2013 Summer Season starts!

Tomorrow we welcome Jonathan Dawson from Schumacher College, and family, for the first workshop of the season at Kalikalos, on Sacred Economics.
It is bound to be a lively week, with people from ecovillages and traditional communities, as well as international participants with an interest in sustainable economics, attending. We look forward to lively debate, discussions and the sharing of solutions for the newly emerging Greek economy
Meanwhile, the three week set-up camp is still buzzing with willing workers. Some are leaving and others arriving tomorrow, together with guests. It is a change of rhythm requiring adaptability, flexibility and willingness to keep co-operating for the common good. Not a simple challenge when we are weary, but as the energies lift from controlled chaos of construction to the level of professional delivery, we are raised on the tide also.
Ground sites are cleared and leveled, tents unpacked, repaired and raised. The meditation sanctuary is clothed in bamboo and the staff yurt is completed with flowers, cushions and rugs. Above it, the Mulberries are ripening rapidly, and an additional safety net is tied in the branches by nimble tree climbers to catch the falling berries.
A thousand small details that create a welcoming atmosphere for forthcoming guests:
Flowers in rooms, affirmative messages and painted stones, a shopping list as long as my arm will provide for our comfort and needs for the next week. The vegetables are growing as quickly as they can, as if they too can feel the urgency. Chairs are counted, cushions mended, sheets washed, and jobs apportioned.
A question arises as to how we can encourage local Greek people to attend the workshop. Without their input and sharing, anything that we do is just theoretical. How do we support and learn from the experience that Greece is living through at this time?
Greek tourism is reliant upon international visitors spending up, due to a decline in national tourism
We put up posters in the local beachside village to try and encourage more participation. So far, the
response has been mild, even though payment can be made using the local exchange currency.
A taverna owner says that he cannot afford to take the time out to attend, due to needing

 to be available for taking tourism Euros.  Greece is time rich and money strapped. What does this transition mean to people and how are they dealing with it?
Locally, hotels and guest houses are charging backpacker hostel prices in order to attract more custom. A 60€ room is being offered for 20€.
Here at Kalikaos and Anilio, the 25 person team meets once a week to eat at different tavernas in Kissos village in order to share our custom.