The mission of the Institute is to open the lines of communication between the Greek diaspora and Greek public policy makers, in order to mobilize and utilize the expertise and resources available to fortify the public policy and decision-making processes in Greece. Most importantly, the underlying premise of HRI is to focus on issues such as the economy, education, health, and foreign policy in the context of a multi-partisan perspective that will influence the long-term development of Greece.
Monteagle Stearns, former U.S. Ambassador to Greece, and Michael Dukakis, former Governor of Massachusetts, are both members of HRI's Board of Trustees. Ambassador Stearns has noted that "Hellenic Resources mobilizes the brainpower and energies of an exceptionally talented group of young Greeks abroad to influence public policy constructively... in the disoriented world that has emerged from the Cold War."
Additionally, Governor Dukakis has pointed out that "the Institute...[will] help Greece perceive issues it is faced within a global perspective...[which will aid the] political and economic development of Greece."
HRI has organized a series of successful projects that reflect the mission and goals of the organization. These projects are carried out by Hellenic Resources Groups (HRGs), which are project-oriented, autonomous groups comprised of multi-disciplinary teams of experts who address specific issues in their field of interest pertaining to Greece.
One such project is a bi-annual visit of a multi-partisan group of parliamentarians from Greece who tour Boston, New York and Washington, D.C. This project is the result of a strategic partnership between the HR-Visits Group , the U.S. Embassy in Athens, and the U.S.I.A.
Another active project is HR-Net which facilitates information exchanges between the U.S. and the Hellenic Ministries of foreign affairs and education. The purpose of this project is to assist these ministries so they can tap into the many sources of information available on the InterNet. In the words of its inventors, "HR-Net will aim to maximize the utilization of electronic information which concerns Greece and facilitates communication between agencies acting in support of Greek interests."
The Hellenic Resources Institute at the moment, is the only non-profit, tax-exempt organization solely dedicated to mobilizing a broad base of knowledge and expertise for the benefit of public policy making in Greece. In two years since it's founding, HRI has initiated and completed several projects, and received significant press in both Greek and American newspapers. The result has been an increased number of participating members, and projects that have been met with considerable success.
Michael Dukakis
Former Governor of Massachusetts
The years since the end of the Cold War have emphasized all too clearly the state of confusion, indecisiveness, and awe that surround the handling of world crisis and conflict. The inability of traditional modes of global management- diplomacy - to be an effective instrument of conciliation in recent years is particularly troubling when it comes from the mouth of one of the United States most distinguished diplomats.
Ambassador Monteagle Stearns believes that traditional diplomacy in our days is not completely unable to handle the transitional problems that increasingly occupy the attention of international relations. He thus perceives a vacuum within the groups and forces that will play an active role in the process of communication and understanding between world actors; a role that can be fulfilled by individual groups like HRI.
There is a simple reason for concern between the people of the United States and Greece in recent years, a fact highlighted by the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia, and particularly the course taken by FYROM. Ambassador Stearns noted a significant rift in expectations and perspectives between the governments and people of the nations. A rift produced by a failure to accurately comprehend each other's individual interests, and a failure further to note those interests common to both. As a member of HRI's Board of Trustees, Ambassador Stearns witnessed first hand these phenomena during the recent visits of Greek Members of Parliament to the U.S.
There is a definite need, as Ambassador Stearns clearly underlines, to pursue actions that will bring decision makers and citizens of the two nations closer together; for an initiative to bridge the gap created by half a century of monolithic geostrategic prerogatives. For Ambassador Stearns, HRI is clearly poised to undertake such initiative and action, endowed by three major advantages:
Monteagle Stearns
Former U.S. Ambassador to Greece
The greater Boston area contains a rich concentration of academic, research and business organizations that focus on international relations, foreign affairs, negotiation and dispute resolution. Given this, the program of the visits, which lasts 10 days, engages the visiting members of the Greek House of Parliament in constructive dialogue with some of the most well known scholars and political figures on public policy, negotiation, dispute resolution, strategy and the Balkans.
The HR-Visits provide a vehicle for several extraordinary results to happen: First, an educational process takes place in which there is a rich exchange of ideas and ideologies across the world that are discussed and shared; second, Greek public policy makers have an opportunity to experience the changes and progress taking place outside Greece, and understand and influence the way in which Greece is perceived abroad; third, it provides an area of common ground where politicians from Greece who belong to different political parties can engage in conversations with each other from a multi-partisan perspective; and fourth, the HR-Visits provide both a forum and a vehicle for Greek public policy makers to come into contact with Greeks and Greek-Americans who are academicians, professionals, scientists, entrepreneurs and students living in the Diaspora.
In February, 1994, the first HRI-Visit took place in Boston. The theme of this first trip was "Conflict Management in the Balkans". Those parliamentarians who attended were Dimitrios Palaiothodoros (PASOK), Byron Polydoras (Nea Democratia), and Konstantinos Rigas (Synaspismos). They attended seminars with experts in Boston, spoke to members of the Greek-American community, and met with Greek-American and American Congressmen, Senators and politicians in Washington, D.C.
During November, 1994, a second visit of Greek politicians was organized and the topic of this second visit focused on "Security and Cooperation in the Balkans". Those attending were Theodoros Stathis (PASOK), former Deputy Minister of Defense, Kostas Karamanlis (Nea Democratia), Head of the Policy Planning Committee, Demetrios Hadzidimitriou (Politiki Anoixi), and Anastasios Trikkas (Synaspismos), formerly a journalist of foreign affairs. Again, all participants attended intensive seminars and discussions, and met with members of the Greek-American community both in Boston and Washington, D.C.
The Hellenic Resources Institute has used this as a framework to build a strong communication link between Greek policy-makers and the academic community of the U.S. The long-term goal of the HR-Visits is to institutionalize the project and create a permanent forum for the exchange of ideas and approaches in the field of Greek foreign policy and European integration. The aim is to identify opportunities for effective action, and possible roles that Greece can play in enhancing stability and prosperity in the Balkans and beyond.
The next round of visits is in its planning phase. Some of the proposed areas for examination include: Greece's economic infrastructure, business, industry, and the cutting-edge in management practices and globalization. The HR-Visits project facilitates communication to mobilize resources in Greece and the international community in order to add value to public policy and decision-making processes in Greece, from a multi-partisan perspective.
D. Keridis
HR-Visits Group
Who are the poeple of HRI? They are a multi-partisan group of academicians, political figures, professionals and students who have committed their time, knowledge, research potential, access to modern information media and contacts to forward the goals of the non-partisan Hellenic Resources Institute.
The members of HRI believe that Greece must utilize all of its resources, regardless of their location, to benefit and facilitate the advancement of policies vital to the progress of Greece.
Currently, HRI has two established offices: the Boston office where HRI originated which consists of several Hellenic Resources Groups, and a fully active Executive Body that oversees all of the initiatives of the organization, and a recently established office in Athens, Greece. The office in Greece also has an active 15 member Executive Body and works closely with the Boston office to coordinate and implement joint initiatives.
The Hellenic Resources Institute, would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for their support:
* Mr. Bouboulis * Mr. Chryssis * Ms. Kastrinakis * Mr. Katis * Mr. Ketseas * Mr. Levas * Mr. Spyridopoulos * Swissair Airlines * Mr. & Mrs. Tourkistas * The Costas & Mary Maliotis Foundation * The George Dimopoulos Family * The Greek Consulate, Boston * The Greek Embassy in Washington * The Greek Institute * The Greek Ministry of Education * The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs * The Hellenic Chronicle * The National Bank of Greece * The USIA *
This newsletter is produced and edited by the HRI Public Relations Group. c1995 Hellenic Resources Institute, Inc.