Greek Community of Alexandria

Author: Athanasios Koutoupas

  • Greece began schooling migrant children

    Greece began schooling migrant children

    ΕκπαίδευσηGreece began schooling some 1,500 children of refugees stuck in the country on October 10.

    “Schooling refugee children falls under Greece’s international obligations,” Education Minister Nikos Filis told a news conference.

    Afternoon classes will be held in 20 schools in greater Athens, Thessaloniki and other parts of the country, the ministry said.

    But after two schools in northern Greece last month expressed opposition to the project, officials said only vaccinated refugee children will be allowed to participate.

    “The gradual operation of other areas will follow the progress of the vaccination drive,” said ministry general secretary Yiannis Pantis, according to state agency ANA.

    The Greek government had initially said it would enrol some 18,000 migrant children in schools from the end of September.

    But last month parents in Oreokastro, a district near Thessaloniki, said they would not allow refugee children in their schools for health reasons, a stance condemned by the government.

    Over 60,000 refugees and migrants are currently stuck in Greece after several European states further north shut their borders earlier this year.

    This includes thousands of Syrians fleeing civil war, who are waiting for asylum approval or relocation elsewhere in the European Union.

    But the procedure has been held up by the reluctance of many EU states to accept Muslim refugees after a spate of jihadist attacks in Belgium, France and Germany this year.

    (www.ekathimerini.com)

  • Alexandria Film Festival for Mediterranean Countries: remembering late directors, honouring young talents

    Alexandria Film Festival for Mediterranean Countries: remembering late directors, honouring young talents

    ΠολιτισμόςWith the background of Alexandria’s charming light September breeze and sea scenery, the Alexandria Film Festival for Mediterranean Countries began in its 32nd edition.  The festival, which took place between 21 to 27 September, highlights and celebrates individual and short films from 29 Mediterranean counties. It also honours their directors for their additions to cinema.

    With the participation of international celebrities and public figures, the festival launched its competitions for long films as well as individual short films and documentaries. The festival screens  around a hundred films from foreign countries, including Spain, France, Russia, the US, and Greece, as well as Arab countries like Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Algeria, and Yemen.

    The festival also celebrates Bibliotheca Alexandrina for 120 years since its first screening.

    Egyptian documentaries Gamila and Ah had strong showings in the festival’s film competition, while Imanwel is fighting for the top prize in the documentary’s competitions. Despite a bloody civil war that has ravaged the country for more than five years, Syria participated with several films this round, showcasing unique talents despite years of suffering. With Faneya w Tatagadad(Perishable and Reviving), Soreyon (Syrians), Iqonet Farah (Happiness Icon), Syrian directors are fiercely competing for first prize in the documentary section.

    In the short film competition, 13 films from different regions fight for the first award. This includes the Egyptian film Arzaa (Sustenance’s), the Palestinian films Hala Tare’aa (An Emergency Case) and Gomaa Sawda (Black Friday), as well as Man Ana (Who Am I) from Oman.

    The festival also honours prominent Arab directors, including the late director Youssef Sahahin as well as Egyptian director Mohammed Rady, Syrian director Abdel Latif Abdel Hamed, Algerian director Merzaq Melaash and Moroccan director Hakem Bel Abas .

    The festival also witnessed the screening of a documentary about the lifetime journey of famous Syrian actor Sured Laham, which was directed by Egypt’s Magy Anwar, who travelled to a war zone in Syria just to shoot the film.

    (www.dailynewsegypt.com)

  • 111% increase in Egyptian exports to Cyprus: Trade Minister

    111% increase in Egyptian exports to Cyprus: Trade Minister

    ΠολιτικήMinister of Industry and Trade Tarek Kabil received a report from the Egyptian Commercial Office in Cyprus (ECOC) on the development of trade relations between Egypt and Cyprus in the first half of 2016.

    Egyptian exports to markets in Cyprus increased by 111%, from €9m in 2015 to €19m in 2016.

    On the other hand, imports to Egypt from Cyprus saw “a noticeable decline to €6m in comparison to €28.5m in the same period in 2015”. Consequently, Kabil added, the balance of trade with Cyprus, has reached a surplus of €13m for Egypt.

    Egypt’s most important exports to Cyprus were raw salt, natural sand, stones and goods made of stones, marble and ceramic tableware, foil paper and tableware made from aluminium, cables, tobacco, cigars, chemicals, organic solvents, and fresh fruit and vegetables, the release said.

    Fifteen representatives from Cyprus—government officials, cruise ship or air charter companies—have been able to conduct, or will conduct, visits Egypt thanks to the efforts of the ECOC.

    There are visits planned for October, during which the representatives will hold talks with their counterparts from the Egyptian Tourism Association to activate bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the tourism sector, in preparation for more inclusive cooperation with Middle East nations, the report said.

    During an ECOC meeting, it was also announced that two Cypriot companies will organise cruises to eastern Mediterranean ports, including Egypt, the release said.

    These indicators are a positive sign for trade and economic relationships between the two countries, which comes at a very important time before the scheduled tri-presidential meeting in October between Egypt, Cyprus and Greece, Kabil said.

    (www.dailynewsegypt.com)

  • International conference on latest evidence concerning the Parthenon Marbles this weekend in Athens

    International conference on latest evidence concerning the Parthenon Marbles this weekend in Athens

    ΠολιτισμόςAn international conference entltled “The Parthenon Marbles: 200 years since their expropriation by the British Musem” will be held at the Acropolis Museum in Athens on Saturday and Sunday, with the participation of distinguished Greek and foreign archaeologists, antiquities restorers and legal experts. The conference is organised by the “Athenians’ Society” and is taking place under the aegis of Hellenic Republic President Prokopis Pavlopoulos.
    It will review the results of the latest research and recent developments concerning the Parthenon Marbles, while it will also bring together for the first time in two decades the representatives of the 14 national committees campaigning for the return of the sculptures to Greece. There will also be elections to renew the operation of International Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures (IARPS).
    The new evidence to be presented includes material found in the archives of Lord Elgin concerning the way the sculptures were removed from the Parthenon, the architectural elements that are in the British Museum and the problems in their replacement, the Mentor shipwreck and evidence from Ottoman archives in Istanbul. There will also be a discussion on legal aspects of the case.
    The results of the conference will be published and made available to academics, while the programme and audiovisual recordings of the speeches will be available through the Athenians’ Society website http://www.syllogostonathinaion.gr/

    (www.amna.gr)