The number of Greek people attending food banks has been on the rise in the past few months. More and more people depend on the daily providence of free food from community services and public centres around Greece.
The rising number of homeless and poor people is by far over 20% of the Greek population, while unemployment has reached almost 18% after the harsh austerity measures imposed by the Greek government.
Foundations, associations, churches, volunteering clubs, and professionals in the food industry are coming together in an attempt of helping their fellow citizens in need.
According to Eleftheros Typos information, not only public food banks but private restaurant owners are now saving the spare food from the day in order to pass it out to poor families, schools, and hospitals.
This new initiative is called “We Can” and many volunteers from the Doctors of the World NGO are taking part at it.
Community Food Banks on the Rise in Greece
NEF-NEF Homeware Ranks Amongst Strongest Companies in Greece
NEF-NEF has been assigned a high score by ICAP Group and consequently, has been certified as one of the “STRONGEST COMPANIES IN GREECE”. This acknowledgement facilitates significantly the transactions of the company in Greece and abroad, given that it ranks among the group of companies with very low credit risk.
The “STRONGET COMPANIES IN GREECE” is a community of enterprises that are ranked at the highest rating scores of ICAP Group. ICAP Group is recognized by the Bank of Greece as an External Credit Assessment Institution and by the European Central Bank as the Accepted Rating Tool Source.
Only one in ten companies in Greece meet the required criteria to be included in the community of “STRONGEST COMPANIES”. Therefore, membership to the community is quite exclusive and its members are indeed the most creditworthy companies in Greece.
NEF-NEF was founded in 1961 by Mr. Demosthenes Kleideris with the main purpose being the production and distribution of home textile products.
Policeman Murders Girlfriend
A police officer serving in parliament’s security detail has confessed to the murder of his girlfriend, according to police authorities.
The man killed the woman and dumped her body on the side of a remote road in an attempt to portray the homicide as an unintentional traffic accident.
Police said that the man confessed to the crime on Sunday. The 32-year-old police officer said he used a windbreaker to asphyxiate the victim on Thursday, following a quarrel in his vehicle.
Greek Director’s North American Premiere
Giannis Georgiou’s latest short film TWO BROKEN HEARTS has already secured a few honors, including participating in the this year’s Short Film Corner at Cannes Film Festival, and screening at this year’s upcoming Valley Film Festival in California. Indeed this is just the beginning of what we to hear about this young director, who wrote, directed and acted in his short film, TWO BROKEN HEARTS-a quirky black musical comedy about everything going wrong after two souls meet in a train, have some drinks and decide to share a room.
As a graduate from the prestigious National Technical University of Athens, Georgiou studied architecture, but as a teen wanted to draw comics and write scripts for comic novels. Following his true passion, after graduation, Georgiou went on to participate in a one year program at London’s National School of Film and Television, in which he says opened his eyes to the art of filmmaking. There he explored his creativity, studied acting and worked on commercials, in a period of his that that he says matured him and made him appreciate Hollywood, and what it had to learn from.
Now, with a few projects under his belt, Georgiou is ready to gain exposure in the United States, and create opportunities for himself outside of Greece where he says enthusiasm isn’t encouraged. “We are used to things not working properly. The proof is that so many go out of Greece and do great things.” Greek filmmakers are in fact getting attention. For example Giorgos Lanthimos’ DOGTOOTH which won Oscar praise. “I loved DOGTOOTH,” says Georgiou with a smile, “but when I watched it with my friends in London they did not understand the undercurrent of reality, or the big truth behind the message.”
Georgiou’s favorite movies? APOCALYPSE NOW, GOOD BAD & UGLY and Woody Allens movies.
Georgiou will be attending the North American premiere of his short film, TWO BROKEN HEARTS at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks, California on November 12th @ 10:30 PM.
More information about filmmaker Giannis Georgiou, can be found here.
Commonwealth Supports Cyprus
Commonwealth Heads of Government have underlined their full support for the territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus as well as for its sovereign right to explore and exploit any hydrocarbon reserves in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
In their Joint Communique, issued after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (GHOGM) which took place in Perth, Australia, 28 -30 October, they reaffirm the previous CHOGM Communiques on Cyprus and express full support for the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and unity of the Republic of Cyprus. The representative of the President of the Republic during the meeting was the Finance Minister Erato Kozakou-Markoulli.
They also support the efforts of the leaders of the two communities of Cyprus, under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General’s Good Offices Mission, to bring about a comprehensive Cyprus settlement, based on the UN Charter and the relevant UNSCRs for a State of Cyprus with a single sovereignty, single international personality and a single citizenship, in a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality as described in the relevant UNSCRs.
The Heads of Government called for the implementation of UNSCRs, in particular 365 (1974), 541 (1983), 550 (1984), and 1251 (1999) and reiterated their support for the full respect of the human rights of all Cypriots and for the accounting for all missing persons.
2011 Greek Student Film Festival Awards
The 2nd Greek Student Film Festival in Melbourne was completed in all success with over 40 entries from students learning the Modern Greek language all around Australia.
The event was a collaborative effort between the Greek Orthodox Communities of Melbourne and Victoria, the Antipodes Festival and the Education Office of the Consulate General of Greece in Melbourne with the support of the Victorian state government’s Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
The 20 best entries were screened on October 30 at Como cinemas in South Yarra, where students, parents and friends of the participants overwhelmed the place and warmly applauded everyone’s effort.
This year’s festival was titled as “Journeys In Hellenism” and the movies covered a wide aspect of topics on Hellenism or Greekness, such as nostalgic journeys, the migratory experiences and past, satire, poetry and even culinary concepts. At the end of the event, the three best films for each one of the following four categories was awarded with monetary prizes and certificates of participation:
Primary School
1st place: “How times have changed” (Sans Souci Primary School – NSW)
2nd place: “Greek War” (All Saints Grammar School – NSW)
3rd place: “Acrostic” (St. Anargyroi College – VIC)
Junior High School
1st place: ”The Greek language-A journey” (South Oakleigh Secondary School – VIC)
2nd place: ”Greece wake up!” (Greek Orthodox Community Schools – Albert Park Campus – VIC
3rd place: ”The journey of the Greek immigrant” (Victorian School of Languages – VIC)
High School
1st place: ”My Ithaca” (Greek Orthodox Community Schools – Doncaster Campus – VIC)
2nd place: ”The Marbles” (Croydon Secondary College – VIC)
3rd place: ”My family” (St. Monica’s Catholic College – VIC)
University
1st place: “A journey to Greece (Yesterday – Today – Tomorrow)” (Monash University – VIC)
2nd place: ”A Greek School” (Monash University – VIC)
3rd place: ”Ta stefana” (La Trobe University – VIC)
Consul General Eleni Lianidou: “Greece is the Victim of Myths”
According to the Herald Sun newspaper, Greek Consul General to Melbourne Eleni Lianidou believes that Greece is the victim of myths.
She also said that about 2000 Greek Australians had come home, mainly to Melbourne, in the wake of austerity measures in their ancestral homeland.
Mrs Lianidou said many young Greek citizens were also looking to migrate here because of the lack of opportunities in Greece.
Several hundred people attended a skilled migration expo held recently in Athens by the federal Immigration Department. Australia is trying to lure workers from fields such as health-care, engineering, construction, and mechanical trades.
Houses to Shelter a Whole Village Population
Mr. Vassilis Iatrou told Ethnikos Kirikas daily newspaper that if one puts together all the houses he has built over the years, they would make up a whole village.
Mr. Iatrou is today 88-years-old and lives in turn at his children’s houses all over Massachusetts, spending his day reading books. The most impressive thing of them all is that he has built whole integrated libraries in every house he has ever built for his four children, for each one of them has donated 500 to 700 books.
Washington Celebrates "Oxi" Day Anniversary
This year’s annual celebration of the October 28 anniversary was grandly celebrated by Greek-Americans in the 2-day events in Washington. The newly composed Washington Oxi Day Foundation organized all events of the celebrations, which commenced at the Monument of World War II in a square of the American capital city.
The importance of the Oxi Day anniversary was underlined by many prominent official figures, such as the Archbishop of America Demetrios. According to His Eminence, the 28th of October is one of the biggest national days for the Greek people all over the world. “It equals to the 25th of March. It was a day of liberation and victory against a Goliath power. The Greeks have done their best to contribute to the Axis Powers final defeat”
One of the persons honored at this year’s celebrations was Senator Bob Dole, who has not only joined the army against the Axis Powers but has also suffered severe injuries during one fight. Additionally, 97-year-old Panayiotis Sakellaris was also awarded for his contribution and personal sacrifice for the ideal of freedom during the 1940s war. Mr. Sakellaris travelled from Athens to Washington especially for the Oxi Day celebrations and his award.
Two Greek American Women Pursuing Judgeship
Two Greek-American women pursue court judges during the eminent elections of the 8th of November. Carmen St. George (Markakis) is taking part in the elections for Nassau County District Court Judge and Kate Christoforatos has just announced her candidacy for Justice of the Supreme Court, Queens County.
Kate earned her undergraduate degree in Mathematics from Fordham University and was awarded the degree of Juris Doctor from the St. John’s University School of Law graduating in the top 1% of her class. Kate has been serving the Queens Community as an attorney for 27 years. She has extensive experience in the areas of Family Law, Elder Law, Real Estate Law, Business Law and Trusts & Estates. Kate is a Partner in the Law Offices of Kulakis & Christoforatos, Esqs. located in Astoria, New York.
Kate was admitted to practice law before the Courts of the State of New York, the Federal District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the United States Supreme Court. She serves as the Chairman of the Board of the Hellenic Lawyers Association and is a past President. Kate is a member of the Queens County Bar Association, the Queens County Women’s Bar Association and the American Bar Association. She has been rated “Qualified” by the Queens County Bar Association and “Approved” by the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, as a Judicial Candidate.
Moreover, Carmen St. George (Markakis) is a substantial part of the Hellenic Lawyers Association. Her experience includes: six and a half years as an Assistant District Attorney prosecuting over fifty trials, including numerous felony and misdemeanor jury trials for the Queens County District Attorney’s office and seven and a half years as a trial attorney with the Manhattan law firm of Levy Phillips & Konigsberg, LLP, focusing on asbestos related cases, including mesothelioma and lung cancer. St. George graduated cum laude from St. John’s University and earned her Juris Doctor from Fordham Law School.