“The dynamic of Hellenism in the future”

Introducer: Mr. John Dandoulakis
Political Scientist, Internationalist, Nominee Doctor

Subject: "The dynamic of Hellenism in the future"

His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Your Reverences, Saint fathers, Mr. Peter Kiriakidis, honorable members of the Committee of the N.G.O. "Romiosini", dear sirs, ladies and gentlemen.

It is a great honor that is offered us today with this invitation. In this way we should like to express our pleasure the fact we see many same our agers today among the audience! But, we here do not repeat whatever has already said, that is whatever has to do what means Romiosini, what a burden carries in the end this term. All these have been presented and explained as a whole by the before hand speakers so yesterday as even today, and we take all them into account for the following.

So, when we received the invitation by the committee of the N.G.O. "Romiosini" for the introduction to this Congress on the next day of Hellenism it is true that we really thought it very hard. And did happened so, as we realized that the revelation of the future in what the Hellenism concerns as well as the examination of its dynamic requires a further step beyond the examination and analysis of the proceedings and facts of the past.

Such a doing presupposes firstly the taking out of initiatives, the creative vision through which they man along with the centuries takes his own lack in his own hands and so plans his future in a responsible way. To this so difficult work has been given us humbly we shall try to result of equal value today. So, the following questions have been created, that we wanted to share here with all of you.

In the end, can such a Hellenism as we just have defined here to have a future, to have a place the Hellenism in a Greece without moral values, without ideals, a Greece in a social post-putrescence, in a heavy form f crisis in identification? What kind of future has Hellenism, in a Hellenic society of well placed, un-wishing, immoral unhistorical, un-godded and without ideals as even un-incensed according to Papadiamantis, as it is a subject to be said if is churchgoer once a year? A Hellenic society that is also an ill-advised and immeasurable, that is without according to Aristotle a measure that offers beauty, peace and calm in just this world? Why such an absolute meter is there only in Hellenism and in the Hellenic-Orthodoxy and also there was in Romanesque, our Empire, that in other words was in its good times and not so bad... And so, in the end what really differs to make achieve some few ones who support and keep on airing the banner of Hellenism today as well as tomorrow? As you may see the omens are by no any means satisfactory. But we do answer: an omen perfect, just do your preaches really actions. The answer that we have given to all these questions shall we share here with all you today.

With all we have just said previously, it is clearly seen that the position of the Romiosini in the actual Hellenism is more or less weak or is it seemed as is seen? Being referred to the well-known saying of the General Makrigiannis, we must say yes, Romiosini can be "strongless as also we are, but God is strong and He protect us, and if we are just a few we are consoled in such a way that our lack has the Greeks being always few, and beginning and end, in the older times as well as now, all beasts are in war in order to eat us but they cannot do it, they eat from us and still remains yeast". And today this is what we have to say here, that this yeast we ourselves are. The reality, dear friends, is that Romiosini has a very brilliant future ahead but in is the unique living solution to the exit of actual Hellenism out of its decadence.

As Romiosini may be as an ideology, a system of social-political and moral values to only constitute really the unique alternative solution to the today social and national deadlocks of Greece and the Hellenism in general, as we just told before hand.

Due to the need of time, we shall not be further extended but we make it clear in a few words that it can give the answer to all problems of the actual Hellenism, as in an internal level as in an external one in relation to the international presence of Hellenism. And in both such levels are equally important as we shall see each other completed in such a way that is too hard to approach one without to be discussed the other as well.

But both require being voluntary, brave decision taking and initiatives.

At this point we should owe to observe that the actual Hellenic society suffers mainly by the lack of a dream, optimism, and a vision for the future and, in general, of a lack of ideology. The existence of an ideology is of first order and a necessary element for a healthy society, as it constitutes the incentive and the starting point for the creation of a basic social values system, without of which a society comes to putrefaction, and also it is the main cause for the creation of culture and history.

We have to point out and also accept that the modern Hellenism has stopped to possess something like this at least since the period of post-war and then.

But we need on the other hand an ideology. Without an ideology we can create nothing. And we mean to possess an own ideology, its own personal one, of its own, coming out of its soul, an ideology not being nationalistic but national in the sense of its ideas origin. The Greeks all the time during our history we have created our own national ideology based on the Hellenic-romanesquian ideas.

It's no feasible here to go so far behind in our history, but we believe that it's quiet enough to do an extreme review on the ideas and social objectives that have overruled on the modern and contemporary Hellenism.

We substantially start up with the Great idea that comes up in the middle of the 19th century as a redevelopment of the targets of the Hellenic Revolution. It was an ideology homemade from the beginning to the end being based on the realization of where we are and where we want to go as a nation that has produced a civilization and a healthy system of social values.
Unfortunately such an ideology has being lost and since then it is true that nor more neither less we do flounder ourselves as being lost...

There has being a long period during the 20th century, since the decade of 1920 till the decade of '70 when the Hellenism passing a long-lasting period of political crisis and turbulence tries as a nation to find out is los to ideological identity and, unfortunately in a great degree instead of being creatively original, copies foreign standards, and evenly un-mindly and blindly up to an important degree. Such a copy of ideological forms and values systems, but being strange to the Hellenic-Romanesque tradition begun with communism that introduced us in a series of ridiculous and crude coping of foreign patterns, going on up to reach its top during the last thirty years period. After the communism, and as a culmination the Civil War of '45 - '49, in the post-war cold-war period Greece is forced to choose between to foreign camps and the choice of the West, follows the gianting of the consuming, individualistic mentality, of the measureless well-being and plutocracy that we all know very well today.

Since then and until our days, in our exterior policy the dogma that "we belong to the West", and on the other, the Hellenic society internally is broken out looking for here and there, where do finally... belong to. It overruled and still overrules the thinking that "we must finally we the Greeks be Europeans", doing so and thinking in a clearly materialistic mentality, that so fast registered whatever Hellenic-Orthodox and traditional as a back going pintoresqueness, while the Hellenic idiosyncrasy, as belonging to a grade degree, to the backwards going (?) the conservatism (?) the illiteracy (?) the outside (?), I do know even what? In contrast to the... civilization of the West... Without so much talking we have reached to the point that one part of today's Greeks trying towards a complete depriving of their Greek character as well as the dechristianization of his own being and Greece and the other part wanted to be stable in the Hellenic-Orthodox faith and tradition of the same, but not to believe really to its own capabilities, in other words that it really can offer a living suggestion and solution for the future. Unfortunately such last part fails down to an even and greater introversion, cultivating so an intolerance going up to nationalism. The first ones firstly self killed nationally by copying and dressing in cloths that do not fit to them, as the second ones are enclosed in a fruitless impasse.

On the other hand let us not level everything, as there is a part that see the situation and understands it and thinks on how can go out of the dead end, and such part we are all of you as me here today. As a moral resurrection, spiritual as well as social (and in extension and politic, as the last one in mainly based on the three previously mentioned) as in the interior of the contemporary Greece it is feasible. And surely the basis as existing here. During the last decades, and contrary to all existing adversities, it has been observed a very important progress in the orthodox theology, the spiritual creativity in writing as well as in the icon painting and to return to the byzantine musical tradition.

There is a continuity, rebirth and original creation that we even might speak on the acme of the contemporary theology, the chanting and icon painting. And at the same time there is a remarkable dynamic in the new generation, in the Hellenic youth of the Church that deepens in the national and Christian patterns and ideals of Hellenism and desires their rebirth. A youth that also does not simply follow and blindly a tradition but correctly glorifies and rightly believes, that is possesses an important theological preparation and a spiritual cultivation that comes from a personal effort and battle of pure faith that does not simply follow a tradition but enriches it.

And so, here it is our proposal. The application of the ideology of Hellenism, of the healthy Hellenic-Orthodox models, of the system of values and ideas that possesses the absolute measure, the golden cutting. Greeks have to stop being self-abased and humiliate themselves by refusing their soul that is deeply Hellenic. In a final analysis let us stop reproducing fruitlessly, and without having a result the two-pole capitalism-Marxism, to the right-left, and not to replace it with something that does not fit to us a Greeks.

On the other hand the two-pole system of right-left, as it is out of the Hellenic pattern, that not only to us it fits, as it is an untrue social-political two-pole, that does not follow the Aristotelian law (as you can see such meanings of social justice are before-hand existed to us the Greek-Romans and is only enough for one to study only a little some things on order to "discover it", as for an example here worth's to say that the "jointly responsible" law of Basil the 2nd, Boulgarkiller, if we thing it again, it would be provocative and scandal-like for the nowadays economic establishment...).

But even farther on, we have to appoint here that in order to fully understand that Hellenic Orthodoxy and the western civilization are not inversely counter wised figures, as they may co exist both completed. And to understand that it is not necessary to deny and abolish our Christian and social ideals in order to be done "Europeans" as such items do not mean that Europe really asks for them.

The values of Orthodoxy are neither old-fashioned nor old-timing ones. On the contrary, and to consize that we rather may be even Christian Orthodox and European citizens. Instead of going back and being enclosed in our introversions being feared in front of Europe, that is supposedly the... Antichrist, as in another way our fear has to be a self-fulfilled prophecy.

As the truth is not that "we belong to the West", but that the West did always belonged to Greece and evenly to the Hellenic-Orthodoxy. As you should know the magazine Economist that is weekly published and deals with items on international politics and economy, there are some permanent columns, as for instance a column on the America, Asia, Middle East and the column that deals with the European Union are under the title: Charlemagne, the Charlemagne.

So, this we have to change it, and I naturally am not referred to the magazine's column, but to such a generally idea of the West. And so, please excuse me, the modern European ideal on freedom, social equality of the unified Europe that wants to be the pattern of an international society that wishes to have admirable, perfect relations to the Arabic world in the Middle East, such a Europe should be inspired by a political ideology of the Middle-aged Franco-German crucial barbarism? But the nowadays Arabs when about Charlemagne feel their blood coming up to their heads, as when they hear about Byzantium, Romanesque, then they admirably recognize the Hellenic superiority.

Greece has fed the West culturally and it is true that in spite of all such ungratefulness of the last mentioned towards its great historical benefactor, it really cannot be existed without her.
And especially today the West needs us more than ever. It has been come even that, as you see, in a period of moral decadence and been without the needed ideological patterns the same itself. The contemporary ideal of the economic richness, the consumism as well as the pseudo-democracy that governs on the West is rather a para-ideology and para-civilization. I shall be referred only indicatinly about the social crisis that the modern world is passing by, being referred in the declaration of the British sir Bernard Ingram in relation to the shocking new that a thirteen-year British had become a father, and in the end it was proved that father was a fifteen-year young man even though the previous minister (secretary of state) of Margaret Thatcher's had declared that: This is an indication that we have lost our way, and that people do not distinguish the difference between the good and bad (that is, between positive and negative one).

What is certain is that, on such a basis, the society cannot go ahead. And this is an indication for the disrupted Britain".

It is only Hellenism and Orthodoxy can offer the alternative solution for Europe and the West, where it last two decades Orthodoxy surely gains important ground. There is so a tremendous dynamic for such a matter and this is much easier than it is heard.

But besides that the modern Hellenism re-finds the measure in the identity and its personality has to remind in a grade degree belongs to the West, as the western civilization is not its own creation, and to an even greater degree belongs to the East, as well.

It is not due to a no-one degree the fact that we are members in the European Union and other western international organizations, and to a certain manner an official part of the western world, and this makes us forget that historically, culturally and even politically we belong to the East.

In the East are even the four our priest born Patriarchates to those has already referred the priest Dragas George, in the East also has brighten the ancient Hellenic-Orthodoxy, and there have taken place the four Ecumenical Synods for whom we are proud, and it has been the center of Hellenism for so many centuries since the times of Alexander the Great, as well as the Hellenistic Kingdoms up to the 19th century, nearly even up to the Asia Minor Disaster.

If we cannot succeed in realizing that we are easterners who have taught the West, only then we would go out of such a bog that is called the identity crisis. And here, my dears, I shall enter to the second part of this presentation that, let me to touch a little bit the items of the Hellenic exterior policy. It is true that in the modern international community the exterior policy does not be based only on the military power, but on the more and even increased degree be based even on the cultural and ideological power. What is here being asked for the Hellenism to be conscious that the right use of the same in the future could be given it just a cultural as well as ideological power and this is what lacks today in our exterior policy. We have already referred to the great dynamic of Orthodoxy to the West and we here say that the same dynamism still exists even today in the Middle East. On the other hand for just this reason we are here to declare our support to the Orthodoxy in the Middle East and to the East generally.

So, the using of Hellenism as an ideological and cultural tool in the East and West should produce touched and practical gains to our exterior policy.

We finally could understand the position of the ideological and cultural master in the Balkans area and South-European zone in general, as even in the Middle East. As we do not simply believe, we do know that Greece can even once again as it happened in the past to still overrule culturally in its wider area. And we do not mean hare that we can leave our military power, on the contrary all this constitutes another capital, to that we cannot extend much more today. But here we just say that, whatever military power that we may possess, the cultural power is absolutely necessary.

Greece should lead cultural and ideologically to the East as well as to West. In Europe and the Middle East. This is the place we do reserve. And it is not neither an imperialistic nor a freeding goal. It is the one and unique practice that imposes us the history of our predecessors and that needs as the East so even the West. Let us stop in the end being enclosed in our self pouring, that the West does not help us and not wait all our problems and difficulties will be solved by the others. They shall not help us they cannot do it anymore, and not only that, but they certainly need us, to be us again once again to be these as we were before-instead to be sleeping and being aware as, for instance the French-German axis of the European unification lives under a crisis and just simply wait to pass the actual crisis, and we even can to re-begin action. It is not a justification that we have not an economical strength.

The European unification could be based on the economical development and power, but only secondly. It was firstly based on an ideology and a culture for the peace, democracy and freedom. But these really are the values of Hellenism. But they could be based without a Christian content. In this way it is simply a cover completely empty internally, but such a cover sooner or later should be taken away and then just over there. Europe as well as the western world needs us anyway. So, Hellenism today can and has to offer an ideology, that one of Romiosini and its view in what has to do in the international relations, it can and has to lead to the effort of the moral progress of Europe and the Western world as an extension.
The bases for such a thing already are existing. In whatever has to do in the West, Orthodoxy already gains ground, while in the East, our four father-born Patriarchates that we have previously referred possess a very important diplomatic power.

And let us not forget that our Hellenic Patriarchates, constitute a diplomatic uniqueness worldwide, as there is no other nation all over the world that has not such a presence in any other country or countries and let us not forget the fact that the Patriarchate of Jerusalem is the most ancient institution in all over the world, being second only after the emperor of Japan. An in the Arabic as well as generally in the Islamic world, only us the Greeks and in the eyes of them have a much more important respect than all other Westerns, and if still not so far to certain Muslims.

A cultural alliance with the Arabic world, on the other hand should help to achieving our goals in whatever has to do with the Turkish threading. As we the Greeks, the Romans that really have a very good name among the Arabian people, and not the Turks, we should intermediate for the solution of problems as the Palestinian one, the relations towards Kaddafi or ever with Iran. But it is firstly required, to be conscious and understand all that have been said previously, the political responsible ones on our exterior policy.

And to unfortunately close with an agonical and bad thought forecast. And more precisely: We are able to see very clearly today that may so far Hellenism to struggle for saving and establishing one only being stolen Hellenic name, of that of Macedonia. But we fear, if we do not care, in the future we shall have to struggle even for the name of the same Eastern Romanesquian Empire. As in nowadays you may hear lots on new-Otomanism, but very rarely should hear that all Sultans after the Conqueror had stolen even the title of the Roman emperor.

So, for what reason do we say all these? Because very simply, the fact that the modern international science of history is very perfidious and by no means respectable and honorable.

So, on the one side we see an already newborn interest as well as recognition of the Westerners on the value an brightness of our Empire, but on the other side there is another a more generally trend to overstress the particular multi nationality of Byzantium denying at the same time the unquestionable Hellenic supremacy and majority inside it. And as we, as an official Hellenic state we do our best possible as to prove to our international partners that we are not interested anymore on our glorious history, that we write it off as to prove that we are not possessed by any "unredeemed syndrome" of rediscovering the lost motherlands (alas, far from as such vividnesses!).

So, at the same moment, where we are blurred on one hand by the Holywoodian Spartans but we disagree among us for the fact if the Byzantines had barbarian customs and that they were corrupted or not, our neighbors in Balkans have begun slow-slow to talk on their partition on the so-called multinational Hellenic inheritance, as the same in not impossible at all that the same will be done Turkey as well in the very near future! Turkey that even plans the existing fact to give all legal rights to our Ecumenical Patriarchate. But how could it do such a thing? As pride fully airing the two-headed and naming it as the "Romanescan" Patriarchate, but having a "Greek" that is a Turkish Christian Orthodox Patriarch, and not a "Giounanian", making it so already a Turkish one!... Such a thing we surely would not to see! And the attempt should be that we are not Greeks any more (and any no means we want to be called so!) but Hellens, being unrelated with the Roman Empire, but under a doubtful and up to what an extend we have an immediate national origin not only of the ancient Greeks but even of the same Byzantines, as on the other hand even our state has territorially no-one relation: the Turkish hold the Constantinople and the Asia Minor. And, naturally, it is understood that such a view, has just be expressed, and shall find a strongly "scientific" basis in the West, as so long years find a basis those who support that Alexander the Great was a Slav.

The dynamic of Hellenism in the future is enormous. Hellenism that just as an idea survives up to our days needs to be developed much more in the present times and in extension in the future. Our N.G.O. can play this role of the propulsion of the ideals of Romiosini as such ones have been crystallized in the centuries, in order to prove not only the antiquated are not only the unique answer to the social, spiritual and even political impasses, not only of the modern Hellenism but of the world as a whole.

It is not an unrealized dream such one. It is not a simple blessings giver such words. It is the introduction to actions that should follow, as you can see and young ones we are and have enough appetite, with dreams and goals. Clear targets that we desire, that we pursue and that we surely success.

The only thing that is needed is courage and boldness. Have spirit as the dared wins, as were telling our ancient ancestors. And in order to close up let it be permitted to us to finish here with just two phrases. The first one is addressed to our enemies of Hellenism. Listen so, Mr. Gruefski, Mr. Davoutoglou and some others, Mrs. Repousi as well, Mrs. Coulouri and surely Mr. Carras! Let us no to be forgotten! It is too hard towards the centers kicking. Would you want to know what the greatest enemies of Hellenism, who before you for centuries have been battling in order to destroy it?

The Frank-Germans of Charlemagne, in their megalomania reached to have a Kaiser in the First World War and Hitler in the Second World War!

And today the German nation is persecuted by this terrible complex, the calumny of a Nazism. Just look in what has become the German nation nowadays.

While on the other side the Pope, has come to the point today to go out making a public declaration as for whatever he might say he should be laugh an and be criticized, by all Massive Means of Information. The same as a whole West already ridicules the Pope.

Thank you!