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THE MOTHER: A symbol of life, hope, peace

On the occasion of the Mother’s Day, the Foundation bestowed prizes on six mothers who, each in her own way, are battling for life, giving hope and struggling for peace. The evene was organized on May 11th 2000 at the Old Parliament Building, in Athens.

Mrs Marianna V. Vardinoyannis opened the event with an address, in which she emphasised significance and multifaceted role of the mother, which was and remains crucial, both in human society and in our hearts.  Mrs. Vardinoyannis referred to the aims of the event and to the mothers honoured by the Foundation: Mirella Kymbouropoulou and Panagiota Moschopoulou from Greece; Florina Brovina from Kosovo; Eleni Theocharous from Cyprus; Irena P. Dinic from Serbia; and Zeynep Oral from Turkey.

The Minister of Education and Religions, Mr. Petros Efthymiou, addressed the event  emphasising that the mother, the woman, always was and remains the principle carrier of Greek tradition, and the person who is behind every successful man, with her support and inspiration. 

In a brief address, the Mayor of Athens, Mr. Dimitris Avramopoulos, praised the role of the mother, and the significance of the occasion. 

The atmosphere was emotional as through the life stories of the mothers unfolded.  Even greater feelings were stirred when Eleni Theocharous devoted her award to all the mothers of Cyprus; and when Mirella Kymbouropoulou, mother of Stelios, the best student of the school of Spata, said that with God’s help she would be able to go to University with her Stelios, as she is his hands and he is the most precious thing in her existence. 

Mrs. Irini Nikolopoulou, Greek journalist and mother, was moderator of the event. 

Personalities from the cultural, political, diplomatic and business world were present, together with representatives of the Church, Governmental and non-Governmental organisations and social institutions, representatives of the Media and others. 

Each of the mothers received a small sculpture created especially for the occasion by the artist Haris Messinis, together with financial support.

The stories of the mothers
(until the year 2000)

MIRELLA KYMBOUROPOULOU (GREECE) MOTHER-SYMBOL OF HOPE AND STRENGTH
Mirella Kymbouropoulou is the mother of Stelios, the outstanding student of the Spata school who, because of a serious illness was unable to carry the flag since, according to the Constitution, one must be of sound body to be a standard bearer.  Thanks to the efforts of his mother, Stelios managed to carry the flag in the school parade.  Mirella Kymbouropoulou is an exemplary mother who knows how to believe, to love, to support, to be patient and to encourage.  Her love, her spiritual strength, but also her persistence resulted in Stelios’ overcoming all the difficulties and problems caused by his health condition.

PANAGIOTA MOSCHOPOULOU (GREECE) MOTHER-SYMBOL OF COURAGE
Panagiota Moschopoulou, mother of five, from the village of Myrtia of the Province of Ilia, represents all those women who on a daily basis have to fight at the side of a sick child.  She experienced the threat of losing a child not once, but twice, after a bone-marrow transplant, which two of her children underwent at the Bone-Marrow Transplant Unit of the St. Sophia Children’s Hospital, which was established by the “ELPIDA” Association.  Panagiota Moschopoulou found the courage to continue with her hard struggle, in her faith in God, in her love for her children, in their own courage and patience, and in the marvellous efforts of the doctors, who finally turned the unachievable into reality.  The two children, whose donor was their own sister, after 18 months fighting for their lives, returned to their mother’s embrace happy and strong.

FLORA BROVINA (KOSOVO) MOTHER-SYMBOL OF STRUGGLE
Flora Brovina, mother of two sons, is a paediatrician who also worked until 1981 as a journalist – in fact one of the best known journalists in the women’s sector.  She is also a poet and has published a number of collections of poems.  She is President of the Union of Albanian Women of Kosovo, a non-governmental organisation which is fighting for human rights and equality of the sexes.  In March 1998 she founded the Centre for the Rehabilitation of Children and Women – Victims of War.  During the bombing of Kosovo, she remained at the Centre to help the women and children under her protection.  Throughout the war Flora Brovina was present wherever the need for medical assistance called her.  In 1999 she was honoured by the French magazine “Marie-Claire”, which named her one of the three most influential women in the world, and by the Swedish “Pen Club”, which awarded her the Tsutsoski Prize.  Today Flora Brovina is in jail because of her activities.Flora Brovina’s prize was received by her son.

ELENI THEOHAROUS (CYPRUS) MOTHER-SYMBOL OF ALL THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD
Eleni Theoharous, mother of one daughter, is a paediatric surgeon, and urologist, Professor at the Medical School of the University of Thrace, and Honorary Doctor of Universities in Russia and Belarus.  Today she works as Director of the paediatric surgery clinic of the Archbishop Makarios Hospital in Nicosia.  She is also member of numerous international scientific organisations, with many publications to her credit and even more honorific distinctions from all over the world.  Above all, however, she is known for her great humanitarian work.  In 1998 she was candidate for the PanEuropean Achievement Award and for the Humanitarian Action Award of UNESCO.  As a member of Doctors of the World, she has participated in aid missions to, among other countries, Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, Haiti, Afghanistan, Gaza, Zimbabwe, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Kosovo, Serbia and Romania.

IRENA P. DINIC (SERBIA) MOTHER-ETERNAL SYMBOL OF LIFE
Irena Dinic, mother of one child, is an architect and works today at the Institute of Urban Development of Belgrade.  She became known when the images of her, giving birth to her child in Belgrade, at a time when the capital was being shaken by the bombs, travelled around the world’s newsrooms.  The hopeful message of peace sent by Irena Dinic, who brought a new life into the world from the ashes of war, is more powerful than a thousand peace demonstrations, and indeed, than war itself.

ZEYNEP ORAL (TURKEY) MOTHER-SYMBOL OF HOPE AND RECONCILIATION
Zeynep Oral, mother of two sons and grandmother of three children, is a distinguished journalist for cultural issues, for peace and human rights and has been writing for the Miliet newspaper since 1968.  At the same time she has written 15 books, which have been translated into Italian and French.  She is one of the founders of the Helleno-Turkish Friendship Union and has been its Secretary since 1982, is a founder-member of the Najire Hikmet Foundation and masterminded the Ipektsi Award for Peace and Friendship among Greeks and Turks.  Zeynep Oral believes that in order to understand others, it is essential to get to know them; to see them in their true identity, in their own reality; to know their culture.  This is the only way in which one can be brave enough to resist and oppose oneself to all forms of provocation.  It is for this belief that she has fought, and continues to fight.

2011
UNESCO Heads of States Forum
There is HOPE!
Cultural Heritage - Climate Change - The teacher's role - Presentation of the book "The country of two suns"
International Women's Day - The Educational Institute AKMI IVT honours Marianna V. Vardinoyannis.
The "Pancretan Association of Athens" honours Marianna V. Vardinoyannis.
Marianna V. Vardinoyannis "Woman of the year 2011".
Excellence Awards, Greeks who are Role Models for the New Generation.
Presentation of the Greek publication of Mrs Marianna V. Vardinoyannis' book "Labouring with the Challenges of Female Identity: Insights into Minoan Society".
2010
Presentation of the book "Labouring with the challenges of female identity: Insights into the Minoan society" at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
The Global Forum against human trafficking.
Marianna V. Vardinoyannis - ELPIDA Children's Oncology Unit.
Makistos smiles again!
83000 signatures for the "1GOAL: Education for All" campaign.
10th Annual Meeting of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors
An event for the "1GOAL: Education for All" campaign.
International campaign supporting Greece.
The international "1GOAL: Education for All" campaign.
First meeting of the Friends of the Aswan Heart Centre.
2009
Global Campaign for the Climate Justice.
Inauguration of the new Acropolis Museum.
Declaration of the International Conference "Climate Change and Challenges for the Future Generations".
International Conference "Climate Change and Challenges for the Future Generations".
International Conference «Crossing Borders to Protect the Children of the World» and the Cairo Declaration.
International Conference in Bahrain "Human Trafficking at the Crossroads of East- West" and the Manama Declaration.
Summer Deaflympics - Athens 2013.
2008
The Vienna Forum against human trafficking.
Mothers - Olympic Champions of Love.
Universal call for the Climate Change.
The 4th Global Youth Employment Summit on the fight against poverty and unemployment, in Azerbaijan and the Baku Declaration.
The appeal of Ancient Olympia.
The “Alexandria Center for Hellenistic Studies” in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
Marianna V. Vardinoyannis "Great Lady of the Patriarchal Throne of Alexandria".
2007
2nd Workshop on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts.
The Chart of Paris against cancer.
The first Oncological Hospital for children in Greece.
Lecture of the H.E. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak in Athens, Greece.
Fairuz Concert in Athens, Greece.
International Youth Forum for Peace in Sharm El Sheikh.
Global Humanitarian Forum.
Makistos smiles again.
2006
Round Table " The Business Community against Human Trafficking".
Fundraising Dinner to support the “End Human Trafficking Now” global campaign.
The "Athens Principles" in Davos.
International Center for Peace Studies.
Protecting youth from drugs.
The Multicultural Children Centre “Athina” in Belgrade.
1st Workshop on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts.
Marianna V. Vardinoyannis – Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur.
2005
Helping the children of Palestine- Fundraising dinner in Cairo.
The UN Millennium Development Goals and Civil Society.
The Declaration of 22 Greek organisations on the UN Millennium Development Goals.
2004
Exhibition of Traditional and Contemporary Handicrafts from Jordan.
International Conference “Women in the Service of Peace” in Paris.
International Conference “Women defending Peace” in Geneva.
2003
2nd European Conference of Legal Practitioners on juvenile matters.
Exhibition "Breaking the Veils", Exhibition of women artists from the Islamic World, at UNESCO.
Exhibition “The Unity of an Unique Monument: the Parthenon”, at UNESCO.
The Mentor Awards.
Awards to mothers.
2002
Bibliotheca Alexandrina. A wonder of the modern world.
Mother: A Symbol of life, hope and peace.
Speak Truth to Power: Human Rights Defenders who change our world.
Contemporary Societies - Multicultural Co-existence- The position of the child.
The protection of the World Cultural nad Natural Heritage.
2001
The child: victim of war and messenger of peace.
2000
A Model Area for creative activities in the Municipality of Ano Liosia.
Mother: A Symbol of life, hope and peace.
Children: Symbol of hope, will, courage.
The Meeting of Athens and Delphi on Children and Peace.
The Declaration of Delphi on Children and Peace.
1st International Conference for the Culture of Peace.
Early Childhood Resource and Training Center in Bethlehem.
1999
By the side of mothers and children behind bars.
Juvenile disappearance and abduction.
The Hague Appeal for Peace.
International Conference “Family and Children in the European society of the 21st Century” in Paris.
Support for the children - victims of war in the Balkans.
By the side of the earthquake victims.
International Conference “Sexual abuse of children and paedophilia in the Internet”.
1998
A three-point shot for a life.
European Forum "FAMILY - EUROPE - 21ST CENTURY: Vision and Institutions".
Family and the mass media.
Presentation of the Minutes of the European Forum "FAMILY - EUROPE - 21ST CENTURY: Vision and Institutions"
1997
International Conference “Priority to the Dignity and Safety of the children in Europe”.
By the side of the children of Xanthi.
Embracing children suffering from AIDS.
The International Convention on Children's Rights and the role of the European Union.