To the mothers, orphans, widows of the earth, who have tasted the cruelty of war, to all those who have wished to promote the flame of Olympian peace eternally for mankind, Demetrios Petrou Polygenis has dedicated the statue of The Olympia Peace in his village of Karia. President of the Pan-Victorian Association “Friends of Peace”, Mr Polygenis, recently returned from Greece, satisfied that his eight-year-old vision has come into fruition. At the end of August this year, statue The Olympia Peace, by sculptor Spiros Stergiou, was revealed in Karia, Olympus, in front of many locals, in an event organised by the Melbourne association. The initiative of Mr Polygeni – who worked for 40 years as a teacher in Melbourne – mobilised many expatriates, but also had the support of celebrities from around the world. Presidents and prime ministers of various countries, among them Nelson Mandela, supported the campaign of Mr Polygeni with their messages. The monument was scheduled to be finished before the Olympic Games in 2004, but due to economic difficulties, this was not to be. This year, however, the local community of Karia embraced the initiative of Demetrios Polygenis and supported it, providing the site where the monument was built, as well as covering some of the costs associated with the construction of the pedestal and its surrounding. President of community of Karia, Constantine Liovas, thanked local people who were present at the event, emphasising the meraki and kefi of Demetrios Polygenis. After the unveiling of the monument, a concert with local artists was held, performing the songs of peace. Congratulations and public praise, for the unique statue in Karia of Olympus, went to Demetrios Polygenis, “enlightened teacher of the Greek diaspora, genuine exponent of ellinosini of Antipodes and fiery patriot,” as educator Dimitris Stergioulis wrote about Mr Polygenis. Mr Polygenis passion and engagement in the peace movement goes back to 1986, when the movement of six world leaders for peace began. With his students in Australia, he received peaceful messages from many world leaders – Nelson Mandela, Spyros Kyprianou, Bob Hawke, Rajiv Gandhi and many other, who supported his campaign. As an educator and president of number of associations, Demetrios Polygenis has organised various events for peace in the world. Τhe The Olympia Peace statue is a further heartfelt contribution from Demetrios Polygenis to present and future generations to live and strive for peace.