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AHEPA Denounces Hate Graffiti at Tucson Hellenic Center According to a The Pappas Post report, the Hellenic Center at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, Tucson, Ariz., was vandalized with hate graffiti over the weekend. "AHEPA denounces, in strongest terms, this act of hate speech and vandalism directed toward the American Hellenic community of Tucson," Supreme President Carl R. Hollister. "Simply stated, it is unacceptable, as are all forms of hate speech directed toward any individual, group, or community.  Unfortunately, it's an eerie reminder that the acts of bigotry, intolerance, and hatred experienced by our immigrant forebears still exist in today's society. We call for the perpetrators of this terrible act to be brought to justice by the proper authorities." AHEPA Wraps-up Successful Visit to Brussels The AHEPA delegation meeting with European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides (second from right). Representing AHEPA on behalf of Supreme President Carl R. Hollister, Supreme Treasurer George Horiates completed a successful five-day visit to Brussels, Belgium, where he met with European Union officials and other key public officials, Dec. 3-8, 2017. In addition, Supreme Treasurer Horiates visited NATO Headquarters, attended a session of European Parliament, and participated at events hosted by the Hellenic community of Belgium. Supreme Governor Region 10 Dr. Alfred Barich, and European Eagle Chapter 610 President Dimosthenis Mammonas, accompanied Horiates to meetings and events.  ICYMI | Conference Lunch at the 3rd Annual Archon International Conference on Religious Freedom  In support of the 3rd Annual Archon International Conference on Religious Freedom, AHEPA proudly hosted a Conference Lunch, held at the Newseum, Dec. 6, 2017.  Supreme President Carl R. Hollister provided Welcome Remarks.  Watch here.  Video coverage courtesy of Orthodox Christian Network. Have You Listened to AHEPA Radio? Don't forget to check out our podcast, AHEPA Radio. Get caught-up on AHEPA service programs!  Download AHEPA Radio podcasts from our iTunes or Podbean (Android) audio vaults. Share our short video clip. And don't forget to follow AHEPA on social media:

Upcoming Events & Deadlines December 16 | St. Basil Academy Visitation/Christmas Gathering, Garrison, N.Y. 31 | Get Your Chapter's Dues Remitted to Headquarters! January 5 | AHEPA Epiphany Dinner, Tarpon Springs, Fla. 12 - 21 | 3rd Leadership Mission to Greece, Cyprus, Israel 27 | AHEPA Regional Banquet, Dallas, Texas February 5 | Spring 2018 Deadline for The Ahepan magazine March 3 | AHEPA Regional Banquet, Columbus, Ohio 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.   No Turkish President Had Gone to Greece in 65 Years. So Why Now? The New York Times (Dec. 8)   Recep Tayyip Erdogan became the first Turkish president to visit Greece in 65 years when he arrived on Thursday and met with the Greek prime minister and president.  He immediately affronted his hosts by raising the prospect of changes to the treaty that defines their borders. On Friday, he repeated the same comments in Thrace, in northeastern Greece, home to the country's Muslim minority, which Turkey has long referred to as a Turkish minority.  read more  Commentary | Mr. Erdogan's Greek platform Ekathimerini (Dec. 8)    Recep Tayyip Erdogan's state visit to Greece is historic in itself, being the first by a head of state of Greece's neighbor and rival in 65 years. Whether this initiative has a positive or negative outcome is yet to be seen. From the beginning it was clear that the invitation was a high-risk gamble for Athens: Mr. Erdogan had nothing to lose and everything to gain, whereas for Greece any stirring up of sensitive bilateral issues is always dangerous. The results will show whether it was wise to propose the visit at this particular point in time.  read more    Greece And Turkey Seek To Work Together NPR (Dec. 8)   Greece and Turkey were once sworn enemies. Now they're working on a cautious friendship. This week, Turkey's President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan became the first Turkish head of state to visit Greece in 65 years. But even as Erdogan praised this newfound detente with Greece, he also brought up some old grudges. Joanna Kakissis reports from Athens.  read more  Greece to speed up migrant transfer after Turkey deal EURACTIV.com with AFP (Dec. 12) Greece will speed up the relocation of thousands of migrants from its overcrowded islands to the mainland before the onset of winter after reaching a deal with Turkey, a key ally in helping to tackle Europe's migration crisis, government sources said yesterday (11 December). Athens persuaded Ankara last week to accept migrant returns, including Syrian refugees, from the mainland and not just from the Aegean islands as previously agreed under a 2016 EU-Turkey pact, a government source told AFP.  read more   Opinion | Greece Is On The Mend - But There is More Still To Do Forbes (Dec. 10)   In all the drama of recent weeks on both sides of the Atlantic, the third review of the Greek bailout program appears to have gone almost unnoticed. On December 2nd, Greece quietly agreed to a new package of reforms. The Greek government will now force this through the Greek Parliament in time for Eurogroup ratification on January 22nd. As ever, the reforms are politically sensitive, including opening up state-owned natural gas and electricity utilities to competition and revising strike legislation. But this time, no-one doubts that the reforms will go ahead. Greece has already made far more difficult changes, notably to pensions, which the Syriza government originally regarded as sacrosanct. It has proved that it can take its medicine.  read more   A Version of Homer That Dares to Match Him Line for Line The New York Times (Dec. 5)   Dismal as it has been in other respects, the fall of 2017 has been good to readers of Homer. September brought us Daniel Mendelsohn's "An Odyssey," his memoir of teaching this poem about fathers and sons to a class at Bard College that included his own father. Now we have an excellent new translation of the epic by the British classicist Emily Wilson. Norton trumpets it as "the first English translation of the 'Odyssey' by a woman." (Anne Dacier's French prose version appeared in 1708.) But Wilson's rendering is remarkable in other ways as well.  read more   Dr. P. Roy Vagelos Talks to TNH about Columbia University Donation The National Herald (Dec. 6) Greek-American Dr. P. Roy Vagelos, 88, and his wife, Diana, are donating $250 million to the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, one of the top medical schools and also among the most expensive in the United States.    read more