On May 27-30 the Pan-Macedonian Association’s 64th Convention was successfully held in Chicago Illinois. Consul General in Chicago Anastasios Petrovas, former Foreign Undersecretary and now Secretary for Greeks Abroad of New Democracy Dr. Panagiotis Skandalakis, Mr. George Papastergiou Prefect of Pieria and President of the Greek Secretariat of the International Foundation of Alexander the Great, Greek-American Senator of the State of Rhodes Island Leonidas Raptakis, Secretary of World SAE Dr. Olga Sarantopoulos, Mr. Theodore Spyropoulos, Coordinator of SAE in North and South America and Mr. Christos Tomaras former SAE Coordinator of North and South America attended the Convention. They all greeted the delegates, stressing the important work of the Pan Association USA throughout the time.
Dr. Ted Galen Carpenter of CATO Institute, Dr. Chris Karatzios and Marcus A. Templar, experts in the Balkans and the problems arising from the region were the contributors of the convention’s academic panel.
Mrs. Nina Gatzoulis, the outgoing president of the organization, expressed the Association’s members concern as well as the concern of the rest of the Diaspora "that there should not be any negotiations regarding major national issues amid the current financial crisis, because right now Greece is in a weak position”. This message said Mrs. Gatzoulis “should be transferred to the Greek government”.
The Macedonians Archbishop Demetrios of North America who is also Honorary President of the Pan-Macedonian Association USA, was the keynote speaker during the banquet on May 29, expressed similar positions and stressed that there should be no negotiations on issues of national consistency, while Greece is in a weak position due to the economic crisis. The Archbishop stressed the important role that the Association had on the FYROM issue and encouraged the Macedonians to continue the struggle for the vindication of historical truth.
Chicago’s Metropolitan Iakovos also greeted the Macedonians and expressed his support to the efforts of the Pan-Macedonian Association USA. Also Dr. Ilias Tomazos President of PAIDEIA honored the convention by his presence.
The composition of the new executive committee is as follows:
Dr. Antonios Papadopoulos-Supreme President
Dr. Panagiotis Baltatzis-Supreme Vice-President
Efstathios Pilidis-President of Youth
Demetrios Chatzis-Supreme Secretary
Kostas Hatzistefanidis-Supreme Treasurer
Legal Council-Theodoros Vassilakis and Demetris Ioannidis
Mrs. Nina Gatzoulis stays as President of the Committee of World Pan-Macedonian Associations.
The attached resolutions were approved by the convention:
RESOLUTION
The Pan-Macedonian Association of the USA in a duly convened meeting at its 64th National Convention held from May 27 to 30 in Chicago, Il, decided the following:
1. We shall never accept, for the country of The FYROM, any name that will include the term Macedonia or any of its derivatives.
2. The Pan-Macedonian Association expects from the Greek Government, the Political Leadership of Greece, the United States Government, and the rest of the International Community that the final agreed upon name of the country of The FYROM, should clearly differentiate the residents of that country from us, the Macedonians.
3. The name Macedonia is unquestionably a historical and cultural heritage of Greece. The history of Macedonia and particularly its name are NOT NEGOTIABLE and as a paternal legacy cannot be ceded to third parties.
4. The permanent name of the country of The FYROM should express its multiethnic composition and thus shall permit all its inhabitants to co-exist peacefully.
5. We demand that the people of Hellenic origin residing in The FYROM be accorded all their human rights.
6. The Macedonian identity is historically and culturally Hellenic. We do not accept any concept of a “Macedonian” ethnicity and “Macedonian” language.
7. It is our sacred duty to continue our struggle for the rights of Macedonia. History demands it.
8. In the event that the final agreed upon name of the FYROM includes the term “Macedonia” or its derivatives, should be ratified by a referendum by the Greek people.
9. The final agreed upon name of the FYROM should be reflected in it is constitution.
10. We fully support the existence of a country north of Greece with the interim name of The FYROM. We support its efforts to join the EU and NATO, provided its official name does not include the term "Macedonia" or its derivatives. Further, we harbor no animosity or any ill feelings towards its citizens or its Diaspora. Furthermore we expect good neighboring relations to an additional criterion for its Euro-Atlantic integration.
DECLARATION
The Pan-Macedonian Association of the USA in a duly convened meeting at its 64th National Convention held from May 27 to 30, 2010 at Chicago, IL declares the following:
1. We demand that the continuous irredentist propaganda emanating from The FYROM, including the falsification of the Hellenic heritage of Macedonia, stops immediately.
2. We shall never accept an Orthodox Church with the term "Macedonia" or its derivatives in its name.
3. We oppose the use of the name Republic of “Macedonia” in any legal document within the Hellenic Republic, or by Hellenic interests worldwide.
4. We condemn terrorism in all of its forms.
5. Turkey must respect the territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, which is a full EU member. Turkey must immediately remove all its occupation troops, it must remove the illegal settlers who were brought to Cyprus from the mainland of Turkey, return all properties to the rightful owners and make all due reparations to the Cypriots.
6. We regard the continued discriminatory acts, rules, and policy of Turkey towards the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, a violation of freedom of religion which is inconsistent with that country's aspirations to become a member of the European Union. We demand the reopening of the Theological School of Halki, the restoration of the confiscated property of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the respect for the property rights of Hellenes in Constantinople. The recent decision by the Turkish Supreme Court rejecting the ecumenicity of the Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople is contrary to European Union Laws.
7. We demand recognition by the U.S.A. and Turkish governments of the genocides against the Armenian, Assyrian as well as the Hellenic peoples.
8. We condemn the continuous violations of the Greek territorial space by Turkey.
9. We expect from the Republic of Bulgaria the return of the Holy Relics that were removed from the monasteries of Drama and Serres.
10. We demand the return of the Parthenon Marbles to the place of their origin.
11. The Kalash of the northern Himalayan region of the Hindu Kush Mountains of Pakistan are Hellenic descendants of the armies of Alexander the Great. The Kalash Indigenous people have sustained their ancient culture and traditions since the 4th century B.C., yet they are in danger of extinction. Being our Hellenic Macedonian brothers and sisters, we support their efforts to sustain their ethnic values and identity.
12. We support the Kalash proposal to “Bring the Glory Back” which is, to apply the rule of Law of Alexander the Great, as the guideline for the Security Council of the United Nations”.
13. The retrieval of bones of Greek soldiers, who fell in the battlefield during WWII battles in the mountains of Northern Epirus, is not an economic transaction, but a humanitarian issue and our national duty. The road of Albania to the European Union requires the RESPECT of Human, Political, Cultural, Religious and Educational Rights of the Greek minority.
14. The Albanians should cease all propaganda regarding the Chams if Albania is to proceed in its European integration.
15. We express our gratitude to the 364 University Professors for their declaration of historical truth.
16. The Greek Parliament should not ratify any agreement for the admission of the FYROM into NATO or the European Union even under any name that includes the term “Macedonia” or its derivatives.
17. We agree with the decision of the Greek Political Leaders of 1992, which excluded the name of Macedonia or any of its derivatives from any future name of “The FYROM”.
It was not until 1988 that Northern Greece was renamed to Macedonia. I grew up with Greeks in the city, and each and every one of them denied the very existence of Macedonia or Macedonians.
ReplyDeleteHere is food for thought... if a so called "Greek" from Northern Greece spoke Macedonian, what does that tell you? It's simple, the people of Northern Greece are Macedonian and were forced to learn and speak Greek. The land belongs to Macedonia and the people that lived there were oppressed by the government.
U should be more concerned with the native scamers that put your country in a 'Hellenic' hole and less concerned with facts attempting to validate 3000 years. Just because your parents and grand parents are telling you a story does not make it true. It is now the year 2010 and you are lingering around historical data that will not help the Hellenic economic situation or it's people, accept for the directors, vested in this ridiculous 'pan-fried' organization.
ReplyDelete- Macedonian
Let us start with the first Mr. Anonymous.
ReplyDeleteYou claim that:
A."It was not until 1988 that Northern Greece was renamed to Macedonia."
I do not know where you are getting your facts my friend but I would demand my money back from them. What happened in Greece in 1988 is that the Ministry of Northern Greece (Ypourgeion Boreiou Ellados) was renamed into Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace (Ypourgeion Makedonias-Thrakis). Skopian propagandists came up with this bogus issue to confuse their own diaspora, but anyone who lived and grew up in Greece is to say the least puzzled by this baseless claim. Otherwise, ever since Macedonia and Thrace have been taken over from the Ottomans after the Balkans wars, both areas are called exactly that: MAKEDONIA & THRAKI.
You also claim: "I grew up with Greeks in the city, (Which city? Be specific, we are not going to bite you. MB) and each and every one of them denied the very existence of Macedonia or Macedonians."
If you are speaking of FYROM, when you are talking about "Macedonia", then yes, all Greeks have an issue with that. Macedonia is a northern province in modern Greece that corresponds by about 90% with Macedonia of the ancient times. The only areas of FYROM that were clearly Macedonian are the Heracleia-Monastiri-Bitola areas. The rest of FYROM is clearly Dardanian and Paeonian. Greeks are right to refuse the claim of Sjopje about naming Dardanopaionia into Macedonia. Consequently, "each and every one of them (Greeks that you grew up with) denied the very existence of...Macedonians" maybe the way you presented the issue is what prompted their denial. It is obvious that to Greeks the notion of an "ethnic" Macedonian is as absurd as the notion of an "ethnic Californian" would be to an American, especially when the alleged "Macedonian" does not even live in Macedonia proper. A different name will have to do.
To my friend who claims to be a fellow Makedonas. You say:
ReplyDelete"U should be more concerned with the native scamers that put your country in a 'Hellenic' hole and less concerned with facts attempting to validate 3000 years."
I would say you would be right, if this was an "Invest in the Greek Economy" blog, but you opened a Macedonian issues blog. Sorry for the discomfort.
Now as far as "being concerned with facts", this is what I do my friend, I am concerned purely with facts, not fiction, like Tendov and Boshevski, Gandeto or Donski.
There is nothing I can do, personally, if the Greek economy is marching towards a 15% unemployment (now it has 11%), as I am sure there is nothing you can do for the 33% unemployment currently in FYROM. The Greek government is struggling to put the economy and the political system in order. What is Gruevski doing about the plight of your compatriots, besides foolishly spending 15 million dollars for the statues of Alexandros in Skopje?
You also say:
"Just because your parents and grand parents are telling you a story does not make it true."
Again, if I were speaking here of what disasters befell both sides of my family when they were expelled by the Bulgarian occupation army towards Nazi-occupied Greece in 1942, for being Greeks and refusing to sign the ya sam Bugarin declarations, then I would say you have a point. My paternal grandfather, incidentally fought the Bulgarians not only in Skra but in skirmishes with Komitadjis in the Florina-Monastiri area. But this was still back in the era when your grand parents had no clue of their makedonskata identity: they were still Bugari, or am I wrong? At any rate, in this blog I am solely concerned with the WELL DOCUMENTED HISTORY of MAKEDONIA, and nothing else. I have been busy answering the historical falsifications and revisionism of some of the most notorious Skopjan propagandists. The task has been easy, not because I or others like me are smarter or better informed but because we stay close to the facts while they search for ways to falsify and twist historical accuracy, divulging in pseudohistorical fantasy and ethnomythological fiction. They are obviously doing a criminal disservice to your young nation. You cannot lie to EVERYONE, ALL the time, after all...
Finally, on "the Hellenic economic situation or it's people", if I were you, i would light a big candle in your lo9cal church for the quick recovery of the vigor of Greek Economy, not for its sake, but for the sake of the people of FYROM. Otherwise, you run the risk of sounding like the guy who is overjoyed at the prospect of the sinking of the boat on which he is resting. Have you read the news about the decreased revenue from exports into Greece and the dramatic cuts in visits to the Gevgeli adn other FYROM cazinos, or the companies that Greeks were operating in FYROM that are now closing because of lower demands in Greece? Now, thinking again about this, I would say, start lighting a candle a week, for the recovery of the Greek Economy, if you REALLY love FYROM.
Attempt at creating a logical case #1:
ReplyDeleteHere is food for thought... if a so called "Greek" from Northern Greece spoke Macedonian, what does that tell you? It's simple, the people of Northern Greece are Macedonian and were forced to learn and speak Greek. The land belongs to Macedonia and the people that lived there were oppressed by the government.
Attempt at creating a logical case #2:
Here is food for thought...if a so called "American" from California spoke Spanish, what does that tell you? It's simple, the people of West coast in the USA are Mexican and were forced to learn and speak English. The land belongs to Mexico and the people that lived there were oppressed by the government.
greek lies , nothing but greek lies !
ReplyDeleteAccusations are cheap, if you think we write lies, you need to bring the proof. Whatever we write here has, if nothing else, SOLID documentation behind it, not outlandish claims like the ones propagated the Skopje regime apologists.
ReplyDeleteSo, then, by all means, if you have a point to make, make it! We'll publish it.
The comments here are priceless. I wonder when they're going to realize that the 'Macedonia only since 1988 in Greece' or 'united Macedonia that was divived' business is bunk. Probably never...
ReplyDeleteNo one reads the history of Greece and the Greeks that was all over the European continent. They did not left names that created a problem in the history later on but left a big history behind and you can see that even today if you travel the Mediterranean side of Europe you see the history of the Greeks that was there then.
ReplyDelete