The Greek diaspora has shown remarkable interest in the issues of the metropolitan center, and its contribution is indisputable. Archbishop Iakovos is an emblematic figure of the diaspora, who marked an entire era for the Greek community in America with his leadership.
Born in Imbros during the tumultuous period of transition from the Ottoman Empire to modern Turkey, he personally experienced the political discrimination against minorities and emigrated to the US in search of an environment of freedom and justice. He served alongside Archbishop – and later Ecumenical Patriarch – Athenagoras and with his subsequent actions, he elevated the prestige of Orthodoxy in the new world.
He responded to Martin Luther King’s invitation to support the struggle of African Americans for civil rights and marched alongside him in the Selma march, ignoring the dangers of racist violence. He took many initiatives to support Greece from the US, especially after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, and was one of the founding figures of the "Greek-American lobby," contributing to the maintenance of good bilateral relations even in times of crisis.
His recognition by the political world of America raised him to the status of a confidant to contemporary Presidents as well as the Prime Ministers of Greece, who often sought his advice. The present study critically approaches these issues without being a mere biography. It serves more as a thorough analysis of the multifaceted political work of Archbishop Iakovos in relation to human rights, respect for the rule of law, and diaspora-national center relations through the lens of International Relations science.
Athanassios Grammnos was born in Athens in 1980. He graduated from the Department of Political Science and History at Panteion University, pursued postgraduate studies in Diplomacy at the Graduate Institute of Political and International Studies at Reading University, and received his doctorate from the Department of Balkan, Slavic, and Eastern Studies at the University of Macedonia. He has been awarded a NATO scholarship from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is a collaborator of the Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit foundation, responsible for the development and implementation of political education programs. He has published articles and studies in Greece and abroad, and his views are regularly featured in the online press.
Number of pages
328
Cover
Soft
Year of publication
2018
Publisher
Epikentro
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