Category: GREECE

News about Greece

Seven Network Finally Apologizes for Saying FYROM is Home of Alexander the Great and King Philip II

After much protest and demands for a retract, Seven Network has finally offered an apology for their presenters referring to FYROM as the home of Alexander the Great and King Philip II during the 2016 Rio Olympics opening ceremony.

Following an outpour of major Greek organizations condemning the blunder over the past several weeks, Kerry Stokes AC, Seven Network Chairman, finally responded to the issue in a letter addressed to the Greek Embassy in Australia.

“Greece can proudly claim Alexander the Great as one of their own. We apologize. It was not our network’s intention to disappoint our viewers. I do hope you will accept our sincere apologies for the miscommunication,” Stokes said.

However, the blunder of the network stating that King Phillip II of Macedonia is FYROM’s first Olympian champion touched the Greek community of Australia profoundly. Both the Greek Community of Melbourne and the Pan-Macedonian Association sent letters to the network nearly one month ago.

“To simply say in a throw-away line that FYROM’s first gold medal at the games was won by King Philip of Macedon (Alexander the Great’s Father) is wrong on so many levels and offensive to every Hellene and philhellene who knows their history and understands the importance of identity and cultural lineage,” read the letter sent to Kerry Stokes by GCM President, Bill Papastergiadis.

The apology from the network did not offer an explanation as to how the incorrect information came to be a part of the announcer’s script, nor did it offer an explanation as to why the NBC Universal network in the USA made the same blunder.

Thus far, NBC has not reacted to the outcry of Greek communities, including Members of Congress Gus Bilirakis and Carolyn Maloney who wrote a letter to Stephen Burke, the CEO of NBC Universal network back on August 18.

(au.greekreporter.com)

September 8, 2016
Greek volunteers awarded top UN humanitarian honour for efforts with migrants and refugees

A Greek human rights activist and a Greek volunteer rescue team – Efi Latsoudi and the Hellenic Rescue Team (HRT) – have been jointly awarded this year’s Nansen Refugee Award for their efforts to aid refugees arriving in Greece during 2015.

“Hundreds of thousands of people fleeing conflict and persecution last year made the desperate bid to reach Europe in search of safety, many risking their lives in unseaworthy boats and dinghies, in a journey which all too often proved insurmountable,” the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said in a news release on the win.

“Both the Hellenic Rescue Team and Efi Latsoudi refused to stand by as they witnessed the dramatic humanitarian situation unfolding on their shores, and are fully deserving of the Nansen Refugee Award,” Mr. Grandi added. “Their efforts characterize the massive public response to the refugee and migrant emergency in Greece and across Europe, in which thousands of people stood in solidarity with those forced to flee, and the humanity and generosity of communities around the world who open their hearts and homes to refugees.”

According to a news release from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), since 2007, Greece has been challenged by the arrival of a large number of refugees and migrants, but in 2015 sea arrivals escalated to an emergency. On the island of Lesvos alone, numbers topped 500,000 last year. In October 2015, arrivals peaked at more than 10,000 per day, as conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq continued to uproot people from their homes.

“For many refugees, the heroic humanitarian efforts of Greek volunteers in 2015 went well beyond pulling survivors from the seas, they helped them to take the first steps towards a normal life,” UNHCR noted in a news release.

“During 2015 the HRT conducted round-the-clock operations to save refugees and migrants in distress at sea and Latsoudi showed compassion and care for the most vulnerable refugees arriving on the island of Lesvos through her work at PIKPA village,” the UN agency added.

The Nansen Refugee Award recognises outstanding service to the cause of refugees and displaced people, and was first handed out in 1954 – Eleanor Roosevelt was its first recipient and other awardees since then include former refugee Hawa Aden Mohamed of Somalia and Sister Angélique Namaika of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is named after Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who served as the first High Commissioner for Refugees at the League of Nations, the predecessor of the United Nations.

(www.un.org)

September 8, 2016
We should give the Olympics back to Greece, permanently

In a spirit of international cooperation and common sense I think we should promote the idea of just giving the Summer Olympics to Greece. Permanently. By all accounts they made a reasonable fist of it when they last had them and could do so time and time again. It has a nice historical touch … returning them to their birthplace.

Let’s face it, Greece has its back to the wall. They are not blessed with enormous wealth from natural resources nor, to be frank, anything like a Germanic work ethic. There’s no easy road, much to their horror.

Being the permanent host for the Olympics would give them a great lift. Basic infrastructure would improve, which, aside from servicing the Olympics, would help people who wanted to work and make money do just that.

Tourism would increase, providing jobs. There are other reasons why it’s a good idea. For a start it would end the ridiculous competition associated with countries vying to win the hearts and minds of the IOC.

You can kid yourself it doesn’t happen if you like but I think it’s a fair bet corruption is in there disguised in myriad ways. Maybe straight cash, maybe some scholarships here, a consulting job there, a touch of aid … who knows?

More to the point, it would stop the crazy re-allocation of capital towards Olympic infrastructure that might be better put to use elsewhere. This is true of wealthy countries but even more so of those not as economically lucky.

While we revel in our athletes winning medals there are families and kids in Brazil that are wondering why so much money has been spent on the Olympics when there are hospitals, schools and roads that are needed.

Australian Olympic chief John Coates has described Rio as being difficult in part because the economic circumstances have changed so dramatically from the time when they were chosen. No doubt that’s true. In current times security will always be high at big events.

Nonetheless, the necessary security in Rio is also related to a general lawlessness amongst a certain element of the population. Then there’s the doping issue. There may be all sorts of good reasons the IOC has made the decisions it has.

To mums and dads from the outside and clearly to a lot of athletes it seems that drug cheats get off lightly. In this area the Games have been a disaster. Clean athletes are clearly angry that the rules just don’t seem to cut it. The publicity flowing around the question of doping adds a certain smear and tarnish to what was once an image of excellence and competition. It can’t go on like this. Hopefully the IOC will recognise that doing just enough to muddle through would be unwise.

The better course would be to recognise the cancer and put every bit of energy they can into stamping it out. Drugs are not a new problem,they are the problem with which the IOC has failed to deal.

As custodians of the Olympic image they must step up to the plate. It’s also the right thing to do for all the athletes who train so hard for so long and keep clean.

I recall attending the IOC in Geneva a few times as minister when WADA was being set up. As we went up in one of those glass lifts, my chief of staff lent forward and whispered something quite prophetic in my ear. “This is the most transparent thing you’ll see today.”

At one of the dinners, after everyone else’s meal had been served, a young woman with the appearance of a very expensive chocolate wheel spinner walked somewhat ostentatiously to the side of then president Juan Antonio Samaranch and placed his meal, different from ours, in front of him. Now we could commence eating. He was the emperor. Rumour had it that when Samaranch travelled the whole floor of a hotel would be booked. No doubt some rooms for an entourage.

Rumours have a way of expanding and exaggerating but I think we can be sure that the purpose of this rumour was to pass on an essential truth, that the IOC is a law unto itself and a gravy train of the highest order. We are all delighted to see our athletes win medals. We are treated to great stories of determination, commitment and finally triumph. No doubt there are stories with not so happy endings.

In reality just getting to the Olympics and participating is an enormous achievement but we can’t help but focus on the medal count.

It may seem churlish but some have suggested that for those who do strike gold in terms of medals and subsequent sponsorship a little nod to the taxpayers who funded their journey would be a good thing. I know they couldn’t get there without years of gruelling training and personal commitment … but those medals cost us millions of dollars each. Some contribution over and above normal taxation wouldn’t seem unfair to me.

(www.smh.com.au)

September 4, 2016
Pavlopoulos: Turkey must apologize for Pontic Greek genocide

Ankara must offer a “sincere apology” for the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Black Sea, or Pontic, Greeks by Turks almost a century ago, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos said on Monday.
During a visit at Panaghia Soumela monastery near Veria, in northern Greece, to mark this year’s August 15 feast day in the Greek Orthodox calendar commemorating the Dormition of the Virgin, Pavlopoulos said that the nation would continue to fight “until the recognition of the genocide of Pontic Greeks and the expression of a sincere apology by the descendants of the perpetrators, Turkey.”
Greece has officially recognized the murder of up to around 370,000 Greeks who lived on the shores of the Black Sea between 1914 and 1923 as genocide since 1994, designating May 19 an annual day of remembrance.
The Greek President also criticized a recent decision by Turkish authorities to refuse permission for a religious ceremony to mark the day at the historic Monastery of Panaghia Soumela in the mountainous Trabzon region – known to Greeks as Trapezounta – of Turkey, citing building repair works.
Pontic Greek associations have expressed doubt over the intentions of Turkish authorities and have linked the suspension of the religious ceremony to the conservative wave enveloping Turkey following last month’s failed coup.

(www.ekathimerini.com)

September 4, 2016