During its 5th Annual Gala, which it held on Friday, 29 September 2017, in New York City The “Hellenic Initiative” honoured UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Marianna V. Vardinoyannis for the breadth and duration of her social work and for her leading role in the Association of Friends of Children with Cancer “ELPIDA,” presenting her with the Hellenic American Leadership Award.

The event opened with the playing of the Greek and U.S. National Anthems, with His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America then saying the customary blessing. Following the blessing, His Eminence – breaking, as he said,

On 19 June 2017, in the conference hall of the Children’s Oncology Unit, the Palestinian Ambassador to Greece, Marwan Toubassi, on behalf of the President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, awarded the “Medal of Honour and Distinction” to the president of the Association of Friends of Children with Cancer “ELPIDA,” Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, in recognition of the great humanitarian work she carries out and her role in promoting the friendship between the two peoples.

In his brief remarks, Mr. Toubassi underscored that “today we are gathered here to honour a special woman who has dedicated her life to humanity,

On 8 May 2017, the Hellenic Red Cross celebrated World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day at the Zappeion Megaron Peristilio.

During the event, Mrs. Vardinoyannis, a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and President of the ELPIDA Association of Friends of Children with Cancer and the ORAMA ELPIDA Association, was awarded the Gold Cross with Gold Laurel Branch, which is the highest decoration of the Hellenic Red Cross. Also honoured were volunteers of the three Sectors of the Red Cross:  Nursing, Social Welfare, and Samaritans, Rescuers and Lifeguards for the assistance they have given to people in need.

On 24 April 2017, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Ms Marianna Vardinoyannis and the President of “Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights”, Ms Kerry Kennedy, presented the education programme on human rights entitled Speak Truth to Power, as well as the Greek edition of the curriculum, an educational tool for secondary school teachers. The event was held at the Acropolis Museum auditorium and was attended by representatives of the academic, political, diplomatic and media communities.

Ms Marianna V. Vardinoyannis delivered the opening address at the event, noting, “Greece, the small rocky promontory in the Mediterranean,

The Annual Meeting of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors was held at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on 20 April 2017, with all eyes on the transitional phase people across the globe are currently going through. Distinguished figures from around the world attended the meeting, including the Greek Goodwill Ambassador, Ms Marianna V. Vardinoyannis.

The Director-General of UNESCO, Ms Irina Bokova, started the proceedings with a short speech, thanking the Ambassadors for their passion and enthusiasm when serving UNESCO’s values and programmes, spreading its messages to the four corners of the world. She added that she was touched,

With the participation of Heads of State, Prime Ministers, Ministers, leading figures and experts in global politics and Civil Society, the proceedings of the 5th Global Baku Forum, entitled “The Future of International Relations: Power and Interests,” opened its proceedings on Thursday, 16 March 2017.

The Forum was hosted by the “Nizami Ganjavi International Center,” under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, for the purpose of exploring and assessing the new global state of affairs and new threats being faced by humanity, and elaborating positions and actions for facing these challenges and enhancing international security and peace.

The events marking the 190th anniversary of the 3rd National Assembly of 1827 culminated splendidly – and in presence of the President of the Republic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, and His Eminence Metropolitan Ephraim of Hydra, Spetses, Aegina, Ermionida and Troezen – on Sunday, 12 March 2017, in Ermioni. The 3rd National Assembly of 1827 was held at Ermioni and is an important historical event, as it sent the great national message of the unity of all Greeks in their support for the continuation of the Struggle to liberate our homeland, marking the creation of the new Greek state.

Within the framework of the collaboration between the Philanthropic Organization of the Archbishopric of Athens, “Apostoli”, and the “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation”, on 23 February His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece and UNESCO Good Will Ambassador Mrs. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis visited the “DIMITREIO” Children’s Creative Activity Centre in Moschato, where 60 children, from 6 to 12 years of age, from socially vulnerable families, are fed daily, after school, and take part in educational, interactive and creative programmes.

Archbishop Ieronymos and Mrs. Vardinoyannis received a warm welcome from the Centre’s children, volunteers and staff, who expressed their heartfelt thanks for the visit.

The Vardinoyannis Foundation and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina signed the renewal of their collaboration for the next five years on 7 February 2017, in Athens. The agreement concerns support for the scientific work carried out by the Alexandria Center for Hellenistic Studies and was signed during the meeting between the Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Dr. Ismail Serageldin, and UNESCO Good Will Ambassador Marianna V. Vardinoyannis.

Also present at the meeting were the members of the Center’s BoD, professor Christos Zerefos, Dr. Mohamed Award, Dr. Ashrah Farrag, Mr. Haris Tzalas, Center Director Dr.  Mohamed Kenawi, and the Center’s Educational Advisor,