January is the month of celebrations in Aegina in honor of Ioannis Capodistrias.
Since the early years of the 21st century, the Aegina Association of Active Citizens has been campaigning for greater recognition of Capodistrias as a pioneer of European integration.
In 2013, we secured the support of former Italian MEP Giulietto Chiesa for our effort to gain wide recognition of this historical reality.
On January 26, 2019, the anniversary of the founding of the modern Greek state in Aegina in 1828, a function was held very close to the Acropolis in Athens in honor of the courageous and long-suffering Australian journalist Julian Assange, in the hope that he would not suffer the same fate as Capodistrias.
This was done even though Capodistrias had no connection with Athens but rather with Aegina, Athens’ historical rival, as well as with Corfu (where he was born) and Nafplio (where he was assassinated).
Giulietto Chiesa had been removed from the European Parliament in response to his film on the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York in 2001. Since Chiesa’s visit to Aegina in 2013 and his death in 2020, the European Union’s prestige has declined significantly. Among other things, Chiesa’s warnings about the dangers of European policy towards Israel, and even more so Ukraine, have been ignored. Now the European Union seems to be on the path to war with Russia, a war that America no longer wishes to lead, having found more promising ideas for its own future (and only its own) than continuing the Cold War in Europe.
In response to Europe’s decline, some states have begun a planned shift towards the “global south.” Greece does not belong there spontaneously. It is not easy for Greece to disconnect from Europe, even from a Europe that seems to be heading, like Napoleon’s France or Hitler’s Germany, towards self-destruction. Can our country’s traditional friendly ties with Australia and New Zealand contribute to a geopolitical reorientation of Greece? Can such a reorientation be kept in reserve for implementation in case of failure to achieve the “Europe we want”?
On January 26, 2028, Greeks will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the founding of the modern Greek state in Aegina. On the same day, Australians will celebrate the 240th anniversary of the dawn of Western civilization in Australia, in an unfortunate form, admittedly, but what beginning is not difficult? The British brought civilization to Australia. Some would dispute this, but we do not. It is a biased assessment that overlooks many things. However, in the broader sense, it is true. If the British brought Western civilization to Australia, Greece brought it to the world, with similar periods of bloodshed.
In the 21st century, Western civilization is important as a fundamental element of civilization in general.
Do you support the idea of a joint Greek-Australian celebration of 26th January in 2028?
