Yiannis Alafouzos, chairman and managing director of Skai Television, announcing the ‘Great Greeks’ project at a recent press conference. The idea for the upcoming series comes from the original BBC’s own ‘Great Britons’ series, which was subsequently followed by similar projects in 17 countries.

The search is on for the greatest Greek of all time – take your pick of five prominent Greek men and women and cast your vote up to May 7.

Skai Television recently announced the launch of the “Great Greeks” series, to be presented by Alexis Papachelas.

The project was announced during a recent press conference in Athens.

The idea for the upcoming series comes from the original BBC’s own “Great Britons” series, which was subsequently followed by similar projects in 17 countries, including Germany, France, the United States, Finland, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Romania, Portugal, Spain, Argentina, Ukraine, Canada, the Netherlands and South Africa.

In Britain alone, 30,000 voters suggested no fewer than 10,000 personalities, ranging from Winston Churchill to John Lennon, Isaac Newton and Diana, Princess of Wales.

Who are the Great Greeks? That’s up to you, the public, to decide.

There are personalities who lived hundreds of years ago, but also people who are making a difference today. People who come from all walks of public life: politics, sports, culture, the arts. Some are pioneers, others are much loved, they are those who at a certain point in time may have altered the course of Greek history.

No doubt a number of these leading personalities deserve some good-quality time on the small screen.

Initial part

In the first part of the series, public voting will determine the top 100 names – voting is currently open via telephone, SMS and online. The top 100 will then be turned into a four-year documentary, to be shown in a series of two-hour programs.

In the second part of the series, the top 10 names will be showcased individually through a 10-documentary program. Each documentary will feature a different presenter, fiercely arguing in favor of the great personality he or she is presenting. All presenters will then take part in a final, live debate conducted by Papachelas with the participation of a live audience.

The project is being sponsored by the National Bank of Greece.

For more information log on to www. skai. gr/greatgreeks. If you wish to vote by phone, call 9011404040, or send an SMS to 19400.

Hμερομηνία : 23/4/08
Copyright: http://www.ekathimerini.com

A Greek court has been asked to draw the line between gay women and the natives of the Aegean Sea island of Lesbos.

Three islanders from Lesbos – home of the ancient poet Sappho, who praised love between women – have taken a gay rights group to court for using the word “lesbian” in its name.

On Wednesday, one of the plaintiffs said that the name of the association, the Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece, “insults the identity” of the people of Lesbos, who are also known as Lesbians.

“My sister can’t say she is a Lesbian,” Dimitris Lambrou said.

“Our geographical designation has been usurped by certain ladies who have no connection whatsoever with Lesbos,” he said.

The three plaintiffs are seeking to have the group barred from using “lesbian” in its name and filed a lawsuit on April 10.

A spokeswoman for the Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece said the action was “a joke in bad taste that borders on discrimination”.

“I don’t see how the word can be an insult,” Evangelia Vlami said.

“We don’t think doubt can be cast on dictionaries … even the United Nations refer to us as lesbians.”

Old name

Also called Mytilene, after its capital, Lesbos is famed as the birthplace of Sappho. The island, particularly the lyric poet’s reputed home town of Eressos, is a favoured holiday destination for gay women.

“This is not an aggressive act against gay women,” Lambrou said.

“Let them visit Lesbos and get married and whatever they like. We just want [the group] to remove the word lesbian from their title.”

He said that the plaintiffs targeted the group because it is the only officially registered gay group in Greece to use the word lesbian in its name.

The case will be heard in an Athens court on June 10.

Sappho lived from the late 7th to the early 6th century BC and is considered one of the greatest poets of antiquity.

Many of her poems contain passionate references to love for other women.

New definition

Lambrou said the word “lesbian” has only been linked with gay women in the past few decades.

“But we have been Lesbians for thousands of years,” said Lambrou, who publishes a small magazine on ancient Greek religion and technology that frequently criticises the Christian Church.

Vlami, the gay group spokeswoman, said any misunderstanding can easily be resolved through linguistics.

“Most people from Lesbos prefer to use the word Mytilene, which is the more ancient version and because some people may be afraid of being misunderstood,” she said.

“I don’t see what the problem is … Can’t a woman just say: I am from the island of Lesbos?”

Lambrou says Sappho was not gay.

“But even if we assume she was, how can 250,000 people of Lesbian descent – including women – be considered homosexual?”

Source: Al Jazeera English – News – Europe