Starting with the notion that to exchange is fashionable trends are emerging in Greece created by small groups of people who are exchanging clothes, bags, books, parking spaces and any other items and services. This is how the "time bank" appeared, where the people offer their services and in turn they can use the services of another member of the community. For example, an hour of lessons in Spanish is equivalent to an hour of childcare. In this way each member of the group offers his/her time and can save time, during which the person is allowed to use the services of another member of the community (http://www.enow.gr/196/1633.aspx). The time bank is mostly for people who have time but do not have resources, but for all others who wish to participate too. In particular, it can benefit immigrants, refugees, single parent families, people with special needs and retired people.
The initiative of three girls, which started three years ago with a party to exchange clothes and accessories, is in the spirit of sharing and exchange too. The idea of www.slishing.gr for bazaars for clothes and accessories began when one of the three girls realized how many clothes she had in the wardrobe which she wore no more than two or three times. The first "ladies party" was organized in September 2009 among friends and bloggers to exchange everything that remains in the dark corners of the wardrobes. Gradually, the parties turned into a "movement" which is against overconsumption, and for "recycling" and "upcycling" of things and with the belief that the Greek women have already overcome the taboo to wear second hand clothes. As the girls stress in a report for the Elle Magazine, "we do not exchange one garment for another, but the people leave as many garments as they like and take whatever they like without any restrictions."
The community for a free stay in a place where you decided to stay for a few days whether abroad or in the country works in the same way. For example, you can offer your summer house to strangers for some time, and you can go on vacation in the house of a member of the community. The web site www.elladahomeexchange.gr offers numerous choices for weekends as well as winter and summer vacations. Another site - www.homelinkgreece.org – offers the chance to exchange your house with thousands of homes of members of the organization from all over the world. Instead of paying for hotels and lodging in unpleasant rooms as ordinary tourists we can find our temporary "house" in the places we visit. A community that has existed for years and is probably among the most popular and widely used worldwide is the community for alternative and cultural tourism www.couchsurfing.com. The idea is very simple - each member can request to stay in the house of any other member of the community who offers the couch in his or her house.
For Greece you can visit the following sites to find events for the exchange of items, places and services in this spirit of mutual convenience and an alternative social economy:
Second hand items: www.freecycle.org / group / gr
Lessons for the use of items that you are no longer interested in: http://skoros.espiv.net/projects
E-books and second hand books: http://genia700euro.pblogs.gr
Stay all around the world: http://blogs.pathfinder.gr/genia700euro
Information on GPS: http://pois.gr
Wireless Internet: http://free-wifi.gr
Scholarships: http://ypotrofies.gr
Hitch-hiking: www.carpooling.gr
Exchange of parking spaces: www.parkaro.gr
Exchange of items in good condition: www.xariseto.gr
An exchange and solidarity network in the region of Magnesia: www.tem-magnisia.gr
Source: Elle Magazine
Photos from: http://www.swishing.gr/
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