Published 10/07/2024 18:38
The 50th KNE-Odigitis Festival concluded on Saturday, September 21, in Athens, Greece. Since 1975, this event has become a significant presence in the country’s political and cultural life, organized by the Greek Communist Youth (KNE).
Held annually between June and September, the festival takes place in more than 100 cities, culminating in a final edition in Athens. Unlike other festivals, such as the Festa do Avante and the Fête de l’Humanité, KNE-Odigitis is decentralized, takes place exclusively at night, starting at 6pm, for four days and is organized by communist youth and not by the party.
Invited international delegations are always present at festivals, and the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the KNE-Odigitis Festival was no different. The event featured several delegations of fighters from different parts of the world, with more than forty present, who came together to share ideas, strengthen bonds of solidarity and promote cultural and political exchange.
The 2024 edition, which celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the festivals, had a significant international delegation, bringing together young people from different parts of the world. The event took place at the Antonis Tritsis Environmental Park, in Athens, between the 18th and 21st of September. The public enjoyed a wide range of activities, such as thematic debates, acts of solidarity, exhibitions, artistic and musical presentations, a literary fair and children’s programming, spread across four stages, with more than 400 artists performing in various presentations.
On Saturday, the last day of the event, there was a great political event, including the greeting of the General Secretary of the KNE, Thodoris Kotsantis, and the acclaimed speech by the General Secretary of the KKE Central Committee, Dimitris Koutsoubas. Throughout the two speeches, it was possible to clearly see the strength of Greek communist militancy, with many party flags, chants and revolutionary slogans.
Considered the biggest political-cultural event in Greece, the KNE-Odigitis Festival promotes hope, creation and struggle, mobilizing thousands of members and friends of KNE and KKE to build it and keep it alive. KNE highlights the importance of preserving Tritsis Park as a public space, resisting corporate interests. Holding the festival at the site is a way of contributing to its protection, promotion and modernization, resisting the negligence of previous and current governments.
Among the most popular points of the festival is the literary fair, which has two large stands where several publishers offer the public a wide range of titles ranging from more theoretical content to children’s literature, including great biographies, historical books about important moments of Greek popular struggles, history of the party, youth and reflections on the European and international situation.
Equally busy is the fine arts exhibition, which this year brought together works produced by beginners and renowned Greek artists. This year the exhibition was called “Eyes on the future” and was organized by the KNE Culture Committee.
As it is a festival organized by youth, one of the busiest spaces is the Student Station, a meeting point, discussion, creation and entertainment. There are thousands of students who contacted KNE through the call: “With KNE we change the world, our future is socialism”. In this area of the park, an exhibition was also built with interactive screens, tablets, audiovisual material, videos, electronic questionnaires and graphics that show students the world in which they live and grow, full of problems, difficult everyday situations and contradictions. of capitalism.
According to the organizers, the exhibition was designed to show that despite the cultivation of disillusionment, apathy and disinterest in movements, anti-communism, ignorance and lack of experience, natural among young people, students can discover why the socialist project it is realistic, necessary and timely. As they walk around the panels, students are invited to reflect on what they would like to change in the world and what are the most different things that could be changed.
Student musical and artistic groups performed on the Student Stage, as well as political debates about pop culture, what it means to be anti-systemic today and what revolutionaries are like today, with the great communist leader Aleka Papariga, among other debaters.
Another important aspect of the Festival was solidarity with Palestine. Activities carried out at universities around the world in 2024 were recalled, as well as large demonstrations, occupations and protests on the main student campuses on the planet. A thread that linked the struggles of US and EU universities, with the slogans End Genocide and BDS (boycott, sanctions and divestment).
The little ones also had their own space, which was called “Young and old, we became one and designed the world” and was open for the 4 days of the Festival. With a rich and playful program that cultivated the collective’s taste for knowledge, creation and discovery, with outstanding performances and performances to impress young visitors. It offers workshops, magic shows, music and song shows, shadow theater, archaeological challenges, soap bubble shows, juggling shows, puppet shows and storytelling, including three Cuban folk tales.
From young to old, from those looking for more serious debates to those who wanted lighter and more fun programs, everyone found over four nights an exciting, politicized and certainly remarkable Festival for the politics and popular culture of Greeks and those from other parts. of the world they were able to enjoy.
Source: vermelho.org.br
