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Throughout its 27 years of life, “Fundacion
Maria Tsakos” has provided free courses in the modern Hellenic
language, Hellenic history and culture to thousands of Uruguayan
students. Recent academic years have seen more than 200 students
enrolling annually for courses of up to six years. In
acknowledgement of its excellent teaching standards, the
Fundacion has been recognized by the Center of the Greek
Language of the Ministry of Education as an examining center for
the Hellenic language.
The “Fundacion” has been officially recognized by Uruguay’s
Ministry of Education and Culture, and has endowed a Chair of
Hellenic Studies at Montevideo University.
Scholarships offered by the Fundacion have given hundreds of
Uruguayans the opportunity to visit Hellas under specially
organized programs including tours of archaeological sites,
university-level language studies and exchange visits with young
Hellenes, thus giving them the opportunity to familiarize
themselves with Greek society and its intellectual activities,
as well as practice their new-found language skills.
Other events, lectures, concerts and celebrations of both
countries’ National Holidays further supplement and promote the
major aims of the Fundacion, which in 2003 celebrated the 25th
anniversary of its establishment in Montevideo.
Protection of the environment constitutes a parallel aim of the
Fundacion. Its sensitivity in environmental issues has been
practically demonstrated through the initiative of setting up
and hosting ‘URUMEPA’, which was created along the lines of the
Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association, ‘HELMEPA’.
The Fundacion’s activities also extend to Greece, through
donations and charities. Benevolent donations have been
extremely significant, particularly in Chios and Kardamyla,
Capt. P.N. Tsakos’ home island. Because of the founder’s
sensitivity to issues of Orthodoxy, the Fundacion also
financially supports the efforts of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
of Constantinople. For this reason, His All Holiness, the
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew awarded Capt. P.N. Tsakos the
title of “Patriarchate Archon”.
The Fundacion has been much encouraged by the recent
presentation by Professor Alvaro Gallardo – a Fundacion teacher
– of a book on modern Hellenic poetry. Through this work,
eminent Greek poets such as Elytis, Seferis, Ritsos and
Engonopoulos became known, not only in South America, but also
among Spanish-speaking peoples throughout the world.
Acknowledging the importance of this publication, Greece’s
Foreign Ministry decided to distribute it to all
Spanish-language embassies and diplomatic missions of the
Hellenic Republic abroad.
In view of these numerous achievements, it came as no surprise
that in 1999 Captain P.N. Tsakos was honoured by the Athens
Prefecture with the title, “Ambassador of Hellenism”.
Another honour for the Foundation was the presentation in 2002
of the “Medal of the City of Athens” to Captain P.N. Tsakos by
the Mayor of Athens, Dimitris Avramopoulos.
In December 2003, at a special ceremonial session attended by
the President of the Hellenic Republic, Kostis Stephanopoulos,
the Fundacion was honoured with the highest award by the Academy
of Athens for its outstanding cultural and charitable work.
In February, 2006, a book by A. Tamis entitled “The Greeks of
Latin America” is due to be published and will be presented in
Athens in March.
The aim of the Fundacion can best be summed up by the words of
its founder, Captain P.N. Tsakos … “I consider the work that we
have undertaken as a contribution to the rest of the world, as
well as a fundamental obligation to our great ancestors – those
who gave essence and substance to the human spirit with their
art and science, and who taught the world the dignity of
democracy, virtue, freedom and justice”. |
