Young student Eleni Karavelatzi from the Santrapeia School in Castellorizo, is in Australia on a cultural exchange programme. Recently, the 16-year-old was the guest of Randwick City Council at a civic reception held in her honour.
The brainchild of a group called Australian Friends of Castellorizo, the student exchange programme was established in 2008 to help create a positive future for Castellorizo. In an attempt to preserve their cherished island culture in Australia, people of Castellorizian ancestry established the association with the aim of recognising their proud heritage and giving something back to the island of their ancestors. She is the first female student to come to Australia under the month-long programme.
Eleni is enthusiastic about her experience. “I have been to Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra and now Sydney and my whole trip has been wonderful,” Eleni said. “During my time here I have attended many exciting cultural, educational and social events I have visited Greek schools and given radio station interviews. I have also been hosted by lovely families.” The story of Castellorizo is part of the larger history of Greek immigration to Australia. Migrants from Castellorizo first arrived in Australia in 1890 but the mass arrivals followed World War I. The needs of the homeland left behind are the prominent focus of Australian Friends of Castellorizo, which aims through the exchange programme and other projects to strengthen ties between the island and Australia primarily in the areas of environment, education and culture.
The success of the reciprocal student exchange initiative is proof that the association is succeeding in its mission to unify Castellorizians by promoting the education and cross-generational preservation of their distinct linguistic and cultural practices. The exchange programme achieves this goal by focusing on a theme close to participants’ hearts, their heritage. The students, all aged between 16 and 18 years, are drawn together not only by their common culture but also by their desire to strengthen relationships between the youth of the two communities, contributing an added sense of pride for their shared cultural origins. At the same time the programme mobilises the potential of young Castellorizians, both here and overseas, by broadening their minds, encouraging international dialogue and giving participants new skills and confidence. In such programmes learning goes beyond the walls of classrooms.
The excitement of living in and experiencing another country provides young people with an unforgettable awareness and lifelong appreciation of each other. Eleni agrees that her visit to Australia has redefined her life, with every moment and every conversation enabling her to picture the world from a global perspective. She says she has seen differences as well as similarities between ‘Cassies’ in Australia and at home, challenging her beliefs about what it means to belong to a certain country and a certain culture. “I met a new culture here in Australia, not one, more than one. I got to see something very different,” she says.
While impressed with the Australian Greek Orthodox schools’ focus on the Greek language, Eleni believes more efforts need to be devoted to having young people speak the language. “The students here, they learn good Greek. They read and write Greek but no one speaks very much. And it was really good to see students from other cultures such as Chinese and Turkish learning Greek,” she added. Global partnerships like these are also an increasingly common feature of governments. As a part of its community engagement policy, Randwick City Council has a Sister City/Friendship Alliance with Castellorizo, as well as the cities of Albi in France, Hangzhou in China and the Parish of Randwick, Gloucestershire in the United Kingdom, to promote mutual understanding and friendship.
On a local level similar agreements are in place with the shires of Temora and Narrabri in rural New South Wales. The local and international relationships facilitate cultural understanding through the provision of forums for shared experience and information exchange, adding to the richness of the mutual communities.
Randwick Mayor Scott Nash and Councillor John Procopiadis welcomed Eleni and exchanged gifts with her. She was given a limited edition and award winning book detailing the history of Randwick City Council which will find a new home in the library in Castellorizo. The councillors also accepted a beautifully framed symbol of Castellorizo from Eleni which will take pride of place in council chambers as a reminder of the lasting benefits of cultural exchange. Since its inception, the student exchange programme has evolved into a model for other communities wanting to preserve their heritage. However Councillor Procopiadis says the wider Greek community in Australia has been relatively slow to take up the idea. “The various Greek communities should all have exchange programs with their islands or heritage. It’s a way to get people interested and involved, particularly young people, a way to revive the Greek community.”
On behalf of the Castellorizian Club Ladies Auxiliary, Katina Nicholas – whose father and mother came to Australia in 1918 and 1924 respectively – says such projects have a pivotal role to play in sustaining Greek heritage. “There is a lot of history and a very rich culture both here in Australia and in Cazzi today. Our young ones can go over there and learn from where we came from. Those over there can come here to learn and experience what we have built in Australia from migration. It is just such an important aspect for young people and their growing up,” she said. In the true spirit of the programme, Eleni hopes to one day give something back to the Australian community. “I rate Australia nine out of ten. I like the life here very much. This country has been good to me and one day when I study and maybe live here I hope I will do good things for it.”