In a period in which cultural uniformity and the gradual loss of minority languages are intensifying, the systematic action of bodies dedicated to the preservation of intangible cultural heritage acquires particular importance. In Greek-speaking Calabria, the Greek-speaking Cultural Association holds a prominent position Hello, V.ua, based in Bova Marina, who for decades has acted as a guardian of language, memory and cultural continuity.
The President plays a central role in the Association's current course. Antonella Casile, which, in close collaboration with the Board of Directors and volunteers, serves the mission of the organization with consistency and scientific sensitivity. This collective effort is based on a deep knowledge of the local cultural reality and on the conscious choice to treat the Greek-speaking linguistic heritage of Calabria not as a museum relic, but as an active and dynamic cultural asset. The Association's action is characterized by an open spirit of cooperation, interconnection with education and orientation towards European cultural networking, with full awareness of the responsibility that the management of an endangered intangible heritage entails.
Under the presidency of Antonella Casile, "Jalò tu Vua" strengthens its institutional role as a vehicle of collective memory and historical continuity, highlighting that the protection of language, customs and traditions is a collective project par excellence with a clear European perspective.
The Association was founded in 1972, in response to the need of the local Greek-speaking community to rescue, document and transmit the Grecanica language (the Greek-Calabrian dialect), which bears witness to an uninterrupted historical presence from antiquity to the present day, but is now seriously threatened. The very name “Jalò tu Vua” (JALÓ TU VUA), an expression of Grecanica, encapsulates the Association’s vision, language as a vehicle of memory, identity and shared historical experience.
Its activity, however, goes beyond the narrow linguistic dimension. It is based on a holistic view of culture, where language constitutes the surface of a multi-layered historical background. In this, the prehistoric heritage (such as the Stentinello culture), the legacy of Magna Graecia, the Roman continuity and, above all, the centuries-old Byzantine presence that profoundly shaped the identity of the region at the level of faith, ritual and daily practices coexist.
In this context, “Jalò tu Vua” has developed for more than fifty years a multi-level project, such as courses and teaching cycles of the Greek language of Calabria, collaborations with schools and educational institutions, conferences, seminars and workshops on the language and culture of Grecanica, as well as artistic actions, theatrical and musical events, exhibitions and traditional festivals. At the same time, the Association contributes to the production and publication of scientific and cultural publications and supports researchers and students from Italy and abroad, who study the linguistic and cultural identity of the region.
Particular importance is attached to the preservation of intangible cultural heritage, such as songs, elegies, oral narratives, customs and cult practices of Byzantine origin, which are transmitted intergenerationally and constitute the core of collective memory. This effort constitutes an act of essential cultural responsibility, as it preserves forms of expression that are difficult to record, but are decisive for cultural identity.
The summer educational program plays a key role in reaching the younger generations The house is empty.ko, which has been implemented continuously in recent years and is currently considered one of the most effective tools for the revitalization of the Greek language in Calabria. This initiative acts as a bridge between the local community, academic research and international cultural cooperation.
The Greek-speaking Cultural Association "Jalò tu Vùa" thus constitutes an institutional pillar of cultural resilience. At a time when grecanica has not yet been included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO, but is recognized at the national level as a historical linguistic minority, the work of the Association acquires broader European significance.
Its action goes beyond the geographical boundaries of Calabria and acts as an example for the whole of Europe, reminding us that cultural diversity is not a past to be remembered, but a living process that requires knowledge, collective effort and long-term vision. In this context, "Jalò tu Vua" continues to articulate a voice of memory and responsibility, affirming that language, customs and traditions survive only when there are people and institutions that serve them with consistency, scientific seriousness and deep respect for history.
