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Article profiles SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos as a Leader of the Greek diaspora

Jan 07, 2019
A new feature in The National Herald, the Greek-American community’s preeminent English-language news publication, profiles Stavros Niarchos Foundation Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos as a leading figure in the Hellenic diaspora.

“He fills the leadership void, as much as a private citizen can, offering vision and hope to the Greek people,” writes editor/publisher Antonis H. Diamataris in the feature. “Beyond and above anything else, with a series of impressive initiatives the Foundation that he leads, can be credited with an unprecedented body of work for an individual or institution in the history of the Hellenism.”

The Greek diaspora, or Omogenia, has existed since antiquity, but contemporary developments in an increasingly globalized world present new challenges—and new opportunities—in connecting Greeks around the world and preserving Greek culture. The National Herald article highlights Mr. Dracopoulos’s recent announcement of a €20 million grant to the Greek National Opera (GNO) as an example of his current involvement. The grant will enable the GNO to share original works by Greek artists with a global audience, and, at the same time, honor history with a yearlong program of events to commemorate the Greek Revolution of 1821.

To balance the need to simultaneously preserve tradition and navigate a complex globalized society, Mr. Dracopoulos is guided, the article reports, by a steady philosophy. “During his brief speech on New Year’s Eve he also said, borrowing from the author Emmanuel Kriaras, ‘Real love is the pursuit of our ideals.’”

“There’s a philosophy of life!” the author exclaims.

Click here to read the full article.