οΏ½οΏ½Ε’S WORLD BOARD MEETING ADVANCES
NEW οΏ½ENABLING LAWοΏ½ IN GREEK PARLIAMENT

VOTE EXPECTED THIS AUTUMN; V.P. TOMARAS PRESENTS ISSUES TO PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON HELLENES ABROAD IN ATHENS
In a regular meeting held in Thessaloniki Dec. 9-11 the Board of Directors, or Presidium, of οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½ worldwide made significant progress towards fine-tuning the Mission and operations of the organization.  The groupοΏ½s main achievement was a series of resolutions outlining οΏ½οΏ½Ε’s objectives and operations, covering everything from its Mission to its relationship with the Greek State.  Specifically in terms of its Mission, the group reiterated it to be a οΏ½consultative, advisory and proposal-formulating body to the Greek State on issues of concern to Hellenes Abroad and the omogenia in general.οΏ½
These issues were discussed in the context of the ongoing drafting of a new legislative framework to serve as the basis of a new οΏ½Enabling LawοΏ½ as provided in Article 108 of the Constitution of the Hellenic Republic.  This new Enabling Law has been under consideration by all the Regions of οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½, with the most important provisions (especially for N. & S. America) having been circulated to all οΏ½οΏ½Ε’s member-organizations well before this meeting.  By the end of February, 2005 the final text will be submitted for review and/or approval to the Deputy Foreign Min. for Hellenes Abroad Panagiotis Skandalakis, to be followed by another round of discussion and input from οΏ½οΏ½Ε’s member-organizations before its introduction for consideration by GreeceοΏ½s Parliament in the Autumn of 2005.  οΏ½The omogenia is a priority for Prime Min. Kostas Karamanlis.  Our goal is to agree on the changes deemed essential for the most effective operation of οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½ via a diverse and democratic dialogue, so that it represents a true expression of the omogenia worldwide,οΏ½ emphasized Dep. Min. Skandalakis.

In addition to the Enabling Law, the issue of education was also discussed, with special emphasis on elementary education and particularly that in N. & S. America as outlined in the proposal by V.P. Chris P. Tomaras, which also covered other issues of concern for the omogenia of our Region.   Also significant was the decision by Deputy Min. of Culture Georgios Orfanos to hold another Olympic-style οΏ½EliniadaοΏ½ again this Summer, which he subsequently announced publicly at the Black Sea Conference on December 12.

The Presidium meeting was honored to have a number of officials present, including the Chairman of the Inter-party Parliamentary Committee on Hellenes Abroad, Evgenios Haïtidis and its Vice-Chairman Grigoris Niotis, as well as the New Democracy PartyοΏ½s Gen. Secretary for Hellenes Abroad and M.P. Vasilis Papas.  The meeting was also honored by visits from the Min. for Macedonia-Thrace, Nikos Tsiartsonis, the Prefect of Thessaloniki Panagiotis Psomiadis, ThessalonikiοΏ½s Vice-Mayor Theodoros Akritidis and other local officials.  Prior to adjourning, the President Emeritus of CyprusοΏ½ οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½ Party, Vasos Lissaridis, also visited the Board and updated the members on CyprusοΏ½ positions regarding TurkeyοΏ½s accession to the European Union.

On Dec. 12 V.P. Tomaras attended a day-long event organized by the Prefecture of Thessaloniki, the Black Sea Center and οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½ dealing with the educational issues of the omogenia in the οΏ½parefxiniesοΏ½ regions.  Representatives of the omogenia organizations from these republics of the former Soviet Union presented the regionοΏ½s needs and various solutions involving the government cooperation were discussed.   The next day, taking advantage of his days in Greece, Tomaras met with Dep. Min. Skandalakis and later represented οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½ at a panel discussion on the Enabling Law on ERT-TVοΏ½s οΏ½Bridges,οΏ½ a leading public affairs program.  Finally, Tomaras testified at a special meeting of the Bipartisan Parliamentary Committee on Hellenes Abroad, during which he outlined οΏ½οΏ½Ε’s accomplishments and asked for the CommitteeοΏ½s support and votes for the new Enabling Law.  Responded Committee Chairman Evgenios Haïtidis, οΏ½I am certain that οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½ will successfully fulfill its role in the future and we, as the Committee of Parliament on Hellenes Abroad, are ready to do our part (to assure that success).οΏ½

Prior to his trip to Greece for the Presidium meeting, Tomaras and Regional Coordinating Council Members Andreas Comodromos and Panos Stavrianidis participated in the events in Constantinople, Ankara and Smyrna connected with the return to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Holy Relics of St. John Chrysostom and St. Gregory the Theologian by the Vatican.