Greek News Agenda (GNA) is an online English language platform, issued by the Secretariat General for Public Diplomacy and Greeks Abroad (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), offering news, features, analysis and interviews that showcase political, economic, business, social and cultural developments in Greece.
As we reach the end of this year, we take a look back on the most popular articles and interviews published on GNA in 2022. We are including the top-ten most visited articles, and also the most popular feature in each of our main interview categories: Reading Greece, Rethinking Greece, Creative Greece, Innovative Greece, Filming Greece, and Media & Greece.
INTERVIEWS
Ambassador of Portugal in Greece, Helena Paiva, on Greek-Portuguese Cultural Encounters
On the occasion of the National Day of Portugal celebrated on 10th June, the Ambassador of Portugal in Greece, Helena Paiva, spoke to Greek News Agenda about what unites the two countries in terms of culture, the main cultural initiatives and events organized by the Embassy of Portugal in Greece during 2022, as well about the role of culture in fostering understanding between the two countries and its peoples.
Emilia Salvanou, historian of modern and contemporary History, specialized in issues of memory, migration/refugeehood and historical culture, spoke to GNA about the integration of 1,2 million refugees from Asia Minor to Greece during the interwar period, the way the refugees strived and succeeded in maintaining their cultural identity and the process through which refugee trauma and lived memory turn into a “cultural memory” for all Greeks.
Greek refugees fleeing Asia Minor © Union of Smyrneans’ photographic archive
George Petrides: “There is beauty not in spite of but because of imperfections”
New York-based Greek artist George Petrides, who creates abstracted figurative sculpture, spoke to GNA about his art –especially the Hellenic Heads series, his latest work inspired by the centennial of the Destruction of Smyrna in 1922 and last year’s bicentennial of the Greek Revolution– on the occasion of a his traveling exhibition that was hosted at the Embassy of Greece in the U.S.
Interview with Dr Anezina Solomonidou, Scientific Expert at the Hellenic Space Center
The Scientific Officer of Space Science and Space Exploration of the Hellenic Space Center, Dr. Anezina Solomonidou, spoke to GNA on the role of the space agency of Greece and the country’s position in space exploration, describing how space developments have a meaning for the general public.
Dimitris Mothonaios and Tu Hua in A Day in the Life of a Teddy Bear
A Day in the Life of a Teddy Bear is the first feature film co-produced by Greece and China. It follows Liu Jinxi, a Chinese violin player, and Panos, a Greek architect; after their chance meeting, brought on by a discarded teddy bear, they embark on a long walk in the city of Shanghai – and a budding love story. Filmed in Shanghai, Vienna, and Lefkada Islnad in Greece, the film was written and directed by Vassilis Xiros, a Greek Diplomat who served as Consul General of Greece in Shanghai in 2015-19.
Bruce Clark: “The Acropolis never ceased to be a place of spiritual importance”
An interview with Bruce Clark, international news reporter and author from Northern Ireland, on the release of his book, Athens: City of Wisdom, where he presents an exhaustive overview of the city’s distant and recent past, including periods of its history that are often overlooked.
Parthenon sculptures at the Acropolis Museum in Athens (by faungg’s photos via flickr)
ARTICLES
A new era for the Restitution of the Parthenon Marbles
In 2022, Greece’s year-long campaign for the restitution of the Parthenon Marbles gained new momentum on an international level, including the UK, where the sculptures are kept. In this context, the UK-based Institute of Digital Archaeology stated that it could recreate an exact replica of the Parthenon sculptures with 3D printing technology, using scans taken by 3D cameras, to be showcased at the British Museum instead of the original pieces.
GNA published some excerpts from a review of Roderick Beaton’s new book, The Greeks: A Global History, written by Vassilis Papadopoulos, career diplomat at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and scholar specialised in Literature and the history of Greek language, for literary review The Book’s Journal.
Greek shipping remains world’s leading maritime force
An overview of the data in the annual report of the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS) for 2021-2022, which show that Greek ship-owners control over one-fifth of the world’s entire fleet, representing 59% of the European Union (EU)-controlled fleet and constantly investing in new, energy efficient ships and in environmentally friendly equipment.
Georgios Papanicolaou | Paying Tribute to a medical pioneer and legend
GNA pays tribute to Greek physician and researcher Georgios Papanicolaou (May 13, 1883- February 19, 1962) to mark the 60th anniversary of his death. A pioneer in cytopathology and early cancer detection, Papanicolaou invented the famous “Pap smear” test that came to play a leading role in preventing uterine cancer, thus saving the lives of millions of women around the world..
ELIAMEP Think Tank Report: Greece in Europe 2040
A presentation of the “Greece in Europe 2040” report by ELIAMEP, the number one think tank in Greece, which examines the most significant trends that are expected to impact global developments in the years to come, with a focus on demographics, climate change and the technological revolution.
Photo by Alex Eckermann on Unsplash
Green energy in Greece | The sustainable answer to climate and energy crisis
A presentation of the result so far of the National Plan for Energy and Climate (NPEC), adopted by Greece in December 2019 in order to combat climate change and protect the natural environment mainly through Renewable Energy Sources (RES), demonstrating that RES have been covering daily energy demand with an increasing share over the past three years.
Six Greek cities to become EU climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030
Six Greek cities –Athens, Ioannina, Kalamata, Kozani, Thessaloniki and Trikala– have been selected by the European Commission among 377 cities to participate in the EU Mission for 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030 in the domains of energy, transportation and urban planning. The Mission for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities aims to bring concrete solutions to the big challenge of climate change and digital transformation. The selection of the Greek cities was a great success for the country and came as a result of hard work and cooperation between the cities and the Greek Environment Ministry.
#BlackHistoryMonth | Greek Americans and the Civil Rights Movement
On the occasion of Black History Month 2022, GNA retraced the history of the Civil Rights Movement in the USA, focusing on the actions of Greek allies of the movement, especially Iakovos, Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church of North and South America, who was one of its most vocal supporters among USA clerics, and participated in the historic march in Selma.
There are over 100 Greek PDO products
Greece’s diverse geography and Mediterranean climate have played an important role in the development of its rich culinary tradition. Many of its products have acquired PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) or PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status – some of these have been traditionally associated with Greece for a long time, will others may surprise you!
Piraeus is the largest port in Greece and one of the largest and busiest passenger ports in Europe. It has been of great naval importance for Athens and Attica in general since the antiquity. Now, several projects are aiming to restore it as a cultural and recreational destination, such as the new extension of the Metro line 3 and the revival of the Piraeus Tower.
N.M.
Read also via Greek News Agenda: GNA’s most popular interviews & articles for 2021
