The Hellenic Federation Of Museum Friends welcomes friends from the global museum community

by Stella Chamakioti

The President of the Hellenic Federation of Friends of Museums (EOSFIM) and Chair of the Development Committee of the World Federation of Friends of Museums (World Federation of Friends of Museums-WFFM), Ms. Lila de Chaves-Chronopoulos, in the spirit of cultural diplomacy, invited the World Federation of Friends of Museums (WFFM) to hold its meetings and annual General Assembly in Athens from April 23 to 26, 2026. The invitation was accepted with great pleasure by the international community of museum friends and collectors, as well as by ICOM, the International Council of Museums.

It is important to highlight the friendly ties between EOSFIM and the WFFM and the role EOSFIM has played as a member of the WFFM, given that Greek Ambassador Aristotelis Frydas served as President of the WFFM in the 1990s, and the current President and founding member of EOSFIM served as Secretary General of the WFFM from 2003 to 2010, while also holding the title of Chair of the WFFM Development Committee since 2003. This was the third event organized by EOSFIM in Athens, which also had an anniversary character as it marked the 50th anniversary of the founding of the WFFM in Brussels in 1976, while also marking the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Hellenic Federation in Athens in 1986.

EOSFIM, founded on the initiative of the Friends of the ever-pioneering Benaki Museum and under the presidency of the late Nikos Rok-Melas, now counts more than 75 member associations —“Friends” of all the major and most significant smaller museums and art galleries in Greece. By way of example, we mention some of our major museums supported by Friends associations: the Acropolis Museum, the National Archaeological Museums of Athens and Thessaloniki, the Benaki Museum, the Archaeological Museum of Patras, and others. The Friends’ association, a beneficial institution for museums supported by EOSFIM through the provision of expertise, is a well-established institution worldwide. Essentially, it serves as a bridge between museums and the broader community.

The WFFM was founded in Brussels in 1976 and has more than three million members worldwide. It is included in the global list of recognized international organizations active in the museum sector, specifically regarding the preservation, conservation, and promotion of cultural assets and collections, such as ICOM International, UNESCO, and the Blue Shield. According to international standards, the Associations and Federations of Friends of Museums have the statutory purpose of supporting the work of museum professionals, both morally and materially. In fact, “Friends of Museums,” as official bodies, are recognized and operate under the auspices of the respective Ministries of Culture at both the national and global levels.

During the WFFM members’ stay in Athens, we had the opportunity to organize cultural visits to iconic museums, starting with the sacred site of the Acropolis, the National Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Christian and Byzantine Art, the unique Herakleidon Museum in Thiseio, and the internationally renowned Benaki Museum of Greek Culture. Also, the Acropolis Museum, as well as the Museum of Modern Greek Culture (MNGC).

On Thursday, April 23, EOSFIM organized a workshop at the War Museum in Athens on the theme: “Museums and Their Friends: Challenges and Prospects in an Ever-Changing World.” It was a highly successful workshop during which we had the opportunity to hear very interesting opening remarks and presentations. Opening remarks were delivered by the following: the President of the Hellenic Federation of Museum Friends’ Associations, Ms. Lila de Chaves-Chronopoulos, who moderated the first part of the conference; the President of the Athens War Museum, Air Marshal Konstantinos Karamesinis; the Mayor of Athens, Mr. Haris Doukas; the President of ICOM EUROPE, Ms. Juliette Raoul-Duval; the President of the World Federation of Friends of Museums, Mr. Italo Scaietta; the French Ambassador to Athens, Her Excellency Ms. Laurence Auer, and the Minister of Culture, Ms. Lina Mendoni, who welcomed the opening of the conference. Her greeting was read by the representative of the Minister of Culture, Ms. Elisabethe Bargue.

It was with great honor and emotion that we listened to prominent speakers from the museum sector, both from Greece and abroad—including from Beirut, Paris, and even Afghanistan, who addressed contemporary concerns that reflect society’s needs in an ever-changing world. These speakers were Ms. Nikoletta Saraga, Deputy Director of Archaeological Museums, Exhibitions, and Educational Programs at the Ministry of Culture, Penelope (Penny) Theologou-Gouti from the University of Patras, President of ICOM Greece and Head of the Museum of Science and Technology, Alexandra Bounias, Professor of Museology at the University of the Aegean, Marlen Mouliou, Assistant Professor of Museology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Maria Tzevelekou, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Lighthouse for the Blind of Greece, Pari Kalamara, Director of the Historical Archives of the National Bank of Greece, Elena Korka, President of the Greek Committee of Blue Shield, Aphrodite Kamara, Lecturer in the CultTech & ManTech Graduate Programs at the University of the Peloponnese, Nadine Panayot, Curator at the Archaeological Museum and Associate Professor in the Department of History and Archaeology at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, Aspasia Destouni, Senior Researcher and Collaborator at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Nathalie Bondil, Director of Museums and Exhibitions at the Institute of the Arab World in Paris and a member of the Board of Directors of ICOM-France, and Mr. Erik DeMarche, Director of the Network for the Preventive Conservation of Cultural Heritage (PCPH Network). The second part of the conference was moderated by the Secretary General of the Hellenic Federation of Friends of Museums, Ms. Sofia Avgerinou-Kolonia. We were honored by the presence of Ms. Eugénie de Genouillac of the Young WFFM Council, Mr. Louis-Baptiste Moreau, a member of the Board of Directors of the Friends of Versailles, and Mr. Daniel Calley, President of the United Kingdom. We were also privileged to have with us Ms. Angela Muyenga, representative of the Zambian Embassy in Rome.

On Sunday, April 26, the General Assembly was held at the National Historical Museum of Athens (Old Parliament Building). Representatives from the federations of New Zealand, Australia, Canada, most European countries, as well as representatives from Argentina and Zambia.

Beyond procedural matters, the General Assembly unanimously focused on the need for and the goals of achieving universal peace in the world. In conclusion, despite all the challenges in an ever-changing world, and through the statutory actions of Friends of Museums worldwide, their achievements are positive, enduring, and growing.

→ Photo caption: The Treasurer of the World Federation of Friends of Museums, Mr. Bruce Bolton, the Vice President for North America, Ms. Marie Senecal-Trembly, the President of the Hellenic Federation of Friends of Museums, Ms. Lila de Chaves-Chronopoulos, the President of the World Federation of Friends of Museums, Mr. Italo Scaietta, the Secretary General of the World Federation of Friends of Museums, Ms. Anne Asserson, the Vice President of the World Federation of Friends of Museums, Mr. René Faure, and the President of the Romanian Federation of Friends of Museums, Ms. Emanuel Ghyka