This Friday, the Australian Macedonian Advisory Council (AMAC) will host its annual dinner, featuring talks from prominent local, interstate and international experts on Macedonian history.

This action not only abrogated geographic and historic fact, but it also has unleashed a dangerous epidemic of historical revisionism, of which the most obvious symptom is the misappropriation by the government in Skopje of the most famous of Macedonians, Alexander the Great.

An AMAC spokesperson said he expected an audience of around 180 people would enjoy the talks.

“For people who are interested in this kind of topic, whether it’s Macedonian history or historical truths – they will enjoy it,” he said.

Professor John Melville-Jones, from the University of Western Australia’s Department of Classics and Ancient History, is one of the speakers.

He’s also one of the seven Australian academics who have signed a letter to US President Barack Obama, calling for him to overturn the decision of his predecessor, George W. Bush, to formally recognise the ‘Republic of Macedonia.’

“This action not only abrogated geographic and historic fact, but it also has unleashed a dangerous epidemic of historical revisionism, of which the most obvious symptom is the misappropriation by the government in Skopje of the most famous of Macedonians, Alexander the Great,” the letter says.

Professor Melville-Jones will be speaking at the dinner, and at a series of lectures AMAC have organised, about the importance of the Macedonia Evidence Initiative.

“We call upon you, Mr President, to help – in whatever ways you deem appropriate – the government in Skopje to understand that it cannot build a national identity at the expense of historic truth,” the letter concludes.

An AMAC spokesperson stressed that all the invited speakers were passionate about preserving historical truth.
Also at the dinner will be Marcus Templar, who is an expert in ancient, Byzantine, Modern Macedonian Studies & Balkans from Chicago.

The spokesperson said AMAC was thrilled to have Mr Templar speaking, as this is his first time in Australia and his only speaking engagement.

The local speakers are Professor Joy Damousi, from Melbourne University’s Department of Historical Studies, and Dr Despina Michael from the School of Historical and European Studies, Latrobe University.

The AMAC spokesperson said this year’s annual dinner will be the run in conjunction with the Dimitra festival, run by the Pan Macedonian association, which is on later in the month.

“It’s a cultural event displaying Greek Macedonian culture such as food and dancing,” he said.

He said the dinner was important to communicate the work AMAC have done throughout the year, including writing for the journal American Chronicle and attending the Australian Hellenic Council meeting in Canberra.

“It serves the purpose of getting people aware of the issues,” he said.


For pre-sold tickets ($70), call 0409 331 462 or 0405 713 854 or email info@macedonians.com.au

Information on the lecture series can be found at www.macedonians.com.au