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Panhellenic Federation of Cultural Associations of Vlachs

The Panhellenic Federation of Cultural Associations of Vlachs (Greek: Πανελλήνια Ομοσπονδία Πολιτιστικών Συλλόγων Βλάχων, romanized: Panellínia Énosi Politistikón Syllógon Vlachón Elládos) is an organization of Aromanians ("Vlachs") in Greece.[1][2] The Aromanians are an ethnic group scattered over the Balkans living in many countries such as Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Romania and Serbia, as well as Greece, which has the largest concentration of them. The Aromanians of Greece are characterized by their disinterest in initiatives that aim to maintain the Aromanian culture and language outside the familiar environment and many have repeatedly expressed opposition to foreign organizations that have tried to help them achieve this.[2]

Panhellenic Federation of Cultural Associations of Vlachs
Formation1985; 39 years ago (1985)
TypeNGO
HeadquartersLarissa
Location
President
Michalis Mageirias
WebsiteOfficial website

The Panhellenic Federation of Cultural Associations of Vlachs is the largest Aromanian cultural organization in Greece and the world.[2] As of 2001, the organization was made up of 65 minor Aromanian associations.[3] This number had risen to 85 in 2004[1] and to 101 in 2009.[4] Usually, other Aromanian organizations in Greece are not active, and none of the around 200 that exist in the country have a name in the Aromanian language. In fact, many of them do not even have the word "Vlach" in their names.[2][5]

The Panhellenic Federation of Cultural Associations of Vlachs was founded in 1985 as a result of a meeting between several Aromanian associations one year earlier.[1] Many of these associations were recent, as most of them appeared on the 1980s.[6] The organization's original name was "Panhellenic Union of Cultural Associations of Vlachs", but it was changed to the current one in 2001. Having its headquarters at Larissa, the Panhellenic Federation of Cultural Associations of Vlachs organizes several activities and events. Among them are the publication of newspapers, articles and calendars, the promotion of Aromanian culture, dances, songs and traditions, the holding of cultural events and the annual organization of the "Panhellenic Meetings" between Aromanians, which last three days.[1]

The Panhellenic Federation of Cultural Associations of Vlachs regards the Aromanians as part of the Greek ethnicity.[1] In fact, as a response to Recommendation 1333 (1997) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe which encouraged the Balkan states to protect their Aromanian minorities,[7] issued after having been persuaded to do so by the Union for Aromanian Language and Culture in Germany,[8] it has repeatedly denied on various occasions the status of the Aromanians as an ethnic minority within Greece, stating that the "Vlach-speaking Greeks" are historically and culturally an "integral part of Hellenism".[3][9][4]

As of 2009, the president of the organization was Kostas Adam and its vice-president was Yoanis Kokonis.[6] As of 2022, the president was Michalis Mageirias, the first vice-president Batzotasios Ioannis and the second vice-president Georgios Dardakoulis.[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Droukas, Evangelou; Bezos, Sofoklis (2004). Μελέτη σχετικά με την ιστορία τη ζωή και τον πολιτισμό των βλάχων (Thesis) (in Greek). Mytilene: University of the Aegean. pp. 1–207.
  2. ^ a b c d Kahl, Thede (2002). "The ethnicity of Aromanians after 1990: the identity of a minority that behaves like a majority". Ethnologia Balkanica. 6: 145–169.
  3. ^ a b "Έκδοση ψηφίσματος διαμαρτυρίας κατά του Στέτ Ντιπαρτμεντ" (in Greek). Panhellenic Federation of Cultural Associations of Vlachs. 28 February 2001. Archived from the original on 15 September 2004.
  4. ^ a b "Letter of information to the Council of Europe". Larissa: Panhellenic Federation of Cultural Associations of Vlachs. 19 November 2009. Archived from the original on 27 February 2017.
  5. ^ Kahl, Thede (2003). "Aromanians in Greece: Minority or Vlach-speaking Greeks?" (PDF). Jahrbücher für Geschichte und Kultur Südosteuropas. 5: 205–219.
  6. ^ a b Gica, Alexandru (2009–2011). "The recent history of the Aromanians in Southeast Europe" (PDF). The Newsletter of the Society Farsharotu. 24–25 (1–2): 1–22.
  7. ^ "Recommendation 1333 (1997) on the Aromanian culture and language". Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. 24 June 1997. Archived from the original on 18 November 2002.
  8. ^ Baicu, Cornel (29 August 2003). ""Rumänien ist für uns eine zweite Heimat"" (in German). Deutsche Welle.
  9. ^ "Έκδοση Δελτίου Τύπου για την διοργάνωση του Συνεδρίου του Ελληνικού παραρτήματος της μη κυβερνητικής οργάνωσης του Ε.Β.L.U.L., στη Θεσσαλονίκη" (in Greek). Panhellenic Federation of Cultural Associations of Vlachs. 14 November 2002. Archived from the original on 10 September 2004.
  10. ^ "Εκ νέου πρόεδρος στην Πανελλήνια Ομοσπονδία των Βλάχων ο Μιχάλης Μαγειρίας". VORIA.gr (in Greek). 14 February 2022.
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