The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, will present a series of three webinars in its fourth Halki Summit next week, titled, “Covid-19 and Climate Change: Living with and Learning from a Pandemic.”
The Halki Summit IV sessions will be held as three Zoom webinars on January 26-28 from 8 to 9.30 p.m. each day.
The event will discuss the fact that while Covid-19 may have lowered global carbon emissions, it hasn’t slowed climate change. The response to Covid-19 has precipitated the discovery of a vaccine, but it has left the world with a staggering number of deaths.
Participants can listen to and interact with a distinguished group of panelists and presenters, including Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios and Metropolitan John of Pergamon, Professor Katharine Hayhoe and Dr Sotiris Tsiodras, as well as Bill McKibben and Dr Nadia Abuelezam.
The first webinar, on Tuesday, will also feature a special presentation by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University.
The coronavirus pandemic has forced instant and extreme changes to the traditional auction house business. Global auction houses which have been around since the 18th century, have been forced to make structural changes to the traditional business model and investing in online auctions.
But as the saying goes if there is will, there’s a way.
“The pandemic caused a profound impact to our sector and we had to respond rapidly in order to come to terms with the new normal.
“We invested in new technologies and both us and our clients were called upon to adapt to the digital market quicker than we anticipated,” VERGOS Auction House Managing Director, Andreas Vergos, tells The Greek Herald.
Founded in 1989 by Petros Vergos, Andreas’ father, the Athens based Auction House is specialising in Greek Art and rare books, manuscripts and maps, philhellenic items and popular art of Greek interest.
Over the years, the company has auctioned documents of great historic significance and cultural interest, among which the oath of the pre – eminent leader of the Greek War of Independence, Theodoros Kolokotronis and of the Peloponnesian Senate dated 1822, handwritten poems of Κonstantine P. Κavafis and Riga’s ‘Charta’.
However, when the circumstances called, Andreas Vergos did not hesitate to take the long-established family business online.
“The traditional methods of contact with our clients will forever remain irreplaceable and will retain its value unchanged over time but the changes caused by the pandemic are here to stay,” he says, referring to the family’s lasting passion for items that highlight the Greek history and heritage.
In 2009 VERGOS Auctions was the first to establish a Philhellenic Department and in 2019 expanded its business in jewellery and diamonds.
Today, the company is also actively engaging in online auctions and sales through international auction platforms and is considered the most renowned and well-established auction house in Greece.
“We see a growing interest for our collections from the Greek diaspora and this is very encouraging,” Mr Vergos concludes.
*Click here to find out more about VERGOS Auction House or subscribe to the Newsletter to stay informed about upcoming auctions and activities
The Victorian government has approved Western United’s proposal to build a new home ground at Tarneit, with Western United chief executive Chris Pehlivanis hailing it as one of the greatest days in the club’s history.
Speaking to the The Age, Pehlivanis said it’s been “two years in the making” and believes it will help develop a critical opinion about the club’s credibility and long-term plans.
“It means all the work we have done over the past two years has been endorsed by the state government. It’s probably the biggest day since we got the licence,” Pehlivanis said to The Age.
Western United boss Chris Pehlivanis. Picture: Alan Barber/The Australian
The planning approval allows detailed design of the stadium and development to be finalised and construction timelines to be determined. Construction is expected to start in mid-June.
Peter Filopoulos, Football Federation Australia’s Head of Marketing, Communications and Corporate Affairs, applauded the Victorian Government on continuing to support vital football infrastructure from a grassroots to elite level.
Speaking previously to The Greek Herald, Western United Chairman Jason Sourasis said the club was the first public private partnership in sport to be identified in Australia. The new stadium will be co-owned with the Wyndham City Council.
“The private city council, Wyndham City Council, is our partner. They’ve given us a lot of land in return for us developing it and building a stadium, an elite sports precinct for the community, which we will co-own with Wyndham,” Jason Sourasis said in a previous interview.
“The planning approval signals the official start to the project and means construction on the stadium can commence by mid-2021 and should be ready in time for the Women’s World Cup in 2023,” Sourasis said in a press release.
Jason Sourasis, chairman of Western United FC. Photo: Supplied
“We could not have achieved this milestone without the amazing support from Kate Roffey and her team at Wyndham City Council, as well as our state government representatives, in particular, Sarah Connolly.
“Finally, we would like to thank our passionate and dedicated supporters. The football family and the community of the west have been behind us since day one and their belief and energy have truly been felt throughout this whole project.”
South Australia’s Port Pirie regional council has recognised Greek Australian Fred (Fotis) Seindanis with a Certificate of Merit for his contribution to the city’s ninety-six-year-old Greek community.
A member for the past 50 years, Fred has served as a treasurer of the St George Greek community, a cook at the Hellenic Centre for the past 10 years and he’s also known for his involvement with Hellas Soccer Club, which he served as a player and administrator.
“Last year was a hard year for all of us but out of 2020 came some really positive things,” Port Pirie Mayor, Leon Stephens said as he presented the stories of the council’s five quiet achievers.
Born and bred in Port Pirie to parents who migrated to Australia from the island of Ikaria, Fred is a well-known and loved community member.
“I’ve been involved with the Greeks all my life and loved it. I brought up my children the same way. We need to keep our great traditions alive,” Fred, 63, tells The Greek Herald , as he expresses his pride for the award.
Image: Supplied
“We are the second Greek community formed in Australia,” he says, explaining that the first Greek Orthodox church in South Australia was opened in 1925 in Port Pirie.
“There’s nothing better than going to the church and the Hellenic Centre on a Sunday and to be able to speak to each other in our own language,” he says.
St George Greek Orthodox Church in Port Pirie.
But what keeps Fred motivated?
“I want my grandkids to grow up the same way. Our ancestors created what we have here today and now it’s up to our kids and their kids to continue it or it’s just going to turn into memories,” he says talking about the challenges the Greek as an ethnic community faces in a regional town.
“Our community is reducing as there are no work opportunities here. Young people go to Adelaide to study and they don’t come back to Pirie unless they are visiting.”
Image: Supplied
According to Mr Seindanis there are currently 300 residents of Greek heritage living in Port Pirie or 2,14% of the total population.
The latest census data indicate that Greek is the most popular language spoken at home other than English in Port Pirie.
“We are trying to bring back our young members because they are the future and we need their input to keep our community going,” he concludes.
*Fred will be presented with his Certificate of Merit during Port Pirie’s Australia Day awards presentation that will be held at Flinders View Park on Tuesday 26 January.
January 2021 signals the end of Major General Cheryl Pearce’s role as Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus.
Major General Pearce of Australia took charge as UNFICYP’s Force Commander in January 2019 and has had a distinguished career in the Australian Defence Force. During her time in the role she led over 800 military personnel to overcome the challenges posed by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Major General Pearce said she was honoured to have led a diverse international peacekeeping mission throughout her tenure.
“My command of the United Nations Force in Cyprus has been during a difficult period associated with the global pandemic, but the team here have adapted successfully to meet these challenges,” Major General Pearce said.
“The professionalism and commitment of these personnel has enabled me to deliver on the United Nations mandate and has also contributed to stability in Cyprus.”
Major General Pearce said she was grateful for the commitment and support of her team and the wider ADF community during her two years in Cyprus.
Photo: United Nations Peacekeeping.
“I was continually impressed by their professionalism and commitment to service, not only as members of Army, but as representatives of Australia. I am immensely proud of the men and women who have served under Operation Charter,” she said.
The United Nations Force in Cyprus mission was established by the UN Security Council in 1964 to prevent further fighting between Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities.
Colonel Neil Wright from the United Kingdom will act as Officer-in-Charge of the military component, until the appointment of the next Force Commander, expected to take place early in 2021.
Arthur Sinodinos has hailed new US President Joe Biden’s stance on US-China relations, saying it was on track to be “consistent with where we’ve been”.
Mr Sinodinos was one of a select crowd of dignitaries invited to Joe Biden’s scaled-back inauguration ceremony at the Capitol. During the confirmation hearing, Biden’s nominee for Secretary of State, Tony Blinken, said they won’t be relaxing their tough stance on China.
“As we look at China, there is no doubt that it poses the most significant challenge of any nation state to the United States,” Mr Blinken said in his Senate confirmation hearing.
“We have to start by approaching China from a position of strength, not weakness.”
Ambassador of Australia to the US Arthur Sinodinos and his wife Elizabeth at the 59th presidential inauguration in Washington DC. Picture: Twitter
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Mr Sinodinos welcomed the move by the Biden administration, expected the US government to be “quite strategic” and to continue to support Australia.
“The overall stance from Blinken’s comments and other things that we’ve heard is going to be pretty strong and pretty consistent with where we’ve been,” Mr Sinodinos said.
“On China, what’s happened here in the US, both with the Democrats and the Republicans, in the political establishment as a whole … they’ve been mugged by reality.
“What we all thought was going to happen to China hasn’t happened. It’s taken a more authoritarian turn. And so the system here has now become more focused on the emergence of China in a negative way and the need to compete with China.”
Arthur Sinodinos. Photo: The Greek Herald.
Mr Sinodinos added that he expects the strong relationship with the Trump administration to transmission with the new government leadership.
“If I look at the relationship between Australia and the US, we did well under the (former) administration, avoided some of the things that perhaps happened to other countries,” he said.
“We were able to advance on a number of our agendas. I think we gave them a bit of a lead on China and they appreciate that without being sort of, you know, arrogant about it.
“I think we actually led on that in many ways with some of the actions we took early on in relation to China.”
Local Cairns artist Eves Karydas is preparing for her debut appearance on Triple J’s Hottest 100 Countdown.
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Karydas said she’s thankful she was able to break onto the music scene in 2020, being “a long time coming.”
“I’ve been releasing music for about six years under some different monikers. I was in America, I was in the UK, I was in Sweden and going through a lot of writer’s block and imposter syndrome. I came back with Complicated last June. So this will be my year – fingers crossed.”
Eves Karydas was born in Cairns to a big Greek family.
Complicated has become an anthem for many Australians whose lives have been upended by the coronavirus pandemic. Including lines like ‘Wish I was in love, wish I was alone’ – prediction website 100 Warm Tunas says it has a strong chance of making the top 10.
“The lyrics slotted into the global conversation in a way I could never have premeditated,” she said.
“It’s been such a tough year. Everyone you speak to, it’s just been a kick in the balls. So it’s a super special song to me.”
Born Hannah Evyenia Karydas, she went under the name ‘Eves the Behaviour’ when she first started making music. But a couple of years ago, she made the call to change up the back half.
“I think the direction I’ve taken…the music is a lot more confessional and up front, so I didn’t want to hide behind a moniker,” Eves said previously.
Triple J’s Hottest 100 countdown kicks off at midday on Saturday, January 23. The winner will be announced around 8pm.
Greek language students at La Trobe University have been given an unexpected gift in 2021 with the Andrews Labor Government providing a funding boost for new student scholarships.
Member for Northcote, Kat Theophanous, yesterday joined Vice Chancellor, Professor John Dewar AO and Professor Rhiannon Evans to announce $40,000 in funding for La Trobe’s Greek Language Program to establish ten one-off student scholarships in 2021.
Ms Theophanous worked in partnership with the University to design the proposal and secure funding from the Victorian Government. The scholarships are being provided as part of the celebrations underway in 2021 which mark the 200th Anniversary of Greek Independence.
“What an incredible way to kick off the year. This is a great outcome for La Trobe students and the Greek Community, who have worked tirelessly to secure the survival of this valuable program,” Kat Theophanous, Labor Member for Northcote, said.
Scholarships will be offered in three groups, in line with levels of study in the program. Four will be provided to students entering their first year of studies, three to students entering their second year and three to students moving into their third year.
Photo: La Trobe University
Each recipient will receive a $4,000 stipend to support their studies as they develop high level Greek language skills, critical to a range of sectors in Victoria including aged care, social services and education.
Last year, Kat Theophanous was part of a coalition of senior figures from the Greek community who worked constructively with La Trobe University to secure an agreement to retain the last tertiary level Modern Greek Language program in Victoria.
“The cultural, linguistic and economic value of the Greek language to Victoria cannot be understated. These scholarships will help drive enrolments, while supporting students as they develop skills critical to the future of our state,” Ms Theophanous added.
Photo: La Trobe University
The program had come under threat from impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, funding pressures and falling enrolments. The three-year agreement is supported by a substantive fundraising effort from the Greek Community in Victoria.
The scholarship funding announced yesterday is a key element in driving enrolment growth in the program, which will be critical to securing its long-term future.
“I’m deeply grateful to the Victorian Government for providing such generous support to our Modern Greek Language Program through these ten student scholarships,” Professor John Dewar AO, Vice-Chancellor at La Trobe University, said.
“We hope that the scholarships – in addition to support already committed by the Greek Community of Melbourne – will help drive enrolments, thereby ensuring the Program’s future survival and growth.”
Telly Savalas was a Greek-American actor made a legacy for himself as Lt. Theo Kojak in ‘Kojak’, a role that continues to be idolised in modern television.
He was born on January 21, 1922 in Garden City, New York as a son of Greek immigrants. Savalas and his brother Gus sold newspapers and shined shoes to help support the family, and in 1941, he joined the army and served in World War II. He was later discharged with a Purple Heart disability.
After his release, Savalas attended the Armed Forces Institute where he studied radio and television production. During the early 1950s, Telly worked for ABC radio, the Voice of America, and eventually became the executive producer of his own popular talk show, Telly’s Coffee House.
In 1959, Savalas attended an audition for the CBS anthology series Armstrong Circle Theatre, intending to prompt an actor friend who was up for a role. Instead, the casting director took Savalas’ sinister demeanor into account and cast him in a character part.
A performance in Matter of Conviction impressed actor Burt Lancaster, who cast him in Birdman of Alcatraz (1962). Savalas earned a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination for his role as solitary row prisoner Feto Gomez.
In 1973, he landed the part of tough-talking New York City detective Theo Kojak in the TV movie The Marcus-Nelson Murders. Known for his sinister demeanour in television roles, his incredible acting launched a spin-off series, which ran from 1973-’78 on CBS. The show catapulted Savalas into icon status as the very image of the hedonistic ’70s. Savalas won an Emmy and two Golden Globes for his role on the series.
After Kojak ended, Savalas embarked on a globe-trotting existence involving several forgettable European films and a decadent, self-indulgent lifestyle.
Savalas periodically revived the character of Kojak in a few 1980s TV movies, yet never found a role that brought him back into the Hollywood spotlight.
He died on January 22, 1994, in Universal City, California.
The groups for the ATP Cup have been drawn for 2021 – and Team Greece has been pitted against Spain and Australia in Group B.
Team Greece has been handed a tough draw at the ATP Cup. The Greek team, which will be spearheaded by Stefanos Tsitsipas and Michail Pervolarakis, faces Spain and Australia in the round-robin stages.
World No.2 Rafael Nadal headlines Team Spain, while World No.6, Stefanos Tsitsipas, will lead the charge for Team Greece and world No 23, Alex de Minaur, will lead Team Australia.
The official draw, which was conducted today in Melbourne with Australian greats Todd Woodbridge, Mark Philippoussis and John Fitzgerald, set up an early rematch of last year’s semifinal showdown between Australia and Spain.
Team Australia memorably advanced to the semifinals in the inaugural ATP Cup last summer, scoring wins against Greece, Germany and Canada in the group stages in Brisbane and then defeating Great Britain in a nail-biting quarterfinal in Sydney.
In the semifinals, De Minaur pushed world No.1 Nadal to three sets in a high-quality encounter.
De Minaur, Millman and John Peers all return for Team Australia in 2021, joined by world No.37 doubles player Luke Saville.
Former world No.1 Lleyton Hewitt is captain for the second year in a row. De Minaur, as Australia’s top-ranked player, selected Hewitt as Team Australia’s captain.
ATP CUP – GROUP B
Team Australia: Alex de Minaur (World No.23 singles), John Millman (World No.38 singles), John Peers (World No.28 doubles), Luke Saville (World No.37 doubles), captain Lleyton Hewitt
Team Spain: Rafael Nadal (World No.2 singles), Roberto Bautista Agut (World No.13 singles), Pablo Carreno Busta (World No.16 singles), Marcel Granollers (World No.11 doubles), captain Pepe Vendrell.
