2008-06-08
To the Swedish Parliament: -Don't deny the Genocide!
There’s a lot going on in Sweden right now about the recognition of the Genocide. Our association, on cooperation with the Armenian National Union in Sweden and the Assyrian National Union in Sweden, has informed and pressed to get an official recognition of the Genocide of the Christian minorities in the Ottoman Turkey. Until today, all three organizations have held information meetings, manifestations and written articles to inform the Swedish public and our Swedish politicians about the Genocide and explain the importance of why one of the world’s greatest democracies, Sweden, must recognize it officially. These measures have resulted in many motions I the Swedish Parliament (as we have published earlier in our website) which has resulted to the debate and voting in the Parliament, which will take place on Wednesday, June 11, 2008.

We, always in cooperation with the above mentioned national unions, published an article in the Swedish daily morning newspaper “Svenska Dagbladet” (click here to read the shortened electronic version) about the reasons why Sweden must not deny the Genocide of the Christian population that once lived in Turkey. The article is part of the ongoing information campaign of the Swedish public for the Parliament voting on June 11. Sadly we must mention that on May 29, 2008 the Foreign Committee of the Swedish Foreign Ministry came with a proposition to the Parliament to reject the proposal about the recognition of the Genocide, where they refer that it is still (!) unclear what happened during the dark years between 1915 and 1922. As an answer to this arrogant standpoint from the Foreign Committee’s side, the Armenian National Union’s President Mr. Vahagn Avedian (with support from our association and the Assyrians in Sweden) has written an excellent petition (click here to read it) where he answers all questions that the Foreign Committee finds “unanswered”. The petition is signed of the world’s leading experts of Holocaust and Genocide Studies and has been translated in 11 different languages (Swedish, English, French, Greek, German, Italian, Russian, Armenian, Portuguese, Turkish and Assyrian). Our association has participated in the Greek translation and has officially expressed our support to all attempts that our Armenian and Assyrian friends are making to make the official recognition of the Genocide come true!

2008-05-23
Report from our activities for the memorial of May 19th,
day of remembrance of the Pontian Genocide
Last Friday, on May 16th, there was alot of activities in our association. The whole evening, we made a big effort to honour the memory of the 353,000 victims who were brutally murdered by the Ottoman Turks. Not following our traditions, this year we expanded the activities from lectures to a excibition and a book presentation. Of course, the evening's highlight couldn't be anyone else than Mr Georgios Andreadis, but it was even a bigger honour for our association to be part and contribute to the translation of his most famous book "Tamama", which just been released in Swedish.

The evening started with an excibitiion of maps and books from the Greek Culturre Center here in Stockholm, which showed to be very appriciated by the people attending our premises. At the same excibition we also had a small book store with Mr Andreadis books which were sold out when the evening was over! The main event was Mr Andreadis lecture about the Pontian Genocide who tried to explain in his way what really happened in the dark years between 1915 and 1922. He also took us all by suprise when he finished his speech by reading a poem that he wrote especially for us Pontians here in Sweden! The poem will be available for download very soon here in our website. We ended the evening with a big presentation of the Swedish version of "Tamama" (it sold over 11 million books only in China!) together with the translator Mrs Elisabet Lundvall. It was and is a big honour for us to have been part of this presentation and we will be forwarding all marketing activities for this particular book in the future!

2008-05-06
Lecture, book presentation and excibition in memory
of the Pontian Genocide
On Friday, May 16th, our association will arrange three events in memory of the Pontian Genocide. We will start with a lecture (in Greek) about 1922, the year when the Turks finnished the genocide on our ancesters. Our guest speaker is none other than the Pontian author Georgios Andreadis. In his and our forefathers honour, the translator Elisabet Lundvall will present the book "Tamama" which will be printed in Swedish for the first time. During the whole evening we will also have an excibition with pictures, maps and books about Pontos. The whole event will take place in our premises in Rinkeby, Stockholm and will begin at 17:30.

The event is a collaboration between our association, the Greek Association of northen Stockholm and the Greek Culture Center in Sweden. Click here to download the official poster (A3 format), please note that the file is 3Mb.

2008-02-20
Report from the federation's congress
During the weekend that passed, our federation OSEPE held its annual congress at its seat in the German city of Frankfurt. Our association was represented by our Vice-president Michalis Papadopoulos, our secretary Kostas Fraggidis, PR-representative Georgios Savvidis and the delegates Dina Fraggidou and Michalis Amiridis.

For the federation's board elections, our secretary was nominated together with Sofia Karipidou and Tassos Tsavdaridis, who together built an youth alliance for the younger generation's voice in the federation. The last two were elected in the board and Kostas Fraggidis got one of the three substitute posts for the coming two year period. The interesting fact in this elections is that it's the first time that so many young people were nominated in the federation and from their point of view it's positive to have their own voice in there that brings their questions infront. Pictures from the congress are as always available under the menu Photo Gallery or by clicking here.

Finally, we would like to inform that the Greek daily newspaper Eleftherotypia has written numerous of articals about the federation's congress, which gives us even more publicity in Greece about our wok in the rest of Europe. The articles are available on the their website, click here to get there.

2008-02-18
Photos from the party on January 26, 2008
We have now updated our photo gallery with pictures from our party that took place on January 26, 2008. We would also like to inform about the success it was and of course thanks to all of you who attented the party. We would also like to thank our sponsors for helping us make this party such a success. The pictures are available here.

2008-02-05
Our Union's congress in Frankfurt
Our union, OSEPE, is holding its congress in the German city of Frankfurt, during the weekend of February 16 to 17. The congress will start on Saturday morning and will end with the election of the new board on Sunday afternoon. Our association will be represented by four delegates who are the vice-president Michalis Papadopoulos, the secretary Kostas Fraggidis, the pumbic relations director Georgios Savvidis and the dance teacher Dina Fraggidou.

We would like to inform that the photo gallery has been updated with pictures from our vasilopita-day. The pictures can be found under the meny "Photo gallery" or by clicking here. We would also like to remind that sales of our calendars is still on (you can find contact information here).

2008-01-06
The association's vasilopita & Pontian party
Our board would like to wish "Chronia polla" to all our members and friend and we hope that the new year will bring joy, happiness and health to all homes. We would also like to inform that on Saturday, January 19 we will celebrate the association's "Vasilopita". The happening will take place in the Greek association's premises in Rinkeby and will start at 16:00.

It's also a big joy for us to announce that we will have a big Pontian party on Saturday, January 26 in the above mentioned premises. For the party, we have invited three artists from Greece, which are Charalambos Pavlidis, Tassos Sofianidis and Nikos Sofianidis. Tickets for the party are available for presale (without table booking) and costs 180 SEK for adults and teenagers over 13 yo and 100 SEK for children 12 yo and younger. You can contact our vice-president Michalis Papadopoulos for more information (you can find all conatc information here). Tickets will be available for purchase at the party too.

Armenia mentions the "Greek Genocide", its commemoration, and a death toll of 600,000 Greeks in Anatolia, in its first report to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages of the Council of Europe. In Australia, the issue has been raised in the Parliament of Victoria on May 4, 2006, by the Minister for Justice Jenny Mikakos. On June 2006 Stephen Pound, member of the British House of Commons linked the case of the Pontian Greeks with the Armenian Genocide. In Serbia, an event commemorating the Pontian Greek victims of the Hellenic Genocide was held in the Chapel of the Belgrade Theology School in 1998.

In Germany, organizations such as “Verein der Völkermordgegner” (Union against Genocide) or the initiative “Mit einer Stimme sprechen” (Speaking with One Voice) aim at the official recognition of the genocide of Christian minorities, such as Armenians, Pontian Greeks and Assyrians in the late Ottoman Empire. On 19 May 2007, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) issued a press release stating that the organization "joins with Pontian Greeks - and all Hellenes around the world - in commemorating May 19th, the international day of remembrance for the genocide initiated by the Ottoman Empire and continued by Kemalist Turkey against the historic Greek population of Pontus" and reaffirms its "determination to work together with all the victims of Turkey's atrocities to secure full recognition and justice for these crimes".

There is a Monument for the Pontic Greek Genocide in Thessaloniki, Greece. There also exists a monument commemorating the Pontic Greeks in Canada. The plaque reads "For All the Pontians We Remember Their Time of Sorrow and Sacrifice" in English and Greek. Below that it reads "19 of May" (which is the official day of commemoration for the Pontic Greek portion of the Hellenic Genocide) and "1914-1923" (which were the years in which the extermination efforts against the Greeks of northeast Asia Minor were taking place).

2007-11-30
"Tamama" is translated to Swedish!
It is with great honour and joy that we can inform you that the wellknown Pontian book "Tamama, vanished from Pontos” by Georgios Andreadis, is shortly going to be available in Swedish. Elisabet Lundvall is translator, who is retired and works with translations from Greek to Swedish. Our association has developed a cooperation with Elisabet by assisting her with information about the Pontian history and the tragic events that took part in the 1920:s. This cooperation is built on our policy to enlight the Swedish community about the Pontian holocaust and there is no better way to do it by promoting a wellwritten, touching and deep book as ”Tamama, vanished from Pontos”.

We are going to inform you here on our website as soon the book is going to be available and will then be able to offer to sell it to anyone that is interested to buy it. We would also like to inform you that our summery of the Pontian history is now translated to Swedish (by Mrs. Lundvall). You can find it by clicking on "Pontian history" in the main menu.

2007-10-07
Dance training , sponsors & new pictures
Our dance groups have started training after the summer vacation (since the second weekend of September) and the place and time is as before, that is Ungdomens Hus in Rinkeby between 15:00 to 19:00. We would also like to inform you that from this term and forward every member of the dance groups has to pay a fee of 70 SEK (100 SEK for non members) per term and person. We would also like to inform that our photo gallery has been updated with pictures from our trip to the Zoo of Kolmården. You can find the pictures here or by clickin on "Photo gallery" on the menu.

We would also like to thank all the companies and private persons who support our association finacially and for that reason put up a new page on our website just for them. Your finacial support helps us to continue with our present and future activities. Please visit the Sponsorpage by clicking here or on the banner on the right.

2007-05-19
In memory of the Pontian genocide
"The memory is killing us wherever we turn our eyes, even in the darkest corners of our souls. The tears have dried out in the memory of the Pontos. How many years that have gone by, May 19th will always be the day of memories, the day when the pain comes back in our souls... for all of those who perished in Pontos 1922".

Evxinos Pontos Stockholm is publishing today, May 19th, a press release for the official remembrance day of the Pontian genocide. It is our duty and obligation never to forget and fight for those hundrends of thousands Pontian souls that perished in Pontos. We will never stop fighting for the international acknowledgement of the genocide of our forefathers... we are obligated to all of their souls! Click here to read the press release (only in Greek).

2006-12-21
Composition of our new board
The first board meeting after the elections took place on December 21 in our association's offices. After internal voting (unanimous) the following posts were alloted. We would also like to inform that according to the association's regulations, the board will be seated for the next two calendar years (to December 2008).

President is Grigoris Simeonidis, vice president is Michalis Papadopoulos, secretary is Kostas Fraggidis, tresurer is Marianthi Iosifidou, responsible for the dance groups is Olga Isaakidou, responsible for public relations is Georgios Savvidis and responsible for cultural activities is Pia Karagoudini.

2006-12-18
Annual meeting and election results
On Sunday, December 17, our association had its annual meeting where the last board thanked for a productive period which contained numerous of activities. Directly after the meeting we had the elections for the new members of the board, here are the results of the elections. Number of people who allpied for new membership was 186, number of members who voted was 134 (one vote ws invalid). The results for the ten candidates was as following:

Kostas Fraggidis got 108 votes, Grigoris Simeonidis got 99 votes, Michalis Papadopoulos got 90 votes, Georgios Savvidis got 89 votes, Marianthi Iosifidou got 88 votes, Pia Karagoudini got 74 votes, Olga Isaakidou got 70 votes, Irini Karagoudini got 53 votes, Margarita Charpantidou got 52 votes and Georgios Gymnopoulos got 39 votes. The seven first was elected in to the board and the last three are subtitutes.

2006-10-02
Workshop for youths & big Pontisk party on October 28th
On October 28th, we will be visited by our Pontian friends from Germany and Switzerland. We will together set up a workshop in the Greek Association's premisies where the topics will be Pontian history, traditions, music and clothing. The workshop will be held in Greek and is primarely for our youths in our dancegroups but others are welcomed too.

After the above mentioned workshop, we will have a big Pontian party in the same place where our guests from Germany and Switzerland will play and entertain everyone present. The party will start at 20:00 and the entrance ticket price is 200 SEK (for adults and children). As always, food is offered with the ticket. Our foreign guests (and friends) are Theodoros & Vasilis Topalidis, Christos Savvidis, Maria Pessiou, Michalis Xanthopoulos, Kostas Panidis and Georgios Nikolaidis.

2006-05-17
Remebrance Day for the Pontian holocaust
May 19th is the official remembrance day for the Pontian genocide. This day, around the world, Pontians will hold church services, lectures and other activities to honour the memory of the hundreds of thousands of Pontians who were murdered by the Turkish state.

Our association will, in collaboration with the Greek Association of northen Stockholm and the Greek Library of Sweden, hold a lecture for our remembrance day. The place is the Greek Association's premises and the time is at 17:00. Our guest speaker is the honourable Mr. Michalis Charalambidis from Greece. Besides the lecture ww will have an exhibition of books and magazines related to us Pontians and we will also display short movies about Pontos and the Pontians. ALL members and friends are very welcome.

2006-05-11
Pontian remebrance statue in Thessaloniki
On Sunday, May 7th, it was finally time for the first step for the recognition of the Pontian genocide by the Turkish state. Thessaloniki's mayor Mr. Papageorgopoulos revieled the statue at the Agia Sofia square (infront of thousands) as an honour for all the thousands Pontians who were murdered during the period 1915-1920. The statue portay a woman in a sad, sitting position and on the inscription it says "To the martyrs, the heroes and the fighters... your remebrance will be for ever". The statue was made by the sculptor Mrs. E Valvi.

The day after, all Turkish nationwide newspapers wrote that the unvieling of the statue was just another Greek propaganda move and a "Pontian genocide" never took place, except in the Greek fantasy! We the Pontians know excactly how REAL the genocide is and we will NEVER stop fighting for the international recognition by the UN (just as some nations have allready done), the Turkish systematic annihilation of the Pontians will not be forgotten... just as the Armenians and the Syrians. The fight continues!