Abalinx 4 March 2018 Peter Adamis
Today at the Exhibition Gardens at the FYROMITES (The Former Republic of Macedonia ex-Yugoslavia) held a Festival. Reports from various sources indicated that the festival attracted many Victorians to the event, many of those attending were not associated with the festival but joined in to enjoy the atmosphere. A copy of the article may be downloaded by clicking on: The FYROMITES Festival 2018
Unlike the Australian Greeks before them on a previous occasion who flew proudly their Australian and Greek flags, the FYROMITE community carried red flags displaying their symbols of a civilisation borrowed from the ancient Greeks. Very few Australian flags were on display to indicate that the FYROMITE community had integrated in Australian society as those of Greek origins.
This is a pity as one would like to think that those who came to this nation would integrate with its adopted nation. In any case the FYROMITE community proudly flew their red flags with their pseudo symbols creating an atmosphere of an ideology rather than one of an identity. The festival and the march to it were reminiscent of the Red day parades held during the old USSR days of communism and of those parades still held in North Korea and China on May Day and military demonstrations.
It is alleged that between 4,000 to 15,000 participants attended but these estimates are not based on hard facts and the work of those wishing to swell the numbers for self-seeking reasons. However other reliable sources on the ground monitoring the event were basing their estimated on how many individuals were in a 10 by 10 square meeting and working out the overall figure with the perimeters of the festival. The figure of 11,000 would probably be closer to the mark with people coming and going. Whilst on the other hand, it would appear that the Sydney rally had attracted approximately 9,000, a rally which was televised live by Channel 7.
One is reminded of the Greek Glendi that is held at Lonsdale Street every year where Victorians participate in enjoying the cultural aspects of the Glendi. The Glendi which attracts in excess of 200,000 people from across Victoria is a sight to see. Not one sign of hostility, drunkenness, conflict or any negative reporting during the Aussie Greek Glendi. It is the same with those of the FYROMITE Festival. It is pleasing to see that the festival mirroring its Glendi cousin and brethren of the same Orthodox faith. You must give credit where it is due that despite the small FYROMITE community the organisers have turned what was going to be an angry rally into a FYROMITE festival attracting the young, the old, families and visitors outside their community. Very clever if I am to be honest.
What was also good to see is the discipline and self-control of the Australian Greek community heeding the advice and wisdom of its peak body leaders and elders to stay away from the festival and not to antagonise the organisers? One must admit that this demonstration of self-control amongst the Australian Greek community is to be admired and acknowledged unlike the 30 FYROMITE agitators that attempted to disrupt the Greek rally previously held.
Whatever the outcome of such rallies, it will make little difference to those making the decisions on the naming issue. What is important is that the facts be taken out of the realms of darkness’s and shown the light. It is now a fact that those in the country of FYROM, symbols, culture, educational programmes, books, texts and signs are being reviewed, taken down, removed and replaced with the truth. FYROMITE academics, news casters, politicians and those dedicated to governing the nation of FYROM are publicly coming out denouncing the nation’s past 67 years of pseudo history.
It is also a fact that those who settled in the West after WW2 and the Greek Civil War took with them their conflicts, hostilities and hatreds and embedded them into their children and grandchildren. Thus two generations have grown up and developed into young adults believing that their version of history is the truth. Sad but true. Many of those who arrived on the doorstep of the West were impoverished, weary, tired and all seeking refuge from a conflict back in Yugoslavia that they had no control. There were communist sympathisers, Nazi collaborators, Civil war veterans, WW2 veterans and many families that had escaped battle zones and areas of conflict. They all came to Australia seeking a peace they never had, but with that peace, they brought the baggage of a bygone era.
This also reminds me when I was an Army recruiter back in the early nineteen nineties, conducting a study into the non-Anglo Saxon communities and why they were not enlisting in the Australian Defence Force. I remember advising these young men and women whose parents were from the Former republic of Yugoslavia to be proud of their Slavic heritage while at the same time embracing Australian values. Most of the schools where these young Australian Slavs were located in the suburbs of Epping, Mill Park, Thomastown and Whittlesea region.
Today, there is room for manoeuvre, diplomacy, community interaction and above all some form of reconciliation amongst the two rival communities vying for the naming issue. One has history on its side and the other is trying to survive amidst a sea of ethnic populations determined to engulf them by sheer numbers and who have no issues with the name of FYROM being replaced with any other name than that of Macedonia.
The governing class in FYROM are fully aware of the issues they face and are of the belief that it is time to remove the pseudo symbols and pseudo culture that has been falsely embedded in their people. This is an intelligent move on their part and the Government of FYROM are to be congratulated. Readers can view unbiased documentaries in video format by clicking on the following link: The Macedonian name issue.
Peter Adamis is a Journalist/Social Media Commentator and writer. He is a retired Australian military serviceman and an Industry organisational & Occupational (OHS) & Training Consultant whose interests are within the parameters of domestic and international political spectrum. He is an avid blogger and contributes to domestic and international community news media outlets as well as to local and Ethnic News. He holds a Bachelor of Adult Learning & Development (Monash), Grad Dip Occupational Health & Safety, (Monash), and Dip. Training & Assessment, Dip Public Administration, and Dip Frontline Management. Website: abalinx.com Contact via Email: [email protected] or via Mobile: 0481 342 791