Sydney’s Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis, will leave his post in a few months’ time with a great appreciation for how the Greek diaspora has maintained its culture, something he hopes will continue on in the years to come.
Mallikourtis’ three-year term in Sydney will come to an end on 1 August, with the Greek diplomat confirming to Neos Kosmos that Georgios Skemperis will succeed him.
Reflecting on his time here, Mallikourtis expressed great pride in what he and the Consulate General have managed to do in his term.
“I had set up a few goals upon arrival, most of which have been accomplished,” he said.
“Of course, I could have achieved more but overall, I am satisfied with our performance as a Consulate General, given our lean setup. Allow me therefore to publicly thank all my colleagues at the Consulate General for their dedication and hard work.”
Mallikourtis highlighted his pleasure in building on the work of his predecessors to improve and streamline the services of the Consulate General and address, to the best of their abilities, the high demand for Greek citizenship.
He noted his favourite highlight has been the everyday interactions with the Greeks who have gone to the Consulate, recounting one story specifically related to citizenship.
“I remember vividly one relatively elderly man who took the oath of the Greek citizen in front of me. He became emotional because he felt extremely proud of having finally become a citizen,” the Consul General said.
“On a more official level, I would also say that the visit of the Ecumenical Patriarch was a significant milestone during my tenure in Sydney.”
He added his joy in their active presence in the cultural field, often in collaboration with the Greek Festival Sydney, as well having enhanced interaction with other community organisations.
The Consul General stated that he has been moved by the resilience and grit shown by the first-generation migrants who left their homeland and came to Australia, which he has now seen firsthand.
“The Greeks who arrived here in the aftermath of the Second World War left a country which was ravaged and destroyed by occupation and conflict,” he said.
“These people came here with nothing and many of them excelled and achieved wonders. They never forgot, however, their roots and they managed to maintain their culture.”
The Greek diplomat expressed admiration in how Sydney’s Hellenes have managed to integrate into Australian society without sacrificing their cultural identity.
“Greeks have a great talent to adapt, to integrate without assimilating, without losing the distinct traits that characterize their culture,” he said.
Mallikourtis identified two main challenges he believes the community faces, one being language attrition and the other being the gradual alienation of the youth from the activities of the “paroikia”.
“There are no easy answers for either of these two challenges,” he said.
The Consul General stressed that there are ongoing efforts by key stakeholders to revitalise Greek, though he affirmed that responsibility also falls on families to maintain the language in their homes.
He admitted that the appeal of learning other languages is difficult to sell to Australians, given they can get by knowing only English in most professional fields.
“Therefore, it is also up to the community to find ways to render the learning of Greek attractive to the new generations of Greek Australians, be it through music, dancing and other channels,” Mallikourtis said.
“We must also continue supporting our schools and of course the Department of Modern Greek and Byzantine Studies at the University of Sydney, which is a gem of academic excellence.”
Speaking on youth engagement, the Greek diplomat noted their pride in Sydney being well represented in the first Greek Youth Forum in Athens, organized by the Greek Foreign Ministry in December last year.
He remarked that it is important to recognise that third and fourth generation Greek Australians do not have the same experiences as their grandparents when it comes to their connection to Greece.
“They never lived there. Hence, it is vital to find elements which connect the two countries, which resonate positively and touch both identities,” Mallikourtis said.
“The story of Lemnos in 1915 and the ANZACs in Greece and Crete in 1941 are typical examples of how history can act as a bridge between our two countries.”
The Greek diplomat confirmed he will return to headquarters in the Foreign Ministry in Athens after seven years abroad, the last three in Sydney coming after a four-year post in Cyprus.
Mallikourtis had one final message to Sydney’s Greek Australians, saying:
“I would like to thank each and every one in the community for their friendship and support which they extended to me and the staff of the Consulate General during my three-year term in Sydney.
“Special thanks also to the Greek media, including Neos Kosmos. Their job is not an easy one. They operate in an environment in which the use of Greek is declining. Yet, they spare no effort to spread and promote the culture and the language. For this, you must be all congratulated.”
The Consul General will be celebrated before he leaves by the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW with a Farewell Reception in his honour at the Greek Community Club in Lakemba on Friday 11 July.
