"From the beginning of the Revolution to today, the core characteristics of the Greek people remain unchanged: Endurance in suffering. Solidarity. Collaboration. A need for domestic stability. Seeking solid alliances with other countries. Timeless values that sound self-evident; however, they have proven very fragile during the ten-year economic crisis and, to a lesser degree, the pandemic," underlined the President of the "Greece 2021" Committee, Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, speaking about the Greek Revolution of 1821 at an event of Harvard's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. She added: "We live in a time of overwhelming changes. Extreme and irrational powers, authoritarian regimes, and the malicious use of technology threaten democracy. The role of the citizen needs to be redefined."
Mrs. Angelopoulos referred to the philosophy and the projects and events of the anniversary year and announced the EU funding of the Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and Algorithms, an initiative of the "Greece 2021" Committee. She underlined that "the Institute has also been included in the Greek RRF program, and its objective is to bring our country to the forefront of one of the fastest-growing scientific fields."
Mrs. Angelopoulos concluded: "Our vision at the Committee is to solidify the new mentality that has been shaped during the anniversary year. To complete the projects that address development and exceed the deadline of December 31, 2021, and preserve the intangible legacy of the anniversary as a reminder of ingenuity, adaptability, endurance, qualities historically demonstrated by the Greek people. To realize and embrace the need for collaborations and synergies in order to align the country's productive and innovative forces toward the common goal of development and prosperity. To highlight the potential of our talented young generation. To demonstrate a new love for our country and a new sense of belonging in the future that we can all shape in unity. The Greeks, our friends, and our allies."
The Director of Harvard's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Melani Cammett, characterized the Greek Revolution as "an event of global importance, a symbol of freedom and democracy, which followed the American and French Revolutions."
Panagiotis Roilos, George Seferis Professor of Modern Greek Studies and Comparative Literature at Harvard, spoke about the global aspect of the Greek Revolution and the prestigious university's philhellenes.
Greetings were also addressed by the consuls-general of France, Arnaud Mentré; Great Britain, Peter Abbott; Haiti, Hans Charles; Portugal, João Pedro de Vasconcelos Fins do Lago; Greece, Stratos Efthymiou.