|
A Snapshot Diary of the AMHRC on Tour around Australia with the Folklore Group from Aegean Macedonia: “Belomortsi” and Aegean Macedonian Human Rights Activists
In Cooperation with: Macedonian Community of Western Australia Inc; Macedonian Community of Adelaide and South Australia Inc; Macedonian Community of Illawarra Inc and the Aegean Macedonian Association of New South Wales
Beginnings Thursday 11 August 9.15 pm at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport
The “Belomortsi” troupe from Aegean Macedonia in Greece, consisted of nine members: the bagpipe player, Anastas Jovanov (from the village of Rakita – Kajlar County); Tome Geshov (Krontselevo – Voden); Magda Kachbanova (Ofchareni – Lerin); Natse Dinchev (Dolno Kopanovo – Negush); Lefa Chicheva (Ofchareni – Lerin); Stefo Majarov (Popozhani – Lerin/Solun); Areta Jankulova (Rosen – Lerin); Atanas Trajanov (Tushilovo – Kukush); Katina Klopcheva (Krushoradi – Lerin).
Also in their company, came the editor in chief of “Nova Zora” (a Macedonian newspaper distributed throughout Aegean Macedonia and Greece in general) Dimitri Jovanov; member of the central committee of Vinozhito (a Macedonian political party struggling for the rights of Macedonians in Greece) and recently elected President of the village of Ofchareni (Lerin), Pando Ashlakov and renowned human rights activists from the Athens based NGO - Greek Helsinki Monitor – Dr. Panyote Dimitras and Nafsika Papanikolatou.
Altogether, a group of 14...tired after 24 hours of flying time...
Day Two - A Civic Reception from the City of Melbourne
Friday 11.30 am – our guests were graciously given an official civic reception by the City of Melbourne. Councillor Louie presented all the visitors with tokens of welcome and this was followed by a historically guided tour of Melbourne Town Hall.
Dimitri Jovanov, the editor of Nova Zora, informed Councillor Louie (with the aid of Vasko Nastevski of the AMHRC, who acted as interpreter) about the negative discrimination against all ethnic minorities in Greece, especially Macedonians...
Friday evening 7.30pm – AMHRC Advocates Club assembled in the heart of Melbourne central at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI)
Jason Kambovski of the AMHRC outlined the latest efforts of the AMHRC; Dr. Dimitras praised the work of the AMHRC and MHRMI in connection with their cooperation with the Greek Helsinki Monitor in the preparation of legal action against the state of Greece on behalf of Macedonians who have been denied their citizenship and property rights. Dimitri Jovanov and Pando Ashlakov made an appeal to the audience to continue to spread the word about this monumental campaign and to encourage others to apply to join.
The evening ended with a short performance by the Belomortsi, as an ‘appetiser’ for the main event in Melbourne on the following evening.
Day three: The AMHRC’s 28th Annual Dinner Evening
Saturday August 13 by 7.00pm over 500 people had crammed into Neret Receptions...
George Vlahov of the AMHRC began proceedings by informing the audience about the most recent activities of the AMHRC and then introduced the guest speakers: Dr. Dimitras, Dimtri Jovanov and Pando Ashlakov. They were followed with a ‘full scale’ performance by the Belomortsi, who were ably supported by the Vasko Nikolovski band. This program was to be repeated throughout the tour. The evening ended with the auction of various items donated for the benefit of the AMHRC – and as usual, the auctions were carried out with aplomb and success, by Jason Kambovski of the AMHRC.
Day Four – Sydney
On Sunday August 14 a 7am flight from Melbourne airport took our overseas guests and an AMHRC delegation to Sydney. We were greeted in Sydney by representatives of the Aegean Macedonian Council of NSW. The AMC-NSW treated us to a fine lunch and then via a tour bus, we were taken to our hotel lodgings so that we could prepare for the dinner dance at the Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre.
Another full house ‘madly’ applauded the same program as was used in Melbourne. An added highlight on the evening was the very vibrant performance of the local junior Macedonian dance/folklore group.
Our thanks to the AMC-NSW and its President, Mr. Mick Veloskey, for organising matters so well and for being flexible hosts.
Day five – Wollongong
Monday August 15 – After breakfast we were on the road again, heading for another Dinner at the community hall of the Macedonian Community of Illawarra, located in the town of Wollongong on the NSW coast, a few hours south of Sydney.
A Monday night dinner...it’s not something that we were feeling confident about; one of the leaders of the community, Olga Nikolovska, had assured us that our concerns were needless. All the same, we didn’t believe it until we saw it...another absolutely full house – an attendance which, according to community leaders, had not been seen for many years and when the continuance of the AMHRC/MHRMI Our Name is Macedonia campaign was announced, the applause was deafening...
Day 6 Back to Sydney – Another Civic Reception and Greek Human Rights Violations Against Macedonians Recounted at University of NSW
Tuesday August 16 after some sightseeing in Wollongong, we were back in Sydney by 2.30pm - in time for the President of Ovchareni, Pando Ashlakov, to be given a civic welcome by the Mayor of the city of Rockdale, Mr. Bill Saravinovski (also possessing a Macedonian heritage). By 5.30pm we were at the University of NSW, where Dr. Dimitras gave an official lecture before the Law Faculty.
The day ended with the whole delegation taking a 10pm flight back to Melbourne.
Day 7 More Civic Hospitality and Dr. Dimitras Lectures on Human Rights Violations at Melbourne University
Wednesday August 17
The day began deep in Melbourne’s outer north with a 10am civic welcome given to Pando Ashlakov by the Mayor of the City of Whittlesea, Mr. Rex Griffin. The discussion between the two was quite far ranging (and this kept the AMHRC’s interpreter, George Vlahov, quite busy) and of course Mr. Ashlakov took the opportunity to explain the difficulties he faces as a result of Greek racism. The reception ended very amicably with Mr. Griffin accepting an invitation from Mr. Ashlakov, to be his guest in Ovchareni...
The middle of the day was utilised by our overseas guests to do some much needed shopping in Melbourne central. At one point, on the footpath of Melbourne’s famous Elizabeth St. outside a well known department store, Belomortsi Tasho Jovanov and Tome Geshov, were discussing in ‘normal’ Macedonian fashion, the purchase of various items, when a worried passer by sincerely and respectfully enquired: “Is everything ok?” This brought on much laughter and I later reflected that while Australians in general are cautious/conservative drivers, they seem to compensate for this as adventurous and imaginative pedestrians...though no doubt, the Macedonian tones fuelled the mind’s eye on this occasion...
During a lunch break in Melbourne’s Italian district, the consensus was that the tour was too engrossingly pleasurable, for us to notice how tired we all are...never-the-less, a few of us remarked on some strange dreams we had during our slumbers upon returning from Sydney...I was the only one willing to admit the nature of my dream...it involved a focus on an ancient myth to do with some longer extant creatures...the story tells how if they are cut in half, then the two...the halves, would fight each other to death...clearly, I was tired or was it that...
By 6pm we were all assembled in one of the Lecture halls of Melbourne University’s Law Faculty to hear Dr. Dimitras deliver a lucid lecture on human rights violations in Balkans. Dr. Dimitras was introduced by Dr. Vasko Nastevski (himself a graduate of Melbourne University’s Law School) of the AMHRC and by Dr. Kirsty Gover from the Law School. The essential focus of the lecture was on violations by the Greek State against Macedonians...
Day 8 Meetings in Canberra with Parliamentarians and State Officials
Thursday August 18
A truncated delegation took a 7am flight to Australia’s capital, Canberra. The delegation included David Vitkov, Vasko Nastevski, Jason Kambovski and George Vlahov, from the Executive of the AMHRC. They were accompanied by Dr. Dimitras, Nafsika Papanikolatou and Dimitri Jovanov.
A very busy day was begun by our attendance at a meeting of the Australia-Macedonia Parliamentary Friendship Group at Australia’s Federal Parliament House. Also present, were various other Macedonian community representatives, including Professor Mile Terziovski from Adelaide and Mr. Goran Torbakov from Melbourne. Our focus was to advocate for the development of mechanisms for changing Australia’s negative stance on recognising the Republic of Macedonia by its democratically chosen name and on improving aged care facilities for Australia’s Macedonian community. Suggestions in this regard made by the AMHRC’s David Vitkov and Jason Kambovski, were officially accepted by the Chairs of the Group – Stephen Jones MP and Luke Simpkins MP.
Productive private meetings on various matters, were also held with Bill Shorten MP (Assistant Treasurer of the Australian Government); the Department of Foreign Affairs; Kate Lundy MP and with Julie Bishop MP – the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs. Perhaps the most important event during this fruitful day in Canberra was the evidence given by our entire group before an official sitting of Australia’s Federal Parliamentary Committee on human rights. The sitting was chaired by Laurie Ferguson MP and Phillip Ruddock MP. We submitted both verbal and documentary evidence on the issue of Greek state human rights violations against its Macedonian minority. All of the eight members of parliament showed sincere concern (except perhaps for Maria Vamvakinou MP, who walked out on the sitting quite early) for the matters our delegation raised and even permitted us to extend the discussion slightly to include the issue of racial discrimination faced by Macedonians in other settings.
Our day in Canberra ended with a 10pm flight back to Melbourne...
Without question, the official introduction to the Australian parliament of evidence on the persecution of Macedonians in Greece, was a monumental first for Macedonians in Australia and we trust that benefits for the Macedonian human rights movement, will eventually accrue.
Day 9 Perth, Western Australia – Murdoch University
Friday August 19 With the whole troupe assembled again, we flew off to Perth on a 6am flight from Melbourne Airport – those of us who had returned late from Canberra the previous evening, were not entirely happy about this...though the glamour of Perth’s salty panorama, soon cheered us up...
In Perth we were warmly greeted by leaders of the Macedonian Community of WA (Inc) – Sam Novachkov, Trajan Andonovski, Chris Angelkov and Jote Candovski. Though there wasn’t time to ‘dawdle’, as by midday we were at Perth’s Murdoch University where Dr. Dimitras was again speaking. Dr. Dimitras maintained his equanimity during the Q and A at the end of his lecture in spite of the almost continual rude and irrelevant interruptions of a representative of the local Greek community.
The remainder of the afternoon was spent on settling into our hotel lodgings before Chris Angelkov treated our whole delegation to a splendid dinner.
Day 10 Dinner at the Community Centre of Perth’s Macedonian Community
Saturday August 20
We began early as our hosts insisted on showing us the sights of Perth. I tried to tempt my roommates in Perth, Belomortsi Tome Geshov and Natse Dinchev, into partaking of the delight of Australia’s own Vegemite spread...Tome took one look and insisted that his orange juice would see him through...Natse decided to have a go, but didn’t look too happy about it...
7.30 pm Another full house appreciated the now ‘traditional’ Melbourne program of speeches and performances. An added highlight in Perth was the attendance of and speech given by Mr. John Hyde MP, the member for Perth in the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia’s parliament. Mr. Hyde has been cooperating with the AMHRC and Mr. Zoran Coseski (Macedonia’s Perth Consul) in support of Australia’s recognition of Macedonia, by its democratically chosen name.
Day 11 Dinner with the Macedonian Community of Adelaide and South Australia Inc.
Sunday August 21
A 9am flight took us from Perth to the capital of South Australia, Adelaide. We arrived at around 1.30pm and were greeted by the community President Vasko Tanevski and others...there was absolutely no time for niceties – straight to the hotel and then to the Community hall and a 4pm start to the official proceedings...
Again we wondered about the time and day and how it might adversely affect attendance and again it was needless...the hall was overflowing and again “such an attendance had not occurred in years”...
Day 12 Goodbye...
Monday August 22
From the first, we were brazen with our lethargy...all official duties had ended. The locals took us on the obligatory sightseeing tour and community president Vasko Tanevski, treated us to a smorgasbord lunch that was extremely wide in variety and long in duration.
Then with a 5pm flight it was back to Melbourne Airport for the last goodbye. We in the AMHRC had lived together with our guests, quite intensely for 12 days and nights and it was not easy...we assured each other that we would keep up the good fight at our respective ends and that our cooperation would only get better from now on...but still it was far from easy...the strain showed on some of our faces...I put my camera away...a 10.30pm flight took our guests back to their homes.
Tour Guide: George Vlahov
Photos of the tour can be viewed by downloading the AMHRC Review.
|
Login
Register
FAQ
