{"id":241698,"date":"2025-04-27T12:42:05","date_gmt":"2025-04-27T07:12:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=241698"},"modified":"2025-05-10T00:29:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T18:59:16","slug":"a-tribute-to-cr-gaetano-greco-a-true-friend-a-tireless-comrade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/a-tribute-to-cr-gaetano-greco-a-true-friend-a-tireless-comrade\/","title":{"rendered":"A Tribute To Cr Gaetano Greco \u2014 A True Friend &#038; A Tireless Comrade"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p2\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>By <a style=\"color: #ff6600;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s=Lionel+Bopage\">Lionel<\/a> and <a style=\"color: #ff6600;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s=Chitra+Bopage\">Chitra Bopage<\/a> &#8211;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">Comrade Gaetano Greco, a close friend of progressive people in Victoria including those of Sri Lankan origin, passed away this morning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">We first met Comrade Gaetano Greco nearly two decades ago, shortly after moving to Melbourne. From those early days, he became more than just a fellow activist \u2014 he became a dear family friend and a trusted comrade in arms. Over the years, Gaetano became part of a close-knit circle of like-minded families united not by culture, but by a shared commitment to social justice and equality.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-241708\" src=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Cr-Gaetano-Greco.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Cr-Gaetano-Greco.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Cr-Gaetano-Greco-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Cr-Gaetano-Greco-768x410.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">Though Gaetano was proudly of Italian heritage, his vision extended far beyond borders. He took a passionate interest in the struggles and stories of people from across the globe \u2014 from Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste to India and Palestine. He stood in solidarity with those who fought against oppression and inequality, regardless of where they came from.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">Like my father, Gaetano was deeply influenced by a strong tradition of international socialist thought, passed down from his own father. He carried that legacy with integrity, becoming a staunch advocate for workers\u2019 rights \u2014 especially within the Australian Taxation Office, where he worked, and later through his union involvement. Notably, he served as a liaison for workers whose first language was not English, championing their voices and ensuring they were heard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">This is the Gaetano we came to know and respect: principled, compassionate, and tireless in his efforts to build a fairer society.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">We worked together on many fronts \u2014 fighting for economic justice, cultural recognition, and the dignity of all people. At his invitation, I joined the Darebin Ethnic Communities Council as treasurer, a role that brought us even closer. Together, we collaborated with communities from diverse backgrounds \u2014 Italian, Greek, Sinhala, Tamil, Kurdish, Palestinian and many others \u2014 organising solidarity events and fostering unity in diversity. Gaetano\u2019s commitment to multiculturalism was not just political \u2014 it was deeply personal. During this time, he was elected to the Darebin Council and later went on to serve as its Mayor, always leading with integrity and purpose.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">Gaetano was also a great supporter of the political biography, <i>Lionel Bopage Story<\/i>, recognising early on the importance of telling the story of post-independence Sri Lanka through a leftist lens. He believed in shining light on the voices history too often leaves behind \u2014 the marginalised, the forgotten. It was this same ethos that guided his approach to the many countries he visited and stood in solidarity with.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">He travelled twice to Sri Lanka as an election monitor, visiting the Eastern Province and the outskirts of Colombo. But his time there was not just political \u2014 he made space to listen, to learn, to walk alongside ordinary people. He wanted to understand their lives beyond the narratives of the elite. He took the same thoughtful approach in Timor-Leste. He also supported Darebin Ethnic Community Council\u2019s (DECC) collaborations with PHRE and AAGGSL, two remarkable Sri Lankan community associations in Victoria.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">When we learned of his health struggles, it was a heavy blow. Gaetano was not just a close friend \u2014 he was a pillar of Victoria\u2019s multicultural community, a voice for the voiceless, and a relentless advocate for justice. Even while unwell, he continued working on important causes, like organising a seminar on the challenges facing progressive movements in Sri Lanka. He believed it was crucial to spotlight countries like Sri Lanka that resisted the global tide of authoritarianism and populist division.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">We are deeply grateful for the years we spent together \u2014 for the shared ideals, the late-night discussions, the actions taken in unity, and the unwavering camaraderie. <span class=\"s1\">\u0d9c\u0dda\u0da7\u0dcf\u0db1\u0ddd<\/span>, your life enriched ours and those of so many others.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">On a personal note, dear Gaetano, we want to express our boundless gratitude and love. You have left us with memories, lessons, and inspirations that will endure. You were \u2014 and remain \u2014 an exemplary human being.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">Though none of us can choose our moment of departure, you have left behind a legacy few can match. You dedicated your life to making this world \u2014 often fractured and unjust \u2014 a more humane and hopeful place. The struggle will continue, and others will rise to carry your torch. But for us, your absence will leave a void that cannot be filled.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">We salute you, dear friend, and honour the remarkable life you lived.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">You will be deeply, achingly missed \u2014 and never forgotten.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":241708,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,46,61,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-241698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombotelegraph","category-constitutional-reforms","category-obituaries","category-editorial"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A Tribute To Cr Gaetano Greco \u2014 A True Friend &amp; A Tireless Comrade - Colombo Telegraph<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/a-tribute-to-cr-gaetano-greco-a-true-friend-a-tireless-comrade\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Tribute To Cr Gaetano Greco \u2014 A True Friend &amp; 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