where they are.
- The under establishment support group of the refugees commit themselves to man, on a voluntary basis, those waiting areas offering refreshments, coffe, tea and staple food. Clothing will also be offered, if necessary, from the already existing stock.
- We believe that the WC closets are of outmost importance in order to preserve the public hygenics. They should of the “turkish” kind and we, as a group, undertake the obligation to keep them meticulously hygenic.
- The purpose of those areas will be to offer weather protection and a helping hand to the refugees until they are collected by the authorities to be transferred to the state reception places.
- Some of our fellow citizens may argue that places of this kind may blemish the tourist picture of our town. We would like to emphasize that never ever has humanitarian expression blemished the picture of a town. Further more the visitors of our town will realise that our attitude towards the refugees is civilised, human and well organised. They will have one more reason to respect our country.
However, this place has many times embraced refugees in the past. It is sensitive to human suffering and knows very well how to relieve it.
Signatures of citizens of the area who support this petition are attached:
