The theatrical performance of Women of Passion, Women of Greece is now available via on demand streaming on viva.gr and can be watched with both Greek and English subtitles.
The theatre show focuses on the mythical and iconic Greek figures of Medea, Maria Callas and Melina Mercouri. It has been on show at ‘To Treno sto Rouf Railway Carriage Theatre’ since 2016 and toured to cities such as Sydney, Adelaide, Darwin, Brussels, New Delhi and Bangalore.
Synopsis:
Three mythical female figures of Medea, Maria Callas and Melina Mercouri travel among a crowd of passengers by a train of the 50’s.
Medea, the tragic figure of ancient greek drama, blinded by her deep love for her husband, murdered her own children.
Maria Callas, the internationally celebrated opera diva, devoted her life to music and let her fate be sealed by a “fatal” romance.
Μelina Mercouri, one of the most beloved Greek actresses, singer and politician who starred in the most well-known international films, fought for culture and democracy.
The tragic ancient drama heroine Medea, meets the two great priestesses of modern Greece, Maria and Melina.
A common feature unites their different paths and that is passion. Passion for life, passion for love, passion for creation, passion for freedom.
Maria Callas character.
History, culture, art, the power of the human soul and the struggles for democracy come alive by an actress and a musician, who take audiences on a journey of creative memory, humour and emotion where Greece is at the same time the starting point and final destination, with the feelings of people all over the world as stopovers.
Greek and foreign spectators of all ages from across the world are guaranteed to be moved by Eugenia Arseni’s powerful and emotional play, Tatiana Ligari’s distinctive and sensitive directorial approach, Evelina Arapidis’ great acting in the three leading roles of Medea, Maria Callas and Melina Mercouri, as well as the exceptional live music and the impressive video design.
The performance can be also viewed by teenagers and children aged 10 years old and over who wish to practice their comprehension of the English language.
The satirist George Mikes once quipped that, having realised it could never be a world power, Cyprus decided to become a world nuisance.
It’s a ‘comedy’ which owes its longevity to blatant international hypocrisy and indifference more broadly. Something reaffirmed today in Ukraine.
Cyprus was first handed over to Britain by the Ottomans in 1878 as insurance against Russian aggression, becoming a Crown colony in 1925.
For Greek-Cypriots, which make up 80 percent of the island’s inhabitants, the arrival of the British was at first seen as a blessing. They mistakenly believed that British philhellenism, which had been instrumental to the liberation of Greece, would also support Greek-Cypriot dreams of union with the latter.
British forces arrive on Cyprus. Photo: Pavlos Andronikos.
Greek-Cypriots soon discovered that things had, surprisingly, been much better under the Ottomans.
By the early fifties, the Greek-Cypriot struggle for union with Greece had become a major challenge for British interests on the island. Protests increasingly assumed the form of urban and guerrilla warfare between Greek-Cypriots and the British.
Realising that they didn’t need to actually possess the entire island in order to control it, the British encouraged Turkish-Cypriots to also assert their own national aspirations. At the same time, they began to float the idea of an independent republic within the Commonwealth.
The new Republic would have a Greek-Cypriot president and a Turkish-Cypriot Vice President. Britain would retain 99 square kilometres of the island and, along with Greece and Turkey, become a guarantor of the new constitution. The new constitution was signed on 16 August 1960 and the modern Republic of Cyprus was born.
Britain had skillfully handballed the Cyprus Problem to the Greek and Turkish-Cypriots, as well as Greece and Turkey, whilst securing its strategic interests in the region. It had also managed to frame the conflict as one of ancient ethnic rivalries whilst preserving its ‘mediatory’ role.
The main beneficiary of Cyprus’ first constitution was the 18% Turkish-Cypriot community with a 30% representation in government and 40% in the armed forces. From a Greek-Cypriot point of view, this distribution of power was disproportionate and therefore, unfair.
The issue was brought to a head in 1963 when Greek-Cypriot President Makarios suggested amendments that were supposed to address the constitutional imbalance. The result was the outbreak of violence, pushing Turkish-Cypriots into enclaves. This was followed by the establishment of a buffer zone.
After 1967, Greek-Cypriot nationalism became increasingly choreographed by the Greek Junta which aggressively sought the union of Cyprus with Greece. Cypriot President Makarios, who was no longer pushing for union, refused to cooperate with it. The Junta responded with an unsuccessful coup to assassinate him on 15 July 1974.
In the days following the coup, Turkey consulted with Britain about a joint intervention. The British were not prepared to get involved. Finding no objections, Turkey invoked article 3 of the 1960 Cypriot constitution which gave it the right to intervene in order to ‘re-establish the state of affairs,’ launching its ‘peace mission’ at 6am on the 20 of July 1974.
Turkey’s ‘peace mission’ subsequently set in motion the violent displacement of 200,000 Greek-Cypriot civilians from their homes and ancestral lands, and the disappearance of almost 2,000 Greek-Cypriots. It also resulted in the brutal murders of Turkish-Cypriot civilians and the subsequent displacement of approximately 40,000 Turkish-Cypriots.
To this day, Turkey has steadfastly argued that its actions were legal and in accordance with Cypriot constitution. That, had it not done so, the Greek-Cypriots would have annihilated the island’s Turkish-Cypriot population.
For almost a month during the early phases of Turkey’s ‘peace operation,’ there was a flurry of negotiations between Britain, Turkey, Greece and the Republic of Cyprus. Whilst these were underway in Geneva, Turkish Prime Minister Ecevit ordered his troops to take a ‘fair share’ of the island. This directive was followed by a full-scale invasion which included extensive bombing of civilian areas, killings and mass rapes. Within days, Turkey had turned what at first may have seemed like a lawful intervention to ‘restore the status quo’ into an opportunistic and brutal invasion, occupying 37% of Cyprus.
Almost immediately after its invasion, Turkey embarked on a recolonisation of the island’s occupied areas with settlers from the Turkish hinterland in contravention of article 49 of the Geneva Convention, which states it is a war crime to remove a population and replace it with another and is tantamount to ethnic cleansing.
By 1984, Turkey had transferred 40,000 settlers to the island in a blatant and deliberate attempt to alter the demographics on the ground. Since 1974, approximately 150,000 settlers have been transferred to Cyprus from Turkey.
There is no doubt that in the past, certain Greek-Cypriot elements had more sinister ambitions but it was never the prevailing attitude, or objective, on the island in 1974. It is an absurd premise which has served Turkish domestic propaganda extremely well while feeding an endless animosity between communities.
Deserted buffer zone.
Turkish Cypriots are under no existential threat from their Greek-Cypriot compatriots. Greek Cypriots, on the other hand, have a legitimate fear of the 30,000 Turkish troops still stationed illegally on the island and a very powerful Turkey of 85 million people with its cutting-edge military capabilities, only 65 kilometres from the coast of Cyprus.
With a confirmed history of repeated genocides, Armenian, Greek, Kurdish, Turkey’s claims of victimhood cannot be taken seriously. It’s a mythology that the Erdogans and the Putins peddle to their nationalist acolytes.
There is no malicious agenda to erase the Turkish-Cypriot community or their history on the island. On the contrary, one need only look at the substantial difference in the mindset of the occupied north and free south. Unlike occupied Cyprus, free Cyprus celebrates its Ottoman/Turkish past. The official languages of the Republic of Cyprus are Turkish and Greek, and no matter which city you visit in the south you will encounter dozens of Ottoman street names, signs and landmarks.
There is no equivalent in the occupied parts of Cyprus. There is no Greek writing or streets named after famous Greeks, or Orthodox/Byzantine Churches and cemeteries that have not been desecrated in the vilest way. This says something.
The solution to the Cyprus problem rests squarely on the shoulders of Turkey. Turkey alone can solve this forgotten crime against humanity by demonstrating it is in favour of peace by simply withdrawing its troops and desisting from meddling in the affairs of Turkish-Cypriots. Hundreds of thousands of people still yearn to return to their ancestral lands and homes. It is time the international community, which today is justifiably protesting the illegal invasion of Ukraine, is reminded of another illegal invasion that has never been genuinely addressed.
Mary Politis from Mary’s Kouzina has all your Lenten needs sorted with her fasting kolokithokeftedes recipe!
Ingredients:
3 compressed cups grated pumpkin.
2-3 spring onions – chopped.
1/2 cup chopped dill.
1/3 cup chopped mint.
1/3 cup aquafava (canned chick pea water).
1/2 cup self raising flour (more if needed).
1/2 cup fine semolina.
5 Tbsp olive oil for the mixture + oil for frying.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Photo supplied: Mary’s Kouzina.
Method:
Place the grated pumpkin into a cloth and twist to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Add it to a bowl with the remainder of the ingredients.
In a large pan drizzled with a olive oil place a heaped tablespoon amount of mixture onto the hot surface shaping it into a fritter. It’s always best to do one test kolokithokefte first, this way you can check for seasoning and/or if you need to add more flour or semolina to stabilise the mix.
You’ll know if your mixture needs adjusting if it is difficult to flip in the pan and is a little too soggy once cooked. Once you’ve made the adjustments continue with the rest of the mixture and place on absorbent paper towels. Makes approximately 20 fritters.
By Georgia Pandelios, Accredited Practising Dietitian and Owner at Nutrition Prescription.
With March being Endometriosis Awareness Month, it’s only fitting to discuss this condition and its management in relation to diet.
What is endometriosis?
Simply put, endometriosis is a gynaecological hormone-dependant chronic inflammatory condition. The condition leads to the growth of uterine cells outside of the uterus and it affects around 5-10% of Australian women.
General symptoms include pelvic plain, painful periods and infertility. Blood test results of women with endometriosis often show high levels of inflammatory markers, however the exact cause of endometriosis is not known.
Although a curative diet for endometriosis is not known, dietetic changes are encouraged in managing the symptoms of endometriosis as some foods can influence inflammation, oestrogen levels and menstrual regularity. This is where all the research is pointing to at the moment.
Endometriosis can cause pelvic plain, painful periods and infertility.
The 4 pillars to optimising your diet for endometriosis:
1. Follow an anti-inflammatory eating pattern:
Similar to Mediterranean dietary principles, eating plenty of vegetables that are rich in antioxidants and fibre can help improve the severity of endometriosis symptoms such as pain and oxidative stress by neutralising molecules that increase oxidative damage and inflammation in the body.
Excess oestrogen circulating in the system has been likened to a pro-inflammatory effect and the severity of endometriosis symptoms. Making sure to get enough fibre in your diet may help with excreting the excess oestrogen through bowel motions. Basically, the less often bowels are evacuated, the less often excess oestrogen is removed.
3. Check your fats:
It’s important to get familiar with the different types of fats in your diet. Omega 3 for example is a healthy fat found in oily fish (e.g. salmon and tuna) and some algae. It is anti-inflammatory and can reduce the risk of endometriosis, some studies even found it reduces the survival of those wondering endometrial cells.
On the other hand, trans-fats from fried foods, margarine, baked goods (e.g. pastries, cakes, biscuits) and some vegetable oils are associated with increased inflammation and risk of endometriosis. Animal fats, specifically palmitic acid found in meat is also associated with increased risk for endometriosis. Consider limiting your red meat portion size and frequency.
4. Consider supplementation:
Vitamins C, E and D, and fish oil supplements may also improve the severity of endometriosis and the associated pain symptoms. It is important, for your own safety, that you discuss suitability and an appropriate dosage with your treating doctor or dietitian before commencing any new supplements.
Although studies have found that intake of fruit can worsen symptoms of endometriosis, it is most likely due to the high level of pesticide residue and dioxins found on the skin of fruits. Choosing organic fruits and vegetables are encouraged as a suitable alternative.
Do you need to go gluten free or low FODMAP?
For those of you that have endometriosis and regular gastro-intestinal upset or pain, it may offer some relief of symptoms to undergo a supervised elimination diet of gluten and/or high FODMAP foods. Keep a food and symptom diary and discuss closely with your doctor or dietitian.
Unfortunately, a definitive diet that prevents endometriosis from occurring, progressing or returning after surgical intervention, has not been determined yet.
We are skilled in women’s heath nutrition. The Nutrition Prescription accredited practising dietitians offer nutrition consultations that are specially designed for the whole family – from infants to adults and elderly, through to highly specialised fertility-preconception, paediatric, sports nutrition and food reaction services. We can assist with all your nutrition needs, including complex and chronic conditions – in English, Greek and Portuguese.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is generalised and is not intended to replace medical or dietetic advice, nor directly manage any medical conditions. For personalised advice, please speak with your doctor or contact us via info@nutritionprescription.com.au to make an appointment with one of our Dietitians.
Before his move to Athens in 2000, David explains that many years ago, he had visited Greece as part of a European tour and was impressed, by what initially impresses most of us about Greece: namely, the islands and their beaches, Greece’s climate leading to a predominantly outdoor lifestyle, its beautiful and diverse natural environment, as well as its friendly people.
“That was all very nice” he says, “but I felt the most interested in and fascinated by Athens.”
Then, years later, as fate would have it, a rare occurrence surfaced. David was offered a job transfer to Athens.
“Artists have to eat and pay the rent too,” he laughs, as he relates the multinational, advertising agency for which he worked as a Graphic Designer in Melbourne, Australia, offering him a position in Athens.
It wasn’t long before David and his then young family, settled in Athens, in 2000. The Athenian suburb David preferred and which he calls home, is, as he describes “real, more genuine and working class, compared to wealthier suburbs where many expats live.”
Unlike many other expat artists and not only, who are inspired by Greece, David describes much of his work as “dark”, adding that he sometimes wishes he could find satisfying artistic expression through the painting of more popular images “like Cycladic, whitewashed houses with bright blue doors and ceramic pots with geraniums.”
Apart from his art having a tendency towards being ‘dark’, David says his paintings encompass a range of styles and themes, from impressionistic landscapes and beyond.
He asserts that his “Greek-period” work, “basically post my first visit to Greece in 1994”, has been in a large part, inspired by Athens.
“I know many people who think Athens is ugly – and they’re not referring to the more touristy areas like Plaka, etc, near the Centre, nor the more upmarket seaside places like Voula.
“For example, my suburb has a traditional neighbourhood and community feel. I like that. Unlike many Athenian suburbs which have mainly modern cafeterias and bars, where I live we have a few of these, but we still have quite a few of those … Greek coffee houses which mainly older men go to, er, kafeneion,” David exclaims.
“And the streets here,” he continues, “have mainly varied, old style, simple houses, many of which were actually built back in the early 1950’s, illegally during the night, due to poverty.
“To me, all this ramshackleness makes for a far more interesting neighbourhood. We even hear the odd rooster crowing nearby now and then.
“I see beauty in what many consider the chaos and disorder of Athens, and this triggers feelings, ideas and metaphors expressed in my paintings,” David adds.
It is this type of thinking and ensuing observing of the world that inspires David Kaneen to paint beyond the obvious. For example, he was awarded First Prize in 2019 by the prestigious Victorian Arts Society for his painting (pictured below) which denotes Melbourne for him.
Likewise, his “Greek-period” paintings, are inspired by “elements of place, time and emotional provocation” he explains. And of course, by living in Athens as he’s described.
David Kaneen has had solo exhibitions in both Australia and Greece. When I ask him what his plans are for the future, he tells me that he wants to further exhibit his work now that Covid restrictions are easing, and that he also intends on spending as much time as possible in his home studio being further inspired by Athens.
In a first for NSW local government, Waverley Council is investigating the establishment of a community planning advocate to help tackle overdevelopment.
The role of the advocate would be to undertake awareness programs for residents about planning matters and conduct regular consultation about the cumulative impacts of overdevelopment.
Mayor of Waverley, Paula Masselos, is behind the push for an advocate, with Councillors last month unanimously adopting a Mayoral Minute to investigate the matter further.
“Overdevelopment is changing the nature of our built environment and destroying much of the heritage values that makes Waverley unique,” Mayor Masselos said.
“Ongoing and unabated numbers of planning proposals and development applications associated with large high-rise buildings are being submitted to Council and there has been a subsequent increase in organised resident groups objecting to these applications.
“Schools are at capacity, our roads are congested and parking increasingly difficult. Residents are increasingly turning to council for assistance in understanding the planning process, and that’s where an advocate would come in.”
Waverley is currently changing.
Consultation about the cumulative impacts of overdevelopment would include:
collecting metrics and lived experience of residents, businesses and the community more broadly.
assist in developing a comprehensive picture of the cumulative impact of development, large-scale developments and over development.
provide quantitative and qualitative data to assist the officers when assessing DAs and planning proposal or when advocating at the Land and Environment Court, Waverley Local Planning Panel or the Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel.
provide several other benefits.
It would also consider how overdevelopment can contribute to alienation, loneliness, isolation, wellbeing, lack of social contact, noise and unauthorised works.
The advocate would be independent of the Council’s Planning department and results of consultation would be fed back into the Council’s social impact assessment statements for new developments.
“The planning system in NSW is a complex framework of legislation, policy and practice and can be a minefield to navigate,” Mayor Masselos said.
“The NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 sets up the framework for planning in NSW and affects plans, policies and guidelines Waverley Council has in place for development in Waverley.
“There are some planning instruments that can override Council’s own planning controls and some development can also be approved by other government bodies and agencies as well as by private certifiers.
“The average person might not know all of this and is left feeling hopeless when another large development pops up in their street.
“We want to demystify the planning process and help people understand the ins and outs of Planning, from our Local Environmental Plans and our Development Control Plans to the development application process and voluntary planning agreements.
“We want to do everything possible as a Council to ensure that our area grows in a way that is sustainable and healthy.”
The case for an advocate will be investigated over the coming weeks, with a report due back to Council towards the middle of the year.
To read the Mayoral Minute, see page 11 of the Minutes of the February Council meeting.
An executive of mixed Greek and Filipino heritage, Kate Bollanou is every bit the epitome of an empowered woman.
“When I started as a shipbroker in London, I felt I didn’t belong. At the time, I was the youngest and only woman on the team. The only expatriate. There were daily interactions that made me feel excluded,” Bollanou said in an interview with The Manila Times.
In this interview, she opens up about the way she transformed the “hurtful and traumatic” experience into positive advocacy and established the Kate Bollanou Coaching company, an intercultural communication consultancy that helps maritime companies develop their teams’ communications skills for more effective collaboration and increased productivity.
“I see it as my duty to help others navigate similar situations that I’ve been in,” Bollanou explained.
“Being biracial gives me a natural ability to see a situation from two different angles. I understand how other people can perceive reality differently, and this perception is often affected by each person’s cultural background.
“In 2017, after six years of working as a shipbroker, I decided to start my business and help women in maritime succeed in their careers. After working with several women and companies, I realized that culture also plays a role in how people experience their work environment,” she said.
The Greek Australian Dialogue Series will continue on Monday, March 28 with a zoom conference with Dr Tasos Chatzivasileiou, who is a Member of the Hellenic Parliament (Nea Demokratia) and Secretary General of the Standing Committee of National Defense and Foreign Affairs.
The conference will be hosted by the Greek Consul General in Sydney, Christos Karras, and the Executive Director of Business Sydney, Paul Nicolaou.
During the session, Dr Chatzivasileiou will talk about the Greek Government’s strategies to drive the post COVID-19 recovery for Greece, as well as his views on the current situation in Europe.
Following his presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask Dr Tasos Chatzivasileiou a question in the Q&A session.
Denmark has breached European Union law by failing to prevent local companies from making and exporting outside the EU white cheese labelled as “feta,” an adviser to Europe’s top court said on Thursday, Reuters reports.
The opinion by Advocate General Tamara Capeta at the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) came three years after the European Commission, the EU’s executive, sued Denmark over the issue.
“Feta” has been a registered Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) since 2002 in the EU and can only be produced in Greece according to a set of production specifications.
Greece says feta is its cultural heritage because it has made the sheep and goat milk cheese for 6,000 years.
“By failing to stop the use by Danish producers of the registered name ‘Feta’ for cheese intended for export to third countries, Denmark has failed to fulfil its obligations under EU law,” Capeta said.
“The main idea behind that regulation is the improvement of the situation of EU agricultural producers through providing intellectual property protection to products involving traditional ways of production,” Capeta said.
The CJEU, which will rule in the coming months, follows such non-binding recommendations in four out of five cases.
Australia’s former Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Nick Coatsworth, said Bourla needed to stop talking about more doses of the COVID vaccine and instead use some of the enormous profits Pfizer has made to help tackle pneumococcal disease.
“Be like Astra,” Dr Coatsworth tweeted on Tuesday.
Hey @pfizer instead of doing press releases about how we all need a 4th dose of COVID 19 vaccine, how about you really surprise us and provide pneumococcal vaccine at cost to all low income nations. Be like Astra. #covid19aus
— Dr. Nick Coatsworth 🇺🇦 (@nick_coatsworth) March 14, 2022
Pneumococcal disease is a bacterial infection which kills more than 300,000 children under the age of five each year, with the majority of deaths occurring in low-income countries.
Dr Coatsworth told news.com.au that the pneumococcal vaccine would have an even greater impact for children globally than the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Pneumococcal disease is a bigger problem than COVID,” he said.
The Australian doctor said Pfizer’s actions were quite the contrast to AstraZeneca which had pledged not to profit from the vaccine as long as it remained a pandemic.
While AstraZeneca has recently announced it is moving to a for-profit model for the COVID-19 vaccine it developed with the University of Oxford, the vaccine will continue to be sold at cost for developing nations.
