Ioannis Fidanakis is the former President of Panthracian Union of America ‘Orpheus’ and former Spokesman for the Hellenic League of America, HLA. Ioannis has a M.A. in Public Policy and a B.A. in Political Science; with a concentration in International Politics and a minor in History.
In 2007, Mr. Fidanakis became the youngest elected President of a Greek-American organization in the New York-New Jersey area and perhaps the entire United States. He is best remembered for organizing the first ever annual Greek Genocide Commemoration outside the United Nations in 2009. For three consecutive years, Mr. Fidanakis was the organizer of this annual Panthracian event and also served twice as its Master of Ceremonies. During those three years, the event held such distinguished guest speakers as Member of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, Professor Theofanis Malkidis and First Vice-President of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, Alex Hinton. As well as Founder and Director of the Assyrian Genocide Research Center (Seyfo), Sabri Atman, and American Blogger and Political Activist Pamela Geller, to name a few.
After serving as President of the Panthracians for two years, Mr. Fidanakis decided to decline several requests by members to run for re-election, instead choosing to stay on as the Panthracian Representative to the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, where he served as a member of the Board of Directors from 2009 to 2010.
In 2008, Mr. Fidanakis joined with other concerned Greek-Americans in the New York-New Jersey area and helped found the Hellenic League of America, HLA. The HLA served as a grassroots activist organization on Hellenic issue from 2008 until 2011. As former Spokesman of the HLA and former member of Cyprus Action Network of America, CANA, he has had the privilege of being a guest speaker at several different grassroots rallies, lectures and functions up and down the East Coast. While an activist, for both the HLA and CANA, Mr. Fidanakis played a key role in many different Greek advocacy campaigns, such as the 2008 successful removal of the Sun of Vergina from a VISA Credit Card for the Skopjean-American ‘United Macedonian Diaspora’ Organization.
In 2010, Mr. Fidanakis received Greek Citizenship becoming a dual-national, which allowed him to fulfill his childhood dream of serving in the Greek Military. Today, he currently lives in Greece.
In his free time, Mr. Fidanakis has written several articles and op-eds on topics ranging from the Greek National Issues to criticism of the Greek-American Lobby. His writings have been published in Greek-American Newspapers from Chicago to New York, as well as on such web sites as GlobalPolitician.com, Sparta: Journal of Ancient Spartan and Greek History, and other various blogs. He is also a contributor to the popular Greek Diaspora Blog HellasFrappe.
In 2007, Mr. Fidanakis became the youngest elected President of a Greek-American organization in the New York-New Jersey area and perhaps the entire United States. He is best remembered for organizing the first ever annual Greek Genocide Commemoration outside the United Nations in 2009. For three consecutive years, Mr. Fidanakis was the organizer of this annual Panthracian event and also served twice as its Master of Ceremonies. During those three years, the event held such distinguished guest speakers as Member of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, Professor Theofanis Malkidis and First Vice-President of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, Alex Hinton. As well as Founder and Director of the Assyrian Genocide Research Center (Seyfo), Sabri Atman, and American Blogger and Political Activist Pamela Geller, to name a few.
After serving as President of the Panthracians for two years, Mr. Fidanakis decided to decline several requests by members to run for re-election, instead choosing to stay on as the Panthracian Representative to the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, where he served as a member of the Board of Directors from 2009 to 2010.
In 2008, Mr. Fidanakis joined with other concerned Greek-Americans in the New York-New Jersey area and helped found the Hellenic League of America, HLA. The HLA served as a grassroots activist organization on Hellenic issue from 2008 until 2011. As former Spokesman of the HLA and former member of Cyprus Action Network of America, CANA, he has had the privilege of being a guest speaker at several different grassroots rallies, lectures and functions up and down the East Coast. While an activist, for both the HLA and CANA, Mr. Fidanakis played a key role in many different Greek advocacy campaigns, such as the 2008 successful removal of the Sun of Vergina from a VISA Credit Card for the Skopjean-American ‘United Macedonian Diaspora’ Organization.
In 2010, Mr. Fidanakis received Greek Citizenship becoming a dual-national, which allowed him to fulfill his childhood dream of serving in the Greek Military. Today, he currently lives in Greece.
In his free time, Mr. Fidanakis has written several articles and op-eds on topics ranging from the Greek National Issues to criticism of the Greek-American Lobby. His writings have been published in Greek-American Newspapers from Chicago to New York, as well as on such web sites as GlobalPolitician.com, Sparta: Journal of Ancient Spartan and Greek History, and other various blogs. He is also a contributor to the popular Greek Diaspora Blog HellasFrappe.
Below are several links to interviews and articles that mention Mr. Fidanakis:
Μάθημα υγιούς πατριωτισμού στην Αμερική
HLA's Fidanakis Criticizes Greek-American Lobby Groups Over Handling of Greek Genocides
Victims of the Armenian and Hellenic Genocides were commemorated in New York
New York rally in support of Greeks in FYROM
Greek Americans offer tribute to Greek Victims of Communism
Second Hellenic Genocide Commemoration outside the UN on April 6, 2010
Ολοκληρώθηκαν οι εορτασμοί της Ποντιακής Γενοκτονίας
Hellenic Activists fight for justice for Turkey's crimes
ANCA-ER MARKS 89TH ANNIVERSARY OF PONTIAN GENOCIDE AT NEW YORK CITY EVENT
Un film turc divise le Liban
Astoria's Thracian Gynekokratia
Below are several links to campaigns and events Mr. Fidanakis was involved in:
VISA Card offer upsets Greeks
Greek Complaints Stop VISA Card with Star of Vergina
HLA's Fidanakis Criticizes Greek-American Lobby Groups Over Handling of Greek Genocides
Victims of the Armenian and Hellenic Genocides were commemorated in New York
New York rally in support of Greeks in FYROM
Greek Americans offer tribute to Greek Victims of Communism
Second Hellenic Genocide Commemoration outside the UN on April 6, 2010
Ολοκληρώθηκαν οι εορτασμοί της Ποντιακής Γενοκτονίας
Hellenic Activists fight for justice for Turkey's crimes
ANCA-ER MARKS 89TH ANNIVERSARY OF PONTIAN GENOCIDE AT NEW YORK CITY EVENT
Un film turc divise le Liban
Astoria's Thracian Gynekokratia
Below are several links to campaigns and events Mr. Fidanakis was involved in:
VISA Card offer upsets Greeks
Greek Complaints Stop VISA Card with Star of Vergina
