AHEPA Honors America's Fallen Heroes
The AHEPA family paid their respects on behalf of a grateful American Hellenic community to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for freedom, democracy, and liberty at Arlington National Cemetery... read more
House Committee's Passage of Resolution Condemning
Attack on Peaceful Protesters Applauded
Supreme President Andrew C. Zachariades issued a statement commending the passage of a congressional resolution by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs that condemns the violence against peaceful protesters outside the Turkish Ambassador’s residence and calls for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. read statement
AHEPA Saddened Former PM Mitsotakis passed away; Condemns Letter Bomb Attack on Former PM Papademos
AHEPA is saddened with news of the passing of former Prime Minister of Greece Konstantinos Mitsotakis, announced Supreme President Andrew C. Zachariades.
"The AHEPA family conveys its sympathies and condolences to the family of former Prime Minister Mitsotakis and the people of Greece.," Zachariades said. "He will be remembered as a patriot, who fought against Nazi occupation of Greece and as a dedicated public servant and true statesman with seven decades of public service. Former Prime Minister Mitsotakis will also be remembered as a great friend to the United States and Europe. May his memory be eternal."
Separately, AHEPA condemned the heinous act of violence committed against former Prime Minister Lucas Papademos, who was a victim of a letter bomb attack while in his car on May 25. "The Order is relieved by news reports stating he is recovering well, and calls for the perpretrators to be brought to justice," Supreme President Zachariades said.
Rebuild St. Nicholas Campaign
AHEPA is determined to meet its Saint Nicholas Capital Campaign fund raising goal of $1 million. Donations--large and small--keep pouring in for AHEPA's #RebuildStNicholas capital campaign.
TAKE ACTION!
Has your district or chapter organized a fundraiser for the campaign to #RebuildStNicholas? Take action and support AHEPA's campaign today! Please tweet about your fundraising activity by using #RebuildStNicholas to share your work with the broader community!
Share Media
St. Nicholas Appeal Video
AHEPA has produced its latest appeal video to help #RebuildStNicholas.
TAKE ACTION: Donate Today!
MORE TO SHARE: Initial appeal video released at the 94th Grand Banquet!
Project Update
Live Webcam!
Thanks to a live webcam, you can watch progress being made with a first-hand look at the site where Saint Nicholas National Shrine will be build.
Washington Update
Bilirakis-led Letter Demanding Justice for Protesters Attacked by Turkish Security Detail Commended
AHEPA commends U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), co-chair, Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, for spearheading a letter, along with U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), chairman emeritus, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, to the Trump Administration demanding justice for the Americans attacked by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail. Forty U.S. representatives signed on to the bipartisan-backed letter that called for Turkish personnel based in the U.S. or Turkey who were involved in the attacks be expelled immediately and barred from entering the U.S. in the future.
Tell Congress to Back the Return of the Parthenon Marbles
AHEPA commends the introduction of H.Con.Res.51, a bipartisan, concurrent resolution that expresses the sense of Congress that the Parthenon Marbles should be returned to Greece. U.S. Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ) introduced the resolution, May 2.
Find & Urge Your U.S. Representative to Co-sponsor H.Con.Res.51, or call the U.S. Capitol switchboard, 202.224.3121.
It's a New Congress! Help Grow the Hellenic Caucus!
The 115th Congress is well underway. And with it, the work renews for the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, led by Co-chairs U.S. Reps. Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL) and Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY). The Hellenic Caucus has 123 members.
Is your U.S. representative a member of the Hellenic Caucus? Click here to find out.
Download & Share: Action alert to help you outreach to Congress
The Hellenic Caucus has been an active, bipartisan group in Congress since its founding in 1995.
Upcoming Events & Deadlines
July
25-29 | AHEPA Family 95th Supreme Convention, Orlando, Fla.
Greek American News Digest
Editor's Note: Editorials, Commentaries, and Opinion pieces are shared for information purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy positions of the Order of AHEPA, its affiliated organizations, and members.
Former Greek Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis dies
Associated Press (May 29)
Constantine Mitsotakis, a former conservative prime minister remembered for fierce confrontations with Greece’s liberal and socialist parties as well as early free-market reforms during a 60-year political career, died early Monday. He was 98. read more
Former Greek PM Papademos recovering well after booby-trap blast
CNBC via Reuters (May 26)
Former Greek prime minister Lucas Papademos was recovering well from injuries caused by a booby-trapped package exploding in his car on Thursday, with doctors saying he would stay in hospital for two more days. read more
Opinion: U.S. Veterans Use Greek Tragedy to Tell Us About War
New York Times (May 26)
The ancient Greeks didn’t go to the theater just to be entertained. Aristotle believed that audiences saw themselves reflected in tragic characters and that the very act of watching a character’s downfall helped purge them of emotions like pity and fear, a process he called catharsis or, roughly, “purification.” read more
ExxonMobil plans to invest 5 billion in Greek fossil fuels
Ekathimerini (May 27)
US oil major ExxonMobil plans to invest around 5 billion euros in the development of hydrocarbon deposits off Greek shores, Kathimerini understands.The company, whose former chairman and CEO Rex Tillerson was appointed US Secretary of State by President Donald Trump, will join the consortium between France’s Total and Hellenic Petroleum (ELPE) for the development of a 20,000-square-kilometer maritime area stretching from south of the Peloponnese to Greece’s southernmost island of Gavdos. read more
Turkey must show it means business on Cyprus talks, President says
Famagusta Gazette (May 29)
Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has said that the time has come for Turkey to show whether it means its rhetoric on wanting a solution of the Cyprus problem or whether, the parties would travel to Geneva for a Conference on Cyprus, merely to have an excursion. read more
Lanthimos, Philippou win joint Best Screenplay at Cannes festival
Ekathimerini (May 28)
Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou won their first distinction at the international film festival of Cannes, earning the Best Screenplay Award for the film “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” on Sunday. read more