Zorba, a fun-loving but wise philosopher of life, who everybody loved and admired.

On Sunday evening, on one of MEGA TV's most popular programmes, Protagonistes, some of Greece's best and brightest Global Greeks discussed Greece's image with journalist/host Stavros Theodorakis and how it needs to be changed to combat the recently acquired negative stereotype of the lazy and corrupt, non-tax paying Greek who lies on the beach all day drinking coffees....

Brand Strategist extraordinaire, and Global Greek of the Year runner up, Peter Economides (Greece), Athens 2004 Opening and Closing Ceremonies' Mastermind Dimitri Papaioannou (Greece), journalist/showman Nikos Aliagas (France), MP Jorgos Chatzimarkakis (Germany) , CEO of V+O Communication creators of the Give Greece a Chance Campaign,John Olympios, along with journalist Rika Vagiani (Australia) and writer/journalist Soti Triantafyllou (USA)  discussed ways of how Greece can reverse the negative stereotype which has prevailed recently because of the economic crisis and has led to almost racist jokes, snide remarks, sneers  and odd behaviour not just from other people but from some otherwise seemingly respectable institutions such as airlines and pilots ..

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Read more: http://globalgreekworld.blogspot.com/#ixzz1p6gfM391

A few weeks back we were appalled to read on our Twitter Feed about a so-called joke made by a pilot to the effect that ' now that we have established that our Greek passengers have paid their tickets we can take-off', or the more recent language tests forced on a Greek passport-holding passenger by an Aer Lingus agent in Spain before she and her family were allowed to board , an incident for which the airline apologised but the harm was done...

Thanks to the economic crisis in Greece and the negative and distorted image which has fed through to the international media, it means that the average Greek anywhere in the world has to fight to prove that he is not corrupt and lazy, pays his taxes and dues on time,  and lives up to his responsibilities while he enjoys his life; to fight the negative stereotype that has taken over from that same guy who was lying on the beach and was known as Zorba, a fun-loving but wise philosopher of life, who everybody loved and admired.

 http://j3rn3jphoto.blogspot.com/2008/06/grk-zorba-maribor-ljudski-vrt-2162008.html