SaveTheArchives Officially Launches to Help Preserve the Migration History of Greek Immigrants
Save The Archives (SaveTheArchives.com) proudly announces the launch of the initiative to preserve the migration history of Greek immigrants through the digitization of entry archives.
- Ames, IA (1888PressRelease) November 15, 2012 - With the support from the Greek diaspora, Save The Archives is raising awareness and collecting donations to help the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Athens to facilitate the digitization process.
Save The Archives has one goal - to preserve the entry documents from Greek migrants into countries includingAustralia, Canada, South Africa and the United States between 1950 - 1975. In an effort to digitize the more than 200,000 entry documents, many resources are needed to make this possible. Working independently of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Athens, the Save The Archives initiative is working to raise €25,000 which will enable the IOM to be able to obtain the necessary resources to facilitate the digitization process of Greek migrant entry documents.
Save The Archives organizer, Georgios Stroumboulis, first became aware of the migration documents during a visit to Athens in March 2012. After meeting with the Head of Office for IOM Athens, Daniel Esdras, and discovering that more than 200,000 documents of Greek migrants in their original paper form needed to be protected from possible deterioration, the initiative to Save The Archives was born. "Greeks have migrated to every imaginable part of the world - integrating within different communities while maintaining their rich culture and heritage" said Stroumboulis. "Being a first generation Greek-Canadian, the idea of helping ignite a movement that would help preserve the entry archives of my parents, and those archives of thousands of other Greeks around the world, was an inspiring challenge."
The Save The Archives initiative is being launched to coincide with two important anniversaries between Greece/Australia and Greece/Canada this year. 2012 marks the 60th anniversary of the Assisted Migration Agreement (AMA) signed in 1952 between Australia and Greece. Thousands of Greeks migrated to Australia following the conclusion of the (AMA) under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM), later to become the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This announcement also coincides with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and Greece.
Upon achieving the financial goal, the funds will be donated to IOM Athens which will undertake the digitization of the paper archives. With strong support coming from the Greek diaspora, specificallyfrom Australia, plans on how the digitized archives will be presented are under way. Following the digitization process, scholars and diplomats from Australia have discussed the creation of an online portal that can make the archives easily accessible by the diaspora.
Those interested in supporting the Save The Archives initiative are encouraged to visit the website, www.SaveTheArchives.com.Visitors to the website can obtain more information and learn how they can make a donation.
About the International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Established in 1951, IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration that works closely with governmental, non-governmental and international partners. With 125 member states, a further 16 states holding observer status and more than 400 field locations, IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants. For more information on the IOM, visit www.iom.int.
About Save The Archives
Save the Archives (SaveTheArchives.com) is an independent initiative by the Greek diaspora focused on helping to preserve the migration history of Greek immigrants. This fundraising initiative supports the vigorous effort of digitizing the 200,000+ entry documents of Greek immigrants from 1950 - 1975. Working independently of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Athens, the Save The Archives initiative is working to raise the needed funds for the IOM to be able to hire and procure the necessary resources to facilitate the digitization process.Supporters of the Save The Archives initiative can stay connected and donate by visiting www.SaveTheArchives.com. Facebook fans can LIKE us at www.facebook.com/SaveTheArchives.comand Twitter followers can follow us at www.Twitter.com/SaveTheArchives. For more information, email info ( @ ) SaveTheArchives dot com dot
SaveTheArchives.com / Facebook.com/SaveTheArchives / Twitter.com/SaveTheArchives / info ( @ ) SaveTheArchives dot com
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