But today in Greece, gay rights are not as accepted. Special correspondent Lynn Sherr and producer Megan Thompson examine the state of marriage equality in Greece.

• Read an interview with Georgia Trismpioti of Amnesty International’s Greek division: Activists in Greece agitate for greater rights for gays
• Listen to Worldfocus Radio on LGBT politics and gay asylum
• Watch related signature videos from Jamaica: Violence and venom force gay Jamaicans to hide and Gays in Jamaica worship in underground church

A gay pride parade in Athens. Photo: Megan Thompson

Georgia Trismpioti is the director of Amnesty International’s Greek division. Worldfocus producer Megan Thompson interviewed her about the situation of gays in Greece.

Watch our signature video from Greece: Ancient Greek values clash with modern treatment of gays.

Worldfocus: What is the climate like for gays in Greece?

Georgia Trismpioti: It is a fact that discrimination against LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexuals, and transgender) people is worse in Europe’s Mediterranean countries. Discrimination against LGBT people is widespread in Greece.

A recent opinion survey released by the European Commission reveals that around one in six people in Europe claim to have personally experienced discrimination on the basis of race, religion, age, disability or sexual orientation in the past year.

Forty-seven percent of Europeans believe that discrimination against LGBT is widespread. The figure rises to 66 percent for Cyprus, 64 percent for Greece and 61 percent for both Italy and France.

Those figures reflect a policy towards the LGBT community in Greece. For instance homosexuals are not allowed to donate blood or become organ, tissue or bone marrow donors in Greece. I should add that it is not necessarily representative of Greece , it is an international practice. Gay men and women are barred from serving in the Greek military forces.

Worldfocus: What kind of legal protections exist for gay people in Greece?

Georgia Trismpioti: Gay people are first of all citizens of this country and are protected under the national law as everybody else but there is a significant lack of specific legal protection for gay people in Greece.

The Greek section of Amnesty International fights for:

• The amendment of the anti-discrimination law 927/1979 which should be expanded to other forms of discrimination generated by the sexual orientation and gender identity of an individual
• The annulment of article 347 of penal code which penalizes male prostitution (which is not the case for the female prostitution) and introduce higher ages of consent for same sex activity compared to opposite sex activity
• The provision of asylum to asylum seekers persecuted in their countries of origin because of their sexual orientation
• The decriminalization of homosexuality where such legislation remains and review of all legislation which could result in the discrimination, prosecution, and punishment of people solely for their sexual orientation or gender identity
• The equal civil recognition of same sex relationships

Worldfocus: How does Greece compare to the rest of the EU on the issue of gay rights and gay marriage?

Georgia Trismpioti: A Eurobarometer survey published in December 2006 showed that 16 percent of Greeks surveyed support same-sex marriage and 11 percent recognize same-sex couple’s right to adopt. These figures are considerably below the 25-member of the European Union average of 44 percent and 33 percent respectively and place Greece in the lowest ranks of the European Union.

A Eurobarometer survey published in January 2007 (”Discrimination in the European Union”), showed that 77 percent of Greeks believe that being gay or lesbian in their country ‘tends to be a disadvantage’, while the European Union (EU25) average was 55 percent.

Further, 68 percent of Greeks agree that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is ‘widespread’ in Greece (EU25: 50 percent), and 37 percent that it is more widespread than 5 years before (EU25: 31 percent). Finally, 84 percent of Greeks also reported not having any gay or lesbian friends or acquaintances (EU25: 65 percent).

Worldfocus: In October, the left-of-center PASOK party won control of the Greek parliament, which had been ruled by the more conservative New Democracy party. Do you expect PASOK to take up the issue of gay rights?

Georgia Trismpioti: PASOK seems to place human rights issues high on its agenda but it would be premature to make any conclusions before the end at least of the first 100 days of the Papandreou government.

- Megan Thompson

A long camera crane swings overhead, women and men alike scream, and I’m whacked upside the head by a Greek photographer. I work for a serious news show on PBS. So how did I end up smack in the middle of the mayhem at one of Greece’s hottest celebrity weddings?

Last June, correspondent Lynn Sherr and I traveled to Greece to shoot several stories, including one on the controversy over gay marriage. But only one such ceremony had ever taken place. So how do you film something that isn’t happening?

Lynn came up with the idea of shooting a straight wedding, to show what gay Greeks were missing out on. Our fixer, Dee Murphy, then found an event that fit into our packed schedule: the wedding of two Greek celebrities, Adonis Georgiadis, a right-wing member of Parliament, and Eugenia Manolidou, a concert pianist, turned television talk show host.

But, I asked, could we seriously just walk into this wedding without being invited? Dee explained that Greek weddings are nothing like American weddings. For one, churches are considered public places, where everyone is welcome. That turned out to be just one of many things different about this wedding.

When we arrived, the square outside the small church was a mob scene – packed with guests, press and hundreds – maybe thousands – of gawkers. I nabbed a place on the edge of the red carpet. At first, the other Greek cameramen were friendly, introducing themselves and joking – seemingly amused by the arrival of the random American.

But when the bride arrived, all niceties went out the window. The press surged, pushing and shoving to get the shot - no elbows spared for the only woman in the pack (me).

Greek tradition dictates that the bride and groom meet outside the church and process in together. A frenzied mob of cameras, bride and her screaming assistant slowly moved towards, and engulfed, the waiting groom, then worked its say into the already packed church.

Greek paparazzi enjoy a wild wedding. Photo: Megan Thompson

Everyone stood for the entire ceremony. While the Greek Orthodox service was performed at the front of the church, the back was a free-for-all – people coming in and out, carrying on loud conversations, climbing up on benches to see the action, making phone calls, snapping photos.

Outside, tables had been set up to hand out little bundles of candied almonds (another Greek tradition). People off the streets were practically jumping over the table to get at the little fluffs of tulle. Back inside, women started dismantling the decorative flower stands that lined the aisles and stuffing them in their purses.

The service ended, and the bride and groom were mobbed all the way back down the aisle and out the door, greeted by popping flashbulbs, confetti and television interviewers. And then they stood patiently and greeted anyone and everyone - friends and strangers alike - who wanted to convey their best wishes (and there were many).

Although this was not your run-of-the-mill Athens wedding, I still felt I’d caught a glimpse of something uniquely and wonderfully Greek. The energy, the joy and the delightful notion that marriage should happen in a very public way, for all the world to see and to celebrate. I’m not sure I’ll be able to appreciate an invitation-only American wedding in quite the same way, ever again.

- Megan Thompson

We were some of the first people on earth to see the sun set on Saturday night.  After about 36 hours of travel from the Maldives, we landed on a dot of earth that is the Kingdom of Tonga, greeted by a brilliant Pacific sunset.

Tonga is in the second-most-eastern time zone – the second to start, and end, each calendar day.  But Tongans don’t seem too aware of its significance, and have a relaxed attitude towards the concept of time in general.   “Time doesn’t play a major role here,” said one of our guides.

“Island time” is a bit of a cliché, but it’s true that the Tongan pace is mellow.  I didn’t see a single stop light in this country – just a few roundabouts at the “busier” intersections, and a crossing gate in Lifuka, where the main road intersects the airport runway.  The prevailing speed limit is about 25 miles an hour and sometimes there are more pigs roaming free in the street than there are cars.

Ha’apai, Tonga. Photo: Megan Thompson

Political change has been slow to arrive here, too.  Tonga is one of the few absolute monarchies left in the world — though not for much longer.  The recently-crowned King George Tupou V has promised to start handing power over to the people next year, transitioning the government from one dominated by nobles and political appointees to one run by the prime minister.

But adopting a more modern form of government surely won’t mean that Tonga will lose the many rich traditions that thrive here.  Most Tongans still wear the traditional waist mats – the ta’ovala for men, and the kiekie for women.  It’s a sign of respect – like a neck tie, as it was explained to us – and is required in most schools, government buildings and church.  The Tongan currency is called the pa’anga, but large, hand-made tapestries called tapa are sometimes still used as a form of currency and wealth.

Tapa, made from pounded tree bark, is used sometimes as a form of wealth and currency. Photo: Megan Thompson

That’s not to say that Tongans need - or have - much money.  This continues to be, by and large, a culture of subsistence living, highly dependent on the abundant nature here.  Food is gathered daily from the sea and lush land, and the strong family unit supplies other basic needs.  The material items and frivolities that most Westerners spend their disposable income on just don’t exist.  On the island of Lifuka, I asked our guide what he did in his spare time.

“I go and cut crops on my land,” he replied.

But how about for fun?

“I take a walk.”

Tongans are intimately connected to nature, and most we spoke to have noticed that the weather seems less predictable and the sea level seems to be rising.  But many weren’t familiar with the concept of climate change.

That will probably change soon as well.  For just like the sunrise and sunset, climate change will arrive first in Tonga and other small island states.  And unlike the leisurely rhythms by which most business is done here, this issue must be tackled with urgency and haste.

The government recently formed the new Ministry for Environment and Climate Change and has started a campaign to spread awareness.  They are also gearing up to attend the climate change talks in Copenhagen in December.  There, they will join other small island nations to demand that the international community pick up the pace to save this Pacific island paradise and its people before it’s too late.

Megan in her sauna tracksuit.

Megan Thompson is a producer and editor at Worldfocus. She blogs about how she films such stunning shots for her signature stories - and about unexpected rainfall in Morocco while shooting An unusual weapon in the war against extremism.

Who knew it rained in Morocco?

We certainly didn’t, and woke up to a downpour on our one and only full day of shooting in the storied Moroccan city of Fez. Between the four of us, there was just one tiny raincoat – the one I’d brought for the camera.

We were in Fez to cover a festival of Sufi culture, and needed to capture the surrealistic beauty of the city itself. Looking out the window at the sheets of water, it was hard to imagine how. But imperfect circumstances are the norm rather than the exception in this line of work, so we just had to figure out how to make it happen. And first, we needed to find me something to wear.

We ran to a Moroccan version of Walmart, where they apparently didn’t appreciate the abnormal weather either, as there was no rain gear to be found in its vast aisles. But then we spotted something that could fit the bill. A metallic silver, two-piece, plastic “sauna suit” used for sweating off the pounds in the sauna. If it keeps water in, it could keep it out, so we bought it and headed for the door.

It’s pretty rare in foreign countries to see women operating television cameras. It’s even more rare in Morocco to see a blond camerawoman running through the streets in a shiny, billowy outfit meant for weight loss.

The valley outside the Moroccan city of Fes.

But we ignored the stares and went to work, capturing the sights and sounds that fill Fez’s ancient walls – donkeys piled with leather goods, men selling sweet mint tea, children filling water jugs from the tiled fountains, carts of fresh oranges and mosque after beautiful mosque. And then came our reward:  the sun appeared and delivered a brilliant afternoon.

Since that trip, I’ve never left home without rain gear. And I’ll admit it: I wore the sauna suit back in New York City during a rainy bike ride.  Turns out, it’s actually great at keeping the rain off, and breaks the wind too.  Who knew?!

- Megan Thompson

For more on Sufism in Morocco, read about the music, mysticism and moderation.

The coast of Antigua. Photo: Flickr user rgtmum

Megan Thompson is traveling around the world for a series on climate change and small islands. She filed this report from Antigua and Grenada.

On Thursday night, during dinner at the family home of our Antiguan guide, conversation turned to the powerful currents that pull the Atlantic waters westward from Europe and Africa to the eastern Caribbean.

I asked – half-joking – if they’d ever found a message in a bottle.  Without hesitation they replied, “Of course!”  They pointed to a large ceramic pot filled with notes and letters they’d found along the beach, from hopeful, faraway souls – most begging for a reply, some acknowledgment that their message was received.

But along with the bottled notes comes a lot of other foul stuff – trash from Africa and Europe. Neon signs, hard-hats – you name it, it winds up on the Antiguan beach.  Other people’s careless actions, wreaking havoc on a distant environment, cause a mess on a Caribbean beach that Antiguans are left to clean up.

The feeling on climate change is much the same:  we didn’t cause this problem, but we now must deal with the consequences.

During our two days in Antigua and Grenada, we saw and heard a lot about how the environment is changing.  Coastal erosion is a huge problem – whole beaches have disappeared and what’s left is often held up with rocks and retaining walls. Barrier reefs are dying, leaving the weak coast even more vulnerable.  Locals also say the weather is changing.  It’s unpredictable, and when it comes – as Hurricane Ivan did in 2004 to Grenada, which rarely sees hurricanes – it causes indescribable destruction.  Tourism dominates the economies of both countries.  But bad weather and no beaches mean no tourists, and that spells trouble.

Both countries admit that they’ve caused a lot of damage themselves.  Sand mining in Grenada and intense development in Antigua have done their fair share to beat up the beach.  Many scientists we spoke to said these factors — along with El Nino — make it that much harder to pinpoint the effects of climate change.   But whatever the cause, these governments feel they need to start cleaning up their acts, and urge the rest of the world to do the same.

Small island nations all around the world have banded together to make some waves before the Copenhagen climate talks in December.  Their slogan is “1.5 to Stay Alive – a catchy phrase, but a dead-serious message.  They say if the world’s temperature increases more than another 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), the seas may rise so high that many of their nations could literally disappear underwater.

During interviews, government officials were polite and optimistic about their campaign.  But off-camera, many admitted that achieving the goals of the “1.5″ campaign would require emissions cuts too drastic for many other world players to accept.  They seethed especially at the United States, which they see as too beholden to its domestic politics to negotiate seriously.

But their message is desperate, and these countries don’t want to be ignored.  They say it’s a matter of survival.  They have packaged their campaign with press conferences, slick videos, publicity stunts, and this trip for international journalists.  In December, they will travel across the oceans to the Copenhagen summit,  hoping their message will be heard and acknowledged, and not lost like a floating bottle, swallowed by the ever-warming seas.

- Megan Thompson

Megan Thompson is traveling around the world for a series on climate change and small island nations. She filed this report about the ill effects of climate change in Antigua and Grenada. http://worldfocus.org/files/2009/10/th_antigua_beach.jpg ]]> http://worldfocus.org/blog/2009/10/19/message-in-a-bottle-reporting-from-antigua-and-grenada/7847/feed/ http://worldfocus.org/blog/2009/10/15/around-the-world-in-18-days/7777/ http://worldfocus.org/blog/2009/10/15/around-the-world-in-18-days/7777/#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:52:23 +0000 Worldfocus http://worldfocus.org/?p=7777

Worldfocus producer Megan Thompson is traveling the globe to report on the effects of climate change on small island nations.

Megan will take 16 flights and log 35,000 miles on the trip, which is a collaboration between United Nations Environment Program and the Alliance of Small Island States.  She is posting blogs and photos along the way. Read Megan’s post from Grenada and Antigua here.

Worldfocus, the Arabic language station Al Arabiya, the Chinese news service Xinhua, and a reporter from the Italian newspaper Quotidiano Nazionale all have representatives on the trip. They will go to five countries - Antigua, Grenada, Maldives, Seychelles and Tonga - to see for themselves what’s going on and what these countries are doing about climate change.

As environmental leaders around the world gear up for the Copenhagen talks in December, AOSIS says their member nations - some only a few meters above sea level - will be the first to go if sea levels rise as high as they are predicted to. Many are already seeing the effects of erosion, erratic tides, unpredictable weather, soil contamination and other phenomena, which they say are caused by global warming. If the sea continues to rise, many of these islands may become completely uninhabitable.

The Worldfocus signature story “Iranian authorities can’t stop flood of Western culture” explores Iran’s thriving popular culture and the government’s futile attempts to control what Iranian citizens see and hear.

Worldfocus producer Rebecca Haggerty spoke via Skype with Iranian film scholar Negar Mottahedeh, an associate professor of literature and women’s studies at Duke University. She discusses the evolution of Iranian cinema and the impact of the 1979 revolution on the industry, arguing that in adapting to government restraints, Iranian directors have introduced a “whole new language” to world cinema.

Watch a clip from an early Iranian film, “Lor Girl” — the first with sound ever to be produced in the Persian language. In the film, which was made in the early 1930s, a girl is kidnapped by thieves:

Watch a clip from a more modern Iranian film, “Char Changule,” a comedy about a pair of conjoined twins — one devout, the other a party animal:

In this exclusive behind-the-scenes tour at the new museum, Director Dimitris Pantermalis shows Lynn Sherr the beauty of the original sculptures — and the modern plaster replicas that serve as stark reminders of what has been lost.

Below, take a tour of the new museum with Pantermalis. Hover your cursor over the video to watch him discuss

Worldfocus special correspondent Lynn Sherr and producer Megan Thompson report on Greece’s efforts to recover the precious statues.

Also, view extended interviews and an interactive tour of the Parthenon Frieze in the Acropolis Museum.

Lynn Sherr speaks to a group of students at the American College of Greece, who believe passionately the sculptures should be returned to their homeland.

Sherr also interviews Dimitris Plantzos of the University of Ioannina, who says that the issue is about Greek identity, not scholarship — and holds the view, unusual in Greece,  that the sculptures don’t need to be returned.

Worldfocus correspondent Hoda Osman and producers Rebecca Haggerty, Megan Thompson and Reda Fakhar traveled to Morocco to explore how these mothers are coping.

For more coverage of women in Morocco, visit our Women in Islam extended coverage page.

Daisy Khan of The Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality and the American Society for Muslim Advancement joins Daljit Dhaliwal to discuss social taboos for women in Muslim societies.

When Jackie Redd was 14, she was forced to join the NPFL (National Patriotic Front of Liberia), a rebel group. She was raped and forced to be the “wife” of three men for 11 years, until she escaped in 2001.

Jackie is now speaking out. She is trying to start a support center called the “One Help One Center for War Affected Women” to provide care and training for women who are trying to recover from the war. She has also been working with Amnesty International and is the subject of a documentary about war-affected women.

Some of the biggest victims of that era were young women who were often taken prisoner and forced to fight, or made into sex slaves. As Worldfocus special correspondent Lynn Sherr and producer Megan Thompson report, many of them are now struggling to recover and struggling to forget.

For more on the rehabilitation and reintegration of child soldiers, watch PBS Wide Angle’s film on child soldiers in Uganda, “Lord’s Children.”

Worldfocus special correspondent Lynn Sherr and producer Megan Thompson venture to Liberia and meet some women on the front lines of what’s become a war on sexual violence.

Watch more videos from this series and read blogs from the field: Liberia’s Long Road Back.

For more on efforts to combat sexual violence in Africa, watch Rape as a weapon of war in DR Congo.

While producing the the signature series “Liberia’s Long Road Back,” Worldfocus producer Megan Thompson had a chance to witness the holiday at a cemetery in Monrovia.

Worldfocus special correspondent Lynn Sherr and producer Megan Thompson report on a movement that helped to drive a dictator from power and gave women the kind of opportunities they could never have dreamed of.

For more from Lynn Sherr, listen to our online radio show on African women in power. 

Watch more videos from this series and read blogs from the field: Liberia’s Long Road Back. 

Also watch for PBS Wide Angle’s showing of “Pray the Devil Back to Hell” next year.

Liberia was settled by freed American slaves, and now, as Worldfocus special correspondent Lynn Sherr and producer Megan Thompson report, Liberia is trying to shape an identity it can call its own.

Watch an extended interview with the U.S. ambassador to Liberia: An impatient Liberia confronts high expectations, sacrifice.