The story of Ierissos’s future – Nikos Lygeros
The History of Ierissos’ Future – Nikos Lygeros
When you find yourself in a region that forms the crossroads between Hellenism and Christianity through Aristotle and Mount Athos, you do not even have the right to let yourself be destroyed, because you are part of Greece’s cultural heritage. And the reason is simple. One of the most difficult feats is to create a past. So once you have it, the hardest thing is to preserve it. Ierissos, as a region, is characterised by historical continuity. Without interruption, the area has been inhabited since antiquity, because at no point in its history did it rely on monoculture. Whereas many villages that made this strategic mistake no longer exist. Furthermore, when you realise that an action is irreversible in this region, you have no right to try it, as no one will be able to rectify it in the future. Essentially, Ierissos does not have the right to die. It is therefore obliged to seek a humane development strategy that offers prospects not only to its residents but to the entire region. You cannot be situated on the path to Mount Athos and fail to capitalise on this when you know that pilgrims are a community with spiritual values who seek a life of quality.
You cannot be in the region of Aristotle and not have a centre for Aristotelian studies that hosts experts from all over the world. In essence, you cannot be situated between two entities of global renown and still be wondering how to make the most of it. It is unthinkable to have a region renowned for its crops and not to have applied zeolite to improve their yields, production and quality, whilst saving water, fertilisers and avoid heavy-duty pesticides. When your location offers the unrivalled advantage of combining Hellenism, Christianity, natural beauty and high-quality tourism, it is unacceptable to believe that you have no future. In fact, before you free the land from any irreversible intervention, you must free your mind from its constraints. Because when, for years and decades, you have been convinced that you have no other prospect than to be exploited by an entity that makes you dependent on it and wreaks havoc on your land, you do indeed get the impression that you can do nothing, and in the end you come to believe it. It is the difficulty of a struggle that gives a people their worth. In Ierissos, the resistance did not bow down because it is part of Hellenism, and we have not learnt to bow our heads before the conquerors. The only problem is that, however steadfast the resistance may be, if it has no prospects, it will eventually lose momentum. For this reason, it is essential to capitalise on the region’s unrivalled advantage. The cooperatives that showcase the region’s traditions and culture through their products must be strengthened by utilising zeolite, especially now that Greek zeolite will also be available via Thrace. This will also help foster an outward-looking approach, which offers even greater development opportunities for Ierissos. And all this is done with respect for people and the environment. So that there is continuity for future generations in the region. And when you have the potential to attract tens of thousands of visitors thanks to Chalkidiki, you must recognise this and establish protected designations of origin that highlight the local character and distinctiveness at both national and international levels, particularly when combined with the work of ArisTotelis and the treasures of Mount Athos. Ierissos, by virtue of its culture and humanity, cannot die; it is therefore destined to live on, and this can be achieved by combining resistance with development through a people-centred strategy.
Source: www.lygeros.org