Dear friends,
I would like to congratulate the World Pontian Youth Coordinating Committee (PASEPON) and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki for organizing, with the support of the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad and under the Auspices of the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO, the World Olympiad for Modern Greek and, at the same time, wish all participants best of luck.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
when Elytis published his ‘Axion Esti’ in 1959 he depicted the timeliness of the Greek language, from Homer to Byzantium and from there on to Solomos, in a poetic manner through ‘Greek the language they gave me [...] My only care my language on Homer’s shores [...] sweet psalms with the very first Glory Be to Thee! My only care my language with the very first Glory to Thee!’ and then in 1979, in one of his best texts, the actual speech he made before ‘the Academy in Stockholm’, the poet noted and I quote: ‘Dear friends, it has been granted to me to write in a language that is spoken only by a few million people; but a language spoken without interruption, with very few differences, throughout, for more than two thousand five hundred years. [...] If language was just a simple means of communication, there would not be any problem. But it happens at times that it is also an instrument of magic.’ And it encodes values.
Without a grain of conceit, the Greek language contributed in a defining manner to global intellectual life. Characterized by wholeness, musicality and plasticity it is the only language capable of rendering with admirable clarity, the most profound essence of all human intellectual creations. Just like a living organism, the Greek language tends to gradually evolve through time, adjusts to historical, social and political mutations and reflect the specificities of each era.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
we aspire to actually having the first World Olympiad for Greek Language, which taking place this year, in the context of celebrating the Aristotle Anniversary Year on the soil that bore and nurtured the philosopher, shall mark the start of a new tradition and shall become an institution to not only help raise global awareness and interest in the Greek language and culture but also build new bridges to connect us to the most vibrant segment of our diaspora, young men and women.
And parallel to that we, both the State and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are introducing new institutions to showcase and promote our language and linguistic wealth, starting with the World Day for Greek language and culture, then upgrading Modern Greek Studies’ Professorships, having the bill on Greek education abroad adopted the day before yesterday, following months of preparation and hard work, overall with a view to preserving the singular linguistic and cultural identity of Greeks abroad as well as facilitating their adjustment to a different cultural environment capitalizing on education and training facilities that exist in the host-country while acknowledging and recognizing all types of Greek-speaking education abroad and respectively offering support to enhance them.
In addition, a Standing Committee shall be formally established to keep abreast of and promote the work of higher education agencies abroad as well as the work of staff seconded to them.
On a final note, let me assure you that you will always have our support in all of your actions that promote the Greek language and culture.
Thank you.
September 2, 2016