About Us

    The Diaspora Centre Trust is based in London and was set up in 1991. The Trust Deed was signed by the Greek Orthodox Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain, Dr Homer Habibis, President of the lnternational Federation of Cypriots Abroad (POMAK), and Dr Stavros Panteli, Historian and first chair of the Executive Committee. Some of the first Trustees were eminent academics e.g. Professor Christopher Pissarides, London School of Economics, lately awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics, Professor Robert Browning, Byzantinist, University of London, Professor Philip Gammage, Univ. of Nottingham, Professor Photios Demetrakopoulos, Univ. of Athens.
    Later the trustees were joined by his Excellency Constantine Leventis, Chair of the Leventis Foundation, Paris; Professor Charles Sozou, University of Sheffield; Dr M. Rendel, Reader Emerita in Human Rights, University of London; Dr M. Roussou, Oral Historian & Social Anthropologist, Univ. of Nottingham; Ms M. M. Deyes (MA Cantab), Life Trustee and Treasurer; Dr Patricia Methven, Director of the Department of Archives and Corporate Records, King's College London and others.


Past events/activities

1984: The first conference 'Greek outside Greece' was organised in London jointly with the European Community Project for Teaching Greek (Schools Council Mother Tongue Project). Voluntary work by the conference organisers resulted in the first publication 'Greek Outside Greece I: Cypriots in Britain'.

1989: Second conference 'Greek Outside Greece II: Language, Literature and Education'. Discussion of Diaspora issues in settings outside Greece or Cyprus. Proceedings prepared and published in book form by the Greek Language Research Group.

1990: Publications: 'Diaspora Books (db)' started with financial support from A.G. Leventis Foundation, the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture and other anonymous donors. The book 'Greek outside Greece II: Issues of language, Literature and Education' was the first in the new series.

1991: Founding of non-profit organisation 'The Diaspora Centre (charitable trust no: 1012885)'based in London; beginning of project 'Hermes - The Greek Diaspora Archives'. This project of collection and recording of archival material on the Greek Diaspora worldwide was undertaken by Dr Maria Roussou formally from November 1991.

1992a: Diaspora Centre (KEMEDI-Africa Branch) established in Johannesburg co-ordinated by M. Hajihampis and other Greeks and Greek-Cypriots working on subjects concerning the Greek Diaspora and based in the Cypriot Brotherhood of South Africa.

1992b: Action group established in Sydney, Australi4 to support research there and to enrich the GDA coordinated by Mr Spyros Constantinou with the collaboration of second-generation Cypriot professionals of Sydney.

1992c: Publication of 'Greek outside Greece III: Language use by Greek-Cypriots in Britain'. Also first publication in the db Literature Series: 'Memories and Stories from Egypt' by G Philippou-Pierides.

1993: Publication by Diaspora Books (db) of 'Hellenism in South Wales' and of second in db Literature Series 'Young Man Seeks Position : Good References' by L. Akritas.

1994: Action group formed in Nicosia to register a Cyprus branch of the Centre under the name 'Friends of The Greek Diaspora Studies Centre' - Filoi KEMED (under Cyprus law [registration no: 1405]). Publication of 'Trouble and Tears in Strange Lands' by S. Christoforou. Promotional event organised by Cyprus Friends of KEMEDI at Famagusta Gate including exhibition of photographs from the GDA and lecture on 'The Hellenism of John Keats' by M.M. Deyes. Further event that year took place at the Cultural Centre of the Bank of Cyprus in Nicosia with lecture by Professor Browning on 'The Greek Diaspora and its relevance to the Cyprus Political Developments'.

1995: Start made on transcribing interviews and cataloguing of GDA with view to the publication 'Parallel lives of Hellenes All over the World' announced at a Press conference by the then Minister of Education and Culture.

1996: Conference organised in Nicosia by the Hermes Project of the GDA at the Cultural Centre of the Bank of Cyprus 'Greeks all over Africa'- funded by the A.G.Leventis Foundation.

1997: Publication of db Mimeo l, "Hellenism and Philhellenism with Diaspora Connections" by M.M Deyes, including the paper on John Keats (see 1994), and one on 'Prince Tevkos of Salamis (1997)'.

1998: Publications in Diaspora Literature Series of ‘Nicos Nicolaides, The Cypriot’, (bilingual Greek- English text and artwork, plus bibliographical material).

1999: Publications in Diaspora Literature Seminar at the Hellenic Centre of London and UK, launch of Nicos Nikolaides publication.

2000: Seminar at the Hellenic Centre of London on 'The life and work of Helen Vlastos-Long'. Publication of the article 'Hellenism in the UK' in the Hellenic Open University Series 'Ellinikos Politismos - Greek Culture'.

2002: Working dinner at the Hellenic Centre, London, with a panel including MEP’s discussing the Cypriot Diaspora and its contributions to the survival of Cyprus after the 1974 Turkish invasion.

2006: Meeting at the Hellenic Centre, London, addressed by Dr P. Methven of the Archives and Corporate Records Department King's College London, where the Greek Diaspora Archive was deposited (complementing holdings there on Hellenic world topics).

2007: Memorial meeting at the Hellenic Centre, London to honour the memory of Dr Stavros Panteli, founder member and first Chair of Diaspora Centre and co-editor of 'Greek Outside Greece volume II'.

2008: Seminar at Bank of Cyprus Nicosia, to honour centenary of birth of "Loukis Akritas of the Metropolis and the Diaspora", with a Cypriot and UK panel of discussants.

2009: AGM and public lecture at the Hellenic Centre, London, by Mrs Olesia Boyko (Marioupollis, Ukraine) on 'Greeks in the Crimea'.

2010: AGM and public lecture at the Hellenic Centre by Dr M. Roussou 'Greeks in Palestine'.

2011: AGM and public lecture at King's College London by Dr M. Roussou on 'Greeks in Latin America'.

2012: AGM and public lecture at King’s College, London by Dr Robin Oakley on the 1960s research documents he collected about new arrivals of Cypriots in Britain.

2013: Publication of “ Loukis Akritas of the Diaspora and the Metropolis, an Anthology of his Literary Works” by Diaspora Books in the Kindle Series.


Future Events

(to be announced)