On the 11th of May 2000, the "Foundation for the Child and the Family, in the Amphitheater of the National History Museum (Old Parliament Palace), honored all Mothers, who are a symbol of life, hope and peace, by awarding 6 prizes to mothers, who, each one in her own special way, fights for life, gives away hope and struggles for peace. The UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and President of the "Foundation for the Child and the Family", as well as President of the Friends' Association of Children with cancer "ELPIDA", Mrs. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, inaugurated the event by her speech in which she pointed out the important and multilateral part that mothers play in human societies and in the hearts of all of us, a part which was and still is essential, decisive and unaltered through time. Mrs. Vardinoyannis, referring to the target of the event and to those mothers awarded by the Foundation, Mrs. Mirella Kybouropoulou and Mrs. Panaghiota Moschopoulou from Greece, Mrs. Flora Brovina from Kossovo, Mrs. Eleni Theocharus from Cyprus, Mrs. Irena P. Dinic from Serbia and Mrs. Zeynep Oral from Turkey, said characteristically:

"They are mothers from different countries, mothers through the ashes of war. Mothers in the turbulence of a different fate in everyday struggle for Life, by the side of the biggest ally of children in our modern world, which is no other than science. But even in the Battles for Peace and Democracy they are the first to fight. Mothers-Symbols, but also everyday mothers, in the beginning of a new century. It is up on us to make it a different and better one. Better for life, for hope and peace. But the mothers that we are awarding could be from any other country of the world. Because the heart of a mother beats in the same way in all parts of the world. In all emergency situations. In all families. And that, I believe, is exactly what gives mothers a bigger, universal power… In the faces of those mothers awarded here tonight, let' s all cry out this message: if children are the future of the world, motherhood can and must be the source and expression of a rightful, peaceful, brave and hopeful world".
During the event, the Minister of National Education and Religion Mr. Petros Efthimiou and the Mayor of Athens Mr. Dimitris Avramopoulos also addressed the ceremony. Mrs. Irini Nikolopoulou, journalist and mother herself, presented the meeting.

The meeting was also attended by many famous personalities from the cultural, political, diplomatic and business field, by representatives of the church, representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations and social agencies, representatives of the mass media etc. Each one of the awarded mothers was awarded a small statue specially created by artist Charis Messinis, as well as with a symbolic amount of money.

©1997 HellasNet S.A.
Designed by HellasNet S.A.