SAE U.S.A - World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE)

By Stavros Marmarinos
Special to The National Herald

NEW YORK – “The biggest problem facing the youth of the Greek American Community is that we, the older generation, are not always fully in touch with its priorities,” Ted Spyropoulos, U.S. Regional Coordinator for the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE) told The National Herald in a recent interview.

To address this matter SAE USA will organize a conference in Chicago from October 9-11 to discuss the formation of a Youth Network. Representatives of Greek American youth organizations from all across the United States will be attending the conference as delegates.

“The purpose of this conference is to involve the youth in our efforts, so that it can help not only itself, but also make a valuable contribution to SAE, Greece, and the Greek American Community,” Mr. Spyropoulos said. “The things that the youth in our Community are asking for today, are often times dramatically different than the things we are asking of them. That is why the inaugural conference that we will be holding in October is going to be of particular importance,” he added.

Mr. Spyropoulos explained that the new law passed by the Greek Parliament in 2006 regarding SAE mandates the formation of a youth network in every SAE region within two years. According to Mr. Spyropoulos, most SAE regions will be holding meetings with the youth during the next two months, except for the regions of Latin America and Canada, which have already established these networks.

“According to the new law governing SAE, we are obliged to gather together delegates from various Greek American youth organizations – and not only that, but we must ensure that there will be delegate representation from all across the U.S.,” Mr. Spyropoulos noted.

SAE’s U.S. Regional Coordinator said that there had been an effort to incorporate the youth into SAE once before, but added that “essentially, it did not succeed in its mission, and so we have decided to start from the beginning.”

In order to organize this inaugural SAE youth conference, Mr. Spyropoulos said that invitations have already gone out to SAE member organizations in the United States which have their own youth groups, and added that the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and AHEPA have also been informed of the effort.

The aforementioned organizations will send delegates from their youth groups to the upcoming conference in October. Each organization will be represented at the conference in proportion to the size of its membership base.

“There are areas in the U.S. that are not currently represented at SAE conferences,” Mr. Spyropoulos explained. “For instance, some Greek American federations are unable to maintain affiliated organizations in Alaska or Montana. However, there are Greek parish communities that do exist in these areas, and so, we spoke with the Archdiocese, which told us that there is absolutely no problem with them representing themselves at the conference in October. We are in contact with Greek communities in over thirty different states, and many of them have already accepted our invitation. We believe that we will have delegates from Greek communities in all fifty states at the inaugural October Youth Conference.”

Greek officials who have been invited to attend the October youth conference include Education Minister Evripides Stylianides, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Theodore Kassimis, who is responsible for matters involving Greeks abroad, representatives from the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad, and others, although it is still uncertain which of these officials will be attending.

Mr. Spyropoulos termed the upcoming conference for the development of a Greek American Youth Network a major motivating force that is a matter of general interest, while explaining that it is relevant in every aspect of the Greek American Community, including national issues, educational issues, political action, and youth affairs.

“We believe that these kids can do a much better job than we did in the past,” Mr. Spyropoulos commented. “Today, there are so many opportunities out there that are made possible by new technologies.”

According to Mr. Spyropoulos, a pre-conference was held in Chicago in mid June, with youth delegates of SAE member organizations attending, in preparation for the October Youth Conference, in order to discern just how important the Greek American youth considers the existence of such a network. “The conclusion was that there is a big need for a network like this, and the youth themselves are the ones that asked for it,” Mr. Spyropoulos noted.

He added that the importance and prospects for such a network are even greater in the U.S. region, because it covers a very large country with a dynamic youth membership base. “We can learn a lot from our youth. They have a lot to offer,” Mr. Spyropoulos stressed.

SAE has already compiled a list detailing many of the needs of the Greek American youth. Topping this list is the need that young people have to interact among themselves.

Mr. Spyropoulos said that a youth page on SAE’s website is already under construction. One of the matters that will likely be on the agenda of the October youth conference will be the development and contents of this online portal.

Mr. Spyropoulos also added that members of the Greek American youth have repeatedly pointed out the need for a mechanism to promote networking with leaders in the Greek American business community and future job opportunities.

“Today’s Greek American college graduates represent the best thing that the U.S. workforce has to offer, and there is a need for an employment network to serve their needs and make their talents known,” Mr. Spyropoulos said, while adding that “this network could also help give them the fast track on valuable information regarding colleges and scholarships.

Speaking about the 1st SAE Youth Symposium that was held at Washington D.C.’s Georgetown University several months ago, Mr. Spyropoulos said it was proof of interest on the part of the youth for programs advancing support and collaboration among members of the Greek American youth. “The results of this symposium were discussed with great interest by our youth members, who gathered together in Chicago this past June,” Mr. Spyropoulos added.
SAE’s U.S. Regional Coordinator also spoke about the 2nd SAE Youth Symposium, which was scheduled to take place in San Francisco this fall, but was ultimately rescheduled for next summer. “There was enough interest on the part of the youth for this symposium to take place this year, but there was not enough time to ensure that the necessary planning would be done correctly,” Mr. Spyropoulos explained.

Mr. Spyropoulos also spoke about the interest that the SAE region he heads showed in the SAE summer camp, which enables Greek children from all across the world to spend their summer in Greece.

“We heard that this year’s camps in Greece were a success, and that they welcomed children of Greek descent from countries other than the U.S. as well. SAE’s camp runs parallel to “Summer in Greece” programs organized by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the “Paideia” project, run by Mr. Tomazos, who is doing a fine job.” 

Mr. Spyropoulos cited the major needs of Greek American children from Eastern European countries, who are faced with major economic problems. “There are certain aspects with the summer camps run by the Greek Government, which are set up for Greek children of the Diaspora, that we have to be aware of” Mr. Spyropoulos explained. “The reason for this is a difference in mentalities. Our kids here in the U.S. ask for a lot more things than the children coming from countries like the Ukraine or Russia.”

Discussing the pluses of Greek citizenship, Mr. Spyropoulos said that SAE USA is continuing its campaign encouraging all youth of Greek lineage to obtain dual citizenship and get their Greek passports. “We are planning on submitting a proposal to the Greek Foreign Ministry to help us further enhance our cooperation with them on this matter. We want our kids to have Greek passports, because we believe that they will keep Greece in their minds and hearts more frequently as a result. We are doing this not only so they can visit Greece more often, but so that can feel like a part of them belongs there.

This is a very important matter. Additionally, a Greek passport is useful in many other ways as well. For instance, if a young person is interested in finding a job in Europe, a Greek passport – which is in essence a European Union passport – can help them achieve this goal,” Mr. Spyropoulos said.

 Spyropoulos: "We Ignore the Needs of Youth" 1.23 Mb