UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Mrs. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, human rights activist and President of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights, Mrs Kerry Kennedy and Ted Kennedy, a prominent lawyer specialising in health issues and a proponent of the rights of people with disabilities, with his wife Kiki Kennedy, met with the President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr Prokopios Pavlopoulos, on Monday, 7 October 2019.

The subject of the return of the Parthenon Marbles was the focus of the discussion.

Mr Pavlopoulos thanked Mrs Kerry Kennedy for her work in the area of protection of human rights and her contribution to the effort to have the Parthenon Marbles returned.

On Tuesday, 27 August 2019, the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and founder of the Alexandria Center for Hellenistic Studies of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Mrs Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, and the Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Center for Hellenistic Studies, Dr. Mostafa El Feki, met with the President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr Prokopios Pavlopoulos, at the Presidential Mansion.

Mrs Vardinoyannis and Dr El Feki briefed the President of the Republic in detail about the operation of the Alexandria Center for Hellenistic Studies,

The award ceremony for the 2018-2019 Student Painting Competition was held with great success and with the participation of dozens of students from schools across the country, at the NJV Athens Plaza hotel, on Monday, 22 April 2019.

The competition, organised for the fourth consecutive year by the Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation in cooperation with the Children’s Gallery of Greece, was dedicated this year to Human Rights and the 70th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Universal Proclamation on Human Rights, which was celebrated throughout the world in 2018.

A resounding message on the need to protect our cultural heritage was sent during the event for the Greek World Heritage Monuments organised by the Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation and attended by His Excellency the President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr Prokopios Pavlopoulos, on Wednesday 17 April 2019, in the Amphitheatre of the Acropolis Museum.

In the context of the event, which was organised on the occasion of the World Day of Monuments and Sites, the Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation presented a publication on the 18 Greek monuments included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Mrs Marianna V. Vardinoyannis’ speech

“Humanism and Volunteering: When Defending Health and Solidarity Become a Way of Life”

Your Excellency Mr President of the Hellenic Republic,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am deeply moved by this great honour! I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Thirty years ago, when I was embarking on this long journey to save children suffering from cancer, along with the founding members of the ELPIDA Association, it would have been difficult for me to believe that a time would come when I would accept such a major distinction,

The President of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights andhuman rights activist, Mrs Kerry Kennedy, sided with the national issue regarding the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece, in the context of a lecture hosted by the Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation at the Acropolis Museum Auditorium on Monday 18 March 2019.

“Even when you take something from a small child they will tell you: It’s not fair. So it’s not fair to enter one’s home and take away the most valuable thing they have.  And it is wrong to talk about the Elgin Marbles. 

The 7th Educational Seminar for Teachers of the Speak the Truth to Power Programme was held on Monday 18 March 2019 at the NJV Athens Plaza Hotel. The event was organised by the Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation and the invited guests included Mrs Kerry Kennedy, daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy and President of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights.

The UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and President of the Foundation, Mrs Marianna V. Vardinoyannis,

The Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation actively stands by athletes with disabilities, following the decision of its President and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Marianna V. Vardinoyannis to sponsor four athletes with disabilities.

Specifically, the Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation is sponsoring the following athletes: Stefanos Diamantis (wheelchair tennis), Stylianos Bakopoulos (athletics), Evangelia Nikou (alpine ski) and Alexandra-Alkistis Stamatopoulou Ghiatis (swimming). It will support their efforts towards the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympics and the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics.

Mrs Vardinoyannis met with the athletes on Friday 1 February 2019,

The Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation and Special Olympics Hellas jointly organised a touching night filled with hope and optimism to support the Greek Delegation to the Abu Dhabi 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games. The event was hosted at the NJV Athens Plaza Hotel on Wednesday 23 January 2019.

Distinguished representatives from the political, diplomatic, academic, business, sports, journalism and arts arenas attended the event to show their support for the great efforts of the athletes.

“I am truly touched that all of us here tonight are becoming a great chain of love and strength for our athletes,

A great distinction for the vast humanitarian work of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Mrs. MARIANNA V. VARDINOYANNIS by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, on Tuesday 9 October 2018.

During a modest ceremony held at the Presidential Palace of Cyprus in Nicosia, in the presence of the Defense Minister of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Savvas Angelides, the undersecretary to the President Mr Vasilis Palmas, government spokesman Mr. Prodromos Prodromou, and top officials of the Cypriot Government,