With the opening of the anniversary exhibition “The Free Besieged” at the “Dixodos” Centre for Speech and Art, in the presence of the Minister of National Defence, Nikos Dendias, the “Journalists at War” Conference was concluded, The Conference “Journalists at the War” was held within the framework of the events for the 200th anniversary of the Exodus of Messolonghi, which was co-organized by the Cultural Foundation of the HESIEA and the Municipality of the Holy City of Messolonghi.
With the participation of the International Federation of Journalists, all the journalists’ associations of the country and Greek war correspondents sent a strong message of remembrance, honour and commitment to the freedom of the press, in the context of the events in Messolonghi, on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the Exodus.
As Mr Nikos Dendias said in his address, “National anniversaries are not the occasion for celebrations by Ministers or parades by the Armed Forces of our Homeland. It is something much broader than that. It is an effort to set an example for future generations. Especially in the times we are living in, which are absolutely proving once again the Thucydidean concept of power as a necessary rule for survival. The creation of a national paradigm, which is a necessary condition and prerequisite for all of us for our future course,” he said characteristically. “The case of the Exodus of Messolonghi is not a narrow Greek case. It is a pan-European approach to man’s perpetual quest for his freedom and his right to determine his future freely and autonomously,” he said.
For her part, the president of the HSEA and president of the Morphotic Foundation said: “I hope that from here, Messolonghi, the foundations for the International Treaty for the Protection of Journalists will begin. A huge initiative that our Global Union has undertaken vis-à-vis the UN, and which the current Minister of Defence had embraced. I hope that Greece’s extra effort will continue.” He added: “It is an obligation of the history of the ESIEA to honour Messolonghi. All of us want to bow, even we, of Pontian origin, who have our own centenary of the dead, to this greatness. We thank you for what you have offered.”
As stated by the president of Posey, Sotiris Triantafyllou: “We honour our Greek colleagues and journalists from all over the world who are on the war fronts. This is the global message of freedom of the press that we are sending from Messolonghi.”
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The Mayor of Messolonghi, Spyros Diamantopoulos, welcomed the event and thanked all the participants, while the founder and CEO of the Crossroads, Nikos P. Kordosis , collector and historian of issues concerning the Holy City, stressed that “Dixodus” has been carrying out its own work for 28 consecutive years without interruption. The silent, but deeply meaningful. It preserves, illuminates and transmits our historical consciousness.”
In the context of the event, the President of ESIEA honoured the President of the International Federation of Journalists, who was present at the Conference, Mrs Dominique Pradalié.
The report is developed along two main lines. On the ground floor, under the auspices of the ESIEA, a special artistic approach to the work “The Free Besieged” is hosted, through twenty handmade bindings of “Phoenix Publications”, created by the artistic binder Bambi Legas. On the upper floor, two new collectors from Messolonghi, George Alexandratos and Nikos Lyros, in collaboration with the experienced collectors Fotis Rapakousis and Nikos Kordosis, present rare documents and relics of the period of the Struggle and the years that followed, highlighting the historical background that inspired the work of Dionysios Solomos.
The Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias, the Regional Governor of Western Greece Nektarios Farmakis, the Deputy Regional Governor Thanasis Mavrommatis, the Mayor of Messolonghi Spyros Diamantopoulos, as well as members of parliament, representatives of local government, chambers of commerce, security forces and numerous local authorities were present at the inauguration.
