Spyros (Stan) Draenos (Interview 2)
Interviewer(s):
Athanasios (Sakis) Gekas
Vasilis (Bill) Molos
Project:
Greek Canadian Stories
INTERVIEW LOCATION:
Toronto, ON
LANGUAGE:
English
DATE:
October 25, 2023

Interview Summary:

Spyros (Stan) Draenos was born in the United States of America and arrived in Toronto in 1968 to pursue a PhD at York University. He became a key figure in the Panhellenic Liberation Movement (PAK), founded by Andreas Papandreou to oppose the Greek military Junta. Draenos was deeply involved in anti-junta activism both in Canada and abroad, organizing protests, producing newsletters, and participating in international efforts to raise awareness. He describes his close relationship with Papandreou’s political activities, the collapse of the dictatorship in 1974, and the founding of PASOK.

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Interview Details
Categories and Themes
Content
Media
Date and Location
October 25, 2023
Toronto, ON
Interviewee(s)
Spyros (Stan) Draenos (Interview 2)
Interviewer(s)
Athanasios (Sakis) Gekas
Vasilis (Bill) Molos
Languages
English
Reference ID
GICREF010B
Project
Greek Canadian Stories
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Categories
Working Life
Historical Events
Homeland Activism
Tags
Anti Junta Movement
Cyprus 1974
Greek Community
Junta
Polytechnic1973
Decades Referenced
1960s
1970s
1980s
Locations Referenced
Toronto, Athens, Washington
Occupation(s)
Political Scientist
Parents Occupation(s)
Names Referenced
Andreas Papandreou, Archbishop Makarios III, Nicholas Skoulas

[00:00:37] Andreas Papandreou and the Cyprus issue

[00:05:40] Joining PAK and his role in public relations

[00:09:25] Dynamic resistance strategy in Toronto

[00:16:15] Third World politics and PAK

[00:18:27] Nick Skoulas’ role and receiving death threats

[00:23:02] Impact of anti-dictatorship movements

[00:24:13] Skoulas as a focal point and internal frictions

[00:27:20] Relations with the Left and KKE

[00:34:24] The restoration of the King after the Junta

[00:37:12] Events of 1974 and Karamanlis - Papandreou relations

[00:49:03] Arrival in Athens and Papandreou's strategy in 1974

[01:00:08] The election of November 17, 1974

[01:07:00] Break with PAK and continuation of studies

[01:13:05] Return to Greece and work for the government

[01:18:19] Papandreou’s visit to Washington as Prime Minister

[01:22:32] Editing an English-language magazine

[01:25:25] NATO and dissolution of Third World ideology

[01:28:28] Papandreou’s visit to Toronto and York in 1983

[01:39:24] Changes in the Greek community of Toronto

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