Mikis Theodorakis
Sunday 08-05-2016
Dear friends, In Melbourne I first came in 1972 and the days, the hours and the moments spent there is indelibly etched in my memory.You think that you lived in the early days in exile. I probably was one of the first Greeks who stomped their foot in Australia. And for both of us, and for you and for me, it was the time of the junta and that was made so electrified those days.
Near the longing for the homeland that once you left, and added our common pain for the lost Republic, but while fanning our will to fight for freedom of the People and of our country. Then they impressed me two opposite things The first was your great difficulties of adapting to a foreign country and the second is the great solidarity of Australians in our struggle for the conquest of our Freedom.
Unions, celebrities and ordinary people showed in every way their love for Greece, which turned my concerts celebrations for Democracy, Freedom and Solidarity of our peoples. It was for you, you have encountered so many problems a great satisfaction and pleasure that you find in your new home there are many good people to see your future and your children’s future with great optimism. Xanailtha in Melbourne and admired they excel the Greeks and Greek Community has gained.
Appreciation and respect for your new compatriots. So is Greek … with the good is better and more with the evil worse. It seems that in foreign parts there is something that makes them achievers Greeks, while in our country are good losers and go for it now regain again en masse the way of foreign lands. And this time, unfortunately, leave us and the better minds are leaving. Young people who studied with so many sacrifices for our family and homeland, now offer their gifts to strangers.
I write with a heavy heart, because my life played a bad game: to see in my old age our people suffer. Let us hope and pray to be as soon as possible our beloved Fatherland happy, because it’s worth it. I think you to understand better and so I am very happy for the night that you offer me. Thank you and greet you with affection,
Mikis Theodorakis Athens, 08/25/2016
Polytechnic
Sunday 20-11-1016
On Sunday the 20/11/2016 at Democritus house in Northcote , a function took place to commemorate the 43rd year of the uprising of the Athens polytechnic that strived for education freedom and the right to live.The gathering authorised the coordinating committee to deliver a resolution of protest against the axing of Greek and Italian language studies at Northcote High School.This decision has caused a lot of concerns among the students, parents and teachers. The aim of NHS is to rob the migrant children of the right to be taught the language of their fathers, a language that is spoken in their homes.
We are concerned and disagree with NHS’s decision to axe the teaching of the Greek and Italian language in 2017.
We express our solidarity and unequivocally support the students that wish to be taught Greek and Italian at NHS .Furthermore we support the efforts initiated by the Greek and Italian community organisations , the parents and the prospective parents in seeking the reinstatement of teaching both languages in the curriculum for 2017 and beyond.
We support the need to establish a school languages committee ,as a sub committee of the school council with involvement and representation of teachers, parents and prospective parents ,to undertake a proper analysis of the issues involved in the proposed cutting of community languages , to oversee the consultation process and to make recommendations to the NHS council on a final decision following the consultation process.
We support that community languages should be taught in schools of the Victorian education system and in all of Australia.
We support the continuation of the 40 year long tradition in the teaching of both languages at NHS and that the transition from primary schools to NHS will not be interrupted.
We do not support that both ‘’ethnic languages ‘’could be taught in after hours ‘’ethnically motivated ‘’private or community fee paying schools as this goes against the principles of multiculturalism.
We are against the federal governments decision to introduce the teaching of French , Spanish, Mandarin and Arabic as this is clearly a discrimination against the languages that are currently taught.
We urge community organisations to actively engage in supporting the continuation of the teaching of the Greek and Italian language as they have been for the last 40 years.We urge parents and prospective parents of students at NHS to take an active part at the ‘’consultative meeting’’ on the 30/11/2016 6-7pm at the NHS library.(rsvp at email :challis.kate.e1@edumail.vic.gov.au)