The Cyprus-US Chamber of Commerce Annual Award Dinner was held on June 16 in Manhattan. Nikos Mouyiaris, Founder & CEO of MANA Products, was honored with the Distinguished Merit Award.
Among those in attendance were His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, US Representative Carolyn Maloney, New York State Senator Michael Gianaris, New York State Assemblymembers Nicole Malliotakis and Aravella Simotas, New York City Council Member Costa Constantinides, US Ambassador to Nicosia Kathleen Doherty, Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the United Nations Ambassador Kornelios Korneliou, Deputy Permanent Representative of Greece to the United Nations Dionysios Kalamvrezos, Consuls General of Greece and Cyprus in New York Konstantinos Koutras and Vasilios Pilippou, respectively.
After the end of the reception, a video was presented which highlighted the achievements of the entrepreneur, the leader and fighter for the Cyprus cause and national issues, the supporter of education and culture, the founder of the Hellenic American Leadership Council, and the benefactor of many institutions in the Greek and Cypriot community, Nikos Mouyiaris.
At the same time, the message of the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, was also presented, focusing on the work of the honoree and on the role of the Chamber in promoting relations between the US and Cyprus.
The Executive Director of the Chamber, Despina Axiotakis, in her opening speech mentioned the honoree’s work and noted that “Nikos Mouyiaris is a friend of each of you who are here tonight.”
Fox Business Network news reporter Nicole Petallides, who co-organized the event, is proud of her Cypriot origin and noted that Mouyiaris is a model for her own generation as well as the younger generation.
Archbishop Demetrios referred to Mouyiaris’ contribution and his passion for Cypriot freedom, support for education, and his generosity.
New York State Assemblymember and mayoral hopeful Nicole Malliotakis and State Senator Michael Gianaris said that the moral and financial support of Nikos Mouyiaris and all his associates helped them both in their election campaigns as well as many other Greek-American candidates in New York and elsewhere.
The President of the Cyprus-US Chamber of Commerce, Nicolas Nicolaou, referred to the work of the organization and noted that in cooperation with Capital Link, they organized in Nicosia and New York the first investment forum for Cyprus.
He then referred to the J-1 Visa Program and observed that three new scientists from Cyprus had already arrived and that six other young people are expected. At the same time, he mentioned the role of the Chamber’s Young Professionals and stressed that the honoree played a critical role in their organization.
The President of the Young Professional Professionals of the Chamber, Christina Shailas pointed out that Nikos Mouyiaris is a teacher amd mentor to many of them, raising their hopes. She said that “the young people who meet him are privileged to know him.”
The US Ambassador to Nicosia, Kathleen Doherty, has pointed out that she is a daughter of immigrants and that she feels the same pride that the Greeks feel about their achievements. She noted that serving in Cyprus for the last two years has been the best experience of her diplomatic career.
Referring to the upcoming unity talks in Switzerland, she pointed out that they might be the best opportunity of the last 43 years to solve the Cyprus problem.
Rep. Maloney referred to the achievements of Mouyiaris and noted that many of the branded cosmetics are produced by his company Mana, and he is an example of achieving the American Dream.
PSEKA President Philip Christopher spoke about Mouyiaris and his love for his hometown, Athienou, one of the three villages in the United Nations Buffer Zone, and 65% of its territory is illegally occupied. He then referred to Mouyiaris’ contributions to the struggle for the liberation of Cyprus and his contributions to the Greek community.
Nikos Mouyiaris received the Distinguished Merit Award and expressed his gratitude, noting that everything that he accomplished was due to the fact that he had the support of his parents, his aunts and uncles, and the support of his wife Carol and his daughter Ariana.
“I am one who strongly believes in the power of the Hellenic spirit. I’m one who believes in our Greek values. A plain soldier, a single unit in a group which could ultimately become a powerful force in our community and the Greek Diaspora. A force which can truly help our community, Cyprus and Greece, do better,” Mouyiaris said.
Nikos Mouyiaris Cyprus-US Chamber of Commerce Speech
On June 16, businessman and philanthropist Nikos Mouyiaris was honored by the Cyprus-US Chamber of Commerce. The full text of his speech follows.
Your Eminence, Senator Menendez, Ambassadors Doherty, Ambassador Korneliou, Ambassador Kalamvrezos, Ambassador Pantelides, Ambassador Philippou, Consul General Koutras, NYS Senator Mike Gianaris, NYS Assembly members Aravella Simotas and Nicole Malliotakis, NYC Councilman Costas Constantinides, Honored guests and friends, I’m honored to accept this award from the Cyprus-US Chamber of Commerce and I thank the Board and Nico Nicolaou, the President.
I have often said that we are successful not because we are very smart; not because we worked very hard and we were lucky; but because we had the good fortune of being able to stand on the shoulders of others. That’s why I will start by acknowledging those most responsible for me – my parents, my aunt Eleni and uncle George who raised me, my aunt Sunday and uncle George in the States, my teachers, my village of Athienou, my friends and others.
I certainly would not be where I am today, if my soul, my psyche – were not formed by Greece and Cyprus and my Hellenic values, and if not for the US which provided me and all of us with so many opportunities. I would not be where I am today but for the great Mana employees past and present some of who are here tonight. Thank you.
Last and definitely not least my wife Carol and daughter Ariana for their love and for always standing next to me all these years, for their patience, and support. Thank you.
I’m especially honored to accept this award before such a great crowd of friends, coworkers, and people of our community.
I am one who strongly believes in the power of the Hellenic spirit. I’m one who believes in our Greek values. A plain soldier, a single unit in a desired group which could ultimately become a powerful force in our community and the Greek Diaspora. A force which can truly help our community, Cyprus and Greece, do better.
I have been in the States for 50 years. I saw many of us become very successful in whatever we chose to do. Be it a professional, an academic, an entrepreneur, a scientist. Our community rates first in education and second in wealth amongst the ethnic groups in our country. As single units, with some volunteer work and our philotimo (love of honor), we have achieved so much.
We came here as dishwashers and miners, working in the mines of Wyoming and Utah in the 1800s; we came here as laborers and waiters and eventually owned diners and businesses. Today our people are top in academia and science. Our people run some of the biggest corporations; Chase, Dow, and many others. We have famous athletes, actors and singers. We offered our country so much in many fields and in public service as well.
A CIA Director, George Tenet; the first Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte, a Supreme Commander of NATO and now a university president James Stavridis. Members of the Senate and Congress. Greek Americans who came close to the Presidency on multiple occasions. One day we will make one of ours, president of the United States!
Sadly though, in the last 50 years I noticed a decline in the organized groups of our Omogenia, our community. Our Federations and a lot of our local organizations, our somatia are threatened with extinction. They cannot attract our youth, our amazing young professionals. We have not managed to change our ways.
Our church, the only organized institution we have in our country unfortunately is diminishing. Membership is declining, our Greek schools are shutting down. Without institutions and organized groups a community eventually disappears. We are facing existential threats as a community.
In these 50 years, we have seen the decline of Greece and Cyprus. The amazing people in these two countries unfortunately allowed people to lead them, many of which were not leaders, but opportunists, if not worse.
Because of them and because of Turkey, a chauvinist (xenophobic) aggressive neighbor, Cyprus and Greece are facing existential threats. Why is our Church and other organized groups diminishing and how can we help them reverse this?
Why don’t we have more influence in DC, when the Jewish -American community and others have shown us that it is possible?
Why aren’t we organized to help our youth with internships, scholarships, to send them to Cyprus and Greece by the thousands for their birthright?
Why aren’t we capable of helping Greece and Cyprus in more meaningful ways?
Why do we only have 10 Greek Charter schools when the Turks have 150?
Who is trying to help create jobs in Cyprus and Greece in a meaningful and successful way? And it is possible! I can go on and on.
I know deep in my heart that we can do all these things and do them well. We can do all these things if we organize and work together. If we create professional institutions. We can do all of these things if we recognize that our “Achilles Heel” as a people, is our desire to do things as individuals and sometimes collectively but on a voluntary basis. Unfortunately, although we achieved certain things this way, we did not achieve the optimum and what will help us survive and thrive as Hellenes in the Diaspora.
The Jews recognized this many years ago, and decided to hire professionals to lead them in these affairs. They donated and continue to donate a lot of money to organize AJC, AIPAC, and many other institutions, professional institutions with thousands of employees. AJC alone has 2,500; 29 offices here and abroad with an $80 million annual budget. These institutions enabled them to become such a powerful community, with influence in Washington and many other world capitals. They enable the Jewish Americans to thrive as a community because they have institutions that enable them to collectively discuss their issues, network and work together for their common good.
Dear friends, it’s very easy to say how much we love Greece and Cyprus and our community. We can sing our love for Greece and Cyprus from the four corners of the world. At some point though, the need for real and helpful actions becomes necessary. Theories and wishful thinking are not enough to correct our non-involvement and past mistakes for the common good.
Five years ago, we founded HALC, The Hellenic American Leadership Council. A professional organization run by paid professionals to address some of our community’s challenges.
In five years with only four people on the staff and some volunteers, with amazing members, Greek professionals, doctors, academics, lawyers, judges, entrepreneurs, with 60,000 followers on Facebook, HALC became one of the most effective Greek organizations in our country. Thank you HALC members!
I’m happy to report that this next generation has accepted the challenge. HALC has achieved much in five years. For the first time our community can send letters to Congress and the President in the tens of thousands. We have a close, continuous relationship with AJC, AIPAC, the Armenians, African American organizations, and with the Kurdish community.
HALC and AJC created the Greek-Israeli Caucus in Washington, blocked the sale of naval frigates to Turkey, and influenced Congress to take other measures in support of Greece and Cyprus. HALC works with think tanks in DC, Chicago and New York, and with universities on Hellenic issues.
HALC members are trained to hold fundraisers for members of Congress in their own states providing us with more influence. More of our youth will be able to work in DC with members of Congress and perhaps the Federal government.
In two weeks, thanks to our members, friends on Facebook and other social media, we raised $235,000 for SOS Greek Village, an orphanage in Greece. Thank you, HALC members, followers, and friends.
We created internships in DC, Chicago, New York, and elsewhere. We sent young people to Cyprus and Greece. I do not believe that all these achievements could have been made in such a short time, without HALC’s exceptional organization, without the support and dedication of our amazing members – the future leaders of our community and our followers. Thank you, Endy Zemenides!
Members of HALC in their thirties and forties have emerged as leaders we can be proud of. HALC is now launching an investment in an even younger generation.
This year HALC began leadership 2030 where young Greek Americans from around the country will experience an intense two-year fellowship. Once every two months, these young people go through an intensive all-day seminar. They travel to DC annually, write articles, and engage in social media, have private dinners with academics and leadership experts. They are in continuous contact with their HALC mentors. By the end of 2017, there will be Leadership 2030 Fellows in Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Florida, Baltimore, and California.
By 2030, hundreds of Hellenes will have gone through this program. They will have a common point of reference. They will have knowledge, experience, connections. Most importantly, they will have each other. And we will have gained a powerful force; hundreds of Hellenes in their 30s and 40s who are ready to lead the Diaspora, help Greece and Cyprus, and train the next generation for decades to come.
We can do it. We are the people who came here with nothing, but our values, our ethos, philotimo, and the desire to work very hard, to get an education and do better in life.
We can do it once we recognize that no matter how high we climb in our profession, or our business, other people have helped us. Our parents, our teachers, our villages, our country, our friends, etc.
Knowing that, it is our obligation to help in each and every way we can. SELFLESSLY. We cannot take money with us when we pass. But believe me, the $10, $100, $1,000, whatever the amount, helps our community create institutions and professional organizations and is a very worthy cause. This is the only way it can be done. And we can do it.
We are the people that gave our knowledge in science philosophy, democracy, drama, mathematics, and art to the world. We are the people who kept the Persian invaders out of Europe. We are the only people along with the Russians that fought the Germans on our soil.
Winston Churchill praised us by saying Greeks do not fight like heroes but heroes fight like Greeks.
We are the people who said OXI. (NO to Mussolini)
We are the people that although few in numbers, have many Nobel Laureates. We are the people that when we unite, we can achieve miracles.
Nothing is impossible. Everything is possible when we believe in it and work hard for it.
Η Πατριδα θελει αγαπη. Μερικες φορες η αγαπη δεν αρκει να ειναι μονο ευχη. Η αγαπη χρειαζεται δουλεια πολλη. Και υπομονη και πεισμα και μεθοδικοτητα.
Ενας φιλος μου εστειλε αυτους τους στιχους του Οδυσσεα Ελυτη.
Ενα το χελιδονη κι η ανοιξη ακριβη
Για να γυριση ο ηλιος θελει δουλεια πολλη
Θελει νεκροι χιλιαδες να’ναι στους τροχους
Θελει κι οι ζωντανοι μας διδουν το αιμα τους.
Ευχαριστω
There is only one swallow
so precious is the spring
to bring back the Sun
takes a lot of work
it takes the dead, at the wheels
in numbers by the thousands
and blood from the living.
Thank you.
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