Neos Kosmos spoke to eight prominent Greek Australians about their hopes for 2025.
Bill Papastergiadis, President of the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM), focused on local and global issues, while Jenny Mikakos, Chair of the Victorian Interpreting and Translation Services (VITS), called for more bipartisan support on language retention.
Theo Theophanous, President of the Cyprus Community of Melbourne, urged a resolution to the Cyprus issue, and Nicholas Pappas, Chairperson of The Hellenic Initiative Australia (THI), advocated for greater unity.
Faye Spiteri, CEO of Fronditha Care, is focused on meeting the new aged care reforms, while Sylvia Hadjiantoniou, CEO of Pronia, on strengthening community ties. Two new deputy mayors Cr Helen Politis (Merri-bek) and Cr Emily Dimitriadis (Darebin) hoped to support community leaders and give the Greek community a stronger voice in local government.
Unity, culture, and language: A vision for the community
Bill Papastergiadis highlighted the need for the many organisations to come together and urged that “consolidating our resources to better serve our communities is essential.”
“We need a strategic approach to address declining membership in some local Greek organisations, and to position them for growth.”
Papastergiadis also emphasised the need for more investment in language and cultural programs.
“The Greek community needs substantial investment in language and cultural programs”.
Then the Community president also called on the Greek government, “to be proactive in its relationship with the Diaspora.”
“Greece must service its consulates properly to improve the lives and meet the needs of its citizens abroad and, bilateral agreements on health, taxation, and education must be prioritised.
“While progress has been made, we await Greece’s final positions and, hopefully, swift implementation.”
Jenny Mikakos, a former Victorian Labor minister and the newly appointed Chair of VITS was committed to seeing languages high on the agenda for the coming year.
“I will push and hope for real bipartisan political interest in language retention.
“Very few students achieve proficiency in community languages,” she said.
“Languages like Greek need to be available from preschool to university. Our community needs to unite around this issue and make it a political priority for us” said a Mikakos ready for action.
Theo Theophanous, also a former Victorian minister and now President of the Cyprus Community of Melbourne and Victoria (CCMV), extended his wishes for a prosperous 2025 to the Cypriot and Hellenic communities.
“United we hope to begin the redevelopment of our community’s building, to have a successful Halloumi Festival.
“As important, we hope to maintain pressure on the Australian Government to help resolve the Cyprus issue in accordance with UN resolutions” said Theophanous, referring to north of Cyprus occupied by Turkey since 1974.
“We hope to see a resolution, and to end the division, for the betterment of both Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Let’s hope 2025 is the year when Cyprus is free and united again” said Theophanous.
Nicholas Pappas, from Sydney, Chairperson of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, The Hellenic Initiative Australia (THI), and Secretary of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council, also called for “greater unity within our community.”
“I hope for less divisiveness and ideological bickering, and more positivity and constructive dialogue,” Pappas told Neos Kosmos.
“I hope for a more mature community, cognisant of its strengths but also its weaknesses, respectful of its institutions, be they of church, or of secular origin – open to, and tolerant of, all the other communities that make up our nation,” he said.
Care, connection, and community: A focus on welfare and support
Faye Spiteri shared her optimism for 2025; “This year presents an incredible opportunity for Fronditha Care to continue achieving our 10-year strategic goals.”
“Fronditha Care hopes it will grow its workforce and services in support of the needs of our community. Spiteri said Fronditha are in the ‘throes of planning’ as they prepare to meet the aged care reforms instituted by the Commonwealth for July.
“We are planning so we can be ready for July 1, and have embraced the sector disruption to turn challenges into opportunities and to grow our organisation.
“Last year we launched the Fronditha Care Foundation and we have made great strides in fundraising and commissioning great projects that will shape culturally diverse aged care services into the future.
“I am excited by the things to come in the year ahead and building on all the great achievements of 2024,” Spiteri said.
Sylvia Hadjiantoniou, the 52-year-old leading the Greek welfare agency providing a range of service said she hopes to “to build on PRONIA’s continued success.”
“The focus will be on fostering community connections, enhancing our services, and championing social justice to create a more equitable and inclusive community.”
Services, respect, and support: Local leadership and action
Cr Helen Politis Merri-bek’s new Deputy Mayor in Melbourne’s inner north, said she would “continue to recognise and support our incredible community leaders.”
“Like other migrants of that era, they worked in factories, in terrible conditions and many suffer the impacts of this in their old age,” said Cr Politis
“These elders are not being looked after as well as they should and deserve better.
“It is an honour for me to be able to give something back to this older generation –I stand on their shoulders” said Merri-bek’s Deputy Mayor.
Cr Emily Dimitriadis, Darebin’s Deputy Mayor, expressed optimism for the year ahead.
“Here’s to new beginnings in 2025”.
She called on unity and communal effort, “Let’s work together to achieve wonderful outcomes for our entire Darebin community.
“I will work hard to ensure the Greek community of Darebin is heard.
“Happy New Year!”
