A meeting with Pharos Alliance representatives was top of mind for Greek Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Greeks Abroad Ioannis Loverdos on Friday, October 17, before his press briefing in Melbourne.
Pharos Vice President Yiota Stavridou and Secretary Denise Diakodimitriou met with Loverdos and the Greek delegation at the Greek Consulate in Melbourne, during his official visit to Australia.
Also in attendance were Ambassador of Greece to Australia, Stavros Venizelos, the Secretaries-General of the Ministry of the Interior, Athanasios Balermpas and Dimitrios Karnavos, the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Dimitra Georgantzoglou, as well as the Director General for Citizenship, Katerina Ouli.
Ms Diakodimitriou told The Greek Herald the delegation was “attentive and open.”
“We presented who we are, our goals, and our strategic plan,” she said. “We discussed teacher and student trips to Greece, and the importance of data to guide Greek language education.”
It was a cordial discussion, with the Deputy Minister acknowledging the challenges facing Greek language in Melbourne are also shared with other diaspora communities. He listened carefully to Pharos’ overview of current projects and initiatives and invited ongoing communication with his Ministry, expressing hope that tangible, measurable objectives could emerge for future collaboration.
Among the topics discussed were:
- The Pharos Alliance Strategic Plan for Greek, which we provided a copy of and explained that it is based on Professor Joseph Lo Bianco’s research;
- The recent invitation extended to our President, Professor Lo Bianco, to address conferences at Aristotle University (Thessaloniki) and the National and Kapodistrian University (Athens) and the potential for further collaboration in future;
- Concerns for the current state of Greek in schools, including in government schools;
- The advocacy undertaken by Pharos to support Greek programs which are facing challenges;
- The need to increase the number of qualified teachers of Greek in Victoria;
- Initiatives to help parents raise bilingual children;
- The need to maintain and grow numbers of students studying VCE Greek;
- The need for students to have access to affordable school trips to Greece; and
- How the Pharos Alliance engages with local policy makers.
Fresh from his meeting with Pharos, Mr Loverdos told Melbourne’s Greek press that the decline of the Greek language in Australia deeply concerns him.
“Saving the Greek language is a priority, but there are no magic solutions,” Loverdos admitted. “It’s extremely difficult. This concerns me greatly because I love the Greek language and want it to survive.”
During the press conference, The Greek Herald raised the unsuitability of current Greek language textbooks being sent abroad and the need for a comprehensive revision.
Barlempas noted that a new department in Western Macedonia, led by educator Eleni Grivas, focused on teaching Greek as a second language could play a key role in this research.
The delegation further announced expanded scholarships for Greek Studies abroad and additional English-language programs in Greece. “Even if youth don’t know Greek, spending a month there and socialising with other Greeks will help them connect.”
Greek youth camps were also discussed during a private meeting with Loverdos and community leaders prior to a function at the Greek centre on Thursday, October 16.
The Pharos delegation welcomed the constructive engagement and expressed gratitude to Deputy Minister Loverdos, his delegation and Georgantzoglou for the opportunity to meet. The organisation looks forward to maintaining an open and productive dialogue.
Pharos Alliance is a broad coalition of educators, academics, and community stakeholders dedicated to revitalising the teaching and use of Modern Greek in Australia – from pre-school to university, in homes and in the community. Its work is guided by a Strategic Plan based on Professor Joseph Lo Bianco’s research, outlined in his book ‘Pharos: The vitality and presence of Modern Greek in contemporary Australia’.
