The Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria, in cooperation with the General Secretariat of Hellenism Abroad and Public Diplomacy, announced the participation of 100 young people from Australia, aged 18 and over, in the Summer Camp that will be organized in Thessaloniki.

The programme will take place from 9-20 July 2022 and part of the participation of the Greek-Australian youth will be covered by the Greek Community of Melbourne.

Participants will have the opportunity to improve their skills in learning the Greek language, learn more about the Greek culture, and get to know the Greek cuisine. In addition, the camp activities will include guided tours to archaeological sites and museums inside and outside Thessaloniki (Vergina, Nymphaeum, Museum of Refugee Hellenism, etc.), traditional dance classes and many cultural events.

In addition, the young people who will participate in the 12-day summer camp programme will have the opportunity to attend the 1st Pan-Hispanic Medical Conference, which will be held on 15-17 July, the concert of Evanthia Reboutsika and a unique performance - tribute to Grigoris Bithikotsis entitled «100 years of Bithikotsis 1922-2022», curated by the two children of the great performer.

The President of the Community, Vassilis Papastergiadis, met with the Secretary General of Hellenism Abroad and Public Diplomacy, Mr. Ioannis Chrysoulakis, and the Australian Ambassador to Greece, Mr. Arthur Spyrou, to discuss this special initiative. During their meetings, it was stressed how important it is for Greek-Australian youth to participate in such cultural programs related to Greece as they help young people to come closer and understand their homeland.

Regarding the Summer Cultural Programme of the camp, Mr Papastergiadis said: «This is a great opportunity to put in place the mechanism to create the space to create young leaders in our community.This initiative will strengthen their interest in the Greek language and develop the relationship between the Melbourne Community and the student councils. The program will be available to all young people living in every corner of Australia.».

Secretary General of Hellenism Abroad & Public Diplomacy Ioannis Chrysoulakis said: «The General Secretariat of Hellenism Abroad and Public Diplomacy will support the hosting of young people from Australia in the program organized by the Hellenic Community of Melbourne and the Christian Youth Brotherhood of Thessaloniki (CHANTH).The objectives of the program are to learn the Greek language, contact with the Greek culture, the presence of young people at the 1st World Pan-Hellenic Medical Congress, the development of ties with the motherland».

Part of the cost of the Camp will be covered jointly by the Greek Community of Melbourne and the General Secretariat of Hellenism Abroad and Public Diplomacy.

«We are very excited to be able to move forward with this initiative. It is really an opportunity to create opportunities for the younger generations to enrich their knowledge of the history and culture of Greece. When we discussed with Mr. Ioannis Chrysoulakis about the proposal to involve the youth of the Community in this Summer Programme, we felt that it is really an excellent initiative. So we proposed to fund part of their participation in order to give these young people the opportunity to visit Greece and improve their knowledge of the Greek language.».

The Australian Ambassador to Greece, Arthur Spyrou, underlined how important this programme is for young people. «I am grateful that the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria is working with the General Secretariat for Hellenism Abroad and Public Diplomacy to enable the participation of young Greek Australians in this important programme. Such initiatives help participants to learn more about the culture and history of Greece, to learn the Greek language and to strengthen human ties with their peers in Greece. In addition, human-centred ties and friendship between the two countries are strengthened as these two elements are the basic foundation of the Greek-Australian society. I wish all participants of the programme to have a pleasant experience during their visit to Greece».