The debut edition of the Pharos Alliance Symposium brought together Hellenes from across Australia, Canada and Greece, with the central theme affirming that the learning of Modern Greek can be revitalised.
The event, held on 1 December at Melbourne’s La Trobe University, put a spotlight on the issue of the language, a topic that has becoming increasingly more discussed in recent years with the study of Greek coming under serious threat at university level.
The subject itself has broadly been discussed with the worry being that it will cease to be learned and spoken, particularly with Greek Australians entering second, third, fourth generations etc.
Professor Emeritus Joseph Lo Bianco, an authority on language education and multilingualism and inaugural President of Pharos Alliance, stressed that the decline of Greek can be reversed, but requires continued focus and unity.
“‘Schools can only do so much. The community and the family are other sites where Greek can be revitalised and we should commit ourselves to making this happen,” Professor Lo Bianco said.
The Pharos Alliance President, who served as keynote speaker for the Symposium, also provided an overview of Pharos’ inception and progress, noting its achievements and setting out an agenda of future challenges.
The Symposium featured a total of 27 presentations spanning the entire score of Greek language study, research and teaching, along with family and community perspectives.
It saw numerous distinguished guests and presenters comprised of local Greek language educators at all levels, parents with experience in raising children bilingually, representatives from Greek institutions in other states, alongside our presenters who joined us online to update us on programs and initiatives, from interstate, and overseas.
Pharos stated in its press release their joy in hearing about the developments in the various education sectors and the work being done in places like Toronto, Adelaide, Sydney, South Africa.
It stressed that language education has a political dimension, describing it as an issue of social justice.
The event called for unity across sectors and interests as a means of defending the achievements thus far, while actively seeking to reverse the decline in programs and numbers that Greek faces in our education system.
The Symposium opened with welcome statements from Australian Ambassador to Greece, Romania and Bulgaria, Alison Duncan, Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Emmanuel Kakavelakis, and La Trobe University Head of Department of Languages and Cultures Associate Professor Claire Knowles.
Pharos extended its appreciation to the various sponsors, as well as to La Trobe University and Dr Stavroula Nikoloudis, Coordinator of the Greek Studies Program, for hosting the Symposium.
“As the only university offering Greek language studies in Victoria, we all thought that La Trobe was the most fitting venue for this gathering,” Dr Nikoloudis said.
The organisation concluded with a positive message, believing that the future looks bright for Modern Greek across Australia.
