Coralie Kouvelas is the Thomastown library branch manager and according to The Guardian, a trip to the car park during Melbourne’s sixth lockdown planted the seed for a project to help people who can’t afford wifi.
Kouvelas noticed it was always the same vehicles in the library car park and after approaching them to say hello, she found out the children were there to do their homework – using the library’s wireless internet.
“They mentioned they did not have wifi at home. One family had four kids from the ages of 19 right down to eight or nine. They were a migrant family and they were quite fearful, but more than anything they were incredibly embarrassed that they were sitting in the car park,” Kouvelas told the news outlet.
The pilot program is now currently operating out of Lalor and Thomastown libraries.
In response, Yarra Plenty Regional Libraries allocated $50,000 for a pilot program to give wifi dongles with 60GB per month of data to 100 families for a year. The library partnered with a not-for-profit support service, Whittlesea Community Connections, to help identify families in need, and Vodafone, who supplied a suitable product.
The pilot program is now currently operating out of Lalor and Thomastown libraries and Kouvelas said many of the households accessing the program are migrant families without strong English skills, or people living in insecure housing.
“We’ve had some schools who have taken the hotspot on board for people who are in domestic violence situations. It’s providing a simple service and it’s vital,” she said.
With an event held in Adelaide on the 81st Anniversary of ‘Oxi Day’ the Foundation for Hellenic Studies launched the By George! exhibition and announced the biennial art prize winners who were called to explore the theme ‘Independence. What is it good for?’
Attending the opening of the exhibition were the Consul General of Greece in Adelaide, George Psiachas; Labor MP, member for West Torrens, Tom Koutsantonis; Mayor of the city of West Torrens, Michael Coxon; Councillor and Chair of the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission (SAMEAC), Adriana Christopoulos, the Foundation’s board members as well as prominent members of South Australia’s Greek and wider community.
Addressing the attendees, the Consul General spoke about the importance of Art as a means of expression in the course of history while the Chair of the Foundation for Hellenic Studies, Greg Crafter, highlighted the importance of multiculturalism.
“We, in this country celebrate multiculturalism. We want the language and the culture to be entrenched and to be loved and lived by families. This makes our country stronger, more cohesive and it makes us appreciate other cultures. And if we can appreciate other cultures, we can stop fighting each other. More love, less wars, more understanding and a better world,” Mr Crafter said.
“Tonight, in a small but important way this is what we are celebrating. Bringing each one of you, your families and the broader South Australian community in touch with the Greek culture in this way.”
L to R: Consul General of Greece in Adelaide, MC Connie Kostis, Chair of the Foundation for Hellenic Studies Greg Crafter
The inaugural art prize which aims to commemorate the bicentenary of the Greek War of Independence attracted registrations from around the world and over 50 entries which are being exhibited at Gallery 108 in Adelaide.
Pictured: St Theofanis, 2021, Acrylic on canvas, Anezoula Julia Karpathakis
The winning entries as judged by a panel of experts comprised by Jason Karas, Diana Jaquillard, Fotis Kapetopoulos, Niki Sperou and Connie Augoustinos are the following: First Prize of $5,000 for a moving image artwork entitled ‘Wonnarua’ by NSW conceptual artist Ryan Lee, second prize of $ 3,000 for a recycles glasswork piece entitled ‘Syntagma Square’ by Canberran artist NOT and third prize of $1,000 for a piece entitled ‘Greek National Day’ by local artist Helen Kari.
L to R: Local Artist Helen Kari with judge Diana Jaquillard
A Democratic (People’s) Choice Award will also be awarded on Sunday 21 November and the winner will receive $2,000.
*The exhibition can be viewed by appointment at the popup Gallery 108 in the new Kyren Group development at 108 Wakefield Street Adelaide, on Friday evenings from 5 –7pm throughout November, and online at https://bit.ly/3DHRsoC. For more information visit the Foundation’s Facebook Page.
The company that alleged fraudster Bill Papas planned to list on the ASX was woefully unprofitable, and would likely never have been solvent if it hadn’t received millions in dollars allegedly stolen from Westpac and other lenders, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
A damning report into the fortunes of Mr Papas’ Iugis business prepared by liquidators from McGrathNicol shows the promotional claims of the company did not reflect its actual business, with the group only renting out 280 waste digesters to companies around the country.
“Iugis generated insufficient revenue and cash-flow from its legitimate food waste digesters business at any point to meet its financial obligations,” McGrathNicol liquidators, Jason Preston, Jason Ireland and Katherine Sozou, said in their report.
“The Iugis entities were dependent on funding from other entities such as FGFS (Forum Group Financial Services) and Forum Enviro, which, based on the investigations of the liquidators, were in turn reliant on funds from the operation of the alleged fraud.”
Mr Papas and his finance business Forum Finance have been accused of orchestrating a $500 million fraud on Westpac and other lenders including Sumitomo and Société Générale.
The banks allege the fraud began at least in mid-2018, but liquidators suspect the business may have begun its allegedly fraudulent scheme as early as 2013.
The statuary heads of the mythological Greek goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite, and the god of wine, Dionysus, have been unearthed in the ancient city of Aizanoi in western Turkey, Anadolu Agency has reported.
The excavations in the ancient city, which was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2012 and located 50 kilometers from the city center, are being continued by the Kütahya Museum Directorate.
The statue head found at Aizanoi. Photo: Anadolu Agency.
Excavation coordinator, Gokhan Coskun, said the statues’ bodies were found in a previous dig, whilst the heads were unearthed during recent excavations in a creek bed in the ancient city.
“These are important findings for us, as they show that the polytheistic culture of ancient Greece existed for a long time without losing its importance in the Roman era,” Coskun told local media.
“The findings suggest that there may have been a sculpture workshop in the region.”
Home to one of the most well-preserved temples in Turkey, dedicated to the Greek god Zeus, the city of Aizanoi is easily comparable to Ephesus in its grandeur and importance. Initially inhabited by the Phrygians, the area was converted into a city in the first century BC by the Romans.
The site includes unique spots such as a temple, four roman bridges, the world’s first known indoor marketplace, theaters, roman baths and an ancient sacred cave.
After roaming the high seas for four days as Greece and Turkey haggled over its fate, a cargo ship packed with hundreds of Afghan refugees has been allowed to dock at an Aegean island, with passengers disembarking to apply for asylum.
In what Greece’s migration ministry called “an unusual and special case,” the Turkish-flagged vessel was towed into the port of Kos on Sunday.
About 375 passengers, the biggest single influx of asylum seekers in years, were taken to a reception centre on the island. Six others were detained for questioning and one woman was admitted to hospital on the island of Karpathos.
Earlier today the Hellenic coastguard safely disembarked 382 migrants from a Turkish flagged vessel after its engine failed in international waters off Crete. Yet again another dangerous and illegal journey from the Turkish coast, unseen by the Turkish authorities. pic.twitter.com/JChiKJBLae
— Νότης Μηταράκης – Notis Mitarachi (@nmitarakis) October 31, 2021
Greek coastguard officials said those onboard were mostly young Afghan males. Many were reported to be hungry and dehydrated after an ordeal that began on Thursday when the freighter, initially bound for Italy, developed engine trouble and sent out a distress signal off the island of Crete, shortly after setting sail from Turkey.
Days of negotiations between Athens and Ankara followed after the Greek government appealed via the European Commission for Turkey to take the vessel back in line with a 2016 accord reached with the EU intended to staunch migrants flows.
When the Turkish authorities made clear they would not be accepting the ship, Greek coastguard officials launched what they called one of the largest search and rescue operations in the eastern Mediterranean.
375 passengers were on board the ship.
The refugees are now being housed in the reception centre until their asylum applications have been examined by officials and they complete their quarantine. However, the ministry stressed this solution is temporary and a result of extenuating circumstances.
“Greece has once again proven that it protects human lives at sea and offers safety, where others are indifferent to their obligations,” Greek Migration Minister, Notis Mitarakis, said.
The minister also stated on social media that he has informed the European Union that Turkey refused to accept the cargo ship and called on the EU to ensure that the migration agreement with Turkey is upheld.
Angela Merkel has completed her final trip as German chancellor to Greece, a country where she was not overly welcome in the past because of the strict austerity measures she backed to keep Greece’s economy afloat.
Sticks, stones, gas bombs and heated demonstrations gripped Greece on Merkel’s first visit to Athens in 2012.
But now, a decade later, the outgoing chancellor got an almost indifferent public reception, walking freely along streets bare of any public protest or threat.
Με χαρά υποδέχθηκα την Καγκελάριο Merkel στην Αθήνα, την οποία επέλεξε ως έναν από τους τελευταίους προορισμούς της, ολοκληρώνοντας τον πολιτικό της μαραθώνιο. Μία διαδρομή 16 ετών στην ηγεσία της Γερμανίας κατά την οποία προσέφερε πολλά στην πατρίδα της αλλά και στην Ευρώπη. pic.twitter.com/IamlOVKEHP
During her visit, Merkel met with Greece’s President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, and Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. She also visited the Goethe Institute of Athens.
Merkel admits being tough on Greeks:
In Merkel’s meeting with Mitsotakis, she referred to Greece’s 10-year financial crisis, saying she is aware of the burden that was borne by Greek citizens and that she “demanded a lot.”
“I was always in favour of Greece remaining in the eurozone and I said that the efficiency of our economic system must be comparable otherwise we would not be able to keep the common currency alive,” she said.
Η σημερινή Ελλάδα είναι πολύ διαφορετική από την Ελλάδα της τελευταίας δεκαετίας. Δεν είναι πλέον μία εστία κρίσης και ελλειμμάτων, αλλά ένα σύγχρονο ευρωπαϊκό κράτος που προχωρά στη δυναμική ανάπτυξη, στη μείωση της ανεργίας και στον σχεδιασμό ενός καλύτερου αύριο. pic.twitter.com/HJN7yLV7Mq
“I know that I demanded a lot from the Greeks but, on the other hand, there were various governments in Greece that considered many reforms possible.”
For his part, Mitsotakis, who is the eighth Greek Prime Minister to work with Merkel, said: “Merkel was the voice of reason and stability. Sometimes unfair, but decisive, as she was in 2015, when she rejected the expulsion of Greece from Europe.”
Turning to Greece’s relations with Turkey, Mitsotakis told Merkel: “I know your firm position in favour of dialogue and the easing of tensions.”
Merkel at the Goethe Institute of Athens.
Merkel pointed out that Greece, due to its geopolitical position and proximity to Turkey, faced huge challenges at its external borders.
“One can learn and be taught many things by Greece and from one another and many discussions led to very good solutions,” she said.
“I cannot but agree that most of the problems between Greece and Turkey are EU-Turkey problems, and within the framework of the EU there is unity.”
Kayla Itsines is among a record number of women to make Australia’s richest young entrepreneurs lists.
The Australian Financial Review ranks Itsines #39 at a worth of $164 million.
Itsines, 30, has amassed 13 million followers since launching her Sweat fines app business on Instagram in 2009.
Itsines is among influencers turned businesswomen such as Natasha Oakley, Jessica Sepel, and Tammy Hembrow to make it onto the list.
The list’s publishers say social media influencers – especially those focusing on health and wellness – are breaking into the Top 100 in record numbers.
Itsines is younger than the average age of the Young Rich List of 35.
Manolis Mikromanolis, was born in November 1940 in Malona, a rural village located on the south east coast of Rhodes.
He has no recollection of the Italian occupation but fragmented memories of his childhood after the Germans took full control of the island in 1943 and a few years before the Dodecanese islands were ceded to Greece after World War II.
“I was six years old. I remember it like in a dream. I saw Italian soldiers running in the fields holding their guns and instructing us not to leave our homes. Not all Italians were bad. Some were persecuted by Nazism,” says Mr. Mikromanolis, 81, from his Adelaide home where he has lived with his wife Maria for fifty-two years.
The fifth of the six kids of ‘Dimitri Mikromanolis the charcoal maker’ and Anastasia (nee Sergou) young Manolis grew up in the village watching his father work hard to feed the family.
“My mother would hold my hand, take me to the kitchen where the Italian soldiers cooked their meals and ask for leftovers. They always gave food when they saw a hungry child,” Mr Mikromanolis says.
“There was poverty and misery. We had no food. My mother and father dug the ground to unearth onion bulbs that would later fry in the pan. They also made bread with them.”
Dimitris and Anastasia (nee Sergou) Mikromanolis
It was at this period that Manolis also saw his older brother learning and reading Italian under the De Vecchi government that imposed unequivocally brutal political oppression and permanently Italianized all the primary and secondary schools in the Dodecanese.
“They [Italians] called the schoolkids ‘Ballilas’ which means ‘Little Italians’. They taught them the language to create janissaries and take them to their country.”
“My brother became fluent in Italian and they asked him to go with them. He did not accept. Others from my village left,” says Mr Mikromanolis explaining that at that stage the Rhodians had created friendships with the Italian soldiers who found themselves persecuted by the Nazis.
“Many islanders, like my father, protected them risking their own lives.”
Cesare Maria de Vecchi, governor of the Dodecanese from 1936 to 1940
Friendships formed in the heat of battle
“We had a stable in the village where my father hid an Italian soldier for almost two years. His name was Mario. In return he helped dad cultivate the fields. My mother used to wash his clothes and cook for him.”
“When the day came for the Italians to leave the island my father lent him clothes and accompanied him to the bus. He had advised him not to mention he is a soldier. While he was boarding, someone betrayed him and the Germans shot him on the spot,” says Mr. Mikromanolis.
“I remember my father grieving for years that he was not able to save Mario who also had a daughter in Italy. He had even given a photo of her to my father. I still have this photo.”
Maria Mikromanolis’ parents
The Rhodians were not the only ones who helped Italians. Samians did the same according to Mr Mikromanolis’ wife, Maria, whose family is from Chora, Samos.
“My mother used to tell me that my father, Georgios Giakoumis, together with other fishermen used to help Italian soldiers escape from the Germans by transporting them to Kusadasi in Turkey,” Mrs Mikromanolis says.
“Behind our house we had a shelter and my father hid some there as well.”
“In the 70’s some of the children of these soldiers returned to the island to thank the Samians for helping their ancestors.”
The years after the occupation and the migration to Australia
In 1947, Rhodes and all of the Dodecanese islands became part of the Greek State.
Mr. Mikromanolis remembers that people were poor and had to work hard but they were relieved to be free.
“There were jobs, we were happy,” he says explaining how he decided to immigrate to Australia.
He went to school but left it when he was thirteen years old to become a house painter.
At the age of 21 he joined the Greek Army where he served for two years as a clerk under his Commanding Officer Anastasios Economou .
Manolis Mikromanolis while serving in the Greek Army
A year after his discharge, in January 1964, he immigrated to Australia on the ship “Patris” following two of his siblings who made the journey a few years earlier also looking for a better future.
“I loved Australia from the very beginning despite the fact that I didn’t know the language. For the first nine months I worked as a painter with the Economou family in Adelaide until nine months later I started my own business which I had for 30 years,” says Mr. Mikromanolis.
In 1969 he met his wife, Maria, at an event held by the Laconian Association at the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia’s Olympic Hall
From L to R: Manolis and Maria on their wedding day and (R) with their three children
A few months later they got married and their family grew.
Maria and Manolis have three children and now help with the upbringing of their four grandchildren.
“We are grateful for the opportunities Australia has given to us, our children and grandchildren,” they say.
“But it is important to always remember the stories of hardship. To remember our roots and to keep our language, culture and religion alive.”
Mr Mikromanolis with the Greek Ex Servicemen Association of SA
“Adversities and hardships are parts of life that shape us into better people,” says Mr Mikromanolis, who still pays his duty to his home country by being an active member of the Greek Ex Servicemen Association of South Australia.
“Take life in your hands like we did when we came to Australia,” Mrs Mikromanolis says.
Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance will hold an online service Sunday to commemorate 103 years since the Armistice of Mudros.
Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee president Lee Tarlamis thanks the Shrine for running the service.
“They have thereby ensured that the commemoration of the Armistice and the service and sacrifice of thousands continue to be remembered,” Tarlamis said.
(Photo: Supplied)
The Armistice, signed between the Entente Powers and the Ottoman Empire on 30 October 1918, signalled the end of WWI in the eastern Mediterranean.
(Photo: Supplied)
Lemnos was an advance base during the Gallipoli campaign of 1915-16. It treated wounded and sick Australian and Hellenic soldiers.
More than 200 Australian and New Zealand service personnel rest in Lemnos’ war cemeteries.
The Shrine will lay a wreath in remembrance of these soldiers at its annual service this 31 October at 11.45 am.
