WASHINGTON, DC — The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) took its series of “Town Hall Screenings” of the one-hour documentary “Cyprus Still Divided: A U.S. Foreign Policy Failure” to Hamilton, N.J., October 22, 2011. A panel discussion about the documentary and the Cyprus issue featuring AHI President Larigakis and AHI Board of Directors Secretary Nicholas G. Karambelas followed the screening. More than 200 persons attended including Consul of Greece in New York Evangelos Kyriakopoulos, Consul General of Cyprus in New York Koula Sophianou, and New Jersey Assemblyman Dan Benson; and personal messages were received from Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ).
St. George Greek Orthodox Church, Hamilton, N.J., just outside Trenton, was the venue. Amb. Achilleas Antoniades chaired the organizing committee and moderated the panel discussion. The event was held in cooperation with (organization and representative listed): Hellenic Vision, President Dr. Georgia Triantafilou and Amb. Antoniades; and the Order of AHEPA District 5, District Governor Savas Tsivikos; and was co-sponsored by the Cyprus Federation of America, Taso Zampas; International Coordinating Committee Justice for Cyprus-PSEKA, Federation of Hellenic American Organizations of New Jersey, President Tasos Efstradiades; Hellenic Link of New Jersey, President Panos Stavrianides; New Jersey Hellenic American Heritage Commission, Chairman Zenon Christodoulou; and Elytis Chair Fund of Rutgers University, President Prof. Panos Georgopoulos.
AHI is grateful for the efforts of AHI Foundation President Dr. Spiro Spireas, Dr. Georgia Triantafillou, President, Hellenic Vision, Amb. Antoniades, and AHEPA Trenton Chapter Chairman Asteris Fanikos for their help to organize the screening. Also assisting were members of the organizing Committee Evie Georgopoulos, Vagelis Delikouras, Maria Papadakis, Nadia Brown, Vladimir Visnjic and Bill Rodda as well as Mrs. Fotini Floudas, president, Philoptohos Society of St. George; Mary Rodda, president, St. George Senior Citizens; Karen Marousis, Daughters of Penelope District 5 Governor; Evan Pilaras, AHEPA Trenton chapter president; Dina Fanikos, Daughters of Penelope Trenton chapter president; and Athena Georgiou, St. George GOYA president.
“The documentary sheds light and scrutinizes U.S. foreign policy toward Cyprus surrounding the 1974 Turkish invasion,” said AHI President Larigakis. “We are deeply grateful to the outstanding support provided by the Greek American communities of New Jersey and for the leadership of AHI Foundation President Dr. Spireas. It was a pleasure to work in cooperation with so many organizations dedicated to raising awareness about the Cyprus issue in their communities. Our goal is to encourage communities to urge their PBS affiliates to air the documentary, and we are steadily building momentum to achieve that goal.”
The documentary has aired on Maryland Public Television (October 17, 2011) and Detroit Public Television (September 13, 2010). The documentary was made possible by the support of the American Hellenic Institute Foundation.
AHI previously hosted “Town Hall Screenings” at Clearwater, Fla., New York City, Ohio, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento; and Portland, Ore., and Phoenix, and Mexico City, Mexico. Upcoming screenings are coming to St. Louis, Chicago, and the Tidewater, Va. area. Please visit www.ahiworld.org calendar for updates.
