NOVEMBER 2008 Tel. (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033 E-mail: vema@bigpond.net.au

THE GREEK AUSTRALIAN

VEMAThe oldestcirculating

Greeknewspaper

outsideGreece

Crowned in marriageMarriage and family life, as conveyed in the liturgical services of betrothal and crowning

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St George Karslidesthe Righteous of DramaTuesday, November 4, 2008 wasthe first feast day of St GeorgeKarslides, a very holy Elder ofGreece in the 20th century

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Takingon AcademiaThessaloniki’s InternationalHellenic University is set to turn Greece into a global academic centre

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OBAMA PROMISES A “NEW ERA”

With Barack Obama’s stunning electoral victory, the painfulpresidency of George W Bush is finally drawing to a close.The Democrat won 53 percent of the national vote toRepublican John McCain’s 46 percent, outperforming BillClinton, the last Democrat to enter the White House; but healso won an electoral landslide of 349 votes to McCain’s163.

Fears of a last-minute overseas misadventure (Bush seniorsent US troops to Somalia in the last two months of hispresidency) ought to be put to rest. Bush’s domesticapproval ratings are in the basement (they have been in the20 percent and low 30 percent range in every major poll thisyear), and he has promised Obama a smooth transition. It is doubtful whether the world has ever reacted with such

jubilation at the election of a US president. Part of theenthusiasm is, of course, due to the unpopularity of GeorgeW Bush (a June poll of Europeans by the German MarshallFund, a think-tank, gave him a 19 percent approval rating); somany people are simply relieved to see him go.

Of course Obama has a lot more going for him than meredefenestration of an unpopular predecessor. Global surveyshave consistently favoured him over McCain (69 percent ofEuropeans supported Obama, versus just 26 percent forMcCain, in the GMF poll). America‘s contract with Europe cannow be renewed, free of the divisions the Bushadministration engineered over the war in Iraq, epitomisedin Donald Rumsfeld’s slight about “Old Europe”. That much isdemonstrated both in the statements of European leadersand in popular enthusiasm.

Surely, though, much of the enthusiasm has to do withObama’s message of hope amid the daunting state of theworld after Bush’s two terms. US entaglements in Iraq andAfghanistan have diluted America‘s image as a benign forcein the world, raised interfaith tensions and weakened USpower.

Bush’s War on Terror is widely seen as a a failure. A BBCpoll surveying 23 countries across the world last September

Cont. page 5/23

Musical Fusion, Queensland Style:

The Greek Orthodox YouthOrchestra of Brisbane

OUR PRIMATE’S VIEW

AN ‘UNKNOWN’ HEROINEPAGES 4/22- 5/23

A NEWBEGINNING

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The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA2/20 NOVEMBER 2008

This DayII nn HH ii ss tt oo rr yy

November 29, 1947

U.N. votes for partition of Palestine

Despite strong Arab opposition,the United Nations votes for the par-tition of Palestine and the creation ofan independent Jewish state.

The modern conflict betweenJews and Arabs in Palestine datesback to the 1910s, when bothgroups laid claim to the British-con-trolled territory. The Jews wereZionists, recent emigrants from Eu-rope and Russia who came to theancient homeland of the Jews to es-tablish a Jewish national state. Thenative Palestinian Arabs sought tostem Jewish immigration and set upa secular Palestinian state.

December 5, 1945

Aircraft squadronlost in the Bermuda

Triangle

At 2:10 p.m., five U.S. Navy Aven-ger torpedo-bombers comprisingFlight 19 take off from the Ft. Laud-erdale Naval Air Station in Florida ona routine three-hour training mis-sion. Flight 19 was scheduled to takethem due east for 120 miles, northfor 73 miles, and then back over afinal 120-mile leg that would returnthem to the naval base. They neverreturned.

December 7, 1941

Pearl Harbourbombed

At 7:55 a.m. Hawaii time, a Japan-ese dive bomber bearing the redsymbol of the Rising Sun of Japan onits wings appears out of the cloudsabove the island of Oahu. A swarmof 360 Japanese warplanes fol-lowed, descending on the U.S. navalbase at Pearl Harbor in a ferociousassault. The surprise attack struck acritical blow against the U.S. Pacific

fleet and drew the United States irrevocably into World War II.

St Andrew’s Grammar, Perth

The Opening of Stage IVTradition and Innovation come together!On Tuesday 28 October, the St Andrew’s Grammar School

Community gathered together under the leadership of theGreek Studies Staff to celebrate ΟΧΙ Day and the Feast Dayof St Demetrios.

It was a wonderful occasion where the talents of the stu-dents were brought to the fore with songs and acts per-formed by students from Year One to Year 11 and conclud-ed with an outstanding dance performance by our JuniorDance Group.

Ms Maria Svarnou, representing the Honourable Consulof Greece, Ms Despina Tzanakakis spoke to the students,staff and parents about how ΟΧΙ Day commemoratesMetaxa’s refusal of the ultimatum made by Mussolini onOctober 28, to allow Italian forces to enter Greek territoryand occupy certain unspecified “strategic locations”.

She then spoke about how we can all learn from this actand apply it to our lives today.

The Chair of the School Board, Ms Marcelle Andersonthen read out a letter from the Deputy Prime Minister, theHon. Julia Gillard, to the School Community advising us ofthe wonderful news that our long-awaited Amphitheatrewas soon to be in use, following this official Opening andBlessing.

The Blessing, conducted by Rev. Fr Emmanuel, Rev. Fr Tha-lassios and Rev. Fr Elpidios was attended by several digni-taries who joined the School on the day including Mr

Michael Keenan, Federal Member for Stirling, Ms JanineFreeman MLA, Trustees and members of the Executive ofthe Hellenic Community of Western Australia and manystaff and parents. The students are looking forward to theirfirst classes in Greek Drama and twilight concerts in thecoming months!

Craig D’cruz, Principal

By circular dated 31 October 2008, the Committee ofthe Greek Orthodox Parish and Community of Kogarahand District published to members and parishioners anumber of false and damaging comments concerning therecent finalisation of the legal proceedings initiated by theArchdiocese in the Supreme Court of New South Walesregarding the ill-conceived establishment of a nursinghome enterprise by that Parish and Community.

As readers well know, the Archdiocese was compelledto take legal action against the Kogarah Parish and Com-munity given that the said nursing home was owned andcontrolled by a company that was effectively separatefrom the Kogarah Parish and Community and, thereby,severed from the religious purposes of that Parish andCommunity and the greater Church. This fundamentalproblem was compounded by the fact that the KogarahParish and Community had granted a lease to that entityfor a total of 50 years which had the effect of placing thecontrol of the nursing home enterprise into the hands of avery small minority of persons who were not bound bythe religious purposes of the Church.

Happily, the Supreme Court proceedings have been re-solved with the making of important orders by theSupreme Court of New South Wales that correct these se-rious constitutional defects in the nursing home enterpriseand ensure, once and for all, that there can be no devia-tion of Kogarah Parish and Community’s assets into cor-porate vehicles that bear no allegiance to the Church andits broader religious purposes. It is to be emphasised that

the Supreme Court of New South Wales, on 23 October2008, made important declaratory orders that bind thenursing home enterprise and ensure that its purposes re-main strictly in conformity with the purposes of the Koga-rah Parish and Community and the greater Church.

It is therefore to be regretted that this very pleasingoutcome for our Church has been tainted by a mischie-vous circular that misinterprets both the intentions behind,and the outcome of, these legal proceedings and at-tempts to justify the wrong acts of the past. The three sig-natories to that circular, Vasilios Kritikos, Con Liaros andJames Cominos, have been put on notice by the Archdio-cese’s legal representatives of the serious falsities intheir circular and they have been asked to publish an im-mediate apology and retraction. They have also been puton notice of the fact that the circular is defamatory of HisEminence Archbishop Stylianos and of the Trustees of theGreek Orthodox Archdiocese Consolidated Trust whosedecision to embark upon these legal proceedings hasbeen entirely vindicated by their outcome.

It had been the hope of the Archdiocese that the ordersmade by the Supreme Court on 23 October 2008 wouldbring an end to this long dispute. Sadly, the content of thecircular reveals that those responsible for its publicationstill fail to appreciate the heavy responsibility they carryby serving on the managing committee of a parish com-pany and the need at all times for diligence and care inthe establishment of business enterprises by them in thename of the Church.

URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 3/21

EditorialNOVEMBER 2008

By Nikos Konstandaras

Barack Obama’s election coincides with the searchfor a new global dispensation of power and respon-sibilities to succeed the system which has regulatedthe international community for the past 60 years.We are at a turning point, similar to that of Yalta in1945, when the victors of the still unfinished warcarved the world into spheres of influence. A littlelater, with the United Nations, the World Bank andthe International Monetary Fund, the foundations forthe other spheres of global political and economicgovernance were established.

The system worked remarkably well and even ap-peared to absorb the shock of the collapse of theEast Bloc in 1989. That’s when talk began of theneed for a new world order. First to mention thiswas Mikhail Gorbachev, who was struggling in vainto hold the Soviet Union and its clients together andneeded to move away from the pure power politicsof the Cold War. Then, more famously, PresidentGeorge H.W. Bush, used the phrase in September,1990, as he assembled an unprecedented interna-tional coalition to drive Iraq out of Kuwait. “A newpartnership of nations has begun, and we stand to-day at a unique and extraordinary moment. The cri-

sis in the Persian Gulf, as grave as it is, also offersa rare opportunity to move toward an historic periodof cooperation. Out of these troubled times... a newworld order can emerge: A new era... freer from thethreat of terror, stronger in the pursuit of justice andmore secure in the quest for peace. An era in whichthe nations of the world, east and west, north andsouth, can prosper and live in harmony,” he told ajoint session of Congress.

President Woodrow Wilson used “a new world or-der” at the end of World War I, envisioning a worldin which traditional power politics would be replacedby collective security, democracy and the nations’right to self-determination. In all these instances,hopes were dashed: Policy continued to be dictatedby the nations that had the power to enforce theirwill on others.

Today, though, we are in a different era, where thedynamics that determine relations between coun-tries and economies have changed radically. Theglobalization of the economy has created new fac-tors, which no country on its own can affect - andnew problems that no country can cope with on itsown. The economic crisis, the prices of food, fueland other commodities have tied all the world’scountries together the way a rope unites climbers on

a cliff. And so, for the first time, we are seeing coor-dinated action by governments and central banks ona global level, because they know that only by work-ing together can they save their own economies andthe global financial system. The same applies to is-sues of security and the effort to limit climatechange.

President George W. Bush’s unilateral and largelyfailed actions of the past few years have shown thatnot even the sole superpower is able to impose itspolicy on others, nor to secure the stable environ-ment that all countries need for their people to pros-per. The summit of the 20 strongest economies inWashington this week, which will debate a newglobal economic dispensation, is a powerful indica-tor that even before Obama’s election Bush’s UnitedStates had realized the absolute need for coopera-tion.

A new president, who believes in the need for adiplomatic approach to problems and for broadcoalitions may just be the catalyst for the creation ofa new system aimed at achieving security, econom-ic justice and social progress. Never has the worldbeen more ready for such a new order.

KATHIMERINI

A new world order

It is that time of year again. Many parents ofyoung children are eagerly visiting schools aroundthe country inspecting prospective schools for theirlittle (or not so little) treasures. Being a parent of afive year-old who God willing begins school in 2009,I have had the opportunity to go through the motionsof looking for a school. I say ‘go through the motions’because there was never any doubt in my mind thatmy children would be enrolled in, and attend an Or-thodox Day School, a thing of fairytales when I wasgrowing up.

Each of us has different ideas concerning the edu-cational needs of our children but I believe it is im-portant for us to first of all take a step back and con-sider who our children are, before we decide onwhat school they should attend. The very fact that theChurch established and operated undergroundschools, first during the centuries of pagan persecu-tion and then again during centuries of Ottoman oc-cupation, bears witness to the importance that theFathers of the Church placed on an appropriate edu-cation for children, often at great risk to themselves.After all, the spiritual education of children was fore-most in the mind of the early Church. Among other in-structions in the Apostolic Didache we find the com-mand “You shall not remove your heart from your

son or from your daughter, but from their youth shallteach them the fear of God” (4:9). The importance ofreligious education has from time immemorial beenat the forefront of pedagogy and it is evident fromthis single reference that failure to provide for it is aform of neglect.

It is for this reason that under the guidance andleadership of His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos, inaccordance with the Fathers, the Church in the An-tipodes has established Orthodox Day Schools. In thisway the mission of the Church and each family- toprovide for the religious education of children - is ful-filled.

These schools, in most capital cities of this vastland, are beacons of Orthodoxy and our Classicalideals where our children not only experience rigor-ous and challenging academic programs but also theLife in Christ, often literally in the shadow of thechurch.

Despite the Orthodox Day Schools’ uniqueness andsacred mission in an increasingly secular and plural-istic society such as ours, we tend to overlook them,seeking instead older or ‘more prestigious’ schoolsfor our children. Let us not deceive ourselves; a goodschool need not be an expensive school. The veryfact that all schools can make some claim to success,is the added value that we should seek out. For Or-thodox Christians, this simply means an OrthodoxSchool. Let us not forget that when the first Orthodoxmigrants arrived in Australia they quickly set aboutestablishing churches and schools to promote andmaintain our cultural ideals and faith. We cannot beso misguided as to believe we no longer need thesetreasures.

As has been stated in a previous article, a ‘good’education can be delivered or attained anywhere.

We cannot say with any certainty that any particularschool will ‘turn’ our children into intellectual giants.What we can be sure of, is that the Orthodox DaySchools provide students with the opportunity toachieve academic excellence within a safe, Orthodoxenvironment with the unique ‘bonus’ of rigorous pro-grams in the Greek language and history as well asOrthodox studies.

Consequently, together with the academic develop-ment of children, these schools contribute to theshaping of the whole person; mind, body and soul.What is immediately evident when one has the for-tune of entering one of the Orthodox Day Schools isa strong sense of belonging, strength of characterand integrity of these young Orthodox students whowill, God-willing, maintain the beliefs and traditionsof our forefathers in this land for centuries to come.

Let us not forget, that when the last lesson hasbeen taught, and the final mark has been achieved, itis the ultimately the whole person that we expect tobe strong in mind and healthy in body and spirit.

This is what determines the success of the school.If I can paraphrase the German poet J.W. vonGoethe, culture is what remains when everythingelse is forgotten, and this ethos and culture must beacquired and experienced in a specialist Orthodoxschool.

Quite simply, when our children have grown up, itis the eternal values of faith, family and culture whichwill be with them forever and again it is by these val-ues that the world will ultimately judge their success.

* Peter Mavrommatis is a teacher of Orthodox Studies and Personal Development

at St Spyridon College Senior School Sydney.

GIVE YOUR CHILD A GIFT FOR LIFE

Choosing a school

By PETERMAVROMMATIS *

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA4/22

Our Primate’s ViewNOVEMBER 2008

It has been quite rightly observed by Greeksand foreigners alike that we Neo-Hellenes, thoughpossessing a multitude of natural attributes, are unfor-tunately also characterized by acute flippancy.

The first and worst consequence of our flip-pancy is that we do not ‘delve deeply’ into the essenceof matters. And whatever remains on the ‘surface’ isnaturally swept away by the prevailing ‘currents’ andforgotten.

This is the reason why the familiar folk-sayinghas prevailed: ‘Every miracle impresses for threedays. Nine at the most’!

This year the ‘Lyceum for Greek Women’ ofGreece, upon completion of an entire century since itsinception, is preparing analogous celebrations. In do-ing so, it has invited a relevant representation from theHellenic Women’s Lyceum in Sydney, which was itsfirst affiliated Organization(!) to be established outsideGreece, and for whose un-interrupted ethno-culturalactivity and presence all Hellenes of the Antipodesmay justifiably be proud.

Those of us who on occasions of NationalCommemorations or other celebratory functions haveseen the stately National Costumes with whichWomen and Young Ladies of the Greek communityhere, chosen for their appearance and social decorum,always enhance community events with an especially‘graceful note’, could never have imagined that thesedignified ‘Penelopes’ are distant descendants of thatmost dynamic Greek woman of the 19th century, hail-ing from Rethymnon in Crete, Kalliroi Siganou-Par-rén.

In order to give a brief moral and social por-trait of this remarkable Greek woman who in a uniquemanner glorified the female gender with her exuber-ant presence and her tireless efforts for at least sev-en consecutive decades up until her death (1940), it isimperative that we provide in tandem some character-istic clarifications as to the historical setting in whichshe lived.

Hers was, by all accounts, a turbulent periodwith entirely contradictory strains which, as a con-sequence, would impact accordingly on what was, bynature, her unspoiled and pure conscience.

a) Kalliroi Siganou (who later became knownas Kalliroi Parrén through her marriage toJean Parrén whose father was French andmother English) was born in Platania in the A-mari valley (Rethymnon, Crete) in 1861.

It was a period during which, both in Europeand America, there had begun to materializeliberal ideas whose object was the attainmentof Women’s rights.

For this reason precisely, the collective term‘Feminism’ (from the French femme =woman), was considered as expressing oneof the most modernistic movements forequality, freedom and justice, for allpeoples and for both genders.

On the face of it, what would have beenmore natural than for this specific ‘crusade’with its triple slogan, towards the end of the19th century, to be deemed as a product ofthe French Revolution or the American CivilWar?

b) Here, though, it should immediately beobserved that it would be unjust for the sturdyfoundations of what is called ‘Feminism‘ to besought primarily in the French Revolution(1789) or in any other re-active Uprising, forthe enforcement of Women’s rights.

Regardless of party-political and ideologicalpresuppositions, at least the peoples who

respect the Bible should have the honour-ableness to profess that the equality of bothgenders has been enunciated explicitly byboth the Old and the New Testaments.

Already from the Book of Genesis(1:27), the Bible unequivocally recognizes notonly the equality but also the unbrokenunity of both genders, which has its commonroot in the image of the invisible God:“So God created man in his own image;

in the image of God He created him; male and female He

created them”.

The Apostle Paul also stated the same truthseven more drastically in his Letter to theGalatians (3:32):“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there

is neither slave nor free, there isneither male nor female, for you are

all one in Christ Jesus”.

c) Despite the above, it is true that thecommon trait of Feminism, as dictated bythe two major Revolutions (French and Ameri-can), could not possibly have been any otherthan that of revolutionary violence and ofalmost conspiratorial activity, to the pointof bloodshed!

From this perspective, therefore, KalliroiSiganou- Parrén, who was just 5 years oldwhen the Destruction of the Arkadi monastery(1866) evoked not only the admiration but alsothe pragmatic interest of the entire civilizedworld, came as an unexpected surprise, aswe shall see further down. She was an ‘idol’who attracted sentiments of admiration, butalso of mockery simultaneously.

On the one hand, the dynamism of her deephumanism did not permit her to ignore thesacrifices of well-known women of the mouldof Joan of Arc, Bouboulina etc.

On the other hand, the sarcasm and thederision of the masses which still spoke themost instinctive language to the point where“blood boils”, did not allow for the‘determinant differences’ of her struggle to berevealed - a struggle which manifested itselfonly as cultivation, education and peace-ful enlightenment.

We could, therefore, justifiably say that thisunrivalled Greek woman of the Modern era,as by a miracle, found herself in the highestsynthesis of heroism: Between the sacredTeachings of the Bible on the one hand,and the post-Christian Activism of our dayon the other.

Perhaps the only heroine with whom wecould parallel Kalliroi Siganou- Parrén isSophocle’s Antigone from antiquity with herimmortal deposition that she “was born tolove, not to hate”.

All the above comparisons and comments ofgratitude expressed by those in posteritycould possibly be deemed flippant ‘exagge-rations’ if some contemporary had not disco-

AN ‘UNKNOWN’HEROINE

By ARCHBISHOPSTYLIANOSOF AUSTRALIA

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 5/23NOVEMBER 2008

Cont. from previous page

-vered, albeit ‘telegraphically’, adiagrammatic sketch of this rareWoman who, strangely, ‘frightened’her era, and more so her own Nation!

The magazine ‘STIGMES’ (Moments),published in Heraklion of Crete, hasvery interesting information on itswebsite, and in Volume 61 recentlyoffered a special Dedication.

In continuation, we quote verbatimthe contents of the ‘STIGMES’ websiteand trust that we shall soon acquirethe special issue (no. 61), because itwill certainly be acutely enlighteningfor Hellenism, both within Greece andbeyond.

In 1861 Kalliroi Siganou is born in thetown of Platania in the Amari region of Cretein Greece. She grows up in a turbulent periodmarked by the continued longing of the inhab-itants of the island for liberation. In 1866 thedestruction of Arkadi takes place and in 1867Kalliroi’s parents move to Athens where sheattends the Soumerli school as well as Frenchschool for Nuns, whilst in 1878 and shereceives her degree from the Arsakeio School.Her aptitude in literature is such that in thesame year she is invited by the Greek com-munity of Odessa to become Headmistress ofits girls’ school. Indeed, this bold and progres-sive woman dares to leave and serve for twoyears in a distant city. Upon her return shemarries Jean Parrén, the founder of the ‘AthensNews Agency’, son of a French father and anEnglish mother. In a few years her foreignname will be heard everywhere. The reason:her actions, which are characterized as pio-neering and innovative.

Kalliroi Parrén is the first who dares«introduce» to Greece feminist concerns thatalready engage women and governments invarious Western countries. In 1888 she pub-lishes the first newspaper for women, theweekly ‘Women’s Newspaper’ throughexclusively female collaboration until 1918when she is exiled to Hydra for her politicalpersuasions. This first Greek feminist is alsothe first Greek female journalist and editor,but also the first Greek woman to participatein international conferences: in Paris in 1889,in 1891, at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd ‘Internationalconference on women’s projects and institu-tions’ whilst she also represented Greece andGreek women at the international conferenceof Chicago in 1893. The product of herimpressions from this conference is to estab-lish the ‘Union for Liberation of Women’upon her return to Greece.

In parallel, she does not cease settingup various charitable and educationalwomen’s clubs, some of which still exist andevolve up till today. In 1880 she establishesthe ‘Sunday School for NecessitousWomen and Girls of the People’ whereeducated ladies teach reading, writing andsome arithmetic to unschooled women andgirls. Additionally, in 1875 she founds the‘Asylum of Saint Catherine’, in 1896 the‘Asylum for the Terminally Ill’ as well asthe ‘Union of Greek Women’. This Union isdivided into a department for education, adepartment for home science and a vocation-al school, a department for war widows andorphans as well as a department for homeeconomics and professions which is headedby her self. In 1900, when the Union is dis-

solved, the department of home economicsassumes the title: ‘The Household andVocational Union of Greek Women’. In1912, she participates in the ‘PatrioticAssociation’ set up by the then PrincessSophia, the same Association which later wasto be named the ‘Patriotic Institution’ whereshe assumes the secretariat, while in 1911she establishes one of the largest and mostillustrious associations of Greece, ‘TheLyceum of Greek Women’. The activity ofthe Lyceum continues till this day, not only inits effort to preserve Greek principles, cus-toms and traditions, but also in its contributionthrough lectures and courses for the elevationof Greek women, which was the prime con-sideration of Kalliroi Parrén.

She submits an application to the thenPrime Minister of Greece, Harilaos Trikoupis,for the recognition of women’s status by lawand gathers signatures of women for the pro-vision - at last - of the right for women to vote.After continuous representations to theGovernment of Deligiannis, she finally suc-ceeds in 1897 and women are admitted to theUniversity and to the Institute of Technology(Polytechneio). Again, through her own initia-tives, the first woman doctor (Mrs AnthiVasiliadis) is appointed to the women’sprison. In 1900, again following her appeals tothe Government, she succeeds in securingprotection for children, reducing workinghours in sewing workshops and eliminatingnight work.

In 1921 she revisits the issue ofwomen’s voting rights, at which time thecause finds understanding and a congenialreception from the government and the thenprime minister speaks enthusiastically aboutthe issue of such a political right.

Parrén also uses her pen brilliantly asan effective weapon for this purpose. Herreasoning subdues the reactions, maturespeople’s consciences, paves the way forchanges in the existing data, and illumines herintentions. This revolutionary woman not onlyspoke of her convictions but above allpractised them ...

Up until 15th January 1940, when shedied, honoured with the gold cross of theSaviour, Kalliroi Parrén never abnegated thejoys of her gender in the struggle for emanci-pation. She managed to overcome the pres-ent, to point to an unthinkable future despitethe prevailing prejudices, and to demonstrateto society the value of the feminine, openingthe way to equality with acrobatic break-throughs.

In closing this article, we cannot avoida double statement of justified bitterness.Firstly, we doubt whether this remarkableWoman would have been given deservedattention in Greece and Abroad, had she notassumed her husband’s ‘foreign’ name Parrén,because Greece is well-known at times forher ‘subservience’ and her ‘xenomania’ (loveof things foreign).Secondly, it is disheartening that the mostauthoritative Encyclopedia of Greece whichone would have expected to evaluate the‘feminism’ of such a charismatic Greekwoman, does not even mention her nameunder the entry ‘Feminism’(!). We refer to theReligious and Moral Encyclopedia (Thriskeftikikai Ithiki Encyclopaedia) (volume 11, column1010).

Translated by FSS

OBAMA PROMISES A “NEW ERA”

A NEW BEGINNINGCont. from page 1/19

found that nowhere did a majority feel the US was winning against AlQa’ida. The largest overall majority, 47 percent, thought no-one waswinning. Even US opinion is negative: Only 31 percent of Americanssurveyed think the war a success, with 34 percent believing it hasmade Al Qa’ida stronger.

Obama has promised a 16-month withdrawal from Iraq and astrengthening of the effort in Afghanistan. Both will be difficult toachieve, but the goal is essentially correct. Obama also has to findhost countries for inmates at Guantanamo and choose a moment todefinitively denounce torture - two of the biggest sources of moraldeficit during the Bush years.

The developed world looks forward to a US administration thatrecognises climate change and the human role in it. The coordinationof central banks to respond to the credit crisis is a livingdemonstration that America and Europe can join forces to take thelead in dealing with global warming. Only then can developingeconomies like India, China and Brazil be persuaded to sign onto aglobal action plan.

Obama has signalled his willingness to throw gargantuan amountsof federal money into developing renewable energy. That is alaudable policy, but he will have a tougher time persuading Congressto pass a cap-and-trade carbon scheme to succeed Kyoto, or thedying US car industry to raise fuel efficiency standards.

Apart from mending broken friendships, Obama also has to strike anew tenor with adversaries like Russia and China, and threats likeIran. He will be dealing from a position of economic weakness andculpability, and his opponents will use that against him. There is plentyof popular sentiment for them to bank on. An annual report on globalattitudes published in the summer by the Pew Research Centre, aWashington-based research group, found that most countries blamethe United States for the impact of the credit crisis on theireconomies; and since then the situation has worsened. Perhaps the most daunting long-term challenge of all, though, will be

the cultural division in America itself. The very election of the firstAfrican American president signals that voters were ready for adeparture from tradition. Unsurprisingly, Obama rode to victory on theback of the young vote, taking 66 percent of the 18-29 age group, 52percent of the 30-44 age group and 50 percent of the 45-64 agegroup. Only in the 65-and-over age group did McCain prevail. HenceObama’s wins in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana, which broke thecrucial conservative edge. But that analysis leaves out social conservatives, a key ingredient of

both George W Bush victories. The South and Midwest voted en blocfor McCain, as did much of the West, sometimes with impressivemargins (Oklahoma and Wyoming, for instance, put a 32-pointdifference between the candidates).

No president can, in the course of two terms, bridge the dividebetween those who would teach their children Darwinian evolutionand those who would teach creation theory, suavely repackaged asIntelligent Design; or between those who would ban abortion (two redstates floated motions to do so on this presidential ballot) and thosewho would rather leave it a personal decision. What a promising president can do, though, is oppose dogma andreinforce reason, something Bush pointedly refused to do, opting forfaith and instinct instead.

The material divisions in the world’s foremost capitalist society areanother major divide. Real wages have fallen during the Bush years,while poverty has risen. Three hundred and fifty thousand familiesjoined the ranks of America‘s poor between 2002 and 2006,according to a recently released survey by the Working Poor FamiliesProject. (Poverty was defined as a family of four living on less than$42,400 a year). The number of jobs paying below the federal povertylevel also rose to over a fifth, the same survey found. At the sametime, US GDP has risen.

These figures stand in stark contrast to George W Bush’s tax cutsfor the well-off, and more than half a billion dollars spent on the warin Iraq. Barack Obama cannot overnight bring back prosperity andsocial justice; end two wars successfully and restore America‘s moralstanding; set the foundation to reversing climate change and end thebizarre power of religious bigots who tipped Bush into power in thefirst place. Yet these are the minimum challenges. The nextadministration must be prepared to wait a while for gratification.

ATHENS NEWS

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA6/24 NOVEMBER 2008

Taking on academia

MARY SINANIDIS

The International Hellenic University(IHU) of Thessaloniki envisions turningGreece into a global academic centre,drawing top-notch academics, studentsand - ultimately - capital.

The October 9 conference held at theGreek ministry of education and religionwas just the first of a series of events topromote the university’s opening lastweek.

Education Minister Evrypides Stylianidisoutlined the reasons why Greece is ide-al for such a venture. “Greece is the firstinvestor in the region, having developedover 4,000 Greek businesses and over3,000 Greek bank branches,” he said,pointing to the hundreds of thousands ofemployment opportunities the countryoffers to its neighbours that also benefitfrom Greco-European expertise.

He noted a “formidable climate for thereinforcement of peace and stability” inthe wider region created by Greece‘sfriendly relations with other countries,historic ties and strong cultural presence.Greece‘s suitability for the creation ofthe IHU is due to its shared history withother nations in the wider region, in ad-dition to the benefits gained from har-monising Greece with European ways ofthinking.

According to Stylianidis, the creation ofIHU, Greece‘s first public universitywhere courses are offered exclusively inEnglish, is just the latest step in Greekeducation reform. This reform is basedon the Greek constitution, the BolognaDeclaration, which calls for the harmoni-sation of Europe’s disparate higher edu-cation programmes and enhancement ofinternational competitiveness among Eu-ropean universities, and the LisbonTreaty that aims for modern universitiesto be linked to society and the job mar-ket.

Stylianidis said that the “modern, com-plete education system should not mere-ly offer fresh knowledge and new skillsthat ease young people’s entry into theemployment market, but should offercomplete education”. That is, educationshould also cultivate “principles and val-ues” so that young people combine “ca-pability and knowledge”.

IHU will not only offer high-quality ed-ucation, but will foster international aca-demic exchange and innovation. Ulti-mately, it is hoped to be a drawcard forbusinesses wishing to enrol their execu-tives in postgraduate retraining pro-grammes.

Already 250 million euros has beenapproved for public private partnershipsin order to fund the creation of the cam-pus in Nea Mihaniona, Thessaloniki. Andinterest has been shown in the 45 aca-demic positions available in threeschools. A postgraduate department hasalso been created, with another two setto kick off in January 2009.

Professor Costas Grammenos, pro-vice chancellor of London‘s City Universi-ty, says that the executive 21-monthMBA programme began in March. Theapplication process for the new cyclehas begun, and two new postgraduateprogrammes are due to start in January:MSc in management and MSc in bankingand finance.

One of the pioneer students of theprogramme, Albanian Dritan Mustafai, iscurrently completing an executive MBAat the university and has worked for Na-tional Bank of Greece and is currentlywith Emporiki Bank of Albania, a sub-sidiary of Emporiki Bank of Greece andpart of global group Credit Agricole.

“In the context of the most recent eco-nomic and global events, we are all liv-ing in remarkable times with unpre-dictable developments ahead,” he says,adding that the recent chaos in the finan-cial markets indicates a need to developcritical thinking.

Mustafai was drawn to IHU’s pro-gramme because of the way it is organ-ised, its reasonable cost, study timeschedule and central location. “When,last year, I first received the university’sintroduction materials, I was particularlyattracted by the simple but prevailingwords used by the esteemed founders,stating the university’s clear mission andobjectives for building an academic insti-tution of excellence, and putting empha-sis on the qualitative learning andachievement of an internationally recog-nised qualification,” he says.

The university has the support of theFederation of Industries of Northern

Greece with its chairman, George My-lonas, noting the importance of “humancapital” when combating internationalcompetition. Mylonas envisions IHU asbeing a drawcard for Greek studentshoping for an international career, aswell as a magnet for business execu-tives from neighbouring countries wish-ing to retrain in Thessaloniki before re-turning to posts in their countries of ori-gin.

“We want to see IHU graduates thatwill be formidable officials in businessesabroad, whether in the Balkans or theBlack Sea countries,” he says.

He advises that IHU should aspire tofollow international trends and be direct-ly influenced by Greece‘s regionalgrowth. “If the current unacceptable situ-ation of higher education institutions inthe country is prevalent in IHU and itdoesn’t manage to attract executivesfrom around the Balkans but just fromGreece, then the only thing it will suc-ceed in doing is to increase structural

unemployment in the whole region,”warns Mylonas.

ATHENS NEWS

Thessaloniki‘s International Hellenic University is set to turn Greece into a global academic centre

Education Minister Evripidis Stylianidistalks to high school students in parliament’s

debating chamber on October 13

The Greek Australian

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The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 7/25NOVEMBER 2008

CLINICAL INSIGHTS INTO HEALTH AND NATURAL SOLUTIONS

COPING WITH STRESSWhenever we hear the word “stress” it brings up

the feeling that something is wrong. That is not al-ways the case. Stress normally motivates and sharp-ens our focus in situations that immediate action isrequired. The intensity of the stress response de-pends on the intensity of the situation that we face,e.g., a dangerous situation switches on the stress re-sponse, (the fight-or-flight response), which gives usa burst of energy to deal with the situation and/or toget out of the danger.

This initial stress reaction is very fast and can in-deed save our life in times of emergency.

After stressful events pass, your body takes time torecover. During stressful times, all our energy is di-rected to our muscles, circulation and brain and oth-er parts of body and their functions are neglected,especially the digestive and reproductive systems.

The ‘stress-response’ process is usually short-livedwhich helps us to deal with immediate threat or dan-ger, but if this ‘state of threat or danger’ continuesfor prolonged periods, it can cause disturbances toour energy and overall health. It especially affects theheart and cardiovascular system, weakens digestion,depletes energy levels, upsets blood sugar regulationand hormonal balance as well as can disturb sleepand mental health. Stress also promotes the forma-tion of free radicals that can damage the body tis-sues.

So resultant effects of chronic stress can be:

• Increased blood pressure• Increased cholesterol and fatty acids, e.g., triglyc-erides in the blood• Increased production of blood sugar predisposingto diabetes• Decreased protein synthesis (production), whichcan cause thinning of muscles• Decreased intestinal movements leading to slowingof digestion• Increased stomach acid predisposing to ulcers• Decreased immune response• Faster heart beat and respiration• Signs of localised inflammation• Increased risk of blood clottingHow do we cope with stress?Everyone has different levels of stress that they cancope with and we are all affected by it in differentways. Some people have positive coping mecha-nisms whereas some have poor coping mechanisms.Following are some of the examples:

Poor coping mechanisms:• Smoking• Drinking alcohol• Relying on caffeine (either coffee or soft drinks)• Eating sugary foods• Eating on the run, not stopping work to eat, rushedeating• Skipping meals or over-eating• Reducing social interactions or relaxation time• Emotional or angry outbursts

• Procrastination, ignoring or avoiding the problem• Watching too much television• Feeling of helplessness • Overspending

Positive coping mechanisms:• Good time management• Taking time to relax• Controlled breathing• Meditation• Exercise• Time with family & friends• Eating sensibly• Getting enough sleep• Allowing time to rejuvenate after stress has passed• Taking time to talk about stress

Although eliminating stress from one’s life is the mostdesired objective, it is not always practical. There arestrategies that can be employed to deal with stress.Physical activity, restful sleep, eating a well balanceddiet and some natural supplementation can be effec-tive in curbing the effects of stress.

Managing stress:The first step in the process of stress management isto try to identify the cause of the stress if possible,such as deadlines at work or study, financial worries,relationship issues or some event in the past (knownas Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). If the source ofthe stress is difficult to identify, it is important to getoutside help such as from family members, friends,or some professional help from a doctor, a psychol-ogist or a naturopath.The following steps can be helpful in achieving stressmanagement:• Learning techniques to calm the mind and body aswell as promoting positive mental attitude• Life-style factors (time management, relationship is-sues)• Regular exercise• A healthy diet• Supplementary measure (with herbs and nutritionalsupplementation) - to support the whole body, but e-specially adrenal glands.

Relaxation techniques:Relaxation techniques are designed specifically toproduce the ‘relaxation response’ that helps with re-pair, maintenance and restoration of the body. Thevarious techniques are: meditation, prayer, yoga, pro-gressive relaxation, self-hypnosis, etc. The type ofrelaxation technique best for each person is totallyindividual. The important thing is that at least five toten minutes be set aside each day for performing arelaxation technique.

Lifestyle factors: You can take steps to manage &/orprevent stress in your life.• Set realistic goals in your life.• Put things into perspective and try not to get upsetabout insignificant or relatively unimportant matters.This is particularly important if you have any relation-ship issue. Another important key in that area is tobecome a good, active listener.• Get help for time management or anger manage-ment. Important tips on time management are: setpriorities, organize your day, avoid putting things off,don’t be a perfectionist. • Find activities that you enjoy and set aside time toparticipate in them on regular basis.• Participate in regular physical exercise.• Maintain a positive outlook.• Set goals and break them into easy achievable

tasks.• Reward yourself for the good things that you doeach day.

Exercise:Tension, depression, feelings of inadequacy andworries diminish greatly with regular exercise. It im-proves mood and the ability to handle stressful lifesituations.

Healthy diet:• Eliminate or restrict the intake of caffeine and alco-hol. Caffeine produces significant alteration of brainchemistry. One or two cups of coffee contain about150 to 225 mg of caffeine. Although most people canhandle this amount, some people are sensitive to theeffects of caffeine. People prone to feeling stressand anxiety tend to be especially sensitive to caf-feine. Alcohol increases adrenal hormone output, in-terferes with normal brain chemistry as well as nor-mal sleep cycles.• Eliminate refined carbohydrates from the diet.• Eat regular planned meals in a relaxed environ-ment.• Control of food allergies is also very important.

Nutritional and herbal support:Nutritional and herbal support for a person withstress largely involves supporting the adrenal glands.As mentioned above, persistent stress can lead toadrenal exhaustion, where a person suffers fromchronic fatigue, anxiety, decreased resistance to al-lergies and infection.It is very important to support adrenal gland functionwith proper nutrients. Several nutrients are especial-ly important in this regard:• Vitamin C - keeps the immune system workingproperly during times of stress. • Vitamin B5 (Pentothenic acid) - important for adre-nal gland support• Vitamin B6• Zinc • Magnesium

Herbal support: There are numerous herbal remediesthat can support the adrenal function. Depending onindividual symptoms, the herbal formula can adjustedwith addition of other useful herbs.• Anxiety - Some of the herbs that can be useful ifstress causes you to become anxious, worried or ag-itated are Passiflora incarnata, Humulus lupulus,cutellaria laterifolia and Valeriana officinalis. Theseherbs aid in the reduction of nervous tension andmay help promote relaxation and deep restful sleep.• Exhaustion due to chronic stress - Long period ofstress can deplete the adrenal glands leaving onefeeling exhausted and flat. Some of the herbs thatcan restore the energy by supporting the adrenal g-lands are Withania somnifera, Glycyrrhiza glabra,Eleutherococcus senticosus, Panax ginseng and Ave-na sativa.

Note: FOR PROPER DOSAGES OF NUTRITION-AL SUPPLEMETATION AND HERBAL SUPPORTPLEASE CONSULT YOUR NATUROPATH.

BY CHRISTINA SCALONE*BHSc, Dip. Bot. Med, Dip.Hom, Dip. Nut

* Christina Scalone is a very experienced and successfulnaturopath with over 20 years experience. She holds aDegree in Health Science, a Diploma in Botanical Medi-cine, Diploma in Homoeopathy and a Diploma in Nutri-tion. She has maintained a full time practice, has held aposition as a senior practioner/ naturopathic consultant, aclinic manager and trainer for Blackmores and is a clinicstudent supervisor as well as a lecturer at the AustralianCollege of Natural Therapies. She also maintains her ownprivate practice with successful results.

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA8/26

Windows to OrthodoxyNOVEMBER 2008

Revd Dr Doru Costache *

It has been some time now since Christians realisedthat family has ceased to be - in the eyes ofcontemporary sociologists and politicians - thecornerstone of society, and that together with it theideal of a social body founded on communion hasbecome in many ways obsolete. And in fact what wewitness in this world dominated by individualism andegocentrism is that in the process of defending theirrights (or rather mere indulgencies), many peoplebecome nowadays oblivious with regard to theothers’ rights, aspirations and needs; for many,generosity and compassion seem to have lost theirtraditional significance.

As a consequence, in an epoch of worldwidecommunication people become increasingly isolated,more and more estranged, distant and lonely. Thisvery complex phenomenon is not without reper-cussions to family life. The monstrously amplified‘self’, unwilling (and eventually unable) to cope withthe other(s) presence, becomes one of the mainfactors causing the dissolution of - mostly - new fa-milies. There is nothing wrong about defending one’sown dignity and expectations yet there is nothingmore wrong than transforming self-awareness intothe only measure under the stars...

In the following, the readers will find a brief accountof the ecclesial wisdom concerning marriage andfamily life, as conveyed in the liturgical services ofbetrothal and crowning. On the one hand, these maybe seen as implicit guidelines to be considered bythose wondering why in our society families do nothold together; given that most people ignore the verybasics of ecclesial life there is no surprise with themfeeling helpless before contemporary pressures andchallenges. On the other hand, these guidelines maybe also useful to people who, having received thecrowns of blessing, did not grasp their meaning yetstill look to improve the quality of their family life.

Although we have at our disposal only scarce docu-mentary data, apparently the wedding ceremony wasperformed in the early Church as a blessing withinthe Divine Liturgy. This custom stressed the ecclesialand spiritual dimensions of marriage. Indeed, ac-cording to St Gregory of Nyssa’s treatise On Virginitymarriage has been perceived from the outset as aChristian leitourgia; that is, a sacred office that en-capsulates more than the current idea of householdmanagement. In line with this understanding, the cur-rent wedding ceremony promotes in a mystagogical

manner a powerful message, spiritual in nature. Ba-sically, it constitutes an appeal to communion thatshould be taken into consideration by those willing tosucceed in this first true social experiment, namelyfamily life.

The sacrament of marriage, or crowning, isperformed by the bishop, or priest, for a man and awoman who - in love and mutual respect - want toshare their lives as husband and wife. Or, in thewords of Fr Dumitru Stăniloae, are willing ‘to be-come spiritual bread for each other’. W e areforced to acknowledge that th is is someth ingrare these days; one might note that apparentlythere is a lot of love around although not muchcommitment. . . In the case of people receivingthe marital blessing as a fu lfilment of theirunion, mutual commitment is shown symbo-lically with in the service by the rings theyexchange and by the partaking of the ‘commoncup’. In light of these two symbolic acts, itbecomes clear that commitment goes hand inhand with a profound sense of ( inter) personaltransformation.

Thus, the two acts indicate the pair’s willingness tobe part of each other’s life and to share in all matters,each leaving behind their idiosyncrasies for the sakeof the other. It is not by chance therefore, that in thescriptural texts read within the service of crowning,the wedding appears as endowed with mystical cha-racter - a true sacrament of communion - since it ta-kes place ‘in the Lord’ (see 1 Corinthians 7:39). Thus,the apostolic reading (from Ephesians 5:20-33) as-serts the sanctity of marriage by assimilating it to thelove between Christ and his Church. In turn, theevangelic lecture (from John 2:1-11), speaking of thechange of water into wine on the occasion of thewedding in Cana of Galilee, suggests spiritual trans-formation as a fundamental dimension of Christianmarriage. This message of transformation is in factconveyed by the entire process of consecration.

According to the first prayer of betrothal (servicepreceding the sacrament of crowning), God is the onewho calls people together into union and blessesthem with love. In our tradition, therefore, love isnever treated lightly as merely a ‘natural’ accident oran ephemeral event of chemical reactions. Thesynaxis of love manifests a mystery of divine-humaninteraction, on the one hand through the mutualaffection and agreement of the groom and the bride,and on the other through the gift they receive fromabove.

As a next stage in the ongoing catechetical initiationof believers, the true significance of the weddingceremony plays a determinant role: the whole ritualpoints to the Christian wisdom and sacrificial spirit inwhich the two are called to share together.

This aspect is suggested by the recalling of a seriesof saintly families mentioned in both Scripture andTradition - living icons of wisdom, commitment andblessed life. Also, by the crowns bestowed upon thegroom and the bride - crowns of martyrs, indicatingthe spiritual, or ascetical, dimension involved withliving together in Christ. This is further confirmed bythe mystical dance performed around the Book of theGospels, when they learn to hold each other for, andthroughout, the common journey. Thus, all theseindicate that togetherness requires a mutual pre-disposition to make room for one another, to grow inmutual respect and communion, goals impossible toattain without the everyday small sacrifices for thesake of one another.

In this algorithm the personal value of each issafeguarded and nurtured; however, it is clear thatwithin such a framework there is not much allowancefor the ego, which is challenged to attain fulfilment bytaking the cross of acknowledging the other. Thissacrificial dynamic, inherent in all dimensions pertai-ning to Christian life, leads St Maximus the Confes-sor to point out the validity of both ascetic ways -marriage and celibacy - in regard to realising thevirtuous path (see his Difficulty 10:31a5).

The idea, ultimately, of both the sacrament’s orderand traditional literature (worth mentioning here arethe homilies dedicated to marriage by St JohnChrysostom) is that without spiritual progress there isno accomplished married life. Or, within contempo-rary society with its individualist features and pro-pensities, the very spirit of marriage is negotiatedand in the end dramatically compromised.

* * *

The wisdom is there, in our very tradition; the lessonis served by the Church. Yet, how can the miracle offamily life still happen within the context of anindividualist and anti-traditional culture? I guess thisand many other things remain entirely up to us; theball is on our court. Are we not those believing that ifwe want, we can?

* Revd Dr Doru Costache lectures in Patristics at St Andrew’sTheological College, Sydney

Crowned in marriageSeeking New Life

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The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 9/27NOVEMBER 2008

For the bibliophiles…The Living Body of Christ

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh (pub’d in 2008)

This is a collection of sermons and talks. To Metropolitan Anthony, theChurch is at the centre of the material world, and the only way to experi-ence it - to know it - is from within. This book, which is very easy to read,goes way beyond writings on, for example, the customs one might en-counter during weekly services, or issues confronting parish and clergy. Itis about salvation; about community and communion. Definitely worthreading and contemplating.

Orthodoxy for TodayGillian Crow (pub’d in 2008)

This book, dedicated to the late Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh, carriesthrough his ideas on the Church penetrating the world, and our experi-ence of God as a loving Trinity. (The Russian Orthodox diocese of Sourozhis in Great Britain.) It is written from the perspective of an Orthodox Chris-tian to readers who are curious about, but unfamiliar with, Orthodoxy, al-though there is much here that Orthodox Christians may learn about theirChurch. Chapter headings include, The Orthodox Outlook, Sanctity andSanctification (of the Person, and of Time), God in Creation, and Mysteryand Mysteries.

Both books are available from the library of St Andrew’s Greek Ortho-dox Theological College, 242 Cleveland St., Redfern NSW 2017. Ph: 96985066

A.C.

Scientists to measure quake effect on AcropolisBy Elena Becatoros

For thousands of years the Acropolishas withstood earthquakes, weatheredstorms and endured temperature ex-tremes, from scorching summers to win-ter snow.

Now scientists are drawing on the lat-est technology to install a system thatwill record just how much nature is af-fecting the 2,500-year-old site. Theyhope their findings will help identify ar-eas that could be vulnerable, allowingthem to target restoration and mainte-nance.

Scientists are installing a network of fi-bre optic sensors and accelerographs -instruments that measure how muchmovement is generated during a quake.

"The greatest danger for our monu-ments at the moment is earthquakes,"Dimitrios Egglezos, chief civil engineer incharge of the Acropolis' defensive circuitwall, said. So understanding how thestructures react to the earth's movementis paramount.

Egglezos said six accelerographs areto be installed starting this month at var-ious parts of the Acropolis: at the base

of the hill, part of the way up where thegeology changes, and on the Parthenon,the Acropolis' most famous monument,built between 447 and 432 BC in honourof the goddess Athena.

"The measurement of earthquakes andtheir consequences on the monuments isessential," said Maria Ioannidou, who su-pervises restoration work on the Acrop-olis.

The fibre optics are installed on partsof the wall to measure subtle changescaused by changing weather conditionsor earthquakes, while the accelero-graphs can help determine how theearth's movement affects the monu-ments.

"This is the first system that we've in-stalled to record the (natural) activity thataffects our monuments," Egglezos said.

They don't look like much: a nonde-script small metal box at the foot of acolumn, barely visible wires snakingacross outer walls. But the insight theycould give into potential problem areasis invaluable.

The first accelerograph was placed onthe hill about two years ago as a pilotprogram. Another two were installed in

late September on the Parthenon, one atits base and one on the top of thecolumns on the architrave, as part of astudy by Japan's Mie University and theNational Technical University of Athens.

Greece is one of the most seismicallyactive countries in the world, and whilemost of its earthquakes are relativelysmall and cause little or no damage,some have been fatal. In June, a 6.5magnitude quake in western Greecekilled two people and injured more than200, while a 5.9 magnitude quake nearAthens in 1999 killed 143 people.

Neither seriously damaged the Acrop-olis.

Indeed, some parts of the ancientcitadel have weathered the forces of na-ture remarkably well. The Parthenon sur-vived virtually intact until the late 17thcentury, when an Ottoman garrison usedit as a gunpowder store; it was targetedby Venetian cannon fire and exploded,damaging parts of the temple.

The accelerographs could also giveexperts more insight into how theParthenon has withstood earthquakes sowell, Egglezos said.

"The earthquakes that don't cause

damage are very useful because wehave a natural ... experiment whichdoesn't destroy the monument but givesus valuable information about how thesestructures behave."

The two accelerographs funded byMie University will be in place for threeyears, while the other seven will remainon the Acropolis permanently, Ioannidouand Egglezos said.

The fibre optic sensors, meanwhile,can detect even minor changes in thestructure: slight expansion during hotweather, contraction in the cold of win-ter, the buildup of pressure from a par-ticularly heavy rainfall. And, of course,shifts caused by earthquakes.

They have been installed on two outerparts of the perimeter wall: the south-east which is the highest and most vul-nerable point, and on the north wallwhich shows evidence of damage, prob-ably from an 18th Century quake.

Egglezos said the experts need aboutone or two years' worth of data fromthe fibre optics before they can drawany concrete conclusions.

AP

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DIARY 2009

Full colour icons grace each page of the 2009Diary, complemented with sayings of theFathers, Scripture-reading references for everySunday and fasting guidelines to accompanyyou week by week. A resource that is suitablefor children through to adults. $18

THE INFALLIBILITY OF THE CHURCHIN ORTHODOX THEOLOGY

Why do the Orthodox believe that theChurch will always contain the truth asrevealed by God? What is this belief basedupon? Archbishop Stylianos addresses theissues in a theologically deep work that hasjust been translated. Topics include the divineinspiration of Scripture, the nature of theChurch and differences with the RomanCatholic approach to primacyand infallibility. 277 pages, $33.

PHRONEMA

Phronema is the annual academic reviewof St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox TheologicalCollege, Sydney. Faculty members and otherscholars contribute challenging articlesfor the more demanding reader. The year’sCollege news is also briefly presented.Available by subscription or one-off purchase.$30

ST ANDREW’S THEOLOGICALCOLLEGE - THE FIRST TWODECADES

St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox TheologicalCollege, the only one of its kind in theSouthern Hemisphere, marks its 20thanniversary with a book of education -highly practical sermons from the CollegeDean (Greek and English), with photosand fascinating background to the formationof this tertiary institution which preparesthe Priests and Teachers of tomorrow.197 pages beautifully bound, $25.

EVLOGEITE! - A PILGRIM’S GUIDETO GREECE

Mother Nectaria’s mammoth book ofinformation on countless Christian sites ofGreece - what to see and how to get there.The publishers have given St Andrew’sOrthodox Press exclusive distribution rightsfor Australia. For anyone from ‘Down Under’preparing a personal pilgrimage, there issimply no other tool like this in the Englishlanguage! 964 pages. $65

THE DIVINE LITURGYOF ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

This compact hard-back edition of the DivineLiturgy has been translated by a specialcommittee of the Greek Orthodox Archdioceseof Australia, with English facing the originalGreek on each page, easily allowing one tofollow and pray the Sunday Service. Prayersof preparation for Holy Communion, theBlessing of Loaves (artoklasia) and theMemorial Service (mnimosino) are alsoincluded. $12

Coming soon...� The Service of Baptism (Greek and English)

� St Basil the Great’s Address to Youth

� CD - Booklet of major Church hymns

� Windows to Orthodoxy by Dr Guy Freeland

For all enquiries regarding orders:

BOOK CENTRE, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese 242 Cleveland Street, Redfern NSW 2016, Australia

email: bookcentre@greekorthodox.org.auph 02 9698 5066 fax 02 9698 5368

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The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA12/30 NOVEMBER 2008

What is stigma?

The word “stigma” originated from the AncientGreeks, who used it to describe a visible markbranded on members of castigated groups. Peoplebranded with a stigma included traitors or slaves. Thestigma was used to discriminate such people fromothers. In today’s society, stigma is more psychologi-cally based and is described as an invisible markerrelated to shame or being castigated.

The impact of stigma on mental health

Stigma has a psychological impact on issues relat-ing to mental health. The fear of stigmatisation relat-ing to a mental health issue can be frightening andisolating. The affected individual usually has difficultyin accepting the mental health issue personally, letalone talking to someone else about it. It is not un-common, for people to take years before they accessprofessional assistance, tell their loved ones, familyand/or friends about their internal turmoil.

I remember a colleague saying, that it is probablybetter to lose an arm, than to suffer from a problemwith mental health. No doubt, this is because humanscan more easily empathise with physical and tangibleproblems than with mental health.

Evidence of stigmatisation

Stigmatisation relating to mental health is evident inthe following areas:

• Portrayals of mental health issues by the media.Some aspects of the media depict people affected bymental health problems as violent, dangerous andabnormal;

• The research has shown that there is a reluc-tance to employ a person suffering from a mentalhealth issue; and

• People are fearful in engaging in mental healthservices.

Consequences of stigmatisation

A label of a “mental health issue” by self or othersmay lead to:

• An adverse impact on self-esteem. People reportthat they “do not want to be different”, that they justwant to “fit in”;

• The stigmatised individual may isolate them-selves from their community as they may fear rejec-tion;

• A child’s mental health issue may be seen asfalse parenting. Parents blame themselves, com-pounding stigma and limiting the engagement ofmental health services; and

• Hiding a stigmatised mental health issue is psy-chologically distressing. It creates difficulty in manag-ing the day to day demands relating to the issue, aswell as managing anxiety associated with keeping ita secret.

Strategies to address stigmatisation

Some ways in which stigmatisation may be ad-dressed within the Greek Australian Community, in-clude:

• Reviewing insurance and Medicare policies to in-crease coverage and or support for mental health;

• Increasing funding to:• train bilingual (Greek/English) mental health

practitioners, in the provision of mental health services;

• translate resources in Greek;• engage Greek Australian interpreters; and• Greek Australian organisations, such as the

Greek Welfare Centre, Nous and ProviCare, such that they maintain and increase resources.

• Educating the Greek Australian population inmental health issues;

• Creating Greek Australian community advocacygroups;

• Shifting the way in which problems relating tomental health are depicted in the media, from danger,violence and irrationality to strength, courage and re-silience; and

• Reviewing the content of initiatives and aiming tonormalise mental health issues to reflect functionality,hopefulness and optimism.

The concept of one ‘judging’ what is acceptable ornot, is a concept that is slowly eroding. Eradicatingstigmatisation, so far as mental health is concerned,requires education, persistence and care. Strategiesto address stigmatisation may facilitate a processwhereby mental health issues form part of the nor-mal human condition.

Call your local psychologist or the Australian Psy-chological Society (APS) Referral Service on 1800 333497 for more information.

References:Hinshaw S. The stigmatisation of mental illness in children and

parents: developmental issues, family concerns, and research needs.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 2005; 46 714

Warner R, Mandiberg J. Consumers, Services and Recovery Chang-ing the environment of schizophrenia at the community level.Australasian Psychiatry; 11 Issue s1

* Mina Candalepas is a Registered Psychologist. She is the sole direc-tor of a Clinical Private Practice in the Campsie Professional MedicalPractice, Sydney NSW. Her particular speciality is in trauma and chronicpain management and she also provides psychological therapy for de-pression, anxiety, work-place issues and/or injuries, relationship issues,self esteem and grief. Therapy is conducted in either English or Greek. Allservices are by appointment ONLY and strictly confidential. Her contactdetails are Tel (02) 9591 7714, Mob 0410 493 806.

Stigma and Mental Health Issues

By MINACANDALEPAS *

INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER DAY - DECEMBER 5TH

The world celebrates volunteeringAustralia will celebrate International Volunteer Day onFriday December 5th. International Volunteer Day is aUnited Nations auspiced day that commenced in 1985and is now celebrated around the world.

If you would like to feature a local volunteer to highlight Internation-al Volunteer Day please contact Volunteering Australia and it willarrange to make that connection for you through your state volun-teering centre.

Volunteering Australia provides a range of free resources to assistorganisations who want to celebrate International Volunteer Day.These resources, and more information on International VolunteerDay, are available at www.volunteeringaustra-lia.org

It also manages the largest volunteering opportunity website, -www.govolunteer.com.au - where people seeking volunteering op-portunities can identify needs to suit their own availability.

More than 5.4 million Australians volunteer annually.Volunteering Australia is the national peak body working to advance

volunteering in the Australian community. It’s role is to represent thediverse views and needs of the volunteer movement while promotingthe activity of volunteering as one of enduring social, cultural and e-conomic value.

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 13/31

HealthNOVEMBER 2008

Osgood Schlatter disease

A thirteen year old boy came to see me this weekcomplaining of bilateral knee pain. He is a keen s-portsman enjoying both rugby and cricket and playsboth for his school. The first thing I noticed about thisboy was that he had become taller since I last sawhim and was obviously going through a growth purt.

After taking a careful history and examining thisyoung boy, I was able to advise him that he was suf-fering from Osgood Schlatter disease.

What is Osgood Schlatter disease?

This is a common disorder affecting the knee .It isusually short-lived. It occurs more commonly in boysthan girls, and occurs in early adolescence oftenduring a period of rapid growth spurt, usually in as-sociation with considerable physical activity.

This disease was described independently by two

surgeons in 1903, namely Robert Osgood of Boston,USA, and Carl Schlatter of Zurich, Switzerland. Os-good Schlatter disease produces pain and swellingat the front of the tibia (shin bone) just below theknee.

The symptoms and signs of Osgood Schlatter disease

The condition causes pain in the knee. In aboutone third of cases, both knees may be affected.There will be pain on running, jumping and goingdown stairs. The pain occurs at the front of the kneebelow the kneecap. There may be swelling in thisregion. The area of bone affected is called the tibialtubercle which is the prominence just below theknee joint. Sometimes along with the swelling of thetibial tubercle, the skin over it may appear red andinflamed. In more severe conditions, the quadricepsmuscles of the thigh may loose bulk.

The cause of Osgood Schlatter disease

The quadriceps or thigh muscle is attached by itstendon to the tibial tubercle (the bony prominencejust below the kneecap). When the quadriceps mus-cle contracts straightening a bent knee, a largepulling force is exerted at the point where the ten-don is attached. During growth, new bone is pro-duced from the growth plates. The quadriceps ten-don is attached to tibia, near one of these growthplates. The new bone being formed is affected bythe pulling forces of the contraction of the thigh mus-cle and so instead of forming dense compact bone,the bone at the tibial tubercle becomes fragmentedand inflamed and so produces the pain and swellingof Osgood Schlatter disease.

The course of Osgood Schlatterdisease

The course is usually only a temporary problemand the fragments of bone eventually form into nor-mal bone, once growth is complete. This may takeabout twelve months, but sometimes may resolve insix months or can take as long as eighteen monthsto settle.

Recovery will be delayed in those who continuesporting activity.

Diagnosis of Osgood Schlatter disease

The diagnosis can usually be made on history andphysical examination. X-rays and Ultrasound testsmay add further information. X-rays will usuallyshow fragmentation of the tibial tubercle.

Management of Osgood Schlatterdisease

The best treatment is rest from sporting activitiesthat cause pain. Any activity that causes pain shouldbe avoided. Rest will also allow healing.

Ice packs and analgesia will relieve acute pain.Hot packs will provide relief after the acute pain hassettled and will help with healing.

Physiotherapy with exercises directed to stretchand strengthen the quadriceps, hamstring and calfmuscles will help with healing.

Medication with painkillers and anti-inflammatorymedication are sometimes required.

Osgood Schlatter disease usually resolves by itselfonce growth has finished.

* The information given in this article is of a general natureand readers should seek advice from their own medical practi-tioner before embarking on any treatment.

HEALTHNEWSNEWS

WITH DR. THEO PENKLIS *

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF

AUSTRALIA

Date: Where:

Time: Donation

Dress: Bookings:

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA

Come and join us for lunch! The St.Andrew’s Brotherhood is organisinglunch in February to raise funds forthe St. Andrew’s Greek OrthodoxTheological College.

The St. Andrew’s Brotherhood is acommittee which has long been es-tablished to primarily raise funds toaid the Greek Orthodox Archdioceseof Australia in its educational andother pastoral endeavours.

St Andrew’s Theological Collegewas established in February, 1986by the Greek Orthodox Archdioceseof Australia. As you may be aware,the Theological College is the admiration and pride ofmany of the faithful, as they know that this is the insti-tution which is educating its future religious educators,priests and bishops. The Theological College is a self-funded tertiary institution which relies principally on thedonations of the members of the church.

In 2006, on the 20th Anniversary of the TheologicalCollege, the St Andrew’s Brotherhood organised a verysuccessful Anniversary Dinner, attended by over 600people, to celebrate the significant achievements ofthe St Andrew’s Theological College.

To continue the good work that the Brotherhood hasdone to date, a lunch is being organised .The lunch willbe held at Nick’s Restaurant, Bondi Beach onSunday, 22nd February, 2009, at 12.30pm.

Come and join our Primate and Dean of the Theo-

logical College, His Eminence Arch-bishop Stylianos for lunch, and forma table with your family and friendsto support this function.

If you would like to attend,please contact Marianne Penklis on0425 222 202 or email:temap@tpg.com.au

Tickets are limited and are sellingquickly. Entry is via a donation of$100 and must be paid for in ad-vance.

Numbers are limited, so please s-tart organising your table now.

If you are unable to attend, you may like to make adonation to the

St. Andrew’s Theological College Building Fund. Please forward your donation to St. Andrew’s Brotherhood, PO Box 186, Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012.

Nothing is more spectacular than a Summer’s dayspent at one of Sydney‘s most beautiful locations, Bon-di Beach.

It promises to be a wonderful and successful occa-sion.

Looking forward to your support.

NEWS FROM ST. ANDREWS BROTHERHOOD

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA14/32 NOVEMBER 2008

Caring for an older personThe Greek Welfare Centre is presenting the second

seminar part of three series on care for an olderperson. This is to allow the Greek elderly and theircarers to be aware of different options in aged careand to increase access to aged care services. Thesecond part of the series is on residential care.

What is Residential Aged Care?Residential aged care is for older people who can

no longer live at home. Reasons can include illness,disability, the needs of the carer or the older personcan no longer manage themselves at home withouthelp.

What types of aged care are available?

There are two types of aged care available.Low-Level Care homes (previously known as Hos-

tel care) generally provide accommodation and per-sonal care such as help with dressing and showeringand occasional nursing care and High Level Care(previously known as Nursing home care) for peoplewith greater degree of frailty, who often need contin-ual nursing care.

An assessment needs to be undertaken by theAged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) to inform theclient what level of care they will be needing.

What services do aged care homes provide?

All aged care homes must provide a range of careand services to the residents according to each resi-dent’s care needs.

Services should include:Staff to provide help at all times. Providing assis-

tance with daily living activities such as bathing,showering dressing and mobility , assistance withmedications and the provision of meals and refresh-ments and social activities

.The residential homes should have basic furnish-ings such as carpets, chairs, beds, linen, towels, soapand toilet paper and provide a laundry service, clean-ing service and the maintenance of buildings andgrounds.

For high level care, the homes will also provide

things like continence aids, basic medical suppliesand pharmaceutical supplies, nursing services andtherapy services.

Will I need to move into another aged care home ifmy care needs change?

Some aged care homes provide both low and highlevel care which allows a person to stay in one loca-tion even if a person’s care needs increase. This iscalled “Ageing in place”. Ask the aged care homewhether you can remain in the same home as yourcare needs change.

What is Extra Care?Some aged care homes provide “extra service”.

The home may be able to provide you with higherstandard of accommodation and care which will costyou more. The amount one has to pay for this extraservice will vary from to home to home. It is best tocheck directly with the aged care home.

Do I have to pay for residential aged care?

The Australian Government provides a substantialamount of funding towards the cost of residentialaged care.

Most residents will need to pay daily care fees andaccommodation payments to their residential agedcare home as prescribed by the Government.

What if I cannot afford to pay?There are hardship provisions to help people who

cannot afford to pay so you can still receive the samestandard of care regardless of your capacity to pay.

Please contact the Aged Care Information Line on1800 500 853 to receive assistance and to obtain anapplication form or you can also send an email tohardship@health.gov.au

Do aged care homes provide care for the Greek older person?

The Australian Government provides funding to anumber aged care homes run by Greek specificcommunity organisations.

The Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care Pro-gram (PICAC) and the Community Partners Program(CPP) enables aged care homes and ethnic communi-ties to work together to establish and maintain links

between residents of aged care homes and their so-cial, cultural and linguistic networks.

There are also clustering programs that bring to-gether residents who share similar cultural, languageand religious backgrounds within one aged carehome.

To find out what is available in your area you cancall the Commonwealth Carelink Centre on 1800 052222

If you cannot speak English you can ring the Trans-lating and Interpreting Service(TIS) on 131 450 and re-quest to speak to someone from the CommonwealthCarelink service or the Commonwealth Aged Care In-formation Line.

For further information please call the Greek Wel-fare Centre’s CPP Workers

Newtown office on (02) 9516 2188Illawarra office (0@) 4428 1609Western Sydney office on (02) 9687 8955

This information is provided by the Greek Welfare Centre agedcare section, Greek Community Partners Program (CPP).

Resourced information sheet “five steps to residential care” ofthe Department of Health and Ageing.

The CPP project is funded under the Department of Health andAgeing.

Disclaimer: This document is a guide only and cannot take ac-count of individual circumstances. We recommend that you seekappropriate professional advice relevant to your particular situa-tion.

Greek Welfare CentreGREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA

St George College S.A. nominatedfor award for getting kids active

Children from St George College cele-brated recently as it was announcedthat their school had been nominated forthe Australian Sports Commission’s Ac-tive After-school Communities (AASC)Super Site Award for SA.

The Super Site Award is an annualaward for primary schools and out ofschool hour care services (sites) that arepart of the AASC program, a programthat is all about getting kids active afterschool; St George College has done asuper job at this and much more.

Providing yummy and nutritious after-noon teas, helping children and theirfamilies to be more active and encour-

aging local community involvement arejust some of the areas that St GeorgeCollege excelled at. St George Collegewill be competing against other nomi-nated sites for the title of SA Super Sitewhich will be announced in late Novem-ber. The state winner of the Super SiteAward will receive a trophy and a $500voucher for porting equipment.

AASC regional coordinator, Scott Jonessaid ‘our program is a success, largelythanks to the support we receive fromour sites and the local community. Thisnomination recognises that support andSt George College’s outstanding contri-bution to the AASC program.’

www.cure.org.auFunding the critical early work of brilliant creativescientists as they pursue potential breakthroughresearch to solve the riddles on cancer cells.

Contribute to the Cure & send your taxdeductible gift to:PO Box R185 Royal Exchange NSW 1225Tel 02 9251 61 88

Funding the critical early work of young andinnovative researchers as they pursue potentialbreakthrough research to solve the complexitiesin cancer cells.

PO Box R185 Royal Exchange NSW 1225Tel 02 9251 61 88www.cure.org.au

Thanks to the generosity of the community CureCancer Australia’s mission is possible: to find a cureby supporting young scientists to deliver break-through cancer research.

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 15/33NOVEMBER 2008

Tuesday November 4, 2008 was the firstfeast day of St George Karslides, a veryholy Elder of Greece in the 20th century.Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I visit-ed the Metropolis of Drama to oversee theofficial recognition of St George, provingthat holiness is not just something of thedistant past.

St George was born in Argyroupolis, Pontos in1901. He was orphaned at a very young age, so itwas his pious grandmother who raised the youngAthanasios (St George’s baptismal name) to have a“holy fear of God and a fervent love for the Church’sdivine services.” The region of Pontos in Asia Minorhas historically been a great seat of Orthodoxy, andmore recently was also the site of such spirituallyimportant monasteries as Panagia Soumela, Peris-tereota and St John Vazelonos.

At the age of five Athanasios began tending hisfamily’s flocks, all while bearing the harsh treatmentof his older brother, who made life difficult for himand for his younger sister Anna. They bore this withlove, perseverance and holiness. In fact, when Annadied at a young age, light emanated from her grave.Three years later when her remains were exhumed,her bones had the same yellow hue as the Saints ofGod. Thus, Athanasios‘s early days were permeatedboth with the piety and holiness of lives dedicated toGod, as well as with the pain of the corruption andinstability of this life. This very realistic understandingof life was to prove to be a firm foundation forAthanasios’s future spiritual development.

Because of the extremely difficult situations hewas facing, at the age of seven Athanasios decidedto run away, and was sheltered for a while by somecrypto-Christians. St George the Great-Martyr was agreat protector of Athanasios, and he appeared tohim, told him to mount his horse, and helped him totravel to Tiflis, Georgia where a pious priest tookcare of him. The priest was impressed by his spiri-tuality and maturity, and clothed him in a cassockfrom age nine. In 1919 Athanasios was tonsured amonk with the name Symeon, and during his tonsurethe bells of the monastery began to ring by them-selves. Fr Symeon still faced many difficulties, how-ever, as his monastery was soon closed by the com-munists, and the monks were humiliated, imprisoned,and threatened with execution.

The following is a beautiful story of St George’stime in this prison:

The imprisoned monks and clergy asked permis-sion at Pascha to go to church. Having been deniedthis, they fervently prayed for continued strength inthe struggle. As they chanted, “Christ is risen,” the

prison shook and the doors opened of their own ac-cord. The inhabitants of that area hastened to seewhat was happening and beheld three holy figureswho, chanting “Lord have mercy” and holding a cross,were processing in a circle above the prison. The vi-sion lasted until dawn, when the captives were pre-pared for execution. They were tied together and ledto the edge of a cliff. The firing squad took aim andfired. Three bullets hit Symeon, but only grazed him,and did little harm. He was dragged off the cliff,however, by the weight of the others. Miraculously,he fell without being killed and thus escaped death.

Once released from prison, he was ordained byMetropolitan John Tsiaparaski of Grouzia Scheta in1925, and was given the new name George. He wasrecognized by many as being a God-bearing elder.Despite his difficult situations, he was constant in hisascetical struggles, eating mostly wild greens, sleep-ing little, and pursuing voluntary poverty (for exam-ple, refusing a new cassock to replace his old onewhich was falling apart). His service of the sacra-ments was filled with his love, care and attention.

During the preparation of the elements [in theProskomedi, preparation for the Divine Liturgy], Godwould inform him of the spiritual state of those hecommemorated, both the living and the dead. Withgreat pastoral discernment he would pass the infor-mation on to his parishoners, either to encouragethem to pray more fervently for the souls of the de-ceased or to bring sinners to repentance. Before

bringing the Holy Communionout to the faithful, he would ask that those who want-ed to commune come to the left-hand door of the i-conostasis where he would read the prayer of ab-solution over them and anoint them with oil...[St.George] would sometimes be seen levitating duringthe Divine Liturgy. When he celebrated he would of-ten be visited by the Saints.

In 1929, most likely because of his failing health(not quite thirty years old and semi-paralyzed), StGeorge moved to Greece, and settled in the town ofSipsa near Drama in northern Greece. He graduallyrecovered with the help of the local inhabitants, whobecame aware of his holiness and sought his help. In1936 the Elder went on a pilgrimage to the HolyLands, where he met his uncle (who was a monk)who urged him to return to serve in the world, wherethere was a great need for spiritual guidance. Later,the Elder was given a plot of land by the Greek gov-ernment, and in the year 1939, a monastery hefounded and dedicated to the Ascension of Christwas consecrated.

Many of the accounts of the counsels and miraclesof St George come from this later period of his lifeas the shepherd of the community of Drama. Heforesaw both World War II and the Greek Civil War.During the civil war, three different groups of fight-ers went to slaughter the inhabitants of Sipsa, andthey each felt intense remorse and apprehensionand repented beforehand without harming the vil-lagers. The Elder had foreseen this danger, and in-structed the inhabitants to have a procession aroundthe village with the icon of Panagia. Thus the villagewas saved from certain destruction.

There are many other stories of St. George’s dis-cernment and spiritual gifts:

One day a lady brought some quinces to the Elder.A pregnant woman stopped her along the way andasked for some, but she refused. When she arrivedat the monastery and gave them to the Elder, he toldher, “On the way the gate of Paradise opened andyou closed it.”

In early 1959 St George foresaw his upcomingdeath. As the day approached, he gave instructionsto his spiritual children on his departure. On the eveof his repose he asked to be helped to go into themonastery church. There he venerated the icons andpartook of the Holy Mysteries one last time. A fewhours after midnight on November 4th, 1959, StGeorge reposed in the Lord.

Today a monastic community of nuns continue thespiritual legacy of St George at the Monastery of theAscension of Christ in Sipsa, Drama, in northernGreece.

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers,Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on usand save us! Amen!

A NEW SAINT PROCLAIMED:

St George Karslides the Righteous of Drama (1901-1959)

Feast Day: November 4

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA

Visit the new website of our Archdiocese:www.greekorthodox.org.au

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA16/34

Arts, Food & WineNOVEMBER 2008

Musical Fusion, Queensland Style: The Greek Orthodox Youth Orchestra of Brisbane

Editor: Imogen Coward

By Imogen Coward

Australia is a land where manycultures exist side-by-side, rub-bing along together and helpingto enrich one another. Nothingillustrates this more vibrantlythan the Greek Orthodox YouthOrchestra of Brisbane or GOYOB.As the fledgling orchestra headsinto its 7th year, the VEMA in-terviewed the orchestra’s Chair-man, Manuel Pippos, about thehistory of the orchestra, its cur-rent projects and plans for thefuture.

Early daysGOYOB was founded on 14th February

2003, by the Greek Orthodox SouthsideParish Community of the Dormition of theTheotokos, Brisbane, becoming only thesecond community youth orchestra onthe Southside of Brisbane; a communityprogramme that helps, says Manuel, to“develop a sense of culture and identitythrough music... the universal language”.At first, around 75% of members weredrawn from the Parish of the Dormitionof the Theotokos. Now, however, GOYOBalso includes people who have come tothe parish via involvement in the orches-tra.

Importantly, a major principle in theorganising of the orchestra was that thecapital raised (not just in terms of money,but also skills of people involved) was tobe re-invested back into GOYOB to assistin its expansion and growth. Throughtheir own fundraising, the orchestrahelps keep member fees to around$100/yr (a small membership fee for anyyouth orchestra) and it also gives back tothe community, for example throughfundraising for charities such as the EstiaDisability Group and the Saint NicholasNursing Home. The success of thisapproach has seen the orchestra gainincreasing approval from the local com-munity and also at a wider public level.Indeed, in 2006 the Queensland StateGovernment provided GOYOB with agrant of $33,000. This grant, along withalmost $10,000 raised by the orchestraitself, allowed them to create two dedi-cated music studios, complete with hi-tech audio-visual equipment to assist inrehearsals and performances.

Musicians and familiesGOYOB started as and remains very

much a family affair with around 15 fam-ilies currently involved and approximate-ly 120 associated (non-performing) peo-ple. Parents, grandparents, cousins,aunts and uncles help with the adminis-tration side of running the orchestra andalso act as the travelling audience, sup-porting the orchestra wherever it per-forms. As one of the orchestra parents

puts it, “Through music, GOYOB instils anappreciation and love of our Greek cul-ture in our younger generation. There isnothing more satisfying to me as a par-ent to listen and watch this group of kidsget the same enjoyment and satisfactionfrom playing and ‘living’ the music as Idid when I look back at my childhoodthrough to today. After all it is in ourblood... this is a gift to our children.”

The orchestra itself has around 20 per-forming members at any one time and isa means for young Brisbane musicianswho have a love of Greek music, to gettogether and share in a Greek musical-heritage in a loving, caring and inclusiveenvironment. Since the beginning, theorchestra has had members rangingfrom 10yrs of age to mid 20s. The wis-dom of having a broad age-range hasborne fruit. Today, the current generationof young-adult members who camethrough the mixed-age system (somestarting at 10yrs of age), welcomeyounger members and more often thannot, regard them as younger brothersand sisters. Also, the more senior mem-bers of GOYOB, in particular Manuel’sson George (17yrs), play an increasinglyactive role in the education of theyounger members as well as in the artis-tic direction of the group, including thewriting and arranging of music and thedesigning of concert programmes. “Thisis important because it allows our youthto create their own music and that givesthem ownership over what they do!”

Music and performancesThe style of music played by GOYOB is

most definitely fusion music, a blendingof Western and Greek instruments in aunique, Greek-inspired musical style. Theinstruments that make up the orchestraare diverse. At present there are five vio-lins, one cello, two flutes, three clarinets,one trumpet, one tenor saxophone, twobouzouki, drums/percussion, one pianoand two vocalists. Many of the musiciansplay more than one instrument and, tak-ing this into account, the orchestra alsohas a second piano and saxophone aswell as oboe, French horn and bass clar-inet.

The majority of the orchestra membersare classically trained Western musicianswith a Greek-Australian cultural back-ground. Although their technique is pre-dominantly Western, the musicians’familiarity with Greek rhythms (throughdancing) and vocal style (e.g. throughhearing Byzantine chant as well as folkand popular music) allows them to crossstylistic boundaries and create a soundthat is flexible, exotic and yet comfort-able for both Western and Greek audi-ences. Their mixed music-educationbackground, in particular the ability toread Western notation, also means thoseorchestra members can mix easily withother musicians from the larger musicalcommunity in Australia. “By learning howto play a different genre of music (Greek)these youth become better musicians,”

says Manuel. The breadth of the musicians’ skills can

be seen in the repertoire they arrangeand perform. Although GOYOB does playsome traditional Greek folk music, theorchestra also plays a wide variety ofmusic including works by more ‘classi-cal’ composers such as MikisTheodorakis.

To date, GOYOB has performed atnumerous major events including GreekNational Day celebrations, Greek Idol2008, a Greek Night in the Park, Multi-cultural day at Parliament House, and lastyear they held Music Alive 2007, the firstever Greek Youth musical Concert to bestaged in Brisbane. “Music Alive 2007was the culmination of six years workand it gave our youth orchestra a chanceto show people what their music isabout,” says Manuel. “It was an unbeliev-able evening... the youth orchestrareceived a standing ovation at the end ofthe concert. It was just fantastic!” In addi-tion, the orchestra also gives chamberrecital performances and performs atvarious other local functions.

Where to now?At present, there are plans in the

pipeline to take GOYOB on tour toCanberra and possibly Sydney. Theorchestra is also preparing for MusicAlive 2009. According to Manuel “This willbe a great challenge for us now becausethe bar has been raised a little higher butI am confident that we can do it becausewe have so much more support now. We

are also looking for more support fromsponsors for this next concert becausewe would like to make it bigger and bet-ter than the first one.”

As well as undertaking the varioustasks necessary to run the orchestra,parents are also currently putting togeth-er an historical record of music per-formed by the orchestra.

An immediate challenge, says ManuelPippos, is to get more vocal training inthe Greek music the orchestra wants toperform. Alongside this, the orchestra isalso aiming to have professional musi-cians from around Australia visit, workand perform with the orchestra to helpincrease the professional and ensembleperformance skills of GOYOB members,and to inspire them.

Where do I find theGOYOB?

GOYOB rehearses every Friday night6.30pm-8.30pm (coffee starts from 6pm!)generally during school term only. Theorchestra rehearses in the dedicatedmusic Studios, lower level of the GreekEthnic School Building at the Parish of theDormition of the Theotokos, Southside,Brisbane.

For more information about how you canbecome involved in the orchestra, giveyour support, or learn about upcomingperformances, contact Manuel Pippos,Chairman of GOYOB, Phone/Facsimile:07 33248291 Mobile: 0413 018 780 Email: epippos@bigpond.net.au

ABOVE: A few members of GOYOB, Manuel Pippos (centre back) & Imogen Coward (farright) in 2007. BELOW: Some members of GOYOB in 2008 at a recent rehearsal session.

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 17/35

Arts, Food & WineNOVEMBER 2008

STOP PRESS

Australian Musicians Need YOU!

The federal government recently announced that they will not be funding theAustralian National Academy of Music (ANAM) in 2009. According to MinisterPeter Garrett (ironically the former front-man for Midnight Oil) there are con-cerns that “the Academy may not be the most effective nor efficient modelfor the delivery of national programs supporting elite level classical musictraining”, and has asked his Department to “investigate alternative options”.

Over a number of years the federal government has provided unchangedfunding support to ANAM of around $2.5M. Without this funding it appearsthat the Academy will close on 31 December 2008 and with this Australiawill loose a unique institution dedicated to training Australia’s finest classicalmusicians. Closing ANAM would be a tragedy not only for the Australian mu-sic scene but also for Australia’s cultural standing on the world stage. ANAMprovides an extremely flexible learning environment and tailors the pro-gramme to each student’s needs in order to prepare them for the life of aprofessional musician. The Academy brings together home-grown talent andleading performers and pedagogues from around the world. Alumni ofANAM currently play in various orchestras including the major Australiansymphony orchestras.

This move to cut funding should be of concern to all lovers of the arts as itrepresents a dangerous precedent for all government funded arts organiza-tions in Australia.

To show your support for music and Australia’s cultural heritage visit theANAM website www.anam.com.au and join the online petition to save theAcademy.

Or send your thoughts to:

The Hon Peter Garrett AM MPMinister for the Environment, Heritage and the ArtsParliament House, Canberra, ACT 2600Tel: (02) 6277 7640 Fax: (02) 6273 6101

FFoooodd && WWiinnee

Editor: Imogen Coward

This is the third edition ofthe Foodies’ Guide. Thishandy little book is acomprehensive guide toSydney’s best food retail-ers from butchers anddelicatessens to mail-order organic grocers.Companies listed aregrouped together interms of what style ofproduce they sell from A for Asian toW for world food. Each entry pro-vides information about the compa-ny, their particular gastronomic spe-cialties as well as address and con-tact details. If you are after a partic-ular ingredient, the guide is indis-pensable. If, however, you feel likegoing on a culinary adventurearound Sydney, you can also navi-gate your way around the guide

suburb by suburb. Thereare even handy mapsincluded at the back ofthe Foodies’ Guide. Whynot put the book in theglove-box of your carand, when you next havesome spare time, checkout the food shops inwhichever suburb youhappen to find yourself?

It is the perfect guide to Sydney forany keen cook and a fantastic addi-tion to any Christmas hamper.

For Melbournians, there is also asister publication Foodies’ Guideto Melbourne 2009 edited byMichelle Curtis and Allan Campionand published by Fairfax Books.

I.C.

Écoutez!Arts Review

The Foodies’ Guide to Sydney 2009Edited by Helen Greenwood and John Newton

Published by Fairfax Books, RRP $29.95 BYZANTINE CHURCHES OF CONSTANTINOPLE

A colour catalogue of the recent Photo Exhibitionby Church historian Dr Ken Parry, recently held at St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College, is now available through the Bookcentre of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, Sydney.

Over 30 beautiful images of the spiritual history of the City, on glossy paper, with explanatory captions.

Price: $15 including postage and handling

Contact Anthony:bookcentre@greekorthodox.org.au

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The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA18/36 NOVEMBER 2008

Travel news in brief...Cheap

Tourism Vancouver has issued a list of10 on-the-cheap activities in the city, thelanding point for most Australians onholiday in Canada or heading for anAlaska cruise.

With no mention of Vancouver's topdraw, magnificent Stanley Park (free ad-mission) with its trails and totem poles,the 10 are:

* Take a cruise around False Creek inthe city on a tiny aquabus and visit thearts and restaurant area of Granville Is-land.

* On Granville Island, see artists atwork, among them, jewellery-makers,potters, glass-blowers and shoemakers.

* Watch a movie being filmed on thestreets - more than 200 films and TVshows are made annually in HollywoodNorth - after checking current produc-tions at www.bcfilmcommission.com.

* Visit Lighthouse Park on the NorthShore with its rainforest trails amongsome of the city's oldest trees and PointAtkinson lighthouse, built in 1912.

* At the Capilano Salmon Hatchery,learn about the life cycle of Canada'sfavourite fish from before the hatchlingsare placed in the river until autumn,when they head upstream on fish lad-

ders to spawn.* Check out historic Vancouver Mar-

itime Museum in Vanier Park where ex-hibits include the dry-docked MountedPolice vessel St Roch, the first to navi-gate the Northwest Passage in both di-rections.

* Especially if you have kids with you,go to Maplewood Farm for a close-uplook at 200 horses, goats, rabbits among200 farm animals and birds.

* Take a self-guided walking tour ofVancouver's waterfront public art instal-lations.

* Check the city's vibrant seafaringand port history at the Port Authority's In-terpretive Centre.

* Secure half-price tickets for the city'smany cultural events at the Tickets To-night booth at Tourism Vancouver's visi-tor centre on Burrard Street.

CoffeeCoffee connoisseurs and cafe owners

can learn all about the stuff at the Gold-en Bean event at Port Macquarie on themid-north coast of NSW on November13-16.

In its third year, coffee roasters fromall around the world flock to the event togive workshops on the process of mak-

ing coffee as well as factors like argontesting, the re-emergence of brewedcoffee and its origins.

Coffee will be also be judged in thecategories of - the best espresso, milkbased, organic, Australia grown, retailand filter.

The winner of the Australian cafe ofthe year will also be announced at thelong-weekend event. Details: 02 6583-7163 or visit www.cafebiz.net.

Hastings StreetHastings Street in Noosa, Queensland

- probably one of the more stylish holi-day promenades - has been redesigned.

And it's ready to show off the newlook with a re-launch party planned forNovember 28, 29 and 30.

You can enjoy a "longest lunch", sup-ported by 19 of the street's restaurantsand be entertained by fashion paradesand live street performances.

And from 4pm each day there will be"champagne shopping" on HastingsStreet, with those who spend $50 ormore from participating stores in thedraw to win an "Audi load of prizes" val-ued at $20,000.

The Sunshine Coast's largest Christ-mas tree will be lit on Friday evening fol-lowed by Carols in the Woods. And at

dusk there's cinema under the stars.On the Sunday evening the Noosa Art

Trail exhibitions feature the CooperGallery, David Hart, Peter Lik, Sandy Bot-toms and Jive Gallery.

Details: www.visitnoosa.com.au/findy-ourselfonhastingsstreet.

Creative HolidaysCreative Holidays has launched its

2009-10 Thailand program with a wideselection of accommodation, sightseeingand mini stay options.

It covers Bangkok, Phuket, Khao Lak,Phi Phi island, Krabi, Koh Lanta, KohSamui, Pattaya, Hua Hin and NorthernThailand.

As well as an expanded product rangeincorporating new hotels, the programincludes new mini-stay experiences withthe addition of Koh Phangan and thesouthern escapes of Krabi and the PhiPhi islands.

Exclusive to Creative Holidays is theLaguna Phuket Plus Card valued to everyCreative Holidays customer when stay-ing at one of the Laguna properties andin Chiang Mai, the U Chiang Mai Hotel.

There are also wedding packages, cul-tural experiences, family options, partypackages and activities for those lookingfor adventure.

Demand for private-pool villas is con-tinuing, Creative says, and people havealso started expanding their travelsthrough Thailand.

Strong growth is expected in theKaron/Kata areas of Phuket with ChiangMai and Northern Thailand becomingmore popular.

Lonely Planet is offering discounts ontheir range of travel guides to CreativeHolidays customers.

Details: www.creativeholidays.com.AAP

Written and directed by Jeremy Podeswa (6 Feet Under)Based on the best-selling novel by acclai-

med Canadian poet Anne Michaels

New York Times Critics' Pick, May 2008

"As beautiful and touching a movie as you're goingto see this year" Jeffrey Lyons, NBC Reel Talk

Written and directed by Jeremy Podeswa (6 FeetUnder, Dexter, Nip Tuck) and stars Stephen Dillane(The Hours, Welcome to Sarajevo) Rade Sherbedgia(Before the Rain, Eyes Wide Shut), Rosamund Pike(Pride & Prejudice) and Ayelet Zurer (Vantage Point,Munich).

A compassionate Greek archaeologist, 'Athos', isconducting a dig in Nazi-occupied Poland, discovers aterrified seven-year-old boy named Jakob (RobbieKay) hiding in the forest after witnessing the mas-

sacre of members of his family. Athos smuggles thefrightened boy back to Greece - a rich and tender re-lationship develops between them. As Jakob growsinto a man he becomes progressively consumed byhis family's tragedy and the longing for his abductedbeloved sister Bella - her fate unknown.

Through his writing, and the discovery of true love,Jakob is ultimately freed from the legacy of his past.

For a tale coloured by much torment, its feel is re-markably soothing and healing. A truly moving andunforgettable story told with such a sensuous grace.

RELEASE DATE: 20 NOVEMBER 2008 - nationally

Country of Origin: Canada / Greece Running Time: 106 min Rating: MA 15+

Fugitive Pieces is showing in: Sydney - Cremorne Cinema, Dendy Newtown and Chauvel Paddington.

Victoria - Como Cinema, Classic Cinema, Brighton Bay Cinema. ACT - Dendy Canberra Queensland - Dendy Portside South Australia - Nova Palace

FILM PASS GIVE-AWAY FOR READERS OF VEMA ! On Friday November 28 the first six readers to

send a request and their postal address by email tosapress@grekorthodox.org.au will each receivepasses to Fugitive Pieces. There are two doubleand four single passes to give away.

Remember, you must send your email on FridayNovember 28, not before!

FUGITIVE PIECESSYNTRIMMIA PSYHIS

SECRETARYPart-time: Weekdays 9am-1pm.

Computer Skills

Fluent English & Greek

Contact St. George Church, Rose Bay on (02) 9371 9929

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 19/37NOVEMBER 2008

Kindergarten Orientation Program for 2009St Euphemia College recently welcomed their new Kindergarten students for 2009

Mr Peter Theophilou OAM, Mr Yiangou and Mrs Xan-thoudakis, welcoming the 2009 Kindergarten students.

A very excited new student ready to display her exception-al singing skills.

A hands-on experience with our new interactive SMARTBoards.

Our current Kindergarten students helping our new stu-dents with their work.

St Euphemia College is a community of staff, students and parents who work collaboratively to foster growth and personal well being where every student can “Strive for Excellence”.

Mission Statement That within a dynamic Orthodox Christian framework, a student may striveto achieve academic excellence, a love for learning, social responsibility,

spiritual growth and respect for a healthy mind and body.

Greece announces bidders for Olympic

AirlinesGreece's government has named 16 bidders for its

sale of Olympic Airlines.Companies interested in Olympic's operations are

Athens Airways, Chrysler Aviation, Fouad El GhanimGroup, MyAir, Qatar Airways, Sky Europe and Sky One.

For ground handling the companies interested are:Athens Airways, Ellaktor, Fouad El Ghanim Group,Goldair, Hellenic Cargo Group, and Swissport.

For Olympic's technical maintenance, the bidders are:Athens Airways, Iberia and Fouad El Ghanim Group.

Transport Ministry officials said that 22 further poten-tial bidders had requested that their names not be madepublic.

The government plans to liquidate Olympic and trans-fer most of its 8,100 staff to other public sector jobs.

AP

Cyprus to prosecute fiveover nation's worst

air tragedyCyprus says it plans to prosecute five people over a

2005 plane crash in Greece that killed all 121 people onboard in the nation's worst-ever air disaster.

"We came to the conclusion that from the evidencecollected a criminal prosecution is justified against sev-eral people whom we consider are accountable for theplane crash," Attorney General Petros Clerides said.

He said charges were being drafted against five peo-ple whom he did not name.

Relatives of the dead have long called for criminal ac-tion against those deemed responsible when a Boeingplane operated by charter company Helios Airways ranout of oxygen and slammed into a Greek hillside in Au-gust 2005.

Clerides said the charges being drafted were "amongthe most serious" provided for under Cyprus criminalcode but said it would take time for lawyers to draft theindictments.

The decision comes after three years of a painstakingpolice investigation amid criticism of foot-dragging byCypriot relatives of the 121 killed in the worst air disas-ter for both Greece and Cyprus.

Relatives are already taking separate civil action,claiming damages from the state arguing that Cyprus'scivil aviation authority was at fault because of negli-gence by its officials that led to the crash of the Boeing737-300.

Relatives claim that budget carrier Helios should havehad its licence revoked before the crash when it failedto meet certain air safety standards but that an overlylenient aviation authority allowed it to continue operat-ing. They have also filed claims in Greece, demanding76 million euros ($A141.79 million) from the US aircraftmaker Boeing, arguing that confusing sound alarms hadcontributed to the cutting of oxygen to the cabin and thecrash.

AFP

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA

St. EuphemiaGreek Orthodox College

ENQUIRIES: St Euphemia College Primary School, 202 Stacey Street, BANKSTOWN NSW 2200Phone: (02) 9796 8240 Fax: (02) 9790 7354 Email: officeps@steuphemia.nsw.edu.au

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA20/38 NOVEMBER 2008

LS541 THE EARTHLY HEAVEN (12-16 JANUARY 2009) Coordinator: Dr Guy Freeland This course unit will deepen the student's understanding of the meaning and spiritual significance of icons and architectural spaces, and of their relationship to Orthodox liturgy. Themes include: The origins of Christian iconography and the

evidence for the preservation of the true image, especially of Christ.

Symbols and signs; the symbolic language of the principal icon types and their rela-tionship to the liturgy and the Church Year.

The nature of the iconoclast controversies. The concept of the temple in Judaic and pa-

gan Antiquity, and the evolution of the Christian church, with special reference to Byzantine buildings.

The symbolic meanings and liturgical func-tions of Byzantine architecture and iconographic programs.

TH482 EARLY CHRISTIAN PATRIS-TIC THEOLOGY (19-23 JANUARY 2009) Coordinator: Rev. Dr Doru Costache This course unit engages the thought and methodology of the early Church Fathers and investigates the major trends in the Christian tradition through to the fourth century. It assists students to appreciate the preeminent position of the Patristic tradition for the modern Orthodox Church and its articulation of doctrine and theology. Themes include: Timeline and key characteristics of Patristic

literature (Greek, Latin and Syriac writ-ers).

Christianity and culture. Theological developments during the second

and third centuries, with references to the Apostolic Fathers, martyrologies, the Apologists, and the defenders of the ec-clesial tradition.

Theological developments during the fourth century with references to St Athanasius the Great, the Cappadocians, St Ambrose and St Augustine.

The legacy of the early Fathers.

The course units are conducted on campus at Redfern NSW and are open to men and women, Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike. They may be credited towards a degree (admissions criteria apply) or undertaken by university students as electives towards their own awards (e.g. Bachelor of Arts). Limited places may also be available to audi-tors. Applications for January 2009 should be lodged by Friday 12 December 2008. For more information about theological education please contact the Registrar by tele-phone on (02) 9319 6145 / 9698 5066 or via email at registrar@sagotc.edu.au.

081015

Announcement of Intensive Course Units

St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox

Theological College A M E M B E R I N S T I T U T E O F T H E S Y D N E Y C O L L E G E O F D I V I N I T Y

The Theological College is pleased to announce the continuation of its successful and highly informative intensive course units during January and July. These five-day inten-sives commenced in 2004 as part of the establishment of accredited graduate level pro-grams: Graduate Certificate in Arts, Graduate Diploma of Arts and the Master of Arts. The schedule for January 2009 will be:

Campus: 242 Cleveland St

Redfern NSW 2016

Website: www.sagotc.edu.au

CRICOS Provider Code (NSW): 02948J