Personalised stamps to mark the bicentenary of the Greek Revolution have been issued by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.
The stamps were organised by the Archdiocese using a personalised stamp service offered by Australia Post to the general public.
The series comprises of four stamps designed by artist, Angela Kiki Konstantinopoulou, and depict heroic clerical figures of the Orthodox Church.
Angela with some of her artworks. Photo supplied.
This includes: Patriarch Gregory V (ethnomartyr and saint of the Orthodox Church), Metropolitan Palaion Patron Germanos, Bishop Isaiah of Salona, and Archimandrite Grigorios Dikaios-Flessas (Papaflessas).
Ms Konstantinopoulou started exhibiting her artwork series ‘1821: Greek Independence Day Heroes’ in February this year to mark the bicentenary.
Angela with Archbishop Makarios giving him gift of an aboriginal elder earlier this year. Photo supplied.
In a press release, the artist said her unique art style and vibrant colours captivated everyone, including His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, who expressed his desire to have Ms Konstantinopoulou’s designs transferred into stamps.
Those who are interested can purchase the anniversary stamps from the bookstores of the Holy Archdiocese of Sydney and Melbourne. The stamps will also be available for purchase online soon.
Annita Demetriou gives off a sense of confidence with her speech. Her ascent to the second post of the Republic of Cyprus, that of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, was a surprise, which is “frayed” as one hears her speak with her flowing, solid speech, dotted with substance and free from anything superfluous.
In societies such as the Cypriot one, which resembles the Greek, there is a strong element of patriarchy, which is a deterrent to the evolution of a woman. Ms Demetriou, who speaks exclusively to The Greek Herald, managed to lift herself over obstacles, overcome the decay of everyday life and now lead the Cypriot Parliament.
To lead, at the same time, through her example and give birth to the hope in many women that despite the fact that our societies are scattered with obstacles for them, there is a way to overcome them as long as you try “three and four times more,” as she characteristically tells us.
In October 2021, she celebrated her 36th birthday. In this short life she managed to study political science, to present the news bulletin of a private television station and today she is in one of the highest offices of the political life of Cyprus looking for solutions to improve the everyday life of citizens.
Ms Demetriou with Cypriot President, Nicos Anastasiades.
Annita Demetriou completes in a few weeks, half a year in the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives and as she tells us: “the big bet remains to win as an institution the trust of the citizens and regain our lost credibility. To dispel any shadows that have been created and to invest in light, with processes of absolute transparency.
“To listen to the concerns of the citizens in the difficult situations we are experiencing and to provide solutions to dead ends through the legislative work.
“Modernisation and a change of mentality through digital transformation, sustainable development and the green transition is also a one-way street for the House of Representatives and for the whole society. But also for any society.
“With reforms we aim to break free from anachronistic tactics and build bridges of communication with the world, creating a two-way relationship with the citizen, which will lead to participatory democracy.”
Concern for Turkey and the plague of Cyprus:
Ms Demetriou.
The provocations from Turkey are constant and are a cause for concern for the Speaker of the House of Representatives. “As long as Turkey acts as an unpredictable and destabilising player in the Eastern Mediterranean region, and beyond, all open issues pose risks.
“It is for this reason that we must step up our efforts and insist on the resumption of a meaningful dialogue within the UN with a view to the overall settlement of the Cyprus issue, on the basis of the resolutions of the Security Council and the principles and values on which the European Union was built.
“The solution of a bi-zonal bi-communal federation is a one-way street and the exemption from foreign occupation troops and the anachronistic system of guarantees is necessary, for a peaceful, safe and sustainable rule of law that creates conditions of security and prosperity for all the inhabitants of the island.
“We are very concerned about the illegal actions and the new fait accompli that Turkey is attempting, especially in Famagusta, Karpasia and the AOZ, but we have no choice but to stick to our positions of principles and legality, for the future that we must ensure for our Cyprus.”
Ms Demetriou has held meetings with Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The Cyprus issue remains the Great Plague of Hellenism. Is there a solution on the horizon?
“We do not have the luxury of complacency and above all idleness especially with what is constantly being attempted by Turkey. We should therefore, despite the increasing Turkish intransigence, continue tirelessly with the efforts, utilising all political and diplomatic means, with the aim of preventing Ankara’s methods of diverting from the agreed solution basis. Partition cannot be the fate of this place and we can never come to terms with the encroachment on human rights.
“The House of Representatives has a decisive role to play in this, through parliamentary diplomacy. Equally important, however, is the role of our diaspora. Both by influencing decision-making centres and by informing and enlightening initiatives. We rely on our Greek Cypriots abroad.”
The pandemic and the obstacles for a woman in politics:
Ms Demetriou has only good words to say about the treatment of Cypriots throughout the restrictive measures of the pandemic.
Ms Demetriou is Cyprus’ first female and youngest-ever parliamentary speaker.
“The people of Cyprus from the first moment showed a high sense of responsibility and altruism in dealing with the pandemic. We must acknowledge that the citizens, despite all difficulties, complied with the restrictive measures by showing patience and prudence. Indicative is the high vaccination rate in our country, which exceeded 80%. And so we must continue to move forward united without extremes and divisions,” she says.
Annita Demetriou became the first woman to rise to the Office of Speaker of the House of Representatives in a strongly patriarchal society, such as that of Cyprus. Her struggle seemed at times like Sisyphus’.
“It is double, triple perhaps and quadruple I would say the effort and struggle for every woman to prove that she is equally worth it, especially in male-dominated spaces and male-dominated societies. She has to fight and break stereotypical perceptions. To confront watertight and biased attitudes maintained over decades, preserving gendered discrimination and undermining the abilities and value of the female gender.
“Certainly steps have been taken in recent years to establish and strengthen the position of women in decision-making processes, and as such they can be noted, but there is still more to be done: indicative is the sexism law, the adoption of which is a pioneer step among the countries of the E.U., the discussion of the proposal for a law to make the offense of femicide an idiom and to carry a life sentence, but also the ratification of all the provisions of the Istanbul Convention in legislation, with a monitoring and evaluation process.
Ms Demetriou as Speaker.
“Only with dynamic and effective policies, but also the systematic cultivation of empathy through education, can we truly shape the culture we are entitled to, a culture of full adoption and establishment of respect for human rights, giving equal opportunities to each individual person.”
Finally, Ms Demetriou sends a message to the Cypriots of Australia through The Greek Herald.
“Diaspora is the most authentic and vibrant part of Hellenism. This is because among the Greeks of the diaspora there is “nostos”. In a broader sense of nostalgia for the motherland that goes beyond the simple and everyday things. So they know how to keep the homeland in their hearts well guarded, as a treasure, and this is the first thing we realise whenever we visit Australia and other countries of the world,” she says.
“The Cypriot community of Australia, with its progress and multifarious action, has become a valuable ambassador of our country abroad and we are grateful for this.
“We must not for a moment stop standing up for the rights of our people and denouncing the brutal encroachment on human rights in our country, from every international odium. And we thank for this our diaspora in Australia and our foreign nationals who defend their small homeland in all the lengths and widths of the planet. Our Cyprus.”
Professor George Paxinos from the University of New South Wales in Sydney has been named among 63 Greeks who are pioneers in the fields of clinical medicine and biomedical research.
Professor Paxinos received the prestigious award as part of the ‘Initiative 1821-2021,’ which is run by ARISTEiA (Institute for the Advancement of Research & Education in Arts, Sciences & Technology).
Congrats to Prof @gpaxinos who is one of 63 Greeks deemed to have made a historical contribution to the development of Medical & Biomedical 200 years of #research. George flew to Greece last week to accept this prestigious award. We are so proud! @greek_herald@humanbrainatlaspic.twitter.com/sm69CCN4KV
Professor Paxinos attended the award ceremony in Greece this week along with distinguished scientists, Charalambos Moutsopoulos and Andreas Tzakis, who were also named on the list.
During the ceremony, the Vice President of ARISTEiA, Konstantinos Drosatos, said the selection of the 63 Greek scientists by the scientific council of research was not only based on bibliographical criteria.
Paxinos speaking at the event. Photo: vipnews.gr / www.papadakispress.gr.
“[The] work was judged positively for its originality, for its leadership in international scientific actions, for its global impact on medicine and research, but also for its timelessness,” Mr Drosatos said.
Also named among the list, which was narrowed down from 120 distinguished scientists, were: Pfizer CEO, Albert Bourlas, Executive Vice President of AstraZeneca, Menelas Pangalos, and the inventor of the pap smear test, Georgios Papanikolaou.
After three years and dozens of drafts, the Federal Government’s Religious Discrimination Bill is finally before Parliament.
Since the bill was announced earlier this week by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, it has faced multiple challenges from many multicultural communities who are worried the bill could lead to more, not less, discrimination on the basis of faith in Australia.
Politicians within the Coalition ranks, including Fiona Martin MP and Dave Sharma MP, have also voiced concerns with the religious freedom bill. But according to The Sydney Morning Herald, they have now indicated they will support the bill because of an offer to amend its separate provisions on the treatment of gay students in religious schools.
In a video conference held on Wednesday with representatives of multicultural media, the Attorney-General Senator Michaelia Cash and Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs Alex Hawke MP explained the bill came to ‘fill a void.’
‘Guarantee social cohesion’:
Minister Hawke at the video conference. Photo: Andriana Simos / The Greek Herald.
Minister Hawke addressed the video conference first and stressed that the Federal Government has “worked hard” on the bill because of a strong belief that “people should not experience discrimination in Australia due to their religious belief.”
“I think this speaks to our proud, multicultural nation as well. We welcome more people here from more places in the world than I think any society on Earth in a better way… and that will mean more faiths, it will mean more people of different faiths,” Minister Hawke began.
“And so this issue only continues to be important in the long term and it’s important that we act now to guarantee that social cohesion.”
Senator Cash agreed with Minister Hawke and added that the bill “fills a void” at the Federal level.
Currently, there is the Age Discrimination Act 2004, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 and the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, but there is no Federal Religious Discrimination Act.
Transparency is key:
After these initial introductions, Senator Cash answered questions submitted by attendees.
Attorney-General, Senator Michaelia Cash, answered questions at the event. Photo: Andriana Simos / The Greek Herald.
Asked whether the bill would actually encourage more discrimination against people of different faiths at religious schools, Senator Cash said it is all about “transparency.”
“In terms of the religious discrimination bill, that only deals with protection on the basis of religion and in the event that there is an exemption for religious bodies. The exemption is to preference people of faith in their employment decisions,” she answered.
“But we’ve added an extra layer of transparency there… You can preference people of faith if you have a publicly available policy [like a mission statement] that sets out the circumstances in which you do that.
“So I think that transparency is very, very important.”
From there, Senator Cash turned to questions around ‘statements of belief’ and the protections afforded to these statements in the bill.
Labor is using every trick in the book to delay this bill and avoid protecting Australians from religious discrimination.
The Govt has a mandate from the Australian people to deliver these protections.
— Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash (@SenatorCash) December 1, 2021
By giving an example of a person of Catholic faith saying to a divorced friend, ‘I don’t believe in divorce,’ Senator Cash explained how if this statement “is not malicious in any way” or does not incite “hatred or intimidation,” then the person making the statement is protected by the bill.
“We should be able to have a conversation in which we can discuss our religion, express our beliefs, even explain our religion. Sometimes it’s actually good to have a conversation where we can sit down and say, ‘hey I’m a Catholic’ or ‘You’re not a Catholic. Tell me about your religion,’ and those statements of belief are protected,” Senator Cash said.
“But when they step over into unlawful behaviour or they’re malicious, we draw the line there.”
Religious Discrimination Commissioner:
Lastly, Senator Cash also responded to a question from The Greek Herald asking whether taxpayer’s money was better spent on intercultural religion courses instead of tackling religious discrimination by legislating freedom.
“Within the Religious Discrimination Bill itself, we will establish the position of the Religious Discrimination Commissioner,” she responded.
Scott Morrison made the case for the bill in Parliament on November 25. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen.
“That person will sit alongside the other anti-discrimination commissioners but they’ll have a very, very important role… an educative role.”
The Attorney-General went on to say the Commissioner would be someone who would be able to answer questions such as, ‘what is protection from religious discrimination?’ and ‘why should you allow a person to express a statement of belief?’
“[The Commissioner] will not just be someone that you raise a complaint with but actually someone who educates all of us, whether we are people of faith or not of faith, the importance of the protections and what this bill is actually designed to do,” she said.
Prime Minister Morrison hopes to pass the bill through Parliament’s lower house on the final sitting day of the year.
Melinda Dimitriades was raised in Earlwood to Greek-born migrants and has continued to work and live in the Inner West over much of the past two decades. That’s why she’s decided to run as an Independent in the Inner West Council elections on Saturday, December 4.
Melinda is a passionate advocate for older people and wants to be part of creating relationships and community activities that engage all generations and cultural backgrounds.
She is also interested in all levels of government, leading the charge to create good policies and work with business to address climate change, environmental impacts and smart building design. She believes that everyone should have access to green space and sky, and that you can’t just buy your way into everything.
Melinda Dimitriades.
With just days to go before the local government elections in NSW, we sat down with Melinda to hear all about her career plan and aspirations.
1. Why have you decided to get into politics?
Whilst I recently graduated as a Political Scientist at Sydney University, I never thought I would become a politician. But I was approached by one of Vic’s supporters and asked to consider running with him. After meeting him and learning about the dysfunction, over-spending and neglect of the migrants who have called Marrickville home for decades but are severely neglected, I thought I could contribute in a meaningful way and advocate for these communities.
I also think I can provide more transparency and efficient governance without partisan politics; you’d be amazed how politicised the Inner West Council is.
Dimitriades wants to provide ‘more transparency’ if elected to the Inner West Council.
2. How does your Greek heritage influence your work?
Well, I grew up in Earlwood but spent every other weekend with my mum and brothers George and Alex shopping at the Greek wholesalers. I went to pre-school at Crusader in Malakoff St and even got my ears pierced on Illawarra Rd. The very reason why Marrickville is so vibrant, diverse and textured is because of the Greeks.
3.What are your plans if you are elected this year?
Vic is a seasoned councillor and I will be guided by him. However, as a strong Greek woman, small business owner and progressive in my politics, I will apply my skills, knowledge and frugality to various projects including providing green space, good development that provides appropriate housing, as well as business and public utilities without whacking rate payers and going over budget. We simply don’t have the incomes of State or Federal governments.
Dimitriades with her running mates.
4.What message do you have for our readers and the Greek Australian community more broadly?
If you want to see politicians who reflect back to you your ethnicity, community mindedness and Greek/Italian smarts with pragmatic solutions and without the ideological constraints of Labor or The Greens, vote for Independents.
5. Is there anything else you’d like to say?
I encourage people to start conversations and think about what a partisan council has actually achieved. Let’s break the stranglehold and get some mediation by voting independent thinking representatives.
It’s been a busy few days in Federal politics with the announcement of one resignation, one retirement and one minister stepping aside amid abuse allegations.
Christian Porter:
Former Attorney-General Christian Porter announced his resignation on Facebook on Wednesday, saying he was quitting to spend more time with his family.
“After a long time giving everything I could to the people of Peace, it’s now time to give more of what is left to those around me whose love has been unconditional,” Mr Porter, who moved to the backbench in September, said.
“…even though I have experienced perhaps more of the harshness of modern politics than most, there are no regrets.”
Christian Porter strenuously denied a historical rape allegation at an emotional press conference in March. Photo: ABC News / Hugh Sando.
Mr Porter became embroiled in controversy earlier this year after the ABC reported an unnamed cabinet minister had been accused of raping a woman in 1988.
Mr Porter identified himself as the unnamed cabinet minister and strenuously denied the allegation in a tearful press conference.
The West Australian MP stepped aside from his portfolio while he pursued defamation action against the ABC, which he ultimately discontinued.
Greg Hunt:
Federal Health and Aged Care Minister, Greg Hunt, has also announced today he will retire at the next election and not recontest his seat in Victoria.
Mr Hunt said “it was time to come home” and he was retiring to spend more time with his family.
Greg Hunt has announced his retirement.
He said in leaving politics, he wanted a woman to replace him as the Liberal candidate in his coastal Victorian seat.
Before becoming Health Minister in 2017, Mr Hunt served as industry, innovation and science minister and before that the environment minister.
Mr Hunt’s retirement comes nearly two years after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw him play a key role in the government’s evolving response to an unprecedented and rapidly changing situation.
Alan Tudge:
Education Minister Alan Tudge will stand aside pending an independent review run by the Prime Minister’s department into allegations made by former staffer Rachelle Miller about their relationship.
Ms Miller, a former media adviser to Mr Tudge, today alleged the affair they had was emotionally and, on one occasion, physically abusive.
Alan Tudge. Photo: ABC News / Mark Moore.
Mr Tudge denied the allegations, saying he “completely and utterly rejects Ms Miller’s version of events,” and that he regretted the affair.
Addressing Question Time today, Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the allegations as “deeply concerning” and “deeply distressing.”
“Given the seriousness of the claims made by Ms Miller, it’s important these matters be resolved fairly and expeditiously,” Mr Morrison said.
“To this end, the minister has agreed to my request to stand aside while these issues are addressed by my department, through an independent and fair process, to ensure that the matters that have been raised can be properly assessed.”
Mr Morrison said Mr Tudge welcomed the process and was looking forward to participating in the review.
Hoping to put behind the outgoing year which negatively affected much of its activities, the Hellenic Society of the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) elected its new Committee for 2022 which sees a boost of six newcomers.
The Annual General Meeting of the Society took place on Thursday, November 25 and it was conducted electronically through Zoom.
UTS Hellenic’s new President, Dimitri Kallos, expressed his excitement for what next year could offer university students.
“University societies have been riddled with issues due to COVID-19 for pretty much the last two years,” Mr Kallos said.
“We are hopeful that next year will see a rebirth for our societies, including a plethora of face-to-face events, as well as general in-person interactions.
“Our team consists of four experienced members that served in the previous Committee and six newcomers who have already impressed us with their enthusiasm.
“I am very proud of my fellow Committee members and I am looking forward to us developing a calendar of events next year which will focus on entertainment but more importantly, on Greek language and culture which will allow us to highlight our proud Hellenic heritage.”
All office holders and Committee members were elected unopposed.
The full Committee is:
President – Dimitri Kallos
Vice President – Yanni Marathocabitis
Treasurer – Constance Botsikas
Secretary – Antonia Moulos
Events/ Social Media Officer – Karly Vouros
Cultural Officer – Katerina Andrews
General Committee: Nadine Zeritis, Peter Litsas, Despina Tsolakis, Ellen Kalantzis
Jill Taylor (Nikitakis), Fronditha Care President and Board Chair, addressed over 50 members who attended the Annual General Meeting on Monday, 29 November 2021.
The President provided a comprehensive report reflecting on the 2020-2021 financial period, highlighting the achievements of Fronditha Care throughout the past year whilst noting the significant challenges.
“Fronditha Care has shown incredible resilience over this period, and the Board, Executive and entire team have demonstrated the ability to go above and beyond to ensure we are always achieving the best outcomes for our elders and community,” Jill Taylor (Nikitakis) said.
“The year has been filled with momentous transformation marked by a challenging pandemic. Yet the Board and Executive have worked through this uncertainty with enthusiasm and energy to deliver significant change in operations and secure the financial viability of the organisation.”
This organisational transformation included appointment of Faye Spiteri (Tsolakis) OAM as CEO in February 2021 and new Directors to the Board, which marked a significant change for the organisation, with a now evident return to a positive financial trajectory and long-term sustainability.
The President informed the meeting that significant improvements were in fact delivered over the last two quarters of the 2021 financial year.
Board President Jill Taylor (Nikitakis) at the Fronditha Care AGM 2021.
All driven by a concerted effort to implement change, without impacting service delivery, achievements included performing 30% better than budget; a 16% increase in income and an average 98%-100% occupancy where sector average was less than 90% and significant growth in Community Services with a twofold increase in clients.
Jill Taylor (Nikitakis) highlighted the opening of the 90-bed-facility in St Albans a great accomplishment given the $22 million capital works program was delivered ahead of time and below budget, whilst Victoria experienced the significant impact of the pandemic and ongoing lockdowns.
Turning to Fronditha Care’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the President said the organisation had been proactive and vigilant. Fronditha Care had undergone numerous successful audits across all its facilities with the Aged Care and Quality Commission highly complementary of our COVID-19 preparedness and infection control practices.
The President spoke about Fronditha Care being an early adopter of the COVID-19 vaccination program with the organisation reaching enviable vaccination rates of its residents, staff and the broader Fronditha Care community with over 3,000 vaccines administered across its five facilities and its Mulgrave Community Centre.
Jill Taylor (Nikitakis) advised members that the recently reported outbreak at its St Albans facility, was considered fully resolved with advice from the public health unit as of Friday, 26 November 2021.
She thanked the Executive, management and the DHS Public Health Unit and Western Health Outreach Team for their dedication and hard work in managing the outbreak. She noted that DHS were highly complementary of Fronditha Care’s response and that despite the rapid spread, the cycle was resolved by the Organisation within a very short period of time.
Whilst most residents and staff who tested positive remained asymptomatic, sadly, three residents, two unvaccinated and one with serious underlying health issues, passed away. The meeting heard that life at the facility had returned to normal for residents and family visitation has recommenced with proactive risk mitigation measures in place.
Focusing on the future, Jill Taylor (Nikitakis) informed the meeting that the Board and Executive is preparing to deliver an extensive strategic growth program and working on a number of significant partnerships, leading the way in the provision of aged care services for the Greek community.
She noted: “The organisational vision, purpose, values and Bounty of Care philosophy continue to steer us in the right direction. I am delighted to have led, with the CEO, the development of a 10 -year strategy with three and five year implementation plans that is underpinned by four inter-connected pillars: exceptional client services, sustainable growth, an engaged and competent workforce, and a high performing organisation. We very much look forward to sharing with you our plans in 2022 for expanding our service offer and provision of an integrated customer experience.”
Board President Jill Taylor (Nikitakis).
Mr Kostas Livadaras, Treasurer, provided a detailed financial report for members describing the factors which had led to financial turnaround and emphasising the measures in place to ensure Fronditha Care continues to perform well financially and deliver its services efficiently without diminishing the quality of care.
Members congratulated the Board, CEO and Executive team for their hard work and the significant positive turnaround applauding the impressive results delivered in such a short period, noting they looked forward to the continued success and organisational progress.
In her closing remarks, the President expressed her deep gratitude to the community and noted her deep appreciation of fellow Directors who selflessly dedicate their time.
She said: “It’s a great privilege to lead the Fronditha Care Board and support the work of our CEO, Faye Spiteri OAM, her Executive and the broader team.
‘I am exceptionally proud to work with a group of people who are so dedicated to our purpose and mission. I wholeheartedly thank the extended Fronditha Care community, our people, our clients and their families, our auxiliaries, our volunteers, our partners and all our stakeholders for supporting us.”
The meeting unanimously endorsed four candidates who nominated for election to the Board of Directors. The 2022 Fronditha Care Board members are:
• President – Jill Taylor (Nikitakis) • Vice- President- Nicholas Giasoumi • Secretary- John Kallitsas • Treasurer- Kostas Livadaras • Director – Dr Stella Laletas • Director – Alex Krassas
You can view the Fronditha Care Annual Report 2020-2021 here.
“I want to come back home and fill out a stadium,” Kambosos said after his match. “All those belts, 80,000 people, in Sydney or Melbourne. That’s the next step now.”
In response, the NSW Minister for Tourism and Western Sydney, Stuart Ayres, told the SMH it would be “awesome” if Kambosos could stage a fight in Sydney.
— George "Ferocious" Kambosos Jr (@georgekambosos) November 29, 2021
“We’d be quite open to it,” Minister Ayres said.
“To have a unified world champion defending his belts here in Sydney seems like a pretty awesome experience.”
Melbourne is the biggest competitor for the right to host Kambosos’ next fight. Kambosos is proud of his Greek background and the city also has a large number of people of Greek heritage.
ArtNet has today reported that Italy will return a piece of the Parthenon Frieze to Greece, after it was on loan as part of a cultural exchange.
Journalists were told of the deal at a November 30 meeting of the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports’ Central Archaeological Council.
According to a statement from the Ministry, the fragment from stone VI on the eastern frieze of the Parthenon, can currently be seen at the Museo Archeologico Antonio Salinas in Palermo, Sicily.
Greek Minister of Culture and Sports, Lina Mendoni, has welcomed the news.
Under conditions dictated by Italian law, the piece will travel back to Greece on a four-year loan from December 2021, with the possibility of extension for another four years after that.
“This fragment is permanently exhibited in the Museum of Palermo and is the first time that its long-term borrowing in Greece is agreed,” the Minister of Culture and Sports, Lina Mendoni, said.
“This is a process that started a year ago, involving a series of negotiations between the Greek and Italian sides. This development may pave the way for the final return of the fragment to its place of birth…”
— Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού και Αθλητισμού (@cultureGR) December 1, 2021
In return for the loan, the Acropolis Museum will send the Palermo institution a headless statue of the goddess Athena.
After four years, this will be replaced by a protogeometric vase to match the period of time the Parthenon fragment will be on loan in Greece.
A similar deal was offered by Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, in November as a means to facilitate the return of the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum. Johnson rejected the demands of his Greek counterpart.
