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At the 221st league of the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held connected 14 April 2025 a momentous determination was taken to proclaim 9 February of each twelvemonth arsenic World Greek Language Day.
The question to beforehand the solemnisation of this day arsenic 1 of the planetary days marked by UNESCO was supported by 87 Member States – a grounds fig – but with 1 notable exception: Australia.
In what immoderate commentators and galore successful the ample Greek-Australian assemblage regarded arsenic disappointing and adjacent insulting, the Australian Government done its UNESCO imperishable delegation, led by the Ambassador Greer Alblas, chose to abstain from the vote.
In what immoderate commentators and galore successful the ample Greek-Australian assemblage regarded arsenic disappointing and adjacent insulting, the Australian Government done its UNESCO imperishable delegation, led by the Ambassador Greer Alblas, chose to abstain from the vote.
Recognition of peculiar languages is not immoderate novel, self-serving concept. English Language Day astatine the United Nations, for example, is celebrated connected 23 April each year, coinciding with some the day and day of decease of the English language’s astir celebrated playwright, William Shakespeare.
For arsenic UNESCO reminds us, connection is undeniably a marker of individual, collective and taste identity; a vas that contains taste diverseness and the dialog among civilizations.
Ironically, the existent emblem of UNESCO alludes to the Parthenon, the classical Greek temple which, according to Amadou-Mahtar M’Bow, a erstwhile Director-General of UNESCO, is simply a “fine awesome of the quest for equilibrium and harmony” successful keeping with the organisation’s superior missions.
“Greek, the archetypal large connection of Western Civilisation”
(Kenneth Katzner, The Languages of the World)
The Greek connection personifies this self-evident truth. As Greece’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Giorgos Koumoutsakos, emphasised, the Greek inaugural recognises “the timelessness, universality and publication of our connection to the taste practice of humanity”.
9 February was really chosen due to the fact that the day coincides with the decease successful 1857 of Dionysios Solomos, Greece’s nationalist writer who wrote the Greek nationalist anthem, titled ”Hymn to Liberty”.
The Greek language, according to the UNESCO Executive Board, holds a unsocial presumption among the world’s languages, archetypal and foremost due to the fact that of its exceptional uninterrupted diachronic continuity arsenic a surviving language, recalling the remark by the celebrated Greek Nobel Laureate, George Seferis, who declared successful 1963 that “the Greek connection has ne'er ceased to beryllium spoken”.
As the linguistic cradle of basal concepts of culture, subject and philosophy, the Greek connection efficaciously influences our connection each day, peculiarly done its foundational relation successful science, philosophy, and lit and its relation successful intelligence thought wherever cardinal words and cardinal concepts are conveyed, understood oregon traced successful words and/or concepts of the Greek language.
The find of the alphabet 2,800 years agone besides represents a existent taste gyration that decisively influenced the people of quality civilisation and history, which nary uncertainty prompted 1 of the world’s top thinkers, the Italian Galileo Galilei, to see the Greek alphabet to beryllium “man’s top discovery”.
The Executive Board besides noted that for six centuries successful the post-classical Hellenistic period, Greek had been the archetypal planetary connection arsenic good arsenic serving arsenic the transactional connection of galore antithetic peoples (lingua franca) and, astatine the aforesaid time, a civilization language. The Greek connection flourished during the reign of Alexander the Great, accepted and embraced by the Roman Empire which adopted the Greek publication successful the signifier of the Latin alphabet and past done Byzantium. Greek was discovered and promoted by the Renaissance and gained caller traction during the years of the Enlightenment.
And finally, the Executive Board pointedly noted that with the ample Greek diaspora arsenic its main carrier, the Greek connection is spoken some successful the wider geographical country of South-Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean, arsenic good arsenic successful Australia, the United States of America, Canada, Africa and Latin America.
The authoritative memorandum of the UNESCO Executive Committee was authored by a squad of assemblage academics led by distinguished linguistics Professors Georgios Babiniotis (University of Athens) and Christos Klairis (Sorbonne).
It besides had beardown enactment from Professor Anastasios Tamis, a well-known world historiographer and writer who was the creator and founding manager of the Dardalis Archives of the Hellenic Diaspora and is presently the President of the Australian Institute of Macedonian Studies (AIMS).
Finally, it echoed caller comments by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew who emphasised that the Greek connection has been rightfully called the “mother lingua of the spirit”, a “language of contemplation and poetry” and a “bearer of precocious values, ethics, and culture” which continues to service arsenic a root of inspiration and intelligence orientation.
Australia abstains
Professor Tamis and others had been lobbying the Australian Government for immoderate clip to enactment his petition for the instauration of an International Day of the Greek Language successful the United Nations and UNESCO.
In June 2024 the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade replied connected behalf of the Australian Foreign Minister, Senator Penny Wong, advising that whilst acknowledging the important relation of the Greek connection successful Ancient Greece and its enduring power connected modern Western culture, authorities and philosophy, it noted that Greek is not 1 of the six UN authoritative languages, and that determination was nary precedent for establishing an International Day for a non-official language.
Professor Tamis had besides written to the NSW State Government to enlist its enactment but his correspondence was forwarded to the Foreign Minister arsenic it fell wrong her portfolio, though the NSW Minister for Multiculturalism acknowledged that the petition “highlights the important value of preserving and celebrating languages that enrich our divers communities locally and globally”.
Tamis was scathing successful his criticism, noting that contempt the efforts of the Greek Permanent Ambassador of Greece to UNESCO and Greek diplomacy and his engagement with Australia’s Permanent Representative, the Australian Government refused to co-sign the resolution.
The Victorian part of the Australian Hellenic Council besides queried Australia’s actions with an unfastened missive to the Australian Permanent Delegation seeking an explanation.
After disparaging media reports appeared successful Greek City Times, Neos Kosmos and The Greek Herald the Australian Government appeared to locomotion backmost these comments, initially claiming that it was prevented by definite protocols contained successful a papers issued by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet – Guidance connected Caretaker Conventions – that use erstwhile an predetermination is called (Australia is going to the polls connected 3 May) and until fundamentally a caller authorities is formed.
During the caretaker period, a authorities indispensable debar making large argumentation decisions that are apt to perpetrate an incoming authorities oregon participate into large contracts oregon undertakings, including treaties oregon different planetary agreements. In the discourse of planetary negotiations, we are told that the Australian Government ordinarily seeks to defer specified negotiations oregon follow perceiver presumption until the extremity of the caretaker period.
But is simply a determination to enactment designation of a connection a “major argumentation decision” oregon adjacent a superior bony of contention betwixt the large governmental parties apt to signifier government? Would it person immoderate impact, important oregon otherwise, successful presumption of argumentation oregon resources?
This writer doubts that.
It is hard to fathom however voting connected designation of World Greek Language Day is simply a contentious contented oregon adjacent the equivalent of signing an planetary treaty.
And yet, somewhat ironically, connected the aforesaid docket astatine UNESCO, Australia was 1 of 44 countries to enactment a connection of the Executive Board connected UNESCO’s actions and exigency assistance programme for Ukraine and which condemned Russia’s ongoing warfare of aggression against Ukraine successful gross usurpation of Russia’s obligations nether planetary law.
Even the highly-regarded Australian Ambassador to Greece and beardown Philhellene, Alison Duncan, stated from Athens that the lone crushed down Australia’s determination not to co-sponsor the UNESCO connection was the caretaker normal up of the national election.
According to a study successful the starring Greek newspaper, Kathimerini, the Australian envoy did nevertheless spell connected to adhd that Australia does not entity to World Greek Language Day.
Subsequently, reports person emerged that the Australian Government present supports the inaugural successful the look of mounting assemblage pressure. According to The Greek Herald a spokesperson for the Foreign Minister issued the pursuing statement:
“The Albanese Labor Government supports and welcomes a caller World Greek Language Day. The Greek connection has an enduring power connected modern Western culture, politics, and philosophy. We worth the affluent taste contributions of our vibrant Greek diaspora successful Australia and our beardown bilateral narration with Greece. We look guardant to celebrating this time with Australian Greek communities successful Australia connected 9 February.”
The authoritative proclamation of February 9 arsenic World Greek Language Day is acceptable to instrumentality spot during the 43rd league of the UNESCO General Conference successful November 2025.
It is sincerely hoped that the Australian Government connected that juncture volition unequivocally basal with different Member States and formally honour the profound publication of the Greek Language to our multilingual world.
Because aft all, arsenic the inheritors of the connection that gave america specified evocative and enduring words arsenic δημοκρατία (democracy), διπλωματία (diplomacy), φιλοσοφία (philosophy), κρίση (crisis), αρμονία (harmony), τραγωδία (tragedy), πάθος (pathos) and λογική (logic), we volition not tolerate υποκρισία (hypocrisy).
George Vardas is the Arts and Culture Editor of Greek City Times and Secretary of the Australian Hellenic Council (NSW).
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