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Neos Kosmos (The Hellenic Perspective), Australia
July 1 2013
A united commemoration for the victims of genocide
The memory of the victims of the genocide of the Hellenes of Pontos,
Anatolia and eastern Thrace was honoured in the Parliament of New
South Wales, last week
With great respect and humility, the memory of the victims of the
genocide of the Hellenes of Pontos, Anatolia and eastern Thrace was
honoured in the Parliament of New South Wales, on Wednesday 19 June.
The Pontian associations of NSW - Pontoxeniteas, Panayia Soumela and
Diogenes (Wollongong) - combined their forces to honour the memory of
their ancestors as well as those who moved the recent resolutions of
recognition in the state parliament of New South Wales. The NSW
Parliament passed two unanimous motions in May this year, recognising
the Assyrian and Greek genocides, and reaffirming its 1997 motion
recognising the Armenian genocide.
All political parties were represented at the commemoration evening
in the parliament, while also present in great number were leaders of
the Hellenic, Armenian, Assyrian and Jewish communities, as well as
directors of the Australian Institute for Holocaust and Genocide
Studies.
The Consul-General of the Hellenic Republic, Mr Vasileios Tolios and
the Consul, Mrs Dora Toumanidou-Toliou were joined by representatives
of the Central Pontian Community of Melbourne, the Panayia Soumela
Foundation, the Euxeinos Pontos Association, the Pontian Society of
Whittlesea Panayia Soumela, the Ákrites of Pontos and Return to
Anatolia, as well as the Pontian Brotherhood of South Australia and
the Pontian Brotherhood of Canberra.
Amongst the community organisations represented were the
Pan-Macedonian Association of NSW, the Order of AHEPA, the Australian
Hellenic Educators' Association of NSW, and the Organisation of Greek
and Greek Cypriot Women.
In her political address, the parliament's sole indigenous Australian
member the Hon Lynda Burney MP drew parallels between the experiences
of indigenous Australians and the Hellenes of Anatolia. Ms Burney
emphasised the significance of memory - both collective and
individual.
In a small gesture of Australian Hellenism's gratitude towards the
members of Parliament - who unanimously supported twin resolutions of
recognition of the genocides of the Hellenes and Assyrians - plaques
and icons of Our Lady of Mount Mela were presented to Premier Barry
O'Farrell MP and to the Leader of the Opposition, John Robertson.
As the keynote speaker of the evening, Dr Panayiotis Diamadis,
lecturer in Genocide Studies at the University of Technology, Sydney,
said in his speech: "Genocides do not occur without education. An
individual does not suddenly commit mass murder without having
undergone some educational process."
"In the same way, education is the only answer to the problem of
genocide in the 21st century world. In Australia, a key is the
incorporation of the stories of the genocides of the Hellenes,
Armenians and Assyrians within the Australian education system,"
Diamadis said.
A team of educators is currently developing programs for the
Australian curriculum which specifically incorporate genocidal
experiences.
The sponsor of the resolution in the Legislative Assembly, Rev. Fred
Nile MLC was also presented with a plaque. Following the
commemoration, Rev. Nile addressed the NSW Upper House, speaking about
the commemoration and delivering a solemn tribute to Australian ANZAC
soldiers who witnessed and provided relief efforts during the
genocides of the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian population of the
Ottoman Empire.
Nile's message comes after Turkey's Foreign Ministry has threatened
to ban those Australian politicians who supported recent motions to
recognise these genocides from attending Gallipoli commemorations of
ANZAC Day in 2015. In his speech on the floor of the Legislative
Council, Nile called upon Turkey to have respect for Australian
history and to recognise the crime of genocide perpetrated by the
Ottoman Empire.
"Modern Turkey and modern Australia must have a friendship that is
based on mutual respect and understanding of historical differences.
Turkey and Australia have overcome the legacy of the battles on
Gallipoli, so we must overcome whatever difference of opinion we have
about recent motions recognising the Assyrian and Hellenic genocides
and reaffirming the Armenian genocide," Nile said.
http://neoskosmos.com/news/en/a-united-commemoration-for-the-victims-of-genocide
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
July 1 2013
A united commemoration for the victims of genocide
The memory of the victims of the genocide of the Hellenes of Pontos,
Anatolia and eastern Thrace was honoured in the Parliament of New
South Wales, last week
With great respect and humility, the memory of the victims of the
genocide of the Hellenes of Pontos, Anatolia and eastern Thrace was
honoured in the Parliament of New South Wales, on Wednesday 19 June.
The Pontian associations of NSW - Pontoxeniteas, Panayia Soumela and
Diogenes (Wollongong) - combined their forces to honour the memory of
their ancestors as well as those who moved the recent resolutions of
recognition in the state parliament of New South Wales. The NSW
Parliament passed two unanimous motions in May this year, recognising
the Assyrian and Greek genocides, and reaffirming its 1997 motion
recognising the Armenian genocide.
All political parties were represented at the commemoration evening
in the parliament, while also present in great number were leaders of
the Hellenic, Armenian, Assyrian and Jewish communities, as well as
directors of the Australian Institute for Holocaust and Genocide
Studies.
The Consul-General of the Hellenic Republic, Mr Vasileios Tolios and
the Consul, Mrs Dora Toumanidou-Toliou were joined by representatives
of the Central Pontian Community of Melbourne, the Panayia Soumela
Foundation, the Euxeinos Pontos Association, the Pontian Society of
Whittlesea Panayia Soumela, the Ákrites of Pontos and Return to
Anatolia, as well as the Pontian Brotherhood of South Australia and
the Pontian Brotherhood of Canberra.
Amongst the community organisations represented were the
Pan-Macedonian Association of NSW, the Order of AHEPA, the Australian
Hellenic Educators' Association of NSW, and the Organisation of Greek
and Greek Cypriot Women.
In her political address, the parliament's sole indigenous Australian
member the Hon Lynda Burney MP drew parallels between the experiences
of indigenous Australians and the Hellenes of Anatolia. Ms Burney
emphasised the significance of memory - both collective and
individual.
In a small gesture of Australian Hellenism's gratitude towards the
members of Parliament - who unanimously supported twin resolutions of
recognition of the genocides of the Hellenes and Assyrians - plaques
and icons of Our Lady of Mount Mela were presented to Premier Barry
O'Farrell MP and to the Leader of the Opposition, John Robertson.
As the keynote speaker of the evening, Dr Panayiotis Diamadis,
lecturer in Genocide Studies at the University of Technology, Sydney,
said in his speech: "Genocides do not occur without education. An
individual does not suddenly commit mass murder without having
undergone some educational process."
"In the same way, education is the only answer to the problem of
genocide in the 21st century world. In Australia, a key is the
incorporation of the stories of the genocides of the Hellenes,
Armenians and Assyrians within the Australian education system,"
Diamadis said.
A team of educators is currently developing programs for the
Australian curriculum which specifically incorporate genocidal
experiences.
The sponsor of the resolution in the Legislative Assembly, Rev. Fred
Nile MLC was also presented with a plaque. Following the
commemoration, Rev. Nile addressed the NSW Upper House, speaking about
the commemoration and delivering a solemn tribute to Australian ANZAC
soldiers who witnessed and provided relief efforts during the
genocides of the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian population of the
Ottoman Empire.
Nile's message comes after Turkey's Foreign Ministry has threatened
to ban those Australian politicians who supported recent motions to
recognise these genocides from attending Gallipoli commemorations of
ANZAC Day in 2015. In his speech on the floor of the Legislative
Council, Nile called upon Turkey to have respect for Australian
history and to recognise the crime of genocide perpetrated by the
Ottoman Empire.
"Modern Turkey and modern Australia must have a friendship that is
based on mutual respect and understanding of historical differences.
Turkey and Australia have overcome the legacy of the battles on
Gallipoli, so we must overcome whatever difference of opinion we have
about recent motions recognising the Assyrian and Hellenic genocides
and reaffirming the Armenian genocide," Nile said.
http://neoskosmos.com/news/en/a-united-commemoration-for-the-victims-of-genocide
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress