AHEPA Announces 2020 National Scholarship Recipients

Vol. 14 Issue 36 | Wednesday, September 9, 2020 AHEPA E-News AHEPA Announces 2020 National Scholarship Recipients AHEPA awarded 25 students with scholarships and awarded two grants through the AHEPA National Educational Foundation for the 2020 academic year, announced Supreme President George G. Horiates and National Educational Foundation Chairman George Vorkas. “We congratulate the 2020 scholarship and grant recipients on their outstanding academic achievements and the grantees who are doing important research in the community,” Horiates said. “They have one dream in common—looking to become tomorrow’s leaders. We are proud to count them as AHEPA scholars.” read more AHEPA Mobilizes against Turkey's Provocations In a September memo to organizational leaders, Supreme President George G. Horiates provided instruction for Ahepans to mobilize against Turkey's provocations. Turkey has escalated tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean to dangerous levels not seen since 1996 through violations of international norms and international and U.S. law, Horiates writes in the memo. "Turkey’s actions are not only illegal, but they are not in the best interests of the United States and place lives unnecessarily in harm’s way," Horiates states. The memo recaps actions taken by AHEPA to address Turkey's provocations and how Ahepans, and by extension, the community, can help going forward. "We stand ready to assist you with this most important mobilization to address this pressing matter that threatens NATO ally, Greece; strategic partner, Cyprus; and U.S. interests in the region, overall," Horiates concludes. Mobilization Tool Kit Memo to AHEPA Leaders Template Letter to Public Officials Talking Points Boycott Turkey Info Sheet AHEPA Emergency Relief Fund Opened for Natural Disasters AHEPA has opened its Emergency Relief Fund to provide assistance to the victims of the wildfires that are devastating California and Hurricane Laura, announced Supreme President George G. Horiates. “The California wildfires and Hurricane Laura have caused widespread devastation affecting thousands of people,” Supreme President Horiates said. “Our thoughts are prayers are with communities impacted by these natural disasters, and we must do our part to help and make an difference for those in need. We urge our AHEPA chapters, members, and supporters to provide assistance through our Emergency Relief Fund as we have done traditionally when natural disasters strike or most recently in response to COVID-19.” Supreme President Horiates has made the following appeal: Each chapter to donate a minimum $250 to the Emergency Relief Fund (a 501(c)3 donation), and For chapters and/or individuals to secure one (1) $500 donor from the community-at-large  AHEPA established the Emergency Fund 15 years ago. Since its inception more than $1 million has been donated from the fund to those affected by national disasters. read more Donate to the AHEPA Emergency Relief Fund In Remembrance: September Events of 1922, 1955 During September, AHEPA reflects and remembers the catastrophic events of September 1922 (the burning of Smyrna) and September 1955 (the Istanbul Pogrom) and shares the following articles, journal pieces, and other resources with our audience for a more in-depth historical perspective and additional insight: International Association of Genocide Scholars: The Istanbul Pogrom of 6-7 September 1955 in the Light of International Law Article: September 6-7, 1955: Krystallnacht in Constantinople (The Pappas Post) Article: Locals commemorate pogrom against Greeks and Jews in Turkey in 1955 (The Jerusalem Post) Must Read: The Mechanism of Catastrophe: The Turkish Pogrom Of September 6 - 7, 1955, And The Destruction Of The Greek Community Of Istanbul by Speros Vryonis, Jr., Ph.D. Must Read: The Blight of Asia by former U.S. Consul General to Smyrna George Horton Article: September 10, 1922: The Martyrdom of Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Smyrna (The Pappas Post) Article: New York Times Recounts 'Turkish Atrocities' in Smyrna 1922; Testimony Based on American Doctor's Account (The Pappas Post) Must Read: Harper Collins Book About An American Minister Who Saved 250,000 Greeks from Smyrna Fire in 1922 (on Amazon)  AHEPA Cares and it shows: A note of gratitude for your philanthropy AHEPA prides itself on the strength of its chapters and members. With more than 400 chapters worldwide, AHEPA provides community service at the grassroots. In fact, AHEPA has been described as providing “boots on the ground” - a reference to our members and their valuable work in the communities. Working hand-in-hand with local and state community service groups, AHEPA excels at providing relief when times get tough. During this unprecedented time, the COVID-19 pandemic has AHEPA mobilized once again. Our support for the health care heroes on the front lines who are making sacrifices to attend to those infected by coronavirus is resolute. Supreme President George G. Horiates has been spearheading efforts to encourage our chapters to donate or volunteer time and energy to provide assistance. With the spirit of community service at the core of their mission, we are proud our chapters have responded superbly with safety as a priority. Ahepans are going to supermarkets (with appreciation to our grocery workers too) to buy food for those in need. They are visiting area hospitals and delivering food to the doctors and nurses who are in harm's way and to the elderly and the homeless. Ahepans are also donating blood. The AHEPA family is working together to provide assistance around the world. #AHEPACares and it shows. We salute our members for their outreach. We can take pride we are fulfilling our founding fathers' vision of a community service fraternity. Supreme President Horiates thanks the AHEPA chapters that are practicing philanthropy and for sending us inspirational photos and stories. We applaud look forward to seeing more of our Order's great works! We encourage districts and chapters to engage in philanthropic and community service acts and please submit your good works to AHEPA Global Headquarters. Please remember to do so responsibly, according to government guidance, and above all else--safely! The list (below) is what we know at the time of distributing this edition of AHEPA e-news. AHEPA’s list of chapters that are playing a significant part in the communities they serve worldwide is unmatched…and will go on… Donate to the AHEPA Emergency Relief Fund Download & Distribute AHEPA Cares Flyer THANK YOU! Chapter 1 Atlanta, Ga. - Donated lunches to the first responders of Emory Decatur Hospital Chapter 3 Birmingham, Ala. – 100 meals donated to Children’s Hospital of Alabama Chapter 25 Manhattan, N.Y. – Meals donated and funds raised for ventilators Chapter 26 Philadelphia – Brother Dr. Theoklis Zaoutis is actively advising Greece's Ministry of Health on COVID-19 Chapter 40 Detroit/District 10, Michigan – $15,000 donated to Detroit-area churches Chapter 59 Canton, OH - Donated N95 masks and fed elderly in housing project Chapter 64 Harrisburg, Pa. – Brother Dr. Chronis providing medical analysis for COVID-19 and the chapter donated $1,750 to four central PA food banks to feed families in need Chapter 69 Cherry Hill, N.J. – 200 meals donated to Virtua Hospital and other area hospitals Chapter 72 Trenton, N.J. – 280-plus meals an 80 face masks delivered to three major hospitals in Central N.J. Chapter 78, Merrillville, Ind. – Donated $17,000 to charities that assist and provide relief to victims of COViD-19 Chapter 80 Worcester, MA - Donated meals to staff of Holy Trinity Nursing Center Chapter 88 Warren, OH - Donated meals to Mahoning County for Developmental Disabilities Chapter 94 Chicago, IL - Donated funds to the Greater Chicago Food Depository to feed 5,000 persons Chapter 95 Wilmington, DE - Donated 200 meals to the community Chapter 98 New Haven, CT - Established a relief fund Chapter 110, Norwich, Conn. – Presented a $1,000 grant to fund the Backus Hospital's Mobile Outreach Van Chapter 113 Dayton, OH - Donation of over 650 sandwiches to the House of Bread Chapter 121 Pawtucket, RI - Fundraising for COVID-19 Treatment by Dr. Thomas Walsh and supporting Pawtucket Soup Kitchen Chapter 145 Denver, CO – Donated and served meals to hundreds of first responders and homeless. Delivered thousands of face masks to the city and county of Denver Chapter 156 Canonsburg, PA. – Donated $2,000 to feed 400 area families Chapter 157 Calumet, IN – Meals, masks, gloves and hand sanitizer donated to the community's front line heroes Chapter 158, Poughkeepsie, NY – Provided lunch to first responders upon city's reopening Chapter 186 Astoria, NY - Served 150 meals and delivered another 35 meals to the community at-large Chapter 219 Phoenix, AZ – Donated N95 face masks to essential workers Chapter 250, New London, CT. – Ahepans donated and delivered meals to residents of five elderly housing communities Chapter 319 Port Jefferson, NY– Secured & donated 1,000 masks and 3,000 pairs of gloves for the community Chapter 326 Flushing, NY – Presented scholarship grants to 3 students while adhering to social distancing and guidance Chapter 408 Wilmington, NC– The board of AHEPA 408 Senior Apartments donated "Care Bags" with essential items to the residents. Face masks and thermometers donated to St. Nicholas. Chapter 411 Anaheim, CA – Helped distribute 2,700 produce boxes and 900 non-perishable food boxes to 461 cars and eight trucks (the trucks distributed the food to other parts of Orange County), feeding more than 10,000 persons. Chapter 445 & Sons of Pericles 290 Upper Darby, PA – Delivered food to the ER dept. at Jeanes Campus Temple U. Hospital Chapter 489 New Port Richey, FL – Donated meals to elderly residents at AHEPA 489 Apartments Chapter 500 Greenlawn, NY – Held a food drive that amassed 400 lbs of goods to benefit the area shelters Chapter 515 Radnor, PA – Donated and delivered 100s of meals for healthcare, ER & admin staff at Inova Alexandria Hospital Chapter 517 Holmdel, NJ - Donated funds to local hospital Chapter 545, Middletown, NY – Raised $2,000 to provide financial aid to families recovering from illness, donated 500 "Gyros for Heroes," and is undertaking a goods collection drive Chapter CJ-1 Toronto, ON – Implemented the Greek Easter Relief Food program, providing low-income families with a voucher to ensure everyone had access to an Easter meal Chapter 601 Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey – Donated food to Orthodox churches for Easter Chapter HJ-1 Athens, Greece – Ahepans provide support to Evangelismos Hospital Chapter HJ-3 Thessaloniki, Greece – AHEPA Hospital is treating COVID-19 patients Chapter HJ-10 Holargos, Greece - Assisted and donated items for the Police Force & Riot Gear Chapter HJ-26 Larissa, Greece – Coordinated blood donor drive with several Ahepans donating Chapter HJ-34 Corfu, Greece – Coordinated blood donor drive, donated face masks and health supplies to Corfu General Hospital and vulnerable populations Chapter HJ-38 Palio Faliro, Greece – Donated and delivered meals and necessities to a local food bank for the municipality's elderly and vulnerable Chapter HJ-41 Kalamaria, Greece – Delivered care packages of food and water to the elderly Chapter HJ-43, Nea Smyrni, Greece – Donated and delivered hygienic supplies valued at €14,000 to Leros and surrounding islands Chapter CY-1 Nicosia, Cyprus – Contributed to District 27's countrywide blood drive with hundreds of units of blood collected Chapter CY-4, Idalion, Cyprus – Donated financial aid to assist five families in need Chapter 614 Vienna, Austria - Activated a hotline for immediate response and delivered meals to the needy with local DOP Chapter. Chapter 615 Westminster, England - Supported and fed those in need affected by the pandemic Chapter 617 Frankfurt, Germany - Supplied 12 refurbished defibrillators to different areas in Greece District 10, Michigan - Donated $23,300 to 11 Michigan-area Greek Orthodox churches The Senate Must Act! View our Action Alert Contact Senators and urge them to: Uphold American values and security interests.  Hold Turkey responsible for its actions. Urge Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to bring sanctions legislation to the Senate Floor. The House acted. Now the Senate must. Contact the US Senate Today! Take Action: Learn More!

Ελληνο-Αμερικανικό Εμπορικό Επιμελητήριο:Southeast Europe Energy Forum 2020

ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ Southeast Europe Energy Forum 2020   Αθήνα 09.09.2020. Το Ελληνο-Αμερικανικό Εμπορικό Επιμελητήριο, σε συνεργασία με την Ελληνική Δεξαμενή Σκέψης για την Ενεργειακή Οικονομία (ΗΑΕΕ) και με την συμβολή του Atlantic Council  και του US Chamber of Commerce, διοργανώνει την Παρασκευή, 11 Σεπτεμβρίου 2020, στο ξενοδοχείο The ΜET στη Θεσσαλονίκη το 4ο ετήσιο Southeast Europe Energy Forum 2020. Σε μια ιδιαίτερα κρίσιμη συγκυρία, όπου ο ενεργειακός τομέας και οι πολιτικές που αναπτύσσονται στη ΝΑ Ευρώπη καθορίζουν σε μεγάλο βαθμό τις γεωπολιτικές εξελίξεις, και την Ελλάδα να αποτελεί πλέον ενεργειακό κόμβο, ενισχύοντας το ρόλο της στον ευρύτερο ενεργειακό χάρτη, το Southeast Europe Energy Forum 2020, δημιουργεί τις προϋποθέσεις για ένα ολοκληρωμένο, ουσιαστικό και επιδραστικό διάλογο. Στο προσκήνιο αυτού του διαλόγου θα βρεθούν οι σημαντικοί εκπρόσωποι της πολιτικής και υπεύθυνοι για τη χάραξη στρατηγικής, κορυφαίοι παράγοντες της αγοράς, ακαδημαϊκοί, και ειδικοί διεθνώς. Στο πλαίσιο των εργασιών του Συνεδρίου θα αναδειχθούν καίρια, τρέχοντα αλλά και διαχρονικά ζητήματα, που συνδέονται με την ανάπτυξη και διασύνδεση των περιφερειακών αγορών στις στη ΝΑ Ευρώπη ως πεδίο αποδοτικών επενδύσεων, τις πολιτικές εκείνες που επικεντρώνονται στην ασφάλεια του εφοδιασμού και την ανταγωνιστικότητα, καθώς επίσης την αυξανόμενη ανάγκη για περισσότερους εναλλακτικούς πόρους και διαδρομές των πηγών ενέργειας. Ειδικότερα, το νέο ενεργειακό τοπίο στη ΝΑ Ευρώπη και οι απαιτούμενες περιφερειακές συμμαχίες και συνεργασίες θα τεθούν στο επίκεντρο της συζήτησης που θα αναπτυχθεί ανάμεσα στους Υπουργούς Ενέργειας από την Ελλάδα, Ρουμανία, Βουλγαρία, Β. Μακεδονία, Σερβία, Κύπρο και ΗΠΑ. Παράλληλα, η προοπτική των ΗΠΑ σε σχέση με τον ενεργειακό της ρόλο στη ΝΑ Ευρώπη, θα αναδειχθεί στον διάλογο ανάμεσα στους πρέσβεις των ΗΠΑ στην Ελλάδα, Βουλγαρία, Βόρεια Μακεδονία και Σερβία. Επίσης, η Υπεύθυνη της Ενεργειακής Πολιτικής της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής κ. Cristina Lobillo θα αναφερθεί στο όραμα της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης για την ενέργεια. Τέλος, ο εκπρόσωπος της International Development Financial Corporation της Αμερικανικής κυβέρνησης θα αναφερθεί στους στόχους του οργανισμού και τις επενδύσεις που προγραμματίζουν σε ενεργειακά και άλλα μεγάλα έργα υποδομής. Το Southeast Europe Energy Forum 2020 θα πραγματοποιηθεί σε υβριδική μορφή, με εκτεταμένη διαδικτυακή συμμετοχή και με περιορισμένη φυσική παρουσία τηρώντας όλα τα απαραίτητα μέτρα υγιεινής, προκειμένου να διασφαλιστεί η υγεία και η ασφάλεια όλων των συμμετεχόντων. Για να δείτε το πρόγραμμα του Southeast Europe Energy Forum 2020 πατήστε ΕΔΩ: https://www.amcham.gr/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/AGENDA-10-SEPT-7-PHOTOS.pdf Για να δηλώσετε συμμετοχή ΕΔΩ: https://www.eventora.com/en/Events/2020-southeast-europe-energy-f

ΙΜF:Guilt, Gender, and an Inclusive Recovery: A Lesson from Japan

Dear maria, We just published a new blog—please find the full text below.  Guilt, Gender, and an Inclusive Recovery: A Lesson from Japan By Chie Aoyagi Japan’s voluntary month-and-a-half shutdown of the economy in April due to COVID-19 has had a higher cost for women than men. A key reason: a “guilt gap” between women and men, where women often feel compelled to take on more professional sacrifices. Close to one million women—the majority of whom worked in temporary and part-time positions—left the labor force between December and April. Amid massive disruptions to childcare and schools, research in an IMF Working Paper has helped solidify a universal truth: Women rather than men often face greater responsibility and guilt for being neither the ideal mother nor the ideal employee. If the labor market was more supportive of work-life balance, then we may have seen a more balanced outcome during the pandemic with both men and women stepping in to help with children. Policies to promote better work-life balance and gender equality will also be critical to help enhance female employment opportunities and careers in the “new normal” after the pandemic is under control. Working toward an inclusive recovery The working paper’s findings are increasingly relevant in planning a more inclusive economic recovery. What aspects of a job improve work-life balance, and how much income should the job offer? In answering this question for workers in Japan we investigated the tradeoffs men and women would accept between earning more pay or having more time at home. An analysis is drawn from an experiment that surveyed nearly 1,000 working-age Japanese men and women on their preference for varying levels of job attributes affecting work-life balance, including overtime, job insecurity, risk of departmental transfer, and risk of geographical relocation. First: it was found that women are more willing than men to sacrifice a significant amount of salary in exchange for greater work-life balance.  For instance, for certain age and salary ranges, mothers are willing to sacrifice approximately $3,000 more in annual salary than men to avoid relocation risk; they would forego roughly $6,500 more than men to avoid 45 + hours of overtime per month. Men who do not have children are on average more willing to trade wages for work-life balance than those with children. The guilt gap            Part of this gender difference in willingness to pay for better work-life balance can be explained by a greater sense of guilt among women than men. Women reported higher feelings of guilt than men for missing not just child-related activities (e.g., school events), but also cooking and taking care of parents, because of work.  These feelings of guilt were then run against preferences. Overall, higher levels of guilty feelings correspond to greater willingness to pay for more work-life balance. For example, these feelings of guilt translate to high willingness to pay to avoid overtime. Women who would feel highly guilty for missing a child’s event or not caring for their parents are willing to sacrifice $12,000 in their annual wage to avoid 45+ hours a month of overtime. Policy implications This analysis contributes to the policy debate over work-life balance in Japan—a country famous for its long work hours. A recent index from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ranked Japan 35th out of 40 countries in terms of work-life balance. Japan’s work culture is in many ways a legacy of decades past, when most women quit their jobs after getting married to raise a family while their husbands became the sole breadwinners. The Japanese work ethic often required men to work overtime and relocate based on company needs. An aging population and limited wage growth after 1990s, though, spurred greater female participation in the labor market, pressuring policymakers to meet demands for more flexible work arrangements. In recent years, Japanese policymakers, recognizing the economic importance of empowering women, elevated gender equality as a public priority. But implementation has been challenging, in part due to the issues highlighted in this working paper.  The findings have several policy implications.  First, it seems to validate one policy proposal in Japan—the use of more “limited-regular” contracts. These labor contracts set limits on overtime and mandatory relocations for workers in traditional, permanent jobs. Wider availability of such employment options would increase productivity and thus wages for those currently under non-regular contracts. Men and women alike benefit from such arrangements, but these contracts may appeal to working mothers especially because majority of them are currently non-regular employees with lower pay and job security. Second, policymakers need to be sensitive to the gender-based differences in guilt. Care needs to be taken to ensure that limited-regular contracts do not further entrench gender-gaps in the workplace and create new glass ceilings for women. Finally, mobility across contracts is important.  For example, workers can switch contracts based on their life stage; a worker may prefer limited-regular contracts when children are small, but maybe not later when children leave the nest. Building Resilience for the Future The pandemic and widespread teleworking have shaken the long-standing stereotype of Japan's “salaryman.” Even in Japan’s demanding work culture, the evidence shows that working men and women place value on a reasonable balance between the office and home. With the right policies, this pandemic can serve as a catalyst for empowering women and creating the flexibility for a work-life balance that better supports equality. If we want to build a more resilient society, gender equality must be a top priority. ***** Thank you again for your interest in IMF Blog. Take good care, Glenn Gottselig Blog Editor, IMF GGottselig@IMF.org