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Early Learning Languages Australia to Kick-off Preschool Program Teaching Modern Greek

On Monday the Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) program announced open applications for its educational program which uses the application called Polyglots to help teach foreign languages.

The announcement comes as the Australian government has committed itself to upping funding in promoting foreign languages in education programs, including an outreach to preschool-aged students.

Only 12 percent of children in Australia currently study a secondary language at school, government officials reported.

So far there are over 10,000 children who take part in the language program, utilizing the app to learn Chinese, Japanese, French, Indonesian and Arabic.

ELLA also announced that along with Modern Greek, Hindi will also be available to youngsters in 2018, while other new languages to kick-off in 2017 include Italian and Spanish.

“Seeing and hearing young children counting, following recipes and singing in a language that isn’t their native tongue, you understand how engaging this app is and why it has had such positive feedback from kids, educators and families,” Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham commented to neoskosmos.com.

Applications are now open for all Australian childcare centers and preschools at www.ella.edu.au

(au.greekreporter.com)

December 1, 2016
Benaki Museum Crowdfunding Campaign: Athens 1896 Olympic Games Photo Exhibition – US Tour
The Benaki Museum launches its first crowdfunding campaign

The Benaki Museum is launching its first crowdfunding campaign on the occasion of the exhibition in America of the photographic album of Albert Mayer from the first modern Olympic Games of Athens in 1896.

The exhibition kicks off in New York City in December 2016 with events at both the United Nations and the Consulate General of Greece. The campaign’s goal is to raise $100,000 which will allow the album to continue its 2017 tour in at least four additional US cities as Hellenes of Diaspora, Phihellenes, photo enthusiasts, Olympic memorabilia collectors and friends of the Benaki Museum have shown great interest in the exhibition. The campiaign will run until end of January.

US donors will receive a tax-deductible receipt and a special gift from the Benaki Museum.

How you can support the Benaki Museum fundraising campaign:

1) Donate: You can make a donation online by clicking on the “Donate Now” button above or by clicking here. You can also contribute offline by check or through a wire transfer. We will add the amount of your donation to the campaign’s goal (along with your name, if you wish so).

2) Share: You can help the Benaki Museum campaign by sharing it with family and friends using this link: http://crowdfunding.benaki.gr

3) Fundraise: You can also be part of our fundraising campaign by creating your own page as an Individual or Team (group of friends, corporate, media, etc.). You can set your own fundraising goal (i.e. $100) and invite others to help you reach your goal.

By supporting the Benaki Museum you contribute in the continuation of the largest depository of trust to some of the Greece’s most important art treasures spanning over 8.000 years of history in over 120.000 artworks dating all the way from the Paleolithic Era to the present.

Join our early supporters and campaign ambassadors / fundraisers!

Special Gifts for your Donation and Support:

Each donor will receive a special gift from the Benaki Museum including:

– $10 Donation
- Athens 1896 Olympic Games photo e-card
– $20 Donation
- Athens 1896 Olympic Games photo e-card
- Complimentary entrance to the Benaki Museum in Athens*
* you may donate the ticket to someone in Greece who is less fortunate

– $50 Donation
- All the above
- An extra ticket to use as above
- Set of 4 printed postcards with photos from the Athens 1896 Olympic Games album (see photos above)
– $100 Donation
- All the above
- Complimentary Annual Membership to the Museum (value: $100)
– $500 Donation
- All the above
- A print Guide to the Benaki Museum
- 10% discount for Benaki Museum e-shop items (up to 150€)
– $1,000 Donation
- All the above
- A 44*33 cm photo reproduction from the Athens 1896 Olympic Games album (unframed- see photos above)
Teams and Individuals who will donate or raise an amount larger than $1,000, will receive:

– $2,000- $5,000
- Attic lekythos – This red-figured Attic oil-flask (lekythos) depicted a male figure leaning on his staff with a stlengis in his hand. A stlengis was used by athletes to scrape oil and dirt off their bodies.
– $5,001 – $10,000
- Stlengis – Copper stlengis of c. 450-400 BC. It was used by athletes for scraping oil and dirt off their bodies after the end of the contests
– $10,001 and above
- Stlengis and aryballus – Copper stlengis of c. 450-400 BC and globular Corinthian aryballus dated to c. 600-575 BC bearing griffins flanking an aquatic bird. Both objects were used by athletes, a stlengis for scraping oil and dirt off their bodies after the end of the contests, an aryballus for storing and transporting essences.
All campaign fundraisers will receive a complimentary guided tour
of the Benaki Museum

About the Athens 1896 Olympic Games Photo Album

Albert Meyer was one of the most famous photographers of that period and he traveled to Athens for the Games, becoming the official photographer of the German team. The Press announced the making of the Album before it had even commenced. The Greek newspaper of Trieste Imera (Day) as well as the Athenian Akropolis both wrote that the album would turn out to be the keepsake of the Games for the royal courts all over the world, as well as for the members of the Olympic Games Committee.

The 25 rather spartan photographs of the album capture the chronicle of the Games, beginning with the photograph of the International Committee and that of the Greek national benefactor Georgios Averof. The following photographs capture both the athletic rituals and efforts. The runners, the discus throwers, the shot put competitors and gymnastics athletes who project the urban tradition of western European countries in exercises of acrobatic precision, follow the photograph of the Philharmonic Orchestra. The photographs with the rings, the pommel horse and the horizontal bars lead to the one of the Greek emblem of the Games, the Marathon runner, (water carrier by profession) Spyros Louis, who poses for Albert Meyer wearing a national costume after winning the First Marathon.

The photographic archive of Albert Meyer, including his photos from the Olympic Games, was destroyed in 1945, when bombardments flattened Dresden, Germany, hence turning the original photographs into rare and priceless artifacts.

The few copies of the leather album were distributed to the members of the Olympic Games Organizational Committee, amongst which was George Streit, banker and minister of the Greek government of the period. Marinos Yeroulanos, president of the Board of Trustees of the Benaki Museum for many years and grandson of George Streit, donated the album to the Historical Archives of the Museum. Since then, this unique Album is safeguarded with care as imposed by its rarity, being a unique token to both History and Art.

About the Benaki Museum

The Benaki Museum was founded by Antonis Benakis in 1930 and subsequently donated to the Greek state. It is the oldest museum in Greece operating as a Foundation under Private Law.

Situated in a set of six buildings open to the public, the Museum covers a broad section of the art spectrum, featuring 5 archival departments, an extensive library, over 500,000 objects of art, books, photographs, archives and rare documents.

The Museum welcomes over 150,000 visitors per year and offers a wide range of educational and cultural activities for all ages. With extensive collections covering several cultural fields and a range of activities serving various social needs, the Benaki Museum assumes a unique place as a complex institution among the broader network of museum foundations in Greece. By virtue of its collections, the Benaki Museum is best described as the museum of Greek Civilization in all its manifestations. In addition, it brings Hellenic Culture into dialogue with world cultures, as it accommodates significant collections of Islamic Art and Chinese Pottery, among others.

Every year, the Benaki Museum presents to the public a variety of temporary exhibitions and organizes conferences, lectures, and special events on subjects arising from the its collections and its vast range of activities.

The Museum has earned recognition beyond the Greek borders and made collaborations and partnerships with established cultural entities, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Royal Academy of Arts in London, the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, the University of Oxford and Princeton University. Its collections feature in Europeana and Google Art Project, among many other digital platforms.

The main mission of the Benaki Museum is to inspire love for knowledge as well as to encourage people to reflect on world cultural heritage and human interaction across space and time. Following a policy of extroversion and democratization, the Museum provides open access to its collections and archives, thus promoting education, research and the exchange of knowledge. After years of intensive works the Museum’s social impact, as well as its resilience and self-sufficiency, have been firmly established.

(www.classy.org)
November 29, 2016
Foreign Minister Kotzias’ statements at a joint press conference with the Foreign Ministers of Lebanon and Cyprus (Beirut, 9 November 2016)

N. KOTZIAS: It is a great pleasure to be here in Lebanon, which I am visiting for the first time. We have fine weather. The country has a new President. We are moving ahead together in a friendly atmosphere, contemplating the future of our three countries.

This past September, in Rhodes, we created a positive agenda for the relations among Cyprus, Lebanon and Greece and we are continuing down this path. We believe that Lebanon is the country that is showing everyone in Europe the way to solve all the problems of the Middle East. It’s a country where different religions collaborate and coexist. Diversity imparts a positive impetus to this country, which faithfully follows the path of tolerance and respect. We are proud to be sharing a common course and be working together with the government of the friendly country of Lebanon. We will continue throughout the day to exchange views and seek new forms of collaboration. Thank you.

JOURNALIST: What is the Greek government’s reaction to the election of Donald Trump as the new President of the United States?

N. KOTZIAS: We would like to congratulate the new President of the United States of America, Mr. Trump. As the Greek government, we have systematically developed relations with both the Democratic and Republican parties. We had frequent talks – quite a while before the elections – with the Trump team on issues concerning the region, with the latest talks taking place in late September.

The Greek government, like every Greek government, has always had good relations with the American state and the American people. We continue to work in order to further advance our stable, good and creative relations with the American political system and the American people. As you know, we are expecting President Obama in Athens in a few days, and, as the exit polls showed, he continues to enjoy great popularity. His meetings with the Greek Prime Minister and with the Greek government, in general, will be positive and creative.

(www.mfa.gr)

November 25, 2016
Athens, Lesvos mayors on list for world title

Their efforts to humanely address the refugee crisis have put Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis (photo) and Lesvos Mayor Spyros Galinos on a short list of 15 local authority leaders from around the world contending for the title of World Mayor 2016.
The 15 finalists have been proposed for their response to the European refugee crisis and include mayors from Spain, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Germany, the USA, Canada as well as Syria and Turkey. The winner is to be announced at the end of the year.
Those interested in influencing the verdict can participate in an online vote online at www.worldmayor.com/contest_2016/world-mayor-shortlist-2016.html.
Meanwhile, the coast guard was put on alert Wednesday after a smuggling boat foundered off the coast of Thassos in the northern Aegean, leading to four people drowning while another 15 were rescued.
The drownings came after a period of relative calm, with arrivals from neighboring Turkey sharply reduced since March, when Ankara signed a deal with the European Union to crack down on human smuggling in the Aegean.
However, there is still concern about growing tensions at overcrowded reception centers on the Aegean islands.

(www.ekathimerini.com)

November 25, 2016
Egypt 2-0 Ghana: Pharaohs maintain perfect start to World Cup qualifying

A first-half Mohamed Salah penalty and a late goal from Abdallah Saied guided Egypt to a 2-0 victory over Ghana in their World Cup qualifier on Sunday.

Egypt, who won 2-1 in their opening match in Congo last month, sit firmly on top of Group E with six points while Ghana are now at serious peril of failing to qualify with just four more games to come.

Ghana full-back Harrison Afful brought down Mahmoud Trezeguet in the box two minutes before the break and Roma forward Salah made no mistake from the resulting penalty, calmly converting into the middle of the goal.

Ghana came back strongly after half-time, with Egypt’s 43-year-old goalkeeper Essam Al Hadari forced into making key saves from Christian Atsu just after the hour mark and Emmanuel Agyemang Badu in the 79th minute.

However, Saied finished off a counter-attack with five remaining to seal victory for Egypt, who are bidding for a first World Cup spot since 1990.

Victory secures revenge for the Pharaohs, who were heavily beaten by Ghana in a qualification play-off for the 2014 World Cup.

(www.dailymail.co.uk)

November 16, 2016
World Travel Market: Tourism in Egypt, Greece, Turkey ‘Getting Back on Track’

Tourism “could be getting back on track” in Egypt, Turkey and Greece, according to an industry report released by the World Travel Market on Monday.

“After a difficult couple of years, the signs are that Egypt, Greece and Turkey are back on the agenda, while Tunisia is starting to turn the corner,” said Simon Press, the Senior Director of World Travel Market. “The WTM Industry Report talks to people who have the power to sign deals and the high proportion of potential buyers interested in having conversations with suppliers from these destinations is a great positive.”

The report is based on a poll that included input from 2,000 buyers at the World Travel Market, which kicked off in London on Monday.

According to the report, more than half the buyers at the market said they were looking to discuss deals with Egyptian, Turkish and Greek suppliers.

However, Egypt seemed to be the least popular among the three, “with 37% of the total sample looking to talk to Greek businesses, 29% looking to talk to Turkish suppliers and 17% heading toward the Egypt stands.”

Egyptian tourism minister Yehia Rashid traveled to London on Monday to attend the World Travel Market and promote tourism in Egypt through the “This is Egypt” campaign.

Egypt’s tourism industry, once the flagship of the economy and the second most important earner of hard currency, has been struggling greatly since the 2011 uprising that ousted longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak from power.

Several incidents, including the accidental killing of eight Mexican tourists and the downing of a Russian passenger plane last year, in addition to the brutal murder of Italian PhD student Giulio Regeni in January, have taken their toll on the country’s tourism flow.

More than 14.7 million tourists traveled to Egypt in 2010, with that number falling to 9.8 million in 2011. Tourist arrivals have largely failed to pick up during the course of 2016; according to statistics from the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), the number of tourists traveling to Egypt in June dropped by nearly 60 percent year-on-year to reach a meager 320,000.

According to a report from Egypt’s Ministry of Planning, the tourism trade in the country shrank by 34 percent during the first nine months of the 2015/2016 fiscal year.

The falling tourism revenues have been amplified by the dwindling foreign currency reserves that negatively affected the budget deficit.

However, some hope that the recent steps taken by Egyptian authorities, including the Central Bank of Egypt’s surprise move to devalue the Egyptian pound and the expected USD 12 million loan from the International Monetary Fund, will help set the country on the right track and bring back foreign investments and tourists.

Despite Egypt’s dwindling tourism revenues, which have played a part in triggering the country’s ongoing foreign currency crisis, Egypt aims to attract 12 million tourists by the end of 2017 by way of implementing an ambitious six-point plan, which will include increasing the presence of the national airline EgyptAir abroad, cooperating with low-cost airlines and improving services.

(egyptianstreets.com)

November 14, 2016
Elefsina Wins ‘European Capital of Culture 2021’

Elefsina, west of Athens, has won the title of “European Capital of Culture 2021”, the selection panel of independent experts responsible for assessing the Greek cities competing for the title announced on Friday.
Three cities had been short-listed after the initial pre-selection round in February 2016: Elefsina, Kalamata and Rhodes.

“In 2021, Greece will host its fourth European Capital of Culture after Athens in 1985, Thessaloniki in 1997 and Patras in 2006″, Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner responsible for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, said.

Underlining how popular the EU initiative is with cities and citizens, Navracsics congratulated Elefsina on its successful bid.

“I look forward to seeing Elefsina give visitors from Europe and all over the world the opportunity to discover the city and its cultural assets but also to appreciate the diversity of cultures in the European Union as well as our shared values – this is today more vital than ever”, he said.
Navracsics added that — as many previous European Capitals of Culture have shown — the title can bring the selected city significant long-term cultural, as well as economic and social benefits. “Benefits that Elefsina now stands to reap as well”, he said.

The main idea of Elefsina’s bid — Eleusis 2021 — was summarized in the phrase “Transition to EUphoria”, which highlighted the relationship between sustainability and the connection of all human activities with art and culture.

There are three European Capitals of Culture for 2021. Elefsina in Greece, Timisoarain Romania and Novi Sad in Serbia, a candidate country for EU membership.

Born in 1985 on an idea of the then Greek Minister of Culture, Melina Mercouri, the European Capitals of Culture have grown into one of the most ambitious cultural projects in Europe and one of the best known – and most appreciated – activities of the EU. Their objectives are to promote the diversity of cultures in Europe, to highlight the common features they share and to foster the contribution of culture to the long-term development of cities.

(news.gtp.gr)

November 14, 2016
Bear cubs stray into town of Kastoria in northern Greece

Residents in the northern Greek town of Kastoria were roused from their slumbers on Monday night after two young bears strayed into the town center.

According to a member of the Arcturos bear conservation society, the two cubs are around a year old and were initially spotted in a street beside Kastoria Lake shortly after midnight.

Nikos Panagiotopoulos, who is also a member of the Kastoria Environmental Protection Society, told the ANA-MPA news agency that four police patrol cars and two civilian vehicles were dispatched to the scene to contain the bears from wandering any further.

“Flashing our headlights and honking our horns, we tried to usher the bears to the town’s exit and back into the woods,” Panagiotopoulos. “Instead, they went into the cemetery and then started walking around the town center.”

Panagiotopoulos, who coordinated the effort to push the bears back into the forest, noted that the pair has been spotted near the town before, accompanied by their mother, and appeared undaunted by the human presence.

“There’s a playground right on the edge of the mountain where it slopes down into Kastoria and we’ve seen bears having a ball of a time, especially on the seesaw and spring rides,” Panagiotopoulos said.

After rousing dozens of residents who joined the effort, Panagiotopoulos and his team were able to escort the bears safely back into the woods after around four hours.

(www.ekathimerini.com)

November 10, 2016
Greek olive oil goes for gold

Praised for its exceptional quality, Greek olive oil is one of the few products keeping the country’s economy afloat. A series of producers are trying hard to update a centuries-old tradition, and their efforts are not being unnoticed. Last month, quite a few olive oil producers managed to collect awards in the 2016 New York Olive Intertantional Oil Competition (NYIOOC). It hasn’t been easy: 820 olive oils from 26 countries were competing to be judged by an international jury of experts.

Facing competition from Chile, Australia, the United States and – of course – Greece’s main competitors, Italy and Spain, eight Greek producers received gold awards, eight silver and two were awarded for being ‘best in class’: Chryssopigi PDO from Sitia, Crete and Argali, producer Giovanni Bianchi’s koroneiko variety from Messinia. An Italian computer programmer based in Rome, Bianchi, was born in Thessaloniki, Greece, where his family lived for his first 11 years, creating such “a strong link with Greece” that he decided to buy land with 250 hardy olive trees in Gargalianoi, western Peloponnese, in 2004.

“From that year, I began dreaming and thinking about olive oil. I studied, took classes in Italy on oil tasting, and convinced the millers to make oil as I wanted,” he told in an interview with Olive Oil Times following his award.
“My dream would be to return to Greece and make this great passion my job.” Already, he personally manages every harvest, bottling, and pruning session.

As for Vitsentzos Kornaros, producer of Chryssopigi and a champion of Cretan olive oil, he shared the secret of his success: “We believe in our product, and we work very hard to be so good. We care for our olive trees with love and knowledge that enriches them in every way.”

Another koroneiko from hand-picked Cretan olives, Gaea Sitia, won a gold medal for its “woody notes and mildly intence aroma”. Hellenic Agricultural Enterprises’ Acaia, from hand-picked Kolovi olives that grow in the mountainous groves of the Aegean island of Lesvos, also won a gold medal for its “richly complex aromas” and “excellent harmony” and experience the distinctive flavors of this exceptional olive oil.
“In fact, we created our Acaia brand in order to introduce consumers everywhere to the island’s olive oil, which is proverbially famous for its aromas and delicate flavour,” said Ellie Tragakes of Hellenic Agricultural Enterprises.

Kyklopas Olive Mill, by Argyris Kelidis Argyris S.A., won a gold medal for its “aromas of fruit, green grass, artichoke herbs and notes of almond, apple and walnut”. The producer also won for the organic line of product, a monovarietal cold-pressed, early harvest extra virgin olive oil from very green olives which are picked only in the month of October.

Niki Kelidou, president of Kyklopas (or Cyclops), also spoke to Olive Oil Times, stating “each prize our company wins gives added value and also shows us that we are on the right track”.

Another extraordinary organic olive oil, Eliris, crafted by Iris Iris Efthimiadi and her fiancé Sam Lord, also won the gold distinction. It was a great accomplishment for the pair, who gave up “successful careers in London” to return to northeastern Greece to “honour her father’s memory by rejuvenating and tending the cherished family olive grove”, an unusual mix of Greek olive varieties, including koroneiki, kalamata, tsounati, manaki, megaritiki and halkidiki.

An organic medium Nemoutiana, ‘Mythocia Omphacium’ (the word evokes Hippocrates’ characterisation for the best of all extra virgin olive oil, which was thought to be valuable for medicine purposes) is a brand that revives the ancient methods of early harvest and direct milling at room temperature, creating a balanced and complex intensity olive oil of high nutritional quality. Konstantinos Papadopoulos said he expects his gold award for Mythocia Omphacium Organic and silver award for Mythocia Omphacium to “help us give our brand the prestige we want. The fact that our products have won a number of distinctions in only two years is the result of people working hard and with passion and striving for quality. It is a great motivation to think that we contribute to spreading the excellent quality of Greek olive oil all over the world”.

Yanni’s Finest, a single-varietal green early harvest extra virgin olive oil with intense fruity aroma and flavour, was also awarded, gaining praise for its low acidity, intense fruity aroma and bitter taste with a characteristic pungent aftertaste. Apart from the gold, Yanni’s Limited PDO Chalkidiki also won a silver award, leading producer Evi Prodromou to say: “It was like we managed to climb Mount Everest, to the top of the world.” Yanni’s Olive Grove is the only company involved in the pilot project of a unique research method called ‘Application of Intelligent Agriculture’ which aims “to produce green early harvest extra virgin olive oils with the highest possible quality”. All aspects of production are under the care of the Krinos Olive Center and the American Farm School. ‘PJ Kabos’, a privately-owned label producing exclusively award-winning Greek extra virgin olive oil won for the ‘Family Reserve’ extra virgin olive oil which has an acidity of just 0.12 per cent during production, but also collected a silver award. James Panagiotopoulos, PJ Kabos founder and owner, attributed his company’s success to their maintenance of “high standards with no quality compromise, sparing no expense on our part in order to achieve this. From caring for our trees to olive harvesting, oil extraction, storage and transportation of the final product”, they come “as close to perfection as possible”.

As noted by Gaea’s Aris Kefalogiannis, Greece’s top winners are perfect examples of a trend in Greece: “More and more, especially young producers try to be informed and educated and produce olive oil following best practices. This will make the difference in the year to come.”

(neoskosmos.com)

November 10, 2016
Tsipras reminded of shipping’s importance at UGS centenary bash

The Athens Concert Hall played host to 1,800 guests last night including the Greek president and prime minister at a star studded bash to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS).

UGS president Theodore Veniamis, used the occasion to remind the top politicians attending that the government must work to make shipping competitive on home soil. It comes as a cabinet reshuffle last Sunday saw a new shipping minister appointed.

Veniamis said UGS “prompts politicians to develop a strategic approach” since shipping is the only sector of the national economy that can claim to be a true champion. He said it was vital the sector remained competitive if it was to prosper at home.

“I would like to give the message from this podium today that Greek shipping is a national asset, beyond political parties, with a decisive and multifaceted economic, political and strategic importance for our country, and it sincerely wants to maintain its presence in its homeland,” Veniamis said.

Latest UN figures out this week show Greek owners have upped their world leading market share of global shipping to 16.36% of the world’s merchant fleet.

(splash247.com)

November 10, 2016