Mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, will give an online talk on July 8, 2020 as part of The Hellenic Initiative’s Digital Speaker Series.
Mr Bakoyannis is expected to speak about his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, including his latest efforts to pedestrianise parts of downtown Athens.
“During the lockdown, under the leadership of Mayor Bakoyannis, the city of Athens embarked on an ambitious plan to pave streets, plant trees, clean and fix city squares, replace old pipes, and remove graffiti. Join us to hear more,” a statement for the event said.
Mr Bakoyannis has worked at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as executive manager in an Investor Relations and Corporate Communications company in Athens, and has held positions in the European Parliament in Brussels and the World Bank in Kosovo.
He is the vice president of the Hellenic Agency for Local Development and Local Government, a council member of the European Council on Foreign Relations and a Greek Leadership Council member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).
These are important roles he is also expected to talk about.
To resister for the event, which can be viewed via Zoom or Facebook Live from 2am in Australia, click here. The Facebook Live can be watched at a later stage.
Nikos Xilouris was born on July 7, 1936 in the mountain village of Anogeia in Rethymno, Crete. He was the older brother of two other great Cretan musicians, Antonis, nicknamed Psarantonis, and Yiannis, called Psaroyiannis.
To mark the day of his birth, we take a look back at his exceptional life.
Early Life:
Nikos Xilouris when he was a young man.
Xilouris’ early years were filled with a patriotic zeal for the nation of Greece. He witnessed the Battle of Crete and saw the Nazi atrocities on Crete.
He acquired his first lyra, the three-stringed Cretan fiddle which is supported on the knee while playing, at the age of twelve. He immediately displayed great potential in performing local Cretan folk music.
A turning point in Xilouris’ career occurred with a recording he made in 1958. He first performed outside Greece in 1966, winning first prize in the San Remo folk music festival soon after. In 1967, he established the first Cretan music hall, Erotokritos, in the capital, Heraklion.
Career in Athens:
Xilouris’ recording of “Anyfantou” in 1969 was a huge success nationally. He was soon invited to perform in Athens at the Konaki folk music hall. The Greek capital then became his new permanent residence.
In 1971, he was honored by the Academy Charles Cross of France for his performance on the Cretan “Rizitika Songs” album along with musician Giannis Markopoulos.
Xilouris’ music and lyrics beautifully captured the Greek psyche.
Xilouris’ voice became identified not only with Cretan music but with the youth of Greece who rebelled against the Greek military junta of 1967–1974. His music and lyrics beautifully captured the Greek psyche during those troubled times.
He embodied and helped create a new style of popular music which adapted verses of famous Greek poets.
He incorporated well-known poems into the musical genre called mantinada. The emergence of this music during those dark political times was lifting and inspiring to Greeks.
The Archangel of Crete:
1979 was a difficult year for Xilouris. Although his career was at its peak, he suffered from severe headaches and chest pain. He traveled to New York and was admitted to Memorial Hospital for tests, where he was diagnosed with cancer. After multiple surgeries, he returned to a friend’s house in Porto Rafti and tried to overcome the incurable disease.
On Wednesday, February 6, 1980, he was admitted to the Piraeus Cancer Hospital for new examinations. The next day, however, his health deteriorated and he fell into a coma on Thursday night. Doctors fought to keep him alive but on the dawn of Friday, February 8, Xilouris passed away.
“His death was a great loss for Greek music and Crete,” said Greek composer, Mikis Theodorakis, at the time.
Mary Politis of popular Instagram food blog, Mary’s Kouzina, showcased traditional Greek food during a cooking segment with Sam Mac on Channel 7’s Sunrise program this morning.
With a table full of gemista (stuffed vegetables), Greek salad, cabbage rolls and lamb souvlakia, Mary spoke proudly to the weather presenter about why cooking Greek food is important to her.
“I was excited knowing that my families recipes were being shared with the Australian public,” Mary tells The Greek Herald exclusively.
Mary Politis was on Sunrise this morning with Sam Mac. Photos supplied by Mary Politis.
“My aim is to reintroduce and preserve traditional Greek cuisine. By doing so, we can avoid lost recipes and inspire our current and future generations to eat and raise children with the nostalgic flavours from yiayia’s kitchen.”
Surrounded by her family and friends, Mary’s dad Dionysus also had a special feature during the program, taking Sam Mac through a selection of Greek wine and spirits including tsipouro, ouzo and mastiha.
“Ohh powerful stuff,” Sam Mac could be heard saying.
The food on display during the cooking program. Video supplied by Mary Politis.
Not as powerful as the Cretan dancing that was later performed by members of the Cretan Association of Sydney and NSW’s dancing group. The Ηχο Νυξ band also provided live music entertainment throughout the segment.
A beautiful and nostalgic piece of Greece enjoyed by all who watched it this morning.
To see more of Mary’s beautiful meals, you can visit her Instagram page here.
Some 150 recognised refugees have been transferred from Victoria Square in downtown Athens to reception facilities in Skaramangas and Schisto in western Attica, Greece.
Men, women and children had camped at the square after they were forced out of camps on the islands due to the recent policy of the Migration Ministry to stop providing refugees with recognised status with accommodation and food.
Men, women and children had camped at the square after they were forced out of camps on the islands. Photo: Efsyn.
The policy implemented since June 1, has created impasses as the refugees are forced to leave accommodation structures and seek a home on their own.
According to the Migration Ministry, 2,144 refugees left the island of Lesvos between June 5-29 and another 218 in the first days of July.
Migration Minister, Notis Mitarakis, posted on Twitter after the transfer operation from the square and said: “All refugees have left Victoria Square for temporary accommodation, thanks to the actions of the migration ministry’s first reception service and Greek police.”
Αποχώρησαν όλοι οι πρόσφυγες από την Πλ. Βικτώριας σε προσωρινά καταλύματα. Χάρη στις ενέργειες της Ελ. Αστυνομίας & της Υπηρεσίας Πρώτης Υποδοχής του Υπ. Μετανάστευσης & Ασύλου. Και παρά την προσπάθεια αλληλέγγυων, να εκμεταλλευτούν τον ανθρώπινο πόνο για δημιουργία εντυπώσεων. pic.twitter.com/JuKJZNuuFD
He referred to solidarity activists saying that they “have come to the square to exploit human suffering in order to create certain impressions.”
According to police, the operation of transferring the refugees’ from camps was without incidents and police had to persuade them. However, on Saturday night, tensions were high when police tried to remove the refugees from the square.
Police blamed the activists for the incidents, detained 20 of them, and later placed four under arrest.
Back in the 1950’s, Victoria’s illegal gambling industry was taking off at a time when police around the state were bribed to look the other way.
The same can’t be said for Greek Australian Nick Cecil, 90, who became Victoria’s first undercover police officer, infiltrating illegal bookmaking syndicates while masquerading as a wandering busker.
It was a job Nick actually put his hand up for willingly.
Former Chief Commissioner, Mick Miller, was lecturing new police at the St Kilda Road Depot one day about the difficulties of infiltrating the big clubs that ran huge gambling dens. Following the talk, the brash and bright Nick stepped forward to say: ‘‘I can get in.’’
Former undercover cop Nick Cecil at home. Credit: Joe Armao.
It was not an idle boast. Back then, Victoria Police was filled with taller-than-average men of Australian or British descent, which made Nick an oddity as he was of Greek heritage. His father, Harry, left Greece by sailing ship for Canada but returned to fight for his country in World War I. He eventually settled in Yarraville to run a fish shop.
Nick was immediately seconded to Miller’s squad and sent to the baccarat games posing as a punter mingling with notorious gangsters such as Normie Bradshaw, who remained blissfully unaware their fellow gambler was a policeman.
“I met with one of the guys I knew who was a gambler and we got into the clubs together,” Nick says in the Naked City podcast.
“We did a raid on Bradshaw’s house one day and I went to go out the back door and he said, ‘I’ve got a dog out there. If you shoot it, I’ll shoot you.’ There were some pretty hair-raising raids and interesting innovations that these gamblers would use.”
One such example was when Nick wanted to trace a network of bookies who received their daily odds by telephone from a Flinders Lane pricing agency. Nick took the counting device from a seized pinball machine and connected it to the solenoid in a telephone so that when it was clipped to a phone wire it recorded the numbers as dialed.
‘‘We were able to knock off at least 30 SPs because of that,’’ Nick says.
Later in his career, Nick was seconded to the Homicide Squad to work on ethnic murders, investigated arson and built up an impressive network of informers – one was a Greek man who wouldn’t talk to other police. When asked why, he said: ‘‘Nick, you are Greek. I want to see you kick on.’’
A clear message of support from the Greek community for a Greek Australian who played a vital role in bringing down corruption and crime in Victoria.
His Eminence Archbishop Makarios made a historic visit to Canberra over the weekend, marking the first time in over two decades an Archbishop has served a liturgy in the local St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church.
“If I had known, I would have come from the first Sunday I was here in Australia,” His Eminence said in a speech during the liturgy. “Now that I learnt this, I hastened to come.”
Among the dozens of faithful who attended the church service were the Ambassador of Greece to Australia, Mr George Papacostas, the High Commissioner of Cyprus, Mrs Martha Mavrommatis, and the President of the Greek Community of Canberra, Mr John Loukadellis.
His Eminence Archbishop Makarios held a church service at St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Canberra.
A special luncheon was held at the Hellenic Club after the church service.
Parish priest, Father Petros, was also promoted and recognised by His Eminence during the service as ‘Protopresvytero’ or High Priest.
The historic day was concluded with a luncheon at the Hellenic Club which according to Mr Loukadellis, was a huge success.
“Thank you to everyone who attended and made this such a special day. Thank you to our beloved community for your continued love and support of the Greek Orthodox Community & Church of Canberra committee and our St Nicholas Church,” Mr Loukadellis tells The Greek Herald.
Official opening of the new ‘Meals for the Poor’ initiative in Queanbeyan, Canberra:
The official opening of the new ‘Meals for the Poor’ initiative.
During his visit, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios also visited the town of Queanbeyan and officiated a service at the Greek Orthodox Parish of Saint Dimitrios.
This was followed by the official opening of the new ‘Meals for the Poor’ initiative, which aims to support those most in need in the local community.
His Eminence urged the faithful to embrace this new charitable effort of the Church.
Services and support for tenants in the two public housing estates under lockdown in Victoria is ramping up, with thousands of meals, supplies and personal care packs delivered in the past 24 hours.
Among those offering help is CEO of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC), Kon Karapanagiotidis, who announced the Centre has partnered with Victorian Trades Hall Council to provide food for the families in lockdown.
“Our Catering Social Enterprise, ASRC Catering, will deliver thousands of meals as part of the Moving Feast network emergency response to this crisis…” Kon said in a Facebook post.
“It will be refugees we employ at the ASRC, through our Catering Social Enterprise, that will be making meals for people in the public housing towers, many who are refugees too. Food that is culturally inclusive, appropriate & nutritious, as these communities deserve.”
Last night 500 packs of essential supplies and over 3,000 meals were delivered to residents. Many thousands more will be delivered today and tomorrow with the help of ASRC.
UPDATE
Here’s an update from @ASRC1 Catering kitchen in Fitzroy North of how we are supporting the families in public housing towers & how you can help. These families are our neighbours, part of our community, they are us and we are them. pic.twitter.com/tDYsXYuGIJ
“We have our first delivery at 8am tomorrow. Right now our chefs are making a beautiful Malay, yellow vegetarian curry,” Kon said on Twitter.
“We, like you, are really worried about the families there and we’re trying to do our little bit to make this lockdown a little less traumatic for people.”
According to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, a dedicated 1800 number has also been set up and every tenant is being contacted to check in and assess their needs.
“We know this is tough on our public housing residents and that’s why we’re doing everything we can to provide support – whether that’s food, mental health support or just help paying the bills,” the Premier said at a press conference today.
So far 398 residents have been tested across the two estates, with testing to continue to be a priority over the next few days.
The Greek Community of Melbourne has launched an online course, ‘Modern Greek for Late Beginners,’ for students aged 10-18 who want to start learning Greek at a later stage in their life.
Running every Wednesday for ten weeks from July 15, 2020, the online course will provide students with the opportunity to develop their communication skills in Modern Greek, and their knowledge and understanding of the Greek language and culture.
“This elementary level will introduce the Greek alphabet, greetings and introductions, and how to describe various daily activities,” a GOCM statement reads.
Further outcomes at the end of the course include: being able to identify and use numbers and concepts of time, ask for and give directions, and identify specific grammatical expressions.
No prior knowledge of Greek is required. To attend the online sessions all you need is a link provided via email, a device with internet connection and a webcam.
Classes will be limited to 10 students and will run for 2 hours every week. Cost is $250. To enrol click here.
An Olympic Airways museum will be built inside the site of the former Athens airport at Hellinikon, housed inside the airline hangar, as part of an 8 billion euro development project.
Bulldozers have already started demolishing the airport buildings and structures inside the 2 million square metre lot that used to be the capital’s seaside airport.
The Olympic Airways hangar was saved from demolition thanks to the efforts of the Olympic Airways Aviation Employees Cultural Center, as it was named a cultural heritage monument by the Ministry of Culture.
An Olympic Airways museum will be built inside the site of the former Athens airport at Hellinikon.
The building will be housing 80 years of civil aviation history and the history of the emblematic airline that was owned by Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis.
There are about 23,000 historical objects that have been collected throughout the life of the former Athens airport at Ellinikon and they will be exhibited in the museum, with the vast majority of them belonging to Olympic Airways.
Artifacts in the museum will include old flight information boards.
Artifacts range from flying attendant uniforms to expensive silverware that was used to serve passengers, and old flight information boards to cockpit indicators that pilots and support staff used.
The flight attendant and pilot uniforms were creations of the greatest fashion designers of each era, such as Jean Dessès, Coco Chanel, Pierre Cardin, Giannis Tseklenis and others.
Along with them, the priceless gold-embossed desk of Aristotle Onassis, as well as that of his son Alexander, will also be exhibited.
The father of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has defended his decision to fly to Greece via Bulgaria in order to “COVID-proof” his property there before he potentially rents it out.
With a towel draped over his shoulder, Stanley Johnson told reporters outside his villa on Mount Pelion that he wasn’t “100% up to speed” with the British public’s reaction since he went to Greece for “a quiet time, to organise the house.”
“I’ve just got one week to get everything organised. I’ve got a whole lot of instructions about how to make the place COVID-proof,” Mr Johnson added, noting he planned to return to the UK on July 10.
The trip has met with criticism for having violated, at the very least, the spirit of Greece’s coronavirus restrictions as well as the current travel guidance in the UK.
The Greek government, which has been lauded for the country’s comparatively low number of confirmed coronavirus cases and eager to salvage the summer tourist season, extended its ban on flights from the UK until July 15 amid concerns over Britain’s still-high infection rates.
Many also think that the elder Johnson’s trip to Greece via the Bulgarian capital of Sofia went against the overarching advice of Britain’s Foreign Office, which currently recommends avoiding ”all but essential” travel.
“All I can say is that it’s always a great joy to me, it’s such a great joy to me to arrive in Greece,” Mr Johnson concluded.
