From the 31st March 2018 until the 1st April 2018, the World Organisation for Young Overseas Cypriots (NEPOMAK) were invited to attend the Global Hellenic Youth Forum “Hellenic Youth in Action,” with 8 Global Hellenic Youth unions (World Pontian Youth Coordinating Committee, Youth of World Council of Cretans, Youth of World Council of Epirotes, Youth of World Vlach Amphictyony, Youth of World Pan-Arcadian Council , Abroad Youth Coordinating Committee of World Confederation of Thessalians, Youth of Pan-Macedonian Association USA, and the Youth of Thracian Association of Europe) in the framework of the Olympia 2016-2018.
The forum was an opportunity for Cypriots to collaborate with the Greek Diaspora and to aid in their objectives to provide ideas in their various workshops which covered topics on how to improve stronger connections with their Hellenic Diaspora, the access of Greek language, culture, religion and displaying new strategies to empower Greece’s economy. The opening ceremony which took place on the 31st March included representatives of each organization to display their organizations objectives and ways which collaborations can occur; we had spoken with many of the Greek Diaspora from the Global Hellenic organizations and discovered we shared common interests in these ideas of collaboration. We utilized our connections and formed friendships with these organizations throughout the forum, and had displayed this act of new connections through the, ‘Dance of Friendship’ in Syntagma. The participated members of the forum who represented NEPOMAK had taken away from this experience; new networking connections, friendships, and knowledge of the Greek cultural diversity. NEPOMAK was very humbled by the invite to the forum, and we hope to maintain our newly established relationships with the Global Hellenic Youth Union in the future.
NEPOMAK is the World Organisation for Young Overseas Cypriots, a voluntary, not-for-profit organisation run by young Cypriots and is dedicated to their needs by running a number of cultural, educational, social, networking, charitable and activist initiatives. NEPOMAK is always looking for new volunteers in the UK and worldwide to support its fantastic cause. For more information on NEPOMAK or to get involved, please visit our website (www.nepomak.org) and search for us and follow us on social media.
Written by Nicholas Nicou and Stavi Kolatsis