Notice of AHC Meeting. 16 May 2021
The Australian Hellenic Council (AHC) was initially established to be a peak representative body of the Australian Hellenic Community with the idea that it would comprise secretariats of the Hellenic Councils of each of Australia’s States and Territories. It is in turn made up of representatives from Hellenic community organizations
including regional brotherhoods and educational, welfare and youth organisations.
The purpose of the AHC is the promotion of closer political, cultural and economic relations between Australia, Greece and Cyprus and through advocacy and lobbying in respect of issues which are of concern to the Australian
Hellenic community, both domestic and international.
The AHC NSW has been quite active but the point has been reached where the AHC, both federally and at state levels, needs to be rejuvenated with the infusion of new blood and greater participation by Greek community organisations and other associations with a common interest in promoting Hellenism in the diaspora.
To that end, a meeting is being held on
Sunday, 16 May 2021 at 2.00pm
at Mytilenean House at 225 Canterbury Road, Canterbury
to encourage the formation of a new committee for the AHC NSW.
Everyone is welcome.
MEDIA RELEASE. THE MACEDONIA NAME DISPUTE IS NO BURNING ISSUE
The Australian Hellenic Council deplores the actions of radical ultra-nationalists in demonstrations held in Sydney and Melbourne in support of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYROM).
AHC at the Nation's Capital.
Representatives from the Australian Hellenic Council from Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra descended on the nation's capital on 25 November 2015 for a day of lobbying and consultation on a broad range of Hellenic issues.
Buoyed by the successful launch in mid-October 2015 of the Parliamentary Friends of the Parthenon Group, the delegates started with a working breakfast with outgoing Greek Ambassador, Haris Dafaranos, during which the various concerns of the Greek-Australian community and the Greek State were discussed.
RDA Joint Media Statement
We welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement that the Government will not proceed with proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (”the Act”) and that and those proposals now “off the table”.
We believe that the Prime Minister has made the right leadership call.
The arguments which were put forward to support the repealing or weakening of sections 18B, 18C, 18D and 18E of the Act were based on a mischaracterisation of the way the courts have applied those sections in practice. It is gratifying for us to know that the truth has ultimately prevailed.
The extraordinarily large number of written submissions received by the Federal government opposing its proposed changes indicate that most Australians understand that racial vilification laws are a necessary last resort for the targets of race hate to defend themselves.
Although we were disturbed by the possibility of our legal protections being diminished, the extended public debate about the legislation has had a positive result. People are now better informed about the way the Act works to protect vulnerable groups without preventing people from expressing their views robustly about any issues.
This was never really a debate about freedom of speech. Section 18C provides protection against the excesses of racial hatred and bitterness in Australia and the retention of the legislation in its existing form is therefore not only a good thing for our communities but a good thing for Australia.
