News

WASHINGTON, DC, October 20, 2022 - Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania John Fetterman, who is running for that state's open US Senate seat, released a strong statement regarding his opposition to Turkey’s treatment of the religious freedom of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Orthodox Christianity.  He also expressed his concern about Turkey’s confiscation of thousands of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s properties, their conversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque, their closure of the Halki Seminary, and their practice of interference with Ecumenical Patriarchal succession. Fetterman is running against television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz, an American citizen of Turkish background. Oz did not serve in the US military, [...]

38th Annual PSEKA Cyprus Conference - December 12-14, 2022 in Washington, DC WASHINGTON, DC, August 15, 2022 — We are pleased to announce that the 38th Annual PSEKA Cyprus Conference will return in person and now take place December 12-14, 2022 in Washington, DC. Conference participants will once again meet with top-level officials in Congress and the Administration who formulate U.S. policy toward Cyprus, Greece and Turkey. As in previous years, the conference will be hosted by the International Coordinating Committee -- Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA) and will involve the participation of the Federation of Cypriot American Organizations (FCAO), the American Hellenic Educational Progressive [...]

39 Prominent Hellenes Mentor Greek-American Students WASHINGTON, DC, August 12, 2022 – Some of the most prominent current and former U.S. government officials, business leaders and other influential opinion leaders met with Greek-American students from across the country through the 7th Annual Heritage America Program August 9-11. This annual program is hosted by the National Hellenic Society (NHS) and Manatos & Manatos. These esteemed speakers shared with students, in intimate virtual discussions, their family’s immigration experience and how Hellenic and Orthodox principles and ideals helped them achieve success. Through this unique experience, these students better understand and appreciate that the amalgam of Greek [...]

Manatos Family's "Philotimo" Celebrated by Top US Leaders Integrity, credibility, honor, empathy, philanthropy, humility, service to country, family and church -- and other traits of “philotimo” -- praised June 13, 2022 – Many of the country’s most respected leaders praised the Manatos family’s generations of service and remarkable “philotimo” on the occasion of the Hellenic Hearts Gala where Mike Manatos was presented with the first Philotimo Award. In all, 49 prominent individuals from US government, industry, media, human rights and leadership of the Greek-American community sent video remarks that were played at the June 13, 2022 event in suburbs [...]

Greek-American Leaders Lobby US Policymakers WASHINGTON, DC, July 14, 2022 - On the eve of a major vote in the US Congress on sending F-16’s to Turkey and the 48th black anniversary of Turkey’s invasion and occupation of Cyprus, top Cypriot-American and Greek-American leaders met with key US policymakers in the White House, State Department and the US Congress. Led by Philip Christopher, President of PSEKA (the International Coordinating Committee – Justice for Cyprus), leaders of the top national organizations – a complete list of whom is below - came to Washington, DC for these impactful meetings at this crucial time. Andy Manatos and Mike [...]

Greek-American Students to be Mentored by Some of the Community's Biggest Names WASHINGTON, DC, June 13, 2022 -- Over 40 of the most prominent Greek-Americans will be mentoring Greek-American college students online August 9-11, 2022. The deadline for applications to the sixth annual National Hellenic Society Heritage America Program is now Monday, August 1, 2022. Stavridis, Tenet, Negroponte…Dukakis, Podesta, Stephanopoulos, Psaki, Priebus…Sarbanes, Bilirakis, Titus, Malliotakis, Pappas…NowThis, Fox News, New York Times, Georgetown Cupcakes, Spotify, Facebook…Archbishop Elpidophoros, the Ambassadors of Greece and Cyprus. They are all regular participants in this remarkable program. A full list of participants from last year's program [...]

Historic Visit of Greek Prime Minister to Washington, DC WASHINGTON, DC, May 23, 2022 - Greece took its rightful place in America’s pantheon of important foreign entities as the Hellenic Republic’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, became the first Greek Prime Minister in history to address a Joint Meeting of the US Congress at the invitation of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. All the elaborate pomp and ceremony afforded a President of the United States at a State of the Union Address, including having the Vice President of the United States and the Speaker of the House sitting behind him as he spoke, was afforded the [...]

Greece Invented, Lost, and Regained Democracy It Has Lessons for the U.S. Prime Minister Mitsotakis addresses Congress this week to celebrate shared values. by Andy and Mike Manatos May 14, 2022 https://washingtonmonthly.com/2022/05/14/greece-invented-lost-and-regained-democracy-it-has-lessons-for-the-u-s/ Democracy is in trouble here and abroad. According to the highly regarded World Values Survey data, most Americans under 60 do not consider it “absolutely essential” to live in a democracy. In fact, for the first time since 2004, the Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI) recently recorded more autocratic states than democracies around the world. It’s more than a little timely that on May 17, the Prime Minister [...]

Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis to Make Historic Presentation WASHINGTON, DC, April 28, 2022 — Never before in US history has a Prime Minister of Greece addressed a Joint Meeting of the US Congress. Such an historic address will take place by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on May 17. In addition, Mitsotakis will join only 8 other world leaders who have addressed a Joint Meeting of Congress since 2015.  They include: Pope Francis, the Prime Ministers of India, Japan and Israel, and the Presidents of Afghanistan, France and Ukraine and the NATO Secretary General. Today Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, along with the bi-partisan leadership of both the US Senate [...]

Maryland Celebrates Greek Independence BALTIMORE, MD, March 27, 2022 — Maryland’s Greek-American community and philhellenes joyfully participated in the annual Maryland Greek Independence Day Parade in Baltimore’s historic Greek Town on Sunday. Life-long Marylanders Andy Manatos and Mike Manatos were honored to serve as the 2022 Parade’s Grand Marshalls. Representing the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of America was His Grace Bishop Apostolos of Medeia. Also participating were New Jersey Diocese Chancellor Father Christoforos Oikonomidis, and priests from the surrounding Greek Orthodox churches in Maryland, including Father Michael Pastrikos of St. Nicholas which hosted the liturgy and [...]