Mike Zafiropoulos, the man behind the “Speak Greek in March” campaign reflects on ten years of the initiative, shedding light on its successes, challenges, and the future of the Greek language in the Diaspora.

The past decade of actions has seen Zafiropoulos come up with a series of proposals to strengthen the preservation of the language in Hellenic communities abroad.

The campaign was not limited to just Australia, having expanded to Greek communities around the world to create a network of people who share the same concern: how do we keep our language alive?

The 20 proposals presented by the campaign on the occasion of its tenth anniversary focus on supporting education and strengthening the use of Greek in everyday life and in connecting the Hellenic Diaspora.

The main proposals

A major suggestion that stands out among the proposals in the creation of a Foundation for Greek Language and Culture, which would undertake actions like funding scholarships and supporting university programs.

Particular emphasis is placed on the consolidation of the Greek language program at La Trobe University, as well as on the utilisation of the Dardalis archives.

Simultaneously, the strengthening of education and getting specialised teachers are considered necessary, along with the introduction of scholarships and educational trips to Greece.

The campaign believes firmly that it must be incorporated into daily life also, encouraging the need for Greek to be used among families and at community events to preserve it.

Likewise, technology and social media are also considered valuable tools that can make the language more accessible and appealing to young people.

Finally, an international confederation of Greek communities could strengthen cooperation between Hellenic organisations of the Diaspora and help disseminate good practices.

The 31 countries and international cooperation

The “Speak Greek in March” project took another step forward in 2017 wherein, for each day of March, a country where Greeks live was chosen, regardless of the size of the Hellenic community in that nation, with the aim of strengthening linguistic and cultural networking.

Through that initiative, Zafiropoulos and his team came into contact with key individuals in these communities (presidents of organisations, priests, teachers) and created an informal international network.

“My wish is that these 31 states become a confederation where we can have open communication, exchange ideas and support each other. We cannot expect everything from the centre. The Diaspora has to take initiative and show it can work together,” he told Neos Kosmos.

One of the ideas he would like to see implemented is the organisation of a conference in Thessaloniki or Athens, where representatives from the 31 countries would have the opportunity to discuss and draw up a joint action plan for language preservation.

Collective efort is the key

Zafiropoulos stressed the importance of collective effort, saying “if we do not contribute, why should we expect others to do so?”.

The creation of a Foundation to manage resources for the support of the Greek language is, in his opinion, the most urgent step.

At the same time, he believes that cooperation among Greek communities worldwide can give new impetus to the effort.

Speaking about the idea of making Greek “fashionable”, he admits that the issue is complex.

“It needs a strong communication strategy, media campaigns and reaching out to the younger generations,” Zafiropoulos said.

The question he is most concerned about is this: “Why did our ancestors managed to preserve their language for centuries, while we, will all the facilities we have today, see it disappear?”

What’s next?

The “Speak Greek in March” campaign continues, but as Zafiropoulos says, its form and orientation need to evolve.

“The issue is whether the Greek Diaspora is ready to take action. It is not enough to agree on the theory. We need to see how we can put it into practice.”

His message is clear: “The Preservation of the Greek language is not the responsibility of a few. It is the responsibility of all of us.”