A lively and thought-provoking debate on the role of the Greek language in shaping cultural identity drew a diverse audience in Sydney this week, with members of the Greek Australian community, academics, legal professionals and student leaders in attendance.
Held in front of a live audience that included the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis, and Chair of the Greek Festival of Sydney, Nia Karteris, the debate featured teams of academics and lawyers going head-to-head on the motion: “That the Greek language is essential to our Greek identity.”
Representing the affirmative side were Dr Patricia Koromvokis from Macquarie University and Dr James Adonopoulos from Kaplan Business School, who argued that language is a core part of diasporic identity, and that its loss equates to a loss of something essential.
On the opposing side, lawyers Theodora Gianniotis and James Arkoudis challenged the idea, arguing that identity transcends language. They proposed that while language is valuable, it is not the sole determinant of one’s cultural connection, stating that “language is the medium, not the message,” and that Greek culture itself is not at risk even with declining language use.
In a nod to Ancient Greek democratic tradition, audience members were invited to vote on the motion before and after the debate using white stones for ‘yes’ and black stones for ‘no,’ allowing the impact of the arguments to be measured through shifts in opinion.
The event was coordinated by the Ouzo Talk Podcast. The debate was described by organisers as an opportunity to revive public discourse within the community.
Ouzo Talk’s Tom Skolarikis said, “Debate and rhetoric is a part of our cultural inheritance as Greeks – what better way to celebrate that than by having respected members of our community coming together to debate a real issue that faces the Greek diaspora community globally.”
He added, “We don’t really have a forum for debate like this where we can see our best and brightest interact and challenge each other in a civil way – much less have the opportunity for the audience to get involved and ask questions or contribute to the discussion.”
Podcast co-host Nick Athanassiou said the debate demonstrated how open discussion can bridge perspectives: “Even if we strongly disagree with a motion or a concept… being able to entertain a thought without accepting it is really important.”
