THE GREEK AUSTRALIAN
VEMA
APRIL 2003
Tel. (02) 9559 7022
In this issue...
The price of peace...
white ants and surfing
on the internet
25/57
TRAVEL
Rethymnon:
The prefecture
with many choices
PAGE
email:
[email protected]
Fax: (02) 9559 7033
Management and Staff
of The Vema
take the opportunity
to wish all Greek Australians
a very Happy Easter
in peace and in good health
FEATURE
PAGE
The oldest
circulating
Greek
newspaper
outside
Greece
27/59
‘Athens Games
could help
world to heal’
The 2004 Olympics could
help the world heal itself
after the Iraq war, Games
chief
Mrs
Gianna
Angelopoulos said last
week.
The return of the
Olympics to its Greek
birthplace could be fate to
help ease suffering and
heartache in the wake of
the conflict, she said.
“I can dream of such a thing,”
Angelopoulos said. “Maybe it is
the will of fate... this will be
something special... Olympic
homecoming, returning to the
place it was born.
“It is encouraging to think that
that after a war there is an
Olympic Games and the world
can come together and act differently.
“After such turbulence for the
world, let’s remember the
Games, the Olympic spirit.”
INTERVIEW
The Principal of
St Andrew’s Greek
Orthodox School in
WA talks to The Vema
PAGE
20/52
Angelopoulos was speaking to
Reuters and a small group of
reporters after a three-day
inspection of tour of Olympic
sites — the 10th such visit by
the International Olympic Committee.
Following the
tour,
chief
Athens inspector
Denis Oswald
was upbeat and
positive in stark
contrast to the
criticism meted
out by IOC President Jacques
Rogge in February when the
Athens Games
organisers
(ATHOC) were
accused of dragging their heels.
“It is easy, my friend,” she
smiled when asked of the turnaround which impressed inspectors.
“Hard work, more hard work
INTERVIEW
and teamwork. There is no special magic pill. It is just hard
work.
“You know, we have to be open
and ready to accept criticism —
it is for our protection.
“The IOC is used to monitoring
the progress of
Olympic Games.
It is a big project
for a country
such as Greece.”
A big project
undoubtedly, but
one
which
Angelopoulos is
determined will
leave a great
legacy to the
nation after a
magical Games.
Part of that legacy will be a steel
and glass dome
to be designed by noted Spanish
architect Santiago Calatrava.
The man famous for his opera
houses, football stadiums and
airports worldwide is to oversee
the building of a striking construction over Athens’s main
Olympic stadium — the centrepiece of the Games.
After months of uncertainty
about the project, Angelopoulos
announced organisers would not
scale back their ambition and
will push on with Calatrava’s
grand vision.
“We were prepared to make a
final decision and that decision
had to be made now,” she said,
explaining that the building of
the dome was feasible in the
timescale and would not affect
other work ongoing in the stadium.
“So now we are happy and we
are dreaming and preparing our
impressive opening ceremony,”
she smiled.
“One thing I know... it will be
very moving. The Calatrava
dome is a legacy, something we
want to have after a very successful Olympics.”
George Raftopoulos:
“I’ve never been in it
to please anybody...”
PAGE
13/45
2
/34
TO BHMA
The Greek Australian VEMA
What’s new
Today in history
APRIL 2003
DID YOU KNOW?
Excavations from Egyptian tombs dating
to 5,000 BC show that the ancient
Egyptian kids played with toy hedgehogs.
Premier Carr addresses International
Interfaith Dialogue Conference
The Premier of NSW, Mr Bob Carr supported efforts to promote interfaith dialogue
during an international conference in
Parramatta.
The conference titled: Abraham: A symbol
of hope for Jews, Christians and Muslims
included more than 250 participants.
Mr Carr made pleas for engagement, based
on mutual respect between civilisations.
On April 26, 1986, the world’s worst
nuclear power plant accident occurs
at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in the Soviet Union. Here we see
the deserted city of Pripyat, with the
Chernobyl nuclear plant in the background.
APRIL 21
753 B.C. - Rome founded
According to tradition, on April 21, 753 B.C.,
Romulus and his twin brother, Remus, found
Rome on the site where they were suckled by
a she-wolf as orphaned infants. Actually, the
Romulus and Remus myth originated sometime in the fourth century B.C., and the exact
date of Rome’s founding was set by the
Roman scholar Marcus Terentius Varro in the
first century B.C.
APRIL 23
1564 - William Shakespeare born
According to tradition, the great English
dramatist and poet William Shakespeare is
born in Stratford-on-Avon on April 23, 1564.
APRIL 24
1953 - Churchill knighted
Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, the
British leader who guided Great Britain and
the Allies through the crisis of World War II,
is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
APRIL 26
1986 - Nuclear disaster at Chernobyl
On April 26, 1986, the world’s worst
nuclear power plant accident occurs at
the Chernobyl nuclear power station in
the Soviet Union. Thirty-two people died
and dozens more suffered radiation burns in
the opening days of the crisis, but only after
Swedish authorities reported the fallout did
Soviet authorities reluctantly admit that an
accident had occurred.
MAY 7
1915 - Lusitania sinks
On the afternoon of May 7, 1915, the British
ocean liner Lusitania is torpedoed without
warning by a German submarine off the
south coast of Ireland. Within 20 minutes, the
vessel sank into the Celtic Sea. Of 1,959 passengers and crew, 1,198 people were
drowned, including 128 Americans.
Mr Carr said:
“Let’s respect civilisations and what a wonderful nation it would be ... if one day we
were all in a position to go to the land that
is the basis for these three great faiths and to
explore it and look at the sites of these three
great religions and to talk to scholars and
holy people about their faiths.
“Doing so, committed to engagement, and
doing so out of respect and this idea, this
ideal should make us all motivated to contribute to a just and a secure and a long term
peace, for reconciliation in the Middle
East”.
Premier Carr addresses international interfaith dialogue conference
must be preserved and freedom of religious
worship must be ensured for all.
Mr Carr referred to the first Alexandria
Declaration signed last year by leaders
Islam, Jewish and Christian faiths.
The NSW Government has been working
hard in promoting inter-faith dialogue.
The declaration refers to the idea of living
together as neighbours, respecting the
integrity of each other’s historical and religious inheritance and opposing incitement,
hatred and misrepresentation of the others.
The sanctity and integrity of the holy places
Following the September 11 terrorist
attacks, NSW coordinated the historic
Unity in Adversity assembly in November
2001, in which leaders of all major religions
came together to condemn terrorism and
support Australia’s cultural diversity.
Following the Bali bombings, the NSW
Government through the Community
Relations Commission set up the
Community Harmony Reference Group.
The group has met on several occasions
since October 2002, and as recently as last
week.
The group includes representatives from
Sydney’s Islamic, Jewish and Christian
communities and relevant government
agencies.
Your say...
Views on article about Public Relations
Ref: A“Public Relations & the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia”, March
2003 edition.
To aid discussion about public relations and
the Church I would like to share some suggestions.
1.
The Greek Radio stations must be
approached to mention events organised by
the youth of the Church, whether it be the
Central Youth or youth fellowships. It does
publicise some events organised by the
Archdiocese such as lectures or Greek
schools of the parishes.
2.
The Archdiocese web site. This
website although very informative and educational needs to promote further activities
of local Archdiocesan districts for example
annual Walkathons, upcoming lectures.
Most of this information is in the Vema
which is great but what about the Church’s
website? There are so many activities being
Ôçëåöùíåßóôå óôï Mortgage Navigators ãéá ìéá áíåîÜñôçôç åêôßìçóç ôùí áíáãêþí óáò. Èá
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ïñãáíéóìïýò. Èá óáò âñïýìå ôï ðéï êáôÜëëçëï äÜíåéï ìå
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êüóôïò óå óáò.
Áðïôáèåßôå óôïí ÄéåõèõíôÞ Ãéþñãï Ìáóïõñßäç
(02) 9522 4966
0412 186 168
Kon Bouzikos
Victoria
Your say...
Ôï ðéï óçìáíôéêü åßíáé üôé ÏÉ ÕÐÇÑÅÓÉÅÓ ÌÁÓ ÐÑÏÓÖÅÑÏÍÔÁÉ ÄÙÑÅÁÍ!
(02) 9559 7444
0412 186 168
organised and they are not made known to
the Greek and the non Greek public through
the web site.
3.
Every student at the Greek
Orthodox Colleges in Australia should
receive a copy of the Vema newspaper.
Distribution is the key. It should also be disseminated at Universities.
4.
Efforts for the Archdiocese to
broadcast on T.V. It is saddening when
Greek Protestant groups capture a time slot
in a Greek community television station
(Channel 31) here in Melbourne. Some
strategies need to be discussed as to how the
Church can gain access to T.V.
18511
We want to hear your views. Write to:
Your comments, The Greek Australian
Vema, PO Box M59, Marrickville South
NSW 2204, or fax: (02) 9559 7033, or email: [email protected]
Letters may be edited for space or legal
reasons. Letters must be signed and
include a daytime telephone number for
verification. Requests to withhold names
can be honoured. Any views expressed in
this column are those of the author and
not the Vema.
/36
Greek Australian VEMA
TO BHMA
APRIL 2003
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Greek Australian VEMA
APRIL 2003
TO BHMA
5
/37
Easter 2003
Cont. from previous page
TRIPOLI
On Easter Sunday the whole of Tripoli is covered with the smoke from the many fires
which are gradually lit on Saturday at midnight, a scene which is best viewed from the
Agios Thodoras Hill.
The celebrations start in the morning of Easter
Sunday and involve dance groups. Apart from
the roast lamb, local wine, red eggs, ring-bread
and appetizers are served.
LEONIDIO
The most striking custom of the area is that on
the night of the Resurrection the sky is filled
with hot- air balloons released by the faithful
of each parish.
At the same time the “burning of Judas” takes
place outside the church, while on Easter Sunday itself a major celebration takes place in the
town’s main square.
ending with the “Kangelefto” dance, which is
a re-enactment of the slaughter of 400 people
of Ierissos by the Turks during the War of
Independence of 1821.
The dance passes under an arch of laurels,
where there are two young men with raised
swords. In the middle of the song, the dance
doubles into two and the dancers pass one
before the other in the final farewell.
During the course of the celebrations, coffee
made in a large cauldron, “zografitikos” sweet
bread and eggs are served.
The dance is performed again in the evening at
the main square of the village.
LITOCHORO
In the evening of Holly Thursday, the liturgical biers are decorated by unmarried girls, who
during Lent have been busy making artificial
flowers out of cloth for this purpose.
In the evening of Good Friday the different
epitaphios processions, of the region’s churches with choirs of local people, meet in the marketplace, creating a memorable spectacle.
swing. To push someone on the swing on this
occasion is a commitment to marriage before
God and men.
On the evening of Holy Saturday, the custom
is observed by those who have relatives that
have recently died and it consists in bringing to
the church roast meat, wine and bread.
After these have been blessed by the priest,
they are distributed among visitors and residents of the island.
KITHNOS
THASSOS
The most striking of the islands’ customs is
that of the Kounia (swing). On Easter Sunday,
a swing is set up in the town’s main square in
which boys and girls in traditional costume
At the Commune of Limenaria the ancient
“Come April, and Rain” custom takes place on
Easter Tuesday. Folk dances are performed by
groups from all over Greece.
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The procession of the “epitaphios” along the
paved alleyways of the medieval town is a
memorable sight.
In the evening of Easter Sunday, the “burning
of Judas”, an effigy of a man stuffed with
wood and hay - as well as explosives - takes
places in the courtyard of the church.
KALAMATA
At Kalamata a custom survives which stems
from the fight for liberation of 1821, the game
of “bouloukia”.
The contestants, in traditional costumes and
armed with pipes of rolled paper filled with
gunpowder engage in warfare on the Messiniakos (the local football team) pitch, with large
crowds in attendance.
Management and staff
of Wood Coffill
Funerals
wish the Greek
community of Australia
CHALKIDIKI (IERISSOS)
The most important Easter custom here is
observed on Easter Tuesday, on the hills. After
the appropriate church services, the older people start the dance.
Gradually all the local people join in, until the
line of dancers is often 400 meters long.
All the Easter songs are sung and danced to,
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6
/38
TO BHMA
Greek Australian VEMA
Feature
APRIL 2003
DID YOU KNOW?
After the French Revolution of 1789
selling sour wine was considered
against national interest and the merchant was promptly executed.
As announced in the previous issue, The Vema will publish reports given by various speakers during the course of the 9th Clergy-Laity of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese
of Australia. In today’s issue we publish the report by Basil Stavropoulos, titled “Towards a Mass Media strategy for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia”.
We welcome any views you may have which could open a constructive discussion on the various matters which relate to our Church.
Write to: The Greek Australian Vema,
PO Box M59, Marrickville South NSW 2204, or fax: (02) 9559 7033, or e-mail: [email protected]
Towards a Mass Media strategy for the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
Achievements to date
The Archdiocese and various committees and
organizations under its blessing are involved
in many mass media initiatives. The achievements in this area, given the lack of resources,
are astounding.
THE VEMA - The Archdiocese now publishes this monthly Greek and English language
newspaper through all parishes and selected
newsagencies. It contains opinions on current
events concerning the church in Australia,
including columns by His Eminence and various others, parish announcements and news
opinion of general interest (i.e., not just church
related) The Vema gives the Archdiocese a
genuine mass media presence. A large English
section delivers information about Church
affairs to the majority of faithful, for whom
English is the first language.
Foni tis Orthodoxias (Voice of Orthodoxy) this monthly newsletter is available in all
parishes containing articles, sermons, and the
official record of the bishops’ activities.
Phronema - An annual academic publication:
the official organ of St Andrews Theological
College.
Archdiocese Directory - Published 10 years
ago, a second edition is due for publication in
mid-2003. It catalogues all Archdiocese activity.
E-mail Groups - The Central Youth Committee, the Millennium Choir and others use
Announcements and relevant information to
their members.
Radio Programs - The Greek Orthoox Christian Society (Christianiki Enosi) in Sydney
broadcasts a half-hour weekly orthodox programe (2.30pm Sundays 2SER FM and
11.30am Sundays on 2MM AM). Other cities
also have relevant radio programs.
Newsletters and local publications - many
Orthodox parishes and organizations throughout Australi publish pamphlets and newsletter
with church announcements and short articles.
Circulars - the circulars of His Eminence,
especially the Easter and Christmas circulars,
must also be considered mass media, since
they reach such a large audience.
Web site - The Archdiocese has a large and
informative web-site maintained in Perth, WA.
Why do we need mass media?
The greatest problem confronting our Church
to is haemorrhage. The Church has in general
not reached the younger generation in Australia who, without realizing it thirsts to hear
the good news (evangelion) of salvation. No
longer can we assume that those who are baptized Greek Orthodox in Australia know anything about their faith or about the church. The
ignorance out there is frightening. The generation born in Australia have not decided to
reject the Church. They do not know enough
to made any decision at all. Or, if they have
rejected anything, it is an imaginary church
created in their minds by poor upbringing and
lack of experience. A great strength of the
Orthodox faith - its transmission by way of life
- has in this country, where the orthodox way
of life is hidden in houses and church buildings, become a weakness.
Yet our experience in teaching scripture classes in school shows that young people who are
totally ignorant are often “good soil’ on which
he seed of the Word of God will sprout and
flourish.
The goal of the Archdiocese and of our whole
Church is the salvationof souls in two ways:
* The pastoral care of the faithful
* The mission or outreach to the nonfaithful (including “lapsed” Orthodox).
If this sounds basic, it is radical in effect. The
vast majority of the Greek Orthodox in Australia do not read or listen to the Australian
Greek language media, let alone the media in
Greece. Should energy and skill be spent fighting political battles in such media, or should
we bring basic information to the family down
the road who know nothing of the Church?
Should we spend our energy rebutting lies that
only a few hear, or should we spend our precious resources in building the new generation? If we choose the latter, will we not,
through our positive actions, inevitably challenge the anti-clerical and anti- Christian bias
of much of the mass media?
Every parish should have a web site or a web
page on the Archdiocese web site. If the Archdiocese could allocate space on its web site to
every parish, it would an easy way to publicise
parish activities on the internet. Most parishes
in the USA have a web site with contact
details, times of services, activities and events,
and articles of interest. For example, see St
Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in Dallas,
Texas (www.orthodox.net). As an alternative
to a web site, or in conjunction with it, parishes should publish newsletters containing
church announcements and short articles. It is
not necessary for the priest to manage the web
site or write the newsletter (although it is necessary for the priest to oversee content). There
are young and old people in every parish with
the computer skills to mange web sites, write
newsletter, type, print, photocopy etc.
Where the priests do not have the necessary
time or skill to look after web sites or write
newsletters and there are no parish members
available to assist why cannot parishes with
skills and resources at their disposal allow
neighbouring parishes to “piggy back”? We
could have newsletters, web sites, e-mail
groups, etc, published by groups of parishes.
At the Archdiocese level - general
The Archdiocese should have a professional
publicity officer to assist in the cultivation of
relationships in the media, the drafting of press
releases, and the development and implementation of media strategies and tactics on particular issues.
Young people should be the primary target of
our communication strategy, and English
should the language of choice for communication with young people. The level of language,
both Greek and English, should be simple
enough for all readers or listeners to understand. While style is important, it is more
important that the mind and heart of the reader is touched.
Cont. page 10/42
Suggestions and recommendations
The industrial age is over - we are well into the
new information age. Mass media and the
internet are now among the tools we are given
to work with. We must grasp these tools and
use them to build Gods house. All media
should be used including the internet, a powerful medium readily accessible to the Archdiocese and parishes.
At the parish level
Most work of the Archdiocese is carried out in
the parishes. The parishes care for the flock.
The parishes give catechism and baptism to
newcomers to the faith. Every parish should
have a communication strategy to support and
expand its pastoral and missionary activities:
Cultivate relationships with journalist in the
local English newspapers. Have selected
church activities advertised and /or reported in
those newspapers. Consider events and activities in the parish for “human interest” stories in
the local paper. Local newspaper journalists
often move on to major metropolitan newspapers. Contacts with such people may last a lifetime.
Parishes should learn how to create and issue
press releases about their activities. Press
releases can be developed in conjunction with
and/or approved by the Archdiocese.
Anyone wishing to be involved in media activity should obtain basic media training. Perhaps
this is something the Archdiocese can organize
from time to time it- would cost only a few
hundred dollars per participant to organize
professional media training.
Con & Sons wish the Greek community of Australia
Happy Easter
116036
APRIL 2003
Greek Australian VEMA
Facts & Stats
TO BHMA
7
/39
DID YOU KNOW?
The very first projection of an image on
a screen was made by a German priest.
In 1646, Athanasius Kircher used a candle or oil lamp to project hand-painted
images onto a white screen.
Report: Heroin drought continues but amphetamine use up
"We cannot be complahad also increased.
cent in relation to this,
"While the number of
to illicit drugs, albeit
heroin users decreased,
there is a current shortreduced availability
age in Australia."
saw an increase in the
While heroin is drying
diversion of prescripup, drug users are
tion
medications,
moving to other drugs.
cannabis, (amphetaOne of the most dismines) and cocaine,"
turbing developments
the report found.
has been the move to
"There was a significant
prescription medicines
reduction in the number
such as Panadeine
of fatal heroin overdoes
Forte and pethidine.
recorded nationally."
Justice Minister Chris Ellison
Twenty-eight per cent
Authorities
found
of heroin users reportalmost 3,000 kilograms
ed they had used other,
of cannabis during
legally available, opioids, up from 19 per 2001-02, with about 99 per cent of the seized
cent.
drug coming from Afghanistan.
The number of heroin users taking morphine Although the number of seizures related to
First Aboriginal MP looking
beyond indigenous issues
Linda Burney is proud to be the first Aborigine elected to the NSW parliament, but warns
she doesn't want to be pigeonholed away in
indigenous affairs.
After four years with the state's Department
of Aboriginal Affairs - finishing up as its
director-general - and an earlier stint in
indigenous education, Ms Burney is looking
to broaden her horizons professionally.
"I'm against the idea that if you're Aboriginal
the only thing you know is Aboriginal
affairs, the only thing you can think about is
Aboriginal affairs, the only thing you can talk
about is Aboriginal affairs," she told AAP.
"It's a nonsense.
"Indigenous people should be considered for
positions in the mainstream as well as indigenous affairs, and that's one of the motivations
for me."
Ms Burney, 45, said she fulfilled a personal
dream when she was elected to parliament on
Saturday - in the safe Labor seat of Canterbury in Sydney's south-west.
Raised in the NSW Riverina, she began her
career as a primary school teacher in Sydney's west. Her involvement in community
activism culminated in a major role organising Corroboree 2000 and the reconciliation
walk across Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Ms Burney, a mother of two children who
counts former Victorian premier Joan Kirner
among her mentors, said moving into politics
was a natural career progression.
But she brushed off media speculation of
being a ministerial candidate, saying she
would concentrate on working for people in
her electorate.
"I don't expect a ministry first up, no," she
said.
"No one's spoken to me about it, let's just put
it that way.
"I'm not pre-empting anything. I'll be very
happy in the first instance to be the member
for Canterbury."
Pressed further about her political ambitions,
Ms Burney had only this to say: "I don't
believe in chopping wood for practice."
Despite her plans to work outside indigenous
issues, she would not be abandoning her
involvement in the reconciliation movement.
"That's not about a job, that's about life."
Iraq war like bad reality
TV show, says expert
Saturation media coverage of the Iraq conflict had become like a bad reality television
show, a social historian and popular culture
expert said today.
University of Queensland Professor Kay
Saunders said media coverage was at risk of
desensitising the public to the real horrors of
warfare.
"This makes it very unreal," Prof Saunders
told AAP.
"It numbs us to the realities of what war is
like.
"The more we know about it the less it
becomes real and more like a reality TV
show."
Prof Saunders said television coverage of
targets being bombed had become reminiscent of a computer game.
"We see the military's point of view without
amphetamines remained static around the
6,000 mark, the amount of the drug found
sky-rocketed.
After 229,000 grams of amphetamines were
found during 2000-01, more than 600,000
grams were discovered the following year.
Senator Ellison said one of the biggest concerns about amphetamines was the high
involvement in bikie gangs in their manufacture and sale.
Most of the amphetamines now on the
domestic market were locally made.
"Outlaw motor cycle gangs continue to feature prominently in the manufacture of
amphetamines in Australia," the report found.
"Given that these groups often employ associates to produce the drug on their behalf, it is
likely their actual involvement is even more
significant than is immediately apparent."
AAP
The big dry ready to undermine
record agriculture year
The extent of the economic damage caused by
the drought became clear, with new figures
showing the strength of rural Australia before
the big dry.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics said the
gross value of agricultural commodities in
2001-02 was a record $39 billion.
Led by huge improvements from the cereals,
livestock and dairy sectors, it was a 14 per cent
increase on the $34.2 billion recorded the previous year.
But the economic joy has been shortlived,
with the gross value of agricultural commodities this financial year tipped to be down
almost a quarter to around the $30 billion
mark.
The bureau said the value of crop production
climbed 12 per cent to $20.8 billion, led by a
22 per cent increase in the value of wheat
which hit a record $6.3 billion.
Wheat production lifted 12 per cent due to
improved yields, while prices were up eight
per cent.
The gross value of barley skyrocketed 29 per
cent to $1.7 billion after a 25 per cent increase
in production, while the value of sugar cane
production improved 54 per cent to $1 billion.
The livestock industry, which is now hitting a
brickwall as farmers hold on to their animals
to rebuild flocks and herds, improved 18 per
cent to $11.4 billion in 2001-02.
The gross value of beef slaughterings improved 11 per cent to $7.2 billion, while the value
of sheep and lamb slaughterings improved 52
per cent to $2.1 billion.
Poultry slaughterings broke the $1 billion barrier to hit $1.2 billion, while the pig sector
pulled up just short at $968 million.
The milk sector, which has been in a state of
flux since the advent of deregulation, rebounded 20 per cent to $3.7 billion on the back of a
12 per cent increase in milk prices and seven
per cent lift in production.
Although wool production fell nine per cent,
the total value of wool production improved
six per cent to $2.7 billion.
There were falls in some sectors, with the
value of rice production down 19 per cent to
$282.8 million.
Rice is expected to fall even further this year
because of the drought.
The value of tomato production dipped 13 per
cent to $223 million, while the potato production was down 1.9 per cent to $449.7 million.
the human impact," she said.
"It's like a computer game but in fact it's real
where targets get hit, blow up and they move
on to something else.
"This is totally dangerous because you don't
have any feelings for individuals."
Prof. Saunders said live-to-air broadcasts
and improving technology had vastly altered
the way wars were covered.
"Big corporations do this not at the behest of
a government like in World War I where
governments could control what people
saw," she said.
"No government can now do that because of
trans-national media ownership.
"We just have to get the more human face of
war and understand that war is there to kill
people - we need to have some compassion."
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Australia's heroin drought is continuing, but
users are turning to prescription drugs, a new
report has found.
The Australian Illicit Drug Report for 200102 found 419.6 kilograms of heroin was
seized during the year, almost double that in
2000-01.
More than 91 per cent of the heroin seized in
Australia, just over 378 kilograms, was taken
in a single sting in Brisbane.
Justice Minister Chris Ellison said Australia
was unique in having a heroin shortage.
Despite the heroin drought, Senator Ellison
warned there were still widescale efforts by
drug users to get the drugs into the country.
"It indicates that we've seen a continued
shortage in relation to heroin, in fact it also
indicates there are still serious attempts to
import heroin into this country," he told
reporters.
8
/40
TO BHMA
The Greek Australian VEMA
APRIL 2003
Windows to Orthodoxy
The strange logic of Dean Jensen
He goes on to tell the story of a University of NSW Hindu student. The student, according to Jensen, believed in Jesus, but
simply wished to incorporate Him into the Hindu Pantheon:
By Guy Freeland*
I must apologise to our readers in Melbourne and
elsewhere for turning my attention once again to
Sydney’s Anglican scene. But I am afraid that,
when it comes to Anglicanism, Sydney is where it
is all happening.
Sydney has always been evangelical, but in recent decades a
very distinctive form of Conservative Evangelicalism has been
spreading like a bushfire. Recently, this conflagration has been
fed by the appointment of Sydney’s leading Evangelical scholar, Dr Peter Jensen, as Archbishop of Sydney.
But with the election of Dr Jensen, Sydney found that it hadn’t
just got an Archbishop, it had also acquired an Archbishop’s
family.
On Friday March 7 Peter Jensen’s brother, Phillip, the Rector
of St Matthias’, Randwick and proselytising Anglican Chaplain to the University of New South Wales, was installed by his
brother as Dean of St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney, a highly
prestigious and influential position.
On Monday morning, March 10, bleary-eyed Sydney residents,
as they ventured out to locate their Sydney Morning Herald,
were greeted by a large photo of the Very Rev. Phillip Jensen at
his installation in the Cathedral.
I have no wish to become embroiled in Anglican squabbles.
What, however, should concern all of us are some highly
unhelpful remarks made by the new Dean in his 40 minute sermon.
With about 35 minutes worth of sermon I have little concern.
What is of worry is the remaining 5 minutes.
What the Dean is arguing for is the exclusivity of Christianity.
If Christianity is true, then other faiths must be false:
“The Qur’an denies that Jesus died — the Bible
declares he died and his death is central to his whole
life and message. The Jews agree that Jesus died but
deny that he rose again. All these views cannot be
right. They could all be wrong — Jesus may never
have lived. But if he did live then either he died or he
did not die. And if he died he is either still dead or he
rose from the grave. If one view is right the others
must be wrong. We must stop the stupidity of
stretching social tolerance into religious or
philosophical relativism.”
I offered to show him that Hinduism is wrong with
out attacking Hinduism. I asked the question did
Jesus die. If he did the Qur’an ... was wrong. If on the
other hand he did not die — then the Bible was wrong
... about the very central claim of Christianity. They
both cannot be right ... And if they both cannot be
right — then his Hinduism which taught him that all
religions are right cannot be right either.”
Having to his satisfaction shot down the arguments of his
Hindu student, the Dean then, for good measure, discharged a
second barrel:
There are many lovely wonderful Hindus and
Moslems and Jews and atheists in our city... But
their different religions cannot all be right. Some, or
all of them, are wrong. And if wrong are the monstrous lies and deceits of Satan — devised to destroy
the life of the believers. To capture them into the
cosmic rebellion against God — and to destroy the
freedom they should have in Christ.”
What I find extremely odd is the widespread acceptance of the
validity of the Dean’s line of argument. A case in point is a Sydney Morning Herald editorial on March 14, headed ‘Boldly
goes the Dean’.
While the writer rightly criticises the bit about “lies and deceits
of Satan”, he or she almost unbelievably endorses the soundness of Dean Jensen’s logic.
Phillip Jensen’s Faulty Logic
Let us analyse the logic of Jensen’s argument. In doing so, we
need to keep in mind the distinction between validity and truth.
An argument is valid if its conclusion follows with logical
necessity from the premises or grounds of the argument, irrespective of whether the premises are true or false.
Validity applies to arguments not to the statements of which
they are composed. Truth and falsity, on the other hand, apply
to statements not arguments. Some statements are necessarily
true because they are true by definition.
Others are empirical and can be either true or false depending
on whether they do or do not correspond to the state of affairs
to which they refer.
So let us put aside for a moment the question of whether Dean
Jensen’s premises and conclusions are true and just consider the
logical validity of his line of argument.
He asserts two pairs of premises. First, that the Qur’an says that
Jesus did not die, but the Bible says that He did. Second, that
Judaism says that Jesus did not rise from the dead, but the Bible
says that He did. Both premises of each pair, the Dean maintains, cannot be true. With this we can readily agree; either
Jesus did or did not die, either He did or did not rise from the
dead.
So far so good. But Jensen then draws the conclusion that Islam
and Christianity cannot both be true, neither can Judaism and
Christianity both be true.
It is amazing that the nature of the fallacy in this line of argument has been overlooked.
What the Dean is doing is drawing a general conclusion from
particular premises. In effect he is arguing that because one
alleged tenet of Islam and one of Judaism are contradicted by
the corresponding claims of Christianity, therefore either Islam
or Christianity must be a false religion, and either Judaism or
Christianity must be a false religion.
Add the premise that the Christian claims are true, then Islam
and Judaism must both be false religions.
Even if we find a dozen or more such mutually contradictory
pairs of fundamental tenets, still we could not validly conclude
that Islam or Judaism are false religions; we could only conclude that they are false with respect to those particular statements which contradict Christian tenets. You cannot validly
draw general conclusions from particular premises.
The plain truth of the matter is that both Islam and Judaism (and
for that matter Hinduism and Buddhism) are in full agreement
with Christianity on many points and partial agreement on
some others. In the case of the Jews, it hardly needs to be pointed out that their faith rests on the Old Testament. And traditional Islam shares some surprising dogmas in common with
orthodox Christianity, such as the virgin birth of Jesus, and the
affording to Him of the title, denied by Judaism, of ‘Messiah’.
In fact, as I have witnessed myself, Islam shares with Orthodox
and Catholic Christianity a devotion to the Virgin Mary
(though, of course, not as Mother of God).
While visiting the house in the hills above Ephesus where the
Theotokos is said to have lived after the Crucifixion, I witnessed the genuine reverence of Moslems visiting the site,
including a large party of Turkish police cadets! (The house is
believed to have belonged to the Apostle John.)
The last stage of the Dean’s logical chain, although valid under
certain conditions, leads to the most bizarre conclusion. Given
the truth of Christianity, then all other religions, being necessarily false, must be “monstrous lies and deceits of Satan’.
If, but only for the sake of argument, we accept Jensen’s conclusion that other religions are false, the final step only validly
follows if we add an additional premise to the effect that ‘Any
assertion which runs counter to a tenet of Christianity is the
Questions & Answers
Q
There is no mention of such a thing as
Easter in the Holy Bible. Pascha (or
Passover) is what is mentioned. Did
our Lord and Savior command that we
celebrate Pascha as His resurrection every
year? Please explain.
A
Hebrew term for Passover.
Source: “An Eastern Orthodox response to Evangelical
The Christian Church transformed the Jewish Passover, which claims”, by Rev. Father Paul O’Callaghan
commemorated the freeing of the Hebrew people from Egyptian
Light and Life Publishing Company, Minnesota
bondage, into a feast which commemorated the death and resur***
rection of Christ which freed humanity from the bondage of death, If you have any questions about the Orthodox faith which
sin and evil. We do not have a command from Jesus to celebrate the
you would like answered in the VEMA, send them to
Paschal Feast. But the Bible clearly indicates the New Testament
belief that Christ is the New Pascha for believers in Him, and that
VEMA - Q. & A.
is to celebrated by Christians: “For Christ, our paschal lamb, has
P.O.Box M59 Marrickville South,
The English word “Easter” is not a biblical word. It is
been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival....” (1
thought to be a translation of the name of the AngloNSW 2204
Corinthians 5:7).
Saxon spring goddess, “Eostre.”
or email them to:
In any case, it is an English word which is used today to Thus, the celebrations of Christ’s Resurrection became the first
[email protected]
translate the Greek term “Pascha,” which translates the Christian feast - The Christian Pascha.
APRIL 2003
Greek Australian VEMA
TO BHMA
9
/41
Windows to Orthodoxy
consequence of the monstrous lies and deceits
of Satan’! Let us now turn to the premises.
The Dean’s Faulty Premises
Certainly, it is true that Judaism rejects the resurrection of Jesus, but does the Qur’an deny
that Christ died (having been assumed living
into Heaven)? It is outrageous enough
denouncing other people’s religions as “monstrous lies and deceits” if one has got one’s
facts straight, it is even worse if one hasn’t.
It took me no more than half an hour of
research to discover that the Qur’an does not
say that Christ did not die. What the Dean
must be referring to is a passage in Sura 4. The
meaning of this passage is very unclear and
there have been many conflicting opinions
over it amongst exegetes.
Taken in isolation from other passages, one
possible interpretation is that the Qur’an is
endorsing a strange theory that circulated in
early times that someone else was substituted
for Christ and crucified in His place. Even if
taken in isolation, it is anything but clear that
that is what Sura 4 is saying. But, in any case,
taken in isolation it cannot be because Islamic
hermeneutics, like Christian, asserts that Scripture must be interpreted by Scripture.
In interpreting an obscure passage, all other
references to the matter must be consulted.
And there are a number of references in the
Qur’an to the death of Jesus; in fact, Sura 4
itself refers to His death. To assert that the
Qur’an denies the death of Jesus is absurd
when, for example, it puts into the mouth of
Christ the words “Peace be upon me the day of
my birth, and the day of my death, and the day
of my being raised up alive”. (The reference to
resurrection, though, is almost certainly to the
general resurrection of the dead.)
Not only must all relevant passages be consulted, but, unlike orthodox Christian
hermeneutics, Islamic hermeneutics has a
principle of abrogation, which can be applied
to override an interpretation of a text which is
seemingly in conflict with the weight of
Quranic evidence.
Although in the past the substitution interpretation has been widely accepted, one respected
Islamic scholar, Dr Kamel Hussein, described
this reading of Sura 4 as “very crude” and
declared that “No cultured Muslim believes in
this nowadays.” Professor Parrinder, whose
1
study I have been following, concludes his
discussion by saying that: “The cumulative
effect of the Quranic verses is strongly in
favour of a real death, and a complete self-surrender of Jesus.”
Now let us turn to the premise which asserts
that claims which conflict with Christian
teaching are the work of Satan. Some deliberately malicious lies directed at Christianity
could, if one wants to put it in such a way, perhaps be so described, but to suggest that all
views which conflict with Christianity are the
work of Satan is simply ludicrous, not to mention deeply offensive. After all, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and many other faiths
(though, of course, not Islam) well predate
Christianity.
But his seriously flawed logic and use of false
premises is not all that is wrong with Jensen’s
position. He seriously misrepresents the nature
of religious discourse and he adheres to an
exclusivist theology which is at odds not only
with the patristic tradition but even with the
Bible itself.
The Nature of Religious
Discourse
Certainly, the core beliefs of Christianity, such
as those expressed in the Creed, do include a
few such straightforward statements as that
Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried — since the
Church teaches that these were actual historical events — but most tenets are not propositions at all. Rather, they are pointers towards a
mystery which in its essence lies beyond the
grasp of human language and comprehension.
The language of liturgy and theology, and in
large part the Bible itself, is figurative, more
closely akin to poetry than empirical description. The assumed statements of cataphatic (=
positive) theology are for the most part merely
pseudo-propositions; and hence the logical
arguments of Scholastic and literalist theologians alike are often, in the view of the Orthodox Church, unsafe. That is why the Church
insists on the overriding superiority of
apophatic (= negative) theology which avoids
reducing theology to propositions.
Certainly, the Church has its authoritative formulas, which are necessary to guard against
heresy, but that is not to say that the same spiritual truth cannot be expressed in different language by other faiths. The Bible itself recognises that even pagan faiths can possess elements of the truth.
The Old Testament teaches that every nation
on earth has its own special angel who guides
it towards the truth and tries to deter it from
falling into idolatry. The angelic patron of
Israel was the Archangel Michael and since,
according to Christianity, the Churches of the
Old and New Testaments are continuous,
Michael became the supreme guide of the
Christian Church.
Apart from the guidance of the Angels of the
Nations, the Church, following the Bible, has
always taught that certain of the key theological truths — such as that there is but one God
and that one God is the creator of all things —
can be arrived at by reason and contemplation
of the wonders of the natural world alone; that
is, independently of the revelation in Christ or
its foreshadowing in the Old Testament.
recognised as disciples of the Logos, and in
later times Orthodox icons were painted of
them.
Orthodoxy, A Universal Faith
Following biblical and patristic tradition,
Orthodoxy knows nothing of Dean Jensen’s
brand of exclusivist Christianity, but rather
proclaims a universal faith which embraces all
righteous seekers after God — those not perverted by idolatry or wilfully disobedient to
natural reason or conscience — of all faiths
and cultures, and of all times from the Palaeolithic caves till now.
From early times pagan myths have been interpreted as types of New Testament antitypes,
and pagan writings such as Virgil’s Fourth
Eclogue have been understood as prophecies
of the Incarnation. Origen (c.185-c.254) saw
the guidance of the Angels of the Nations not
only in Greek philosophy but in pagan astral
religion and the Hindu Scriptures.
How could it be otherwise? Could a loving
God leave the vast bulk of humanity to perish
because they lived before Christ (and weren’t
Jews), or because, though living after the
Incarnation, they were prevented for whatever
reason from embracing the fullness of the revelation in Christ?
Although there can be no Salvation save
through the death and resurrection of Christ,
that does not mean that Salvation is restricted
to paid-up, card-holding members of the
Church (or Bible-believers’ study groups).
It is open to all who do not wilfully reject
God’s love but seek the truth and right action
within the circumstances of their times and
places. In other words, salvation is open to all
disciples of the Logos whom Our Lord will
recognise at the Judgment.
Of course, there is a sense in which Orthodoxy
is exclusive. The Church uncompromisingly
maintains that it alone has preserved Holy Tradition in its fullness without either addition or
subtraction.
Further, it restricts Holy Communion, the
sacrament of unity, to those who are united to
the Orthodox Church itself. This zealous
guarding of its teaching and mysteries sometimes distresses non-Orthodox Christians. But
it is only by guarding the walls of its heart that
the Church can manifest itself to the world as
the body of Christ.
It is because the Church stands firmly in the
fear of the Lord at the centre of the concentric
circles of humanity and the whole creation that
it can embrace whatever it finds in other
denominations, faiths, cultures and times that
is “honourable”, “just”, “pure”, “lovely” or
“gracious” (Philippians 4:8) and, by the centripetal energies of the Holy Spirit, draw all
things ever closer in towards the loving
embrace of Our Saviour.
* Dr Guy Freeland is an Honorary Lecturer
at St Andrew’s Theological College.
[Endnotes]
1 Geoffrey Parrinder, Jesus in the Qur’an,
Oneworld, reprinted 1995, Ch. 11.
2 Paul develops these ideas in Romans. See
particularly 1:18-23 & 2:12-16, 25-29.
3 See Jean Danielou (trans. D.Heimann), The
Angels and Their Mission: According to the
Fathers of the Church, Four Courts Press /
Christian Classics, reprinted 1991, Chs 1&2.
ÉÄÉÏÊÔÇÔÇÓ: ÓÔÅËÉÏÓ ÊÏÕÊÏÕÂÉÔÁÊÇÓ
This is what is called ‘Natural Theology’, as
distinct from ‘Dogmatic Theology’, which is
theology which is grounded in special divine
revelation. A very significant proportion of the
writings of the Eastern Fathers is indeed natural theology, which the Fathers regarded as a
powerful aid in the conversion of educated
pagans.
As with fundamental theological truths, so
with moral decisions. St Paul says that Gentiles, who do not have the Old Testament Law
to guide them, have the voice of their Godgiven conscience. Jews will be judged by the
Old Testament Law, Gentiles by their conscience.2
So both in the case of basic theological truths
and moral principles, humanity has always
been led towards the truth by reason, contemplation of the Creation, the ‘prick’ of conscience and the ministry of the angels.3 The
Word, the Logos, which is Christ, was thus
striving for utterance, not only through the
words and deeds of the Old Testament patriarchs, prophets and sages, but through righteous, God-seeking men and women of all cultures and times. As early as St Clement of
Rome (writing c. 96) and St Justin the Philosopher (c.100-c.165) great Ancient Greek
philosophers, such as Socrates and Plato, were
115940
Cont. from previous page
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P.O.BOX 115, SUNSHINE VIC. 3020
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FAX: (03) 9312 0966
10
/42
The Greek Australian VEMA
TO BHMA
What’s new
Towards a Mass Media strategy for
the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
The Vema
Cont. from page 6/38
Archdiocese web site
The Archdiocese web site should be given
high priority. It should be upgraded. It is currently too slow. It should be run from a high
speed server with capacity to cope with reasonable traffic. It should have a unique domain
name that is easy to find and remember. It
should be publicized extensively and registered with all internet search engines. Example
of other Archdiocese web sites are the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese of America
(www.goarch.org) and the Orthodox Church
of America (www.oca.org).
As for content, the first words that one reads
when opening a web site are “The Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia is a jurisdiction if the Ecumenical Patriarchate”. This
official and legalistic statement is not the most
important fact about the church in Australia. A
web site should contain such “ official” content, but should firstly concentrate on easy to
read, informative content that will attract people of the church. It should educate and
enlighten someone who may want to become
or who is already a Christian. Someone reading the web site should be left with conviction
that the Orthodox Christian faith is the truth tat
saves.
St Andrews Theological College should have
its section, or a separate site, with the information about current program, staff profiles,
activities, public lectures, etc.
As soon as the web site is fully functional, the
archdiocese should commence an e-mail news
group that can be joined via the Archdiocese
web site. All young people have access to the
internet and e-mail. E-mail can work like a
virus - e-mails are forwarded and republished
at the incredible speed. Let’s use this power.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
has such a list. You can join at
http://listserv.goarch.org/archives/orthodoxnews.html.
Administering the web site is work for computer professionals or enthusiasts (technically
known as geeks). A committee of students and
computer professionals can administer the
web site under the supervision of the Archdiocese. (The committee need not be in one citythey can communicate be e-mail).
The content of the web site should be overseen
by an editorial committee, which should overlap with the editorial committee for the Bima.
A complex web site is expensive to run. A
committee needs to work out how it is to be
financed. Advertising this web site is not
appropriate.
HMA
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18002
The Greek Australian Vema
The voice of truth...
The fact that the Archdiocese publishes The
Vema is excellent. This is powerful tool in the
service of the mission of the Church in Australia. However, it can be improved.
The finances of the newspaper must be put on
a sound footing so that is at least breaks even.
In the long term, we cannot rely on donations
and unnecessary advertising from parishes.
The only solution is to increase the quality of
the content so that the newspaper is actively
read by the majority of church-going faithful.
This will attract genuine advertising for which
a commercial rate can be charged.
Once the qualify/financial issue has been
resolved, distribution can be widened, so that
the newspaper is available to the non-churchgoing population. It should be available in
every newsagency where the Greek language
newspapers are sol, and eventually in every
newsagency where the Greek Orthodox faithful live. A professional distributor should be
used for this purpose.
How can the content be improved?
A professional journalist or journalists, capable of investigating interviewing and writing
original stories should be hired full-time.
The editorial committee should comprise 50%
people sufficient caliber who are born in Australia, whose first language is English and who
understand Australian made media standards.
Thus, incidents with the Press Council can be
avoided, the integrity of the newspaper in the
Australian environment can be preserved and
the newspaper made appealing to the younger
generation who is the future of our Church.
Articles should be appropriate to monthly or if
The Vema becomes weekly. That is, they
should be analytical and concentrate on issues
of lasting importance. We do not need recycled news articles that stale by the time they
appear.
There should be more news on the Orthodox
Church throughout the world so that we can
understand and feel our connection with our
brethren everywhere.
The English section should be expanded to at
least half the newspaper. It should be written in
a polished readable style. (Contributions
should be edited by a professional).
In addition to news, The Vema should always
include articles explaining Orthodox Christianity in simple language for those who have
little knowledge, as well as articles for more
sophisticated readers. Such articles should not
excerpts from Fathers, but fresh, well written
articles contemporary style.
Many people have written talents. As long as
their strict editorial supervision and high standards, why not solicit articles from all who can
contribute?
Last but not least, the newspaper needs professionals redesign for visual attractiveness and
readability. In the course of such redesign consideration should be given to mixing up the
Greek and English sections so that translations
are side by side.
Conclusions
An effective mass media strategy at both the
parish and the Archdiocese level must form a
basic part of the mission of the Church to
“teach all the nations”. We have a destiny in
this place, a mission entrusted to us by Christ
Himself. When we fulfil that mission, we save
APRIL 2003
DID YOU KNOW?
For 3000 years, until 1883, hemp was
the world's largest agricultural crop,
from which the majority of fabric, soap,
paper, medicines, and oils were produced.
Tourist submarine to begin
tour of Santorini seabed
Greece’s first-ever tourist submarine was presented on March 12 at the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Neo Faliro. The sub will be
used to ferry tourists below the sea surface in
the region of Caldera in the Cycladic island of
Santorini beginning this summer. The Atlantis
Santorini I, which was inaugurated by Merchant Marine Minister George Anomeritis on
March 12, can dive to a depth of 25-30m and
at an angle of 15 degrees for up to an hour.
Designed to accommodate 28 passengers and
two cabin crew, the Atlantis will tour an old
shipwreck on the seabed clearly visible
through the vessel’s port holes. The one-hour
tip, which is also set to include a “show” by
divers, will cost visitors 50 euros.
“We’ve known Santorini from above. Now is
the chance to see it undersea and admire its
unique eco-system,” Anomeritis said.
The submarine, which cost 2.93 million euros,
will carry out 8-10 runs daily from early April
until September and will be monitored by a
surface vessel throughout its voyage with constant contact maintained between them.
Atlantis Santorini I was constructed in Spain
on behalf of Greek-Spanish company Great
Blue Santorini Maritime Co. There are three
other submarines of this type in Europe - two
in Spain and one in Cyprus.
The idea was first entertained back in 1995 by
Makis Kanakaris, the managing director of
the company, who used to take divers on his
boat to explore Santorini’s volcano.
(02)
“I just thought: ‘Why shouldn’t visitors see
what divers see,’” he said. “So, for the next six
years I visited Spain and Cyprus to get a closer look at these submarines.”
According to Kanakaris, the Atlantis is a
unique vessel which can also serve as a catamaran when it’s not scouring the seabed. “It’s
like a catamaran. When it’s not under the sea,
it can be used a ship.”
(Athens News)
Olympic Airways
to be 2004 carrier
Ailing Greek state carrier Olympic Airways was chosen on March 20 as the official airline for the 2004 Olympic Games in
Athens, officials said.
The airline pledged 10 million euros to
become a major sponsor and the official
airline for the Games, Athens Games
organiser Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki
and Transport Minister Christos Verelis
said after a meeting.
Greece has repeatedly failed to privatise the
debt-ridden airline. Its most recent attempt,
a sale to the Golden Aviation group controlled by Greek shipowner Stamatis
Restis, collapsed in early February.
The government has also recently challenged a European Commission ruling
ordering it to recover 194 million euros in
illegal state aid to the airline.
Greek Australian VEMA
APRIL 2003
Palm Sunday to Pascha
woven from either palm branches or bay
leaves on Palm Sunday. Slavic peoples
receive pussy willow branches on Palm Sunday. These are adaptations due to climate in
the country of origin of these people. Greeks
greet each other with “Kali Anastasi” or
“Good Resurrection” on Great and Holy Friday.
In the Russian tradition, the faithful carry
home the “Thursday Fire” - the candles that
we hold during the reading of the 12 Passion
Gospels on Holy Thursday night. The flame is
used to light the lampada in the family’s Icon
Corner where it remains burning for the
/43
whole year.
In the Greek tradition, on the other hand, the
Paschal light is taken home instead. After the
Resurrection service, the faithful do not blow
out the candles, but hold them during the
entire Paschal Divine Liturgy. Every time the
Troparion “Christ is Risen.!” is sung or the
celebrant exclaims “Christ is Risen!” everyone in the congregation lifts his candle high as
the choir sings or responds with “Indeed, He
is risen!” After the service, the faithful take
the fire home to light the lampadas in front of
their icons. At mealtimes, the candle is lit as
the family sings “Christ is Risen.!”
The red egg that the celebrants presents to the
faithful at the end of the Paschal Divine Liturgy is also a tradition. The egg represents
Christ in the tomb. Breaking the egg is symbolic of the Resurrection.
Slavic people and by some Greek families
observe the tradition of bringing a basket of
food to be blessed after the Paschal Divine
Liturgy. The basket usually contains bread
(made with eggs and milk), cheese, meat,
eggs, butter, salt, and other foods that the family plans on having for their Paschal celebration. There should also be a lit candle, symbolizing the Light of Christ.
All of these traditions and customs are good as long as they do not reeplace in our heart the
memory of Christ Himself who died for us
and has risen for our salvation.
Easter
in Grece
Wood Coffill Funerals Pty. Ltd
The Christian symbolism of Easter was first underlined by the Apostle Paul. When the Christians began
to celebrate Easter, they retained some of the features
of the Jewish Passover, while at the same time adding
others. This can be seen from the paschal lamb and the
red eggs.
In Byzantine times, it was the custom to bake ringbreads with a red egg in the middle. The egg is a symbol of life, while red is the color of joy. The dyeing of
eggs for religious purposes is a practice, which is
encountered in many parts of the world. Before Easter, there is a 50 day fasting period. Easter begins on the
Saturday of Lazarus (the Saturday before Palm Sunday) with children going from door to door singing the
hymn of “Lazaros” and collecting money and eggs.
On the morning of Palm Sunday people gather in
Church and are given a cross made from palm fronds,
which they put on their icon-stands at home and keep
it for the whole of the coming year. Every evening
throughout Holy Week, people gather in Church to
follow with devoutness the Passion of Christ.
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On Holy Tuesday, housewives make sweet
koulourakia and the following day they do the housework, while in the evening they follow the blessing of
Holy Oil that takes place in Church. Holy Thursday is
the day to receive Holy Communion during the St
Basil Liturgy and for dyeing eggs. In the evening, after
the reading of the 12 Gospels, the girls undertake the
decoration of the bier of Christ (epitaphios) with garlands of flowers, so that in the morning of Good Friday it is ready to receive the Holy Gospel and the
image of the body of Christ when He is taken down
from the Cross.
Good Friday is a day of mourning. The drama of the
death of Christ is followed with great devoutness.
Sweet things are not eaten - for the love of Christ, who
was given vinegar to drink. Soup made with sesamepaste, lettuce or lentils with vinegar is the food eaten
on this day.
Good Friday evening has the procession of the bier
(representing Christ’s funeral). A band or choir playing or singing solemn music precedes the procession;
they are followed by the cantors, the clergy, women
bearing myrrh, the altar boys carrying the liturgical
fans, scouts and guides, and the people of the region,
who sing the hymns throughout the procession. All
along its route, people scatter flowers and perfumes on
the epitaphios (bier), holding lighted candles in their
hands.
On Holy Saturday evening, the Resurrection Liturgy
takes place. People, carefully, take home their lighted
candles with the holy light of the Resurrection. Before
entering their houses they make a cross with the
smoke of the candle on top of the door, they light the
oil candle before their icon-stand, and try to keep this
light burning throughout the year.
The Lenten fast ends on Easter Sunday with the cracking of red-dyed eggs and an outdoor feast of roast
lamb followed by traditional dancing.
11
DID YOU KNOW? There are no letters
assigned to the numbers 1 and 0 on a
phone keypad. These numbers remain
unassigned because they are so-called
"flag" numbers, kept for special purposes such as emergency services.
Easter 2003
Holy Tradition encompasses the beliefs of the
Orthodox Church which are set forth in Holy
Scripture, the writings of the Fathers, the liturgy of the Church, and through oral transmission through the ages. An example of Holy
Tradition is that Joachim and Anna are the
parents of Mary the Theotokos. Their names
do not appear in the Bible, but have been
handed down to us since the beginnings of
Church history. Orthodox traditions (with a
small ‘t’) are defined as pious customs - they
are things that we do, not things that we
believe. There are many examples of pious
traditions in the week from Palm Sunday
through Pascha, the feast of the Resurrection.
An Arabic tradition is to hold candles decorated with flowers for Palm Sunday along
with palm branches. Greeks hold crosses
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12
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The Greek Australian VEMA
What’s new
Hellenic
Business
Trade Commissioner
and HACCI talk
Mr Stefanos Voudouris Greece’s Trade Commissioner in Sydney arrived in Perth on 26
February to join the Premier, vice consul Mr
Petros Benekos and 160 other dignitaries
and guests in the evening at the ‘Oceanus
Restaurant’.
The restaurant is owned by shopping centre
developers and ‘Driftwood Wines’ operators
Tom and Eleni Galopoulos. They made a
wonderful success of the ‘Driftwood restaurant’ on Caves Road 20km north of Margaret
River in the midst of the south-west’s most
attractive wine producers, freshwater trout
and crustaceans, deer farms for venison and
the tastiest seawater crayfish. The coast from
Yanchep 10 km to the north of Driftwood
down to Augusta 100 km south is the most
scenic on the west coast. Here, WA’s famous
Greek-Australian artist Vlase Zanalis painted
his 1930s landscapes. Zanalis’ biography is
to be launched by June. Mr Voudouris spoke
on the trade, business and investment opportunities opening in Greece prior to the 2004
Athens Olympics. Greece wished to maintain
the links into the future. He emphasized the
Hellenic Australian Chambers of Commerce
and Industry (HACCIs) should work closer
with his office and with chambers in Athens.
Next day Mr Benekos hosted Mr Voudouris
with current and former HACCI presidents
Bill Evangel and Con Berbatis.
Mr Voudouris’ office sends lists of manufacturers and exporters in Greece to Hellenic
business companies and bodies in Australia
and New Zealand. Bill Evangel said local
companies like Austal the aluminium ferry
boat builders, seafood producers and others
with large property developments in Greece
showed HACCI members had existing trade
with Greece from WA and the potential for
much more business.
HACCI members would invest in Greece if
they were better informed about incentives
for business and property developments in
Greece. Mr Voudouris agreed to send detailed
information soon.
Mr Berbatis had concluded after his December-January world trip that a HACCI presence was needed in Athens by maybe sharing
offices with existing Hellenic-American or
other chambers and a local Hellenic-Australian chamber should be established there.
Bill Evangel said websites were the keys to
business in the 21st century and more than 20
chamber websites were posted in HACCI
WA’s new website for members to make
direct international and interstate contacts .
He referred to the present national site based
in Melbourne www.hacci.com.au and the
new www.hacci.org.au being set up in Perth
by HACCI WA.
Mr Benekos the vice consul quoted Greece’s
commercial websites such as www.elke.gr
(the Greek Centre for Investments) with a
range of commercial information .
Mr Voudouris agreed these issues required
him to speak with senior officers in Greece
and Australia and distribute soon the necessary information to Australia’s Hellenic business bodies.
Better liaison between Greece’s agencies in
Australia and Hellenic chambers or businesspeople in Australia and New Zealand is a priority if both parties are serious about doing
business.
Berbatises in Athens and US
2000-01 HACCI WA president Con Berbatis,
Mrs Rita Berbatis and Catherine visited
APRIL 2003
DID YOU KNOW?
The word malaria comes from the words mal
and aria, which means bad air. This derives
from the old days when it was thought that
all diseases are caused by bad, or dirty air.
LEFT: Mrs Anna, Fr Constantine and John Xirouchakis in New York
RIGHT: Petros Benekos and Stefanos Voudouris
Greece, Europe, UK, North America and
Hong Kong from 13 December to 27 January
2003. First call in Athens was Australia’s
embassy where he met Austrade’s Trade
Commissioner Susan Kahwati and 1st Secretary to the Ambassador Richard Mathews.
They agreed HACCIs needed a presence in
Athens to be effective in Greece. HACCIs in
Australia needed strong links with the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
to capitalise on trade and business opportunities available to other chambers.
Con Berbatis then met with Maria Barboutis
of Sydney, First Digital’s Alex Hillston an
executive solicitor from Sydney and Pavlos
Papanos an ex-Uni NSW MBA about forming an Hellenic-Australian chamber in
Athens sharing an office with established
chambers.
The Berbatises visited Paris in late December
and London from 1-5 January. They attended
the churches of Sts Constantine and Helene in
Montmartre and London’s Aghia Sophia .
On 5 January they were met in a snowing
Washington DC by Mrs Marilyn and
Emanuel Rouvelas.
Marilyn is the author of the best-selling “
Greek traditions and customs...” now in its
second edition. The book is available from
Sydney’s ‘Peters of Kensington’. Marilyn
helped Rita and daughter Catherine Berbatis
build their first snowman in the snowfields of
Arlington overlooking Washington DC.
They traveled by Amtrak train to New York
City on 9 January and stayed to 12 January.
While there they were hosted by the
Xirouchakis family in Astoria’s top Greek
seafood restaurant. Rev Fr Constantine
Xirouchakis who served Perth’s St Constantine and Helene church from 1962-1975 was
born in Crete and graduated from the Halkis
seminary some years before His Eminence
Archbishop Stylianos with whom he retains a
long friendship. Fr Xirouchakis is the priest
of St Eleftherios church at 359 West 24th
Street. Mrs Anna Xirouchakis shares her
longing for Perth along with John the only
one of four children born there.
On 20-21 January on the final US stop Mr
Berbatis met Mr Dimitri Touloupas Greece’s
Consul-General in San Francisco with Mr
Ted Laliotis an electronics engineer and exmayor of Los Altos on the northern tip of California’s ailing Silicon Valley, a victim of US
recession and price deflation caused by
India’s software computer companies.
On 27-28 January in Hong Kong Mr
Berbatis met expatriates, the Asian Wall
Street Journal’s news editor Michael Yiannakis from Perth, Lehman Brothers vice president of equity derivatives Alex Ventouras of
Vancouver and Hong Kong’s Department of
Justice assistant director of public prosecutions Kevin Zervos of Melbourne.
The Berbatises returned to Perth 29 January
renewed by round-the-world meetings with
Greek-diaspora relatives, friends and business colleagues.
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160000
APRIL 2003
Greek Australian VEMA
Feature
TO BHMA
13
/45
DID YOU KNOW?
About 2,4 billion CDs are sold
annually. The number of recorded
CDs and blank CDs sold has been
about equal.
George Raftopoulos: “I’ve never
been in it to please anybody...”
Interviewed by Olga Hatzopoulos
When we think about artists we tend
to imagine eccentric Vincent Van
Gogh types, who in a fit of rage slash
of their ears and have other maniacal
tendencies. So one of the questions I
had for Sydney based artist George
Raftopoulos was how he copes with
the pressures of being an artist,
which is seemingly not an average 95 occupation. I was surprised by his
response.
“That’s quite funny, because it actually is an
average occupation. I start work at 7 in the
morning and finish at 4 in the afternoon. The
only difference is that when I don’t feel especially inspired one day I just lock the door and
walk out. But I do try to stick to a routine
because it’s all about the flow. If I have another exhibition I have to keep going. I can’t stop
and just go.”
George Raftopoulos was born in Sydney in
1972. His father was born on the Greek island
of Corfu and his mother is from Kalamata. For
6 years the family lived in the little country
town of Grenfell, which is a few hours west of
Sydney. The family moved back to Sydney in
1984. George admits it wasn’t that easy growing up in a town that didn’t have many ethnic
families.
“There were Greek families but there wasn’t a
lot of them so we were treated a bit alien. But
I think even today it still happens, it’s a part of
the fabric of society and early on it was a bit of
a problem.”
But George did find a way to get past that
environment.
“I proved myself, because in country towns
you have to prove yourself and once you do
that, then your accepted just like everybody
else is,” he says but he is also quick to add that
he has never been in it to please anybody.
“I’ve always done it to because it’s always
been my voice of honesty, and the way I could
make sense of this life we are living.”
But George did indeed prove himself and is
now an international acclaimed artist that
exhibits regularly and is featured in many collections around the world, from Sydney to
Washington and New York. George doesn’t
only paint but also dabbles in many other
mediums.
“I do a lot of things. I’ve worked with a fashion designer by the name of Alex Perry whom
I’ve painted fabrics for and who also designed
my wife’s wedding dress. I’ve also worked in
ceramics, photography - I do basically anything creative that I can get my hands on”
George admits.
George’s love of photography also veers into
another direction. He is married to photographer Denise.
“It’s not hard juggling a family and career
because my wife is from a creative viewpoint
herself, so she understands the highs and lows
of what I do and what I am striving for. And to
have someone support you in that realm is fantastic because they know when thinks are
going smoothly and when things are extremely tough. When you paint and create you ask
questions everyday that are not only from an
artistic point of view but also from a personal
point of view. Denise is always there, she’s
always supportive.”
But George’s immediate family was not
always that supportive of his career choice.
“Initially they were mortified and petrified.
They couldn’t believe that I was going to
become an artist because of the whole stereotype that comes along with it. The whole issue
that there is no money in it and all that sort of
thing. But in the last 5 years they have really
changed their views and support me now- 100
per cent plus. My parent have influenced me
greatly, firstly as a result of being Greek and
secondly by helping me answer all the questions of identity I’ve had and by supporting
me in my travels.”
Greek scripture and a Greek priest walked in
while the students started singing Greek
Prayers. That was a shock because there was
nothing like that in Grenfell.”
That incident started George questioning his
“Greekness” and started him on his travels to
Corfu every year to find out whom his grandparents were and where his family’s roots
were from.
“That whole identity thing is extremely important to me, and knowing where I’m from,
because when you are in Greece you are Australian and when you are in Australia you are
Greek. So you never are forever asking yourself, where do I belong?”
So it’s no real surprise, that his “Mapping the
Memory” exhibition provokes a real sense of
emotion. George after all is an artist who
One of Raftopoulos’s art works
That need to make sense of life and himself
has fuelled George’s need for travel and has
led him all over the world. It has also influenced his new exhibition “Mapping the Memory”. George explained to me what his concept “Mapping the Memory” means and how
it relates to his extensive travels.
“The title “Mapping the Memory” is in direct
relation to the way I work. It’s kind of an
abstract way of recollecting thoughts and
memories. All of my work reflects that. It’s
about journeys, journeys of the mind- of the
physical and mental mind. So I spend a lot of
time travelling.”
Travel is something that George has managed
to do since he finished high school. He has
been away nearly every year since then, even
when he was at university. George will be the
first to admit though that he doesn’t know why
he started travelling.
“It just sort of happened that way. I would go
away, come back and whole questions of identity, of being Greek, of being Australian and
all that sort of thing, would emerge,” George
explains.
The Greek culture, religion and language have
slowly emerged into being an important part
of George’s life, only because having lived in
Grenfell he really didn’t know that there was
such a thing as being Greek Australian, he just
assumed everybody was the same.
“It was such a small county town that I didn’t
realise that there was so many diverse people
or cultures. It was such a shock to me when, at
my first day at school in Sydney, I attended
refuses to carry a sketchpad or camera around,
instead opting to relive and preserve his experiences again without, according to him, “Taking the cheap way out”. He notes great Australian artist, John Olsen that talked about the
filtration process of thought and experience.
Mr Olsen said that you should let your experiences and thoughts come out and then utilise
them.
“So I prefer to experience and then let those
experiences come back at me and create from
that,” George says.
There are many occurring themes in George’s
exhibition, which includes many Greek titles
and words. He also manages to poke fun at the
career he abandoned because it was in his
experience, too tight and constrained - architecture.
“I suppose I’m poking fun at architecture by
breaking things down and using map references. There are heavy lines, some sort of plan
and structure.”
George though, isn’t an artist that just works
mechanically. He doesn’t frame his paintings
because of all the energy he puts into all of his
pictures. Even though you see that his paintings, on face value, are predominantly made
up of one colour, when you look at the side of
the canvas you can see many layers of colour
that played a part in the development of the
picture.
“That’s how I work, I layer things so when
you look at the side you can see how many
colours and how many layers of pain it has
taken to create a painting of mine.”
Asked if being from a Greek background has
hindered his acceptance into the art world
George said that it didn’t.
“The surname I have is a famous one, because
there was another artist by the name of
Emmanuel Rafti, whose surname was really
Raftopoulos. He shortened it because he came
out in the 1950’s and it was a sign of the times
- you had to change your name to survive.
That’s just a bit of history, a bit of culture.”
George had it easier than some when he
became the new kid on the art block, only
because he started exhibiting early on, while
he was still at university. His art has always
been popular among collectors even in his university days, though he does admit that it’s not
that easy being new.
“The art scene is very insular, very closed off
from people. Not everybody can gain access
into it, and that is unfortunate. It kind of has
that elitist view and just a Greek boy from
Surry Hills breaking in was an amazing feat,
and it still amazes me that I got in. It shouldn’t
be that way and hopefully with time, if you ‘re
good enough and if your talent speaks for
itself, you can do it”
I asked George if he thought art receives
enough funding in Australia. George didn’t
think so at all.
“There are particular things like scholarships
and residencies that people can apply for but
the government probably gives out 5 or 6 a
year and who knows how many people apply
for them. I never applied. I don’t believe in it,
I think it’s wrong. I think Australia doesn’t
have the history that, say Europe has. Art is
ingrained in their culture, in their psychology
and legacy as people. Artists over there are
considered “big”. Australia is such a young
country - but things are changing.”
And what does George have to say to all the
aspiring artists out there?
“It just doesn’t just take talent to be an artist.
It’s also, unfortunately a business. You’ve got
to be business savvy. Some people won’t want
to hear that but if you’ve got the talent, set
yourself and just get in there and have a go. It
will take time, it took me probably years but
I’ve proved myself and people are now backing me all the way in everything that I’m trying.”
George will be staging his next exhibition at
The AXIA Modern Art Gallery in Melbourne
and it opens 31 July. Next year he will be
showing in London. So what else does George
want to achieve in his life and art?
“Wow, in life, I would say being able to take
my children to the art gallery of N.S.W and to
be able to show them some of my paintings
that are hanging on the wall. I think just to
leave that legacy would be fantastic. But also,
just to have a great family and a great career.
To just achieve everything that I want to
achieve, whether I can see it now or I can’t.
And in terms of my art, I just want to be showing.”
With a wink he adds “ I would like to have a
showing in Athens at one time of my life.”
That would sure make the parents proud.
For further information please contact Australian Art Resources, 124 Jersey Road, Woollahra, NSW, Tel: (02) 9363 3063
14
/46
TO BHMA
The Greek Australian VEMA
What’s new
APRIL 2003
DID YOU KNOW?
On 21 June 1913, over Los Angeles,
Georgia Broadwick became the first
women to parachute from an airplane.
Combined Greek Orthodox School’s Junior Swimming Carnival
By Denise Galathris
The Combined Greek Orthodox
School’s Junior Swimming Carnival was held on 17th March at the
Des Renford Aquatic Centre in the
coastal suburb of Maroubra. The
three schools participating in the
carnival, now in its fifth year, were
All Saint’s Grammar School, St
Euphemia College and St Spyridon
College, who also hosted the event
this year.
Saint Patrick’s Day began on a
gloomy note this year with the
arrival of clouds promising heavy
rain. However by the commencement of the carnival, the day
unfolded gloriously for the young
swimming hopefuls, who marched
onto the diving board and showed
their competitors their aquatic
streak.
Mr John Volas, the Physical Education Teacher at St Spyridon College and the organiser of this year’s
carnival, admitted that he was concerned about the course of the day.
“I was worried about the weather,
because it was outdoors. But next
year it’s going to be indoors, so the
weather won’t be a problem.”
If all goes well for Mr Volas he will
also increase the scale of the Combined Greek Orthodox School’s
Swimming Carnival by including
both the junior and senior schools.
The event has been hosted by St
Spyridon College for three consecutive years. Mr Volas stated that
since the first year of hosting “St
Spyridon has been winning it...
The teacher before me wanted a
TOP: Mr Anthony Tsoutsas, Principal of All Saints Grammar School, presents Carnival Trophy to St Spyridon winners, while Mrs Hamer, Principal
of St Spyridon Junior Campus/School, MC’s
BELOW: Aqua play: Students from all the participating schools celebrate the
closing of the Carnival with a dip!
good swimming program and the
results are actually showing now.”
St Spyridon College (SSC) was
once again victorious in the Carnival scoring an impressive 336
points, followed by All Saints
Grammar School (ASG) with 247
and St Euphemia College (SEC)
with 189 points.
A more noteworthy concern
voiced by Mr Volas was that the
great sport achievers of the Greek
community receive little recogni-
tion and that must be changed to
include more media coverage of
their achievements.
“We have great kids in state teams
representing us in soccer, swimming and many more sports. Our
rugby team won the state championship a few years back.”
Congratulations to all the winners,
who are listed here, and to all those
who aspire to follow in Ian Thorpe’s shoes!
PLACE
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RESULTS
SCHOOL
POINTS
St Spyridon College
336
All Saints College
247
St Euphemia College
189
1.
OPEN 100m FREESTYLE
LS GIR
Makrina SPILIOTI
SSC
1.25.30
Krista MAVRANTONIS
SSC
1.34.84
Anna MALAMAS
SEC
1.40.30
2.
OPEN 100m FREESTYLE BOYS
Erik PAPADIMATOS
SSC
1.18.80 New
Alexander PAPADIMATOS
SSC
1.19.09
Dean TRAPALIS
ASG
1.19.43
3. 8 Years 50m FREESTYLE GIRLS
Samantha STILLIANESIS
ASG
57.68
Fotini PANSELINOS
SSC
1.00.74
Renee FENGITIS
ASG
1.01.36
4.
8 Years 50m FREESTYLE BOYS
Michael ALIFERIS
SEC
48.07
Christian KAGIASSIS
SEC
51.41
Harris KARAPIPERI
SSC
1.01.65
5.
9 Years 50m FREESTYLE GIRLS
Alexis MAVRANTONIS
SSC
46.00
Helena PAPOVIC
ASG
46.52
Elena HARIDIMOS
ASG
48.21
6.
9 Years 50m FREESTYLE BOYS
Michael
HORAFIOS
ASG
44.74
James MAVROVELIS
SSC
47.15
Dean ZOUGANELIS
SEC
52.32
7.
10 Years 50m FREESTYLE GIRLS
Milica SIMONOVIC
SSC
43.85
Kerry A. PALIVOS
SEC
44.52
Maree PARADISIS
ASG
45.88
8.
10 Years 50m FREESTYLE BOYS
Alexander PAPADIMATOS
SSC
35.29
NEW
Dean TRAPALIS
A SG
35.74
Dean ALIFERIS
SEC
44.27
9.
11 Years 50m FREESTYLE GIRLS
Krista MAVRANTONIS
SSC
38.27
Makrina SPILIOTI
SSC
39.06
Marilyn VALMAS
ASG
42.53
10.
11 Years 50m FREESTYLE BOYS
Christopher ALEVIZOS
SEC
36.94
Nathan TSIOULOS
ASG
37.29
Kosta PAPPAS
SSC
38.42
11.
12/13 Years 50m FREESTYLE GIRLS
Christina LAZARIDIS
SSC
39.71
Sophia KOMARKOWSKI
SEC
46.70
Lenita DRIVAS
SSC
47.49
12.
12/13 Years 50m FREESTYLE BOYS
Erik PAPADIMAT
OS
SSC
36.75
Travis LAVDARAS
ASG
37.12
Anthony DOUSKOU
ASG
37.48
13.
8/9 Years 50m BREASTROKE GIRLS
Elena HARIDIMOS
ASG
56.67
NEW
Helena POPOVIC
ASG
57.41
Kayla PANAGOPOULOS
SSC
58.94
14.
8/9 Years 50m BREASTROKE
OYS
B
Michael ALIFERIS
SEC
1.05.86
Nicholas BOROVSKIS
ASG
1.06.25
Michael HORAFIOS
ASG
1.08.41
15.
10 Years 50m BREASTROKE GIRLS
Maree PARADISIS
ASG
1.01.44
Anne SKOLARIKIS
SSC
1.01.79
Premier of NSW announces Minister
Assisting on Citizenship
The Premier of NSW, and Minister for Citizenship, Mr
Bob Carr announced that the Minister Assisting the Premier on Citizenship was Mr John Hatzistergos MLC.
He replaces Minister Morris Iemma MP - who has
become Minister for Health.
NSW Government Ministers were sworn in at an official
ceremony at Government House, earlier this month.
Mr Hatzistergos will also serve as the Minister for Justice (formerly known as the Minister for Corrective Services) and Minister Assisting the Premier on Citizenship.
“John Hatzistergos will play an important role in continuing our close and strong relations with migrant communities,” Mr Carr said.
“We will also implement our plans outlined in our citi-
zenship policy launched in February, titled Promoting
Harmony, Valuing Diversity,” Mr Carr said.
Mr Hatzistergos was elected to the NSW Legislative
Council in 1999, and is Member of New South Wales
Bar Association and Fellow of the Senate of the University of Sydney since 1999.
Mr Hatzistergos was born in Sydney in 1960 to parents
who migrated from Greece (island of Kos) in the late
1950’s.
He attended Bourke Street Primary School and Cleveland Street Boys High School before completing his
economics, law degrees at the University of Sydney.
He is married to his wife Maria, and they have three children.
Aussies urge tougher anti-doping stance
The Australian government is pushing for an independent tribunal to preside over anti-doping hearings following last month’s controversial decision to hand top
cricketer Shane Warne a ban of only 12 months.
Warne, one of cricket almanac Wisden’s five players of
the century, faced an Australian Cricket Board (ACB)
anti-doping committee hearing after testing positive for
a banned diuretic.
The 33-year-old leg spinner’s suspension provoked
international criticism led by World Anti-Doping
Agency (WADA) chairman Dick Pound, who
expressed surprise and dismay that Warne did not
receive the ACB’s minimum two-year ban.
“In Australia at present the handling of positive test
results is left in the hands of individual sports,” Australia’s Federal Sports Minister Senator Rod Kemp told
reporters on March 13.
“An independent tribunal to conduct hearings into positive drug tests has been on the government’s agenda
for some time now,” added Kemp at a sports conference in Melbourne.
Reuters
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APRIL 2003
Greek Australian VEMA
Demand Innovation
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/47
16
/48
TO BHMA
The Greek Australian VEMA
APRIL 2003
Feature
Career Focus...
“An Oscar might be grand to polish and place on your mantelpiece
but the breakthrough with a student
who was having problems understanding something, or... a thank you
for being the ‘best teacher ever’ amount to so much more
than you can put into words. Teaching is TOPS!”
- Angela Yiannakis
TEACHING
Welcome to the second instalment of our career focus section. We hope that the
last instalment shed some light on the demanding, yet rewarding profession of
teaching.
This month we have included more teachers from across the nation with different levels of experience. From this month onwards we would like to hear your
opinions or comments on this section, so please feel free to email them to us.
Interviews and compilation by Denise Galathris and Olga Hatzopoulos
Agatha
Anamourlis
St John’s College, Preston VIC
Mrs Anamourlis is a
35 year old mother
of two. She has
been teaching at St
John’s College in
Preston for 8 years.
Academic Qualifications
Diploma in Teaching - Victoria University in Toorak
Graduate Diploma
in Mathematics
Technology and Science - Phillip Institute in
Coburg
Masters in Education (Leadership, Policy and
Change) - Monash University
How important has the Greek culture, religion and language been in your life?
I have been brought up in a family that has
always valued the Greek language, religion
and culture. Having spent five years in Greece
as a four-year old, the Greek values were
instilled in me from a very young age.
How do you find juggling both a family
and a career?
It can sometimes be hard juggling both a family and a career. You need to be extremely
organised and dedicated to both. There is
nothing more rewarding than watching children grow as learners, but at the same time
there is nothing that I enjoy more than to
come home to my family and spent quality
Angela Yiannakis
St Andrews Grammar School, WA
Mrs Yiannakis was
born in Hobart,
Tasmania to parents who are both
from
Halkidiki,
Greece. Her father
came to Australia
in 1955 followed
by her mother in
1958. Following
their wedding in
Melbourne, they moved to Tasmania for better work prospects. In 1969 they left Tasmania to live in Greece for good where Mrs
Yiannakis and her brother attended a school
in Thessaloniki. In 1970, her parents decided
that Australia was the place to live and disembarked in Perth with intentions to settle
down in Queensland.
However according to Mrs Yiannakis, they
never reached Queensland. She now lives in
Perth with her husband and three daughters.
time with them. When my daughter was 3
years old my husband looked after her while I
completed my Masters degree in one year, full
time. My husband also has a very demanding
career, as he is a lawyer. We are however very
supportive of each other. We work around our
schedules to ensure that we are both continually in-serviced on current trends in our professions.
Do you have any other passions or hobbies? Does teaching allow time for these?
I have a strong passion for mathematics. and
teaching does allow time for it. I am currently
involved with the Mathematics Association of
Victoria. I have presented sessions for teachers, at a number of conferences such as the
Early Years Conference and the annual mathematics conference, including a keynote presentation. I also enjoy cake decorating and
socialising with family and friends.
What qualities make a good teacher?
A good teacher is one who is caring, patient,
understanding and fosters a love for learning.
A good teacher appreciates that children are
unique and that they learn in a variety of
ways.
A good teacher uses a variety of teaching
styles to ensure that the children are given an
equitable education. A good teacher takes
children through a journey of learning that is
lifelong.
What advice do you offer the young aspiring teachers of the Greek community?
The only advice I could offer to young aspiring teachers in the Greek Australian community is that while teaching is very demanding
it can also be an extremely rewarding career.
Academic Qualifications
Bachelor of Arts Degree - University of Western Australia (UWA) in 1978, Graduate
Diploma of Education - UWA in 1979, Certificate of Fluency in Modern Greek - TAFE
in 1988, Certificate of Competency in Modern Greek - Aristotle University, Greece in
1991 Masters of Education Degree with Honours - UWA in 2001. Currently pursuing a
Doctor of Education - UWA
Teaching Experience
TEE Modern Greek course in WA, Katanning
SHS, Cyril Jackson SHS, Mt. Lawley SHS,
Perth Central TAFE, Tuart College, University of Western Australia and University of
Notre Dame
How important has the Greek culture, religion and language been in your life?
They are pivotal to who I am. As a young girl,
growing up in Australia, the influence of my
parents’ heritage was enormous, particularly
as a teenager when the influences of another
lifestyle impinged so strongly on the family
values in our home. The multicultural element of Australian society today was only
Maria
Lagoudakis
James Cook
Boys Technology
High School, NSW
Miss Lagoudakis
was born in Australia.
Her mother is
Greek Australian
and her father
was born in
Crete and moved
to
Australia
when he was 15
years old. Miss
Lagoudakis has
two
younger
brothers who are 17 and 18 years old.
She always wanted to teach Mathematics
and after finishing her degree she completed her practical teaching at Penshurst Girls
High School. She is currently teaching at
James Cook Boys Technology High on a
temporary basis.
Academic Qualifications
Bachelor of Education (majoring in Mathematics and Modern Greek) - University
of New South Wales, 1995
How important has the Greek culture,
religion and language been in your life?
Very important. I have grown up with the
language, culture and religion from a
young age.
I went to Greek school from the age of 6
and I studied Greek in high school. I also
did a Greek major at university.
Was teaching your first career preference?
Yes. Although at one stage I was thinking
of computer science or some sort of engineering major.
Describe a working day in your life.
At times it can be tiring but very rewarding
when the student does the right thing and
gets good marks. A lot of the boys have a
great sense of humour and the staff is very
friendly and supportive.
How do you find juggling both a family
and a career?
I am still single and I live at home with my
parents so it’s very easy at the moment.
My family has been very supportive of me.
Do you have any other passions or hobbies? Does teaching allow time for
these?
I enjoy cooking, and going shopping with
my friends. I have plenty of time!
What qualities make a good teacher?
Being patient, sincere, caring, understanding and stern is a necessity.
What advice do you offer the young
aspiring teachers of the Greek community?
Be proud of who you are and follow your
dreams and inspirations.
just starting to emerge in the late 1970s, so the
maintenance of our language, traditions and
our religious practices was even more difficult than one could imagine today. For this
reason, I value the efforts of my parents to
instil Hellenism in us, and I celebrate my dual
identity as a Greek-Australian.
from home on many occasions. It’s not easy,
especially with the extra demands of postgraduate studies. I value my free time and my
holidays when I get them. My family is very
supportive and patient, but sometimes, my
12-year old daughter becomes exasperated
and ‘tells me off’ for working too hard.
Was teaching your first career preference?
Always. As a little girl, I would arrange every
doll, teddy or other inanimate object in front
of a blackboard and I would teach them. Of
course, hairdressing and acting rated a close
second and third, but lucky for those industries I chose teaching! In my teens and early
20s, the theatre was calling me, but I was too
entrenched in teaching to even have time to
consider such an option.
Do you have any other passions or hobbies? Does teaching allow time for these?
Teaching is a demanding career. It can consume you if you let it. I have learnt, over the
years, to compartmentalise my work and to
stop when enough is achieved so that I can
make room for other things and commitments
in my life. It doesn’t always fit neatly into
such ‘boxes’, but I try to follow that process.
One of my hobbies is to go to the movies! I
also love to read, given the time.
How do you find juggling both a family
and a career?
It is definitely not an easy task but one that,
somehow, we all manage to do if we have to.
I am fortunate that I have an understanding
and supportive spouse and three wonderful
daughters who have grown up sufficiently to
cope with my long hours and my absence
What qualities make a good teacher?
I believe that listening to your students and
valuing what they have to say is a major part
of teaching. Patience is also a virtue. Demonstrating by example that everyone is equal
APRIL 2003
The Greek Australian
TO BHMA
17
/49
Feature
Kostas Gikas
St Spyridon College, NSW
Mr Gikas was born
in Australia in 1955.
He
moved
to
Greece in 1964
where he completed
his primary and secondary education.
He worked as a
draughtsman for 2
years and then spent
the next 2 1/2 years
in the Greek Air
Force. Having completed his military service he migrated to Australia with the intention of completing a teaching diploma at university and then returning to
Greece.
However, he claims that he met a lovely young
lady in his final year at university, who convinced him to stay in Australia. Mr Gikas has
been married for 20 years and has four children. He has been teaching for 19 years.
Academic Qualifications
Bachelor of Arts - Sydney University, 1983
Diploma of Education - Sydney College of
Advanced Education, 1984
Teaching Experience
Frontistirio in Greece, International Grammar
School Sydney, International Grammar
School Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam, and St.
Spyridon College
How important have the Greek culture,
religion and language been in your life?
Growing up in Greece meant that Greek culture, religion and language was my life but
you didn’t think of it that way, you just took it
for granted. Arriving in Australia as an adult
has been a bit of a revelation.
You do not experience culture and language in
the same way as in Greece. In Australia you
tend to get snippets of culture. You learn to
appreciate and treasure what you have.
Working at St. Spyridon however has filled the
void. It is like living in Greece. If anything you
experience more culture here than in Greece.
Was teaching your first career preference?
No. I actually wanted to be an Architect but
ended up doing a draughtsmanship course and
and that we are all in search of knowledge
and that learning is fun, also go a long way
in the rapport that a teacher has with his/her
students.
Being YOU in the classroom and identifying with your pupils on an individual level,
as well as caring for their well-being matters a great deal.
What do you think of the distribution of
teaching positions between men and
women?
Certainly in the primary school sector there
is a shortage of male teachers and I believe
that it’s to the detriment of children growing up in our society that they don’t have
the influence of male teachers at an early
age in their schooling.
Have you found that being Greek Australian has enriched your experience as
a teacher?
My Australian background firmly ties me
to the values and life experiences of this
satisfying my ‘creative side’. After my military service a change in career was on the
agenda and even though it might sound cliche
I decided to become a teacher because I wanted to teach children. I had and still have this
idealistic notion that I can make a difference to
this world. Another or my passions was to
coach Man United but I was beaten to it by
Alex Ferguson!
How do find juggling both a family and a
career?
Not a very easy task. No matter which way
you look at it you feel guilty. It’s bit of a catch22. You spend too much time at school so you
feel you are neglecting your family and their
needs. It is even more difficult if you have
school age children, as it is almost impossible
to attend their interviews and teacher meetings, their sport carnivals even volunteering a
day at the school canteen.
While they tend to get used to the idea, I will
have to use the old cliche ‘quality time’. In a
nutshell I put with school from 7.00am to
5.00pm Monday to Friday, then it’s family.
As both my wife and I are educators we are
quite aware of the needs and obligations a
teaching career has and our children have
come to accept this as well.
What qualities make a good teacher?
Patience, compassion, open-mindedness,
understanding and respecting other people’s
feelings, good listening and communication
skills, organisational skills and definitely a
sense of humour.
Have you found that being Greek Australian has enriched your experience as a
teacher?
Not necessarily but it is rewarding in that you
are teaching children of a Greek background
and you feel like you are giving something
back.
You are educating and moulding young minds
that will some day contribute positively not
only to Australia but also their Greek community.
Do you have any advice to offer the young
aspiring teachers in the Greek Australian
community?
Always be proud of your heritage. Ensure that
you provide yourself with many and varied
opportunities, which will in turn, enhance your
teaching performance and your life in general.
country so that, in a microcosmic sort of
way, I embody the multicultural spirit of
Australia and I am able to impart my
knowledge of what it means to have a dual
identity to my students.
What advice do you offer the young
aspiring teachers of the Greek community?
If teaching is what you have wanted to do
over and above anything else, then don’t let
anything stand in your way.
Aim to do what you want and the rewards
will be immeasurable.
An Oscar might be grand to polish and
place on your mantelpiece but the breakthrough with a student who was having
problems understanding something, or the
simple acknowledgement of a smile and a
hello, or a thank you for being the ‘best
teacher ever’ amount to so much more than
you can put into words.
Teaching is TOPS!
Ourania Papadopoulos
Canterbury Girls
High School, NSW
Mrs Papadopoulos
migrated with her
family to Australia
in the early 1960’s.
As a young teacher,
she worked at Marrickville
High
School in the early
1980’s and received
her
permanent
appointment
to
Canterbury Girls High in July 1984. Mrs
Papadopoulos has been teaching for almost
twenty years.
Academic Qualifications
Bachelor of Arts/Diploma of Education University of New South Wales
Masters in Education - University of New
South Wales
How important has the Greek culture,
religion and language been in your life?
The Greek culture, religion and language
have been, are and will continue to be
extremely important to me. I am Greek,
however I have great respect and admiration
for Australia.
In your opinion what school has offered
your best teaching experience?
The best teaching experience is when you
experience and/ or witness a student under-
Maria Stella
Papageorgiou
Oakleigh Greek Orthodox College
‘Sts Anargiri’ (O.G.O.C), Victoria
Mrs Papageorgiou
was born in Melbourne and lived in
Greece for 17 years
before returning to
Melbourne
in
1996. She has
taught at Moorabbin Greek School
“Hellinika Grammata”, St. Raphael Greek School in Brighton
and has been teaching at Oakleigh Greek
Orthodox College ‘Sts Anargiri’, as a LOTE
teacher, since 1997.
Academic Qualifications
Bachelor of Arts Degree (Double major in
Modern Greek and Linguistics) - University
of Melbourne, 1999
Bachelor of Teaching (Primary and Secondary)
Diploma in Computer Education - Melbourne University in 2002
How important has the Greek culture,
religion and language been in your life?
I have been here for 7 years, and when I first
came here it was “all Greek to me”. I remember once we drove past a sign that said “Pokies” and I thought it read “ÑïêéÝ” (laughs).
Greek music and Greek customs are a source
of inspiration for me.
Describe a working day in your life.
I have found teaching to be interesting and
motivating at all different levels of primary,
stand and assimilate what you have tried to
teach him or her. Also the maturation
processes that impacts all students from Year
7 to Year 12. I always joke with my students,
that just when they become mature and reasoning adults we lose them.
Do you have any other passions or hobbies? Does teaching allow time for these?
I like to travel- when I can afford it. My last
trip was to Vietnam and Cambodia- a fantastic experience and highly recommended.
Whilst travelling I enjoy learning about the
history and the culture of a particular country- Vietnam and Cambodia have a rich culture and history. The ruins of Angkor Wat in
Cambodia are outstanding!
What qualities make a good teacher?
Kindness, patience, tolerance, diligence and
the ability to listen.
What do you think of the distribution of
teaching positions between men and
women?
There are more female teachers than male
teachers at Canterbury Girls High School. I
believe teaching is a profession suitable for
both men and women. I would like to see
more men train as “ kindy” teachers.
Do you have any advice to offer the young
aspiring teachers in the Greek Australian
community?
Work hard, behave and never surrender, if
you feel teaching is your vocation- the longer
you teach the more competent, skilful and
knowledgeable you will become as a teacher.
Prep to Yr 6, as each age group differs in
behaviour and language skills. It is touching
seeing children develop and absorb Greek as
a second language. All days are full of challenges, excitement and fun. I try to dress in
colourful outfits that my students warm up to.
I begin class with the children talking about
their day, then we listen to Greek music and
we discuss Greek dancing and movements. I
try to use colour, games and movement in all
my classes. It cheers them up and keeps them
attentive.
What do you think of the distribution of
teaching positions between women and
men?
At university I found that the majority of lectures and tutorials consisted of females. This
is also evident at schools where I completed
my practicum and also the school where I
work now. This is because a teacher is
required to nurture children and this is a quality often associated with women.
Have you found that being Greek Australian has enriched my experience as a
teacher?
Yes, because I have lived both in Greece and
Australia and have been influenced by the
two cultures. The school where I work has a
strong link with the Greek culture by incorporating the Greek language, culture and religion in all aspects of the school life.
What advice do you offer the young aspiring teachers of the Greek community?
Keep the Greek language alive! Also do not
forget that ‘Ç ðáéäåßá åßíáé ç ìçôÝñá ôçò
åëåõèåñßáò’ (‘Education is the mother of
freedom’).
This is a quote by Adamantio Korais a wellknow classical scholar of Greece who has
inspired me.
18
/50
TO BHMA
Greek Australian VEMA
APRIL 2003
115935
APRIL 2003
Greek Australian VEMA
TO BHMA
19
/51
DID YOU KNOW?
Although the two-finger V for Victory
sign is synonymous with Winston
Churchill, it actually was the idea of a
Belgian refugee in London, Victor De
Laveleye.
Miranda Police and the daugharound and not sure of where
ters of an elderly British tourist
she is or that we are looking for
missing for four days are
her,” Gillian said.
appealing for help to find her.
“Mum is a compulsive shopPolice say Rita Iris Braidwood,
per and loves talking, so it is
76, was last seen at the rear of
possible people could have had
the Franklins Supermarket in
a chat with her without realisCroydon Street, Cronulla,
ing she is lost. She loves being
about 2.30pm on Wednesday
in Australia and has talked
26 March. She did not meet her
about buying a house in
daughter later in the day as
Cronulla so she can spend
arranged, raising fears for her
more time with all her children
Rita Iris Braidwood
safety.
and grandchildren.
Mrs Braidwood is described as
being of white/European
“We are in constant contact
appearance, 170cm tall, of thin build with with our brothers and sisters in England.
short grey/blonde hair and glasses. She speaks “All we ask, is that people think about how
with an English accent and was last seen wear- they would feel if it was their mother that had
ing a blue full-length dress, black sandals and gone missing. Take the time to be more aware
was carrying a white bag.
of your surroundings and the people in them.
The mother of nine children and 21 grandchil- One of those people could be our mother.
dren, is in Australia visiting family and has “Mum, if you’re out there hearing this or readonly been in the country 13 days.
ing about yourself in a newspaper somewhere,
Her daughters Rosemary Cooper and Gillian please call us or ask for help to get you to a
Sofatzis said everyone was becoming increas- police station. We just want you home.”
ingly worried about their mother.
Her family and police urge anyone who might
“Our mother is not in the best of health and we have seen Mrs Braidwood to call Miranda
are concerned her condition might have deteri- Police on 9541 3899 or CrimeStoppers on
orated and she could be confused, wandering 1800 333 000.
Doctors placed at airports
to monitor SARS
Doctors and nurses are posted at Australia's international airports to guard against the spread
of the deadly flu-like SARS virus.
With seven suspected cases now reported in Australia, federal Health Minister Kay Patterson
said health professionals are on call at airports to provide advice and assess possible cases of
the disease which has killed 81 people in 19 countries.
No deaths have been attributed to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Australia
but two possible cases have emerged in NSW, one in Queensland, one in the Northern Territory and three in Victoria. The Victorian cases are all from a Canadian family which is visiting the state.
GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA
GREEK WELFARE
CENTRE
W. AUSTRALIA
390 CHARLES STREET, NORTH PERTH, W.A. 6006
Management and staff
of the Greek Welfare Centre of West. Australia
wish the Greek Community
115997
Daughters appeal for help
to find their missing Mum
Happy
Easter
Specialising in:
❒ Allocated pensions
❒ Direct shares
❒ Margin lending
Happy Easter
❒ Term life insurance
❒ Trauma insurance
❒ Income protection
PSK Financial Services
116078
❒ Superannuation
Suite 4, Level 8, 28 Foveaux Street, SURRY HILLS NSW 2010
Phone: (02) 9212 7500
Fax: (02) 9212 7511
Bill Fotopoulos
Paul Aspropotamitis
Website:www.psk.com.au
[email protected]
[email protected]
20
/52
Greek Australian VEMA
TO BHMA
Profile
APRIL 2003
DID YOU KNOW?
The first book published is thought to
be the Epic of Gilgamesh, written at
about 3000 BC in cuneiform, an alphabet based on symbols.
Showcasing the Principals of Greek Orthodox Colleges
John Kennard: ‘Some overseas students are now
more Greek than the Greek background children’!
By Denise Galathris and Olga Hatzopoulos
In April we continue our series on the Principals of Greek Orthodox Colleges around Australia with Mr John Kennard, the Principal of
St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox School in Western Australia. Mr Kennard was born and educated in England. He attended Leeds University where he was awarded a scholarship to
study at the University of Western Australia.
Following his Masters degree he taught at
Hale School in Perth before moving to Wesley
College for the next 20 years. He has been
undertaking a Doctoral degree for the last few
years and this is his second year at St.
Andrew’s Grammar.
THE INTERVIEW
Describe the importance of the Greek culture, religion and language in your life.
I have no background in the Greek culture,
although I have visited the major sites in the
southern part of Greece on two occasions. I am
familiar with the Orthodox Church as a practising Anglican. And I have started Adult
Greek Language Classes run by the school in
the evenings!
Describe a working day in your life.
Hectic! I recently kept a logbook to see what a
typical day looked like and the results showed
that there is too much to do and too little time
to do it in. This year I am spending much more
time in the classroom with the children and the
teachers, working on the curriculum and pedagogy. I am also heavily involved in overseeing the construction of the next stage of our
Middle School building program.
My wife, Linda, owns
a perfumery so she
works longer hours
than me! This means
that I must support
her as much as possible.
Do you have any
other passions or
hobbies?
at the Leys School in
Cambridge in England, John Wollaston
Anglican School in
Perth and now St.
Andrew’s Grammar.
Were you the first
Principal of the
school?
There have been two
I enjoy running and
previous Principals
walking. A few years
over the past 14
ago I completed the
years.
Perth Marathon - my
one and only attempt!
What changes have
We are so fortunate
you observed durThe Principal of St Andrew’s Greek
living close to the
ing your term, in
Orthodox School in Western Australia
Swan River, so walkregards to the numMr John Kennard
ing the dog and jogber of enrolments,
ging is never a chore.
student
achieveI also love all types of the Performing Arts, ments and the programs you offer?
particularly musical.
The student numbers have increased and the
What other career paths were you interest- program is becoming more diverse. The enroled in?
ment numbers currently stand at 309, the
largest in the school’s history. My aim is to
I always wanted to be in education and always take the School through to Year 12 (currently
wanted to be a Principal. I can still think of no K-Yr 10) and to increase enrolment.
other worthier or more important profession.
In what ways do you think that a bilingual
Which other schools have you been Orthodox school is beneficial for the educainvolved in?
tional development of Greek-Australian
children?
Hale School where I held my first position,
Wesley College for 20 years but with a 2-year It is essential. We are a Greek School but also
overseas exchange in the middle which I spent have a strong multi-cultural flavour. Modern
Greek is taught to all students from Pre-Primary through to Year 10, to most classes on a
daily basis, by our specialist Greek staff. The
Greek culture and ethos pervade the School.
What academic programs do you offer at
your school and how do they live up to your
school motto?
We offer the full range of programs as prescribed by the WA Curriculum Council. As I
indicated, Greek culture underpins the life of
our School. The Greek Dance groups are well
known in the Perth community and are in high
demand to perform at functions and events
across the State. We are currently looking at a
trip to Greece later in 2004, with the intention
of visiting our sister school in Thermi (near
Thessaloniki).
Do non-Greek students attend your school?
If so, how do you find their progress within
your school environment and their interaction with the Greek Australian students?
Yes. We have students from a broad cross section of countries including South Africa, England and Hong Kong, and of Anglican,
Catholic, Buddhist and Moslem faiths. Indeed,
some of these students are now more Greek
than the Greek background children! Indeed
half the Senior Greek Dance Group is from
non-Greek families.
Equipped with the knowledge and experience you have, would you do it all again?
Absolutely! I have enjoyed every minute.
How do you find juggling a family and a
career and how supportive is your family?
It is relatively easy as we have only the last of
our four children living at home. However
school life does have an enormous impact on
family life and it is so important to strike a
healthy balance. My family is fully supportive.
Peter Arnett hired
by Greek TV
for Baghdad coverage
A Greek television channel has hired
veteran war correspondent Peter Arnett
to provide nightly news coverage from
Baghdad.
Arnett’s nightly reports in English will
be translated into Greek for state-run
NET television.
Arnett, who won a Pulitzer Prize reporting in Vietnam for The Associated
Press, became known to a worldwide
television audience after covering the
1991 Gulf War for CNN. The British
tabloid The Daily Mirror, also hired
Arnett this week for Baghdad coverage.
Public opinion in Greece is strongly
opposed to the war.
AAP
Management and staff wish you
Happy Easter
116039
The Greek Australian VEMA
APRIL 2003
TO BHMA
21
/53
Feature
Days of the Bridegroom
By Guy Freeland*
In his sublime Paschal homily, read
at the end of the Divine Liturgy of
Easter Day, St John Chrysostom
invites all to share in the Feast of
Feasts; those who have been keeping
the fast from the first hour, but also
those who have joined in only at the
third, sixth, ninth and even the
eleventh hour.
But even if we only join the pilgrimage to
Pascha at Palm Sunday, it is not too late to
repent and prepare for the approaching holy
days. The Lord invites all to His wedding
feast, the last as well as the first.
Holy Week, as we shall reckon it, starts at Vespers on Palm Sunday evening. Vespers is the
rite of passage which draws the dying day to
its close and greets the birth of the new day.
Like the Jews, the Orthodox Church starts the
new day not from midnight but from sunset.
Holy Week is also known as the Fast of
Christ’s Passion. The 40 days of Great Lent
end at Vespers on the evening before the Saturday of Lazarus. At Vespers on Palm Sunday
evening we start a six day fast which closes on
Holy Saturday night (liturgically Easter Sunday). The transition to Holy Week is marked
by the hymns sung at Vespers on Palm Sunday
evening:
Passing from one divine Feast to
another, from palms and branches
let us now make haste, ye faithful, to
the solemn and saving celebration
of Christ’s Passion. Let us behold
Him undergo voluntary suffering
1
for our sake ... .
Note that the liturgy calls the commemoration
of Christ’s Passion a “feast” Even in commemorating the horrendous tortures inflicted
on Our Lord the Church never forgets the triumph of the Resurrection, and it never forgets
that it is through His death and Resurrection,
the Paschal Mystery, that Christ procured our
Salvation. So let us be joyful in our sorrow as
we follow Our Lord on His path to Golgotha.
Holy Week breaks down into two halves. The
first half runs from Vespers on Palm Sunday
evening and ends during Vespers, which is
combined with the Divine Liturgy, on Great
Thursday evening. (Most regrettably, as with
so many of the services of Holy Week, this service commemorating the Last Supper is often
celebrated about 12 hours earlier than it should
be, early on Thursday morning.)
The second half, beginning at Vespers on
Thursday evening, is known as the Paschal
Triduum, the three days of the Christian
Passover, taking us from the Last Supper to the
Resurrection.
The Bridegroom
The first three days of Holy Week (Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday) are known as the Days
of the Bridegroom and, although of profound
spiritual significance even for first-hourers, are
of particular importance for eleventh-hourers.
The reason is that these three days recapitulate,
in an intensely concentrated way, the messages
of Great Lent which precedes them.
The Days of the Bridegroom, which are days
of strict fasting, are an urgent call to repent of
the multitude of our sins and implore Christ’s
mercy and healing before the Paschal Mystery
which is fast approaching.
In the days following His Triumphal Entry
into Jerusalem, and up to the Last Supper, Our
Lord delivered His last public teaching. The
Church places particular emphasis in its readings on the long account given in Matthew
21:18 - 26:19, and it could be helpful to read
straight through this section of the Gospel.
Those who do so will immediately appreciate
the emphasis placed on the signs of the end of
the age, Christ’s Second Coming, and the
Judgement. Although there is also much practical moral teaching, this is the strongest and
most extensive apocalyptic passage to be
But these three days are not by any means all
fire and brimstone. They are days of great
hope. The Church now calls us, with all the
urgency it can muster, to repent and to beseech
Christ for healing.
The Days of the Bridegroom are so called
from the troparion solemnly sung at Mattins
on all three days:
Behold the Bridegroom comes in
the middle of the night; and blessed
is the servant whom He shall find
watching, but unworthy is he whom
He shall find in slothfulness.
Beware, then, O my soul, and be not
overcome by sleep, lest thou be
given over to death and shut out
from the Kingdom.
This hymn, which so captures the ethos of
these three days, derives from Christ’s parable
of the five wise and five foolish virgins awaiting the arrival of the bridegroom for the wedding feast (Matthew 25:1-13).
Christ is, needless to say, the Bridegroom and
the meaning of the parable is transparent.
However, St Symeon the New Theologian
comments on the symbolism of the lamp. A
Christian, he says, is like an oil lamp. The oil
symbolises all one’s religious devotion and
good works. The trimmed wick symbolises
the soul readied for receiving the divine flame.
The flame symbolises the grace which God
alone can provide. Without the oil the lamp
would splutter out; unless the wick be trimmed
and reaching out towards Christ, the soul cannot receive grace. So, if one wishes to be united with the Bridegroom, one must have one’s
flask of oil filled and the wick of one’s lamp
well trimmed.
c m t architects
116084
Director: Chris Tsioulos
Yes, we should repent and reform our lives for
the sake of the love of Christ alone, but, unfortunately, we also need from time to time to be
jolted out of our complacency and the comfortable, and often sinful, ways of our daily
lives.
The five wise virgins had flasks of oil for the
lamps with which they were to greet the Bridegroom at the door. The five foolish brought no
oil, and while they were out trying to buy some
the Bridegroom arrived and the door was
closed. They begged him to open the door
“saying ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ But he
replied, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know
you.’” And Christ adds: “ Watch therefore, for
you know neither the day nor the Hour.”
cmt
c m t architects
found in the Gospels, concentrating on what
are called the Four Last Things: death, the
Judgement, Heaven and Hell.
Tel: +61 2 9587 4330Fax: +61 2 9587 4332
E-mail:[email protected]
Each of the Days of the Bridegroom has its
own special commemoration. On Monday, we
remember the patriarch Joseph, whose sufferings make him an Old Testament type of
Christ, and the story of the fig tree (Matthew
21:18-22) withered by Christ’s curse because,
although resplendent with leaves, it bore no
fruit.
On Tuesday, we remember the parables of the
wise and foolish virgins and that of the talents
(Matthew 25:14-30). God gives each one of us
our own individual gifts which we must use
Cont. page 22/54
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/54
The Greek Australian VEMA
TO BHMA
APRIL 2003
Feature
Cont. from previous page
for the benefit of others. If we bury our talents
we face the same judgement as that of the fig
tree.
On Wednesday, we commemorate the betrayal of Christ by Judas, and the woman who
anointed Him with precious oil (Matthew
26:6-13). The liturgical texts identify this incident with that recounted in Luke 7:37-50,
which tells us of the woman who was a sinner
and who wet Christ’s feet with her tears, wiped
them with her hair, anointed them with the
valuable oil and kissed them. It is perhaps the
most moving and vivid image of true repentance in the whole Bible.
Christ Himself links this supreme act of love
and repentance with His own forthcoming
death and burial: “In pouring this ointment on
my body she has done it to prepare me for burial” (Matthew 26:12). It is only through the
Paschal Mystery that our sins can be forgiven.
The repentance of the woman, whose sins
were forgiven by Christ, contrasts with the
wretched death of Judas, who took his own
life because he couldn’t trust in God’s forgiveness.
Oil, which is so prominent a theme of the Days
of the Bridegroom, is very widely used sacramentally. It is used in the sacrament of healing,
known as Holy Unction or the Service of the
Prayer Oil. Blessed oil is poured into the baptismal waters, and we are anointed with oil
before Baptism and with chrism (oil blended
with many different herbs) at Chrismation.
Churches, Holy Tables and other sacred
objects are consecrated with chrism. Although
this is often omitted, the faithful should be
anointed with oil at Great Vespers. Holy oil
has also been used to still storms at sea; hence
the expression, ‘Pouring oil on troubled
waters’. As with the Kings of Ancient Israel,
monarchs are consecrated with oil at their
coronation. And when our end comes, prayer
oil is often poured over the body at burial.
Why oil? The answer is that anointing with oil
is a sign of God’s reaching down and touching
and sealing created matter with the Holy Spirit. Oil which is blessed or consecrated (chrism,
in fact, is consecrated by the Patriarch himself
and distributed around the world) becomes a
vehicle for the operation of the Holy Spirit.
Holy Unction
On the afternoon or evening of Holy Wednesday, many churches celebrate the service of
Holy Unction. This mystery, described by the
Apostle James (James 5:13-16), brings healing of body, mind and soul, and also effects
forgiveness of sins to those who are truly
repentant.
Commentators always seem to see the sole
significance of the celebrating of the sacrament on Holy Wednesday (actually, liturgically Holy Thursday as the service is placed following the night service of Compline) in relation to preparation for the receiving of Holy
Communion. Why they should miss its intimate relationship to the Days of the Bridegroom is a profound mystery.
The celebration of Holy Unction, although the
service was not composed with its use in Holy
Week in mind, brings to a climax the themes
we have been following during the past three
days. We have been warned that if we do not
feed our lamps with the oil of repentance and
good works our souls cannot be inflamed with
the light of the Holy Spirit. We have wept for
our sins and washed the feet of the Saviour
with our tears, beseeching His mercy on us.
We have anointed His precious body with the
fragrant oil of love and right worship as we
have made ready the bridal chamber of our
hearts for the coming of the divine Bridegroom.
Now, on the eve of the Paschal Triduum, God
responds to our repentance and commitment
to the reform of our lives by touching us with
oil charged with the Holy Spirit to heal our
sickness of body, mind and soul and grant to
us forgiveness of our sins.
As the priest anoints the catechumen in preparation for Holy Baptism, so we are now
anointed with Holy Oil in preparation for the
renewal of baptismal grace through the celebration of the Lord’s most Holy Passion and
Resurrection and for the reception of our
Paschal Communion. If we are not sick in
body, we most certainly suffer from a disordered mind and deep sickness in our soul. We
all need this sacrament of healing and so the
Church now offers it to all, not just to those
who are suffering serious illness.
The seven Gospel and seven Epistle readings
at Holy Unction, together with the seven
prayers which accompany them (there is seven
of everything because ideally this service
should be celebrated by seven priests), reinforce the teaching of Our Lord on those final
days before His Passion. The parable of the
wise and foolish virgins is read as the 5th
Gospel and a number of other readings reiterate the moral teaching of Our Lord during the
Days of the Bridegroom.
Take, for instance, the wonderful parable of
the Good Samaritan, which forms the 1st
Gospel reading (Luke 10:25-37). After the
Priest and the Levite pass by the man who was
wounded by robbers, a despised Samaritan
stops and treats his wounds with oil and wine
and takes him to an inn. Which of these men,
Christ asks, was neighbour to the man who fell
among thieves?
The Good Samaritan is, of course, Christ Himself who binds up our wounds and anoints us
with the Spirit-filled oil of mercy. The Greek
word for oil, elaion, is in fact closely related to
the word for mercy, eleeson. Moreover, the
title ‘Christ’/‘Christos’, or ‘Messiah’ in
Hebrew, means ‘the anointed one’. So Christ
responds to our constant cry, Kyrie eleeson,
Lord have mercy, with the precious oil of
mercy, healing and forgiveness. Who would
not want to receive the sacrament of the Prayer
Oil at this Holy time?
The Hymn of Kassiani
The most popular services of the Monday,
Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week are the
daily Mattins offices, known as the Services of
the Bridegroom (Nymphios). These are usually sung on the previous evening. (Mattins is
actually a night office, which should end
shortly after first light.) Most loved of all is
Mattins of Holy Wednesday, usually celebrated on Tuesday evening, as this contains the
deeply moving hymn, written in the ninth century by Kassiani the Nun, which develops the
theme of the woman who anointed Christ:
The woman who had fallen into
many sins, perceiving Thy divinity,
O Lord, fulfilled the part of a myrrhbearer; and with lamentations she
brought sweet-smelling oil of myrrh
to Thee before Thy burial. ‘Woe is
me’, she said, ‘for night surrounds
me, dark and moonless, and stings
my lustful passion with the love of
sin. Accept the fountain of my tears,
O Thou who drawest down from the
clouds the waters of the sea. Incline
to the groanings of my heart, O Thou
who in thy ineffable self-emptying
hast bowed down the heavens. I shall
kiss Thy most pure feet and wipe
them with the hairs of my head,
those feet whose sound Eve heard at
dusk in Paradise, and hid herself for
fear. ...’
Besides Orthros, there is a celebration of the
Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts on each of
these days. This service combines Vespers
with the administration of Holy Communion
reserved on the previous Sunday. Although of
course an evening service, it is usually celebrated by anticipation during the morning. The
readings are taken from Exodus, Job and
Matthew and relate to the themes of the Days
of the Bridegroom.
The Presanctified Liturgy, which is celebrated
on certain days of Great Lent as well, is a
deeply solemn and moving service which
admirably reflects the ethos of this great season of fasting.
May the divine Bridegroom be united with the
hearts of each and every one of us during this
Holy Week and throughout our lives!
[Endnote]
1 Quotations from the liturgy are taken from Mother Mary and Archimandrite [now Bishop] Kallistos
Ware, The Lenten Triodion, Faber & Faber, 1978.
St John’s College, Preston
The staff and students
of St. John's Greek Orthodox College
wish the Greek community of Australia
21 Railway Place West, Preston, Vic. 3072
Phone (03) 9480 5300 Fax (03) 9480 4314
115999
Happy Easter
St John’s College is an Independent School located near public transport and serviced by its
own buses covering the north and west of Melbourne. As a small school (under 500 students) conducting classes from Prep to Year 12, we get to know our students and their families very well. Literacy and Numeracy are our special focus in the Early Years. This flows
through to a surprisingly broad curriculum at VCE which includes VET as well as traditional VCE programs. All classrooms in the school are connected to the school IT network, giving students across the College direct access to the Library catalogue as well as the Internet.
A new Food Technology room gives added breadth to our programs.
As a Christian Orthodox College, Greek language and religious studies form a part of our
curriculum. Its values also underpin our pastoral care program.
The College enrols students at all levels, but particularly at Prep and Year 7. Tours of the
College may be organised by contacting Don Walkley (Junior College), Tom Manolas (Middle College) or Vince Perri (Senior College). As a school we do make a difference, because
as our motto says we are “Committed to achieving our students’ potential”.
The Greek Australian VEMA
APRIL 2003
HEALTH
NEWS
WITH DR. THEO PENKLIS
Postnatal depression is a mental illness that
occurs in the weeks to months after childbirth.
It may take two forms. Postnatal depression
can develop soon after the baby’s birth. The
mother may feel miserable and sad without a
particular cause and become teary and anxious
and her symptoms may become more distressing as time passes. The second form may
evolve much more slowly and it is not noticeable until many weeks to months after the
baby is born.
Approximately 10-15% of all women develop
some from of postnatal depression lasting
more than two weeks . More than half of these
women develop severe depression where
treatment is required.
What causes postnatal depression?
Biological factors as well as psycho-social factors contribute to postnatal depression.
Biological factors include a family history of
postnatal depression and hormonal changes.
Psycho-social factors include the demands and
responsibilities of being a mother, family pressures associated with her performance as a
TO BHMA
23
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POSTNATAL DEPRESSION
mother and her confidence in that regard and
the relationship the mother has with the child’s
father.
She may become restless and agitated and
have feelings of panic. She may have recurrent
thoughts of death and /or suicide.
Risk factors that predispose women
to postnatal depression
Treatment of postnatal depression
A previous history of depression , especially
postnatal depression, or a strong family history of depression is a key note factor for developing postnatal depression. A mother who has
a previous history of family and home difficulties, or little social support, who has a preterm baby, who has an unwell baby, or a traumatic birth experience, is at greater risk of
developing postnatal depression. Other
adverse life events, changes in work or financial circumstances can predispose to postnatal
depression.
Any mother who thinks she is suffering from
postnatal depression should discuss her concerns with her doctor. Friends and family who
feel a mother is depressed should encourage
the mother to discuss her condition with her
doctor. Sometimes it is helpful for the mother
and the doctor if someone accompanies the
mother to the doctor’s surgery.
Symptoms of postnatal depression
Symptoms of postnatal depression, like
depression, are varied and may include some
of, but not necessarily all of the following:
depressed mood, irritability, diminished interest in activities, significant weight and/or
appetite changes.
The mother with postnatal depression may
also experience sleeping problems, loss of
libido, fatigue, feeling of guilt, feelings of
worthlessness and the inability to think clearly
or concentrate.
The Greek
Young Matrons’
Association
The family must understand that the illness is
a temporary one. With help and support, the
mother will recover. It is important for all to
understand that depression is not a sign of
weakness, but a time in the mother’s life when
she needs encouragement and support.
It is helpful for a woman with postnatal
depression to talk about her illness, and its
symptoms, and she should be encouraged to
discuss her concerns. On many occasions, the
doctor may arrange counselling. Counselling
alone can often elevate the mother’s mood,
and it teaches the mother coping skills.
On many occasions, anti-depressant medication may be prescribed. This is sometimes a
difficult call for some mothers and doctors,
because the effect of some of the newer antidepressant medication on the baby where the
mother is breast feeding is not known. On
many occasions, the mother and the doctor
need to outweigh the benefits to the mother
compared with the risk to the infant. The
encouragement of breast feeding where the
mother is managing breast feeding is also
good for bonding and the relationship between
the depressed mother and the baby.
The most important thing a mother can do is to
believe that she will get better and to remain
positive. The depression does lift with time,
support , and sometimes medical treatment.
Postnatal depression can occur again with
subsequent babies . There is evidence that
extra psychological support during a subsequent pregnancy reduces the likelihood of a
further episode of postnatal depression.
Postnatal depression is real. It needs encouragement and support. If you know someone
who has these symptoms, encourage them to
talk to their doctor.
* The information given in this article is of a general nature and readers should seek advice from
their own medical practitioner before embarking on
any treatment.
GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA
HELLENIC COMMUNITY
OF WESTERN
AUSTRALIA INC.
20 Parker Street, Northbridge WA 6003 Tel: (08) 9328 5141 Fax: (08) 9227 9652
The Hellenic Community of Western Australia
representing:
The President
* The Church of Saint Constantine and Saint Helene
* The Hellenic Community Aged Care Facilities
* The Saint Andrew’s Grammar School
* The Hellenic Community Greek Congwill School
* The Hellenic Community Radio programmes
* The Hellenic Community Glendi Festival
and the Ladies
of the Committee
wish to extend
to all Greek Australians
a very Happy Easter
in good health and family unity
with peace
and harmony
115955
take the opportunity to wish
all Greek Australians
a very happy Easter in good health, family unity
sharing with others
less fortunate than us,
with peace and harmony
115956
24
/56
TO BHMA
The Greek Australian VEMA
Book Review
DID YOU KNOW?
The European Union was founded in
1957
as
the
European
Economic
Community. It then became the EC
(European Community) and in 1993 the
EU (European Union).
Zoya’s Story: A woman’s message,
our duty to listen
By Denise Galathris
Biographies by women of the Middle
East have proliferated the bookstands since the September 11
attacks. They are outcries against the
brutal crimes committed by ruthless
governments harbouring fundamentalist values.
Among these biographies is the international
bestseller Zoya’s Story. Authors John Follain
and Rita Cristofari retell a large piece of
Zoya’s life, beginning with the Russian invasion in December 1979 and ending with the
events of 11th September 2001. They show
the Mujaheddin regime throw a “giant burqa”
over Afghanistan that the Taliban later stains
with the peoples’ blood. Follain and Cristofari
also show that the biggest victims of the
Taliban were women who were forced to wear
the burqa and were callously mistreated.
Women like Zoya, an Afghan woman and
member of the Revolutionary Association of
the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), who
witnesses the Afghan people’s suffering.
When the Taliban seize power in Kabul, the
capital of Afghanistan, Zoya describes the
Byzantine and Medieval Greece:
Churches, castles, and art of the
mainland and the Peloponnese
116016
Owned and operated by Danny & Helen DELEMITROS
By Paul Hetherington
(John Murray Publishers)
This book, intended to be used by travellers,
concentrates on “surviving creations that
were produced on Greek soil during the
early Christian, Byzantine and medieval
periods.” Classical sites are not included.
The notes include information on history
and notable features, plus practical tips on
travel and entry.
However later Zoya recounts something more
unsettling; two young Afghan boys playing
catch with the prisoners’ severed hands.
What is most moving in Zoya’s Story is that
through the powerful bluntness of its narration
and the vivid descriptions, it wins the reader’s
attention and compassion. You feel the pain
and the suffering of the people, and like Zoya,
you become outraged. Her unrelenting energy
towards her cause is inspiring. Zoya counsels
mothers mourning for their lost children or
raped daughters, she tutors orphans and illiterate women, and performs the unpalatable task
of recording refugee accounts of uprooting,
loss and pain for a RAWA publication.
Zoya’s reactions to the September 11 attacks
are those of shock and compassion. At the
same time she expresses fear of an American
retaliation. She feels it unfair to be associated
to Osama Bin Laden and a “handful of brutal
sub-humans”. Here it is quite clear that one of
the messages of Zoya’s Story is that the
Afghans were also victims of the terrorists.
However in the denouement of the book
emerges the striking message that the Afghans
are our victims too. Just like the events of
September 11 and the Bali bombings, the book
becomes an enlightening reflection of our disinterest and our detachment from people who
are denied their basic human rights. Whose
children, mothers and fathers are maimed or
killed daily. Whose homes are constantly
bombed.
It reminds us that international interventionist
policies as well as merciless and fundamentalist governments ravage the economy, stunt
progress and deny peace in countries like
Afghanistan, because our ignorance and the
lack of our support allow them.
22B Restwell Street, Bankstown NSW 2200
Ph: (02) 9709 6090 Fax: (02) 9709 4020
Orthros: the Resurrectional Hymns
for Sunday
An edition of the Holy Office of Orthros, in
the original Greek and English translation,
side by side on each page. Not the complete
Orthros, this little book is designed to aid
worshippers in following the major elements of the service, and to inspire fuller
participation in the Sunday service.
“The Taliban in the black turban drew a knife,
knelt down on one knee at a prisoner’s side
and started sawing at the man’s right wrist.
The blood spurted onto a patch of earth.”
Incidents of gross of inhumanity like this fill
the book, so may this be a warning to the faint
hearted. However what many of us living in
the free Western world were not aware of, or
chose to put on the backburner before the
events of September 11, was that such a scene
was staple in the life of Afghans under the
iniquitous Taliban regime.
2000 - 2001 - 2002
For the
bibliophiles...
Translated by Spencer T. Kezios,
Protopresbyter (Narthex Press)
women wearing the burqa as “dead bodies
drifting in the streets”. Then Zoya’s parents
are murdered and she is taken, by the lady she
has grown to know as Grandmother, to the
RAWA Country School for Girls in Pakistan.
There Zoya promises to avenge the murder of
her parents, minus the violence. Growing up,
Zoya fulfils her promise by resuming the work
of her mother and her RAWA sisters towards
safeguarding human rights for women.
The public scale of such an outrageous scene
(executions were committed frequently even
for the pettiest of crimes) and its ironic location, a former football stadium, paint a picture
disturbingly reminiscent of the gladiator days.
APRIL 2003
“So many times I had seen violence and terror
in my country” Zoya confesses when she sees
the Twin Towers collapsing on television, “but
it had never been shown on television like
this.”
The most chilling sentence of the entire book.
You can purchase Zoya’s Story is on sale in
most bookstores. RRP $29.95
For more information on RAWA visit
http//www.rawa.org.
The Orthodox Church
in the Byzantine Empire
By J.M.Hussey (Clarendon Press)
One volume in the series Oxford History of
the Christian Church. Divided into two
parts, the book looks at the role of the
Church within the greater context of the
Empire, and how events, and rulers, affected the Church. Part two concentrates on the
internal structure of the Church: on administration, canon law, the liturgy, monasticism, as well as looking at the spiritual life
of individuals.
The Practical Encyclopedia of East
European Cooking: the Definitive
Collection of traditional recipes,
from the Baltic to the Black Sea
Contributing Editor, Lesley Chamberlain.
(Lorenz Books)
Big, bold and colourful. A feast for the
eyes, let alone for the stomach. Recipes for
all courses are taken from Russia, Poland,
and the Ukraine, then Germany, Austria,
Hungary and the Czech Republic, and finally from Romania, Bulgaria and the East
Adriatic. Along with the recipes, brief notes
provide information on ingredients and how
dishes are served.
Smyrna 1922: the Destruction
of a City
By Marjorie Housepian Dobkin
(Newmark Press)
What sets this book apart is the meticulous
work Dobkin has done in bringing together
individual accounts from Greek escapees,
members of the Jewish community in
Smyrna, Armenian victims, as well as former American seamen, Italians, and from
Turks. Although there are stories of indiviuals surviving against all odds, the book
vividly records the overwhelming tragedy.
Available: Folio Books, Brisbane
(07) 3221 1368
A.C.
APRIL 2003
The Greek Australian VEMA
Feature
TO BHMA
25
/57
DID YOU KNOW?
Vitamin A is known to prevent "night blindness," and carrots are loaded with Vitamin A.
One carrot provides more than 200% of recommended daily intake of Vitamin A.
The price of peace... white ants and surfing on the internet
By Ann Coward
In Joseph Heller’s book, Catch 22,
the author posed the question: who is
the enemy? The person who is standing in front of you trying to shoot you
in a war, or the person who placed
you in that position in the first
instance?
This article, though, is not about the
pros and cons of the war in Iraq. Nor
does it seek to criticise those Australians who sincerely desire a sustainable peace, regardless of whether
or not they believe it will be achieved
by Australia participating in the war,
or by Australia keeping out of it.
This article is about the need for all
citizens in a democratic society to
ALWAYS look behind the news, and
to ALWAYS ask questions.
ticipants whose motivations may be suspect.
Unlike the peace movements of yesteryear,
however, we can more easily identify exactly
where the money and energy are coming from
to organise the protests.
On Wednesday, 26 March, 2003, Sydneysiders
were aghast at the violence that erupted during
a student strike in the city, and the promise of
more to come. More interesting than the outbreak of violence, however, was the fact that
similar strikes were held in the other major
cities around Australia on the same day. Even
more interesting was the number of student
strikes around the globe, coinciding with the
Australian ones, involving school, college and
university students. Now, how did this come
about?
The student marches, like those held on the 5th
and 20th March, had been organised by a
group called Books Not Bombs. Their website provided details of where and when stu-
Australia has many enemies. Some are Muslim, but most are not.
In 2001, the ABC produced an interesting programme, entitled Beneath the Mirror Ball. A
transcript of this particular 4 Corners feature,
and much of the research that was conducted
in relation to the programme, have been put on
the ABC’s website, the address of which is
included at the end of this article, along with
other websites. Beneath the Mirror Ball was
not simply about the dance scene and the taking of the drug Ecstasy. It sought to expose and
explain the political movements associated
with the dance culture, the so-called techno
activists.
Ever wondered who organised the violent S11
and M1 protests against the World Economic
Forums? In Sydney, it was mainly the techno
activist group, Oms Not Bombs. Ever wondered how people know when and where to
turn up to protests such as these? Groups such
as Oms Not Bombs know how to use the inter-
Popular myth, today, tells us that those who
were part of the Moratorium movement during
the Vietnam War treated the returning Australian troops like criminals. Perhaps some
did. Then again, perhaps the Australian government and Australian society at large treated
them as failures, and now that all is mutually
forgiven, anger has become more focused on
the anti-Vietnam War protesters. Interestingly,
the fact that many who participated in the
Moratoriums were against conscription seems
to have been glossed over, or missed altogether, in the latest mythologising.
During the Vietnam War eighteen year old
youths, not able to vote in elections until their
21st birthdays, were conscripted. True, they
could opt for a gaol sentence if they were conscientious objectors, or go into the services but
refuse to serve overseas and, as a result, have
to endure ostracism. In those days, it made
sense that high school students edging towards
their eighteenth birthday should protest over
conscription and the War. University students
who were unfortunate to have been born on the
wrong day, and were therefore called-up,
could get a deferment while their studies lasted. It made sense that these students, also,
should protest over conscription and the War.
It even made sense that mothers and the occasional father, fearful for their sons, should also
be amongst the protesters.
Sure, people knew that there were other elements at work. The same people always
seemed to lead the marches, and the same people always seemed to get up and speak at all
the rallies. The police knew the ringleaders
and what their ulterior motives were, and were
not adverse to going in and picking them off at
the beginning of each march. Despite having
to share the protests with people whose aims
may have been perhaps sinister, those people
with legitimate concerns still chose to take part
in the Moratorium marches. Besides, it wasn’t
really all that easy in those days to identify
where the money and energy were coming
from to organise the protests.
Today, however, it’s different. People of all
ages are taking part in anti-war rallies, marches or strikes. Although each individual has his
or her own reason for participating, it would be
safe to assume that most who are taking an
active stand against the war in Iraq are sincere
in their intentions, and truly desire peace. It
would also be safe to assume that a certain
level of complacency exists towards other par-
some cases the involvement in Resistance is
encouraged. For example, on 5 March a
teacher took 50 of his students to the Brisbane
Resistance Centre for a school excursion, after
which they all participated together in Brisbane’s student strike action. (The teacher is
named on the Resistance website along with a
school and headmaster, but the relationship is
ambiguous.)
Resistance has its own news sheet, Student
Underground, where students can report on
their organised protests against, for example,
Pauline Hanson, the World Economic Forums,
the destruction of the environment, feminist
issues, nuclear war and the rights of gays and
lesbians. Although we’re all used to these
people or issues being lumped together, does
anyone ever stop and ask why? It really is a
strange combination if one thinks about it.
Again, unlike the adult anti-war protesters who
know, or SHOULD know, that they may be
marching alongside some whose motives are
not as sincere as their own, children are more
likely to truly believe that others who are
encouraging them to actively participate in
political protests, really do share their idealism. And their hopes.
Of course children should be made aware of
how their society works. Of course children
should be taught that they can and should take
an active role in their society. But they should
also be protected from those who seek to use
them, in order to bring about the destruction of
the country in which they live and the destruction of the way of life their parents and grandparents have struggled to provide for them. A
way of life, for which many were willing to
sacrifice their blood in the past, and for which
many young servicemen and women are currently risking their lives.
dents should meet, and gave contact names
and telephone numbers in each city. Advice
was also given on publicising the strike, setting
up anti-war groups within schools or colleges,
chants to use while rallying, leaflets and flyers
to print off, and posters to hold aloft.
Books Not Bombs, or BNB, is a WORLDWIDE movement, and is an initiative of the
National Youth and Student Peace Coalition
(NYSPC).
The NYSPC is made up of a number of member groups, including Students Transforming
and Resisting Corporations, the Young Communist League, Young People’s Socialists
League and Young Democratic Socialists.
The group responsible for organising the BNB
student strikes across Australia is the Democratic Socialist Party. Their newspaper is called
the Green Left Weekly and their youth organisation is known as Resistance. The DSP and
Resistance are unashamedly Marxist.
For those sincere Australians who, rightly or
wrongly, sent back their unopened government booklets on terrorism, fearing that these
booklets were the first step on the slippery
slope towards Nazism, it might be educational
to look up the DSP’s website and read about
the group’s attitude towards Israel.
Now, one needs to ask, does all this really matter? Surely, ultimately, those taking part in the
anti-war protests are after the same thing - a
return to a peaceful existence. Would that it
were so.
net to get their messages across. And young
people know EXACTLY how to find them.
Techno activist groups vary in their political
commitment, some being more interested in
the environment, while others are determined
to rid the world of nuclear arms. Are they a
threat to our society? Well, for some, that’s
their intention.
In terms of political affiliation and activism,
however, a few of these groups pale in comparison to the more focused Marxist organisations. The USSR may have crumbled, but
communism as a world force is alive and very
well. Just how well in Australia, may be
judged by the number of young children who
took part in the student strikes, some as young
as eight years of age.
The Democratic Socialist Party, like their fellow organisations around the world, have been
active over recent years in recruiting young
school children to their cause. Young Australian children.
How is it possible, that a precise listing of the
names of schools which actively took part in,
for example, Melbourne’s student strikes, can
appear on the internet? It’s possible, because
schools have active DSP cells, under the
DSP’s youth group Resistance.
MANY schools now have students who are
active members of Resistance. VERY active.
Do the school administrators know about this?
Schools ARE aware of this situation and in
A way of life that the Democratic Socialist
Party, the organisers of the student strikes,
describes only as a “rotten capitalist system.”
Adults MUST become familiar with the way
in which internet is being used by subversive
groups, each with their own agendas, in order
to take advantage of our children and young
adults. If you take the time to look up the following websites with members of your family,
and discuss what’s going on, many things you
see on the news and read about in the papers
will begin to make a lot more sense.
It was almost charming to hear the newsreader describe the violent protesters on 26 March
as “exuberant youngsters.” Don’t be fooled.
It’s a sad fact that while perhaps most of those
who took part are innocents, there was also a
significant number of students who are willing
and knowing participants in a worldwide
movement, whose primary aim is NOT peace.
But, sadly, it’s unlikely that those young
activists understand this.
The following websites provide background
information on the above issues, and demonstrate how the internet is being used by individuals or groups to undermine (white ant)
Australian society:
www.abc.net.au/4corners
www.active.org.au/sydney
www.booksnotbombs.org.au
www.nyspc.net
www.dsp.org.au
www.resistance.org.au
26
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TO BHMA
Greek Australian VEMA
APRIL 2003
APRIL 2003
The Greek Australian VEMA
TO BHMA
27
/59
DID YOU KNOW? Air Pacific is continuing
its successful two-tier fare structure, ranging from $649 Sydney and Brisbane to
Nadi midweek to $799 Melbourne-Nadi at
weekends, return. Details: call 1800-230150.
Travel
Rethymnon: the prefecture with many choices
LEFT: A view of the Old town of Rethymno with the “Fortezza” castle and part of the new town of Rethymnon and the harbour. RIGHT: The 14 km long sandy beach of Rethymnon.
Rethymnon lies between the White
Mountains and Mt Psiloritis and borders to the prefectures of Hania and
Iraklion. The prefecture has excellent
beaches, picturesque mountain and
seashore villages and famous resort
centres. Rethymnon city, the capital
of the prefecture is divided into the
old and the new city.
that visitors come up to the monastery. The
foundation was established in the 16th and
17th century. The double-aisled church was
built in 1836, under the Venetians. Inside the
monastery is kept the cross set in gold, with
precious stones and wood from the Holy Cross
that is regarded as miraculous.
Beaches
Preveli beach: Is one of the most attractive of
the island. You’ll have to walk through a path
in order to get there but the place will reward
you. The beach has crystal clear waters and
palm trees. Follow the riverbeds of Kourtaliotis River, which ends up at Preveli beach forming natural pools of river water among the
boulders.
Souda: A sandy beach in Plakia bay, with palm
trees and a tavern.
While the new town is a typical modern city,
the old city has retain much of its medieval and
ottoman character and influence. Some places
of interest to visit include the Archaeological
museum the Fortezza and the Venetian harbour.
Rethymnon old city
The old city was built over the ruins of ancient
Rithymna. A small charming town where the
Venetian and Ottoman architecture and influence is obvious throughout the city. The
fortress The imposing fortress, also know as
Fortezza was built in 1573 to protect the city’s
population.
The Venetians build it with four bastions and
three entrances so as to be protected from
attack by sea. In our days during summer various events are held in the small open-air theatre located inside the walls. Venetian Harbour
Restaurants
“Francocastello” in the south of Rethymno
The old Venetian harbour, from 1300 retains
its picturesque character. There are numerous
coffee shops and taverns on the seashore
where you can relax and enjoy the view.
Archaeological Museum
The archaeological museum is housed in the
Fortezza; it contains exhibits from the Neolithic era until the Turkish domination.
The exhibits contain ceramic and stone fig-
Travel news in brief...
Travel agents will welcome a new global
commission program from Best Western
Australia, called BestCheque, which automatically pays their commissions on the
25th of each month.
In the past, paying the commissions was up
to the individual Best Western hotel, which
made it "difficult to maintain consistency",
the hotel group group said.
Best Western guarantees a commission to
all IATA and approved travel agents worldwide.
The group has 25 hotels, resorts, motels and
apartment properties in Australia, and
4,100 in 80 countries around the world.
Details: call (02) 9373-1313.
media depiction of Queenstown's rich mining
history and the Tasmanian Stompin Youth
Dance Company at swimming pools in eight
different towns. Packages are available from
$493pp to $1,364pp.
Details: call Temptation Holidays on 1800000-243.
Tickets are reported to be selling fast for Tasmania's Ten Days on the Island festival which
will see 500 performers and 250 diverse
events in 38 locations around the state.
Among them: a choral concert at the old
penal settlement of Port Arthur, a multi-
The fifth edition of the South East Queensland Country Touring Guide comprises 100
pages of holiday ideas on country towns,
national parks, fishing and camping spots,
hotels, drive itineraries, wineries, markets
and local events.
Daydream Island Resort & Spa has a new
"Sail & Stay" package with three nights
aboard a luxurious catamaran on the tranquil Whitsunday passage and three nights
at the island resort. They're priced from
$1,283pp, valid from April 1 to 31 March
2004.
Details: call Prosail on 1800-810-116.
urines, stone jewellery founded in the Gerani
cave, collection of Roman statues and collections of Roman, Greek and Byzantine coins as
well as sarcophagi and inscriptions from Axos
and Eleutherna.
Preveli monastery
The monastery dedicated to Saint John the
Divine whose bell tower is dated 1629, is
located on the summit of a bare hill. The view
is magnificent and is one of the main reasons
Avli: Situated in Rethymnos old town and one
of the town best restaurants offering gourmet
and aesthetic delights.
To Ellinikon: A tavern where raki, the regional
drink, and ouzo are served along with tasty
appetizers.
Kyria Maria: It serves typical Greek and Cretan food in a especially friendly atmosphere.
How to get there
By air: from Eleutherios Venizelos airport in
Athens By ferry: from Piraeus in 10 hours.
The
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ublishers
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O
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/60
Greek Australian VEMA
TO BHMA
Food & Wine
APRIL 2003
DID YOU KNOW? Of the more than $50
billion worth of diet products sold
every year, almost $20 billion are spent
on imitation fats and sugar substitutes.
Going nutty over fine wines
The Cheese Factory, part of Kingaroy’s old
Butter Factory
By Imogen Coward
For many years the town of Kingaroy in the
South Burnett region of S.E. Queensland has
been best known for ‘Joh & Flo’, pumpkin
scones, rich red soil and ... peanuts. In the last
few years, though, a change has come to the
region. Gone are the days when the main food
attraction for tourists was soggy, grey, boiled
peanuts wrapped in newspaper (yum!).
Established in 1994, the South Burnett is one
of Australia’s newest wine-growing regions
which, today, has some 26 vineyards covering
550 acres or so as well as number of small
boutique wineries. Wines from the region have
had considerable success in boutique wine
shows around Australia with most wineries
achieving at least one award in their early
years.
One of the largest wineries in the region (in
terms of the amount of grapes processed) is
Stuart Range Estates. It was established in
1997, by a small group of South Burnett grape
growers and business people with the aim of
producing a range of high quality, value for
money, varietal wines. This state of the art
modern winery was built from scratch in
Kingaroy’s historic 1927 Butter Factory. The
old Butter Factory also houses two other companies, Proteco, which produces a number of
gourmet oils as well as olives and nuts and
Kingaroy Cheeses, which produces a variety
of fine cheeses from cow’s and goat’s milk,
including a Greek style feta.
Stuart Range Estates sources its grapes from
several growers in the South Burnett which
allows it to produce a wide range of varietal
table wines including Verdelho, Semillon,
Chardonay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon as
well as Cabernet Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Merlot blends.
Under winemaker Charles Pregenzer who
joined the winery in 2001, Stuart Range
Estates has left yesterday’s Australian trend of
producing super full-bodied, gutsy wines
(especially shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and
chardonnay) with a high level of alcohol.
Instead, Stuart Range Estate wines are characterised by being light to medium bodied, fruity,
aromatic and (for the reds) having light,
smooth tannins which allows subtle nuances
imparted by the terroir (soil, weather, growing
conditions for the grapes) to show through.
In this day and age, when many of the well
known Australian wineries have been swallowed up by industry giants (such as Southcorp) it takes an unusual wine or one of outstanding brilliance to make small wineries
Imogen hard at work: sampling some of
Kingaroy’s finest
A display of wines available
at the Cellar Door
Ageing port in oak barrels,
Stuart Range Estates
stand out from their competitors. Here Stuart
Range Estates does not disappoint. In addition
to their table wines, they also produce Blue
Moon (a rich, sweet fortified from sultana
grapes) and a Strawberry Liqueur (a sweet and
delicate fortified with abundant strawberry
aromas and flavours, made from Queensland
strawberries), both of which are unique in style
and quality among Australian wines.
so with the vineyards. The dry conditions have
meant that crop levels were down in the 2003
harvest but, on the flip side, the drought produced smaller bunches of grapes with smaller
more intensely flavoured grapes, which in turn
produce higher quality wine.
olive oil lends the Cellar Door a distinctly
Mediterranean feel.
Tours of the winery are conducted daily at
10am and 2pm and offer an interesting insight
into the art of red and white winemaking. The
winery is located at 67 William Street,
Kingaroy, QLD and is open from 9am-5pm, 7
days a week (except Christmas Day & Good
Friday, open 1 pm Anzac Day).
In addition to being able to produce unusual
wines, being a small winery also allows Qld’s
Stuart Range Estates more freedom in harvesting and processing in order to get the maximum quality. This year, due to the drought, the
winery turned grape growing principals on
their head by harvesting the Chardonnay on 15
January and their Shiraz on 24 January
(Chardonnay is usually harvested in February
and Shiraz in mid March); a turn of events
which Ross Whiteford (winery manager) said
was “unprecedented in my 20 years wine making experience” and was making him “very
excited indeed”.
While the 2001-2002 drought has had a negative impact on the Kingaroy peanut crop, not
Today, more than ever before in Australia, it is
important to support small independent boutique wineries in order to keep our wine industry diverse and to ensure a wide choice of
varieties and styles of wine remain available in
the future. If you live in S.E. Queensland or are
travelling through the region, take the time to
visit Kingaroy, sample the peanuts (of course!)
and drop into Stuart Range Estates (see the end
of this article for address details).
At the Stuart Range Estates Cellar Door visitors are encouraged to taste test the wines and
the Australian olive oil, olives and nuts produced by Proteco, as well as the cheeses
including brie, camembert, feta and soft goat’s
milk cheese made by Kingaroy Cheeses, all of
which, I might add, are quite delicious. The
combination of wine, feta cheese, olives and
If you live outside the region, Stuart Range
Estate wines are available by mail-order and
through some liquor stores (see their web-site
listed below). For details contact Stuart Range
Estates: tel: (07) 4162 3711, postal: PO Box
213, Kingaroy, QLD, 4610, email: [
[email protected] ] , or check out the
their web-site [ www.sre.com.au ].
Better still, why not take a few days holiday,
travel up to S.E. Qld, and tour the many wineries in the region. And don’t forget the peanuts!
Special thanks to Paul Coward of Inscape
Photography, Ipswich, QLD, for supplying the
photographs.
Wine Review
By Imogen Coward
Wirra Wirra Vineyards
Scrubby Rise, 2001
The unusual varietal combination of
Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Fleurieu makes this wine stand
out from other Australian reds. Deep
ruby red in colour, it displays elegant
aromas and flavours of spice and
berries with a hint of flowers and
almonds. Rich, smooth and well balanced, ageing in both American
and French oak barriques has given this wine added complexity. Good
to drink now, it should improve with a few extra years cellaring. Serve
at room temperature with roast lamb.
Cost: under $20
Stuart Range
Estates Range Red
Now for something different... This wine is
produced in the South Burnett region of
S.E. Queensland, one of Australia’s newest
wine making areas. Made from a blend of
young red and white grapes, this wine is
rosé coloured with delicate floral and fruity
aromas with a hint of fresh apples. Flavours
of strawberries and fruit with a touch of sweetness lead to a clean,
crisp finish. Served slightly chilled, it is a good accompaniment to any
mild foods. It is currently available from some liquor stores (for
details visit the Stuart Range Estates website below) or direct from
Stuart Range Estates; telephone: 07 4162 3711, email:
[[email protected]], website: [www.srewines.com.au].
Cost: under $10
The World
Encyclopedia of Wine
By Stuart Walton
(Lorenz Books)
Well written and informative, this book
takes the reader on a journey around the
world through a series of chapters covering the world’s wine regions, from
Burgundy to Bordeaux, Greece to California and Australia to New Zealand
(just to name a few). The book also includes chapters on particular
grape varieties, cellaring and serving wine, matching wine with food,
as well as a helpful section on how to read wine labels. Fully illustrated with colour photographs and hand-painted maps, the book is
not only easy to read but beautifully presented.
Cost: around $40
Greek Australian VEMA
APRIL 2003
Towards 2004
TO BHMA
29
/61
DID YOU KNOW? The first instance of
global electronic communications took
place in 1871 when news of the Derby
winner was telegraphed from London
to Calcutta in under 5 minutes.
Cretans of Attica become
ATHENS 2004 Volunteers
News in brief...
The ATHENS 2004 stand at the Education exhibition,
where the visitor can find out about all the educational
material, as well as learning about
the Volunteer Programme.
The ATHENS 2004 stand
at the ‘Education 2003’ exhibition
The Education 2003 Exhibition was opened with the participation of ATHENS 2004. The exhibition is organised
by the Piraeus Port Authority, at its exhibition centre and
lasted until 23 March 2003. Olympic Education informational material was distributed to visitors. ATHENS 2004
educational material is essential for the Olympic Education Programme being run this year for 950,000 pupils by
2000 educators in 7500 schools in Greece and 1000
schools in Cyprus.
The programme comprises activities on knowledge, sporting and social skills, values, attitudes and behaviour, while
showcasing the cultural and educational value of the
Olympic and Paralympic Games. A team of over ninety
Greek and foreign scholars from various branches of education contributed to the compilation of the Educational
Material which was distributed by ATHENS 2004 to
Greeks abroad, in Cyprus, Australia, USA, Africa and
elsewhere. ATHENS 2004 is continuously enriching the
Programme with new material and other supporting activities, making it a global pioneer in spirit, method, range,
and contemporary technology.
The ATHENS 2004 stand was also providing information
about what volunteerism means and how visitors can take
part in this global celebration. It should be observed that
‘Education 2003’ is a top event in the Greek educational
calendar and one of the most important educational fairs in
Europe, attracting some twenty thousand visitors. There
are 200 educational establishments and official bodies,
from sixteen countries, taking part.
AOC introduces
funding for medallists
The Australian Olympic Committee has turned down a
federal government proposal to provide matching funding
of $4 million for a reintroduced Direct Athlete Support
(DAS) scheme.
Instead the AOC announced it would spend more than
$900,000 this year on athletes who win medals at major
events for Olympic sports.
Gold medallists at events such as the swimming or rowing
world championships will get $7,500, down to $2,500 for
fourth place.
It is effectively a reintroduction of the Medal Incentive
Scheme which was scrapped last year.
AOC president Mr John Coates said the amounts paid to
medal-winning athletes would be increased if an $11 million sponsorship shortfall was overcome.
But Coates said the AOC board voted unanimously
against matching the proposed government DAS funding
of $4 million.
The original DAS scheme was scrapped after the Sydney
Olympics.
There is still no AOC medal reward scheme in place for
the 2004 Athens Games.
AAP
LEFT: ATHENS 2004 President Mrs Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki receiving a Cretan dagger from Mr Manolis Paterakis,
president of the Panhellenic Federation of Cretan Organizations, to mark the contribution of volunteers from Crete
to the 2004 Olympics.
ATHENS 2004 President Mrs Gianna
Angelopoulos-Daskalaki welcomed the
Cretans who live in the Attica (broader
Athens) region. At the event, organised in
cooperation with the Panhellenic Federation of Cretan Clubs and Societies, present were First Vice-President of Parliament Mr Costas Geitonas, Heraklio parliamentarians Mrs B. Schinaraki and Mr
G. Deiktakis, former Minister Mr L.
Verivakis, former Rethymnon Member
of Parliament Mr I. Sbokos, Secretary
Generals of ministries, senior judicial
officials, the former president of Panathinaikos FC Mr G. Vardinoyannis, as well
as about 400 presidents and members of
the Cretan community of Attica, which
numbers about half a million Cretans.
ATHOC President stressed that she was
impressed by the fact that the Cretans
mainly volunteered in the field of Paralympic Games, thus proving "the high
level of social education and the humanitarian sensitivity of the Cretans".
"The Cretans always hastened to volunteer and contribute to the achievement of
our national goals. Once again, we are
determined to participate in the success
of the national venture of the 2004
Olympic and Paralympic Games. We are
enlisted as volunteers and are at your disposal so that we can effectively support
your work", said the President of the Panhellenic Federation of Cretan Clubs and
Societies, Mr Manolis Paterakis.
Then, upon offering a Cretan knife to the
ATHENS 2004 President, he stressed that
this is an act of "confirmation of the
promise of Cretans for a substantial pres-
ence of the Cretan community of Attica
in the Volunteer cause for the 2004
Olympic and Paralympic Games".
Mr Yannis Tsouchlarakis, a researcher
and expert on folklore history, spoke on
the presence of Cretans at the Olympic
Games, from ancient times to the present.
On the course of preparations for the
2004 Olympic Games, speakers were
ATHOC General Manager Mr Ioannis
Spanudakis, Volunteerism General Manager Mr Dimitris Karamitsos-Tziras and
General Manager for the Paralympic
Games Mrs Ioanna Karyofilli.
The event ended with Cretan dance
groups and the traditional Cretan toast,
where the predominant drink was the
local tsikoudia spirit.
Athens organisers receive further boost
Athens Olympics organisers received a second boost in as many
days late last month, when equestrian chiefs reported "entire
satisfaction" with the progress of the construction of their
venues.
Just 24 hours after International Tennis Federation secretary
general Mrs Debbie Jevans praised progress in the Greek capital, International Equestrian Federation technical delegate Mr
Mike Etherington-Smith said he was impressed with what he
had seen.
"Almost a year has passed since I last visited Athens, and I must
say that an enormous amount of work has progressed," he said.
"The Equestrian Olympic venues under construction are very
impressive and they will be even more impressive in their final
form.
"There are still issues to be discussed but the good news is that
there are no problems...I'm impressed with what I've seen."
Mr Etherington-Smith's comments will come as further relief to
organisers, who have come under much criticism in recent
weeks.
In the meantime, IOC president Mr Jacques Rogge promised
increased inspections of construction projects in Athens leading
up to the 2004 Olympics.
"The closer we get to the games, the more frequent the IOC visits to Athens will be. We do not have the option to move the
Olympic Games," Mr Rogge was quoted as saying in the Greek
newspaper Eleftheros Typos.
International Olympic Committee inspectors, led by Mr Denis
Oswald, the head of the IOC coordination team, visited Athens
lastweek to check on the progress of construction.
The inspectors were expected to decide on the fate of longdelayed plans to build a glass-and-steel roof, designed by Spanish architect Mr Santiago Calatrava, for the main Olympic complex.
REUTERS
Australia Athens-bound
The Australian women's softball team has qualified for the
2004 Athens Olympic Games after a 2-0 series win over New
Zealand at the Blacktown Olympic Centre.
Australia secured the comprehensive victory by winning the
first match 1-0, then clinched its berth with a clinical 4-1 second game win. The locals went through the Asia-Oceania
qualifying series unbeaten against Korea and the Kiwis, conceding only two runs along the way.
Australian captain Peta Edebone, a stand-out hitter in the
three-day tournament, said the team was overcome with emotion after they booked their ticket to Athens.
Australian coach Simon Roskvist paid tribute to the entire
squad, particularly the leader.
"Captain's knock," Roskvist said, when asked about
Edebone's game. She's an unbelievable leader, gutsy and
determined."
Australia will now focus on the Canada Cup in July, followed
by the Japan Cup before the focus shifts to the Athens Games
in August next year.
Australia won a bronze medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000
and is currently ranked fifth in the world.
AAP
Sports
Sporting
News!
Youth championship
back on
Australia's under-20 soccer squad for the
postponed world youth championship soccer tournament will be picked again when
the event is held later in the year.
Australia had originally named a 20-man
squad for the March 25 championships but
the event, to be held in the United Arab
Emirates, was rescheduled because of the
war in Iraq.
With a new starting date of November 27,
Young Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou
admitted that none of the players initially
picked were guaranteed a spot again.
Australia qualified for the tournament after
winning the Oceania qualifying final with a
comprehensive defeat of Fiji in December
last year.
However, they have been drawn in a tough
pool in Group C alongside three-time champions Brazil, the Czech Republic and Canada. Australia was semi-finalists in 1991 and
1993 and quarter-finalists in 1981, 1995,
1997 and 2001.
F1 teams agree to work
with GPWC series
Formula One team bosses have agreed to
work with leading car-makers on plans for a
new grand prix championship from 2008,
the GPWC organisers said on Thursday.
The board of directors of Grand Prix World
Championship (GPWC), a company created by the manufacturers to pave the way for
their own series, presented their plans to the
10 team bosses in Munich.
The carmakers are Ford, BMW, Mercedesparent DaimlerChrysler, Ferrari-owners
FIAT and Renault.
The GPWC said in a statement that the
meeting represented a key step for both
GPWC and the Formula One teams towards
the realisation of common goals.
The series is intended to take over from Formula One when the current "Concorde
Agreement" between teams, commercial
rights holder Bernie Ecclestone and the
governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) expires in 2007.
"The meeting's agenda included a discussion on the future framework for the sport
with a unanimous view to promote its longterm stability," the GPWC statement said.
"The meeting resulted in all participants
signing a memorandum of understanding
and agreeing to work together to complete
the organisation agreement on key features
of the commercial and sporting structure of
GPWC.
"GPWC believes these objectives are in the
best interest of the teams and in the best
interest of the sport."
GPWC said it would meet FIA president
Max Mosley, whose body would be expected to sanction the GPWC series, and Ecclestone to update them on details of the meeting.
No details were given in the statement and
none of the principals was immediately
available for comment.
DID YOU KNOW? *** Jean Genevieve
Garnerin was the first female parachutists, jumping from a hot air balloon in 1799. *** In 1975 Junko Tabei
from Japan became the first woman to
reach the top of Everest.
SPECIAL BOOK OFFER
The enormous work of the former Australian Ambassador to Greece, Hugh Gilchrist, titled
‘AUSTRALIANS AND GREEKS’, (volume 1) normally retails for approximately $50.00.
Now thanks to a special offer by brother John and Angelo Notaras, the Sydney Bookstore
of the Archdiocese is able to sell it to the public at HALF PRICE!
So Sydney residents may purchase it directly for the low price of $25.00 and for those who
live interstate, the book can be posted out directly to you by adding just $5.00 for postage
and handling.
Write to:
“AUSTRALIANS AND GREEKS” SPECIAL BOOK OFFER
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Bookcentre
242 Cleveland St,
REDFERN NSW 2016
ALSO:
Readers of The Vema can place their orders for the historical publication of the Greek
Australian Sports Hall of Fame - an amazing collection of national and international
sporting achievements by Greek Australian sportsmen and women. Only for $10 for 160
pages of great testimonies of strength and endurance
AAP
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Greek Australian VEMA
APRIL 2003
Sports
New
Times
TO BHMA
The VEMA speaks with Jim Patikas
THE GREEK GREYHOUND
Best advice you were ever given?
Just go through the pain.
Your advice for young and aspiring soccer
players?
Keep a level head and take one step at a time.
Tenacious, electrifying and above all
memorable are words that depict the
playing career of one Australia’s greatest sporting exports, Jim Patikas.
Aside from playing soccer, what else did
you want to be?
Leaving in year 10, there was nothing else but
soccer in my mind. I knew I would and had to
make it as a professional, a risk I was more
than willing to take.
With a profile inclusive of over 20 International caps, an apprenticeship under the Scottish Aberdeen and 3 Greek championships
with AEK Athens, experiences for the former
Socceroo have been both vast and testing.
Welcoming TheVEMA for a candid interview,
we projected at Patikas several questions in
which we attained sharp, clear and decisive
responses, as only you would when speaking
to him.
A day in the life of Jim Patikas. Tell me
about it?
Wake up early in the morning and have a nice
cup of coffee. Have lunch at work, come
home, attend soccer training and conclude the
night with some nice relaxing time.
Tell us what you are occupying yourself
with these days?
Currently I am involved in private training,
comprising of over 30 kids. I am also coaching the U/14’s at Leichardt Tigers whilst
managing work commitments.
What were the sacrifices involved in being
a professional soccer player in Greece?
I loved and continue to love the game of soccer. For me the only setback would have been
the social life factor, which consisted of early
nights and good rest. I was never one that was
religious about his diet.
As a coach, outline your professional
goals?
/63
DID YOU KNOW? The first instance of
global electronic communications took
place in 1871 when news of the Derby
winner was telegraphed from London
to Calcutta in under 5 minutes.
By Terry Sidiratos
[email protected]
What was your greatest or most memorable professional moment?
Establishing myself at the age of 24, the hard
work and level of commitment you put in is
compensated with your first ever goal on the
big stage, which in my case was with AEK
Athens [1986].
31
There is no greater sense of accomplishment
for me when I develop a player and make
him/her fullfill their absolute potential. As a
coach, regardless of player ability, it is a personal goal of mine to maximise the results to
be attained by each and every individual
under my guidance.
Jim, what are your personal goals?
One of my personal goals is to one-day run
my own club, established or new, with friends
and past players. There is nothing concrete at
the moment, yet it is a personal ambition of
mine.
Holding a strong reputation in the soccer
community, tell us what you think your
strengths and weaknesses as a coach are?
My strengths as a coach include having good
rapport with players of all levels and being
self-motivated. I have a high standard of both
commitment and loyalty and the desire to
constantly strive for the best results. My
weakness I believe, is that I am not hard
enough...yes, too nice sometimes!
Australian soccer. What is wrong with it?
Too political!
Growing up playing the sport of soccer, I
would always recall the name ‘Patika’ being
echoed by the generation of fathers’ whose
wish it was for their son’s to emulate a success story, such as the one just portrayed.
In reference to the character of Jimmy
Patikas, seldom do you hear or associate any
negative connotations. Quite rare for a man
whose network spans throughout Australia
and Europe and whose resume contains battles with teams such as Inter Milan, PSV Eindenhoven, Athletico Bilbao, Torino and
Dynomo Moscow. Retiring from playing
duties in 1995, the modest ‘Patikas’ will
always be confronted with an expression of
interest from the soccer community.
Jim Patikas’ success as a player has set the
foundation for his much needed input in
development and coaching. At 40 years of
age, the enthusiasm generated from this
respected stakeholder of Australian soccer
mirrors a keen and able 20 year old poised for
success.
Olympic marathon races
to take place in evening
The marathon races in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games
will start at 1800 local time.
The International Association of Athletics Federations
had wanted both the men’s and women’s events to start at
0700 but the local organising committee said the road
needed to be clear for the rowing events taking place on
the same day.
With the race next August now taking place in the
evening, when the temperature and pollution is expected
to be high, conditions will be extremely difficult for the
runners on one of the world’s toughest courses.
The council also agreed to reinstate French athlete Olivier Jean-Theodore, who was suspended for refusing a test
in July 2001, following a recommendation from the AntiDoping Commission and the IAAF’s legal counsel.
Two other athletes, Italy’s Andrea Longo and Ali SaidiSief of Algeria had also requested early reinstatement.
Both were due to return from two-year suspensions a few
days after the close of final entries for the World Championships in Paris.
While Longo’s application for early reinstatement was
rejected, the Council agreed to extend his qualification
deadline because there had been a two-month delay in
reporting his result from the laboratory.
But Saidi-Sief’s request was rejected.
Reuters
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