The Independent Member for Wagga Wagga, Dr Joe McGirr MP, presented on Wednesday a Notice of Motion in the Legislative Assembly of the NSW Parliament.
In the motion, Dr McGirr acknowledges that December 9, 2023, marks the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
Dr McGirr also honours the primary initiator of the Convention, Dr Raphael Lemkin, influenced by his studies of the Armenian Genocide and the Jewish Holocaust.
As part of his motion, Dr McGirr then urged the NSW Government to expand secondary school Holocaust education to encompass Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek Genocides, and establish a museum to create awareness about these genocides.
British Museum Chair George Osborne emphasised today that the ongoing diplomatic spat between British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak and Greece’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis would not derail long-running negotiations regarding the future of the Parthenon Marbles.
“To my mind as chair of the British Museum it is all the more reason to press on with our efforts to try and reach an agreement with the Greeks,” Osborne said of the diplomatic spat.
According to Politico, Osborne, a senior Conservative-turned-British Museum Chair, claimed that Sunak’s controversial bilateral meeting cancellation a few days ago was inspired more by Mitsotakis’ meeting with the British Labor Leader than the integrity of the Parthenon Marbles.
British Museum Chair says UK Prime Minister will not derail Parthenon Marbles deal.
“It’s because he had met [Labour leader] Keir Starmer the day before,” Osborne said.
Osborne further claimed that Sunak had sought to score “cheap points” over the Parthenon Marbles, motivated by resentment at authority “draining away” from No. 10 Downing Street as Labor leads in the UK polls.
The British Museum has been exploring a deal whereby the Parthenon Marbles spend part of their time in Athens and part of their time in London, with Greek treasures going to the UK museum in return.
The Board of Directors of the Greek Orthodox Community of New South Wales (GOCNSW) has issued a statement today expressing solidarity with the people of Palestine and calling for an end to the Israeli occupation and for the immediate entry of humanitarian aid.
In the statement, the GOCNSW Board said “Israel’s response to the reprehensible Hamas attack is disproportionate to the measures that should be taken.”
“The Israeli response has left thousands of civilians dead and thousands wounded from the constant bombardment,” the statement reads.
“The ongoing destruction of the hospital facilities of roads, bridges, power stations and mobile hospital units in the Gaza Strip can only be interpreted as an act of revenge that will only serve to further increase resentment towards the State of Israel by the Arab and international communities.”
The Greek Orthodox Community of NSW has expressed solidarity with Palestinians.
The GOCNSW Board added that “Israel’s actions combined with the clear indifference of the United States risk plunging the entire region into long-term instability with the cost in human lives spiralling out of control.”
“The GOCNSW believes it is abundantly clear that the bombing of buildings within residential areas is morally reprehensible and in violation of the Geneva Conventions which set out the Rules of Engagement,” the statement reads.
“Such actions, supported by the United States, are harmful to already strained relations and push the peace process further into disrepute.”
On the issue of an independent Palestinian state, the GOCNSW said it believes in its creation. They also called for “the return of refugees to their homes in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions, as well as the release of all prisoners on both sides.”
“Israeli and Palestinian people can live side by side in peace and prosperity, each in their own homeland,” the Board said.
The statement ends with the GOCNSW Board condemning “any incitement of racial hatred and anti-Semitism against Israelis or Palestinians.”
Coming in at fifth position, Athens has been recognised in Time Out’s list for best cities in the world for culture in 2023.
To determine the results, a survey was conducted where 21,000 city dwellers across the globe were asked about the quality and affordability of their city’s cultural scene.
Grace Beard, Travel Editor of Time Out said, that the most essential factors that helped make the final decision was how the locals rated the cultural scene and how affordable it was for people.
Part of Athens cultural scene includes the Acropolis Museum. Photo: Why Athens.
In 2023, Athens was recognised for its noteworthy Acropolis and museums which many locals have acknowledged as their favourite cultural venue in the city.
As many of the city dwellers mentioned, Athens is the global center for the arts and is proving to be an area gripped by its own history.
Internationally acclaimed and widely translated Greek author Vassilis Vassilikos died on Thursday at the age of 90.
According to Amna.gr, the award-winning Vassilikos was one of Greece’s most prolific authors, who graced his audiences with over 100 works of published literature, including novels, dramas, and poetry.
He was also a former MP and Ambassador of Greece to UNESCO.
Following his exile from Greece after the military junta takeover in 1967, Vassilikos mainly lived abroad until 1994, aside from the years between 1981-1984 when he returned to Greece to become the director of public broadcaster – ERT.
‘Z’ in film.
Vassilikos was best known for his political novel ‘Z’, which was translated into 32 languages and also later adapted to film, directed by Costas-Gavras.
Vassilikos is survived by his wife, Greek soprano, Vaso Papantoniou, and their daughter.
Greece’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has declared that Greeks residing overseas, who are registered to vote in Greece, will be able to vote by mail in next year’s elections for the European Parliament.
Mitsotakis said postal voting would also be used in the next general elections irrespective of whether voters are in Greece or abroad.
According to Ekathimerini, Mitsotakis announced the historic shift in a cabinet meeting on Thursday, stating that postal voting is a “brave institutional reform” that follows his government’s effort in 2021 to allow diaspora voters to vote without having to fly to Greece.
Μετά την περαιτέρω διευκόλυνση της ψήφου των αποδήμων το 2019, αλλά και την άρση πρακτικά κάθε εμποδίου γι’ αυτήν πριν λίγους μήνες, κάνουμε ακόμα ένα πολύ σημαντικό βήμα. Καθιερώνουμε, για όποιον το επιθυμεί, εντός και εκτός Ελλάδας, την επιστολική ψήφο στις Ευρωεκλογές. pic.twitter.com/RYcPeK1xH7
“Today we take another important step. We are establishing postal voting for anyone who wishes inside and outside Greece,” Mitsotakis said at the start of a cabinet meeting.
Mitsotakis further stated that the present government will not split the country into constituencies, as it had explored in recent months, continuing an approach that had been practiced since 1981.
Fourteen students from the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) schools were honoured among the 50 participants at the achievement ceremony for the Certificate of Attainment in Greek, held at the Consulate of Greece in Melbourne.
The GCM schools aimed to encourage more students to participate by offering scholarships, covering the cost of exams, and providing free preparatory lessons.
The Principal of the GCM schools, Maria Bakalidou, stated, “In our effort to instil the value and benefits of bilingualism in students growing up in an English-speaking environment, the Certificate of Attainment in Greek can serve as an incentive for Greek language proficiency.”
The only C2 level certificate, representing the highest examination goal, was awarded to Artemis Galazoula, a student of the GCM schools.
14 GCM students were awarded. Photo: Supplied.
The GCM Head of Educational Programs, Dr Nick Dallas, said, “We hope that our strong participation and presence will encourage even more students in the upcoming years. Our main goal is to highlight, promote, and preserve the Greek language and culture.”
The participation of two adult students from the GCM schools was touching as they received the A1 Certificate of Attainment in Greek.
Marie Vilasha Christelle Sangeeleemootoo from Mauritius stated that her fascination with Greek mythology since her teenage years led her to learn the Greek language.
The Certificate of Attainment in Greek can serve as an incentive for Greek language proficiency. Photo: Supplied.
The contribution of GCM teacher Eleni Dimitriou was also vital as, in a very short period, she effectively prepared the participating students.
“We are proud of all our students for the dedication they showed, the effort they exerted, and the time they devoted to achieving their goal. Our students who excelled this year highlighted their linguistic proficiency, reflecting the high quality of our educational programs,” Ms Dimitriou said.
The GCM schools will continue to offer a series of preparatory courses for the Certificate of Attainment in Greek. For registrations, please visit the website: www.greekcommunity.com.au/schools.
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Food For Thought Network (FFTN) took place on Sunday, November 26 on Zoom.
Vice Chair of the FFTN, Maria Makris, served as emcee on the night, and the Network’s Treasurer Georgia Pernitzis presented the 2023 financial statement.
The Founder and Chair of the FFTN, Varvara Athanasiou-Ioannou, provided a recap of the Network’s events in 2023 and its successes to date including last year’s AGM speaker, family day picnic, International Women’s Day event in collaboration with PRONIA and The Elderly Citizens Club of Doncaster, Women’s Health Seminar, Brain Health Seminar, and the Intergenerational Workshop in partnership with PRONIA.
These events were all offered free of charge thanks to the collaborators who covered the catering expenses.
Ms Athanasiou-Ioannou talked about the FFTN’s long term project, ‘The Unsung Heroines oral history project,’ and the challenges in finding a place to house the eleven interviews already collected by the two passionate interviewers Georgia Pernitzis and Helena Kidd.
Angelica Panopoulos spoke at the event. Photo: Supplied.
She also focused her presentation on the forthcoming Inaugural Women’s Conference.
“The book Her Voice: Greek Women and Their Friends and the private Facebook platform “Greek Women and Their Friends Global Forum,” have had global appeal and encouraged FFTN to take the next step in organising the Inaugural Global Women and Hellenism Conference: Connecting and Empowering Greek Women Globally, scheduled for September 2-6, 2024, in Ioannina, Greece,” Ms Athanasiou-Ioannou said.
“The Conference willfocus on Representations of Hellenism, multifaceted identity of Greek women today, and Sustainability of Hellenism.”
A very ambitious project, Ms Athanasiou-Ioannou said, providing further details about the conference, thanking all the key stake holders whom she met in Greece, her team and the Greek media for their continuous support over the last 22 years.
At the AGM, FFTN also welcomed three new Board Members: Maria Kampyli, Dorothy Hatzopoulou, and Christina Roma. All modern Greek women who migrated to Australia during the economic crisis.
The highlight of the AGM was the guest speaker, Dean Kotsianis, introduced by Professor Vasso Apostolopoulos, the patron of FFTN, who shared a brief chronology of his journey in the community.
Dean Kotsianis. Photo: Supplied.
Dean noted his parents’ migration to Melbourne, primary school in Yarraville, playing soccer at Yarraville Glory, and his first visit to Greece. He briefed the audience on his high school years where he was introduced to leadership, which continued at the University of Melbourne Greek Club.
Dean created the Greek Youth Generator which has contributed to Greek cultural events, is part of a mentoring program with HACCI, and creates community projects such as murals in Yarraville and Footscray.
He emphasised the importance of perseverance, turning ideas into reality, and finding magic in life. Dean has played a significant role in preserving Greek heritage and culture for future generations.
Deoni Kladis. Photo: Supplied.
Deoni Kladis, Secretary of GYG, supported Dean, providing insights into GYG events and their vision for their next 5-10 years.
Additionally, Councillor Angelica Panopoulos, former mayor of Merri-Bek Council, responded to and commented on Dean’s presentation in addition to her perspectives on the next generation Greeks in Melbourne.
Those interested in finding out more about FFTN, can visit their website www.fftn.org.au
The Vice President of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas made a visit to Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) on Wednesday, November 29.
Mr Schinas visited the Hellenic Club of Canberra at Woden during his trip and met with a number of Greek and Cypriot diplomats as well as prominent leaders of Canberra’s Greek community.
Present were the Ambassador of Greece to Australia, George Papacostas; the High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus in Australia, Antonis Sammoutis; the Deputy Head of the Mission for Cyprus, Stavros Nicolaou; Ambassador of the European Union, Gabriele Visentin; Defence Attache of Greece, Colonel Ioannis Fasianos; President of the Greek Orthodox Community and Church of Canberra (GOCCC), Pana Tsironis; and Director of the Hellenic Club, John Loukadellis.
On the day, Mr Loukadellis gave Mr Schinas a tour of the Hellenic Club and discussed the future vision of the club and community. The pair also discussed the local Greek community and work done by the GOCCC to maintain the Greek language and Hellenism within Canberra and Australia.
(L-R) Pana Tsironis, Margaritis Schinas and John Loukadellis.
For his part, Mr Schinas said he has met many Greeks around the world, but he was very impressed by what he saw in Canberra.
Mr Schinas also acknowledged that Canberra’s Greek community has many young members, which means they will be flying the Greek flag up high for many years to come.
After his trip to the ACT where he also met with members of the Australian government and EU representatives, Mr Schinas will next travel to Sydney to speak with members of the Greek diaspora.
His first stop in Melbourne saw him attend an event at the Hellenic Museum and visit the Greek Centre, where he met with the President of the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM), Bill Papastergiadis OAM, and members of the Board.
The NSW Faith Affairs Council held its first full meeting on Wednesday, November 29 at NSW Parliament House. The meeting was also attended by the NSW Minister for Multiculturalism Steve Kamper.
Members unanimously elected the first Chair of the NSW Faith Affairs Council, the Right Reverend Dr Michael Stead.
Dr Stead has been the Bishop of South Sydney, Anglican Church Sydney Diocese, since 2015. He is also Chair of many committees and subcommittees in General Synod and Sydney Diocese, including the Religious Freedom Reference Group.
The Minister addressed the NSW Faith Affairs Council on the need for interfaith harmony and collaboration to deal with heightened community tensions resulting from overseas conflict.
“Today was a momentous occasion. To see representatives from across the faith spectrum come together to discuss common issues and to work on a way forward was a unifying moment,” Minister Kamper.
“I commend the Faith Affairs Council members for their commitment to interfaith harmony, and I look forward to working with them through the challenging issues facing our multifaith and multicultural communities.”
The first act of the Council was to pass an historic ‘Interfaith Resolution’ to help NSW faith communities navigate through the current difficult times:
Interfaith Resolution
Minister Steve Kamper addressed the NSW Faith Affairs Council on the need for interfaith harmony .
New South Wales is proudly multifaith and multicultural. We acknowledge the oldest continuous living culture on Earth.
We come from 300 ancestries, speak 280 languages and practise 130 religions.
We value the freedom to express our views and practice our beliefs.
Whether it is private or public, in celebration or in protest, we understand our actions must align with our commitment to mutual respect and social cohesion.
The faith communities of New South Wales have consistently demonstrated our ability to engage and coexist in harmony.
We recognise many of us maintain deep connections with other countries through family, heritage, or shared beliefs.
This means our perspectives will often contrast sharply, but this only strengthens our desire to understand one another better.
We unequivocally reject speech, violence and actions which incite hatred towards others.
We affirm our belief in diversity as a great strength of our State. We affirm the right to disagree with one another in a way that is respectful and compassionate.
We ask all the people of our State – whether they have faith or not – to keep NSW a peaceful and welcoming home for all.
We, the NSW Faith Affairs Council, commit ourselves to interfaith collaboration and ongoing cooperation for the betterment of our communities and New South Wales.
The members also agreed on the Terms of Reference and the Code of Conduct for the council. Following this, the council then proceeded to discuss matters of council business.
This included providing proposed solutions and advice, pertaining to:
Establishing multifaith prayer rooms in Government hospitals and other buildings.
Government chaplaincy programs in hospitals, schools and corrective facilities.
Issues relating to religious bullying in schools.
Support for and defence of multiculturalism and multifaith communities.
Communications and relationship with the NSW Police Force.
These motions will be provided to relevant stakeholders as advice from the NSW Faith Affairs Council.
