The American Hellenic Council of California is hosting a Meet & Greet with Congressman Chris Pappas on Sunday, December 8th at 6 PM at AHC’s offices in Culver City.

Congressman Pappas, currently serving his first term, is one of the five Greek Americans currently serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, who in addition to his Hellenic ties and strong support for the US-Israel relationship, is also on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.

A lifelong resident of Manchester, New Hampshire, Congressman Chris Pappas is a local business owner and public servant who has a longstanding record of working to put people before politics. During his time in elected office, Chris also served as an Executive Councilor, State Representative, and County Treasurer. As the fourth generation owner of a family business that opened in 1917, Chris understands the need to focus on constituent services and delivering results for New Hampshire’s working families and Main Street businesses.

As a member of the state’s Executive Council, Chris worked with governors of both parties to implement Medicaid expansion, expand treatment and recovery services, approve funding for family planning providers, and support renewable energy and infrastructure projects.

For more information, click here.

DATE: Sunday, December 8
TIME: 6 – 7:30 PM
LOCATION:
3916 Sepulveda Blvd, #101
Culver City, CA 90230
*Parking available in the rear of the building

On October 13, 2019, hundreds of people joined in condemning Turkey’s latest acts of aggression. Speakers from ANCA-WR and AHC, as well as, local Armenian and Jewish youth organizations, addressed the crowd.

The protest in the news:

• Fox LA
• Asbarez.com

The American Hellenic Council of California welcomed the Governor of the Region of Central Macedonia, Mr. Apostolos Tzitzikostas accompanied by a delegation that included the Executive Secretary of the Region, Mr. Nikolaos Ioannou, the President of the Thessaloniki International Fair, Mr. Anastasios Tzikas and Advisor to the Governor, Mr. Kostas Befas. Participating from the AHC were Vice President of the Board, Eleftheria Polychronis, former President Dr. Menas Kafatos, Treasurer Alex Mizan, Board Members Theodore Polychronis and Zoi Palla and Executive Director, Christianna Kontou.

Following their visit to Silicon Valley and San Francisco, the Governor visited Los Angeles siting the importance of forging a closer relationship between the Region of Central Macedonia and Los Angeles, with an emphasis on the film industry, investment and export of certified Macedonian products. Governor Tzitzikostas also underscored his personal and the Greek government’s commitment for Greeks abroad to be able to vote.

Mr. Tzikas added the addition of an ICT Fair following 2020’s Thessaloniki International Fair, which will focus on tech, where there is a high expectation of Californian presence.

“The Region of Central Macedonia has now surpassed all Greek regions in exports of Greek products and tourism, we are the only region in Greece with a Film Office, located in Thessaloniki, and we are also the only region with studios,” stated Governor Tzitzikostas. “The time for investment is now. The potential collaborations between Central Macedonia and Los Angeles-based business are endless,” he added. “The diaspora is vital to Greece and the new government wants to focus on that and facilitate the involvement of Greek aboard,” he closed.

“Alongside advocating to Congress, cultivating stronger, more direct ties between California and Greece is one of the American Hellenic Council’s focal points,” commented Executive Director, Christianna Kontou. She added, “Greece is the gateway to Europe, Central Macedonia is a major tech hub in the Balkans, American entrepreneurism is key to growth, which means that collaboration will benefit both Greece and the United States on many levels.”

The meeting ended with Governor Tzitzikostas presenting the American Hellenic Council with a rare book of maps of Alexander the Great and Mr. Tzikas presenting a book of the eighty-year history of the Thessaloniki International Fair.

The American Hellenic Council of California and the Armenian National Committee of America–Western Region signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation during a special ceremony on Monday, September 30, 2019, signaling a new chapter of even deeper and more institutionalized relations between the two organizations.

The ceremony took place at the ANCA-WR headquarters in Glendale, with ANCA Western Region Chairperson Nora Hovsepian, Esq. and AHC President James F. Dimitriou, Ph.D. signing the document that went into effect immediately. The Memorandum recognizes the historic relations between the Armenian and Hellenic communities, accentuates the importance of collaboration and mutual understanding, and commits both communities to ensure comprehensive cooperation.

“We look forward to the great opportunity for the AHC to work with ANCA in a common commitment for justice and respect for the rule of law,” said Dr. Jim Dimitriou, AHC Chairman. “Turkey must not be allowed to continue to violate international treaties and law. The Greek and Armenian people share a long and turbulent history and now share a common purpose. We must stand united against a Turkish rogue regime that violates human rights, internationally recognized territorial borders while promulgating continual threats and violations against its neighbors.” He added, “Our time is now! The opportunity is great. The value is justice, and in the words of Plato, ‘Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others.’”

“The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation elevates our relationship with the AHC to a deeper institutional level,” remarked ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian, Esq. “Our nations have lived side by side for millennia, and we’re codifying both traditional as well as novel areas for our extensive collaboration, taking our advocacy work to new heights.”

Following this memorandum, both AHC and ANCA-WR have agreed to continue in collaboration to undertake joint advocacy measures and public education initiatives promoting human rights, peace, and the rule of the law, and continue their commitment in seeking justice for the Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian Genocide.

In recent years, both groups have worked tirelessly to fight for truth and justice for the Genocide of 1915 and have garnered the support of elected officials from all throughout the western U.S. Moving forward, the parties will also undertake joint activities and initiatives aimed at genocide education; divestment from Turkish government bonds, just and enduring reunification of Cyprus; stopping Turkish violations of Greece’s sovereign air and water; justice for the cultural and civilizational destruction in Nakhijevan by Azerbaijani authorities; international recognition of Artsakh; and a number of other priorities. The close collaboration between AHC and ANCA-WR stretches back many years, as both organizations have already worked on a number of joint projects, most notably on seeking truth and justice for the Greek, Armenian, and Assyrian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Turkish government.

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region is the largest and most influential nonpartisan Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

Los Angeles, California – On Saturday, October 6^th, members of the American Hellenic Council had the pleasure and privilege of welcoming Ms. Evgenia Beniatoglou to Los Angeles as the New Consul General of Greece. Ms. Beniatoglou, who hails from Drama, replaces the honorable Gregory Karahalios after four extraordinary years of service for the Greek Foreign Ministry in southern California.

“I’d like to ask all Greek-Americans to hold on to their Greek roots, and get to know their ancestral homeland better”, said Consul General Beniatoglou in an exclusive interview with AHC Executive Director, Ioannis Fidanakis. “Greece, today, is a different country compared to the one experienced by their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents”.

Prior to her arrival in Los Angeles, Ms. Beniatoglou held positions in the Greek embassy in Doha, Qatar, as well as the Greek Permanent Representation to the UN in Geneva, Switzerland. The new Consul General comes to Los Angeles at an exciting time in the community’s history with the recent founding of the UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture.

Read full interview