AHEPA E-News Volume 17, Issue 8 | Wednesday, February 22, 2023

AHEPA's Growth in Europe Continues

AHEPA Supreme Secretary Savas Tsivikos had the honor of joining the brothers of Phanos Pitiris Chapter CY-6 in Paphos, Cyprus, as they initiated 26 candidates into the Order. The new initiates included local businessmen and elected Paphos city officials. After the ceremony, they celebrated their newfound brotherhood by enjoying a meal together. Chapter CY-6 in Paphos is named for the late Phanos Pitiris, who served AHEPA as a Supreme Governor for Region 10 and as Cyprus District 27 Governor. Brother Phanos passed away in early 2022. He was an upstanding Ahepan who lived up to the Order's ideals on a daily basis. An initiation this large is proof that as long as we continue to foster the ideals of service and brotherhood that Brother Phanos upheld, our Order will continue to grow. A heartfelt congratulations and welcome to our new brothers!

AHEPA Family Call to Action

As the death toll continues to rise in Türkiye and Syria, AHEPA is looking to our chapters to support the endeavor of our brothers in AHEPA Chapter No. 601 in Constantinople. Since 1922, the Order of AHEPA has been a generous, philanthropic organization who digs down deep to help people in need. Today is such a day. The Supreme President, Jimmy Kokotas, has asked the entire Ahepa family to collect funds and send them to our chapter in Constantinople as we have since we were first made aware of this tragic event. The magnitude and scope of this natural disaster has not been properly conveyed to our chapters and our members. For those of you who wish to make personal donations, please feel free to do so through the AHEPA website by clicking on the charitable foundation link on the donation page. The funds collected during the months of February and March will go to efforts to assist people in need of food, water, blankets, and other necessities. Chapter 601 has visited the effected area, and the region is devastated. As a philanthropic organization, it is our duty to assist if we can. Donate online at ahepa.org/donate or send a check to AHEPA headquarters. God bless the first responders from all over the world who are on site helping save peoples lives.

AHEPA 2023 Supreme Convention - Save the Date!

Book Your Hotel Room Now!

While It Lasts! Get Your AHEPA Centennial Merch

Get it while it lasts! AHEPA centennial commemorative merchandise is available that includes a commemorative coin and stand and decanter set. Years of service and chapter officer pins, award plaques, and AHEPA t-shirts, watches, patches, and more!  Check it all out in the AHEPA Marketplace catalog.

Upcoming Events & Deadlines

February 24 | Greeks in Miami March 31 | AEF Scholarship Application Deadline

Greek American News Digest  Editor's Note: Editorials, commentaries, opinion pieces, and articles 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 Blinken from Athens Welcomes ‘Time Out’ on Greece-Turkey Tension The National Herald (Feb. 21) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday urged NATO allies Greece and Turkey to calm rhetoric as both countries head to national elections, in an effort to bolster unity in the trans-Atlantic alliance as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nears its anniversary. read more Ginnis’ skiing silver is Greece’s 1st big winter sport medal AP (Feb. 19) AJ Ginnis’ long journey to skiing glory began on the relatively obscure slopes of Mount Parnassus north of Athens, took him briefly to the Austrian Alps as a teenager, then over to Vermont and eventually a spot on the U.S. ski team. read more 2023 NBA All-Star Game Highlights: Team Giannis Defeats Team Lebron Fox Sports (Feb. 19) The 2023 NBA All-Star Game tipped off at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Sunday, putting the best basketball had to offer on full display for a night full of thrilling plays. And the best of the best was one Jayson Tatum, who poured it on to the tune of an ASG-record 55 points on 10 made 3s. read more Women of Zalongo, an Original Play by Maria Cominis, Premieres March 3 in CA The National Herald (Feb. 17) Women of Zalongo, an original play by Maria Cominis about the ongoing struggle of women for autonomy, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), will premiere regionally on March 3-12 in Fullerton, CA and on March 19 in Santa Monica, CA. The play is inspired by the playwright’s Greek grandmother and her childhood memories prior to her immigration to the U.S. in 1915. Family secrets and intergenerational dynamics are woven into the lives of four generations of women whose family line reaches back to the heroic women of Zalongo. read more Now Available!

Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee

 

Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, January 31–February 1, 2023 https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/monetary20230222a.htm Released by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System   Visit us on the web at Federal Reserve Board.

IMF interesting latest

 

Dear maria, We just published a new blog—please find the full text below.  Technology Behind Crypto Can Also Improve Payments, Providing a Public Good (Credit: Xijian/iStock by Getty Images) By Tobias Adrian, Tommaso Mancini-Griffoli Crypto assets have been more of a disappointment than a revolution for many users, and global bodies like the IMF and the Financial Stability Board urge tighter regulation. Some of the rapidly evolving technology behind crypto, however, may ultimately hold greater promise. The private sector keeps innovating and customizing financial services. But the public sector too should leverage technology to upgrade its payment infrastructure and ensure interoperability, safety, and efficiency in digital finance, as we noted in a recent working paper: A Multi-Currency Exchange and Contracting Platform. Others too are advancing similar views. Technology has jumped ahead New payment technologies include tokenization, encryption, and programmability: Tokenization means representing property rights to an asset, such as money, on an electronic ledger—a database held by all market participants, optimized to be widely accessible, synchronized, easily updatable, and tamper-proof. Anonymity of token balances and transactions is not required (and in fact undermines financial integrity). Encryption helps decouple compliance checks from transactions so only authorized parties access sensitive information. This facilitates transparency while promoting trust. Programmability allows financial contracts to be more easily written and automatically executed, such as with “smart contracts,” without relying on a trusted third party.

 

23/02/2023 08:00 | Press release The path to a bio-based European economy On 27–28 February, the Living in the Bioeconomy conference will be held under the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU. Some twenty speakers will gather to discuss the measures needed for a sustainable bio-based society with resource-efficient value chains.

Press release

23 February 20238:00

The path to a bio-based European economy



On 27–28 February, the Living in the Bioeconomy conference will be held under the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU. Some twenty speakers will gather to discuss the measures needed for a sustainable bio-based society with resource-efficient value chains.


“The transition to a bio-based economy is important for rural development, the climate, employment and growth. The need for renewable resources is immense. I therefore see great value in meeting to exchange experiences and discuss the next steps for a renewable Europe,” says Sweden’s Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren, who will open the conference.

The conference will take place in Stockholm, and participants will include officials from EU Member States and institutions as well as academia, the business sector, innovation actors and interest groups.

In June 2022, the European Commission presented a progress report on the adoption of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy. The policy measures needed for a sustainable bio-based society with resource-effective value chains will be a topic for further discussion at the conference.

You can follow the conference live on the Swedish Presidency website: Living in the Bioeconomy conference (europa.eu); no registration is required.

Link to a progress report on the adoption of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy: Adoption of the bioeconomy strategy progress report (europa.eu)

Facts about the bioeconomy

The bioeconomy refers to the part of the overall economy that concerns the management, production, refinement and use of products and services based on renewable biological materials from earth, forests and water, including associated residual flows.

Source: Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (Formas).


Sabina Jansson Bernhardsson

Press Secretary to Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgrensabina.jansson.bernhardsson@gov.se
+46 73 029 10 12

Think Tank Review- February 2023

 

Library blog Thursday 23 February 2023

● General Secretariat of the Council   Think Tank Review- February 2023   The evolution of the neutrality principle of several European states following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the added value of the participation notably of European citizens in the Conference of the Future of Europe, the 30th anniversary of the European single market, the state of economic convergence in the euro area, the digitalisation as an enabler for the clean energy transition, the multipolarity in the 21st century, how to rebuild Europe’s security architecture, and the multiple challenges of global trade in 2023 are some of the topics dealt with in the February Think Tank Review.

Think Tank Review- February 2023

• 23 February 2023
 
• Think Tank Review
 
• gsclibrary

 

EU politics and institutions

Reports point to the neutrality principle that several European states have renounced following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 asking if it is outdated and if the strategic positions of neutral countries are today in rapid evolution pushing them to choose sides and close ranks. Commenting on the Conference of the Future of Europe, papers note that the Conference offered an added value to the existing deliberative process by enabling the expression of an endless variety of personal opinions and views on key aspects of European democratic governance by academics and members from organized civil society. The extraterritoriality concept is analysed in depth and especially how the EU by using law, compliance and strategic intelligence can respond to challenges posed by superpowers. In that context, the general data protection regulation is an example of tangible EU action to protect its citizens and its industries. Reports also examine what the future of the EU's economic, social and territorial cohesion will look like in view of the green and digital transition which is fundamentally changing Europe's economy.

Notre Europe - Jacques Delors
La neutralité, une idée périmée en Europe? 

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
European democracy support annual review 2022

Ελληνικό Iδρυμα Ευρωπαϊκής και Εξωτερικής Πολιτικής (Hellenic Foundation for European Foreign Policy) / Hanns Seidel Foundation
The Conference on the Future of Europe: a kaleidoscope of democracy

ΙΔΡΥΜΑ ΕΥΓΕΝΙΔΟΥ: Νέο επεισόδιο Space Series

 

Νέο επεισόδιο Space Series  Γαλαξιακές Συγκρούσεις  Όλα τα δεδομένα που έχουμε συλλέξει έως τώρα καταδεικνύουν ότι οι συγχωνεύσεις των γαλαξιών παίζουν καθοριστικό ρόλο στην εξέλιξή τους. Εάν, όμως, το Σύμπαν όντως διαστέλλεται και οι γαλαξίες απομακρύνονται ο ένας από τον άλλον, καθώς ο μεταξύ τους χώρος «ξεχειλώνει», γιατί πολλοί απ’ αυτούς συγκρούονται μεταξύ τους; Πώς επηρεάζονται στην διάρκεια αυτών των συγκρούσεων τα νέφη αερίων και σκόνης, τα άστρα και οι γιγάντιες μαύρες τρύπες που εμπεριέχει ο κάθε γαλαξίας; Σε αυτό το επεισόδιο της σειράς Space Series θα βρείτε τις απαντήσεις. Δείτε το νέο επεισόδιο εδώ Τα Space Series είναι μία σειρά σύντομων βίντεο που έχουν ως σκοπό να διαφωτίσουν το κοινό με όσο πιο απλό και σύντομο τρόπο για θέματα αστρονομίας, αστροφυσικής, διαστημικής εξερεύνησης και τεχνολογίας, τα οποία έρχονται κάθε τόσο στην επικαιρότητα και πολλές φορές δεν είναι γνωστά ή κατανοητά. Περισσότερα για τα Space Series Και μην ξεχνάτε τις παραστάσεις του Νέου Ψηφιακού Πλανηταρίου, όπου θα βρείτε τις απαντήσεις σε πολλά ερωτήματα για τους πλανήτες, τους γαλαξίες και το Σύμπαν. Δείτε το πρόγραμμα εδώ.

ΙΔΡΥΜΑ ΕΥΓΕΝΙΔΟΥ Λεωφ. Συγγρού 387 17564, Π. Φάληρο Τηλ: (+30) 210 9469600