The new Mayor of Thessaloniki, Giannis Boutaris stated in an interview to the Slavomacedonian newspaper “Utrinski Vesnik”, that FYROM’s government should compromise and make efforts to find a fair solution to the name issue. Boutaris claims that the most appropriate solution was to find a compound name and he proposes the name “Slavomacedonia”, as he considers that this is better than the Northern or Upper Macedonia.
“The Slavs arrived in the Balkans in the 6th century A.D. However, other people lived here long before them. The fact that the Slavs moved and live in the area for centuries, certainly enables them to be called Macedonians, but a special feature is needed in order to have a distinction, because Macedonians used to live long before in the area. These are two different things and should be clear to everyone. What seems strange to me, is why a Slav or a Slavic group, who as a people have done a lot and have a great history, which should be proud of, call and want more things, more history, to be proud”, stated Boutaris
Mayor Boutaris Proposes "Slavo Macedonia" for FYROM's Official Name
Civil Aviation Union Strike Deemed Illegal by Athens Court
A 48-hour strike called by the civil aviation staff union OSYPA on December 29th and 30th was declared illegal by an Athens first-instance court. This follows after management at the Civil Aviation Service filed to have the strike declared illegal and abusive.
Members of OSYPA, in response to the ruling on Friday, said that they would resort to other forms of labour mobilisation in protest against the government’s plans for mandatory transfers of some 500 mechanics and pilots of the former Olympic Airways currently employed by the CAS. They did not reveal what form this action would take but it may result in minor problems with ground handling, especially in regional airports around the country.
(source: ana-mpa)
Athens Busses Plan Wednesday Strike
The wave of strikes in the Athens public transport against government reforms that include wage cuts and forced staff transfers will resume after the Christmas holidays. Trade unionists announced this on Saturday.
Bus drivers and staff are planning further work stoppages next Wednesday, from the start of their shift until 8:00 a.m. and from 10:00 p.m. until the end of the shift. This means buses will be running between 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. on that day.
Similar work stoppages held at different hours are also planned after the New Year on January 3rd, 5th and 10th.
No announcements concerning planned strikes have yet been made by unions for other forms of public transport in the capital.
(source: ana-mpa)
List of Αmounts Given for Greek Schools Financing
The following lists persents the amounts given for the financing of Greek schools of diasporas for 2011, in order to face functional expenses, to pay salaries and rents.
Munich:Total: 2.414.300,00€
1. Highschool of Augsburg , Philippine Welser Str. 13 − 86150 Augsburg 120.000,00€
2. 1st Highschool of Munich, Schatzbogen 29 − 81829 Munchen , 1.070.000,00€
3. 2nd Highschool of Munich , Schatzbogen 29 − 81829 München , 174.300,00€
4. Highschool of Nurnberg, Philipp Kittler Str. 24 − 90480 Nürnberg , 393.500,00€
5. Highschool of Schweinfurt, Wirsingstr. 7 − 97421 Schweinfurt , 84.000,00€
6. Schools of Munich- Dachau, Briennerstr. 46 − 80333 München , 570.000,00€
7. 2oth Private Elementary school of Nurnberg , Zugspitzstr. 119, 90471, Nürnberg , 2.500,00€
Stuttgart: Total 815.380,00€
8. High school of Stuttgart : Swieberdingerstr. 9 − 70435 Stuttgart , 580.000,00€
9. High school of Neustadt, Zeppelinstr. 4 − 71332 Waiblingen , 78.500,00€
10. High school of Ludwigsburg , Groner Str. 34 − 71636 Ludwigsburg , 66.600,00€
11. High school of Ludwigsburg , Seckemheimer Landstr. 210−220 − 68163 Mannheim , 90.280,00€
Berlin, Total 157.660,00€
12. High school of Hamburg , Steinfeldstrt. 1 − 22119 Hamburg , 51.320,00€
13. High school of Berlin , Weimarische Str. 21 −10715 Berlin , 94.760,00€
14. High school of Hannover , Gottfried Keller Str. 11 − 30655 Hannover , 11.580,00€
Dusseldorf: Total: 1.891.520,00€
15. Elementary School of Dusseldorf, Lacomblet Str. 9 − 40239 Dusseldorf , 269.240,00€
16. Elementary School of Bielefeld , Ramaweg 6 − 33617 Bielefeld , 237.720,00€
17.Elementary School of Dortmund , Ruschebrink Str. 75 − 44143 Dortmund , 116.000,00€
18.Elementary School of Wuppertal, Uellendahler Str. 400 −42109 Wuppertal , 110.500,00€
19. Infant School of Wuppertal , Wilkhaus Str. 45 − 42281 Wuppertal , 11.740,00€
20.High School of Dusseldorf , Heerdter Sandberg Str. 12 − 40549 Wuppertal, 120.240,00€
21.High School of Bielefeld , Germanenstr. 13 − 33647 Bielefeld , 143.000,00€
22.High School of Ludenscheid , Sedanstr. 18 − 58507 Ludenscheid , 185.000,00€
23. High School of Wuppertal , Hesselnberg 70 − 42285 Wuppertal , 180.000,00€
24. Intermediate School of Dusseldorf , Heerdter Sandberg Str. 12 − 40549 Dusseldorf , 134.280,00€
25. Intermediate School of Wuppertal , Sedanstr. 61 − 42281 Wuppertal , 67.300,00€
26.Intermediate School of Bielefeld , Ramaweg 6 − 33617 Bielefeld , 45.240,00€
27. Intermediate School of Dortmund , Ruschebrink Str. 13 − 44143 Dortmund , 110.260,00€
28.High School of Koln, Aachenerstr. 443 − 50933 Koln , 161.000,00€
Frankfurt:
29. Greek School of Frankfurt , Linkstr. 25 − 65933 Frankfurt , 338.000,00€
London: Total: 180.640,00€
30.London Infant and Elementary School , 3, Pierrepoint Road −W3 9JR London , 74.000,00€
31. London High School , Avenue Lodge Bounds Green Road & Park Avenue N22 , 106.640,00€
Brussels: Total: 175.000,00€
32. Brussels School , Joseph Claes 91, St. Gilles , 66.000,00€
33. Belgium, Luxemburg and Netherlands School, Rue de Petits Carmes 6 −1000 Bruxelles , 109.000,00€
Cairo: Total: 22.000,00€
34. Ambetios School of Cairo , 22 Osman Ibn Affan Str., Heliopolis Cairo, P.C.11351 ,10.000,00€ 35. Averofion
High School of Alexandria, 63 Iskandar El Akbar−Chatby, Alexandrie Egypte 12.000,00
Paris: Total: 81.000,00€
36. Henri Bergson Greek Language Department, 27, rue Eduard Pailleron, 75019 Paris , 73.000,00€
37. Kuss − Luxembourg Greek Language Department, 75, rue d’ Alesia, 75014 Paris , 8.000,00€
Korçë:
38. Greek School «Όμηρος Κορυτσάς» , Korce NationalRoad − Ερσέκας 2° χλμ., Albania 35.000,00€
ΤΙΡΑΝΑ:
39.Greek School «Όμηρος Χιμάρας» , Rruga Frederik Shirolca 3, Tirana, Albania , 15.000,00€
Bucharest: Total: 25.000,00€
40. Greek Infant and Elementary School of Bucharest , Parfumului 9, 030841 ,.10.000,00€
41.Native Language Department, Sofia , Tsanko Tserovski 50 − Lozenets, Sofia , 15.000,00€
Total: 6.150.500,00€
Deficit Of Trade Balance Dropped by 38.4% in October
The deficit of the trade balance in October recorded a drop of 38.4%, according to Hellenic Statistical Authority’s announcement, based on provisional data.
Specifically, the deficit of the trade balance in October amounted to 1438.3 million euro in comparison with 2341.5 million euro in October 2009. The corresponding change excluding oil products recorded a decrease of 551.7 million euro or 28,1%.
Greek Researcher Katherine Andrinopoulos Combats HIV in Jamaica
Dr. Katherine Andrinopoulos is an Assistant Professor at the Department of International Health and Development at Tulane University School of Public Health and Topical Medicine in New Orleans.
A few years after free HIV medication was made available to developing countries in 2004, public health researcher Katherine Andrinopoulos began working alongside officials at the Jamaican Department of Corrections and the Ministry of Health. She conducted tests and treatment initiatives at the island’s largest prison. Now she is returning to the prison to encourage continued prevention and treatment services for inmates after they are released.
Her new mission is of major importance as it is directly related to society itself on the island of Jamaica, states Katherine Andrinopoulos to the National Herald.
Andrinopoulos plans to explore the complexities of sexual behavior of inmates and their partners through interviews while they are incarcerated, one week after they are released and again three months after they are released.
Dr. Andrinopoulos is the second of the three daughters of George and Ioanna Andrinopoulos. Her father was born in Athens, while her mother is from Sparta, residing in Charlotte, North Carolina. Katerina Andrinopoulos is married to lawyer Spyros Latsas. She is very proud of her Greek roots.
L.A. Times Reports Greek-Americans Reluctant to Assist Greece
One of the most well-known newspapers in the U.S.A, includes a really interesting article concerning Hellenes abroad and especially those in America. It presents their point of view on the recent fiscal crisis that Greece has to face.
The Los Angeles Times newspaper interviewed Greek -American Nick Paravalos who 40 years ago, left Greece in order to chase an American dream and fight for a better life in America. Time goes by and today, Paravalos underlined: “No one leaves [Greece] without dreaming of going back,” the 64-year-old retired restaurateur said to the newspaper. “And even if it doesn’t happen, our heart is always with the patrida, our homeland.”
However, there are of course Greek officials, who struggle to fix the Greek economy and words like this sound really attractive to them. Greece is preparing to issue the so-called diaspora bonds in order to raise money from the Hellenes abroad, who love their homeland so as to service its debt.
According to Petros Christodoulou, the director general of the Greek debt management office in Athens, they intend to access investors who have not yet been consumed in Greece’s risk.
But Greek-Americans seem pretty reluctant to help their homeland because as they say, there are limits.Take for instance Mr. Paravalos, who declared in the Los Angeles Times newspaper that if patriotism is in calling, then he would like to offer money to a friend or family member who needs them rather than to invest in the state.
Greece is in a terrible fiscal condition and needs a lot of loyalty, effort and support to face it. However, the Greek-Americans after the recent economic slowdown are not ready to invest money in their reckless homeland.
Greeks of Canada Celebrated Christmas
The Greek community of Canada celebrated Christmas. Despite the snow and the low temperature of -7C, the sun was shining. The Greeks of Canada attended the liturgy in Orthodox churches, set the Christmas table and baked the traditional bread and turkey.
Metamorphosis is the Only Greek-Orthodox Canadian Day School
Metamorphosis Day School was established in Toronto and accomodates today, up to 200 children from Junior Kindergarten to 8th Grade.
During a recent conference that took place in Canada, the school board underlined that there is a need to expand the school due to the number of students that is boosted every year ( 20% per year).
Metamorphosis is one of the best schools in Canada. Students study Greek, English and French. The tuition fees are $7.500.00 per student for an academic year. It was established thanks to the President of the School board, Mrs. Toula Reppa, who paid great sums of money for its inauguration.
Ministry Of Culture & Tourism Launches "Green Tourism" Programme
Subsidies for “green” hotels would reach 45%, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The department stated this on the occasion of the launch of “Green Tourism” programme, which is subsidized by the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF).
The program has a total budget of 30 million euro. It aims to strengthen the existing business projects of hotels, camping and rented rooms and apartments, which have been operating before January 1st, 2009.
Specifically, companies can achieve:
1. Reduction of operating costs by saving energy, water and integrated waste management
2. High quality services – Attraction of new customers
3. Ecological certification
4. Enhancement of environmental awareness
5. Strengthening of corporate social responsibility
It should be noted that the investment projects are funded by the programme “Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship” of the Ministry of Development.
Specifically, the funding supports: improvement of energy efficiency of buildings and use of Renewable Energy, development and implementation of water conservation system, integration of waste management (solid and liquid waste), integration of environmental/energy-efficient technologies and machinery, development of “green” policies and procedures, integration of environmental standards and, finally, awareness and promotion of environmental “profiles” of subsidized companies.
The total budget per project may vary from 15,000 up to 400,000 euro.
State funds a 40% of the total investment. Especially, on small islands with a population less than 3,100 residents, state’s funding can reach 45%.
Interested entrepreneurs should submit their proposing projects electronically until February 25, 2011, through the website www.ependyseis.gr/mis.
Additionally, those interested in participating in the program can obtain information from the following websites: www.visitgreece.gr, www.yppo.gr, www.espa.gr, www.ependyseis.gr, www.antagonistikotita.gr and: www.efepae.gr, and call center 801-11-36-300.