THE GREEK AUSTRALIAN The oldest circulating Greek newspaper outside VEMA Greece JANUARY 2013 Tel. (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033 E-mail: [email protected] MEDIA’S IMPACT ON OUR CHILDREN: iDisorder: Part 1 PAGE 7/25 FIRE CREWS BATTLE BLAZES across south-east Australia Serving the Orthodox Mission in Madagascar The New South Wales Rural Fire Service says 12 proper- ties have been lost in a bushfire west of Coonabarabran, “How the hand of God has saved us in times which also damaged the Siding Spring Observatory. of peril, comforted us in times of doubt and The fire in the Warrumbungle National Park has burnt out strengthened our little faith through joy, whilst up to 40,000 hectares and has already forced the evacua- serving the mission of Madagascar”. tion of over 100 residents. PAGES 17/35 + 19/37 The Rural Fire Service confirmed that 33 properties had been lost. Residents in the area, as well as 18 staff from the Siding Spring Observatory, had to be evacuated at the height of the blaze. The observatory, run the Australian National University (ANU), is the country’s largest optical astronomy research facility and was deliberately located in the Warrumbungle Ranges for the altitude, clear air, and low humidity. ANU acting vice-chancellor Erik Lithander says five build- ings, including cottages that house staff, have been de- stroyed, but fortunately the telescopes remain in tact. Large parts of NSW have been affected by bushfires, In Tasmania, a Victorian firefighter has died while fighting brought on by searing temperatures and wild winds. a bushfire on the Tasman Peninsula, south of Hobart. More than 170 fires continue to burn across the state and The man aged in his 60s was found dead yesterday at least 30 of them are uncontained. about three kilometres from a fire edge east of Taranna. Firefighters are also working to control blazes in Victoria He was one of the Victorian firefighters sent to Hobart to and Tasmania, while the threat from fires in Central Aus- assist in controlling the bushfires that have destroyed about George Dalaras tralia has eased. 170 properties. makes a strong comeback

When George Dalaras made his comeback on December 2 with a new album of songs Darling Harbour to make Australia penned by Nikos Antypas, his fans were there to welcome his return and express their sup- port. PAGE 15/33 Day spectacular! PAGE 2/20

Lake Trichonida A wetland of great aesthetic, environmental and economic interest. GREEK ORTHODOX, JEWISH AND ISLAMIC SCHOOLS PAGE 20/38 PAGE 8/26 JANUARY 2013 2/20 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA

Darling Harbour to make Australia Day spectacular!

On 26 January, Sydney’s Darling Harbour fun activities for kids including indigenous At 7.00pm the grand celebration that is opportunity to see up close the majestic will host the most spectacular Australia musical group Circular Rhythm, the humor- the Australia Day Spectacular will com- sails and hulking hulls of these wonderful Day celebration in the country! ous antics of French mime artist Leo the mence; quite simply one of the greatest ocean farers of a bygone era. Proudly presented by Sydney Harbour Clown, the Amazing Drumming Monkeys spectacles on the Australia Day calendar! The Australia Day Spectacular will culmi- Foreshore Authority, Darling Harbour Aus- and more! The Governor of NSW will sail into Cock- nate in a breathtaking multimedia sympho- tralia Day is one of the most popular For a taste of world music, head to Palm le Bay aboard the Admiral’s barge to give ny of lights, lasers, sound, fire and water events on the Sydney calendar attracting Grove and Harbourside Amphitheatre from her Australia Day address to the crowd, on Cockle Bay, with an awe-inspiring py- more than 180,000 people each year. 12.30pm where a superb program of live leading into a wonderful water parade of rotechnic crescendo over Darling Harbour, The ‘Australia Day Spectacular’ will pro- entertainment will showcase Australia’s Sydney Harbour’s grandest and quirkiest all choreographed to a brilliant soundtrack vide a breathtaking finale to Darling Har- rich tapestry of multicultural sounds. Sa- vessels carrying Australians of the Year by one of Australia’s finest young com- bour’s day-long program of live shows, vour the exotic Arabian funk of Jimmy D’s and some of the nation’s newest citizens. posers, Felix Riebl. kids’ entertainment and interactive per- Flying Carpet Band, taste the delicious The Harbour Heroes Parade will follow, There is no better place to celebrate formances that celebrate Australia’s cultur- Eastern European gypsy-jazz of Polski recognising the different services per- Australia Day than Darling Harbour, so al diversity. Ogorki Trio, sample some hard-hitting har- formed on Sydney Harbour with a flotilla of gather with friends and family at Sydney’s From 11:30am, head to the Children’s monies from Irish folk group Hermitage tugs, high-speed craft and a variety of in- premier party precinct for a spectacular Stage at The Village Green where Play- Green, and chill out to the joyously cool ca- teresting working boats, before the grand day of FREE entertainment! school star Jay Laga’aia will host loads of lypso rhythms of Caribbean Soul. entry of The Tall Ships, a stunning and rare Sydney Airport rapidly running out of space: analysts

Infrastructure analysts at the Com- monwealth Bank warn that Sydney Air- port may hit capacity 20 years earlier than it expects. Sydney Airport's management has previously said that it will have suffi- cient capacity to meet the city's air transport needs until 2045. However, an analysis by Common- wealth Bank infrastructure analysts An- dre Fromyhr and Matt Crowe estimates that Sydney Airport is likely to near or reach its maximum capacity in 2025 Various independent reports conclude Sydney Airport will reach capacity 20 based on the bank's passenger fore- years ahead of its management's expecta- casts. tions. (AAP: Mick Tsikas) The bank's estimate is consistent with a finding by a joint Federal and Beijing's main airport. London (Heath- NSW Government study that found row), Hong Kong, Bangkok, Atlanta and signs of constrained capacity would Tokyo's Haneda airport rank next for emerge at Sydney Airport from around capacity utilisation, with Sydney in the 2020. middle of a group of 20 airports stud- That report found that all peak morn- ied by the bank, with a similar utilisa- ing (6:00am-12:00pm) and evening tion to Charles De Gaulle Airport in (4:00pm-7:00pm) weekday slots would Paris. be allocated by 2020, and that there However, Sydney had the best utili- would effectively be no free slots by sation rate of any airport in Australia, 2027, with unmet demand for more comfortably above Melbourne and well than 100 flights per day. ahead of Brisbane and Perth. While Sydney Airport is likely to hit To match Beijing, the analysts sug- constraints in about a decade, the CBA gest Sydney Airport could increase the report finds that it could currently han- number of flights by 34 per cent and dle 61 per cent more passengers if it cater more for larger aircraft to in- matched world's best practice utilisa- crease the average number of passen- tion of existing facilities, exemplified by gers per flight by 19 per cent. JANUARY 2013 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 3/21 Editorial Greek economy yet to be transformed Two-and-a-half years into the streamlining program, Greece still relies on consumption, not on investment By Dimitris Kontogiannis - Kathimerin, Athens With total consump- Greece may be winning the battle for fiscal consolida- tion spending falling, tion but it seems to be losing the war to transform its but at a slower pace economy from one based on consumption to one fueled than hoped for com- by investment and exports. pared to GDP, invest- Although exports are seeing their share of gross do- ment spending drop- mestic product rising, investment has been dropping, un- ping and only exports dermining the country’s future growth prospects. If this providing hope, the trend continues, Greece may not be able to attain satis- transformation of the economy is clearly factory GDP growth rates and will therefore struggle to not on track. come up with the kind of primary budget surpluses asso- ciated with sustainable public debt levels. Backed by the most recent data, there are increasing signs that Greece may be able to come close and even beat the goal for a general government primary deficit of 2.4 billion euros or 1.2 percent of GDP in 2012. This is mainly due to the overdose of austerity which helped overcome the bigger-than-estimated drop in real econom- ic activity last year. size in 2000, according to European Commission data. Pri- the brightest spot as far as the much needed transforma- A new set of spending cuts and tax hikes is expected to vate and public consumption spending contracted by tion of the economic model is concerned. hurt the economy again this year but is likely to produce a about 36.4 billion between 2009 and 2012 at the same Unfortunately, the figures from the investment side are larger-than-expected primary surplus. Revenues are pro- time economic output fell by about the same amount or discouraging. Gross fixed capital formation, which refers jected to exceed expenditure (without including interest 36.1 billion. GDP is estimated at 195 billion in 2012 from to the net increase in physical assets without including payments) by about 750 million euros, or 0.4 percent of 231.1 billion in 2009. land purchases and the depreciation of fixed capital, has GDP, according to the country’s medium-term fiscal strat- Therefore, it comes as no surprise that households and been declining constantly since 2007. This is true both in egy framework. the government are consuming less but the share of total current prices and a share of GDP. But the encouraging developments on the fiscal front consumption as a part of GDP has remained resilient, eas- Greece’s gross fixed capital formation is estimated at cannot hide disappointing trends elsewhere. Two-and-a- ing to 91.4 percent last year from 92.8 percent in 2009, 27.3 billion euros last year from 31.6 billion in 2011 and half years after the government of George Papandreou according to our calculations. 39.2 billion in 2010. The projection for this year at 26.1 bil- sought a bailout from the European Union and the Interna- In other words, the much-desired and sought-after de- lion is not good either. The figure stood at 45.9 billion in tional Monetary Fund, followed by the implementation of crease in consumption spending has been analogous to 2009, 52.6 billion in 2008 and 59.4 billion in 2007. It fell to policies aimed at paving the way for sustainable develop- the drop in GDP during the 2009-12 period. Of course the 14 percent of GDP last year compared to 20 percent in ment in the future, some figures are either disturbing or at EC projects the share of consumption spending in GDP will 2009 and 26.6 percent in 2007. best do not look promising. fall faster this year and next to about 89 percent and 86.4 Even worse, the figures for future fixed capital forma- Almost everybody would agree that Greece was living percent respectively. tion which subtracts the consumption of capital (deprecia- beyond its means for a long time and that this should have However, these are still projections and even so the tion) have been negative since 2011, meaning new invest- been corrected. Consumption spending supported by ris- drop is not as big as the proponents of a different eco- ments are less than depreciation, decreasing the country’s ing disposable incomes and ample and cheap credit after nomic model hoped for. fixed capital stock. This is obviously bad news for future the country joined the eurozone in 2001 was behind it and On the other hand, the picture presented by the export growth since it contributes to limiting the country’s poten- the obvious culprit which had to be dealt with. The eco- sector appears rosier since the figures show exports of tial GDP. nomic adjustment programs sought to correct the fiscal goods and services have been rising constantly since With total consumption spending falling but at a slower and external account imbalances by imposing higher tax- 2009 although they are still lagging behind the high of 56.3 pace than hoped for compared to GDP, investment spend- es and cuts on salaries and pensions and other measures billion euros in nominal value in 2008. Exports are project- ing dropping dramatically and only exports providing to improve competitiveness, such as lower minimum ed to rise to 54.3 billion in 2012 from 44.5 billion in 2009, hope, the much-needed transformation of the Greek econ- wages in the absence of a national currency that could be comprising a larger portion of GDP. Total exports are pro- omy is clearly not on track. Since the export sector is too devalued. jected to reach 28 percent of GDP in 2012 from 19.3 per- small to carry the economy on its back and sensitive to The policies of internal devaluation contributed to the cent in 2009 and 24.1 percent in 2008. economic conditions abroad, prospects for investment contraction in consumption. Total consumption spending is With more and more private firms becoming more ex- spending will have to brighten considerably for Greece’s estimated at 178.2 billion euros last year from 191.8 billion trovert as they try to limit the impact of the economic cri- future economic growth rates not to disappoint and not in 2011 and 203.8 billion in 2010. It had reached an all- sis at home and promising prospects for tourism rev- undermine efforts to produce the large primary surpluses time high of 214.6 billion euros in 2009, almost double its enues in 2013, the view from the export side is good. It is required for servicing the public debt. Banks hold the key to growth

By Alexis Papachelas - Kathimerini, Athens Greece’s future in the eurozone, no one can estimate mentality toward entrepreneurship and business, be- how much further the country might tumble into the cause without these, growth will remain out of reach. To As odd as it may seem, Greece is beginning to stabi- abyss of recession. achieve this, the government will have to pass a lot of lize and move forward. I am not oblivious to the pain On the domestic front things also seem to be gaining reforms that will require the support of Parliament and and suffering brought on by the crisis, nor the new chal- momentum, starting with the justice system and over- ensure that key positions are properly staffed. lenges that lie ahead when the austerity measures for sight mechanisms that are getting into gear. As much as Meanwhile, banks are the ones that will ultimately de- 2013 start to bite. some may argue that the recent wave of prosecutions termine what kind of growth we will have in the next But our European partners - under pressure from oth- and investigations are simply foils to divert people’s at- few years. If they choose to help out the serious small er forces as well - have decided to put an end to spec- tention from the measures, the country has never be- and large businesses that are suffering as a result of ulation about Greece’s future in the eurozone. At the fore seen such powerful people being put under scruti- the crisis, the country will see healthy growth. If they opt same time, the situation is beginning to improve in the ny and in some cases even behind bars. The people instead to continue propping up badly managed and rest of Europe as well, as Spain appears to have see this as a sign that the country is turning over a new nonviable businesses in order to serve certain other in- dodged the bailout bullet, and Italy and France are now leaf. terests, they will drive the final nail in the coffin of any able to borrow on reasonable terms. Much is also being done in terms of improving the op- healthy business that has managed to survive this far. Given the relatively positive environment overall, eration of the state mechanism, from the management Thankfully, there are enough Greek bankers who have Greece will most likely start regaining some of its lost of hospitals to the promotion of non-cash transactions been around long enough to know what is what, and credibility, from the markets, from depositors who have that are so important in getting a handle on tax evasion. who have the integrity to play an important role in the taken their money abroad and even from investors. This Is this enough to get Greece out of the mess? Of course rebuilding of the Greek economy. is a vital part of recovery, because without faith in not. The biggest challenge is to change the prevailing 4/22 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA JANUARY 2013

St Spyridon Parish, Sydney Feast Day Celebrations, Distinctions and Scholarships 2012

left: The Divine Liturgy on the Feast Day proper was celebrated by His Grace Bishop Seraphim of Apollonia. right: The Scholarship for Modern Greek at the 2011 HSC was awarded to Olivia Maddison Boyages who achieved 99/100 for Modern Greek Continuers and 48/50 for Modern Greek Extension. On December 12, the Orthodox Church attributes of humility and faith exemplified Spyridon Church Committee and for gener- pleted her primary education at St Spyri- celebrated the Feast of Saint Spyridon the by the life of St Spyridon. al services to St Spyridon church. don College, was an accelerated Year 11 Wonder-Worker, Bishop of Trimythounda, student at SCEGGS Darlinghurst last year. blessed amongst the Holy Fathers of the DINNER AND DISTINCTIONS THE ST SPYRIDON She has just completed her HSC and hopes Church and Patron Saint of St Spyridon SCHOLARSHIPS to study Law at the University of Sydney Parish, Kingsford, Sydney. Following the Esperinos Service, St Spyri- next year. don Parish provided its complimentary an- At the same Function, the ‘St Spyridon Olivia is the daughter of Professor Ste- THE VESPERS SERVICE nual Celebratory Dinner to some 650 faith- Scholarship’ prizes were awarded by His ven Boyages and Mrs Stella Boyages nee ful in the Church Hall as the Parish’s hospi- Grace for excellence at the previous Kydoniefs. As she is currently overseas Consequently, on Tuesday, 11th Decem- tality in gratitude to the congregation and year’s HSC examinations. Consequently, with her parents, the scholarship was ac- ber, on the eve of the Feast Day, the Es- to those who truly believe that God per- out of the 22 public, private and independ- cepted by her sister Felicia. perinos (Vespers) Service with the Artocla- forms miracles through the intercessions ent schools in the area to which scholar- sia (blessing of the five loaves) was con- of this 4th century Saint. ship applications were forwarded: FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ducted by His Grace, Bishop Seraphim of During the course of the Dinner, His The Saint Spyridon Scholarship (Venedic- VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS Apollonia, Assistant Bishop to His Eminence Grace presented the following distinctions tos Livissianis Memorial Prize for Best HSC Archbishop Stylianos, assisted by all the to individuals who have provided signifi- Result) awarded for the highest ATAR score The following donations were offered by Reverend Clergy of Sydney. cant volunteer services to the Parish of St of any student in the Parish at the 2011 ex- St Spyridon Parish to various organizations: In a very moving Service with the Chan- Spyridon: ams, went to: • $1,000 to the ‘Estia Foundation of Aus- • ters adhering to the Byzantine style of the To Mr Nikitas Kyramarios for 10 years Daniel Stathis who achieved a ranking of tralia’, the Church’s mission to young peo- Mother Church, and with the magnificent, dedicated service as a Member of the St 99.3. He was born in Sydney, completed ple with special needs, sacred church filled to capacity by local Spyridon Church Committee. his primary education at St Spyridon Col- • $1,000 to the ‘St Basil’s’ network of • parishioners and faithful from all over Syd- To Mr Dimitris Avdalis for 40 years lege and his secondary education at Mar- Hostels and Nursing Homes of our Arch- ney, His Grace focused his Sermon on the dedicated service as a member of the St cellin College, Randwick. He is currently diocese and studying Commerce-Law at the University • $1,000 to the ‘Castellorizian Aged Care of New South Wales. Services’ which operate within the Parish. Christian Dior, Gucci, Ted Baker Daniel is the son of Mr Bill Stathis and Finally, St Spyridon Parish presented its Mrs Katerina Stathis nee Klonaris. annual donation of $15,000 to St Andrew’s Katerina + Kyriacos Mavrolefteros The Saint Spyridon Scholarship (Harry Theological College which is the great Kapsalis Memorial Prize for Greek) is giv- hope for the future of our Church and of en for the highest result in the Parish for the Greek-Australian community. It was Greek. proudly recalled that St Spyridon parish The Scholarship for Modern Greek at the has now supported four young men to 2011 HSC was awarded to Olivia Maddi- study at the Theological College over the son Boyages who achieved 99/100 for years. Modern Greek Continuers and 48/50 for

Modern Greek Extension. Olivia, who com- FSS Ray Ban Ray

874 Anzac Parade, Maroubra Junction (at bus stop, on RTA block)

(at bus stop, on RTA block) Rodenstock, TTeell:: ((0022)) 99331144--00339933 Serengeti, Maui Jim, Fendi [email protected] The Saint Spyridon Scholarship (Venedictos Livissianis Memorial Prize for Best HSC Result) awarded for the highest ATAR score of any student in the Parish at the 2011 exams, went to Nina Ricci, Oakley, La font Daniel Stathis who achieved a ranking of 99.3. JANUARY 2013 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 5/23 Our Primate’s View

NEW YEAR 2013

On the occasion of the New Year,I wish to share with who regard time as the instrument of fate, and the cate- you certain simple thoughts, which, I feel, concern every gory of those filled with anguish, who regard time as human person regardless of one’s own presuppositions. a mint working day and night, there is always a third cat- We go through. a similar procedure and routine every egory of people, that of the faithful, who reverently and twelve months: we close our accounts in relation to the gratefully accept time to be a term limit, an opportunity, past year and celebrate in advance the new year. an offering. Whether it is the old or the new year, the faithful know that, behind time and beyond time, it is the Without admitting it, we are prejudiced in our behaviour. Timeless God, “Who has put times and seasons in His On the one hand, we dislike the passing year, while, on own power” (Acts 1: 7), who is vigilant. the other hand, we tacitly express our favour in diverse By ARCHBISHOP STYLIANOS ways towards the coming year. As if the passing year left Thus time becomes a debt, given us so that we may OF AUSTRALIA nothing worthwhile for which we should be grateful; and transform it into a timeless, eternal value, that has no re- as if the new year has no unpleasant surprise, for which lation to money and all that is governed by money. God we should be careful and cautious! has given us time as a debt, so that we may proceed to- wards God, thus rendering time immortal. Such behaviour, however, is not only unjust in essence, but also betrays a lack of realism: It makes us react like Thus time is revealed as a mystery, because only in the ill-nurtured children, who want to blame a third person mystery does the mortal become immortal, and the cre- for all their failures, the so called “scapegoat” or the sac- ated becomes divine. Therefore, time for man is not rificial victim. Or, again, who expect all their successes by something indefinite and demonic, nor again something some magical means from a certain “good luck”, rather altogether arbitrary. It is a mystical plan, which God has than as it should be, from a concerted, responsible and started and man is called to complete, just as we give a ambitious effort. plan to children for colouring.

Yet, beyond these childish approaches and supersti- With such childish ambition and simplicity, with such hu- tions, surely many are those who consider time to be an mility and trust let us accept the days and nights, the absolute value and measure it avariciously and passively, weeks and months, which God offers us, drawn by Him whether for the past, present or future. These people for us to colour. Only thus the impersonal succession of think commercially and do not hesitate to declare always the moments of mathematical time will become a re- that “time is money”. sponsible personal welcome, acceptance and recognition of the ethical time, which is our eternity in God. Between these two extreme categories mentioned above, namely the category of the irresponsible ones, Amen. Skyscrapers in suburbia

By Harry Versendaal - Kathimerini, Athens velopment statute “Law AN 395/68 on the Heights of Buildings and Free Construction,” which allowed for the Mr Leonidas didn’t go looking for his apartment. It was construction of tall buildings with up to 28 inhabitable more like the other way around. levels. After myriad technical challenges and one bank- It was the early 1970s and Mr Leonidas was teaching ruptcy, the block was completed in 1973, albeit without high school math in an impoverished suburb of Athens. the roof garden and ground-level shops foreseen in the During his lunch break one day, he came across a leaflet original plans. printed by the teachers’ association, advertising a new Along with the “Twin Towers” at its northern end, the kind of neighborhood for educators. A few years later, Teachers’ House is still considered a landmark, a recog- with the help of a low-interest bank loan, he, his wife nizable anomaly, by commuters who drive along the oth- and their three children headed uptown, to the far erwise monotonous Mesogeion Avenue. wealthier suburb of Neo Psychico. As the years passed, however, the block’s academic Today, the Teachers’ House, as it is known, provides character was diluted. “There were fewer teachers per an intriguing contrast to the modest, low-rise architec- in its generously wide balconies, a rare sight in the high se and more of their spouses, and cousins and children,” ture of Athenians’ prized suburbia. Hardly beautiful as a rises of the West. says Mr Leonidas. However, the buildings retain the tri- structure, the unimpeded sea view from the tallest tow- Sitting in his beige easy chair, Mr Leonidas, a pension- umvirate of superintendents, a residents’ council and the er’s 15th floor, standing 56 meters above street level, is er and for years Block C’s superintendent, yarns about porter. enough to send Greece’s skyscraper lovers, who have his home’s beginnings, back when they were just a The cracks that appeared after the 1981 earthquake few such buildings to admire, into paroxysms of joy - or, spark in one dreamy literature teacher’s eyes. In the late were covered over by an outer shell of concrete and the at least, touch those who are moved by the qualities im- 60s, Nikolaos Stamatopoulos, who taught at the private whole exterior was spruced up with a generous bued in a massive concrete edifice. Leontios School, traveled to Italy. “He was so impressed Olympic Games-era grant, but inside the shabby hall- If every home has a story to tell, then these modernist by the rows of apartment blocks designed for workers ways, the passage of time cannot be disguised. high rises use a language rarely observed in Greek that he decided to get together with some of his col- Forty years after he first moved in, photographs of Mr abodes. leagues to build a similar apartment building, just for Leonidas’s six grandchildren adorn his walls. His three A decorative motif of rose, peach and tan tiles - pos- teachers,” says Mr Leonidas. It remains a mystery children have all become doctors and two them live sibly a failed effort at whimsy - and a series of gray el- whether his desire was also fueled by the ideals of a here, on the 8th and 10th floors. His own apartment is lipses girdle the apartment block from its flat roof to its modern academic utopia. much closer to the ground. base, emphasizing its horizontal axis almost as if em- The Teachers’ House was designed by architects “Not everybody likes living up high,” he says, smiling. barrassed by its towering size. At least it can take pride Stavros and Angelos Vaseiliou under the junta-era de- “A lot of people complain they get dizzy.” JANUARY 2013 6/24 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA

JAN0003 faction for a job well done. It has become a hobby. dependent of any other characteristic possessed by that Mind you, it is a real skill. It takes time to acquire. One person. Letter needs to select the right broom for the right surface. 3. A person is stupid if they cause damage to another The hand movements need to be exact and the brush person or group of people without experiencing per- strokes executed with finesse. I think it should be an sonal gain, or even worse causing damage to them- from Olympic sport - everything else is. selves in the process. I suppose many of you will think all of this is quite 4. Non-stupid people always underestimate the harm- stupid. Well technically it’s not but it is very perceptive ful potential of stupid people; they constantly forget that of you. Actually I was going to write to you about stu- at any time anywhere, and in any circumstance, dealing Maroubra pidity, so I’m really glad you raised the subject. with or associating themselves with stupid individuals Professor explored this topic in his essay, The Fun- invariably constitutes a costly error. damental Laws of Human Stupidity. Cipolla, an econom- 5. A stupid person is the most dangerous type of per- ic historian, divided people into four groups: helpless, son there is. Stupidity… intelligent, stupid and bandits. This is nice but I am not sure that it is appropriate to Is there a cure for stupidity? Yes, there is! It is called typecast people when we know that a person’s behav- a Christian life. You probably don’t believe me! iour varies from one situation to another. It would prob- If you examine the lives of dedicated Orthodox Chris- ably have been better to describe tendencies to behave tians (card-carrying believers are not just your average in particular ways as stupid but I understand the gener- church-goer) then you will find sober and intelligent al thrust of what Cipolla was trying to say. I guess people. You will see personal happiness. There will be Cipolla is making the point that some people are more joy, peace and contentment. prone than others to behave in these four ways. Look at the recently published life of Elder Paisios of Please note that stupidity has nothing to do with lack Mount Athos by Hieromonk Isaac to read about some- of intelligence or low education. There are some very one who was “stupid” in the eyes of the world but spir- wise, smart people without formal qualifications. On the itually wise. other hand, there are some highly intelligent people My friends, rampant stupidity is not the isolated error whose repeated actions can be quite stupid. that anyone might make, after all, “To err is human, to In fact, Cipolla examined people in a university. He forgive, divine” (Alexander Pope, An essay on criticism). found that a fixed proportion of the general workers It is not the innocent mistake, or some clumsiness or oc- showed evidence of stupidity. Then he looked at the of- casional inefficiency. It is hypocritical and egotistical. fice staff and found around the same proportion. Even Above all it is contagious. Illustration: James Donnelly; students displayed the same ratio of stupidity. To top So, there may be something in Cipolla’s five funda- Source: http://cantrip.org/stupidity.html things off, he noted that the same proportion of profes- mental laws. They are not absolutely true but they are sors were characterised as stupid. Even a proportion of thought provoking. Nobel prize winners were deemed to be stupid. I am I worry that the war against stupidity in the form of One of the great joys in life is sweeping the paths sure that this will make some people feel good. It will superstition, ignorance or immorality is being lost not around the Maroubra Mansions. I like to keep the place probably confirm what you might also have observed in only in Maroubra but elsewhere. So, forgive me if I say spic and span. At the crack of dawn, I can be seen life. that sweeping reforms are needed. broom-in-hand battling against the accumulating leaves For good measure, Cipolla gave us five fundamental that Mother Nature so delicately deposits. laws of stupidity. These are important. Here they are: The views expressed are those of the author and not neces- The rhythmic sweeping of the footpaths, then the pa- sarily those of the VEMA or St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theo- tio and the driveway is cathartic. One can think about 1. Always and inevitably each of us underestimates logical College. things, say the odd prayer or even chant a favourite the number of stupid individuals in circulation. hymn (pianissimo, of course). You get immediate satis- 2. The probability that a given person is stupid is in- [email protected] The right to vote or not to vote

By Richard Lawson Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie has released a discus- electoral roll and receive a ballot paper. What you do af- sion paper unveiling a raft of possible reforms, including ter that is your business, provided no one else knows. Op- Ernest Edward Judd thought so little of the choice he whether voting should be a choice. ponents argue it is undemocratic to force people to vote faced at a Senate election in 1925 he decided not to vote. The discussion paper quoted a 1996 federal parliamen- because it is an infringement of liberty. They say the ill-in- The decision cost him 10 shillings and almost three times tary committee report that supported the abolition of com- formed and those with little interest in politics are forced as much in court costs. pulsory voting to ensure Australia was considered a "ma- to the polls. Judd, however, was not prepared to let the issue rest ture democracy". The report argued that voting could only Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce believes abolishing with the decision of a Sydney magistrate. He took his case be considered a 'right' if people could exercise a 'right' compulsory voting will not only reduce attendance at the all the way to the High Court where his fight against com- not to vote. ballot box but trigger a rise in radical fringe groups. pulsory voting still remains a legal benchmark. As many as 1.7 million voters might have done just that Rekindled interest in racist agendas such as the White Judd was a member of the Socialist Labour Party which at the 2010 federal election which resulted in a hung par- Australian Policy would emerge from the far right, while aimed to end capitalism and replace it with socialism. liament and an almost 50-50 split in the two-party pre- extreme left groups would push for "a carbon tax on "The only candidates between whom I am asked to elect ferred vote of the two major parties. breathing" and an end to development, he suggested. are candidates who, with their parties, work for capital- A joint houses parliamentary committee on electoral "Both these sides would proliferate, because people ism," he argued at the time. "I am prohibited by my party matters was told in 2011 that as many as one million eli- who are motivated in that way are motivated enough to and its principles from voting for such candidates." gible Australians were not enrolled to vote, even though turn up," the outspoken Queensland senator said. The argument didn't wash with the judges of the High the law - dating back to 1912 - makes it compulsory to Results from the 2010 Australian Electoral Survey, con- Court. Justice Isaac Isaacs dismissed Judd's reasons for register. Of those who were enrolled 947,504 did not turn ducted by the Australian National University, suggest Labor not voting as only having "a faint colour of even plausibil- up to vote while another 728,000 voted informal, inten- would suffer more than the coalition if voting became op- ity". tionally or otherwise. tional. When partisan voters were asked whether they "Each elector may, if that be the will of the community The total represented nearly 20 per cent of the eligible would still vote, nearly 90 per cent of coalition supporters expressed by its parliament, be placed under a public du- voting population. That led electoral change campaigner said yes, compared to 86 per cent of Labor backers. ty to record his opinion as to which of the available candi- Ian Bleys to suggest a 'None of the Above' or 'Deliberate Only 80 per cent of Greens voters indicated they would dates shall in relative preference become the representa- Informal' voting option, adopted in Greece, Ukraine, Spain, lodge an optional vote. So it was hardly surprising that tive or representatives of the constituency in parliament," France and Colombia. Like Ernest Judd, Bleys wants to take federal Labor has reacted so fiercely to the Queensland the judge said. his battle to the High Court. discussion paper. Which is exactly what the Queensland parliament decid- Supporters of compulsion argue that voting is a civic du- Prime Minister Julia Gillard tweeted: "Don't let the Liber- ed in 1915 and the federal parliament opted for in 1924. ty like taxation, compulsory education and jury duty. als make our democracy the plaything of cashed-up inter- "It shall be the duty of every elector to vote at each elec- It also means that parliaments more accurately reflect est groups." tion" says the Commonwealth Electoral Act. the "will of the electorate". One of their intriguing argu- Her deputy Wayne Swan thought he was going back to There is no express constitutional requirement for com- ments, listed on the Australian Electoral Commission web- the John Bjelke-Petersen era. pulsory voting which means parliaments can choose to site, is that voters are actually not compelled to vote for "I thought, you know, has Queensland just gone back 30 make voting voluntary, a prospect raised by the Newman anyone because voting is by secret ballot. You're just re- years? he said. state government in Queensland recently. quired to turn up to vote, have your name crossed off the Actually, it's 98 years. JANUARY 2013 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 7/25

Growing up fast and furious Media’s impact on our children: iDisorder: Part 1

By Fr George Liangas - Remind yourself of the good and bad of the internet; Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist - Examine what activities are lost due to excessive in- Assistant priest, St Nectarios Church, Sydney ternet use; - Try support groups and family therapy if necessary. “If you can make use of something that makes your life eas- ier while maintaining enough inner strength and freedom to Mood problems avoid dependence, you are the master. If you do not cultivate Excessive media use can lead to loneliness and de- this inner strength and freedom, you become the slave”. pression, and in some cases it can involve users so much, that they develop frantic, manic-type behaviours. Ulrich Weger, senior lecturer in Psychology, Researchers have described a particular phenomenon University of Kent1 called emotional contagion, where the mood of a partic- ular song or movie can affect the mood other people quite drastically. Also, social networking sites such as Many books are currently being written about the Facebook has been shown to lead to problematic inter- mental health problems caused by use of electronic me- actions that has precipitated depression and even sui- dia. One such book is iDisorder: Understanding our Ob- cide. session with Technology and Overcoming its hold on Ways to combat depressive or manic iDisorder in- us2, by Professor of Psychology Dr Larry Rosen. He clude: writes that even though the problems of electronic me- ∗ Avoid being immersed in technology so much that dia are very new, they are similar to more conventional you lose a perspective of real life. Monitor your media mental illnesses. Examining these similarities can help use (e.g. by keeping a chart). How much are you com- us understand these newer types of problems. A municating on-line versus in real life? How much are strength of this book is that it provides very good advice you multitasking? Monitor how your mood varies ac- about dealing with those problems. cording to your electronic media use. The “iDisorders” that Rosen discusses include: ∗ Guard against emotional contagion by being mindful of the negative or depressing messages that you are Narcissism getting. Monitor the mood of your online communication. Narcissism is about promoting one’s own self, and Limit contact with anyone who is emotionally contagious. social media in particular are good at increasing narcis- ∗ If you are feeling depressed, spend more time with sism. Young people on-line can become very self-ab- people you consider real friends, limiting contact with sorbed, e.g. by being concerned about how many online acquaintances with whom you do not feel a real ‘friends’ they have, spending time updating their on-line many people, their mobile devices lead to great anxiety, connection with. Empathy and support can be shared in status and putting on a particular persona. Narcissists out of a need to constantly check them. For example, the online world, so do not altogether eliminate on-line appeal to others superficially, but struggle to maintain some people do not go on holidays if they know that communication if that is where the good support is healthy relationships over time: “the problem for narcis- they won’t have mobile phone reception. coming from. sists is that their addiction to admiration hinders them The author suggests the following ways to deal with ∗ Pay attention to signs of childhood depression. Mon- from establishing relationships”. “Obsessive-Compulsive iDisorder”: itor the use of all technology and media for children. It is often very difficult to help a narcissistic person, - Recognise when you are experiencing anxiety rela- Practice co-viewing and discuss what is being watched. because their narcissism prevents them from accepting ted to your on-line device and take a break (“Re- Discourage the use of technologies in the children’s help. Some narcissists can be helped, in the following think” and “Reboot”); bedrooms. Set rules around what, how much and with ways: - “Adjust the volume” on your online connections (“Re- whom the child is with on-line. - Help the person to reduce time spent using media connect”); ∗ Prioritise the ritual of eating meals together; reclaim and increase time spent on other activities, e.g. in - Put a priority on human contact over electronic con- the sanctity of the family dinner. Keep it at a duration the outdoors; tact at every opportunity (“Revitalise”). that is not too long or too short: e.g. 45 minutes. Turn off - Respond to their narcissistic tendencies in ways that all electronic media at the beginning of the meal, includ- are neither too positive nor rejecting; Addiction ing the parents’ mobile phones. Let the children talk - Do not respond to someone’s narcissistic rages. Internet and other electronic media use can become about their use of technology: use this opportunity to an addiction when they are grossly overused, and ac- gather information and avoid discipline or critique. Dis- Of course, it is helpful to look at our own narcissistic companied by symptoms of withdrawal (getting the jit- cuss good on-line practices and etiquette. tendencies, and to reduce them by: ters when not using the media) or tolerance (needing a ∗ Look out for distortions in your child’s thinking pat- - Monitoring the time that we spend on-line; higher dose to get the same ‘fix’), and when media use terns, e.g. all-or-nothing thinking (“I didn’t get the job and - Monitoring how engrossed we become by the tech- interferes significantly with relationships, school, work I will never get a job”) and magnification (“Jean un- nology; or other areas of life. friended me. Nobody likes me at all and I have no - Adopting an “e-waiting period” (i.e. waiting and re- “Internet Addiction” has become such a problem, that friends”). Gently help your child confront those thoughts reading a message before sending it, especially it is likely to form a new formal diagnosis, along with with logical reasoning. when we write it in anger); recognised disorders such as alcohol dependence, illic- ∗ Discourage too much multitasking on the screen to - Decreasing the use of personal pronouns (“I”, “me”) it drug use and problem gambling. Other technology-re- minimise the sensory overload that may lead to manic- in our electronic communication; lated pastimes can also become addictive, including text type behaviour. - Consciously increase our empathy for those that we messaging, social networking and computer games. communicate with, reminding ourselves that behind Standard psychological interventions for addictions do The book discusses several other “iDisorders”, includ- that screen there is a human being with feelings; not appear to be sufficient to manage this problem. The ing ADHD, safety and communication problems, physical and book provides the following recommendations: problems, body image problems, and perceptual abnor- - Work harder at improving real friendships rather - Replace technology-based activities with healthy ac- malities. These, God-willing, will be discussed in next than ‘virtual’ friendships. tivities that provide novel and interesting stimulation, month’s article. e.g.: spending time outside, gardening, reading a Obsessive-Compulsive behaviours good book; Smartphones have become for many people an ob- - Set alarms to remind you when it is time to log off ject of obsession. People check their phone constantly and do something else; 1 http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/feb/14/information-over- - Set a schedule for being online and offline; load-research. Accessed Dec 16 2012. regardless of where they are and who they are with: 2 Rosen L, Cheever NA, Carrier LM. iDisorder: Understanding our ob- “we have lost some of the common rules of etiquette in - Avoid applications that the ‘addict’ has problems session with technology and overcoming its hold on us. New York: Pal- the service of constant worldwide connection”. For with, e.g. online chatting; grave MacMillan; 2012. JANUARY 2013 8/26 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA

GREEK ORTHODOX, JEWISH AND ISLAMIC SCHOOLS

ProportionofyouthattendingfullͲtimereligiousschools forming Orthodox college (not identified). The Orthodox 60% college was definitely last.

50% ReadingͲ Comparisonofthe bestschools 40% 700

30% 650 600

20% 550 500

10% 450 400 Year3 Year5 Year7 Year9 0%  GreekOrthodox Jewish Islamic Greek Orthodox   How do our Greek Orthodox Colleges compare with MasadaCollege Whichever way you look at it (schools, students or MalekFahdIslamicSchool Jewish and Islamic schools? All three communities have proportion of youth) Greek Orthodox are last!  ethnic-religious schools. This article is the third in a se- NumeracyͲ Comparisonofthe ries examining Greek Orthodox Colleges. The informa- NAPLAN results of Greek, Jewish and bestschools tion on each school is from the Federal Government’s Islamic schools 700 myschool website. 650 600 After enrolments, the next step is to look at results. 550 Greek Orthodox lag in schools, students My analysis of school results is based on the National 500 450 and enrolments Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). 400 This takes place across Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 is quite a Year3 Year5 Year7 Year9 If we compare the number of students in these three useful guide to the specific performance of an educa- GreekOrthodox groups then Greek Orthodox are last. tional system. There are other criteria. MasadaCollege MalekFahdIslamicSchool NAPLAN is especially useful because it is standard-  Total number of students ised, externally set and externally marked. Results are    not scaled like Higher School Certificate subjects, so It is true that the Jewish results are influenced by the 25000 what you see is what you get. higher socioeconomic status of the students and the higher recurrent income of their schools. Nevertheless, 20000 Overall, Jewish schools were performing at a high average level and Greek Orthodox colleges were they are all comprehensive schools (although concern 15000 around average. For the most part, the Islamic schools has been raised in the media about some schools en- couraging poor achievers to leave prior to Year 12 but 10000 were below the national average (there are excep- tions). this should not affect the NAPLAN results). One caution in interpreting these charts is that these are averages 5000 The two line graphs show the results for Reading and Numeracy for the three school systems (results for and there will be some very high achievers in individual 0 writing, spelling and grammar are available from the schools. GreekOrthodox Jewish Islamic  author upon request). Greeks caught napping! The largest Greek Orthodox College has 674 stu- dents. This is dwarfed by Moriah College with 1536 NAPLANREADINGSCORESͲ 2011 What do these findings mean for the Greek-Australian students and even more by the Malek Fahd Islamic 650 community? Only some 6% of Greek Orthodox children School with 2116 students. attend an Orthodox college compared with 19% attend- If we compare the number of schools, then the Or- 600 ing an Islamic school or 51% attending a Jewish school. thodox are also way behind. The progress of the Islam- 550 This fact alone shows we have been somewhat slow ic schools is nothing short of remarkable within such a and ineffective. short timeframe. 500 To rub salt into this wound, I analysed the proportion 450 of Greek Orthodox children throughout Australia who have no formal educational contact with the Church. It is Numberofschools 400 Year3 Year5 Year7 Year9 estimated around 70% (even allowing for some double 35 counting). GreekOrthodox Jewish Islamic 30 

25 GreekOrthodox Afternoon, Saturdayschools 20 5Ͳ18years,Australia 10% NAPLAN NUMERACY SCORES 2011 Sundayschools    4% 15 650 10 FullͲtime 600 colleges 6% 5 550 Withoutchurch contact 0 Specialreligious 500 72% education GreekOrthodox Jewish Islamic  8% 450 One important consideration is the proportion of stu- 400  dents in religious schools. The eight full-time Greek Or- 350 In the final analysis, we are not educating sufficient thodox Colleges throughout Australia cater for 3760 Year3 Year5 Year7 Year9 numbers of Greek Orthodox children and even when children but this is only 6% out of an estimated 63647 GreekOrthodox Jewish Islamic we do we appear to be far from the best. The next ar-  Greek Orthodox (5-18 years). This small proportion will ticle in this series will review the mission statements of have consequences for the maintenance of a Greek Or- the Greek Orthodox Colleges in Australia. thodox identity. Many might have expected these results. It is not The number of Islamic children is almost double that enough, however, to compare median values. These Dr James Athanasou of Greek Orthodox. The difference is that they educate can hide as much as they reveal. Like many aspects the University of Technology, Sydney six times the number of students and have more than Greek Orthodox school results appear reasonable but it [email protected] four times the number of schools. is only when you dig a little deeper that it gets worse. To make comparisons even worse, one only has to The views expressed are those of the author and not necessari- look at the Jewish community. Jewish schools educate Comparison of the three best schools ly those of the VEMA. This report should be read in conjunction with earlier reports in the last two editions of the VEMA. I remind read- 51% of their youth. There are only about 15,000 Jewish ers again that the findings are based on statistics and some esti- children in Australia. They have one quarter the number The best performing Jewish school was Masada Col- mates but the NAPLAN data are official results and the conclusions of Greek orthodox children but they have almost double lege; the best Islamic school was Malek Fahd Islamic should be stable where we are comparing entire school systems. the number of Greek Orthodox schools. School. These were compared against the best per- The individual school NAPLAN results will vary over time. JANUARY 2013 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 9/27 JANUARY 2013 10/28 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 11/29 12/30 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA JANUARY 2013 JANUARY 2013 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 13/31 Health

The negative things about smoking Time to quit

You know the negative things about smoking. You know After weighing up the pros and cons, you may come to HEALTH the decision to ‘quit’, but you may have concerns about that regular smokers are hooked on their habit. Nicotine is the drug in tobacco that causes the addiction! quitting. If you smoke in the first half hour of waking up, your ad- I know you are concerned that you have tried to quit be- NNEEWWSS diction to nicotine may be strong. fore and failed. Well, most people have to attempt to quit Smokers often have cravings for a cigarette which in- several times before they reach their non-smoking goal. WITH DR. THEO PENKLIS * creases during stress. Not only do you smoke for pleas- Treat each setback as a learning experience. Show your ure, but you smoke to relieve the cravings; that is you friends that you can do it. smoke to relieve the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. I know that you’re concerned that you’re motivated, but Smoking can easily become quite a habit, particularly if it when you are with your friends, and they smoke, they will SMOKING: is strongly linked with daily activities such as drinking cof- make you feel like a cigarette as well. Be ready for your fee or alcohol or using the telephone. friend’s reactions. IT’S TIME TO QUIT! You know smoking reduces your fitness. You can feel Some will try to undermine your efforts because they breathless when climbing stairs or walking. This can occur have their own guilt about smoking and this helps them because the carbon monoxide gas in cigarette smoke re- feel better. Others will make fun of your efforts for simi- Each year at this time I like to write about smoking and lar reasons. Sometimes you may need to avoid these peo- remind everyone that it’s time to Stop Smoking! If you duces the oxygen level in the body and causes you to tire more easily whenever you exert yourself. If you have a ple for the first few weeks, but alternatively you can chal- have already quit smoking, it is time to remind a friend or lenge them to join you. relative that it’s time to quit. Talk to your friends or rela- heart condition and you smoke, you are more likely to have chest pain (angina) because of the lower oxygen lev- Some friends will support and encourage you and most tives. Show them how you did it. Support them. Show them will respect you when you achieve your goal. Think about that it can be done! el. Your breathing may also be affected by the damage to your lungs from the tar in cigarette smoke. stopping with a friend. For those who haven’t stopped smoking now that the So, you don’t really have the willpower! Of course you New Year has arrived, make your New Year’s resolution do! Willpower is the will to change and a measure of the to STOP smoking! It’s not too late - it’s not easy - but it can strength of your desire and confidence to stop smoking! be done! When you start to quit, you will get irritable and feel sick A non-nicotine drug that belongs to a class of drugs as the withdrawal symptoms begin in your body, as the known as nicotinic acetylcholine-receptor partial agonists nicotine starts to disappear. But, all the nicotine will have is very effective for smoking cessation. This class of drugs left your body within three to four days and it takes ten to work by reducing craving and withdrawal symptoms and twelve days for your body to adjust. During this difficult so reduce reinforcement of the smoking habit due to its time increasing your exercise, eating fresh fruit and veg- satisfying or enjoyable effects. The drug should be pre- etables and drinking plenty of water will help the body scribed in conjunction with a comprehensive smoking- during this period of readjustment. cessation support and counselling program. Think of the advantages of stopping smoking. You will Many people have had great success with this drug feel like a new person, free of addiction. You will smell which has been on the PBS for many years now and you and feel better. The worry of smoking will be off your may have heard your friends talk about this drug and the shoulders! success they have had in giving up smoking by using a nicotinic acetylcholine-receptor partial agonist. Become a non-smoker Smoking: The choice is yours Now that you have considered the good and bad things It’s your choice whether to keep smoking or not. Decid- about smoking and understand the advantages of being a ing what to do involves weighing up both sides of the non smoker, your options really are clear. There is no ar- matter. You need to consider the good and the not-so- gument. It’s time to stop smoking. Your doctor can help good aspects of smoking to make an informed decision. you do it. Talk to your doctor today. To get started, you need a plan! Your doctor will discuss your nicotine de- pendence and discuss your smoking pattern and habit. The positive things about smoking Think about your smoking. When, where and why you smoke? Are you an ‘automatic smoker’? Do you light cig- We all know that you smoke because you find it enjoy- arettes without thinking about it? able and you find it relaxing. It goes well with a drink. It If this occurs, you have a well-practised habit. But don’t peps you up! It helps you keep your weight down. It calms You know smoking ages your skin. Smokers develop worry, with hard work you too can give up smoking. Keep your nerves when you’re under pressure or have dead- deep and shallow lines on the cheeks and lower jaw and a diary, writing down every cigarette you smoke over a lines to meet. the face develops gauntness and a yellow colour. 24 hour period. This is a good way to begin breaking your Smoking keeps you awake when you feel sleepy. Smok- You know smoking smells unpleasant. It can also reduce old habit. ing stops the boredom. It simply gives you something to your sense of taste and ability to enjoy food. Smoking can In your diary record: do to pass the time, for example, while you wait for a affect other people; often your relatives and friends are train or bus. You know smoking helps you think! When not happy about your smoking. Children, asthmatics and 1. he time each cigarette is smoked you’re trying to figure out a problem or complete a job, a allergy sufferers can be badly affected by small amounts 2. your mood at the time cigarette can help you get over this hurdle. Smoking of smoke. 3. the situation you are in boosts your confidence. It gives you something to do with You know smoking harms your health. It causes coro- 4. a possible substitute for each cigarette, for example, your hands when you might feel a bit socially awkward. nary artery disease, strokes and circulatory problems, and a piece of fruit, a walk, a glass of water. can increase your risk of cancer, particularly lung cancer. If you are on the telephone and need to do something Did you know that smoking can also cause cancer of the with your hands, doodle on a pad with a pencil. Think throat, mouth, stomach, pancreas and kidney? On the pos- about what you can do instead of smoking. itive side, your risk of developing lung cancer decreases It is not easy to give up smoking. It requires hard work. greatly when you stop smoking! Set your ‘Quit Date’. Prepare before you quit! Make small Smoking can reduce fertility in both men and women. changes in your smoking habit. Reduce the number of cig- Smoking when pregnant is a great concern. It can cause arettes you smoke each day. Smoke only half of each cig- miscarriage and the baby is likely to be born premature arette. Start your first cigarette later in the morning! Each or be underweight. time you feel like a cigarette, delay having it. Start making PLEASE NOTE: WE GIVE YOU THE ULTIMATE GUARANTEE small changes to your smoking pattern today. FIRST WE KILL THEM, THEN YOU PAY Weigh up the pros and cons The decision is yours to talk to your doctor today about Applies to Shops, Offices & Factories smoking cessation. Ask your doctor about the drugs which We also treat houses and units So, now you know there are positive and negative can assist is smoking cessation and if you have tried to things about smoking. It’s time for you to weigh up in your stop smoking before ask about the class of drugs known NEW - SAFE - EFFECTIVE METHODS own mind your feelings about smoking. A good start is to as nicotinic acetylcholine-receptor partial agonists. Most write down the ‘advantages’ and ‘disadvantages’ about doctors are keen to help their patients stop smoking! (02) 9559 3605 - (02) 9558 8270 smoking, and in the process list everything you like about smoking and then everything you dislike about smoking. Mob. 0417 257 259 Fax. (02) 9559 8200 * The information given in this article is of a general nature and Spend time considering which side is more important to readers should seek advice from their own medical practitioner be- www.globalpestcontrol.com.au Lic. no. 1500 4132 003 you in the long term. fore embarking on any treatment. JANUARY 2013 14/32 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA

Greece takes steps to strengthen drill rights

COMMUNIQUÉ

''We swear you by Almighty God that in no way should you detract from the worth, greatness and importance of our reconciliation. Let not one empty and unverified word pass over your mouths. Let our reconciliation be an example for all the other Serbs, wherever they may live. Do not allow any one of us by our actions to hinder this common sanctity. Our reconciliation has just begun. We have planted a young seedling which we need to nurture and cherish as the apple of the eye that it may grow to the pride of all'' (Metropolitan Iriney of New Gracanica - 19 February 1993).

During the past few weeks there appear a multitude of unverified, inaccurate and often malicious articles published on the internet related to the litigation in which the Serbian Orthodox Church is attempting to return to her fold the now usurped New Kalenich In a step toward determining its sover- off Crete and in parts of the southeast Monastery in Canberra. eign rights over possible hydrocarbon de- Aegean, a move that would require it to posits in its underwater areas, Greece has declare an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) In light of the same, the Metropolitan Executive Board of the Metropolitanate of Australia and harmonized legislation with the 1982 Unit- 200 nautical miles from its shores, or half New Zealand of the Serbian Orthodox Church desires to emphasise the following: ed Nations Convention on the Law of the the distance from its neighbors’ shores. Sea (UNCLOS). Turkey wants bilateral negotiations on the 1. Management of the Property Trust of the New Kalenich Monastery claim to act in the Athens reportedly informed the UN last issue. name of the so-called "Free Serbian Orthodox Church", but have absolutely nothing to do May of its position in regard to the delin- Diplomatic sources suggest that Ankara with the original Free Serbian Orthodox Church, which existed a few decades ago as a temporary result of misfortunate times and an even more misfortunate schism which had eation of the continental shelf, reserving has yet to submit a document to the UN befallen the Serbian Orthodox Church. the right under Law 4001/2011 to explore outlining its position on the delineation of for hydrocarbon deposits “on land, in lakes the continental shelf and its territorial wa- The schism was liturgically overcome on the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, 15 February and in underwater areas over which the ters. 1992, when the Liturgy of Reconciliation was concelebrated by Patriarch Pavle of the Hellenic Republic has sovereign rights un- Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davuto- Serbian Orthodox Church and Metropolitan Iriney of New Gracanica, both now of blessed der the provisions of the 1982 UNCLOS.” glu commented Monday that if Greece de- repose. In so doing, the New Gracanica Metropolitanate was established in place of the Free Athens is paving the way for seismic fined its maritime economic zones, “Turkey Serbian Orthodox Church and returned to the fold of the Serbian Orthodox Church. surveys to be conducted in the Ionian Sea, would take corresponding steps.”

2. The Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand of the Serbian Orthodox Church is the successor to the former Diocese for Australia and New Zealand of the New Gracanica Metropolitanate and the former Diocese of Australia and New Zealand. By decision of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church of 10th May 2011, the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand was established in place of the former two parallel Dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

3. The management of the Property Trust has usurped the New Kalenich Monastery  Greek Scouts and attempted to sever it from the Serbian Orthodox Church and Serbian faithful and cede it  to the jurisdiction of a canonically unrecognised, so-called “True Orthodox Church of Under the aegis of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Greece”, into a myriad of internally rivalled factions known as the "Synod in Opposition" and InconjunctionwithScoutsAustralia the "Cyprianites".

This "church" was created in 1984 in Greece, when a certain group of schismatics broke away from a schismatic group known as the "Auxentianites" and established the "Synod in ENROLMENTS Opposition", as they continue to formally present themselves in public domain. This body is not in communion with the Orthodox Church. Cub Scouts, Scouts 7yrs-15years 4. Management of the Property Trust, under the aegis of that "True Orthodox Church of Greece" or, the "Synod in Opposition", or the "Cyprianites", have recently announced that make new friends! be part of a team, they intend, in the New Kalenich Monastery Church of St Sava, on the very feast of Saint Sava, to enthrone as their "bishop" a certain Englishman, Ambrose Baird, a convert to see, learn new things and have lots of fun "Orthodoxy" from London. boys and girls will benefit from the Australian Scouting program as well as the additional Greek Parallel program and the The Metropolitanate Executive Board once again underscores that the Church has brought forth this litigation with a heavy heart after management of the Property Trust refused to opportunity to practice their knowledge of the Greek Orthodox acknowledge that they had any obligation to hold the New Kalenich Monastery Church of St culture and the Greek language Sava for the Serbian Orthodox faithful. The Metropolitanate Executive Board reiterates that last year’s Assembly of the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand issued an open To enrol your children contact: invitation to this entire group to return with repentance to the Serbian Orthodox Church, Parish of St Euphemia – Bankstown which will gladly welcome and receive them. Paul Theodore (Group Leader) mob. 0411259800. Katerina Kevgas – (Leader) mob.0425272999 The Metropolitanate requested the parties attend mediation in an effort to resolve the litigation. The management of the Property Trust resisted this initiative. The Court accepted Parish of St Stylianos – Sutherland the submission of the Metropolitanate and ordered the parties to attend mediation. The Nicholas Depolignol (Group Leader) ph. 95701075 Metropolitanate participated in the mediation with the directors of the Property Trust in an Voula Kapsimallis – (Leader) mob.0410732770 effort to resolve the dispute and conclude the litigation. Parish of All Saints – Belmore Unfortunately, not only have all of our invitations to repentance, return and reconciliation with Nicholas Malaxos (Group Leader) mob.0418215008 the Church been ignored or rejected; but now with the announced "enthronement" of Mr Ourania Papadimatos – (Leader) mob.0451591971 Baird as "bishop", instead of their canonical Serbian Bishop, they have conclusively and publicly exposed their intention to permanently estrange the New Kalenich Monastery from Also more Adults are needed to participate by becoming a the Serbian people and the Serbian Orthodox Church. Leader or Assistant (all training will be provided – no previous We continue to remain hopeful that the planners and organisers of this intended experiencerequired) blasphemous gathering will, in the interim, return to their senses and give up on their intentions and further desecration of the New Kalenich Monastery, as well as return to the Authorized by Mr George Papadimitriou James PhC,MPS,JP Orthodox Faith and the Serbian Orthodox Church. However, we remain equally resolved to (Commissioner for Greek Scouts) defend and preserve with all our might the Serbian Orthodox Church and to fight for the right 16, Crewe St. Bardwell Park 2207 to the Monastery, which was built by Orthodox Serbs, to remain sacred to Orthodox Serbs. Email: [email protected] 7 December 2012   SYDNEY Costs: $25 ONE-OFF JOINING FEE, $55 UNIFORM. JANUARY 2013 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 15/33

Military hospital refuse shows life in WWI Thessaloniki By Iota Myrtsioti Kathimerini, Athens “This is the first time such material has been used to il- lustrate what life was like during the war on the Macedon- Wonderful treasures attesting to the modern history of ian front,” said Antonaras, who co-curated the exhibition Thessaloniki were found among the refuse of an old with Ioannis Motsianos under the supervision of Agathoni- World War I military hospital used by the Army of the Ori- ki Tsilipakou, director of the Museum of Byzantine Culture. ent, which served on the Balkan front, items that had re- The remnants of the military hospital of the Army of the mained buried for almost 100 years on the outskirts of Orient, which fought in Thermi on the outskirts of Thessa- Thermi. loniki in the 1914-18 period, not only shows what life was The hospital's garbage dump, which had become over- like for the soldiers and medics on the front, but also the grown with weeds, was rediscovered in 2007 and exca- evolution of the science of medicine as well as life outside vations have since yielded a wealth of material that offers the trenches. a new reading of the history of that period in the northern The Army of the Orient played a pivotal role in rebuild- port city. ing Thessaloniki, improving the rail network and building Dozens of empty champagne and Burgundy wine bot- schools. tles, eating utensils, cookware, military uniforms, buttons, who worked on the exhibit, told Kathimerini. “It took two The army was 300,000 strong and tripled the population shoes and coins, among many other finds, began to paint years of research before I discovered how close pleasure of the city, which had just 120,000 residents at the time. a picture in the minds of the archaeologists and historians is to pain and joy to sadness, as the bottles found in the The soldiers came from France, Britain, India, Senegal, researching the finds of the everyday stories of the men dump were reused to store medicine, covering the very Australia and New Zealand, forming a multicultural mosa- in the multiethnic army that served in Macedonia during sizable needs of the 16 military hospitals that had been ic that brought new life and economic activity to the quiet WWI. set up in Thessaloniki at the time.” port city, as new restaurant, tavernas, hotels, cafes, music All of these treasures are now on display in Thessaloni- The seemingly useless junk from the French military stages and, of course, brothels opened for the entertain- ki in an exhibition titled “Army of the Orient in the Balkans: hospital tells fascinating stories, such as how a soldier ment of the soldiers. Archaeological Testimonials of a Hospital in Thermi/Se- may have been saved by a 10-drachma piece, which was The displays at the exhibition are augmented by materi- des,” which runs to March 3 at the Museum of Byzantine found with a bullet hole in its center. The collection of but- al from the archives and collections of the Mediatheque de Culture. tons is also very interesting, as they come from the uni- l’Architecture et de Patrimoine - Diffusion RMN of the “My first impression was that the finds were from an of- forms of French, Russian, Serbian and British soldiers, French Ministry of Culture, the Thessaloniki History Center, ficers' club and showed how they entertained them- showing that exchanges between armies, hospitals and the municipality and several private collectors. selves,” Anastasios Antonaras, one of the archaeologists camps were constant. George Dalaras makes a strong comeback By Iota Sykka - Kathimerini, Athens Many say that you were attacked because of your wife’s political decisions [Anna Dalara is a When George Dalaras made his comeback on Decem- deputy with socialist PASOK]. ber 2 with a new album of songs penned by Nikos Anty- I know. Other than a new brand of fascism, we also ap- pas, his fans were there to welcome his return and ex- pear to have a new brand of phallocracy. Anna made her press their support. choices. Right or wrong, they are her business. If I dis- The concert-goers rose from their seats when the ver- agreed, should I have locked her up in the house so that satile singer walked onto the stage at Gazarte in central she wouldn’t impact on my career? Seriously? Athens, waving their illuminated cell phones and shouting out words of encouragement. Have you ever felt that you’ve provoked some It was a far cry from the hostile reception in the Athen- of the criticism that has been leveled against ian suburb of Ilion last spring, when the veteran Greek you over the years regarding your politics and singer was booed off the stage, called a traitor and had activism? bottles of water, cups of coffee and containers of yogurt I have paid a heavy price for my obsessions and be- thrown at him during a free concert organized to express liefs. I’ll leave it up to you to figure out why. For some rea- solidarity with crisis-slammed Greeks by a group of pro- son, there are people who believe that a leftist can sing testers who accused him of pandering to the system. for Chile but not for Cyprus. The new album is titled “Ti tha pi etsi einai” and the au- dience at Gazarte was treated to a selection of songs The left-wing establishment to which you from it, as well as older favorites. belong ideologically hasn’t given you much The songs on the new album are about everyday stories support when you have found yourself the and strong emotions with a pervading sense of melan- subject of public criticism. Does that disap- choly. point you? Dalaras, 63, has released 70 personal albums that have The left has thousands of problems to deal with; it can’t sold over 14 million copies worldwide, ranging from clas- solve my problems as well. The left was and is an unreal- sic rebetiko to opera and pop. He spoke to Kathimerini ized fantasy, the ideology on which so many of us found a following his Gazarte appearance. solid basis that allowed us to evolve, even if it often ap- In your spring concert series you returned to pears much more superior than the people who ostensi- Your new album exudes a sense that you are your old haunts in Brahami, Keratsini and Ilion, bly advocate it. trying to make a new start. Was there ever a until the attack. What were you thinking at If there is one thing I would like the readers of this in- time when you doubted yourself or your the time? terview to go away with, it is this enormous fear I have career choices? The first thing I told myself was to be patient. Next I felt over the rifts in society and the absence of solidarity. And Life always has continuity. I am often in doubt, not about concern for the people who were beside me on the stage this solidarity is something that the left can achieve. my ideas, but about their application. This is not a philo- and the hundreds of people in the audience who had noth- sophical quandary, but a practical one. When I want to do ing to do with the incident. How would you compare the present state of something I do it, but then I often wonder whether I got it Then there was anger - the kind of anger people feel the country to how things were in the 1950s right. when they are wronged. I can understand their delusions, and 60s? but not their actions. The violence and aggression is the same and just as You are a grandfather now. What kind of sto- And I wonder: If their objections were spontaneous, why dangerous. I may have seen it through the eyes of a child ries would you like to tell your grandson? didn’t anyone come to talk to me and demand an answer? in the aftermath of the civil war, but the crash landing we My feelings are so intense. [Singer-songwriter] Haris I was right there. are experiencing today after a period of false prosperity Katsimichas describes it well in the verse “You’d be is really very dramatic. It is most dramatic for people who scared if you knew how much I love you.” I would love to After the attack, were you tempted to throw were never tempted to lie, cheat or steal, who always had teach him all about colors. To swim with him in the waves. in the towel, to retire? a clean view of the world, who were honest and who are To listen to magical music, like that of [the late clarinet The opposite, I’d say. Singing is a state of being for me now living in poverty. What they are experiencing is humil- player] Tasos Halkias or a suite by Vivaldi. Those are sto- and no one gives up the right to live and work. I am not a iation. Then there is the rising popularity of [ultranational- ries as well, aren’t they? I wouldn’t like to tell him about car that can be taken out of circulation. I will go when I ist] Golden Dawn, which is very serious. We need to keep queens and wolves. choose. our eyes and ears wide open. JANUARY 2013 16/34 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA

St Gregory of Nyssa Gregory of Nyssa (c.335 - c.394) was a great bishop, He did in fact manage to get there in time, and in his bi- mystic, theologian and saint of the early Church. He has ography of his sister he describes how he visited her on been described as “one of the most penetrating and orig- her death-bed (after not having seen her for nearly 8 inal thinkers of Greek Christianity” (Bernard McGinn), and years) and stayed by her side as she passed away. Once as “a subtle, sophisticated thinker, the most rigorously in- she died, he wrote that “my reason no longer maintained tellectual of all the early Christian thinkers” (Robert Wilken). its proper balance; but, as if submerged by some winter- We celebrate his feast day this month, on January 10. swollen river in flood, I was swept away by sorrow and, Gregory was the youngest of the Cappadocian Fathers, disregarding the tasks at hand, gave myself over entirely the other two being his brother St Basil the Great and their to lamentation.” mutual friend St Gregory Nazianzus. Each of these Fathers With the passing away of Macrina and especially of had their own gifts: Basil was an outstanding administra- Basil, Gregory felt that the responsibility for defending or- tor and monastic legislator, Gregory Nazianzus was an at- thodoxy against Arianism now fell on his shoulders. Thus tractive preacher and poet, while Gregory of Nyssa be- began the most productive period in Gregory’s life. Seeing came renown for the depth and breadth of his mystical himself as Basil’s heir, Gregory became increasingly en- and philosophical writings. gaged in defending the Church from heresy, as is indicat- In character, Gregory was a gentle, retiring spirit, pre- ed by the fact that most of his works belong to the last 15 ferring study and reflection to the life of action. He had a years of his life. formidable intellectual nature, but was also sensitive and One of his most important works is known as “Against emotional, and even somewhat simple and naïve in the Eunomius”, written in four volumes and defending Christi- arena of public affairs. But he came to be highly respect- anity from the-then leading spokesman for Arian theology: ed by the Byzantines, and was called “the Father of Fa- Eunomius of Cyzicus. Like Arius, Eunomius taught that thers” and “Star of Nyssa” at the 7th Ecumenical Council (in Christ is a creature and hence is inferior to God the Fa- Nicaea, 787). Gregory Nazianzus described him as “the ther, and that the essence of God (the Father) is something column supporting the whole Church”, while Maximus the that can be known by us precisely and completely (as “un- Confessor called him “Doctor of the Universe”. begottenness”). Gregory was born in Neocaesarea, a central city of the Gregory responded by defending the divinity of Christ Pontus region, and came from a remarkable family of and the mystery of God, emphasizing that no words can saints and church leaders. capture the inner being or essence of God. His parents were aristocratic and cultivated, but also or- God is ineffable, unnameable and unknowable - and thodox in faith, deeply committed to Christianity over a this, Gregory held, is because God is “infinite”, where in- number of generations. Gregory’s grandmother was St finity is not considered an imperfection or defect (as it Macrina the Elder, who was killed along with her husband was in ancient Greek philosophy), but as reflecting the during the last savage persecution of Christians in the fundamental ontological divide (diastema) between Cre- eastern Roman Empire. ator and the created world. Gregory therefore compares Gregory’s father, St Basil the Elder, was an eminent the limitless God to the boundless ocean: “Having tra- teacher of rhetoric but died at an early age. It was there- versed the ages and all that has been produced therein, fore left to Gregory’s mother, St Emmelia, to raise the fam- seclusion. In an attempt to retain control of the Church in our thought catches a glimpse of the divine nature, as of ily of 10 children: 5 boys and 5 girls. Three of the boys the face of the Arians, who had the backing of the eastern some immense ocean.” were to become bishops, the eldest of which was St Basil, Roman emperor (Valens), Basil installed bishops around By 381, when the Second Ecumenical Council convened who after studies in Constantinople and Athens was to Cappadocia who would help him battle the Arian heresy. in Constantinople, Gregory was held in such high regard become bishop of Caesarea. So, he convinced Gregory Nazianzus to be ordained bish- that he was invited not only to attend the Council but also The most famous of Gregory’s sisters is St Macrina, op of Sasima, and he also persuaded his younger brother to deliver the opening address as well as the funeral ora- who had a considerable influence on Gregory (indeed, Gregory to become bishop of Nyssa. tion for the deceased Meletius of Antioch (who had been Gregory wrote a moving biography of her). When their fa- Despite his great reluctance and self-doubt, Gregory ac- the president of the Council). ther died, Macrina helped her mother in raising her cepted the call to be ordained in 371 bishop of Nyssa, a At the close of the Council, Gregory was also elected to younger brothers and sisters, and became the major pillar small town in northwest Cappadocia. But Gregory did not be one of the promoters of orthodox teaching in the of strength for the family. meet Basil’s expectations: Basil criticised him for his “sim- province of Pontus. After the death of their mother, Gregory described Mac- plicity” and “lack of experience” in church administration. In Gregory’s influence was now at its peak. He participat- rina as a “mother in place of my mother”, and Gregory of- addition, Gregory met with opposition from heretics resid- ed in further councils at Constantinople, and he was called ten regarded Macrina as his teacher and guide, placing ing in Nyssa. upon to deliver funeral orations in the capital for members her in a class with Monica (Augustine’s mother) as one of This opposition came to a head in 375-76, when two of the imperial family. He also undertook various missions the great spiritual mothers of the early Church. In a simi- synods convened (the first in Ancyra, the second in Nyssa) as an envoy for the Church, travelling to the churches of lar vein, recent scholars have characterised Macrina as made up mainly of Arian bishops and alleging that Grego- Arabia and Jerusalem in order to re-establish order be- “the fourth Cappadocian” (Jaroslav Pelikan) and “a genius ry’s ordination as bishop was invalid and that Gregory had tween conflicting parties. in a family of geniuses” (Mary T. Malone). misappropriated church funds. Their real aim, however, In the final decade of his life, however, Gregory But despite the deep religious faith of Gregory’s family, was to destabilise Basil’s authority - by this time Basil was decided to retire from public life and distanced himself Gregory’s early life showed no great commitment to the a famous and influential bishop, but due to Basil’s high from doctrinal controversies and administrative duties. Re- Church. He was not lucky enough to attend the great uni- standing in the community they could not attack him di- locating to the monastery in Pontus, he gave himself over versities of the day, as had his brother Basil, but he did rectly, and hence they went after his brother. They tem- to the spiritual life. It was at this time that he wrote one of undertake a thorough and wide training in rhetoric and porarily succeeded: Gregory was deposed and sent into his last and greatest works, “The Life of Moses”. In this philosophy, highly valuing Plato and holding Origen in exile. book, he firstly summarises the life of Moses as recorded great esteem. For the next two years (376-78) Gregory wandered from in the Old Testament, and then provides an allegorical (or After becoming an anagnostes (lector) in the church at place to place, depressed and sick in body and spirit. nonliteral) interpretation of the biblical account, seeking to age 20, he did not choose to follow this with ordination as Where he went at this time we do not know, and some of uncover the deeper, spiritual meaning of the Scriptural a priest, as was customary, or join Basil and Macrina in his letters suggest that he was harboured by friends. narrative. In Gregory’s hands, Moses becomes a symbol pursuit of a monastic lifestyle. But in 378 the Arian emperor Valens was killed in battle of the mystical ascent of the soul to God - a process of in- Instead, he unexpectedly renounced his post as lector and was succeeded by Theodosius, a devout Christian finite growth Gregory famously called “epektasis”, the and opted for a secular career as a rhetorician (a teacher and an unequivocal supporter of the Nicene confession. soul’s continual “stretching out” to God. of public speaking). His family became very concerned Gregory could now safely return to his see at Nyssa. And Towards the end of his life, then, Gregory be- about this turn of events, and even asked Gregory his congregation welcomed him back enthusiastically: in gan to see the afterlife as an endless exploration Nazianzus to intervene on their behalf and try to talk some one his letters he describes how the people flocked to of the infinite riches of God. For as he has Mac- sense into their younger brother. But Gregory was much greet him in the pouring rain. rina say in another work of his (entitled “On the in love with his chosen profession, and continued in this As this indicates, whatever Gregory’s failures as a Soul and the Resurrection”), “love alone finds no position for around 7-8 years. church administrator, he was greatly loved as a bishop limit.” It is likely that during this time Gregory also married and and pastor by the ordinary folk. possibly had a son, though it seems that both his wife and Another momentous change soon followed: his brother child died early. Eventually, Gregory gave up his career as Basil died (in September 378), and Macrina was also mor- Dr N.N. Trakakis a rhetor and joined the monastic community at Annisa in tally ill at this time. Upon receiving news of Macrina’s ill- (Graduate of St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College, Pontus that his sister helped to establish. ness, Gregory immediately decided to make the 10-day and Senior Lecturer in Philosophy However, his brother Basil was soon to call him out of trip to Annisa in the hope of seeing his sister one last time. at the Australian Catholic University) JANUARY 2013 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 17/35

Serving the Orthodox Mission in Madagascar

Daily distribution of milk and biscuits to children New orphanage currently under construction Group baptism of catechumens at a local river

It is not often that we have the ease of times of doubt and strengthened our little tribal laws are deeply imbedded in the One of the greatest joys within the mis- time to sit and recollect our experiences faith through joy, whilst serving the mission Malagasy culture. We must be culturally sion of Madagascar is witnessing group and write down an account of our activities of Madagascar. sensitive when ministering amongst these baptisms. Catechumens are prepared for on paper, so that the outside world can be A common question that is often asked people, always having in mind that Christi- the Sacrament of Holy Baptism through the informed on the progress of our mission. of us is, ‘Do the natives accept Orthodox anity is relatively new for some of these process of catechism which usually lasts The many difficult and regular missionary Christianity conscientiously, or is there communities. Some tribal practices are up to 11 months. A village will be cate- expeditions around the rugged mountain- some ulterior motive such as to benefit rather frightful, particularly in the very iso- chised and when the parish priest and ous highlands, or the dry desert plains of materially from the Church?’ It was always lated villages in the southern region of Geronta (Bishop Ignatios) considers the this enormous African island, drains our a question that we would sometimes ask Tulear. Bad and virtually non-existent roads people are spiritually ready, we set off to energy and leaves us to gather whatever ourselves, particularly since our mission make our mission trips very difficult and perform baptisms. The mission’s four- force we have left in us to supervise the deals greatly with the lower social classes perilous. wheel-drive is fully loaded. We have a ongoing projects in the capital cities. Such and in providing humanitarian aid for these One example particularly comes to mind. huge barrel in the trailer which serves as include, weekly food rations for 100 poor groups. The answer came quickly with a We set off from mission base to reach the the baptismal font, as well as the meal families, milk and high-protein biscuits dai- baptised youth by the name of Panayiotis. very isolated village of Anjabaky in the which will be given to the natives upon ar- ly for 1000 hungry children, the running of Panayiotis, a cheerful native boy, would south, with the aim of distributing food rival to cook and to share during the cele- 2 fully functional medical clinics, and 15 regularly attend church and had an excep- items and school materials to the poor bration after the Mystery. Geronta always primary and secondary schools. We must tionally good voice and was a member of families in the area. The journey took ap- makes sure to bring sweets for the newly also make mention of the care we provide the church choir. It so happened, that Pa- proximately 22 hours and we were fearful baptised, as well as framed icons and for 12 elderly people in our mission’s nayiotis ceased coming to church after a of road bandits which are common in the small crosses as gifts for each person on home for the aged, as well as the 3 while until we had not seen him in over a south particularly when travelling at night. this special day. We also bring along sewing schools aimed at providing future year. We asked the parish priest if he had When we finally arrived on the next day, school stationery, balloons, footballs and employment opportunities for young un- seen or heard from Panayiotis, but no-one we were greeted by some overly anxious skipping ropes for the newly baptised chil- employed women, or socially marginalised had news of his whereabouts. We were and frightened village people. They were dren. women. An orphanage housing 13 parent- wondering whether Panayiotis had lost his relieved to see us and upon asking them One day we planned to do baptisms in less children also awaits upon us, as it zeal for the Church, or whether his family why they were so scared they replied, a village called Andranohinaly. There is solely relies on the Orthodox mission for had convinced him to revert to traditional ‘Only thirty minutes ago we were attacked great suffering in this village due to its survival. beliefs (60% of the population is animist). by dahalo (bandits). They were armed and drought. People walk up to 15kms to reach We run to and from with ‘our heart in Surprisingly one day, on the feast-day of they terrorised our village threatening our the nearest water source for their daily our mouth’ so to speak. Our conscience the Pentecost, Panayiotis appeared in women and children. Three of them man- consumption. The children here are ex- does not let us rest - for as long as we church, head bowed, and devoutly making aged to escape, but one was caught. The tremely under weight and malnourished. know that there is pain and suffering and the sign of the Cross. At the end of the Di- village elder, (ray aman-dreny) ordered Even the animals (buffalo and goats) perish that our African brethren rely on our help vine Liturgy, happy to see him again, we that he be tied up and that his eyes be due to lack of water - we often see the rib we will not rest. asked Panayiotis where he had been for pulled out as punishment. This is our way cage of some animals protruding from It is within this overwhelming feeling of such a long time. ‘I went to the east of the of obtaining justice’. We were horrified in their sides and we feel exceedingly sorry. Christian responsibility; within this constant island to find work’, he replied. hearing the gruesome details. ‘We were Upon arrival, the Christians told us it had reminiscence of Abraham’s loyal respon- He explained to us that his work was in worried that perhaps you encountered the not rained in over a year. We prepared for se, ‘Here I am’ (Gen22:1) that we stand the town of Toamasina where our mission bandits on the way coming to our village’, the baptism by setting up the baptismal faithful to God’s call to serve Him on the does not yet have a church. they continued. ‘You must leave here be- font under a shady tree (since we do not blessed missionary field. It is then that we ‘I talk to everyone about Orthodoxy’, he fore it gets dark.’ yet have a church in this village). Several feel the wondrous presence of our Lord continued ‘and I pray very much’. We hastily distributed the goods we goats were close by, bleating helplessly closer than ever in our lives, here in Mada- At that point he removed from his pock- brought with us, thanking God that we had for some water. It was difficult to do bap- gascar - and all problems dissolve, obsta- et a 200 knot komboskoini that was in arrived unharmed and were ordered to tisms in this area, as we had to transport cles crumble, temptations cease. They still shreds. leave the area as soon as possible. The the water for the baptism from the neigh- exist - but they seem irrelevant now. The ‘I say the Jesus prayer every day - and I bandits are ruthless and dangerous in bouring town in jerry cans that we had comforting words of our Lord I am with pray for your too’, he said. these lonely rural areas. bought for 2000ariary (about $1AUD) each. you always (Mat 28:20) are felt deep in our ‘My komboskoini is in a very bad condi- When we asked the locals why they con- Although we were happy that so many hearts. We know as we look at the dark tion because I use it every day. I need a tinue to live in these harsh isolated places people would embrace Orthodoxy, we kind faces and gleaming smiles of our na- new one now’. that are cut off from roads and exposed to were also saddened to see so much tive brethren, that this is where we belong, Yes, we had not seen Panayiotis in a various dangers they replied, ‘We do not poverty. On this day a volunteer priest where we are loved and where we love, long time, but he had remained faithful to dare abandon the land of our ancestors, from Greece was to perform the Mystery. this is where we devote our life in their the church. We were moved by his exem- for we believe their spirits will curse us if The catechumens dressed in their white service and in His service. plary stability in the faith and his diligence we do’. baptismal robe were standing quietly as The rewards returned to us by the lov- for prayer. Panayiotis returned to Toamasi- There is a lot of work to be done in tend- the Mystery began. Then something ex- ing-kindness of God in the mission field na the next day. We are sure he continues ing to this vineyard, for the people are still traordinary occurred. The nearby goats cannot be conveyed to you through words. to pray for us. bound by ancestral worship and walk that were making so much noise suddenly For the sake of providing an informative The majority of the population in Mada- through the valley of the shadow of death became fully attentive. As the priest pro- account however, we will humbly attempt gascar is animist. This makes mission (Ps22:4). We left the village, but promised nounced ‘Therefore, O King who love man- to illustrate how the hand of God has work in some cases difficult. Many villages with much compassion in our heart to visit saved us in times of peril, comforted us in are bound by taboos and witchcraft and these people again soon. Cont. page 19/37 JANUARY 2013 18/36 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA Arts, Food & Wine Editor: Imogen Coward Industrialised Food It’s time for some transparency

By Imogen Coward nature intended” image that we, as consumers, expect tutes for sanitizers). Similarly, it is misleading to think that and pay for. every ingredient is listed on a label, or that, just because In recent years an almost indescribable gulf has been Less frequently acknowledged, but equally important, is a label doesn’t list a GM ingredient, it is not made from a revealed, between the idea of food production which the prevalence, in our food chain, of ingredients and pro- GM crop. we’re familiar with, and the reality of intensive farming cessing aids of which we have no knowledge. Michael The consequences of the lack of transparency are many and food industry practices. To everyone’s credit, exposés Pollan suggests that the best way to improve the quality of fold including the unwitting consumption of novel foods by people such as chef Jamie Oliver (e.g. chickens and our health and sustainability of our food supply is to only and the consequences for our health. In this I include as cage eggs), writer Michael Pollan (In Defense of Food), and eat foods which our great-grandmothers would recognise. ‘novel’, ingredients which have been taken out of their filmmaker Robert Kennedy (Food Inc) have started to As neat and simple as this idea is, it doesn’t help the con- natural food context (e.g. fructose), or away from historical change our practices as consumers. However, the prob- sumer navigate the minefield of modern food production methods of preparation (e.g. bread). In the end, while we lem of industrialised food is certainly not negated by these and processing. In particular, it doesn’t help us to identify should demand greater transparency, no labeling, or reg- and the need for vigilance is ever necessary. how our food is produced/processed, or those items ulations can be a satisfactory substitute for building a per- A case in point is the recent controversy over the Aus- which get into our food, but do not appear on the label. sonal relationship with our food suppliers, and knowledge tralian Egg Corporation wanting to increase stocking den- For example, as anyone who has switched from regular of how our food is really being produced. We should sity to 20,000 birds per hectare in its standards for “free milk to organic milk will know, the organic milk typically praise, encourage and buy from local farmers, artisan range” farms - a massive contrast with the recommended has a shorter shelf-life of usually three days (at the most) producers and suppliers who pride themselves on trans- 1,500 birds per hectare suggested in the Primary Indus- from when you open the bottle, as milk did in times gone parency in the food chain. Whether it is by them being tries Standing Committee, Model Code of Practice for the by (the days, before my time, when it was delivered fresh ready and able to answer questions on our food, showing Welfare of Animals. As the Sydney free-range meat sup- each day). It raises the question, why does the other milk us their food preparation process, or videos on websites pliers Feather and Bone (who supply to restaurants such last longer? Similarly, when we get bread which doesn’t of where the produce comes for (for real) it allows us to as Billy Kwong and Rockpool) have pointed out, there are go moldy even after a week out on the bench, we as con- make informed decisions and also makes food personal huge discrepancies in free-range standards, and some sumers shouldn’t rejoice, but should rather ask what has again. farms definitely don’t match the “free-roaming chooks as been done to our food that it behaves in this unnatural way? Unfortunately, there are at least two major stumbling References blocks for any consumer wanting a bit more transparen- cy about the food we eat. Our labeling laws are, to be http://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2012/11/07/australian-egg- very kind, inadequate and typically favour the food indus- corporation-limited-denied-free-range-trademark.html Écoutez! try’s interests. There is the ‘smokescreen’ of additive numbers, and scientific or technical names. Once you go http://www.publish.csiro.au/Books/download.cfm?ID=3451 to the effort of de-coding the label and finding out where Arts Review the additive comes from, it often makes you re-think http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/1060311 whether you really want to eat it. There are also ‘catch-all’ http://www.nasaa.com.au/data/pdfs/AAAA%20NASAA%20Organ- terms like, flavour or natural colour, which don’t really tell ic%20Standard%2006-02-2012.pdf us anything. We can’t exercise an informed choice. http://www.bakersjournal.com/content/view/1245/38/ There is also the issue of information of interest to con- sumers which doesn’t have to appear on a label. For ex- http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumerinformation/la- ample, in food processing (including in commercial bellingoffood/ kitchens) there is standard widespread use of powerful sanitizers which, although not intended as foodstuffs, in- Bee Wilson, Swindled: The Dark History of Food Fraud, from Poi- evitably end up in our food. On the one hand, we all want soned Candy to Counterfeit Coffee (Princeton University Press, food that is safe. But on the other hand, we should ques- 2008) tion whether this could be addressed more sustainably Anita Mofidi Najjar et al. “The acute impact of ingestion of breads and appropriately for example, through using items which of varying composition on blood glucose, insulin and incretins fol- are already foodstuffs such as vinegar or alcohol (recog- lowing first and second meals” British Journal of Nutrition (2009), nised by organic certification bodies as effective substi- 101, 391-398 FFoooodd && WWiinnee Give Me Excess of It, A Memoir Zokoko Mena Creek by Richard Gill 60% Chocolate Published by Pan Macmillan, 2012 We are so conditioned to expecting fine chocolate to come from Europe that to find a choco- late made from cacao grown here in Australia, is something of a surprise. Amidst their range For both musicians and non-musicians, Richard Gill is of artisan chocolate products Zokoko’s Mena Creek stands out, not merely for the fact that it is one of Australia’s best known and influential music- made from cacao grown in Innisfail, Queensland, but also for its caramel flavour, velvety educators and conductors. From the Babies Proms at mouthfeel and deliciously complex taste. Zokoko’s Mena Creek is an encouraging step towards the Sydney Opera House, to the popular TV series Op- a range of chocolates which are Australia’s answer to single estate imports from chocolate eratunity, to being founding musical director of the Vic- makers such as Italy’s Amadei or Switzerland’s Felchlin. Zokoko chocolate is available from torian Opera his roles in and influences on our coun- select stockists and for purchase online by visiting Zokoko’s website www.zokoko.com try’s musical development are many and varied. In- spiring, amusing, challenging, sometimes controversial, and above all, passionate, this memoir gives fascinat- ing insights into Gill’s musical life thus far. Along the GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA way, there are plenty of valuable insights into the world of classical music, and also music education, plus advice for budding musicians, music educators, and composers. A good read for all the family. www.greekorthodox.org.au JANUARY 2013 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 19/37

Grave concern for stolen religious treasures Grave concern for the future of reli- nich and other cases of stolen treasures gious treasures seized by the Turks and following the 1974 invasion needs to be held at a police station in Munich, Ger- made so the municpality can draw up a many, since 1997 has been expressed programme to secure their return. by the founder of Walk of Truth, Tasoula Particularly serious concern on the Hadjitofi. subject was expressed by Kyrenia Bish- Her comments come after the German op Chrysostomos during a recent visit to newspaper Abendzeitung Munich report- Holland where he begged to be updated ed in December that Turkish antiquities regularly by the Walk of Truth about de- official Aydin Dikmen has not only velopments in court cases concerning claimed the antiquities as part of his treasures stolen from Kyrenia. wife’s dowry but has asked for financial Hadjitofi has asked the Law Office of compensation from the Church in the Michalakis Kyprianou to prepare a legal event they are returned. report that shows the state of affairs Hadjitofi said if this is true, the work by with specific recommendations for future all those seeking the return of the items steps that need to be made for the safe over the years must be taken into ac- repatriation the treasures of Kyrenia count and an investigation should be found in Dikmen’s apartment. started to show how the case reached Walk of Truth is an independent, non- this point. profit, non-governmental organisation She also raised alarm bells over the One of the treasures now languishing in a German police office based in The Hague, The Netherlands. It condition the items are now in, having was established to raise awareness of lain in the Bavarian police station for 15 who at that time was serving as a repre- olou calls for full details and information the value of cultural heritage in all its years. sentative of the Church for Cultural Her- on the fate of religious images from forms. It is particularly involved in tracing The treasures were found in Dikmen’s itage and Consul of Cyprus in The Hague. Kyrenia that are now in the hands of the Cyprus artifacts that disappeared after Munich apartment after coordinated ac- At the same time, in a letter to Walk of Bavarian police. The mayor says a clear the 1974 invasion. tions of the Bavarian police and Hadjitofi, Truth the mayor of Kyrenia Glafcos Kari- assessment of the situation both in Mu-

Serving the Orthodox Mission

in Madagascar Greek Scouts

Cont. from page 17/35 God had truly blessed them (and us) on this remarkable day. In conjunction with SCOUTS AUSTRALIA – Patron the Governor General Under the aegis of THE GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA kind, come now through the descent of These are only some of the many bles- your Holy Spirit and sanctify this water’, the sed experiences that characterise our dai- goats knelt down and followed the service ly life on the mission field. It is in instances with an impressive silence. We marvelled like these - in times of doubt and peril and at seeing nature bowing and worshipping joy that we realise that we are nothing the Holy Spirit as He descended to perform without God. The harvest however is plen- the Mystery. Here in this poor forgotten vil- tiful but the laborers are few (Mat9:37). We lage we witnessed the Lord’s presence cannot all be missionaries battling on the amongst us! spiritual frontline, but we can at least be Finally, when the baptism had finished, it mindful of Christ’s words, for I was hungry was time to empty the font so that we and you gave Me food (Mat 25:35) and could load it back onto the trailer. The vil- inasmuch as you did it to one of the least lage elder approached us, asking if we of these My brethren, you did it to Me (Mat could give the water to the suffering ani- 25:40). mals to drink. The priest explained that this We pray that our Lord enlighten and call could not be done because the water was each of us to help according to our ability, blessed and was considered holy. The the blessed church of Madagascar and people humbly accepted his word and Her native Orthodox children, so that His everyone helped to dig a big hole so that Name may be glorified unto the ages. the blessed water could be poured into it and then be covered by the remaining soil Matina Kouvoussis so as not to be stepped upon. November 2012 The priest promised that God would Antananarivo, Madagascar SCOUTS, CUBS & JOEYS bless them for their obedience and humili- ty. Not long after, clouds began to gather in To supplement and reinforce the work of the Greek School, the sky and in a few minutes big raindrops The Committee for Foreign Mission (Ma- began to fall. The second miracle had oc- da-gascar) of the Greek Orthodox Archdio- and their family curred! The children began to dance in ex- cese of Australia, with the blessing of His citement. The adults clapped their hands Grace Bishop Ignatios of Madagascar and have lots of fun, part of a team and sung in delight. Moments later a heavy His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos of Aus- downpour of rain watered the thirsty land tralia, collects funds in support of the Mis- promoting our Greek Orthodox culture and filled the water tanks that had long sion. Donations can be made directly to and language been empty. Children ran naked from their National Australia Bank account Greek Or- huts into the open air to play in the rain. thodox Archdiocese of Australia (Adelaide What a sight it was! Committee), BSB 085 005, No. 67994 3696. For Information and details contact The elders shouted, ‘We have been bles- For all enquiries, please contact the Treas- George Papadimitriou James PhC,MPS,JP (Commissioner for Greek Scouts) ph. (02) 9567 1835 sed father, yes - we have been blessed, urer - Committee for Foreign Mission (Ma- Email: [email protected] as you said we would!’ We all remained dagascar) Mr Sotirios Arharidis on 0418 speechless with tears in our eyes - for 805 649 or at [email protected]. JANUARY 2013 20/38 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA Travel Lake Trichonida Fishing for time A wetland of great aesthetic, environmental and economic interest

BY H. ARGYROPOULOS plus waters are channeled into Lysimachia, a neighboring lake The road through the Evinos to the west, and then to the Ach- River valley northwest of Naf- eloos River. paktos in west. Greece brings Both lakes have been included you to Thermo, a small town on in the Natura 2000 network a lush plateau that flourished as thanks to their rich flora and fau- a trading and administrative na. center before World War II. After crossing the channel, Ancient Thermos, which is head in an easterly direction about 1.5 kilometers away, was south of Trichonida. Several vil- one of the most important re- lages are nestled in the foothills gional political centers during of Arakynthos, a mountain cov- antiquity, seat of the Aetolian ered with magnificent oak fo- League, which was twice razed rests but better known for its by the Macedonians, in 218 and chestnuts. Zevgaraki, Papadates, 206 BC. Mataraga and Grammatiko are The modern town, Thermo, 3 surrounded by olive groves and km from Trichonida, Greece’s green fields - most of which re- largest lake, was hit particularly main uncultivated following the hard by the abandonment of the gradual demise in the 1990s of surrounding mountain villages tobacco growing for which the during the 1946- 49 civil war, ure in the hazy background. and a hotel or two. The village is Uphill from Paravola, there is area was famous. but it remains a hub in the area, In the old days, about 300 surrounded by vast citrus or- a fine view of the lake from the Gavalou is the main village of although farming is on the de- fishermen’s families lived off the chards. Myrtia’s blood oranges pine-clad castle of Voukatio: The the area, with a population of cline. Any attempts to develop lake. Now they are down to just are a unique variety in Greece. towers are Byzantine but the 1,500. Under a shelter lie rem- the lake for tourism purposes four or five. It’s not the fish s- This is also the location of walls date to the 4th century BC. nants of their ancient predeces- must take into account environ- tocks that have dwindled but the Loutra, once a popular spa, The orchards have now given sors - a temple of Asclepius, the mental concerns. Consequently buyers. The lake is home to 25 though today the dilapidated way to olive groves, which pose god of healing. The ancient city fishermen complain that their species of fish, 16 of which are cabins right next to the pretty an indirect environmental haz- was Trichonio, home of promi- catch goes unsold, saying that edible and 11 are indigenous to beach host only rusty bathtubs. ard: nent generals of the Aetolian the people have left and the vil- Greece. The tastiest is the tiny Following the lakeside road anti- There are as many as 35 olive League. lages are emptying. sand smelt - normally a saltwa- clockwise, you come to some oil presses around Trichonida, Further east, Sitaralona produ- Trichonida, with an area of 97 ter fish - which has adapted to larger but rather nondescript vil- the waste from which flows un- ces the tastiest olive oil in the square kilometers, was once re- the lake and even graces the ta- lages. treated into the lake. Still, Tri- region, while Petrohori has vine- ferred to as the “Sea of Aetolia” bles of Athenian tavernas. chonida is relatively clean, re- yards that produce the ancient in old property contracts. In the Kato Myrtia is the only lake- newed by subterranean waters Malagousia grape variety. morning mist, the summits of side area with rudimentary de- as well as numerous brooks on Arakynthos and Panaitoliko fig- velopment: a handful of tavernas the surrounding mountains. Sur- Source: ATHENSPLUS

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Where to stay Getting there Where to eat Activities What to see Althaea, in Petrohori (26440.23133): Following the main road to Agrinio Althaea: the restaurant of the Take a boat tour of the lake to en- Ancient Thermos: a very important the best place to stay in the entire Tri- after you cross the Rio-Antirio bridge guesthouse with the same name is al- joy some birdwatching, with over 200 archaeological site, with impressive chonida district - a newly built guest- over the Gulf of Corinth, turn right for so one of the best in the area, with lo- species to see. Test your paragliding stoas, monuments and streets spraw- house right on the lake, with comfort- Panaitolio and you will come to the cal wines and excellent service; clas- skills over Lake Trichonida and the ling over a wide area - the museum able and tastefully decorated rooms western shore of the lake. However, sic Greek dishes, freshly prepared surrounding mountains - or with an houses a number of exquisitely beau- and a pool; rooms 110-119 have this is the longest and busiest route, French fries, wild boar, authentic vil- instructor if you are not experienced tiful ancient water spouts; the Tri- breathtaking lake views; excellent even though it may be the fastest. It is lage pies and sausages. Bikas, in Ka- (info: Ioakim Skondras, 6973.778.973, chonida Environment Centre at Ampa- breakfast. Thermios Apollon, in Ther- probably better to head east for Naf- to Myrtia: a taverna with a fireplace Panagiotis Savelonas, 6977.295.313). ria ([email protected] 26410.51203) mo (26440.24024): large, comfortable paktos after the bridge and ascend and tables at the water’s edge Trek through some beautiful valleys and its aquarium; the sunset from Vlo- hotel with superb views of all the sur- the mountains from there. The road is (weather permitting); fish from the and in the surrounding mountains, cho, near Kainourgio, with an ancient rounding mountains as well as the winding but quieter, more scenic and lake are the speciality. Dallas, in Kato with perhaps a stop for a refreshing acropolis and a monastery 700 m Peloponnese on a clear day. Dallas, in shorter. From Antirio to Thermo it is Myrtia: under the aforementioned sip of cool clear water at one of the above the lake; the Loutra-Sitaralona Kato Myrtia (26440.51315): a new 94 km via Agrinio and 60 km via Naf- guesthouse - the only taverna in the many springs along the way. The wa- dirt road is by far the best lakeside guesthouse, in an orange grove, with paktos. The phone number for the lo- village open on weekdays. Xylino, in tersports centre at Mataraga and the stretch; the Myrtia monastery has im- a lake view. cal health center is 26440.22248. Varia, on the lake: tables outside, beach at Kapsorachi have boat pressive 15thand 16th-century wall large indoor area, open daily. ramps. paintings.