P.F.A IN ALBANIA

Between 1999 to 2007, members of the Panepirotic Federation of Australia have visited Northern Epirus on a regular basis. Such visits are two-fold in scope: 1. To ascertain the living conditions, needs and requirements of the Greeks of Northern Epirus. 2. To develop strategies and ways in which the Greeks of Australia may assist the beleagured Greeks of Northern Epirus, so that they may remain in their ancestral homelands. 3. To raise awareness of the conditions in Northern Epirus among Greek Communities abroad and governmental institutions.

FRYME DASHURIE - ΙΕΚ. ΠΝΟΗ ΑΓΑΠΗΣ

Owing to the constant mobilisation of the Greek community in Melbourne, through fundraising, the Panepirotic Federation of Australia has been able to assist in the construction of the Polytechnic College "Frymë Dashurie" (Πνοή Αγάπης), at Argyrokastron, under the auspices of the Orthodox Church of Albania. The Federation has donated some $150,000 to this end, with a large proportion of this kindly donated by our late former president, Mr Spiros Stamoulis. A cheque for this amount was provided to His Beatitude, Archbishop Anastasios of Tiranë and all Albania, Anastasios at the 2001 meeting of the Council of Greeks Abroad, by the late Mr Spiros Stamoulis, current Mr President Dimitrios Varnas and current Secretary, Mr Kostas Kalymnios.

SAE Oceania President Mr Kostas Vertzayias, Panepirotic Federation of Australia President, Mr Dimitrios Varnas, President of the Committee of Solidarity for the Greeks of Northern Epiros, the late Mr Spiros Stamoulis and Panepirotic Federation of Australia Secretary, Mr Kostas Kalymnios discussing the construction of the Polytechnic College at Argyrokastron, having donated the sum of $150,000 to the Orthodox Church of Albania for this purpose.

Mr Andrew Athens, Former World President of SAE, announces the donation by the Panepirotic Federation of Australia of the sum of $150,000 for the purposes of constructing the Polytechnic College at Argyrokastron, flanked by former SAE Oceania President, Mr Kostas Vertzayias, Panepirotic Federation of Australia President, Mr Dimitrios Varnas, President of the Committee of Solidarity for the Greeks of Northern Epirus, the late Mr Spiros Stamoulis and Panepirotic Federation of Australia Secretary, Mr Kostas Kalymnios.

The College provides technical courses that permit its students to learn trades that they can utilise within Albania. It operates, albeit with heavy restrictions as a beacon of hope for the youth of the region. Panepirotic Federation of Australia Secretary Mr Kostas Kalymnios visited the College in December 2006, and conducted classes there.

The entrance of the Polytechnic "Πνοή Αγάπης" at Argyrokastron, and its principal, Mr Konstantinos Dimitropoulos.

Installing kitchen training equipment for trainee hands by crane.

Prior to the construction of the Argyrokastron campus, the College was housed in this building, adjacent to the village church in Dervitsani, the hometown of our former President, the late Mr Spiros Stamoulis. Panepirotic Federation of Australia Secretary, Mr Kostas Kalymnios visited this campus in 2004 and conducted classes there.

SUPPORT FOR OMONOIA AND THE UNION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS PARTY

The Union for Human Rights Party (Albanian: Partia Bashkimi për të Drejtat e Njeriut, Greek: Κόμμα Ένωσης Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων) is a centrist party in Albania. The party was founded in 1992 to represent Albania's ethnic Greek and other minority populations as the continuation of the Democratic Union of the Greek Minority (Omonoia). The Unity for Human Rights Party joined a Socialist-led coalition in 1997. In the 2001 elections it received 2.6% of the vote and three members of parliament. At the last elections in July 2005 it received 4.1% of the vote and two seats in parliament. The party leader is Vangelis Doules, while party member Vasilis Bolanos is the current mayor of the town of Cheimarra.

The Panepirotic Federation of Australia fully supports this party and applauds its efforts to tirelessly represent the Greeks of Northern Epirus. Owing to the nebulous state of Albanian democracy, this is not always easy and especially in Cheimarra, its activists are subject to constant intimidation and persecution.

In 2004, Panepirotic Federation of Australia, Mr Kostas Kalymnios attended the annual party conference of the Union for Human Rights Party at its offices in Tiranë, Albania. Pictured are Mr Themis Kaisis, eparch of Mesopotamo, Mr Vasilis Bolanos, mayor of Cheimarra and Mr Margaritis Ntais.

RELIGION:

Without a doubt, the Orthodox Church of Albania has been the single most regenerative factor in alleviating the plight of the Greeks of Northern Epirus, and all Orthodox Christian Albanians, who under the communist regime of Enver Hoxha, were serverly punished for adhering to their religious beliefs. The Panepirotic Federation of Australia regularly contributed to appeals with a view to restoring and rebuilding the historic churches of Northern Epirus.

On 13 April 1996, the Panepirotic Federation of Australia and its constituent member, the Committee of Solidarity for the Greeks of Northern Epirus raised $95,000 in its Holy Saturday appeal. Of this amount, $22,000 was donated to the Church "Dormition of the Theotokos" in Dervitsiani, for the purposes of restoring its iconostasis. The remaining $73,000 was delivered to His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios by Committee members Mr Yiannis and Mrs Maria Plessas, to be applied for the purposes of reconstructing churches, where required. Above, members of the Committee, Mr Korosidis and the late Mr Gonopoulos present Father Michalis Dakos with the cheque.

Panepirotic Federation of Australia Secretary, Mr Kostas Kalymnios, with Father Nikodimos of Argyrokastron, outside the church at Kossovitsa, in 2004. The Panepirotic Federation of Australia commissioned a requiem mass, in memory of the departed relatives of all Northern Epirote migrants to Australia.

The Panepirotic Federation of Australia pays homage and owes a great debt of gratitude to His Beatitude, Archbishop Anastasios of Tiranë and Albania for his guidance, blessing and for his miraculous pastoral care of all citizens of Albania, regardless of ethnicity or religious persuasion. In this picture, taken in 2001, His Beatitude discusses his vision for a harmonious and tolerant Albania with current Secretary, Mr Kostas Kalymnios.