Join us for EMBCA’s “Voices of the Lost Children of Greece” : Oral Histories of Cold War International Adoptions Panel Discussion Webinar on Sunday, March 12 at 2 P.M. EST/8 P.M. EEST Athens. The event will be introduced and moderated by Lou Katsos, EMBCA's President /Founder. The distinguished panel will include Author/ Professor Gonda Van Steen the Koraes Chair in the Centre for Hellenic Studies and the Department of Classics at King's College; Author/ Professor Mary Cardaras Chair of the Department of Communication at California State University, East Bay; Former Chief Assistant for the University of Connecticut Robyn Bedell; Financial Consultant Robert Lipsky; Educator Maria Heckinger; and Co- Host of the Persisting Podcast Alexa Maros.

The etymology of the word orphan is Hellenic from the word ὀρφανός (romanized- orphanos) and is a child whose parent(s) have died, are unknown or have permanently abandoned them. The causes for orphans are many - wars, genocide, economic problems, cultural stigmas, social chaos, natural disasters, and plagues, and was used to describe children who lose their father before puberty, and with other and more appropriate definitions over time. This panel discussion is a follow up to EMBCA’s “Unfinished Business: Postwar Greek Adoption History and Current Adoptee Activism” on 9/26/21 which followed the “Hellenic Orphans Taken Abroad from 1821 through the 1960’s” Panel Discussion on 1/31/21 (both are on YouTube). The topic of Hellenic orphans (and many not so) brought over to America and other nations during the Cold War period in the 1950's and 60's will be discussed directly in this discussion with some of the adoptees. We are honored again to have with us Prof. Gonda Van Steen and Prof. Mary Cardaras as well as honored to have with us Robyn Bedell, Robert Lipsky, Maria Heckinger, and Alexa Maros as we discuss their oral histories and the very important and significant Hellenic topic in the book “Voices of the Lost Children of Greece”, edited by Mary Cardaras herself an adoptee. We hope this panel discussion and conversation, which will continue, contributes to a continuing wave of research, discussions and results on this very important topic of post war Hellenic adoptee unfinished business and activism.

EMBCA is an organization exempt from Federal Income Tax under Internal Revenue (IRC) Section 501(c)(3), classified as a public charity, and qualifies to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under Section 2055, 2106, or 2522 . Donors can deduct contributions they make under IRC Section 170. Thank you all again for your continuing enthusiasm and support of our events !!