ATHENS – 350 young Greeks from 20 countries travelled to Athens to participate in the Global Hellenic Youth Forum “Hellenic Youth in Action” which began on Saturday 31st of March and will end on Sunday 1st of April 2018. The Forum provides delegates with the opportunity to visit Greece, to take part in high profile Hellenic events and engage with local or international matters of Hellenic nature.

Before the opening ceremony, the 350 young Greeks who are participating in the Forum left their fingerprints on a especially designed wall to leave their mark in a symbolic way.

The opening ceremony took place at 11:00 a.m. in Zappeion Megaron in Athens. The following public figures made welcoming statements at the event:

1. IoannaSamprakou, Secretary General of the Board of Directors of the Olympia and Bequests Committee (Zappeion Megaron)
2. Terens Quick, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs
3. His Grace Bishop Simeon, Protosyncellus of the Archbishopric of Athens
4. FotisFotiou, Commissioner of the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus of Humanitarian Affairs and Affairs of those living abroad
5. ChrisostomosDimou, President of the World Council of Epirotes Abroad
6. Michalis Mageirias, President of the World Vlach Amphictyony
7. EmmanouilKougioumoutzis, President of the World Council of Cretans
8. Vasilis Giannakakos, President of the World Pan-Arcadian Council
9. Stefanos Koutras, Representative of the World Confederation of Thessalian Federations and Associations “Asklipios”, President of the Union of Thessalian Federations of Attica “The Panthessalian Shelter”
10. Dimitris Triantafillou, President of the Thracian Assocation of Europe
11. IoannisParginos, President of the Eptanisian Confederation
12. IoannisAthanasiadis, President of the Pan-Macedonian Confederation in Athens
13. GiorgosSyllouris, President of the Cypriot Community Organizations in Greece
14. Dimitris Molohides, President of the Pan-Pontian Federation of USA & Canada
15. Georgios Fragkoulis, President of the Federation of the Dodekanesian Organizations in Greece

After the welcoming speeches, the Conference of the Global Hellenic Youth on “Greece-Diaspora” took place. The nine representatives of the youth of the global Hellenic associations, which participate in the Forum, presented the actions of their organizations and suggested different ways of collaboration between the greek youth and their historical homeland.

The representatives of the youth of the Global Hellenic Associations, who made presentations are the following:

• AlkisAnastasiadis, Representative of the World Pontian Youth Coordinating Committee
• Mary Savvides,Representative of theWorld Federation of Young Overseas Cypriots
• Sofia Koukourava, Representative of the Youth Coordinating Committee of World Confederation of Thessalians
• ApostolisTsirogiannis, Representative of the Youth of World Council of Epirotes Abroad
• IoannisKastelianos, Representative of the Youth of World Council of Cretans
• Christos Chrysochoou, Representative of the Youth of World Vlach Amphictyony
• CharalamposKarpouzos, Representative of the Youth of World Panarkadian Council
• Christos Komsios, Representative of the Youth of Pan Macedonian Association USA
• DimitriosTriantafyllou, Representative of the Youth of Thracian Association of Europe

At the end of the conference, all the participants of the Forum went to Syntagma Square in the center of Athens to take part in a unforgettable festival dedicated to Hellenism. 200 dancers from nine Global Hellenic Associations: Cretans, Thessalians, Epirotes, Cypriots, Macedonians, Arcadians, Thracians, Vlachs, Pontians gathered across the Greek Parliament where each presented its own unique traditional dance.

The event concluded with 500 young Greeks forming a symbolic spiral during a “Dance of Friendship” symbolizing the strong relation between tradition and contemporary Greek culture.

The choreography was organized by the well known director-choreographer FokasEvagelinos.

The Forum was presented by Greek Australian broadcaster Kyriakos Gold.

After the main events, all the participants of the Forum joined the greek festival at CINE Kerameikos.

The Forum gives the Greeks abroad the opportunity to strengthen their relations with their historical homeland. They will also learn how to collaborste in such way in which they could achieve common goals and objectives.

The forum is organized in the framework of the Olympia 2016-2018 of the Olympia and Bequests Committee.

The Forum is organized by the following nine organizations: World Pontian Youth Coordinating Committee, World Federation of Young Overseas Cypriots, Youth Coordinating Committee of World Confederation of Thessalians, Youth of World Council of Epirotes Abroad, Youth of World Council of Cretans, Youth of Pan Macedonian Association USA, Youth of Thracian Association of Europe, Youth of World Vlach Amphictyony,  Youth of World Panarkadian Council.

The 1st day of the Global Hellenic Youth Forum “Hellenic Youth in Action”, Athens, March 31, 2018. (Photo by Hellenic Youth)

The 1st day of the Global Hellenic Youth Forum “Hellenic Youth in Action”, Athens, March 31, 2018. (Photo by Hellenic Youth)

The 1st day of the Global Hellenic Youth Forum “Hellenic Youth in Action”, Athens, March 31, 2018. (Photo by Hellenic Youth)

The 1st day of the Global Hellenic Youth Forum “Hellenic Youth in Action”, Athens, March 31, 2018. (Photo by Hellenic Youth)