“We must never quit. Even in the deepest darkness, there is light. Hope.” This was the powerful message of hope sent by the Greek woman internationally known for her work in humanitarianism, education, culture and human rights, Marianna Vardinoyannis, in the context of the Greek Chairmanship of the Council of Europe.
Mrs. Vardinoyannis was the final guest in the online “In Discussion with ...” series hosted by the Greek Chairmanship of the Council of Europe, which was led by the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chair of the CoE Committee of Ministers, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis. “With Mrs. Vardinoyannis, we send the message of hope,” he stressed. The brief discussion was moderated by Alpha TV editor-in-chief Lora Ioannou.
Mrs. Vardinoyannis stressed that respect for life and health is actually respect for the individual, adding that this is not merely a legal obligation, but a moral duty of human solidarity that must be respected by everyone – citizens and the state. Further emphasizing the importance of solidarity, she highlighted that “this pandemic can be overcome only collectively, with solidarity and sympathy for those around us. If there is something we should take away from this experience, as a legacy, it is precisely this wave of solidarity that grew,” she said.
In the same context, she pointed to the need for international cooperation – which is all the more imperative at this time, not only for developing the vaccine, but also for making it freely available to everyone – and the relevant international appeals that she has signed along with heads of state and Nobel laureates. “If this isn't done, the vaccine will be a privilege of the few. This is the message of this crisis. We are all in this together. The pandemic does not discriminate,” she added.
Responding to a question on how young people are responding to restrictions on their rights, Mrs. Vardinoyannis said that what we are asking of young people is difficult and painful, but she made it clear that she believes deeply in the younger generation and that she constantly sees their great sensitivity to matters of human rights in the programmes and actions of her foundation. “I believe you need a spark to mobilise them. A spark of solidarity and humanity. In March, we saw that not just young people, but all of Greek society handled the situation. We can do it now, too.” she commented.
At the same time, she expressed her fear that the most tragic consequence of the pandemic, after the human lives being lost every day, are the millions of children throughout the world who are not in school, and especially those children in lower income groups. “We have a great responsibility to avert the creation of a ‘lost generation,’” she said, stressing that we need to respond on a global level and find new and effective ways to educate young people. “We have to work together, as societies, to keep isolation from becoming alienation. Substantial human relations have to emerge stronger from the pandemic. And we all have to work in that direction. The young and old alike.”
Finally, having referred to Nelson Mandela, who has always been a shining example for her, she underscored that what is important in life is our liberties and that they return to the levels they were at before the pandemic. And she expressed her certainty that this will happen in Greece.
In his opening remarks, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, stressed that Mrs. Vardinoyannis, beyond the many honours she has received for her humanitarian work (UN Nelson Mandela Prize, Grand Cross of the Order of Beneficence, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador since 1999), “is above all a human being, a spouse, mother, grandmother who has dedicated her life to giving hope to thousands of families. Starting from scratch, she created something unprecedented in Greece: protection from childhood cancer in our country.”
For this reason, the Greek Chairmanship of the Council of Europe chose to conclude its online “In discussion with ...” series with Mrs. Vardinoyannis as the final guest, because “no other person embodies in such a way hope and overflowing love and heart,” Mr. Varvitsiotis explained. “Because hope is what gives us solace in difficult times, I think it is very important that we complete this series by sending a message of hope through the words of Mrs. Vardinoyannis,” the Alternate Minister highlighted. He clarified that this series of discussions, closing with Hope, started with Science, with the first episode hosting the Greek epidemiologist Sotiris Tsiodras, followed by other distinguished individuals from around the world who spoke online, here in Athens, voicing their concerns together (Bernard-Henri Levy, Frank Snowden, Josiah Ober, Benjamin Haddad, Efi Vagena, Victoria Hislop Nicholas Christakis, Luciano Floridi). Mr. Varvitsiotis expressed his warm thanks to these guests because, with their help, a broad debate was opened in the context of the Greek Chairmanship, with the help of technology.
November 17, 2020