(equation 18)Workshop Conclusions & Recommendations

(equation 19)Welcome remarks from Mrs Marilena Laskaridis, Vice President, Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation

Lighthouses!!! For some unknown reason they invoke the most mysterious, deep rooted and primordial feelings in most of us! And surprisingly, these feelings are emotional and moving in all of the Lighthouses appearances.

From the weather-beaten, storm ridden, tempestuous roaring of the waves over them, to the most peaceful and serene becalmed seas on a nice day, they never fail to move the visitor. Again, whether he passes by on a ship or visits them ashore, their impact on our feelings and senses is never one of boredom.

Their myths and fables are legendary - from Homer’s Rhapsodies, throughout the antiquities literature, historians’ descriptions to outright mythical stories which trickle through the centuries until today.

Yet invariably, the lighthouses’ inner meaning is one of hope. Hope for the sailors to avoid shipwrecking! More liberally they are regarded as cornerstones for everything that’s positive and bright in human endeavour!

A lighthouse of hope, a lighthouse of brave examples or a lighthouse of knowledge, culture and education, to name but a few.

These latter metaphors are the ones we like best in our Foundation. They combine a genuinely honest interest in these historical and beautiful monuments, with an inspiration about the cultural, educational and social work undertaken in our Foundation.

Much as the lighthouses are found in remote places, and so does our own educational work, in which we take immense pride, taking us to Greece’s most remote villages to build lighthouses of knowledge, education and simple human dignity, perseverance and endeavour!

We are very proud in cooperating with IALA, the Lighthouses Authority of the Hellenic Navy, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and the Maritime Museum of Greece with which we pursue together the noble goal of furthering Greece’s Maritime and Naval tradition – we are grateful for their cooperation and support!

Last year, HRH Princess Anne, the Patron of Trinity House visited us and expressed much interest in our work related to the preservation and restoration, as well as the documentation of the stone built lighthouses in our country.

Today, we are delighted to host all of you who share the same passion (and much of the responsibilities) of restoring, preserving and enhancing the cultural and educational importance of these wonderful reminders of the past.

Let us all work together towards this most desirable and noble goal!

I hope you will enjoy the proceedings of this symposium and your stay in Greece!