My fellow Hellenes world-wide, I wish you all a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year. These wishes are directed more so towards mother Greece which is suffering for over five years now and we all feel her pain. In a recent gathering during Christmas, we had a discussion about our beloved motherland and what could we do to help her. Then the idea of the rich helping the poor came on the table. Some people said: let the rich give them some of their money. But in reality giving someone some money does not always solve the problem. Instead of giving someone a fish to eat, it is better to teach him how to fish and help himself all the time.
Thus we proceeded to a further refinement of the idea. How about investing in Greece and helping yourself and the country at the same time? And then we searched for some numbers. We found that the 50 wealthiest Greek-Americans are worth close to 40 billion dollars! The National Herald publishes annually their list and we see that their net worth increases annually. Now, if those fifty super-rich would decide to invest 10% in any area they like that would lead to $4 billion invested in various sectors of the economy. Depending on the sectors they invest this amount of money could create tens of thousands of jobs and bring down the unemployment rate which hovers around 25% for the last three years. If the US example would be followed by our brothers and sisters in Canada, Australia, Europe and Latin America then the benefits would multiply!
But someone, who is not a millionaire but wants to help, might ask: how can I help? Well, there are many organizations and associations here and in Greece that receive and use small donations for good purposes. You could help, for example, To Xamogelo tou Paidiou, in Greece (you could find its address through the internet) or the IOCC that includes Greece among the other Orthodox countries it helps, you could support a school, a hospital, an orphanage, etc. in a town/ city of your choice or you could ask your church, where or how you can help our suffering fellow Greeks. Finally, there is another joyous and pleasant way to help the motherland and enjoy yourself at the same time. Take your family and friends and visit the land of your dreams, the land of papou and yaya. Visit the islands, the mainland, the north and the south, the museums and the monasteries and all the things you were fantasizing when you were in the USA, Canada or Australia. And spend your money for your own good and the country’s good.
If a good percentage of us would do one or more of the above, I’m sure we could make a substantial contribution to the improvement of the economy and the life of our brothers and sisters in Greece and make 2016 the last year of recession and the beginning of a new era of growth and progress for the country. Greece needs us and we need Greece, even if we are not Greeks! Greece is an idea and an ideal that nourished humankind and world civilization for thousands of years. She deserves our support!
