H.E. The President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, had a meeting with the Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO, Mrs. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis on Friday, June 12 2020.

Mrs. Vardinoyannis thanked Mrs. Sakellaropoulou for the kind invitation to the Presidential Palace. It gave her the opportunity to inform the President in detail about her initiatives not only as President of the Honorary Committee of the Anniversary Year “Thermopylae – Salamis 2020” but also as President of the “ELPIDA – Association of Friends of Children with Cancer”

The timeless messages of the Battle of Salamis and the Battle of Thermopylae, in a critical period for humanity, were discussed at the 5th Delphi Economic Forum by the Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and President of the Honorary Committee of the Anniversary Year “Thermopylae – Salamina 2020”, Marianna V. Vardinoyannis and the Rector of the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Helene Ahrweiler.

In the discussion, entitled “Thermopylae and Salamis: The Triumph of Will” and coordinated by journalist Mr. Antonis Sroiter,

With an objective of cultivating international solidarity and cooperation between states for addressing the pandemic, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Mrs Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, is making a series of contacts with important personalities and leaders from across the world.

In this context, on Thursday, 21 May 2020, Mrs Vardinoyannis had a teleconference with the Co-Chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center and former President of Latvia, Dr. Vaira Vike Freiberga, with whom she has a close cooperation, since Mrs Vardinoyannis is a founding member of the International Organisationand a member of the Board of Trustees.

Athens, Tuesday 19 May 2020

Mrs Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, President of the Honorary Committee for the “Salamis – Thermopylae 2020” Anniversary Year, referred to the teachings drawn from Thermopylae and Salamis, saying that “’I’ gave its place to ‘We’”. And the few showed the many that people are not numbers, and the soul and spirit are the true strength of man, Marianna Vardinoyannis noted in her intervention in the online discussion organised by the Delphi Economic Forum, titled 2,500 years after Thermopylae and Salamis:

Love and giving for children know no borders.  The major contribution of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center to the ‘Marianna V. Vardinoyannis – ELPIDA’ Children’s Oncology Unit proved this, supporting hospitalized children and medical staff by sending 5,000 protective masks.

This wonderful initiative is creating a bridge of friendship between Greece and Azerbaijan, as the NGIC operates with the support of the country’s President, Ilham Aliyev, and First Lady and Vice President, Mehriban Aliyeva, who have close bonds of friendship with the President of the ‘ELPIDA Association of Friends of Children with Cancer’,

The ‘Marianna V. Vardinoyannis’ Foundation and the ‘ELPIDA Association of Friends of Children with Cancer’ continue to offer hope and consolation to our fellow human beings suffering hardship throughout Greece due to the pandemic.

This time, the solidarity and love travelled to the Holy Metropolis of Gortynos and Megalopolis in Arcadia, where, on Monday, 4 May 2020, on the initiative of Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, food and necessities were delivered to cover the needs of the Metropolis’s meal programme, in the context of its humanitarian work.

A loving embrace for the children who need care, safety, and protection, above all else, during these trying times, was offered by the ‘Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation’ and the ‘ELPIDA – Association of Friends of Children with Cancer’, which offered their support to five Institutions of Attica.  

The initiative was taken by Mrs Vardinoyannis, who wanted to generously provide care and affection to young children who are struggling, by distributing food and necessities to five Attica Institutions, specifically: ‘SOS Children’s Villages’, the Ecclesiastical Orphanage of Vouliagmeni,

The ‘Marianna V. Vardinoyannis’ Foundation and the ELPIDA Association of Friends of Children with Cancer remain on the front lines with assistance and solidarity, supporting vulnerable groups hit hard by the pandemic.

Immediately following the announcement of the outbreak and the decision to quarantine the residents of Ermioni, Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, showing her genuine interest and practical support, hastened to help her home town by sending large quantities of medical supplies, food and necessities to her fellow townspeople.

The delivery of food and necessities (flour, sugar,

The Holy Metropolis of Piraeus accepted the offer of the ‘Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation’ and the ‘Elpida – Association of Friends of Children with Cancer’, which provided care packages for families in need and the elderly.  The packages were delivered on Holy Wednesday, 15 April 2020, and contained food for a traditional Easter meal and necessities, which were supplied by fellow citizens through the Parish Benevolent Fund of the local Church.

The packages were received by His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus, who had a brief Skype call with Mrs Vardinoyannis,

The ‘Marianna V. Vardinoyannis’ Foundation and ‘ELPIDA’ have opened a loving embrace for all of Greece to support our fellow human beings hit hardest by the Covid-19 health crisis.  This time, their solidarity and support reached Crete, and specifically the Holy Metropolis of Lambi, Syvritos and Sfakia.

The packages, which will go to our economically vulnerable, needy and isolated fellow human beings in 85 villages in the Agios Vasilios and Amari region, were delivered on Holy Tuesday, 14 April 2020.

The charity packages were accompanied by warm words from the heart of Marianna V.