Post by Wayne Hall on Feb 11, 2024 5:25:26 GMT -5
www.aeginaportal.gr/eidiseis/omilies/36958-ekdilosi-me-aformi-tin-epeteio-tis-gennisis-tou-ioanni-kapodistria-omilites-o-k-giorgos-kontogiorgis-kai-o-k-andreas-koykos.html
Despite the Mr. Bean elements (e.g. my holding Sofia Sfyroera's book upside down) Aegina Portal's assessment that the Aegina Active Citizens' and Aegina Women's Association function of 10th February 2024 on the present-day relevance of modern Greece's first leader Ioannis Capodistrias was successful was, I think, accurate. Georgios Kontogeorgis presented Capodistrias' case in a way that will persuade Greek audiences and Andreas Koukos' high velocity sequel has the potential, particularly when translated, to win additional support outside of Greece, as is desirable given the invitations to speak in Australia he has recently received.
Allow me to translate my brief introduction: "Fifteen years ago, here in Aegina, the name of Capodistrias was linked with the project of European integration. The first formulation was introduced by Andreas Koukos and took the form of a network of Capodistrian cities, European cities associated with Capodistrias: Aegina, Corfu, Nafplion, Famagusta in Cyprus, birthplace of his mother, Koper-Kapo d'Istria in Slovenia, Vienna, St. Petersburg. And not only. The proposal was also projected by the mayor of Aegina of the time, Mr. Panagiotis Koukoulis. The author Sofia Sfyroera, noted inter alia for her book "Aegina: first capital of modern Greece" declared in a videoed interview
(minute 11) with the then president of Aegina Active Citizens Association Stratos Pantavos that the vision of European Integration existed 200 years ago in the thinking of Ioannis Capodistrias.
Apart from the two Capodistrias-Spinelli-Europe conferences in 2008 and 2009, in the years that followed many other public functions were organized around Capodistrian themes. Perhaps the most striking and controversial was that of 23rd June 2013
(minute 26) with key speaker the late Giulietto Chiesa, the former Europarliamentarian (transcript of planned talk: halva.proboards.com/thread/246/text-chiesas-original-speech-aegina). What Giulietto Chiesa would have said if he had lived through more than the first month of what the planet has seen since March 2020 is difficult to imagine. But in any case in the summer just past (of 2023) Stratos Pantavos reminded us of a small part of the trajectory made visible in our functions. And in the winter just past, a year ago, Andreas Koukos asked the question "Is the message of Capodistrias still alive?". Tonight he has brought reinforcement, a man with whom he is united by long-standing esteem and affection, professor Giorgos Kontogeorgis. Together tonight these two gentlemen will address the question "How relevant today are the ideas of Capodistrias?"
In the present unimaginably dramatic world situation attention on a European statesman nearly two hundred years dead, even in the age of Davos and the World Economic Forum and even if credited with as powerfully symbolic an achievement as the framing of the constitution of Switzerland, may look like a diversion. But one current obstacle to effective action by the forces of rationality and sanity is the split between those comprehending, and willing to admit to themselves, and then perhaps acnowledge publicly, the enormity of today's realities, but also displaying few signs of willingness and/or capacity, for leadership, and the very many competent people still trapped, or adamant, in prolonging a stance of denial.
Two inputs to be taken onboard:
1. From India: www.globalresearch.ca/letter-from-india-stop-world-health-organizations-pandemic-preparedness-tyranny/5843525
2. From New Zealand: mailchi.mp/nzloyal/newsletter3?e=5e0eb09b31
W. Hall