Greece’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister and representative for Greeks Abroad, Kostas Vlasis, has met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia in Istanbul.
In the framework of his responsibilities for religious and ecclesiastical affairs, Mr Vlasis paid a visit to the city to attend the Enthronement of Metropolitan Geron Emmanuel of Chalcedon, as well as the patriarchal church service at Agios Georgios Greek Orthodox Church in Fanari on Orthodox Sunday.
During his stay in the city, Mr Vlasis also visited the Theological School of Halki and the Prinkipo Greek Orthodox Orphanage and could be heard saying: “The reopening of the School is a constant request of both the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Greece, as it is a beacon and monument of culture and history.”
The Bishop of Arabyssos guided Mr Vlasis through the facilities of the school including the library, which hosts a very rich collection of literature.
Afterwards, he attended the enthronement ceremony of the Metropolitan Geron Emmanuel of Chalcedon, in the presence of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the historic cathedral of the Holy Trinity of Chalcedon.
Private meetings followed with the newly enthroned Metropolitan of Chalcedon, Archbishop akarios of Australia, Archbishop Elpidoforos of America and of course, with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
“Every meeting with him is a blessing, an honour and an inspiration. In difficult circumstances, the Ecumenical Patriarchate continues to be a beacon for the entire Orthodox world, a guardian of our faith and a source of enlightenment for every Christian,” Mr Vlasis said after the meeting.
Member for Canterbury, Sophie Cotsis MP, visited the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) Canterbury Unit head office on Sunday to thank the amazing volunteers who are dedicating their time to keep people safe during the once-in-a-century floods currently impacting the state.
During her visit to the unit, which is led by Local Controller Lenore Nelson, Ms Cotsis brought Greek sweets from Trianon Cake Shop, including Galaktoboureko, kataifi and Turkish delights, to brighten the spirits of the volunteers.
“The volunteers at Canterbury SES are doing a fantastic job. As soon as they knew there would be bad weather, they dropped everything to help out,” Ms Cotsis tells The Greek Herald.
Sophie Cotsis MP visited the NSW SES Canterbury Unit head office on Sunday. Photos: Sophie Cotsis MP Facebook.
“We just wanted to show the volunteers and local SES, on behalf of our community, that we’re grateful and we’ve got their back.”
After delivering the sweets, Ms Cotsis had lunch with a few volunteers and was briefed about the local emergency situation.
“They were very straight when they said to me that we should clean our house gutters and just do general maintenance,” Ms Cotsis says.
Sophie Cotsis MP had a small lunch with some of the volunteers. Photos: Sophie Cotsis MP Facebook.
“I urge everyone to please be careful – don’t walk, drive, ride or swim in flood waters. Listen and follow the instructions of the NSW Police Force and NSW SES.”
Ms Cotsis’ visit comes as today, large parts of NSW are expected to face more wild weather, with flooding set to reach levels not seen for around 30 years.
Magnisalis family lose home built 47 years ago:
The Magnisalis family have already been impacted by the floods in the Hawkesbury region, with their home built 47 years ago being inundated by water.
Talking on Sunrise this morning, Peter Magnisalis describes how much the home they’ve now lost meant to them.
“We all grew up here with my two brothers as a family and my father built everything brick by brick. My parents life savings and all our histories are here,” Peter says.
“We didn’t have much time to evacuate. We pretty much got my parents out, got a couple of basic things out and they’ve literally just got whatever clothes they’ve got on…. it came up that quick.”
So many people across the NSW flood zone have lost everything – their homes, livelihoods and decades of memories.@MattDoran22 met a family left heartbroken after the house they built more than four decades ago went under. pic.twitter.com/vKzwRYxD0k
On the verandah of the house are the remnants of the breakfast they left behind as the Magnisalis family rushed to evacuate.
“The water started coming in from the back not long after we sat down to eat, but as you can see we were bamboozled. We didn’t know what to get first,” Peter says.
“It’s their pride and joy. It’s their little castle and that’s all they’ve got. They’ve got their house and they’ve got us… You can’t replace it.”
Peter’s parents, Irene and Nick, told Sunrise “we’ve lost everything.”
“I tried to be strong for my wife. She was so panicked,” Nick says with tears in his eyes.
If you find yourself in an emergency, please call SES on 132 500 or visit https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au.
Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, held a telephone conversation with French President, Emmanuel Macron, on Monday.
Talks focused on the upcoming European Council (to be held via teleconference), the report on Turkey by European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and Libya, and the fight against COVID-19.
Macron last week canceled a visit to Athens where he was expected to attend celebrations on March 25 commemorating the bicentenary of the beginning of Greece’s War of Independence in 1821.
Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, held a telephone conversation with French President, Emmanuel Macron, on Monday.
The decision was made as the French government imposed a month-long lockdown on Paris and parts of northern France against the virus.
Athens considers Borrell’s report on Turkey ‘positive and balanced’:
With regards to Josep Borrell’s EU report on Turkey, Greece considers it “positive and balanced” as it includes a lot of satisfactory points even if there are “some deficiencies,” according to diplomatic sources who spoke to Ekathimerini.
These sources say the positive points are that the report has a two-fold approach both for a possible positive agenda and for the prospect of sanctions, which are clear and set out in detail.
European Union foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has released a report on Turkey.
Athens is also satisfied with the fact that the report is clear in terms of the delimitation of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and of the continental shelf. The disagreement should be resolved through dialogue in the context of International Law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and if a solution is not reached through the dialogue, the two countries should have recourse to The Hague, the sources said.
The report depicts in a generally objective way the developments in the context of the EU-Turkey relations.
US President, Joe Biden, on Monday sent Greek President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, a letter on the occasion of Greece’s celebration of the bicentennial of the 1821 Greek Revolution.
“I participate together with the Greek people and the millions of proud Greek-Americans in celebrating this joyful anniversary,” Biden said in his letter.
He noted that Greece is a “key NATO ally and close friend” of the United States, a country that “provides stability and actively contributes to peace and prosperity” in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Western Balkans.
US President, Joe Biden (left), with Greece’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis (right).
He also noted that during his political career, he had the privilege of working closely with several Greek Prime Ministers and has also had long conversations with Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos.
Biden noted that he looks forward to continue the tradition of further strengthening cooperation between the two countries, and of reaffirming the joint commitment to the Transatlantic Alliance and to all the common values that unite Greece and the US.
With her positive attitude she encouraged me to follow a storytelling path towards recording the voices of Australian women of Greek heritage who challenge stereotypes and break glass ceilings.
And if you think this is a rather unusual intro, you should read on.
A Global Director People at T2 Tea, Georgegina is responsible for shaping, leading and delivering the company’s global People strategy in order to support and enable performance against agreed business objectives.
Five years ago, by becoming the first woman to lead the male-dominated Hellenic-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HACCI) the Greek Cypriot senior executive, proved that generosity and empathy are virtues that have the potential to create change.
Now she’s on a mission to transfer her knowledge to future female leaders who will in turn contribute to the society as a whole.
Q:You are currently the Global Director of People at T2 but you chose an -out of the box- path to pursue your career. Tell us a bit more about it.
A: I started working at a young age in my Mum’s clothing store, with a love for fashion I opened my own small boutique when I was 19. At 21, my parents gave me a year abroad and I stayed 10!
I remember sitting in Burger King on Tottenham Court Road with my best friend and the Evening Standard looking for jobs. We would each take a turn to run up the stairs to use the payphone. Towards the end of the day, it was my friend’s turn and she made the call to Johnny Pizza Bar. He asked if she had any experience, she said no but my friend does. So, I called back and I ended up working for Gioma Restaurants for 10 years in London and The Netherlands. I trained all new managers, developed a Children’s marketing campaign and opened 6 restaurants.
After returning to Australia in 2000, I stayed in hospitality and completed my Post Graduate in HR and IR. My first HR role was for HMS Host at Melbourne Airport, from there I moved to the Stamford Plaza Hotel.
After spending 15+ years in hospitality I decided to move into another industry, Supply Chain. I soon realised my strength as an HR practitioner was strategic thinking, organisational design and working in complex and challenging environments.
I have been able to transition across multiple industries such as Food Service, Logistics, Energy, Retail and Local Government. I’ve loved the flexibility of running my own consultancy and working in organisations to build capability to deliver strategy. Four years ago, I joined T2 and I love every minute of it.
Q:How has your Greek background and values helped you navigate your career path and overcome barriers?
A: Work ethic and resilience have been instilled in me since a child and I bring these attributes with me.
Q: You were the first woman to lead the Hellenic Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HACCI) as the Chair of Board. Why is it important for more women to follow in your footsteps?
A: I was privileged to be the first female Chair of HACCI. The current Chair is also a woman as are many of the Greek Community Groups.
For me it is important that I am a role model to younger females within our community so they can see it isn’t a ‘boys club’, that women can be strong influential leaders both in business and in the community
Q: You have worked around the world. Are our workplaces inclusive enough in Australia?
A: I think organisations globally still have a lot of work to do to be truly inclusive. We have strong social biases that need to be broken. I am proud of the work we are doing at T2 in this space, we have just started this journey and we too have so much more to do
Q:What is the message you would like to share with our readers this International Women’s Day?
A: This year’s theme “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world” is so important as many women were severely impacted last year during the peak of COVID and still are.
Flexibility was one of the great outcomes of last year. Employers need to continue to embrace flexibility to encourage more women to take up leadership positions. Whether it be flex roles & or Work From Home (WFH).
The notion of working 5 days in the office 0800-1800 no longer exists. COVID has shown us that true leaders can lead virtually and by embracing flexibility creates more opportunity for female leaders to thrive both personally and professionally
My own personal takeaway is that having flexibility to anywhere, anytime and any way I become more productive and a better leader.
Canberra’s two-day Hellenic Festival at the Hellenic Club of Canberra was a hit over the weekend, with 3,500 people attending despite the weather trying to rain on their parade.
“People were dancing in the rain. It was awesome! Kefi always triumphs over the weather,” President of the Greek Orthodox Community and Church of Canberra, John Loukadellis, tells The Greek Herald.
On Saturday, people and organisations from different cultural backgrounds including Greek, Indian, Chinese, Colombian, Mexican, African, Serbian and Pacific Island nations, all came together to provide a multicultural feast.
Photos: The Hellenic Club of Canberra / Facebook.
ACT’s Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Tara Chayne, and President of the Hellenic Club of Canberra, Stef Pashalidis, also gave speeches recognising the importance of the multicultural event.
“We had set up a marquee and the Greek community had people cooking loukoumades, tiropites, octopus, frappedes, souvlakia, lamb on the spit… There were also dim sims, chicken rolls and Otai, which is a Tongan watermelon drink. It was just a great way to acknowledge the different multicultural backgrounds of Canberra,” Mr Loukadellis says.
Photos: The Hellenic Club of Canberra / Facebook.
This was followed by the ultimate Hellenic festival on Sunday, which was launched with a traditional ‘welcome to country,’ as well as a number of speeches from Mr Loukadellis, Ambassador of Greece to Australia, George Papacostas, and the High Commisioner of Cyprus, Mrs Martha Mavrommatis.
Attendees were invited to take part in a number of exciting games such as a plate-breaking competition, a zeibekiko dancing competition and even a yeeros and loukoumades eating competition. Performances from dancing groups, as well as Greek band, DEFI, also drew loud applause.
Left: Ambassador of Greece to Australia, George Papacostas, with John Loukadellis. Right: High Commissioner of Cyprus, Martha Mavrommatis, gave a speech. Photos: Facebook.
“I’d like to thank the contribution of Nick Manikas from ‘Fair Canberra,’ who organised the other cultures on the day and also the events manager from the Hellenic Club, Lisa Andonaros, for the exceptional work she put into making the festival a reality for all,” Mr Loukadellis says.
“It really was an awesome day. The event finished at 5pm but the party didn’t stop until 7pm!”
The Lonsdale Street Greek Music festival, which is organised by the Greek Community of Melbourne, welcomed 1,294 people through the doors of Lonsdale Street’s Golden Square Car Park to watch nine of Melbourne’s best Greek bands.
A sunny Saturday saw 838 people watch the bands live, with city-goers being enticed by the rousing sounds of our musicians and the smell of Greek food to stop by as they walked through Lonsdale Street.
Another 1,100 people from all over the world watched the festival via a live stream set up by the Greek Community of Melbourne for all those who were unable to attend.
The festival opened with Totally Kicking Brass who played music from the north of Greece and had patrons singing and dancing.
The closing act of the evening, Cats and the Canary, were met with calls for an encore by the enthusiastic crowd.
Audience members were kept well fed with souvlakia from Greek Street Food and loukoumades from St Gerrys.
The rainy weather on Sunday didn’t stop the festival from going ahead, with the Paskalia ensemble opening the second day of festivities.
459 people attended the final day of the festival and enjoyed the music of the Epirotiko Ensemble,Agapi and Friends,Sifis Tsourdalakis, and Anagennisi.
In recognition of the 200th anniversary of the 1821 Greek Revolution, the Greek Community of Melbourne has lit up its 15-storey cultural centre in blue and white.
“The spirit of 1821 now shines bright on the 15-storey Greek Cultural Centre. It is important that our message of independence, heroism and resistance is broadcast as far and wide as possible,” President of the Greek Community of Melbourne, Bill Papastergiadis, says.
“With our 15-storey building situated in the centre of Melbourne, our lighting highlights this important celebration of independence to all Victorians. We commemorate this seminal moment visually and tell the story of this incredible achievement 200 years ago.
“The lighting also reflects the great pride we feel at this moment in regards to the global influence of Greece on western civilisation and its recent history in fighting for freedom. Symbolism is important and this lighting adds to the narrative of what was required to achieve independence.”
The lighting has been funded by a few members of the Board of the Greek Community of Melbourne.
Melbourne’s Greek community came out in full force on Sunday, March 21 to officially commemorate the 200th anniversary of the 1821 Greek Revolution.
The day, which was organised by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia Melbourne District in conjunction with the Organisational Committee for Greek National Day, began with a doxology service at Saint Eustathios Greek Orthodox Cathedral in South Melbourne.
A wreath laying ceremony was held at Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance, with Father Evmenios holding a memorial service. Photo(L): Facebook. Photo(R): Kostas Deves.
A wreath laying ceremony was later held at the Australian Hellenic Memorial’s Shine of Remembrance at 12pm. Archiepiscopal Vicar for the District of Northcote, Father Evmenios, who was representing Archbishop Makarios of Australia, kicked off the ceremony with a solemn memorial service for all those that fell during the 1821 Greek Revolution.
Photos by Kostas Deves.
This was followed by a number of representatives from the Greek Australian community and Victorian Government laying wreaths at the shrine including, but not limited to, the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Emmanuel Kakavelakis, Jane Hume MP (representing Prime Minister Scott Morrison), Andrew Giles MP (representing Leader of the Federal Opposition, Anthony Albanese), Ros Spence MP (representing Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews), Neil Angus MP (representing Leader of the Victorian Opposition, Michael O’Brien MP), Shrine Governor, Squadron Leader Steve Campbell-Wright, and Chairman of the 2021 Victorian Bicentenary Committee, Tony Tsourdalakis.
Photos by Kostas Deves.
Also in attendance at the shrine to pay their respects were: Maria Vamvakinou MP, Steve Dimopoulos MP, Lee Tarlamis MP, Nick Staikos MP, Kath Theophanous MP, Tammy Iliou, Vice President of Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria, as well as a number of other politicians and representatives from organisations. FULL LISThere.
Speeches were later given by some of the officials who laid wreaths, with Mr Tsourdalakis taking the time in his speech to thank people for attending and to highlight the strong connection between Greece and Australia.
A number of official speeches were given. Photo: Kostas Deves.
“We are gathered here to honour all of our fallen forefathers and ancestors. We honour those that fell in the battles from 1821 so that we remain free living in a democratic society,” Mr Tsourdalakis said.
The ceremony concluded with a reciting of the Ode – Last Post by Shrine Governor, Squadron Leader Steve Campbell-Wright, as well as the playing of the National Anthems of Greece and Australia.
The Greek community paid their respects at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance. Photos: Kostas Deves.
With a memorial service and a wreath laying ceremony held on Sunday morning at South Australia’s State War Memorial in Adelaide and a cultural evening that took place the same day, at the grounds of the Greek Orthodox Parish and Community of Prophet Elias in Norwood, the state’s Hellenes and Philhellenes had the opportunity to commemorate and celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the Greek Revolution of 2021.
The memorial service, organised by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, was initiated by His Grace Bishop Silouan of Sinope and in attendance were a number of distinguished guests and representatives of federal state and local governments as well as community representatives.
Photos by: Andreas Pavlou
Among them, the Consul General of Greece in Adelaide George Psiachas, Minister for Innovation and Skills David Pisoni representing the Premier of SA Marshall, Leader of the opposition Peter Malinauskas and Greek Australian politicians Tom Koutsantonis, Andrea Michaels and Steve Georganas. Representing the Mayor of the city of Adelaide was Deputy Lord Mayor Mary Couros and representing the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission (SAMEAC) Andriana Christopoulos.
L to R: Andrea Michaels MP, Federal Member for Adelaide Steve Georganas with Deputy Lord Mayor Mary Couros, Tom Koutsantonis MP, Councillor of City of Mitcham and SAMEAC member Andriana Christopoulos
Following the laying of the wreaths Bishop Silouan of Sinope and the Consul General addressed the crowd and the function concluded with a march and traditional dances from the students of Greek Orthodox schools and colleges.
Marshall: “The Greek Revolution inspired many nations around the world”
The commemorative celebrations continued at the grounds of the Greek Orthodox Parish and Community of Prophet Elias in Norwood with more than 400 attendees enjoying traditional food, dance, music, songs, poems and presentations from the 160 Prophet Elias Greek school students.
Photo: The Greek Herald/Argyro Vourdoumpa
In presence were the Premier of SA Steven Marshall, Assistant Minister to the Premier Jing Lee MLC, Tom Koutsantonis MP representing the Leader of the Opposition, the Consul General of Greece in Adelaide George Psiachas and Ms Andriana Christopoulos of SAMEAC.
Premier of South Australia Steven Marshall and the Consul General of Greece in Adelaide George Psiachas. Photo: The Greek Herald/Argyro Vourdoumpa
“The Greek Revolution of 1821 inspired many nations around the world to seek Independence. Today is a great day to celebrate not only the Revolution but also the democracy that Greece has provided to the rest of the world,” Premier Marshall told The Greek Herald.
Photos: The Greek Herald/Argyro Vourdoumpa
“Multiculturalism is the backbone of our society in South Australia. We have very harmonious multicultural relations in the state and this is something we must never take for granted.”
Photo: The Greek Herald/Argyro Vourdoumpa
Addressing the attendees Prophet Elias Parish priest Fr Michael Psaromatis gave an inspirational speech about the role of church during the Ottoman oppression in cultivating and maintaining the Greek language and culture and referred to the Revolution as an event of global significance.
Photos: The Greek Herald/Argyro Vourdoumpa
The grand finale of the evening was a Zorba Dance performance by students of Prophet Elias Greek School.
