American Hellenic Institute

2017bookcover

Facebook Image
“Letter to the Editor” of the National Herald Regarding the AHIF College Student Trip to Greece and Cyprus
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: C. Franciscos Economides
October 5 2009—No. 71
(202) 785-8430

“Letter to the Editor” of the National Herald Regarding the AHIF College Student Trip to Greece and Cyprus

 

WASHINGTON, DC—The following “Letter to the Editor” appeared in the The National Herald on September 19, 2009, written by Demetri Papacostas. Mr. Papacostas’s son, Nicholas, was one of the nine students who participated in the inaugural AHIF College Student Trip to Greece in Cyprus.

To the Editor:

I was delighted to read Mr. Larigakis' recent op-ed. My son Nicholas was one of the privileged young people to join Mr. Larigakis on the American Hellenic Institute Foundation College Student Foreign Policy Study Trip to Greece and Cyprus. Mr. Larigakis is exactly right about the deep and enduring way this trip has communicated the contemporary issues affecting Greece/Cyprus and the U.S. Mr. Larigakis and AHI succeeded in covering very ambitious goals from the injustice that is Cyprus to Turkish fly-overs on the Aegean to Skopje, to the U.S. military contractors’ interest in Greek affairs. The meetings and discussions were high level and sophisticated. What I am most interested in also bringing to your attention is that AHI's and Mr. Larigakis' initiative went a long way towards strengthening the future Greek American community here in the U.S. as well. From my son's telling, all these young people reconnected to something ancient in Greece and among themselves. They found it refreshing and empowering to be among other Americans that had a sacred connection and common interests that set them apart. I can tell you for a fact that for my son, the trip created a bond with Greece that for all my and my wife's efforts, we could never achieve on our own. There is no doubt in my mind that as a result of this trip, wherever life takes them, they will respond and possibly work hard not only on behalf of Greek American issues but also for their fellow Greek Americans.

Demetri Papacostas
Bedford, NY

 

###

For additional information, please contact C. Franciscos Economides at (202) 785-8430 or at pr@ahiworld.org. For general information about the activities of AHI, please see our Web site at https://www.ahiworld.org.