Joint meeting of Canada – USA Youth Network

Views and ideas on common action in matters which the new generation of the Diaspora is facing, the promotion of Hellenic Culture abroad, learning of the Greek language and in general the promotion of national issues and positions, were exchanged in the first joint meeting of the Coordinating Councils of Youth Networks of SAE Regions Canada and USA.

The meeting was held in Toronto, from the 5th until the 7th of March, following a decision which was taken by the coordinators of the two SAE Regions, Mr. Costas Menegakis and Theodoros Spyropoulos.

“Our goal is to coordinate substantiated positions of Diaspora organizations, which form our base” stated, among other things, the Coordinator of SAE Canada Region, Mr. Menegakis. “Beyond this collaboration we are aiming towards focusing on specific areas, such as Youth, Culture and Entrepreneurship. In the meantime, we support with all our strength, the efforts of the youths, who form the best guarantee for the future of the Greek Diaspora”.

“The most important investment we can make, is in our youth, which is the foundation of the Greek Diaspora dynamics and the basis for the future” stressed – inter alia – the Coordinator of SAE Region USA, Mr. Spyropoulos. “Our Youths must concentrate their efforts on two main axes: to establish and foster the concept of voluntarism in their conscience and concentrate their forces on specific purposes and not undefined goals. Only then they will succeed.”

Youth Networks, SAE Regions Canada and USA, are dynamically developing, as it as emphasized by the two Coordinators of the Networks, Mr. Tassos Mastorakos (Canada) and Mr. Mavrikios Gritzalis (USA), a database involving all Youth organizations is already under way, as well as the creation of respective websites and action committees, common to those of Youth Networks in other SAE Regions have been set up.

The registration of the scientific and entrepreneurial potential resources of SAE Regions USA and Canada, so that youths aged between 18 to 38 years, can be better informed, is bound to be complete by the end of 2010, as well as the creation of a database of Greek student associations in North America Universities as well as youth organizations.

Among the priorities of the two Youth Networks, is also the promotion of the just request for returning the Parthenon Marbles to Greece, with the collection of signatures, as well as the organization of common cultural events, with the participation of members and organizations from both Regions.

Among other things it was decided to launch immediately, the creation of an e-Newsletter for North America, the development and operation of websites for the Youth Networks of Canada and USA, the organization of a hospitality programme for youths in North America (similar to those of Africa and Oceania Regions), the organization of lectures and workshops on national issues, the promotion of Greek studies programmes in universities of North Ameriuca, the organizations of song and dance contests as well as common cultural events and “Greek Weeks” in universities and organizations of the Diaspora.

To facilitate Youths of the Greek Diaspora seeking employment in Greece, the creation of a web portal was decided, with job advertisements, vocational education programmes (internship programmes) and the joint organisation of Job Fairs.

During their stay in Toronto, the youths, visited the Royal Museum of Ontario (ROM), whereby they visited the Head of the Department of Hellenic, Cypriot, Roman and Byzantine Antiquities and philhellene Mr. Paul Denis. Subsequently, the members of the delegation had a tour in the premises of the museum and they were informed on the collection and Greek artefacts which are hosted in the greatest and most important museum of Canada.