On Monday, 18 March 2024, at ANZ’s Melbourne headquarters, The Hellenic Initiative Australia (THI Australia) held its first in a series of events to celebrate a decade of remarkable achievement in Greece.   

Special guests and supporters heard messages from distinguished speakers including the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and THI’s Global Chair, Andrew N Liveris AO.

Speaking from Greece, the Prime Minister noted that Greek Australians were an integral part of Hellenism and among Greece’s best ambassadors by upholding and projecting the culture, values and traditions of Greece throughout Australia.

“The Hellenic Initiative has assembled among the most prominent members of the Greek Australian diaspora and I send you my heartfelt thanks for the generous support of crisis relief and development programs in Greece”, said the Prime Minister. 

THI Australia could not have asked for a stronger endorsement on the occasion of its 10^th anniversary. THI Australia also wishes to acknowledge the achievements of the Greek Government for repositioning Greece on the world stage.

It was on the invitation of Andrew N Liveris AO that more than 150 leaders of the Greek Australian community first assembled in March 2014 to discuss how to best mobilise support for Greece in that nation’s moment of acute need. Mr Liveris emphasised that THI would continue to unite the global Greek diaspora in support of Greece and that there was much more to be done. 

Nick Pappas AM, THI Australia’s President, spoke passionately about the motivation that underpinned THI and reiterated the importance of uniting the Greek diaspora. 

“The Hellenic Initiative was born of crisis relief, and that is still one of its essential drivers to this day, but it has become much more than that. THI has become a sturdy, transnational plank upon which diaspora Hellenism may now rest, upon which it may be nurtured, from which it may be drawn upon and through which it may be expressed”, he noted.

“Ten years on, that commitment and passion across the globe has not waned; rather, it has blossomed. Particularly in Australia, and even more so in Melbourne, Greece’s antipodean epicentre”, he added.

An important corporate supporter of THI’s journey over the past 10 years has been ANZ and Tammy Medard, Managing Director Institutional Australia & PNG, ANZ, spoke about the importance of this relationship.

Later in the evening, guests heard from an eminent panel of Greek Australian leaders comprising George Savvides AM, Chair SBS, Andrew Demetriou, former AFL CEO, and Terry Paule, Chairman Findex. The inspiring discussion on Greece, Philanthropy and the Diaspora was moderated by Helen Mantzis, Director of the Hellenic Museum in Melbourne.

A highlight of the discussion was hearing the panellists share the profound impact of their Greek heritage on their personal and professional lives.

The event provide an opportunity for guests to support one of THI Australia’s trusted partner charities in Greece, Pediatric Trauma Care, and we wish to sincerely thank all guests who purchased the identified medical equipment for several hospitals in Greece on the night. Equipment ranged from neonatal cribs, defibrillators and a portable ultrasound scanner. 

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