I am one of the 11 million people living in the Balkan and, supposedly, European country known as Greece. Us Greeks call it Hellas.

I think you all have heard of it. Older ones know it for the right reasons,hopefully, such as its History, the culture, its people. I can only assume, though i hope differently, that the younger ones only know it as from the shameful era known as the Economical Crisis of Greece. I would very much like to say a few words about it, show the people what it is like to be a Greek in 2012, for it is much different than what is imagined from most foreigners.

The Debt. How did it happen?
Up to 2010, Greeks had not known of the situation in their very own country. The politicians that are supposed t voice people's minds and protect the nation did the very opposite; great scandals arose, millions of euros stolen from our very own "protectors", while the Greek people continued working (yes,we do work), mainly for minimum wages.
I will not say that we are innocent; we are not. Our fault was that we trusted in the wrong people, we made the wrong choices about the people that represend us all these years, we did not work together united to just .. kick them out.
But no, we are not beggars. No, we stole money from noone. No, we are not lazy. We work, and we work hard, and we strive for our families and our lives.

I am 25 years old. I have received the best education possible that my parents could give me. I went to the greek university of Applied Informatics, I speak four languages, I have been working since 18 while studying, so no; no one can tell me that Greeks don't try. No one can deprive me from a future; I am entitled to it, just like you are, just like everybody is. I am entitled to a dream. To a life. To my Human Rights, which some people out there are trying to stomp on in the name of Profit. I was born in the country that gave birth to Democracy. I was born in the country that gave birth to half the vocabulary of twenty other countries. I am a Greek. I will never be ashamed of it.

I would like to say one last thing. Wether we like it or not, Greece is only the beginning. Our brothers Italians, Portuguese, Spanish are next. And then even more Nations. This fight is not only ours. The worst, unfortunately,is yet to come.