Ishtartv.com - greekherald.com.au
03 / 03 / 2026
By Andriana Simos
Historian Dr Themistocles Kritikakos will hold the Melbourne
launch of his groundbreaking new book next week, bringing a vital
conversation on genocide recognition, memory and identity to the heart of the
city’s Greek community.
Dr Kritikakos will present Armenian,
Greek, and Assyrian Genocide Recognition in Twenty-First Century Australia: Memory,
Identity, and Cooperation on Tuesday, March 10 at 7:00pm at the
Greek Centre (168 Lonsdale Street, Mezzanine Level), Melbourne.
Published by Palgrave Macmillan in January 2026, the book
offers the first comprehensive comparative analysis of the legacies of the
Armenian, Greek and Assyrian genocides during the late Ottoman period
(1914–1923) and the subsequent efforts towards recognition in Australia.
The evening will feature a presentation by Dr Kritikakos
followed by a discussion with Professor Joy Damousi, inviting reflection on
themes of historical justice, intergenerational memory and intercommunal
cooperation.
The event forms part of the Greek History and Culture
Seminar Series hosted by the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria
and is open to the public.
In his latest work, Dr Kritikakos examines why, while the
Armenian Genocide has achieved international recognition, the genocides of
Greeks and Assyrians remain comparatively less known.
Drawing on oral interviews with descendants of survivors,
alongside scholarship in memory and genocide studies, he explores
intergenerational silence, trauma and commemoration, as well as the ways in
which once-distinct community narratives have increasingly converged into
shared calls for recognition.
The book also highlights the Australian dimension, noting
that Australians witnessed, documented and responded to the atrocities — often
through humanitarian aid — yet national narratives shaped by Gallipoli and
reconciliation with Turkey have long existed in tension with genocide
recognition efforts.
Dr Kritikakos holds a PhD in History from the University of
Melbourne and has worked in both academic and professional roles, with research
interests spanning modern Greek and diaspora history, memory studies and
questions of historical justice.
The Melbourne launch is sponsored by Mary Tsaganas in memory
of her mother Olympia and her ancestors from Asia Minor.
All are warmly welcome to attend.
Event Details:
- Date: Tuesday,
10 March 2026
- Time: 7:00pm
- Venue: Greek
Centre, 168 Lonsdale Street (Mezzanine Level), Melbourne
- Open
to the public
Dr Themistocles Kritikakos
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