PARTHENON PROJECT
win-win proposal unveiled in athens
On 30 September, the Parthenon Project hosted its first formal event in Greece to present its proposal on A Win-Win Solution for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures. NOSTOS Strategies is a member of the internal advisory team supporting the Parthenon Project.
The event featured distinguished speakers:
Lord Ed Vaizey, former UK Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy and Chair of the Parthenon Project;
Geoffrey Robertson KC, human rights barrister, academic and author of “Who Owns History?”;
Professor Nikos Alivizatos, constitutional scholar and member of the Parthenon Project Advisory Board; and
Thangam Debbonaire, former UK Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
Welcoming remarks were delivered by H.E. Giorgos Gerapetritis, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic, and H.E. Lina Mendoni, Minister of Culture of the Hellenic Republic. Ms. Melissa Lefas moderated the discussion.
A special tour of the Acropolis was arranged for the Parthenon Project team, and we had the privilege of being guided through the Acropolis Museum by Professor Nikolaos Stampolidis, Director-General of the Acropolis Museum.
The Parthenon Project unveiled to the Greek audience its “win-win” vision for a long-term cultural partnership agreement between Greece and the UK, which would provide for the permanent reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures in their birthplace city of Athens. Under such an agreement, Greek masterpieces would be sent to the British Museum for world-class exhibitions, showcased in a modern gallery – the former Duveen Gallery – to be renamed the “Prince Phillip Hellenic Gallery”, paying homage to Prince Phillip and his Greek roots.
The Parthenon Project is chaired by former Culture Minister Lord Ed Vaizey and has an advisory board comprising former Culture Secretary Sir Ben Bradshaw, members of the House of Lords, Lord Michael Dobbs and Baroness Catherine Meyer, actor and writer Stephen Fry, journalist and former deputy editor of the Sunday Times Sarah Baxter, constitutional scholar Professor Nikos Alivizatos, and Oxford University Professor Stathis Kalyvas. It was formed by Greek businessman John Lefas.
Coverage of the event can be found in Kathimerini, Ta Nea, and Athens Voice. The full statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs can be found here.
