The program “Faraway Words” hosted Mr. Theodoros Spathopoulos, president of the organizing committee of the International Hellenic Association (IHA) for Greece’s border islands. Mr. Spathopoulos spoke about the goals and initiatives of this diaspora organization, which has been working over the past decade to address the needs of Greece’s remote regions. The committee focuses on the country’s frontier islands — Pserimos, Kastellorizo, and Gavdos — and has already organized the 2nd “Smart Islands” Conference, in collaboration with local municipalities and institutions.
Mr. Spathopoulos referred to the IHA’s support for families in Gavdos, the renovation of the primary school in Pserimos, which now operates again, and the partnerships established on Kastellorizo during the 2nd conference held in September 2025.
Finally, he called on Greek diaspora organizations — especially regional and local associations — to join forces with the International Hellenic Association, in order to offer greater support to the residents of Greece’s border islands, who, as he poignantly noted, are the “guardians” of the land they love so deeply despite all difficulties.