News on Enabling Law, Elliniada, Hospitality Programs

Deputy Foreign Minister for Hellenes Abroad Panagiotis Skandalakis characterized the March 16-19, 2005 meeting of οΏ½οΏ½Ε’s Presidium (Board of Directors) at its world headquarters in Thessaloniki as οΏ½very productive, as it was able to present a comprehensive set of recommendations regarding the structure and operation of οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½ in connection with the proposed new Enabling Law making its way through the Greek Parliament.οΏ½

If approved by the Parliament, the new Enabling Law will establish the scope and authority of οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½, as well as its operation as put forth by Section 108 of the Constitution of Greece, which recognizes οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½ as the voice of all Hellenes abroad.

With the ConstitutionοΏ½s provisions in mind, the Presidium studied all the proposals submitted by οΏ½οΏ½Ε’s Regional Coordinating Councils and the omogenia and came up with a comprehensive text incorporating the following points:

The role and Mission of οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½; World Convention; Number of Representatives from each Region at the World Convention; Presidium; Composition and Responsibilities of the PresidiumοΏ½s Members; Regional Structure; Regional Councils; Composition and Responsibilities of Regional Councils; Regional Conventions; Networks; Budget.   

The text addressing the above subjects represents the PresidiumοΏ½s recommendation, and was delivered to Deputy Foreign Minister Panagiotis Skandalakis for further consideration and polishing by the Government and Parliament.  The resulting draft will be sent to our omogenia organizations for another round of input before being introduced and voted upon in Parliament. 

Other topics on the meetingοΏ½s agenda were οΏ½οΏ½Ε’s Olympics-style Elliniada and its World Camp.   This yearοΏ½s Elliniada will not be held; a review of its goals and resumption of the games in 2006 was proposed.  The same was decided regarding this yearοΏ½s World Camp, with Dep. Min. Skandalakis announcing that current efforts were underway to provide hospitality programs for all age groups with the collaboration of local municipalities. 

Also attending, in addition to Deputy Foreign Minister for Hellenes Abroad Panagiotis Skandalakis, were Evgenios Haïtidis, Chairman of the Inter-party Parliamentary Committee on Hellenes Abroad, and its 1st Vice-Chairman Grigoris Niotis, 2nd Vice-Chairman Nikolaos Gatzis and Committee Member Nikolaos Konstantopoulos.

The PresidiumοΏ½s meeting was also honored by the visit and greetings of the Min. for Macedonia-Thrace, Nikos Tsiartsonis, the Prefect of Thessaloniki Panagiotis Psomiadis, Vice-Mayor Theodoros Akritidis representing ThessalonikiοΏ½s Mayor and Min. of Education Special Secretary for Omogenia Education, Ms. Ismini Kriari-Katrani.