AHEPA e-News!

Supreme President Loucas Visits NYC Supreme President George E. Loucas visited New York City, September 27-28, for a series of events that included an audience with His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, Geron of America.  read new release The National Herald Interviews Supreme President Loucas Supreme President George E. Loucas visited the offices of The National Herald and met with the newspaper's publisher, Antonis Diamataris (pictured). Reporting on Loucas's early September visit to Greece, the newspaper stated, "One [Greek] official made a point of thanking Loucas, noting that 'AHEPA never asks for anything, only gives.'"  read entire interview PSP Dr. James F. Dimitriou Elected President of American Hellenic Council AHEPA congratulates Past Supreme President Dr. James F. Dimitriou, who was elected President and Chairman of the Board of the American Hellenic Council of California on September 1, 2018, announced Supreme President George E. Loucas.  PSP Dr. Dimitriou also served AHEPA as Chairman of the National Educational Foundation and as Chairman of the Cyprus and Hellenic Affairs Committee.   Congressional Hellenic Caucus Membership is 126.   Help It Grow.    Although Congress is heading into the homestretch of the 115th Congress, there is still time to increase the membership of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues. AHEPA asks for your help, especially as U.S. representatives are back in their districts until after the midterm November elections. The Hellenic Caucus has been an active, bipartisan group in Congress since its founding in 1995.  It is co-chaired by U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and its co-founder, Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).   Membership in the Hellenic Caucus stands at 126.   Is your U.S. representative a member?  Click here to find out. Download & Share: Action Alert to help you outreach to your U.S. representative  Don't forget to follow AHEPA on social media:

Upcoming Events & Deadlines October - November 19-21 | Sons of Pericles Greeks in Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio 26 | Deadline for The Ahepan winter issue 29 - 3 |  2018 AHEPA National Golf Invitational, Frisco, Texas Join AHEPA Today! In Our Own Words. What AHEPA means to us. Join AHEPA Now Greek American News Digest   Editor's Note: Editorials, Commentaries, and Opinion pieces are shared for information purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy positions of the Order of AHEPA, its affiliated organizations, and members.       Greece's Left-Wing Leader Builds Alliance With U.S., Europe in the Balkans Wall Street Journal (Sept. 27) Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras vowed to ratify a landmark pact with neighboring Macedonia regardless of domestic political risks, as part of a strategy to stabilize the Balkan region in cooperation with the U.S. and European Union.  Macedonians are expected to back the agreement with Mr. Tsipras's government to rename itself "North Macedonia" in a referendum on Sunday.  read more    Low Voter Turnout Puts Macedonian Name Change in Doubt  Wall Street Journal (Sept. 30)   Low turnout cast doubt over the results of a referendum in which Macedonian voters overwhelmingly backed a deal to change the country's name to North Macedonia and clear a path for the country to join the West's most powerful clubs.  With nearly all of votes counted on Sunday, about 91% backed the agreement reached with neighboring Greece in July. But only around 37% voted at all, showing the lack of enthusiasm for a national name change as the condition for joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and European Union.  read more    Salamis: How Greece Stopped Persia (And Changed History Forever) National Interest  (Sept. 28)   In the summer of BC 481, a delegation from Athens arrived at Delphi in central Greece to consult with the oracle of Apollo. The Sanctuary was always crowded with people seeking advice from the god, or perhaps a glimpse into an uncertain future. The oracle was located in the temple of Apollo, a building perched on a slope that was reached by a winding Sacred Way.   read more    3 people missing after storm pounds Greece with heavy rain Associated Press (Sept. 30) Greek authorities are looking for three missing people on a Greek island after a rare and powerful Mediterranean storm dumped heavy rain on the region.  The storm has been moving slowly in a northeasterly direction, affecting Aegean Sea islands as well as Greece's central mainland. read more    2,000-year-old painting found in Cumae Greek City Times (Sept. 28) A 2,000-year-old painting depicting a naked servant carrying a jug of wine and a vase, has been found in a tomb in Cumae, which is considered as the first settlement started by the Ancient Greeks in modern Italy.  Cumae is located 15 miles west of Naples, in southern Italy, which historians believe was founded in the eighth century BC.  read more    Greek-American mechanical engineering pioneer George N. Hatsopoulos dies at 91 Ekathimerini (Sept. 28)       The esteemed Greek-American mechanical engineer George N. Hatsopoulos, an MIT senior lecturer emeritus, has passed away at the age of 91, it was announced earlier this week.  Born in Athens in 1927, Hatsopoulos was co-founder of the Thermo Electron Corporation in 1956 along with Peter Nomikos, while at MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering, and was also responsible for developing the world's first artificial heart. read more

Συνάντηση με το Υπουργό Περιβάλλοντος και Ενέργειας κ. Γιώργο Σταθάκη πραγματοποίησε ο Βουλευτής του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ Αττικής κ. Γιώργος Πάντζας..

Αθήνα, 2/10/2018

ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ

Θέμα: «Aδειοδότηση νέων καταστημάτων στη Νέα Πέραμο»

Συνάντηση με το Υπουργό Περιβάλλοντος και Ενέργειας κ. Γιώργο Σταθάκη πραγματοποίησε ο Βουλευτής του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ Αττικής κ. Γιώργος Πάντζας με τον Δήμαρχο Μεγαρέων κ. Γρηγόρη Σταμούλη, προκειμένου να συζητήσουν το μεγάλο πρόβλημα που έχει ανακύψει αναφορικά με την αδειοδότηση νέων καταστημάτων στη Νέα Πέραμο.

Συγκεκριμένα, το πρόβλημα αφορά σε πολλούς ιδιώτες που ενώ έχουν εδώ και μήνες ξεκινήσει τις διαδικασίες για άνοιγμα καταστημάτων στην περιοχή έχοντας ξοδέψει χρήματα, εντούτοις δεν έχει καταστεί εφικτό να αδειοδοτηθούν  επειδή η Διεύθυνση Πολεοδομίας Μεγάρων δεν δύναται να χορηγήσει βεβαιώσεις γενικής κατοικίας, που αποτελεί και προϋπόθεση για την αδειοδότηση καταστημάτων παντός τύπου, δεδομένου ότι έληξε η παράταση των πέντε ετών που είχε δοθεί με το άρθρο 51 παρ.3 του ν. ν. 4178, από την 8-8-2013 έως και την 8-8-2018.

 Ο κ. Πάντζας από την πλευρά του τόνισε ότι, είναι επιτακτική η ανάγκη να δοθεί μια λύση άμεσα ούτως ώστε να συνεχιστεί ο επαγγελματικός και τουριστικός χαρακτήρας του Δήμου Μεγαρέων και της Δημοτικής Ενότητας της Νέας Πέραμου μιας και τη χρονιά που μας πέρασε καθώς και αυτή που διανύουμε,η περιοχή επλήγειτόσο από πλημμύρες όσο και από πυρκαγιές.

Τέλος, αφού ο Δήμαρχος Μεγαρέων κ. Σταμούλης  παρουσίασε όλα τα έγραφα από την πλευρά του Δήμου και εξήγησε την αναγκαιότητα της άμεσης επίλυσης του προβλήματος, ο Υπουργός Περιβάλλοντος και Ενέργειας κ. Σταθάκης δεσμεύτηκε ως προς την θετική αντιμετώπιση του ζητήματοςμε τις υπηρεσίες του υπουργείου.

ΓΙΩΡΓΟΣ ΠΑΝΤΖΑΣ

ΒΟΥΛΕΥΤΗΣ ΑΤΤΙΚΗΣ ΣΥ.ΡΙΖ.Α.

ΚΟΣΜΗΤΟΡΑΣ ΒτΕ

Δ/νση: Βασ. Σοφίας 2, Μέγαρο Βουλής των Ελλήνων 10021, Αθήνα

Τηλ: 2103708387, Fax: 2103708391

gpantzas@parliament.gr

http://gpantzas.wordpress.com/

www.facebook.com/giorgos.pantzas

www.facebook.com/gpantzas

www.twitter.com/gpantzas

www.youtube.com/user/gpantzas

CANADA latest

Prime Minister announces the appointment of three senators

October 3, 2018
Ottawa, Ontario

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that the Governor General appointed the following independent senators to fill vacancies in the Senate:

• Patti LaBoucane-Benson (Alberta)
• Paula Simons (Alberta)
• Peter Boehm (Ontario)

Dr. LaBoucane-Benson is a proud Métis who has dedicated her life to helping Indigenous families. Her most recent work has focused on increasing Indigenous peoples’ awareness of their legal rights and responsibilities, and improving opportunities for vulnerable youth in Alberta.

Ms. Simons is an award-winning journalist and author who has told Edmonton’s stories in print, on the radio, on television, and on stage for over 30 years. She has covered a wide variety of topics in her writing, including international trade and mental health, and also co-authored a best-selling history book on Alberta.

Dr. Boehm has enjoyed an extensive and distinguished career in the foreign service, which culminated with him serving most recently as Deputy Minister for the G7 Summit and Personal Representative of the Prime Minister.

These individuals were recommended by the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments and chosen using the process open to all Canadians. This process ensures senators are independent, reflect Canada’s diversity, and are able to tackle the broad range of challenges and opportunities facing the country.

Quote

“These three new independent senators bring a wealth of experience with them to the Red Chamber. Whether working as a community educator and researcher, a journalist, or an ambassador, all three have gained a deep appreciation and understanding of this country. I have full confidence that they will be excellent representatives for their regions and for all Canadians.”
—The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Quick Facts

• There have been 43 appointments to the Senate made on the advice of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
• Under the Canadian Constitution, the Governor General appoints individuals to the Senate. By convention, Senators are appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister.
• Once appointed by the Governor General and summoned to the Senate, the new senators join their peers to examine and revise legislation, investigate national issues, and represent regional, provincial, and minority interests – important functions in a modern democracy.

Biographical Notes

• Patti LaBoucane-Benson
• Paula Simons
• Peter Boehm

Associated Links

• Frequently Asked Questions – Senate appointments process
• Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments

Statement by the Prime Minister on Donna Strickland winning the Nobel Prize in Physics

October 2, 2018
Ottawa, Ontario

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement after learning that Canadian physicist Dr. Donna Strickland won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics:

“I join Canadians and the international science community to recognize the remarkable accomplishments of Canadian physicist Dr. Donna Strickland, a winner of this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics.

“Dr. Strickland, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo, is only the third woman in history to win this prestigious award, and the first woman to be awarded the prize in 55 years.

“With her colleague Dr. Gérard Mourou of France, Dr. Strickland was awarded one half of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics for the development of a new technique to create short, intense laser pulses. Their innovative work can be found in applications including corrective eye surgery, and is expected to have a significant impact on cancer therapy and other physics research in the future. The other half of this year’s prize was awarded to Dr. Arthur Ashkin, who also won for his work revolutionizing laser physics.

“In the words of Dr. Strickland, ‘we need to celebrate women physicists’ – and help motivate more women to pursue careers in science and technology. When women are empowered and have the tools they need to thrive in STEM fields, everyone benefits. While winning a Nobel Prize is a tremendous feat in its own right, it is even more special as we mark Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the many women who, like Dr. Strickland, have paved the way for future generations of women and girls.

“On behalf of all Canadians, I congratulate Dr. Strickland for this remarkable achievement, and thank her for inspiring other women and young girls to dream without limits and pursue the careers of their choice.”

Government of Canada welcomes largest private sector investment project in Canadian history

October 2, 2018
Vancouver, British Columbia

LNG Canada announces 40 billion dollar investment that will lead to 10,000 middle class jobs

Canada is a country that understands that environmental leadership and economic growth go hand-in-hand. With modern infrastructure and cleaner technology to get our resources to new markets, we can diversify our trade, grow our economy, and create good, well-paying jobs for middle-class Canadians.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today welcomed LNG Canada’s decision to build a major liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Kitimat, British Columbia. The $40-billion project represents the largest private sector investment project in the history of the country, which will:

• Create 10,000 jobs at the height of construction;
• Lead to billions of dollars in direct government revenues; and
• Include hundreds of millions of dollars in construction contracts for Indigenous businesses.

In addition, the Prime Minister announced $275 million in federal support, as well as a commitment that trade barriers will not get in the way of this generational project.

The largest infrastructure project of its kind in Canada, it will include natural gas liquefaction facility, a pipeline, and a marine terminal to export surplus Canadian natural gas to some of the world’s fastest growing economies in Asia.

Once built, it will have the lowest carbon intensity of any large-scale LNG facility in the world.

Quote

“Today’s announcement by LNG Canada represents the single largest private sector investment project in Canadian history. It is a vote of confidence in a country that recognizes the need to develop our energy in a way that takes the environment into account, and that works in meaningful partnership with Indigenous communities.”
—The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Quick facts

• Globally, Canada is the fourth largest producer and fifth largest exporter of natural gas. The value of Canadian net exports (exports minus imports) was $6.7 billion in 2017.
• The LNG Canada facility will be built in Kitimat, B.C. Construction is expected to begin in 2018, with the terminal in service by 2024.
• At full capacity, the terminal will convert and export as much as 26 million tons of liquefied natural gas per year, primarily to Asia. This represents roughly 20 per cent of overall gas production in Canada.
• Prime Minister Trudeau met with Royal Dutch Shell senior executives in China and at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. More recently, he met in New York with Chief Executive Officer Ben van Beurden where they discussed how to advance energy projects that are both good for Canada’s economy and the environment.

Associated links

• LNG Canada
• Natural Gas Facts

FERMILAB:Leon Lederman, Nobel laureate, former Fermilab director and passionate advocate of science education, dies at 96

 

 

Leon Lederman, Nobel laureate, former Fermilab director and passionate advocate of science education, dies at 96

The following obituary for Leon Lederman was posted on Fermilab's website earlier today.

Leon Lederman, a trail-blazing researcher with a passion for science education who served as Fermilab’s director from 1978 to 1989 and won the Nobel Prize for discovery of the muon neutrino, died peacefully on Oct. 3 at a nursing home in Rexburg, Idaho. He was 96. 

He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Ellen, and three children, Rena, Jesse and Rachel, from his first wife, Florence Gordon.

With a career that spanned more than 60 years, Lederman became one of the most important figures in the history of particle physics. He was responsible for several breakthrough discoveries, uncovering new particles that elevated our understanding of the fundamental universe. But perhaps his most critical achievements were his influence on the field and his efforts to improve science education. 

"Leon Lederman provided the scientific vision that allowed Fermilab to remain on the cutting edge of technology for more than 40 years,” said Nigel Lockyer, the laboratory’s current director. “Leon’s leadership helped to shape the field of particle physics, designing, building and operating the Tevatron and positioning the laboratory to become a world leader in accelerator and neutrino science. Today, we continue to develop and build the next generation of particle accelerators and detectors and help to advance physics globally. Leon had an immeasurable impact on the evolution of our laboratory and our commitment to future generations of scientists, and his legacy will live on in our daily work and our outreach efforts.”

Through Lederman’s early award-winning work, he rose to prominence as a researcher and began to influence science policy. In the early 1960s, he proposed the idea for the National Accelerator Laboratory, which eventually became Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). He worked with laboratory founder Robert R. Wilson to establish a community of users, credentialed individuals from around the world who could use the facilities and join experimental collaborations. 

According to Fermilab scientist Alvin Tollestrup, who worked with Lederman for more than 40 years, Lederman’s success was in part due to his ability to bring people together and get them to work cohesively.

“One of his greatest skills was getting good people to work with him,” Tollestrup said. “He wasn’t selfish about his ideas. What he accomplished came about from his ability to put together a great team.” 

Lederman began his tenure as Fermilab director in 1978, at a time when both the laboratory staff and the greater particle physics community were deeply divided. As a charismatic leader and a respected researcher, Lederman unified the Fermilab staff and rallied the U.S. particle physics community around the idea of building a proton-antiproton collider. Originally called the energy doubler, the particle accelerator eventually became the Tevatron, the world’s highest-energy particle collider from 1983 until 2010. 

“Leon gave U.S. and world physicists a step up, a unique facility, a very high-energy collider, and his successors keep working for these things,” said Director Emeritus John Peoples, who worked with Lederman for more than 40 years and served as Lederman’s deputy director from 1988 to 1989. “Leon made that happen. He set things in motion.”

In order to begin plans for a high-energy proton-antiproton collider, Lederman convinced the greater physics community, the Department of Energy, president Reagan’s science advisor and Congress. 

“Leon had the ability to lead. He was unifying and convincing,” Peoples said. “He had the ability to listen to people carefully and could synthesize things well. He was very persuasive. In some sense, I was manipulated at every level.”

Lederman’s ability to convince others stemmed in part from his charm and his sense of humor, Peoples said. 

“He seemed to have an enormous storehouse of jokes,” Peoples said. “He had a lighthearted personality, he could have been a stand-up comic at times.”

Lederman was born on July 15, 1922, to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents in New York City. His father, who operated a hand laundry, revered learning. Lederman graduated from the City College of New York with a degree in chemistry in 1943, although by that point, he had become friends with a group of physicists and became interested in the topic. He served three years with the United States Army in World War II and then returned to Columbia University in New York to pursue his Ph.D. in particle physics, which he received in 1951. During graduate school, Lederman joined the Columbia physics department in constructing a 385-MeV synchrotron at Nevis Lab at Irvington-on-the Hudson, New York. He remained as part of that collaboration for 28 years and eventually serving as director of Nevis labs from 1961 to 1978. 

In 1956, while working as part of a Columbia team at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Lederman discovered the long-lived neutral K meson. In 1962, Lederman, along with colleagues Jack Steinberger and Melvin Schwartz, produced a beam of neutrinos using a high-energy accelerator. They discovered that sometimes, instead of producing an electron, a muon is produced, showing the existence of a new type of neutrino, the muon neutrino. That discovery eventually earned them the 1988 Nobel Prize in physics. 

The advancement of particle accelerators continued to spur discoveries. At Brookhaven in 1965, Lederman and his team found the first antinucleus in the form of antideuteron — an antiproton and an antineutron. In 1977, at Fermilab, Lederman led the team that discovered the bottom quark, at the time the first of a suspected new family of heavy particles.  

“All of those experiments were important because they set the stage for learning that we have at least two generations of leptons and something else,” Tollestrup said.”

Lederman served as director of Fermilab from 1978 to 1989. During his tenure as laboratory director, Lederman had a significant impact on laboratory culture. He was responsible for establishing new amenities that set Fermilab apart from other labs, such as the first daycare facility at a Department of Energy national laboratory and an art gallery that continues to host rotating exhibits. 

He also had significant impact on the next generation of scientists. It was during his years at Columbia, an institution that required students to teach, that Lederman developed a passion for science education and outreach, which became a theme throughout his career. Between 1951 and 1978 he mentored 50 Ph.D. students. He liked to joke about their success, saying that not a single one was in jail. 

As director of Fermilab, Lederman established the ongoing Saturday Morning Physics program, which has attracted students from around the Chicago areas for decades to learn more about particle physics from experts, originally from Lederman, and then a long list of leading scientists. The program has inspired generations of high school students. 

Recognizing the need for more focused education in science and math, Lederman focused on creating learning spaces and opportunities for students. In the early 1980s, Lederman worked with members of the Illinois state government to start the Illinois Math and Science Academy, which was founded in 1985, and worked with officials to try to adjust the science curriculum in Chicago’s public schools so that students learned physics first, forming the foundation for their future scientific education. He founded and was chairman of the Teachers Academy for Mathematics and Science and was active in the professional development of primary school teachers in Chicago. He also helped to found the nonprofit Fermilab Friends for Science Education, a national leading organization in precollege science education. 

In later years, Lederman continued his outreach efforts, often in memorable ways. In 2008, he set up shop on the corner of 34th Street and 8th Avenue in New York City and answered science questions from passersby. 

During his career, Lederman received some of the highest national and international awards and honors given to scientists. These include the 1965 National Medal of Science, the 1972 Elliot Creeson Medal from the Franklin Institute, the Wolf Prize in 1982 and the Nobel Prize in 1988. He received the Enrico Fermi Award in 1992 for his career contributions to science, technology and medicine related to nuclear energy and the science and technology of energy, and was given the Vannevar Bush Award in 2012 for exceptional lifelong leaders in science and technology. 

In addition to his appointments at Columbia, Nevis and Fermilab, Lederman also served as the Pritzker professor of science at Illinois Institute of Technology and chairman of the State of Illinois Governor’s Science Advisory Committee. He also served on the Board of the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board and others. 

When Lederman stepped down as Fermilab’s director in 1989 and Peoples took the role, Lederman shared some sage advice. A desk nameplate, which sits on Peoples’s desk more than 25 years later, reads “I’m listening.”

This email was sent to politikimx@yahoo.gr
Fermilab, PO Box 500, Batavia, IL 60510-5011, USA 

Παναγιώτης (Πάνος) Σκουρολιάκος Βουλευτής Περιφέρειας Αττικής:Χαιρετισμός στην επιστημονική συνάντηση της Εταιρείας Μελετών Νοτιοανατολικής Αττικής

Χαιρετισμός στην επιστημονική συνάντηση της Εταιρείας Μελετών Νοτιοανατολικής Αττικής

ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ ΑΘΗΝΑ 4 ΟΚΤΩΒΡΙΟΥ 2018 Χαιρετισμό στην επιστημονική συνάντηση της “Εταιρείας Μελετών Νοτιοανατολικής Αττικής” για το 2018 στο Μαρκόπουλο Μεσογείων απηύθυνε ο βουλευτής του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ στην Ανατολική Αττική . Με υψηλό επιστημονικό και ερευνητικό επίπεδο η Εταιρεία Μελετών παράγει σπουδαίο έργο αντάξιο της Νοτιανατολικής Αττικής αλλά και της χώρας συνολικά.       Παναγιώτης (Πάνος) Σκουρολιάκος Βουλευτής Περιφέρειας Αττικής Βασ. Σοφίας 2 (Μέγαρο Βουλής), 10021 Αθήνα Τηλ.2103708473-4,fax:2103707576,e-mail: p.skouroliakos@parliament.gr

"Η ενοχή να είναι κάποιος κανονικός Ελληνας" Ναπολέων Λιναρδάτος

"Η ενοχή να είναι κάποιος κανονικός Ελληνας"
Ναπολέων Λιναρδάτος 

Aν έχεις γεννηθεί από Ελληνες γονείς, αν είσαι ετεροφυλόφιλος, χριστιανός ορθόδοξος και εργάζεσαι για να ζήσεις τον εαυτό σου και την οικογένειά σου, τότε όλα τα παραπάνω χαρακτηριστικά και ιδιότητες συνιστούν το κατηγορητήριο που ανά πάσα στιγμή η πολιτική τάξη, τα ΜΜΕ και το κράτος τους είναι έτοιμοι να ενεργοποιήσουν. «Αυτός που λιντσάρισε τον Ζακ στο κοσμηματοπωλείο λέγεται Γιώργος κι είναι ωραίος τύπος, έτσι καλαμπουρτζής, όξω καρδιά» έγραψε η Ελενα Ακρίτα. Μετά έγραψε για όλους τους κανονικούς Ελληνες όπως ο «Νίκος που χαρίζει καραμέλες στα παιδάκια», η «Μαρία που πάει εκκλησία», ο κυρ Στέφανος, το Αλικάκι. Αυτόν τον καθημερινό κανονικό Ελληνα «τον βλέπεις κάθε μέρα, τον χαιρετάς κάθε μέρα, τον συμπαθείς κάθε μέρα και πιο πολύ. Αυτός που λιντσάρισε τον Ζακ είναι ο διπλανός σου».

Για την κυρία Ακρίτα και τους ομοϊδεάτες της, αν είσαι Ελληνας νοικοκυραίος, είσαι ένοχος μέχρις αποδείξεως του εναντίου. Ειδικά αν το υποτιθέμενο θύμα δεν είναι ένα μέσος πολίτης, αλλά κάποιος από τις προνομιούχες ομάδες, τότε η ενοχή σου είναι τελεσίδικη. Βέβαια αν ο Ζακ Κωστόπουλος είχε έρθει σε συμπλοκή με έναν Πακιστανό και είχε πεθάνει λίγο αργότερα, κανείς από αυτούς που φωνάζουν σήμερα δεν θα είχε βγάλει άχνα. Θα είχαν μάλιστα κατακεραυνώσει όσους θα τολμούσαν να αναφερθούν στο γεγονός ως ρατσιστές και ξενοφοβικούς. Υπάρχει αυστηρή ιεραρχία στη θυματοποίηση και στη συγκεκριμένη περίπτωση ο Κωστόπουλος δεν θα είχε καμία ελπίδα αγιοποίησης.

Τουλάχιστον κάποτε η Αριστερά κατηύθυνε το μίσος και τον φθόνο προς την άρχουσα τάξη, τους καπιταλιστές και γενικώς τους κρατούντες. Αλλά στην Ελλάδα, μιας και έχουμε μια κρατικοδίαιτη ολιγαρχία, δηλαδή κάτι σαν τα μούτρα τους, η μόνη διέξοδος για το μίσος που καλλιεργούν είναι η μεσαία τάξη. Ο καταστηματάρχης, ο γιατρός, ο υδραυλικός, ο δικηγόρος, ο περιπτεράς, ο υπάλληλος είναι τα νέα μαύρα πρόβατα.

«Ητανε Ζακ, ήτανε και Zackie, στους νοικοκυραίους θα βάλουμε γκαζάκι» το πλακάτ στη διαδήλωση για τον Ζακ Κωστόπουλο. Ακολούθησαν επιθέσεις σε μαγαζιά. Κανένας φυσικά στα ΜΜΕ δεν αναρωτιέται πώς είναι δυνατόν ανθρωπιστές εναντίον της βίας να είναι τόσο επιρρεπείς στην άσκησή της. Την επόμενη μέρα οι νοικοκυραίοι θα πρέπει να βγουν και να μαζέψουν τα σπασμένα. Θα πρέπει να δουλέψουν για να ζήσουν και να πληρώσουν φόρους σε ένα κράτος που τους εχθρεύεται και το οποίο με τη σειρά του συντηρεί με τον ιδρώτα τους τούς επαναστάτες των βορείων προαστίων. Αυτοί που ανέφερε η κυρία Ακρίτα, ο Γιώργος, ο Νίκος, το Αλικάκι, ο κυρ Στέφανος, θα πρέπει καθημερινά να σηκώνουν τον δικό τους σταυρό, για να πληρώνουν γενικώς, όπως πλήρωναν επί χρόνια τη σύνταξη άγαμης θυγατέρας στην ευκατάστατη αριστερή κυρία Ακρίτα. 

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION latest

PRESS

European Council     4/10/2018  Remarks by President Donald Tusk after his meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar As you know, I always try to present the EU's position honestly, and without beating about the bush. Telling the truth, even if difficult and unpleasant, is the best way of showing respect for partners. That's how it was in Salzburg, and that's also how we will work in the coming days. First of all, we want to focus on practical and realistic ways of minimising the damage caused by Brexit, on both sides of the channel. Emotional arguments that stress the issue of dignity sound attractive, but they do not facilitate agreement. Let us remember that every actor in this process has their dignity, and confrontation in this field will not lead to anything good. Second, the task of the EU's negotiators is to defend the interests of the European Union as a whole, and of all the 27 member states. We very much regret that the UK has decided to leave, and we hope for the best relationship in future, but no-one can expect that, because of Brexit, the EU will give up its fundamental values and key interests. Let me make this clear: the EU wants a relationship with the UK that is as close and special as possible. From the very beginning, the EU offer has been not just a Canada deal, but a Canada+++ deal. Much further-reaching on trade, on internal security and on foreign policy cooperation. This is a true measure of respect. And this offer remains in place. The EU is serious about getting the best possible deal. Even though we haven’t changed our minds that the consequences of Brexit will be negative, for both sides. Third, in respecting our partners, we expect the same in return. Comparing the European Union to the Soviet Union is as unwise as it is insulting. The Soviet Union was about prisons and gulags, borders and walls, violence against citizens and neighbours. The European Union is about freedom and human rights, prosperity and peace, life without fear, it is about democracy and pluralism; a continent without internal borders or walls. As the President of the European Council and someone who spent half of my life in the Soviet Bloc, I know what I'm talking about. The Soviet spirit is still alive, as demonstrated by the attack in Salisbury. You will know best where to find this spirit. Rather not in Brussels. And I am sure you will also remember who was the first to declare full solidarity with the UK at that critical moment. Unfortunately, that was not a unique incident. Today, the Dutch and UK governments informed about a cyber attack against the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in the Hague, which was carried out by Kremlin intelligence services. On behalf of the EU, I want to fully condemn this attack and express our complete solidarity with those affected. I will put the issue of cyber security on the agenda of the next European Council. Today, after my long discussion with my guest, the Taoiseach, I want to say that the EU is united behind Ireland and the need to preserve the Northern Ireland peace process. Despite the UK government's rejection of the original EU backstop proposal, we will not give up seeking a workable solution that fully respects the Good Friday Agreement as well as the integrity of the Single Market and the Customs Union. Unacceptable remarks that raise the temperature will achieve nothing except wasting more time. What needs to be done is maximum progress by the October European Council. I was party leader myself, for fifteen years, and I know what the rules of party politics are. But now, once the Tory party conference is over, we should get down to business. Thank you. European Council     4/10/2018  Joint statement by Presidents Tusk and Juncker and High Representative Mogherini on Russian cyber attacks In April the offices of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague were targeted by a hostile cyber operation carried out by the Russian military intelligence service (GRU). This operation was disrupted by Dutch intelligence services in partnership with the United Kingdom (UK). In addition, the UK government has indicated earlier today that it has identified that a number of cyber actors widely known to have been conducting cyber attacks around the world are, in fact, the Russian military intelligence service (GRU). We express serious concerns about this attempt to undermine the integrity of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), a respected international organisation, hosted by the Netherlands. This aggressive act demonstrated contempt for the solemn purpose of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which works to eradicate weapons worldwide under a United Nations mandate. We deplore such actions, which undermine international law and international institutions. The EU will continue to strengthen the resilience of its institutions and those of its Member States, and international partners and organisations in the digital domain.

Παρέμβαση Βόζεμπεργκ για την ενίσχυση των Δήμων και Περιφερειών στη διαχείριση του προσφυγικού

Παρέμβαση Βόζεμπεργκ για την ενίσχυση των Δήμων και Περιφερειών στη διαχείριση του προσφυγικού

Παρακολουθείστε την παρέμβαση της κα. Βόζεμπεργκ: https://youtu.be/BrfPKJ-EEpU

Το ρόλο των τοπικών και περιφερειακών αρχών για τη διαχείριση του προσφυγικού στην Ελλάδα υπογράμμισε με παρέμβαση στην Ολομέλεια του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου στο Στρασβούργο η ευρωβουλευτής της Νέας Δημοκρατίας και του Ε.Λ.Κ. κυρία Ελίζα Βόζεμπεργκ-Βρυωνίδη, στο πλαίσιο συζήτησης για την αντιμετώπιση της ανθρωπιστικής κρίσης στη Μεσόγειο με τη συμβολή των Περιφερειών.

Η κυρία Βόζεμπεργκ ανέφερε χαρακτηριστικά ότι στην Ελλάδα μεγάλες Περιφέρειες της νησιωτικής και ηπειρωτικής χώρας επωμίζονται τα τελευταία χρόνια δυσανάλογα μεγάλο βάρος του προβλήματος, ενώ γραφειοκρατικές καθυστερήσεις στη διανομή των ευρωπαϊκών πόρων δυσχεραίνουν την αποτελεσματική διαχείριση της κρίσης.

Στο πλαίσιο αυτό, η Ελληνίδα ευρωβουλευτής τόνισε την ανάγκη να αποκτήσουν οι τοπικές και περιφερειακές αρχές πιο ενεργό ρόλο στη χάραξη της εθνικής πολιτικής για το μεταναστευτικό και να εξεταστεί το ενδεχόμενο άμεσης πρόσβασής τους σε μέρος των ευρωπαϊκών κονδυλίων για την κάλυψη των αναγκών των προσφύγων αλλά και την στήριξη των τοπικών κοινωνιών.

Το πλήρες κείμενο της παρέμβασης έχει ως ακολούθως:

«Κυρίες και κύριοι συνάδελφοι,

Το ζήτημα που συζητούμε σήμερα, έχει ειδικό βάρος για τη χώρα μου την Ελλάδα. Μεγάλες Περιφέρειες της νησιωτικής και ηπειρωτικής χώρας φιλοξενούν τα τελευταία χρόνια δυσανάλογα μεγάλο αριθμό μεταναστών και προσφύγων.

Κύριε Επίτροπε αναφερθήκατε στη Σάμο. Είναι και η Λέσβος και η Χίος και άλλες περιοχές της χώρας μου. Ειδικά στα νησιά του Βορειοανατολικού Αιγαίου υπάρχει ανθρωπιστική κρίση λόγω της υπερσυσσώρευσης στα κέντρα ταυτοποίησης αλλοδαπών. Δημιουργούνται ανεξέλεγκτες διαστάσεις και οι τοπικές Αρχές βρίσκονται ουσιαστικά με δεμένα χέρια να δίνουν άνισο αγώνα διαχείρισης του προβλήματος χωρίς τα απαραίτητα μέσα.

Οι Περιφέρειες συχνά εκπέμπουν σήμα κινδύνου και προβάλλουν επιτακτικά το αίτημα να μπορούν να ενεργούν αυτόνομα σε θέματα υποδοχής και φροντίδας προσφύγων, χαράσσοντας αντίστοιχα σχετικές πολιτικές σε περιφερειακό επίπεδο. Μην ξεχνάμε ότι βρίσκονται στην πρώτη γραμμή για την παροχή βοήθειας στους πρόσφυγες.

Σε πολλές περιπτώσεις υπάρχουν γραφειοκρατικές καθυστερήσεις που δυσχεραίνουν δραματικά τη διαχείριση του προβλήματος.

Ως εκ τούτου, πρέπει να εξετάσουμε τη δυνατότητα πρόσβασης των Δήμων και των Περιφερειών σε μέρος των ευρωπαϊκών κονδυλίων, σε συνάρτηση πάντοτε με τον εθνικό σχεδιασμό των κρατών μελών για το μεταναστευτικό.

Η αλλαγή του νομικού πλαισίου με την παροχή θεσμικών αρμοδιοτήτων σε περιφερειακό επίπεδο θα μπορούσε να συνδυαστεί σε αυτό το πλαίσιο. Αντίστοιχα, πρέπει να στηριχθούν και οι τοπικές κοινωνίες, που σηκώνουν δυσανάλογο βάρος στη διαχείριση του προσφυγικού.

Η συνεργασία της Ε.Ε. με τις τοπικές Αρχές θα συμβάλει αποφασιστικά και στην καταπολέμηση της εκμετάλλευσης και λαθρεμπορίας μεταναστών που ανθεί δυστυχώς τα τελευταία χρόνια στη Μεσόγειο.

Πάνω απ’ όλα, σε κάθε κράτος μέλος απαιτείται ουσιαστική συμμετοχή των περιφερειακών Αρχών στον κεντρικό σχεδιασμό και την εφαρμογή της μεταναστευτικής πολιτικής. Μόνο έτσι εξασφαλίζεται αποτελεσματικά η διαχείριση όλων των πτυχών της ανθρωπιστικής κρίσης».


Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες:

Ελισσάβετ Βόζεμπεργκ Γραφείο Τύπου Κ.Ο. ΕΛΚ

Βουλευτής του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου

 τηλ: +32 22 83 20 01

τηλ: +32 22 84 52 32                                                                                                                                                                                                      e-mail:theodoros.georgitsopoulos@europarl.europa.eu

e-mail: elissavet.vozemberg@europarl.europa.eu