NEW YORK – The East Mediterranean Business Culture Alliance (EMBCA) presents “100 Years: The Building of the Future Global Center of Pontian Hellenism in Sourmena” panel discussion online on Sunday, February 20, 2 PM EST/ 9 PM Athens EEST. The event is held in association with AHEPA’s National Hellenic Cultural Commission. The panel will be introduced by Lou Katsos, EMBCA’s President and AHEPA’s National Hellenic Cultural Commission Chairman, and co-moderated by him and architect, lecturer, and artist John Fotiadis. The distinguished panel will include Rhode Island State Senator Lou Raptakis, Hellenic Mayor of the Municipality of Helliniko- Argyroupoli Giannis Konstantatos; Architect Sotiris Tsoulos, TTZ Group Partner; and Educator/ Community Leader in Hellenic Genocide Issues, Peter Stavrianidis, PhD.

“The panel will discuss the aspiring plan to build the Global Center of World Pontian Hellenism in Sourmena and whose aspiration is to become the hub of world Pontic Hellenism,” Katsos noted via email. “It will be built in an area where in 1922 Pontian and Thracian refugees from the Hellenic Genocide began to rebuild their lives from practically nothing.”

“The panel will also discuss the historical background of the Hellenic Genocide that led 100 years later to the plan to build this monument in Sourmena,” Katsos continued. “This area 100 years ago called Hasani is where the communities of Komnenos and Elliniko were created and became the site of the old Athenian airport, now the site of the Hellenikon project. The architectural conceptual design was created by the Doxiadis Associates office, Giannis Pazianos, with architect Sotiri Tsoulos on a non-profit basis. It is anticipated the construction costs for this forward thinking masterpiece will be taken up by Spyros Latsis who responded to a request by the Municipality of Helliniko- Argyroupolis.”

More information is available online: https://embca.com/.

The event will be available on EMBCA’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/i2JJfpF1Jn4.