When you google “Nikos Palyvos” the first website to pop up in your eyes is his wordpress-blog “npalyvos.wordpress.com“. First of all you will see the picture of a man is looking right into your eyes. On his blog, Palyvos describes himself as “Researcher/Geologist” (Free lancer) – Lecturer at the Geology Department of Athens University. Status: To be Hired.
Together with 800 other lecturers, PhD Nikos Palyvos was theoretically hired for positions at the Greek universities. Two years later, he was still not on the payroll -due to the Troika imposed austerity measures and the hiring stop. Practically he was jobless without even unemployment allowance.
Palyvos tried to make ends meet for a descent live with free-lace contracts. His latest contracts as free lance researcher, ended in 2009, according to his blog.
Nikos Palyvos’s blog won’t be updated anymore. The 38-year old man committed suicide last Monday, on 23. April 2012.
He was specilized in Seismology in Greece.
Nikos Palyvos took his life two days after elementary school teacher Savvas Metoikidis committed suicide in his home town in Xanthi.
Palyvos and Metoikidis are only two of the more than 1,700 Greeks who committed suicide in the last two years due to economic crisis.
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Suicide Helpline in Greece phone number are 1018 and 801 801 9999. The e-mail is [email protected].
The Helpline operates 24/7 toll free. Under conditions of anonymity.
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Σύγχρονη νεοελληνική λογική: δοξάζουμε αυτούς που αυτοκτονούν (αφήνοντας πίσω τις οικογένειες τους) και κατακρίνουμε όσους έχουν έστω και μια καλή κουβέντα να πουν για την χώρα. Λες και στα χρόνια της κατοχής και της πείνας, ο Ελληνικός λαός επιβίωσε αυτοκτονώντας με την πρώτη δυσκολία.
Translation: Contemporary Greek logic: we memorialize and treat as heros those who commit suicide (in many cases leaving families behind) and then we turn around and criticize someone who has even one good thing to say about the country. As if during the years of war, starvation, and occupation, the Greek people managed to survive by killing themselves with the first sign of hardship.
oh, do we?
My cousin is a geologist in the UK, and I’ll let him know in case they can say a prayer for him. Does anyone know if there is a Greek saint for Geologists? Like they have for some professions?
good thought, Sue. I personally do not know any saint. maybe someone esle does.
It’s very tragic when someone decides to take their own life. It is even more tragic when someone with a political agenda exploits this person’s demise.
One more brilliant mind leaves this world. My heart bleeds for his family and friends. There is no answer to what is in a persons mind when they take this decision, if only we knew?
Do not despair Greece you are our inspiration and always have been. Where would we be without you?
My Geologist cousin responds to this suicide:
“Well it is always horrible when you hear of someone taking their life. There are so many people effected by this day and age, as you know. But, we have to continue to see the positive aspects in life; for me, the environment itself. It is weird but, I can obviously understand the feelings that he (the Greek Geologist) must have had: his passion gone; his job/teaching gone; and his money gone. Since I finally finished up at school, I have felt kind of empty myself. Luckily, I do believe there is so much more that the Earth has to offer other than money and the job. The trick for me is to continue to be productive in the things I enjoy, even if it doesn’t make money. The reality is that I used to be able to do those things while I was at work. But, such is a dynamic Earth that is constantly giving us a ride for money.”
Greece has the lowest suicide rate in Europe, many times lower than in France or Germany. You’ll find many unemployed geologists, biologists and so on in every european country as well. As always, Greek mass media are exaggerating this phenomenon, which is very dangerous as it could prompt people to commit indeed suicide. The greek society as a whole should stop considering itself as a victim, much of this crisis is home made and the results of decades of corruption and bad decisions.
What’s your point except from divide and conquer? Although the rate seems “low” for you – 1700 in the last two years means also 1700 shocked and suffering families and lots of friends – it has exploded and everybody will ask herself who will be next; what a brilliant athmosphere in a land that wasn’t used to having so many suicides as it was used. Unemployment in Greece is not like unemployment in Europa, like minimum wages differ. In Europa – with some luck you could get 2000-3000 Evros unemployment allowance minimum the first 12 months, some 24 months and after that you will still get money to pay your rent and not to be hungry but this fighter didn’t get any like many others in Greece.
The media is hiding and ignoring most of the suicides…