The Events Committee of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth for the Memory of the Asia Minor Hellenism 1922-2022 in cooperation with the Lyceum A' National Archon Makarios III of Paphos, successfully held the closing ceremony of its actions/events on Wednesday, 15 February 2023 at the Markideion Municipal Theatre of Pafos. After the announcement of the passing of the poet Pitsas Galazi and the introduction of the members of the Committee, the event was dedicated to her memory, one of the two poems included in the volume memory of Asia Minor 100 years was read and a one-minute silence was observed.
The event was graced with the presence of His Beatitude Archbishop of Nea Justinianis and All Cyprus and the Supervisor of the Metropolitan Throne of Pafos, Mr.Mr. George, on behalf of the Ambassador of Greece to Cyprus Mr. Ioannis Papameletiou, the Deputy Head and Counsellor of Embassy A, Ms. Nikos Tsapis
His Beatitude Archbishop of New Justinian and All Cyprus and Supervisor of the Paphos Metropolitan Throne, Mr. George in his greeting noted that the reference to Asia Minor always hurts us, that we remember with nostalgia our unforgotten homelands and that we should learn from our mistakes.
The representative of His Excellency the Ambassador of Greece in Cyprus, Deputy Head of Embassy A Ms. Eleni Bishbikopoulou in her address referred to the need to preserve historical memory, stressing that such events are a unique opportunity to rebuild memory.
In his own greeting the Minister of Education, Sports and Youth Mr. Prodromos Prodromou, which was read by Mrs. Polymnia Hadjineofytou, First Officer of Education and Coordinator of the Committee of Memory of Asia Minor Hellenism 1922-2022, stressed the enormous contribution of the Asia Minor people to culture in general and to the modern modern modern Greek person. According to his address, from the depths of centuries and the history of human spirit and creation, the people of Asia Minor deposited principles and values reaching spiritual and cultural peaks. In a brief review, the Minister referred to the various successful actions/events of this Committee and congratulated both the President Mr. George Georgi and the members of the Committee, as well as the Coordinator Ms. Paula Hadjineofytou for all the initiatives undertaken. This was followed by a presentation of songs by Estudiantina, under the artistic direction of Georgia Petrou - Evrypidou. Subsequently, extracts from poetic and prose literary texts and testimonies of refugees of the Asia Minor Catastrophe were presented by a group of students of the Lyceum of the 1st Nationalarch Makarios III. They also listened to traditional Asia Minor songs, under the artistic direction of Mr. Socrates Terpizis.
The keynote speaker of the event was the President of the Committee of Memory of Asia Minor Hellenism 1922-2022, Professor of History, former Ambassador of Cyprus to Greece Dr. George Georgis.
The theme of the speech was 1922, 1974. Days of trial. In his speech he paralleled the pain of the uprooting of '22 with that of '74, noting that in Cyprus we do not want New Rizokarpaso, New Trikomo, New Morphou..., we do not want lost homelands.
With this event, the Committee of Memory of Asia Minor Hellenism 1922-2022 completes its cycle of actions/events for the preservation of the memory of Asia Minor and Pontus.
IP
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