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Greek language to be taught at Hungarian Military University
Budapest | | Greece as the foundation of Western culture and Aristotle as the father and forerunner of European philosophy and science, as well as the educator to Alexander the Great, were belauded by the Hungarian under-secretary of state, Ms. Αgnes Vadai in her speech at the inauguration of the Greek language school at the National Defence University in Budapest. At this school, the classrooms of which bear the name “Aristotle”, beginning in January Hungarian officers will study, and after a two-year course in the Greek language will be able to attend retraining courses at the respective military schools in Greece, within the framework of the bilateral Greek-Hungarian military cooperation. As was stressed by Ms. Vadai at the inauguration ceremony, the establishment of the school is the result of the cooperation between the Hungarian and Greek defence ministries, the Greek-Hungarian Higher Military Committee and the Language Institute of the National Defence University of Budapest. The Hungarian under-secretary of state expressed the hope that the Greek-Hungarian cooperation will be continued on a long-term basis and that the new School, besides the familiarization with the Greek language, will provide Hungarian students with an opportunity to access Greek history and culture. From his side, the head of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff delegation and Head of the International Relations Department, brigadier Andreas Vlanos, mentioned that Greece and Hungary are maintaining “exemplary relations” on a general level, and especially between National Defence Ministries, which shall be kept up in the future. Thereafter the Greek orthodox vicar Jσzsef Kalota blessed the newly opened classrooms, conveying also the benediction of Michael, the Metropolite of Austria and Exarch of Hungary and Central Europe, regarding the School’s work. The inauguration was attended, amongst others, by Jαnos Szabσ, the Dean of the National Defence University, and Major General Istvαn Juhαsz, Head of Operations and Training Department of the Hungarian MoD, as well as from the Greek side, the Envoy of the Hellenic Republic in Budapest Ioannis Stamatekos, the Defence Attachι at the Embassy of the Hellenic Republic, Colonel Alexandros Desypris, and the leadership of Greek community associations and institutes in Hungary. |
| Restoration of Greek historic graves in Hungary
Budapest | | The glorious history of Hellenism in Hungary and the centuries-old Greek-orthodox presence in this country, were revived in the memory of those attending the ceremony at Fiumei cemetery in Budapest, on the occasion of unveiling a special commemorative plaque about the restoration of eighteen historic Greek graves. These are graves of the 18th and 19th century, belonging to Greek merchants, founders of the historic “Orthodox Hungarian Church Community of Budapest founded by the Greeks”, in 1792, which was forcibly repealed in 1952 and was re-established two years ago. The restoration of the graves took place on the initiative of the “Macedonian Intercultural Association”, with the financial aid of the Greek foreign affairs ministry and various sponsors. The unveiling of the commemorative plaque was carried out by the Greek envoy in Budapest, Ioannis Stamatekos and Michael, the Greek-orthodox Metropolite of Austria and Exarch of Hungary and Central Europe, who earlier celebrated a trisagio (Sanctus) in memory of the Greeks buried there. Vasilios Stamatopoulos, secretary general of the Macedonian Intercultural Society and Metropolite Michael spoke about the restoration and history of the Greek graves of the 18th and 19th century. The ceremony was attended, amongst others, by Mr. Spyros Agardi, president of the Self-Government of the Greek minority of Budapest, Mr. Dimitris Ladas, the president of the Macedonian Intercultural Association, Mr. Ioannis Papastoitsis, representative of the mayor of the city of Giannitsa and of the Greek-German Friendship Association, as well as by delegations of Greek Self-Government and Greek communities in Hungary. The unveiling of the commemorative plaque about the restoration of the Greek graves is also connected to the great exhibition "Greek Heritage in Hungary - Greek orthodox Diaspora in Hungary during the 17-19th century” in the famous Budapest History Museum, which operated under the auspices of His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Mr. Bartholomew and which after many months, ended recently. The exhibition presented the uphill journey of the Greeks who started from the region of Macedonia and tried to bring out their historic presence in Buddha, Pest and other cities and regions of Hungary, as well as their contribution to the arts and letters, as well as to culture, trade and politics. The exhibition with hundreds of historic exhibits, mostly sacred artefacts that were presented for the first time to the public, was organized by the “Orthodox Hungarian Church Community of Budapest founded by the Greeks”. The Cultural Award and Acknowledgement Diploma will be awarded to the “Community” for “its exceptional contribution to the preservation and dissemination of the cultural and religious heritage of the Greek National Minority in Hungary”. |
| International award for best film goes to students of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki | | A valuable commodity - a bottle of water - is kept in a suitcase, which is claimed by many. Its transport is causing a series of killings of those who bear it, before reaching its final receiver. This idea comprises the plot of a one minute film by two students at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, which has won the award for the best film at the international competition for the environment “One minute to save the world” that was held in London. They are cinematography department students Stelios Alexandrakis and Menelaos Pamboukidis, who participated with the film “World War III”. The film was selected among 210 other films from countries and regions that have been affected by environmental disasters. “Water shortage will cause conflict and fighting between peoples in the future. The bottle of water in the film is used with a pinch of irony, in order to accentuate its value, while people of different nations are involved in the killings, which shows the dimension of the problem” said Stelios Alexandrakis. |
| "The beautiful Greeks of Vancouver"
Vancouver | | Small, touching human stories make up the course of the Greek community in Vancouver, one of the most historic communities in Canada, which was founded in 1927. In our meetings with Greek immigrants in the model Community Centre after Sunday service at the magnificent church of St. George in Kitsilano, stories of yesterday are causing an emotional impact and are blending into dozens of questions from our immigrant friends, as they wish to have … firsthand news from the old country. The older ones are confessing to us that originally they planned to stay only for a while, as every Greek immigrant leaving from his country believed, and that they did not expect to grow old there in the end. Yet, this beautiful place became their second home, while their children and grandchildren, for whom they arranged to receive a good education, are fully integrated in the local community. Greece, again, is always on everybody’s lips and in their hearts, even those of foreigners who are married to our fellow countrypeople. Out of 100 marriages 70 are mixed ones, we are being told by father Demetrios, who is serving for 35 years now at the St. George church, one of the three Greek churches in Vancouver. Maybe that is why part of the service is held in English. The figs that are offered to us by the 83-year old Georgios Salatelas from Mytilene, sweeten us up, together with the words of a bevy of Greek women, which monopolizes our attention. Ellie and Garyfallia from Thessaloniki, Christina from Crete and other ladies are talking to us about their first difficult years, which fortunately have passed, as well as about their anxiety for their children and grandchildren whom they wanted to walk on "Greek paths". Besides, this is an issue that worries all Diaspora Greeks, who managed to raise worthy progeny, tells us Mr. Tsakoumis, ex president of the Community. His father and grandfather, from Nafpaktos, both merchants by profession, went for the first time in 1898 to Vancouver. He himself is one of the most prominent pioneers of the community, having worked for 30 years with the Archbishop Iakovos of blessed memory, while his wife Frosso was the first to teach Greek at the end of the 1950s. “We are no different than other Greeks. We too are carrying all good and bad things from home with us” Mr. Tsakoumis told the ANA-MPA magazine “Hellenic Diaspora”. “But we have taken care for our children to retain their Hellenism and our religion, which is a key factor”, he says. A new face at the “helm” of the Community, only 35 years old and a lawyer by profession, has taken five years ago the reigns of the Greek community of Vancouver. Although born in Canada with roots in Sofiko of Corinthia, Panagiotis Kletas has an excellent command of the Greek language, as do all our young Greek immigrants whom we have met, for that. An invaluable associate is his life partner Victoria, who has newly arrived from Greece. Mr. Kletas talks to us about the Community with dedication and respect for all those who have worked arduously, in order to make it the connecting link of all Greek immigrants. "Greece is always here, exactly like the first Greeks who have laid the foundations of our Community in 1927, built it. Besides, the programs that we are organizing are prepared to this end” says Mr. Kletas. "In the evening hours, except on Sundays, classes of Greek school are held, from elementary to high school, where eight Greek immigrant teachers are teaching Greek, history and geography of Greece to about 200 children. We are proud about the Greek-language day nursery that is operating during the last years within the facilities of our Community", he adds. Very popular are also the Greek folk dance classes, a talent hotbed for the three folk dance groups (children, juvenile and grownups), as well as the sports’ programs. Suffice it to say that in the larger Vancouver area there are 10 Greek football (soccer) teams. Also very successful are cooking, sculpting and painting classes. The Community has also his own webpage. In the facilities of the Community, all events organized by national-local associations are held, which, however, are gradually declining. Very strong is the Charity, which, amongst other things, offers every year 10,000 Euros to the local Disability Foundation. For 32 years now the Community organizes every October a Greek Festival, a subject that concerns all of us. Young and old are offering their services voluntarily, to prepare exquisite Greek dishes, which can be tasted for one week by more than 200,000 visitors. |
| Greek lawyer among world’s top 20
London | | He has handled dozens of cases of great athletes before the courts, by “knocking out” their opponents. As a lawyer he is engaging in… competitive sports, raising the standards as he moves on, while as an academic he is defending the value of specialization in a special legal field, that is, Sports Law. Before even turning 40, the Greek Lawyer and Lecturer of Sports Law at the University of Buckingham, Gregory Ioannidis, was voted by the prestigious British journal “Sports Business International” as one of the 20 top lawyers in the planet, who specialize in sports law. “It is a very important acknowledgment because it is a very well known and respectable journal. It is also important to note that there are many important names on the same list, such as Marc Grey (IAAF Lawyer in the Case for Kenteris-Thanou)” said Gregory Ioannidis. With PhD studies on the criminalisation of doping in sports and the application of penalties to doping offences, Gregory Ioannides, who is living and working permanently in Great Britain, he found himself at the focus of public interest, a few years ago, when he was asked to handle the case of Greek Olympic champions Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou, which he was able to bring to a definite “closure”, by successfully negotiating a settlement with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). He was only 19 years old when he went to Great Britain for the first time to study law, which he was very fond of. He completed his studies in law science in Manchester and subsequently earned an additional degree in business management, at Southampton. He “discovered” sports law and his interest for it a little later, within the frame of his postgraduate studies and in the following he further deepened his knowledge on this specific subject by earning a respective PhD. Besides, he is an advocate of specialization, holding in general that “there is a need for greater specialization, not only in the area of sports law, but in every representation on any matter, be it athletic or criminal”. He returned for a short time to Greece in order to complete his legal traineeship (rem. He is a member of the Thessaloniki bar association), but eventually the many opportunities that arose in England, as well as significant perspectives for research that this country is offering, made him decode to return and “set up” his life there. Besides the Olympic champions Kenteris and Thanou, Gregory Ioannides in his ten-year career has represented famous athletes, within as well as outside the sports boundaries, like the footballer (soccer player) Rio Ferdinand. We are asking him if he would consider returning to Greece and engaging here in Sports Law, a field that is not especially developed in our country. As he says, people that engage in analyzing the theory of this specific topic can be counted on “the fingers of one hand”. "If then conditions are right I could return. Besides I work for a legal firm (rem. the firm of Christodoulos Vassiliades), which is based in Cyprus and has branches throughout Europe. Our branch for Greek athletes is in Athens. I am dealing with Greece very often, but I do not see a permanent return at the moment", he tells us. Gregory Ioannides is one of the most brilliant scientific minds of our country, who are excelling abroad and the most important thing is that, despite his young age, he has already managed to win the respect of his colleagues and a broad recognisability abroad.
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| | Translated by Christos Tonios | | News File >> |
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