Greeks

How can we strengthen ties between Greece and its diaspora, this growing (also as a result of the financial crisis) community that includes politicians, businesspeople, academics, scientists and artists? How can the Greeks who live abroad take a step beyond cost-free, wishful rhetoric and help to tangibly change the situation back home?

* By Alexander Billinis

When we consider key communities of the Greek diaspora, Vienna rarely comes to mind. Yet if we are to consider historically significant communities for modern Hellenism, the Austrian capital should certainly be on the short list.

One day it's Skouries, the next it's Elliniko. Not bad, for a government that at least recognizes the importance of attracting investors and actively tries to convince them to come to Greece, to commit funds, to utilize human resources, so that they can profit from their investment while also providing jobs to Greeks and boosting the economy.

Professor Edith Hall, an influential scholar of Classics and inveterate traveler, shares her insights on the ancient Greek world, her personal experience of Greece, and the links between the Greek landscape and myth. She was interviewed on the occasion of the publication in Greek translation (by Dioptra) of "Introducing the Ancient Greeks," first published in June 2014.

Located only 400 kilometers south of Greek summer resorts popular with Serbians is the capital of Greece and the cradle of western civilization, Athens.

One thing is certain - as long as it has Athens, Greece will always be a rich country, and the world's greatest cultural power.

One of the earliest trading routes in history, and the one which had the greatest impact on humanity, the Silk Road is one of the strongest cultural connections between China and Greece.

The Greek islanders in the eastern Aegean who have helped thousands of refugees under adverse conditions are "heroes," according to the European Commission's First Vice President Frans Timmermans.

A Greek cultural center will be inaugurated by the Greek community in the Russian town of Gelendzhik of in the Krasnodar region. According to reports in the Russian press, the three-storey building to host the centre will offer the chance to see objects of everyday life, icons and busts of personalities that influenced Greek culture, education and science.

Modern Greek will be one of 13 languages other than English to be taught to preschoolers in Australia this academic year through ELLA, an educational program aimed at acquainting young learners with different cultures and helping them develop essential cognitive skills such as memory recall, critical thinking, verbal and spatial awareness.

According to a European Parliament survey, Greeks are skeptical about joining the EU and its benefits, with only 23% believing that the EU is contributing to economic growth. On the contrary, 36% of European citizens feel that the Union is contributing to economic growth.