All ready for 1st International Conference for Ionian Islands Expatriates
Ionian Islands
04 Sep 2018
/ 08:50
CORFU. Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania will be guest of honour at the conference and the President of Greece Prokopios Pavlopoulos will open proceedings.
Ionian Islands Regional Governor Theodoros Galiatsatos gave a press conference yesterday at the Regional office in Alykes, Potamos, in which he talked about the 1st International Conference for Ionian Islands Expatriates.
Mr. Galiatsatos stressed the significance of the conference and the efforts that had gone into its organization. "The idea first came when we visited expatriates in New York and Montreal, Canada in 2016 and it developed in collaboration with Diaspora Associations and Federations and Ionian Islands Confederations from all over the world as well as the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad. The conference has now become a reality and will establish a new image of Ionian Islands expatriates."
He outlined the programme for the 3-day conference and referred to the special personalities that would be present, such as Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, who will be honoured for his work, and the President of Greece Prokopios Pavlopoulos, who will open proceedings.
"There will be a special event in honour of the Archbishop, who has roots in Cephalonia. At an international conference such as this we considered it to be our obligation to honour an exceptional personality and we chose Archbishop Anastasios. I am also extremely honoured that the President of Greece Prokopios Pavlopoulos will open the conference proceedings," said the Regional Governor.
In Greek:
20 Ionian Islands Associations, Federations and Confederations are expected to participate in the 1st International Conference for Ionian Islands Expatriates with 100 delegates from the USA, Canada, Germany, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Australia as well as from the rest of Greece.
Mr. Galiatsatos outlined to reporters the presentations that would be given at the 3-day international conference as well as the cultural events.
"There will be 3 key topics - 'Economy, investment and infrastructure', 'Education and the role that can be played by Ionian Islands' educational institutions in relations with expatriates' and 'Culture, Interaction between expatriates and local cultural creativity'," he said.
"Our efforts were aimed at achieving the greatest possible participation of Ionian Islands expatriates from associations and unions worldwide so as to be able to develop the main issues affecting expatriates and the Ionian islands."
Finally, he talked about the 'Return to Roots' programme, which is being co-funded by the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad, in which 14 young Ionian Islands expatriates from all over the world have come as guests to all the Ionian Islands for 15 days and at the end of their stay will come to Corfu for the conference.
"It was very moving that a lot of these children, whom I met in Cephalonia, managed to find their parents' and grandparents' houses on the islands that they visited. History and culture came together in these young people's efforts to find their roots," he said.
"Our aim is to create the conditions under which strong ties with the 'motherland' can be maintained. The International Conference for Ionian Islands Expatriates will provide the opportunity for these ties to be established and strengthened. It would be wonderful if steps could be taken to create a worldwide Ionian Islands Expatriate Committee, which is not a matter for the Regional Administration but for all the Expatriate Federations worldwide - as a Region, however, we will propose and support it."
Mr. Galiatsatos stressed the significance of the conference and the efforts that had gone into its organization. "The idea first came when we visited expatriates in New York and Montreal, Canada in 2016 and it developed in collaboration with Diaspora Associations and Federations and Ionian Islands Confederations from all over the world as well as the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad. The conference has now become a reality and will establish a new image of Ionian Islands expatriates."
He outlined the programme for the 3-day conference and referred to the special personalities that would be present, such as Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, who will be honoured for his work, and the President of Greece Prokopios Pavlopoulos, who will open proceedings.
"There will be a special event in honour of the Archbishop, who has roots in Cephalonia. At an international conference such as this we considered it to be our obligation to honour an exceptional personality and we chose Archbishop Anastasios. I am also extremely honoured that the President of Greece Prokopios Pavlopoulos will open the conference proceedings," said the Regional Governor.
In Greek:
20 Ionian Islands Associations, Federations and Confederations are expected to participate in the 1st International Conference for Ionian Islands Expatriates with 100 delegates from the USA, Canada, Germany, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Australia as well as from the rest of Greece.
Mr. Galiatsatos outlined to reporters the presentations that would be given at the 3-day international conference as well as the cultural events.
"There will be 3 key topics - 'Economy, investment and infrastructure', 'Education and the role that can be played by Ionian Islands' educational institutions in relations with expatriates' and 'Culture, Interaction between expatriates and local cultural creativity'," he said.
"Our efforts were aimed at achieving the greatest possible participation of Ionian Islands expatriates from associations and unions worldwide so as to be able to develop the main issues affecting expatriates and the Ionian islands."
Finally, he talked about the 'Return to Roots' programme, which is being co-funded by the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad, in which 14 young Ionian Islands expatriates from all over the world have come as guests to all the Ionian Islands for 15 days and at the end of their stay will come to Corfu for the conference.
"It was very moving that a lot of these children, whom I met in Cephalonia, managed to find their parents' and grandparents' houses on the islands that they visited. History and culture came together in these young people's efforts to find their roots," he said.
"Our aim is to create the conditions under which strong ties with the 'motherland' can be maintained. The International Conference for Ionian Islands Expatriates will provide the opportunity for these ties to be established and strengthened. It would be wonderful if steps could be taken to create a worldwide Ionian Islands Expatriate Committee, which is not a matter for the Regional Administration but for all the Expatriate Federations worldwide - as a Region, however, we will propose and support it."
