Greek/Australian – Page 10 – GREEK WORLD MEDIA

Philia Kambitsis wins Medal of Honour for Outstanding Philanthropic and Volunteering Support in Australia

Source: TheAdvertiser

Philia Kambitsis has received a prestigious national medal within the Greek Orthodox Church for her tireless work volunteering and helping the homeless for the past 60 years. Picture: Roger Wyman Source: News Corp Australia

CHARITY is literally a way of life for Philia Kambitsis.

When she met a homeless man, she gave him shelter in her own home – and he stayed for 32 years.

But that’s only one of Mrs Kambitsis’ countless selfless generosities over 60 years and her huge heart has been recognised in a community award.

The Blackwood woman was awarded the inaugural Medal of Honour for Outstanding Philanthropic and Volunteering Support in Australia, through the Holy Orthodox Metropolis of Australia and Oceania.

She said she was “honoured and humbled” to receive the award from the Australian Greek Orthodox community.

Mrs Kambitsis has organised many fundraising events and has recently celebrated the funding and building of a church for the elderly at the Ridleyton Greek Home for the Aged, but her will to help others extends far beyond the generosity of the average volunteer.

After meeting a homeless man on the street, he lived in her home for 32 years until the day he died.

“I gave him a room at the back of the house and a bathroom, I didn’t know him, he was just a stranger to me,” she said. “He was a man off the street, but he became part of the family.”

Mrs Kambitsis also bought a Centennial Park plot for the man and saw that he had the Anglican funeral service he had wanted.

She is proud of the Ridleyton church.

“We have this church which is for the benefit of 120 residents,” she said. “They have a service every week and they can have communion there. It’s a very necessary thing.

“It’s at the latest part of their lives. They have a church that they can go to and pray and prepare themselves for a life thereafter.”

Mrs Kambitsis has also recently helped a church minister find a home after he lost his job.

“He has a unit which I pay rent for,” she said.

“He was employed by the Greek Orthodox community and he helped me finish the church at the aged home. That’s how I met him.”

Mrs Kambitsis said she owed her kind nature to her mother and grandmother.

“It gave them pleasure to help others and I think I’ve had that streak through me,” she said. “I’m forever doing something for someone (because) there are lots of people that need help.”

She encouraged people to help others where they could.

“I like to know that young people give some thought to elderly people and act kindly towards them and give them consideration,” she said.

“I think its very important to help one another.”

Ελληνίδα μαθήτρια, ένα χρόνο μετανάστρια στην Αυστραλία και ήδη αριστούχα

Μια Ελληνίδα μαθήτρια που μετανάστευσε στην Αυστραλία μόλις πριν ένα χρόνο είναι ήδη αριστούχα στον τομέα της Φυσικής και οι δάσκαλοι της εκτιμούν ότι το μέλλον της διαγράφεται λαμπρό και θα τιμήσει την Αυστραλία στον χώρο της έρευνας.

Πρόκειται για την Τζίνα Γκαχτίδη μαθήτρια της δευτέρας λυκείου της Μελβούρνης που επελέγη μαζί με άλλους 28 αριστούχους στον τομέα της Φυσικής για να λάβει μέρος σε πανεπιστημιακή ημερίδα Σωματιδιακής Φυσικής που οργανώθηκε από το Κέντρο Αρίστων Επιδόσεων στον τομέα της Σωματιδιακής Φυσικής του Αυστραλιανού Συμβουλίου Έρευνας, σε συνεργασία με τη Διεθνή Ομάδα Προβολής Σωματιδιακής Φυσικής.

Την ίδια στιγμή το γραφείο του Αυστραλού πρωθυπουργού Τόνι ‘Αμποτ τίμησε την ομογενή πανεπιστημιακό Σοφία Καρανικόλα, ως μια από τις κορυφαίες καθηγήτριες της χρονιάς σε όλη την Αυστραλία.

Η κ.Καρανικόλα ειδικεύεται στο χώρο της οδοντιατρικής του πανεπιστημίου Αδελαίδας.

Indigenous, ethnic groups inlcuding Greeks unite against law changes

Source: SMH

George Brandis

Intends to consult ‘stakeholders and interested parties’ over changes to sections of the Racial Discrimination Act: Attorney-General George Brandis. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Tony Abbott is facing a fight against Australia’s indigenous, Jewish, Arab, Chinese, Greek, Armenian, Lebanese and Muslim populations, who have united in urging the government not to proceed with announced plans to abolish or weaken race hate laws.

As his first legislative act, Attorney-General George Brandis wants to introduce a bill to change sections of the Racial Discrimination Act that protect ethnic groups against hate speech. He especially dislikes provisions that make it unlawful to offend or insult people on the basis of their race.

Declaring himself a champion of ”freedom”, Senator Brandis has disparaged the laws used against Herald Sun columnist Andrew Bolt over an article he wrote in which he accused ”white” Australians of identifying as Aborigines to advance their careers.

The head of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Peter Wertheim, said he could not recall ”any other issue on which there has been such unity of purpose and strength of feeling across such a diverse group of communities”.

Jewish leaders have combined in a rare joint protest with prominent ethnic and indigenous leaders.

”We have read with growing concern that the federal government has plans to remove or water down the protections against racial vilification,” reads the statement signed by the heads of groups including the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, Arab Council Australia, Chinese Australian Forum, Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Australian Hellenic Council, Lebanese Muslim Association and the Armenian National Council of Australia.

”We oppose absolutely any such change. Paradoxically for free speech advocates, racial vilification can have a silencing effect on those who are vilified.”

Senator Brandis has indicated he appreciates the growing backlash against his ”free speech” reforms. He sent Fairfax Media a statement in which he promised to consult with ”stakeholders and interested parties … before introducing the legislation”. ”One of my key priorities as Attorney-General is to rebalance the human rights debate in Australia,” he said.

Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane said weakening the race hate laws would send a dangerous signal. ”There must be strong and effective legal protections against racial vilification,” he said.

Cancer Information Fact Sheets in Greek

Source: cancercouncil.com.au

The content on the fact sheets below is identical in each each language.

When you click on the link it will download a PDF.

Greek Language Resources Order Form

Titles	Language Versions
	English	Greek
Early Detection of Breast Cancer	Click Here	Click Here
After a Diagnosis of Breast Cancer	Click Here	Click Here
Early Detection of Bowel Cancer	Click Here	Click Here
After a Diagnosis of Bowel Cancer	Click Here	Click Here
Understanding the Faecal Occult Blood Test	Click Here	Click Here
Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer	Click Here	Click Here
After a Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer	Click Here	Click Here
Early Detection of Prostate Cancer	Click Here	Click Here
After a Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer	Click Here	Click Here
Questions to ask your doctor	Click Here	Click Here
Coping with a Cancer Diagnosis	Click Here	Click Here
Understanding Chemotherapy	Click Here	Click Here
Understanding Radiotherapy	Click Here	Click Here
Complimentary Therapies and Cancer	Click Here	Click Here

Men and Cancer Prevention	Click Here	Click Here
Women and Cancer Prevention	Click Here	Click Here
Understanding your Pap Smear	Click Here	Click Here
Be Sunsmart	Click Here	Click Here
Stop Smoking	Click Here	Click Here
Alcohol and Cancer	Click Here	Click Here
Eat for Health	Click Here	Click Here
Stay in Shape	Click Here	Click Here
Move your body	Click Here	Click Here
Living Well After Cancer	Click Here	Click Here

Greek Orthodox Community of St George to decide fate of controversial site of destroyed Belvedere building

Source: Couriermail.com.au

Historic property Belvedere was devastated by fire and subsequently demolished on November 13 at Edmondstone Street, South Brisb

Historic property Belvedere was devastated by fire and subsequently demolished on November 13 at Edmondstone St, South Brisbane. Picture: Peter Wallis. Source: News Corp Australia

THE Greek Orthodox Community of St George hasn’t decided what to do with the site where a historic home stood until a devastating fire last week, despite years of fighting with the council over the property.

The heritage-listed Belvedere building had stood in Edmondstone St, South Brisbane, since 1888 before it was destroyed by fire and subsequently demolished on November 13.

Firefighters battle the fire in Edmonstone St, South Brisbane. Picture: Peter Wallis

Firefighters battle the fire in Edmonstone St, South Brisbane. Picture: Peter Wallis Source: News Corp Australia

The Greek Orthodox Community of St George had owned the property for about 30 years.

President Jim Georgiou said the community was “shocked” by what had happened, but no future plans had been made.

“We haven’t had a committee meeting. We’re in between terms and hopefully will have a new committee coming on next week, then we can start talking,” he said

“We had been planning to renovate it, architects had been employed.

“There will be a lot of discussion and whatever it is will go in front of our members.”

The Brisbane City Council refused an application in 2010 to demolish the building, which is listed on council’s Heritage Register.

The decision was appealed and was before the courts at the time of the fire.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said he was disappointed the Belvedere had been destroyed.

“It’s very sad news for the local community and the broader Brisbane community that this precious and historic building has been destroyed by fire,” he said.

There were reports squatters had been living in the abandoned boarding home, though no one was inside at the time of the blaze.

A Queensland Fire and Rescue Services spokeswoman said due to the intensity of the fire an investigation could not take place, and for safety reasons the building was demolished the day of the fire.

Socceroos beat Costa Rica 1-nil, Tim Cahill goal gets Ange Postecoglou’s national reign off to winning start

Source: ABCNEWS

Ange Postecoglou’s reign as Socceroos coach got off on the right foot with a 1-nil victory over Costa Rica in Sydney on Tuesday night.

A number of new Socceroos looked eager to impress their new boss but it was an old hand that got Australia over the line.

Like it has so many times before, a Tim Cahill header got the Socceroos over the line to start off what he called “a new era” for the Socceroos.

Cahill came off the bench with over half an hour to play, replacing Matthew Leckie who had played well up until that point after picking up an early leg injury.

Typically, the veteran attacker climbed above the pack on a corner.

The ball took a ghastly deflection, giving Costa Rica goalkeeper Patrick Pemberton no chance as it bounced goalward.

The match-winner took Cahill into a tie for the equal lead in national goals with Damian Mori on 29.

The goal broke a 69-minute deadlock between the sides that had persisted despite a number of chances for the Socceroos.

“It’s very special. It’s always great to play for your country and I think it’s great to get the boss off to a winning start,” Cahill said.

And “the boss” was very happy to see his charges get the win.

“That was fun. I enjoyed it,” Postecoglou said.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the players. Just an enormous effort.”

Youngsters have shaky start
The coach was, however, critical of their inability to find the back of the net in the first half saying the “intent was there” but they “lacked courage”.

The best chance of the game’s early exchanges was a near own goal by Australian defender Jason Davidson.

On a number of occasions throughout the first 45 minutes there seemed to be a lack of communication between the defence and goalkeeper Matthew Ryan, who was given the nod ahead of Borussia Dortmund’s Mitch Langerak.

The worst came in the fifth minute when Davidson, under pressure from Costa Rica midfielder Celso Borges, attempted a headed back-pass, only to see it go straight past Ryan, who was coming out to get the ball.

It was cleared off the line in the nick of time by Ivan Franjic to save Australia from an embarrassing start.

But other than the occasional mix-up, Australia had the best of the opening stages.

Robbie Kruse was brilliant for the hosts, popping up on both sides of the field and making some damaging runs down the wings.

He was just unable to control a couple of difficult first touches early but created the most promising first-half passage of play for the hosts.

Two minutes before the break, Kruse flew down the right side before curling a cross perfectly to a recently hobbled Leckie.

Leckie had the goal at his mercy but the midfielder was unable to get control of his left-foot volley and he sent it wide and high into the crowd.

In another promising sign for the future direction of the Socceroos, Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic, 20, was also incredibly dangerous when he replaced Mark Bresciano in the second half.

Neill’s frustration clear
Lucas Neill, playing his first game since staving off a challenge on his captaincy, was obviously feeling the pressure.

Following criticism of his leadership and ability, Neill was solid individually and marshalled an inexperienced Australian defence around the park nicely.

But, after apparently being heckled by part of the Sydney Football Stadium’s western stand, the 35-year-old defender turned around and angrily asked; “Why the f*** are you booing?”

“People pay their money, they can do what they want,” former Australia keeper and Fox Sports commentator Mark Bosnich said.

“I don’t think you can react like that. Simple as that.”

It was a dampener on a night in which Neill broke the record for most appearances as Australian captain.

Belmore United FC to screen Greece vs Romania World Cup

Source: BelmoreUnitedFC

Belmore United FC to screen Greece vs Romania World Cup Qualifier LIVE and EXCLUSIVE @ Canterbury Leagues Club on Sat 16 Nov and Wed 20 Nov
Belmore United FC & Football Director, George Lazarou are excited to announce that it has organised, in conjunction with Ch33/FOS Group Australia, a live and exclusive broadcast of the World Cup play off between Greece and Romania.

Canterbury Leagues Club (Paragon Showcase) will be the only venue in Sydney to screen both legs of this World Cup play off
Both nations finished second in their respective qualifying groups.

Greece will be hoping to qualify for its second successive World Cup appearance, while Romania will be seeking qualification for the first time since 1998.

Entry for each match is $20 and is available online http://bit.ly/170wb70 or Cash Ticket Sales via BUFC Office, Level 1, 392 Burwood Rd, Belmore.

Canterbury Leagues Club will be open from 6.00am (Sat – First Leg) and 5.30am (Wed – Second Leg).

Broadcast details for both matches are listed below:

First leg – Athens
Saturday 16th November
Kick-off 6.45am

Second Leg – Bucharest
Wednesday 20th November
Kick off 6.00am

Canterbury Leagues Club (Paragon Showcase Room) is located at 26 Bridge Rd, Belmore.

For all enquiries, please contact Belmore United FC on 02 9758 6371 or info@belmoreunitedfc.com.au

Broadcast Partners: South Melbourne FC, West Adelaide SC, Belmore United FC, George Lazarou, Ch 33 and FOS Group Australia

Greek films shine in gloom

Source: SMH

Still from Joy, starring Amalia Moutoussi

Amalia Moutoussi gives a powerful performance in Joy, one of several films that triumphs over Greece’s economic hardship.

Twenty years ago, Eleni Bertes was part of the inaugural Greek Film Festival in Melbourne, working as a volunteer at an event she helped to found. Now, she is back as an invited guest at this year’s festival, accompanying a Greek movie she has produced.

It is a good feeling, she says, “to come full circle, after starting something 20 years ago with some fellow collaborators”.

Bertes, who lives and works in Athens, helped to start the Greek Film Festival in 1993, along with Costas Markos and Costas Karamarkos. She is a lawyer, who went from “a very dry legal background” to work as legal and business affairs manager at Film Victoria. There, and in subsequent roles, she learnt about financing and other aspects of the film business, so it was almost inevitable she would move into production or executive production, she said. “And trying my luck in Greece seemed like a natural progression.”

She moved to Athens in 2003.

Since then, she said, she knows that the festival has grown and evolved, and she is even more closely aware of how much Greek cinema has been flourishing in recent years. This has taken place as the country has gone through a devastating recession in the wake of the global financial crisis.

In particular, Greek films have had a strong impact at international festivals – with filmmakers such as Yorgos Lanthimos and Athina Rachel Tsangari, and movies such as Dogtooth, Alps, Atten-berg, Wasted Youth and Boy Eating the Bird’s Food, this year’s Greek entry at the Oscars for best foreign film.

“These films are made with a great amount of difficulty and very little money,” Bertes said. “The economic environment in Greece is particularly challenging.”

The work she brings to the festival is Joy, for which she was the executive producer. It was written and directed by Ilias Yannakakis, and it is his second feature, after several years working in documentary and television. The idea for the film came from a news brief.

When he approached her about producing the film, Bertes said, Yannakakis was ready to discuss all kinds of possibilities, but he had two elements that were non-negotiable: he had a particular actor in mind for the lead, and he wanted to shoot on 35-millimetre black and white film.

It is not hard to see why he was so certain about Amalia Moutoussi – a well-known theatre actor but with limited exposure on screen. She gives a powerful, engrossing performance as Hara, a middle-aged woman who walks into a hospital and emerges with a three-month-old baby.

And the austerity and clarity of black-and-white have an undeniable impact. They help to define Yannakakis’ exploration of how individuals, society and the law deal with Hara’s actions, and how she responds. The film is both assertive and ambiguous – an exploration of the maternal impulse that turns into a tale of complexity, rhetoric and silence.

Joy screens on Wednesday, November 13, at 9pm.

The Greek Film Festival is at Palace Como until November 24.

greekfilmfestival.com.au

Two weeks for the opening of the 2nd International Colloquy in Sydney between 15 and 17th November

MEDIA RELEASE

31 October 2013

The second International Colloquy with title: “Parthenon. An Icon of Global Citizenship” will take place at the University of Sydney between 15 and 17th November. The event is hosted by the International Organising Committee – Australia – for the Restitution of the Parthenon Marbles (IOC-A-RPM) with the support of the British and American Committees.

The event will be opened by the Premier of NSW, The Hon Barry O’Farrell MP on Friday the 15th of November at the Nicholson Museum (University of Sydney, Camperdown Campus).

A provisional program for the 3 day event is now available on the event’s website :
http://www.parhtenonmarblesaustralia.org.au/colloquy2013.

The organisers believe that the global community will be inspired to be part of the conversation, comprising a mix of lectures, visual presentations and workshops and wide public participation, through the use of the popular Social Media platforms Facebook and Twitter.

Workshops, on the major themes of Education, Activism, Litigation and Economy, will be open to the online community around the world through the use of special hashtags (#). Workshop participants will be able to follow and discuss comments by the online community in real time.

Since mid-year the campaign for restitution has increased in pace. This Colloquy has been a major focus of social media activity drawing global attention from Committees and interested individuals. The Greek Minister for Culture and Sports, Panos Panagiotopoulos, has suggested Greece/UK mediation through UNESCO as one possible strategy. All the latest developments will be discussed at this event, which will help to build international interest and momentum in the campaign for return of the Parthenon Sculptures.

Visit the event’s website for more information.
http://www.parthenonmarblesaustralia.org.au/colloquy2013

Christos Tsiolkas still amazed at book’s runaway success

Christos Tsiolkas

BARRACUDA – Christos Tsiolkas

Christos Tsiolkas’ Barracuda, a big-hearted social realist novel set in Melbourne. You might have read Tsiolkas’ previous novel, 2008’s The Slap; his analysis of middle-class Australian culture and its relationship to the subcultures around it was a worldwide success.

This new novel is about success and failure, and what it means to be a good man.

Danny, a young teenager from a working-class family, has a dream of sporting success and a body that will help him achieve it. Like many young men in this position, he is given access to a great school, a passionate coach and the chance to make a heroic dash for the prize. But at what cost to his family, his friends and his sense of what is right?

Danny finds he can’t always achieve what he sets out to do, and the shame that comes with this is the subject of his struggle. He is gay in a group of straights, working class in a group of well-to-do boys, a wog in a sea of skips. Why can’t his parents be more like those of his new friends? What does it mean to be really different, when your body won’t do what you want it to do? And who do you trust in this life: your mentors, your parents, your friends? Are they all doing just what they need to do to get ahead?

As Christos Tsiolkas says in the Monthly Book interview:

“I think that ethos of ‘the winner takes it all’ – of the individual who, by their own talent or genius, is successful as if they are disconnected from the social, from family, from everything – I think that’s one of the plagues (laughs) in our society at the moment. So I was very aware of that as a writer. And I could see it in someone like Danny that that too was, I think, a destructive thing … I think the thing about the hero in something like sports, say, with swimming or football, with young men like Danny, is the aspiration is to be Superman. And when they’re being Supermen, we are cheering them, and we are making them gods, and we are giving them licence to believe that they stand alone, that they can be anything they want to be. But they make one mistake, and we tear into them.”

It’s a coming-of-age novel that isn’t afraid to look into the darkness of the human heart and the murky world of developing sexuality.

And it takes on a technically difficult task: how do you keep a reader engaged in the repetitions of effort required in training and the winning of race after race in the waters of a variety of swimming pools?

Here’s Christos again:

“There are a series of words and expressions, and a couple of phrases, that form a chorus in the book. That’s one thing I wanted to do, but part of the work on the book was actually making sure that I didn’t overuse them, that they didn’t become banal by then. So that was one of the tasks.

… the breathing part, you know, the breathing in and the breathing out … and the other thing I wanted to do, and this was a real challenge, was how do you convey to a reader the discipline and actually the monotony that is part of that swimming process?”

Christos Tsiolkas succeeds mightily in this task of keeping the reader engaged, and Danny’s life and his intensities will stay with you long after you’ve finished the book. You might even detect a longing to dive into the water and test yourself against its force.

Watch the interview

Read the transcript