27-10-16 Nikos Filis celebrates 28 October holiday at youth detention centre

In his address to youths at the Avlona youth detention centre, Education Minister Nikos Filis made the following remarks after a celebration of the 28 October National Holiday, marking Greece’s 1940 refusal to surrender to fascist Italy:

“This is a joyous moment, a beautiful celebration, not a routine event, but a meaningful celebration, due to the students who participated and the teachers who organised it. You gave joy to all of us present. This is despite the difficult conditions of a prison, but this prison may be the staging post for youths to be educated and prepare for their social re-integration.

I want to thank the youths who played the leading role in this celebration and to tell them that that the war in Albania was not a battle or a war between two nations – the Greeks and Italians. It was a world war that engaged the peoples on the one hand and fascist forces on the other.

This was the first war in history that was not between religions or nations. It was between democrats and anti-fascists who sought to address everyday problems on the one hand, and on the other hand fascist and Nazi regimes.

Much blood was spilt and Fascism and Nazism were defeated. But you see, history is cunning, and when you do not expect it, it reappears before you, waiting in its lair, which appears to be the case with a modern version of Fascism or Nazism.

As you saw, Nazism chased and annihilated entire nations. They chased the Jews and burned them in crematoria. It chased the Roma and burned them in crematoria as well. It chased every free person, and today in societies we see the specter of xenophobia and racism coming forward, telling us to fear the foreigner. Our parents and grandparents who struggled there told us to build a democratic country in which all people have a place, regardless of their religion or ethnic origin.

About every 20 years people who are being chased and are desperate come to our country, whether of Greek or other descent. You see this mosaic of nations right here. You co-exist harmoniously without fighting because the other comes from a different country or believes in a different guard.

You have common problems, anxieties and fears, You send a message to us – to live in harmony, without hatred for those who are different. I want to congratulate the teachers for their timely message on the 28 October, 1940 anniversary. Refugees and the grandchildren of refugees meet new refugees.

We should offer a pledge to youths from Syria who are here today. As a country with small capabilities, we shall do what we can to establish peace in their countries, and to let them go back from Greece more educated, with greater faith in democracy, to live their dreams, see their loved ones, and send a message from their countries, vindicated – that we can live in a world of peace and creativity.

The Greek national anthem is different from that of other countries. It does not speak of how strong and distinct is from other countries. For example the UK national anthedm says Brittania rules the waves.

Greece’s is a hymn to freedom. In a way it could be the hymn of all who struggle, yearn and work for freedom. It was timely not only then against the Ottomans but today – with an exceptional need for Freedom.

I pledge the ministry will do all it can to make the prison school a school of freedom, a place and time you can dream of your lives outside prison. I thank the prison administration and teachers for the small miracle they accomplish here.