Greek women of the world unite to demand the return of the Parthenon Sculptures

From Sappho and Hypatia of Alexandria successful Hellenic antiquity, done Empress Theodora successful the Byzantine era, to Laskarina Bouboulina successful the Greek struggle for independence, and connected to firebrand actor-politician Melina Mercouri and Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki today — Greek women, whether residents of Greece oregon members of the diaspora, and careless of, oregon possibly despite, Greek patriarchy, person embodied power, resilience, leadership, and courageousness for millennia.

Last week successful Athens, three almighty Hellenic women’s associations came together astatine “The Voice of Women of Hellenism” — the first-ever associated assembly of its kind. The Hellenic Association of Women successful Culture and Tourism (HAWCT Greece), the Hellenic American Women’s Council (HAWC USA), and Australia’s Food For Thought Network (FFTN) gathered astatine the historical St George Lycabettus Lifestyle Hotel, with the Acropolis arsenic their backdrop. The temple to Athena, the city’s deity and the virgin warrior goddess of wisdom, stood arsenic a symbolic guardian implicit the assembly.

United successful purpose, the gathering declared a shared vision: “The instrumentality of the Parthenon Sculptures to their rightful home” — backmost to Athena.

The Parthenon Sculptures were torn disconnected the Parthenon by Lord Elgin successful the aboriginal 19th century, and person since then been held astatine the British Museum for astir of their clip successful England

The presidents of the three associations — Chrysa Voulgaridou (HAWCT), Eri Pasalidis (HAWC), and Barbara Athanasiou Ioannou (FFTN) — expressed a steadfast committedness to associated initiatives. Voulgaridou emphasised the heavy value of the gathering’s clip and place.

“Voices from Greece and the diaspora united with a shared vision: to honour our culture, empower women, and assertion justice,” she said.

A memorandum of practice betwixt the three organisations will present widen their work beyond taste practice to see combating violence against women, advancing sex equality, and processing planetary mentoring programs. “Every step we take is not conscionable an event, it is simply a promise: to proceed until the Sculptures instrumentality to their rightful home, the Parthenon. Strength lies successful unity,” Voulgaridou said.

Pasalidis described the Sculptures arsenic a “tangible and intangible transportation to our ancestors, past and culture” and denounced their removal by Lord Elgin successful the aboriginal 19th period arsenic “cultural plunder.” She stressed that their instrumentality is some a substance of justness and respect for world heritage.

Barbara Athanasiou Ioannou highlighted the value of this caller alliance. “The diaspora plays a vital relation done campaigns for our practice abroad. Our voice will not beryllium silenced, our beingness will not beryllium ignored, and our committedness to a just and adjacent society will ne'er cease.”

The lawsuit included addresses by Olympia Anastasopoulou, Special Secretary for Alternative Dispute Resolution astatine the Ministry of Justice, who projected a reunification model based connected ADR methodology; Eirini Vassilopoulou, proprietor of St George Lycabettus, who described civilization arsenic “a span betwixt peoples”; and Professor John Chrysoulakis, erstwhile Secretary General for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy, who reaffirmed his support. Lila de Chaves, President of the Hellenic Federation of Friends of Museums, declared the Sculptures “the soul of Greece… they beryllium here, successful our home.”

Professor John Chrysoulakis and Lila de Chaves joined leaders of the three main Greek women’s associations to reaffirm their support for the instrumentality of the Sculptures.

Other notable attendees included Anastassios Varelas, Secretary General of the National Council of UNESCO Clubs and Centres, alongside members of the Greek Women’s Union and GIWA. Presentations included “The Parthenon and the Return of the Sculptures — a Demand for Justice and Culture” by Dr Mary Marouli Zilemonou, and “The Reception of Greek Antiquity and the Diaspora” by historiographer Sissy Papathanasiou.

The evening concluded with moving recitations of poesy by Kostis Palamas, Lord Byron, and Ioannis Polemis, curated by Eugenia Arseni, turning poesy into a universal voice of justice.

The lawsuit was hailed arsenic a historical archetypal step successful a united planetary effort, laying the instauration for stronger aboriginal work connected equality, practice preservation, and advocacy for Greek and each women worldwide. Hellenism and justness present has its astir earthy leaders, Greek women.