Australian Macedonian Advisory Council
November 27, 2009
Dear Editor,
We (The Australian Macedonian Advisory Council) are writing to you regarding two pages of your online encyclopedia, under the section “Countries of the world”. As an Australian-Greek organization we are extremely disappointed with the sections aforementioned, as in the first article “Countries of the world – Greece” you incorrectly refer to the ethnic composition (under Demography) of 1.8% “Macedonian”. Greece does not recognize any such minority in its borders, as there are already 2.2 million Greek Macedonians who already refer to themselves as Greeks firstly and Macedonians secondly – just like people from Athens refer to themselves as Greeks firstly and Athenians secondly. This is a huge blunder on your behalf, as you have quoted your source as a year 2000 unofficial source. An OFFICIAL source is already available for your use (provided by the Hellenic Republic), and shown in the CIA Factbook – Greece (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gr.html) and throughout many other sources.
The second page in question is the page titled “Countries of the world – Macedonia”, in which you incorrectly use a blurb which states: “DId you know? – In Plutarch’s classic history of Alexander The Great, he claims that the famous Macedonian general was tutored as a youth by none other than Aristotle.” The fact that you present is indeed correct (i.e. Alexander The Great was tutored by Aristotle), but this fact has nothing in common with the country that you are associating it with i.e. The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). The region of ancient Macedonia (the land of Alexander the Great) is in Greece, as confirmed by many classical scholars, including the 356 scholars involved with the “Macedonia Evidence Initiative” (www. macedonia-evidence.org). Alexander The Great was born in Pella (coordinates 40°45′36″N 22°31′09″E / 40.76°N 22.51917°E) and his father was born in Aegai (coordiantes 40°28′42″N 22°19′19″E). The Australian Macedonian Advisory Council (AMAC) demands an explaination as to why an unofficial source was quoted in the “Countries of the world – Greece” page, and why a blurb as such has been associated with the FYROM. A correction to both of these pages is quite necessary on your behalf. We patiently await your reply.
Please refer to:
(http://www.history-of-macedonia.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10001/britanicaalmanac2010.jpg) and
(http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/2069/pagesfrombritannica2010.jpg) for clarification.
Thanking you,
Australian Macedonian Advisory Council
info@macedonian.com.au
http://www.macedonian.com.au/
www.macedonian.com.au/forum
Friday, November 27, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The creation of UNSCOB and its investigation into the question of the "paidomazoma "(Greek Abducted Children)
The Greek question was brought before the Security Council of the United Nations three times during 1946. The first two debates, which were occasioned by complaints from the Soviet Union and the Ukraine respectively, ended inconclusively.[1] The third debate followed an appeal by the Greek Government, made on 3rd December 1946 after detailed consultations with the United States, that the Secretary-General "give early consideration to a situation which was leading to friction between Greece and her neighbours". [2]
On 19th December 1946 the Security Council established a commission of investigation, but the report which was presented by this body on 23rd May 1947 was not unanimous, the western members supporting the views of the Greek Government, while the representatives of the Soviet Union and Poland rejected the findings of the majority. During the following debates in the Security Council, resolutions from both sides were defeated by vetoes, and the matter again ended in stalemate.[3]
The question was then brought by the United States before the General Assembly where there ....
On 19th December 1946 the Security Council established a commission of investigation, but the report which was presented by this body on 23rd May 1947 was not unanimous, the western members supporting the views of the Greek Government, while the representatives of the Soviet Union and Poland rejected the findings of the majority. During the following debates in the Security Council, resolutions from both sides were defeated by vetoes, and the matter again ended in stalemate.[3]
The question was then brought by the United States before the General Assembly where there ....
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Fictitious Academia: Political activism, covered in academic cloak in the University of Utah
By Nina Gatzoulis*
The presentations of the majority of the academics participating in the 7th “Macedonian”- North American Conference on “Macedonian” Studies at the University of Utah that took place from November 5-7, 2009, amounted to an anti-Hellenic delirium. The Universities of Utah and Chicago jointly organized the conference, in cooperation with the United “Macedonian” Diaspora (UMD) of Skopje based in Washington D.C.
Most of the presenters, with a few exceptions, aimed to launch an aggressive propaganda attack against Greece, presenting their views without scientific and academic research criteria, without references to sources thereby promoting unilateral research.
Dr. Vasiliki Neofotistos in her presentation “Alexander the Great and the mythic lands”, implied that ...educator Thanasis Lerounis approached the Kalash tribe in Afghanistan through an education program, funded by Greek ministries and thus created the myth of the Kalash as descendants of the soldiers of Alexander the Great. However, she claimed that “Macedonia” approached the tribe of the Hunza in 2008 on private initiative. Dr. Neofotistos used the term “Macedonia” freely, rather than the Republic of “Macedonia,” creating the impression that the entire region of Macedonia (in Greece, Bulgaria, and Albania) belongs to Skopje. Dr. Neofotistos referred to FYROM as “Macedonia”, and she only named the Slavs as “Macedonians”, while the Albanians citizens of “Macedonia” were referred as “the Albanians”, which is academically unacceptable.
The presentations of the majority of the academics participating in the 7th “Macedonian”- North American Conference on “Macedonian” Studies at the University of Utah that took place from November 5-7, 2009, amounted to an anti-Hellenic delirium. The Universities of Utah and Chicago jointly organized the conference, in cooperation with the United “Macedonian” Diaspora (UMD) of Skopje based in Washington D.C.
Most of the presenters, with a few exceptions, aimed to launch an aggressive propaganda attack against Greece, presenting their views without scientific and academic research criteria, without references to sources thereby promoting unilateral research.
Dr. Vasiliki Neofotistos in her presentation “Alexander the Great and the mythic lands”, implied that ...educator Thanasis Lerounis approached the Kalash tribe in Afghanistan through an education program, funded by Greek ministries and thus created the myth of the Kalash as descendants of the soldiers of Alexander the Great. However, she claimed that “Macedonia” approached the tribe of the Hunza in 2008 on private initiative. Dr. Neofotistos used the term “Macedonia” freely, rather than the Republic of “Macedonia,” creating the impression that the entire region of Macedonia (in Greece, Bulgaria, and Albania) belongs to Skopje. Dr. Neofotistos referred to FYROM as “Macedonia”, and she only named the Slavs as “Macedonians”, while the Albanians citizens of “Macedonia” were referred as “the Albanians”, which is academically unacceptable.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tragedies of the abducted Greek children of 1948: the reality of the FYROM claims
It was in the month of November 61 years ago when the United Nations issued a resolution condemning the abduction of the Greek children. The text of the resolution and its context have been presented in my last article. The tragic stories of the abducted children that follow defy belief.
Last week a conference took place at the University of Utah, sponsored by the United Pseudo-Macedonia Diaspora (UMD), a lobby group campaigning against "Greek atrocities" in Cyprus and other out of touch with reality issues. There was....
Saturday, November 14, 2009
A war crime against Greek children portrayed as a Greek crime against "Macedonians" (FYROM, Greece)
by Tymphaios
November 12, 2009
americanchronicle.com
In a recent visit to Australia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) prime minister Nikola Gruevski spoke to FYROM expatriates about the inability for them to live freely in their FYROMacedonian motherland in Greece and Bulgaria: "Macedonians (sic) in Australia are enjoying a unique opportunity to live together with their compatriots of Aegean and Pirin Macedonia, which does not happen in our motherland". At the same time extremists such as Risto Stefov are accusing Greece of a war atrocity: expelling up to 50,000 "Macedonians" from Greece during the Greek civil war in 1946-49. These are presumably the FYROMacedonians now living in Australia free, while it is not possible to do so in the FYROMacedonian motherland - in Greece and Bulgaria.
These are extraordinary statements. Indeed there were even various documentaries (eg. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVCZTmXR1h0, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOFcR2yTKN8) full of hate and a tearful song sung by a seductive lady produced in FYROM since Gruevski was elected Prime-Minister, portraying refuges from Macedonia arriving in Yugoslavia in 1949. These documentaries show orphaned children in the custody of foster "mothers" offloaded from trains. The videos were uploaded on YouTube with English translations, accompanied by inflammatory statements such as :
November 12, 2009
americanchronicle.com
In a recent visit to Australia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) prime minister Nikola Gruevski spoke to FYROM expatriates about the inability for them to live freely in their FYROMacedonian motherland in Greece and Bulgaria: "Macedonians (sic) in Australia are enjoying a unique opportunity to live together with their compatriots of Aegean and Pirin Macedonia, which does not happen in our motherland". At the same time extremists such as Risto Stefov are accusing Greece of a war atrocity: expelling up to 50,000 "Macedonians" from Greece during the Greek civil war in 1946-49. These are presumably the FYROMacedonians now living in Australia free, while it is not possible to do so in the FYROMacedonian motherland - in Greece and Bulgaria.
These are extraordinary statements. Indeed there were even various documentaries (eg. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVCZTmXR1h0, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOFcR2yTKN8) full of hate and a tearful song sung by a seductive lady produced in FYROM since Gruevski was elected Prime-Minister, portraying refuges from Macedonia arriving in Yugoslavia in 1949. These documentaries show orphaned children in the custody of foster "mothers" offloaded from trains. The videos were uploaded on YouTube with English translations, accompanied by inflammatory statements such as :
Stifling the Cry of Irene at the "7th Macedonian-North American Conference" -A case of nuanced censorship through dehumanization and disentitlement*
As someone who has vehemently opposed from the outset any form of political interference with the "7th Macedonian-North American Conference" at the University of Utah (November 5-8, 2009), I am obliged to report an incident, which, in my view, infringes on the right to freedom of speech.
Irene Damopoulou-Karatzios, an expatriate bilingual Greek Macedonian, who was present at the conference, was allegedly disallowed, by Professor Loring Danforth, the speaker of one of the presentations, to express a dissenting perspective (during the allotted Q&A period) concerning a local Slavonic dialect spoken in the Kastoria region of Greek Macedonia but most importantly, to offer a personal account of her very own childhood experiences dating back to the fateful days of "Παιδομάζωμα", i.e., the "Evacuation" or "Abduction" of Children (depending on different perspectives) during the Greek Civil War (1946-49)[1].
Even though I was not physically present at the conference, I have had the opportunity to speak on this matter with Mrs. Damopoulou-Karatzios, whom I know personally and deeply respect. I believe that....
Irene Damopoulou-Karatzios, an expatriate bilingual Greek Macedonian, who was present at the conference, was allegedly disallowed, by Professor Loring Danforth, the speaker of one of the presentations, to express a dissenting perspective (during the allotted Q&A period) concerning a local Slavonic dialect spoken in the Kastoria region of Greek Macedonia but most importantly, to offer a personal account of her very own childhood experiences dating back to the fateful days of "Παιδομάζωμα", i.e., the "Evacuation" or "Abduction" of Children (depending on different perspectives) during the Greek Civil War (1946-49)[1].
Even though I was not physically present at the conference, I have had the opportunity to speak on this matter with Mrs. Damopoulou-Karatzios, whom I know personally and deeply respect. I believe that....
Anti-Hellenic movie “A Name is a Name” playing in FYROM diaspora festival
At the so-called “Macedonian Film Festival” in Toronto. Made by a small European film company with the heavy support of the Skopje government and its allies and lobbies, and by its political party “Rainbow” (Grk: Ouranio Toxo) in Greece, it will be distributed throughout North America in coming weeks. It attempts to depict Greece as a human-rights-abuser
It projects a fictitious story of a Skopjian-American marine “Nick Stoyan” being tortured by skinhead look-alike Greek officials. In an attempt to dupe American viewers its has images of the American flag interweaved with the Star of Vergina.
One YouTube trailer we located says “Ellada the other Greece”
“A Name is a Name: A film about a Nation held hostage because of its name.”
http://www.anameisaname.com/
Here is the offensive Anti-Hellenic You Tube trailer in English:
You Tube: Nick Stoyan, eng
by Hellenic League of America (HLA)
It projects a fictitious story of a Skopjian-American marine “Nick Stoyan” being tortured by skinhead look-alike Greek officials. In an attempt to dupe American viewers its has images of the American flag interweaved with the Star of Vergina.
One YouTube trailer we located says “Ellada the other Greece”
“A Name is a Name: A film about a Nation held hostage because of its name.”
http://www.anameisaname.com/
Here is the offensive Anti-Hellenic You Tube trailer in English:
You Tube: Nick Stoyan, eng
by Hellenic League of America (HLA)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
The FYROM name issue
In its current form, the FYROM name issue arose in 1991, when FYROM declared its independence under the name Republic of Macedonia.
Historically, the Greek name Macedonia refers to....
Thursday, November 05, 2009
The truth about "United Macedonian Diaspora"
This is a Q & A for those having difficulties comprehending what was posted in my previous messages.
Online version: http://paste2.org/p/500624
In both cases, beware of folding links - or just get the pdf (end of the Q & A).
=========START=========
The truth about "United Macedonian Diaspora" - Q & A
Q: What happened?
Online version: http://paste2.org/p/500624
In both cases, beware of folding links - or just get the pdf (end of the Q & A).
=========START=========
The truth about "United Macedonian Diaspora" - Q & A
Q: What happened?
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
The President of the Hellenic Republic on the FYROM Name Issue
In his address at the lunch in honor of the UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon in Athens on November 4, 2009 the President of the Hellenic Republic Karolos Papoulias in regard to the issue of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYRoM) noted: “The problem is simple. The geographical area of Macedonia is since the Middle Ages a multiethnic region. It is not the homeland of one single nation.
The tort of Skopje is that while as a state and an ethnicity is a Part, it portrays itself as if it is the Whole. They call their country ‘Macedonia’, their ethnicity and language ‘macedonian’, because through these names they are trying to register mortgages in all of Macedonia. The rhetoric for the great macedonian dismembered homeland is serving this view. “
The President made clear that Greece is not seeking to baptize the neighboring state, but resists to this attempt of usurpation.
“We support a composite name with a geographical qualifier for the state that is for all uses, with the exclusive aim of the names to reflect the reality of the region so as to act as a factor of good neighborhood and not as a factor that poisons the bilateral relations and the climate in the wider region.”
“Good neighborly relations between countries are not built on outstanding issues” said the President, with a particular reference to his personal efforts as a foreign minister.
“We signed the Interim Agreement in 1995 just to give the possibility to find in a consensual climate a compromise to be grounded in the reality of the region. Unfortunately, Skopje turned the planned negotiation to a speculation process.
As a result, Greece has no choice but to set as a condition for the membership of the fYRoM in the European Union and the NATO, a mutually acceptable solution. As long as this outstanding issue finds no solution, Greece cannot give its consent. “
“fYRoM itself has the key to its integration into the Euro-Atlantic institutions” he concluded.
The tort of Skopje is that while as a state and an ethnicity is a Part, it portrays itself as if it is the Whole. They call their country ‘Macedonia’, their ethnicity and language ‘macedonian’, because through these names they are trying to register mortgages in all of Macedonia. The rhetoric for the great macedonian dismembered homeland is serving this view. “
The President made clear that Greece is not seeking to baptize the neighboring state, but resists to this attempt of usurpation.
“We support a composite name with a geographical qualifier for the state that is for all uses, with the exclusive aim of the names to reflect the reality of the region so as to act as a factor of good neighborhood and not as a factor that poisons the bilateral relations and the climate in the wider region.”
“Good neighborly relations between countries are not built on outstanding issues” said the President, with a particular reference to his personal efforts as a foreign minister.
“We signed the Interim Agreement in 1995 just to give the possibility to find in a consensual climate a compromise to be grounded in the reality of the region. Unfortunately, Skopje turned the planned negotiation to a speculation process.
As a result, Greece has no choice but to set as a condition for the membership of the fYRoM in the European Union and the NATO, a mutually acceptable solution. As long as this outstanding issue finds no solution, Greece cannot give its consent. “
“fYRoM itself has the key to its integration into the Euro-Atlantic institutions” he concluded.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Papandreou and Gruevski meet
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and Nikola Gruevski, his counterpart from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), met for half an hour on the sidelines of the European Union summit in Brussels on Thursday.
It was the first meeting between the two since Papandreou took over as Prime Minister and the first meeting between prime ministers of the two countries since March 2006.
Both agreed that a mutually acceptable solution to the name dispute is a priority for both countries. In conversation with Mr. Gruevski, Mr. Papandreou is reported to have said that Greece intends to play a leading role in the EU accession of southeastern European states but that a resolution of the name dispute which respects Greece’s positions of a name with a geographical qualifier is a condition for accession talks.
The meeting followed on from the lightning three day visit of Mr. Gruevski to Australia earlier in the week.
The purpose of his visit was the signing of a bilateral Social Security Agreement between the FYROM and Australia.
It was the first meeting between the two since Papandreou took over as Prime Minister and the first meeting between prime ministers of the two countries since March 2006.
Both agreed that a mutually acceptable solution to the name dispute is a priority for both countries. In conversation with Mr. Gruevski, Mr. Papandreou is reported to have said that Greece intends to play a leading role in the EU accession of southeastern European states but that a resolution of the name dispute which respects Greece’s positions of a name with a geographical qualifier is a condition for accession talks.
The meeting followed on from the lightning three day visit of Mr. Gruevski to Australia earlier in the week.
The purpose of his visit was the signing of a bilateral Social Security Agreement between the FYROM and Australia.
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