The Board of Directors of DIAZOMA met in Ancient Messene PRESS RELEASE Athens, January 23, 2013 In an impressive place - at the atrium of the Museum of Ancient Messene, among the statues of the historic town – the Board of DIAZOMA held its first meeting for 2013. The meeting, which was open to the public and the media, was also attended by many members of the Association from Messenia.   Snapshots of the BD of DIAZOMA meeting The main topic on the agenda was DIAZOMA’s treasurer Mr. George Kouroupos’ proposal to celebrate the opening of the ancient theater of Messina on August 3 with an entrance-free grand concert of Messenian baritone Dimitris Platanias and world renowned soprano Cellia Costea. They will be accompanied by the orchestra of the Municipal Conservatory of Kalamata enriched by Messenian musicians who excel in the most distinguished orchestras around the world. With this allegoric event, Ancient Messene will warmly welcome within its walls, its migratory birds whose melodies, like a centuries-old thread, will join them with their forefathers who had also returned from far away lands to their ancestral home.   Among other topics, the BD meeting also discussed the course of the programmatic agreements. President of DIAZOMA Stavros Benos informed the attendees that 14 programmatic agreements have already been signed and another 16 are in consultation to be signed. Consequently, in the first half of 2013 all of them will be signed, creating thus the conditions to start the proposed works on the monuments.   Following the meeting, BD members cut the New Year’s Cake which contains a hidden coin that, according to tradition, gives good luck to the one who finds it in their piece. This year it was Mr. Dimitris Kavadias who found the lucky coin of DIAZOMA’s New Year’s Cake, corresponding to the amount of € 1,000. In accordance with Mr. Kavadias’ wish, this amount will be deposited in the “money box” of the ancient theater of Messina. Mr. Dimitris Kavadias receives the lucky piece of cake Professor Petros Themelis’ captivating guided tour was emotional and full of surprises, as it revealed the enormous progress that has been made in almost all the monuments of the archaeological site, particularly in the theater of ancient Messene. Snapshot from the guided tour in the ancient theater The guided tour was followed by a visit of the Director of the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Mrs. Anna Kafetsi, to the entire area of the ancient city, in order to start preparing for 2014 an international exhibition of works that will revive and converse with the monuments of Ancient Messene. The Director of the NMCA Mrs Anna Kafetsi with Professor Petros Themelis and the Mayor of Messene Evaggelos Anastassopoulos The events organized by DIAZOMA in Messene concluded with the screening of a documentary by filmmaker Giorgos Zervas, titled "From Zero to Being", a co-production of Messinia’s Primary Education Department and DIAZOMA Association. Screening of the documentary film «From Zero to Being”: The cinema theater was full   Without doubt, this meeting of the Board of DIAZOMA was extraordinary. But the one who seduced the eyes and stole the hearts of all was Marija, the beautiful granddaughter of Georgia Michalou, for many years director of Stavros Benos’ office.   Marija