Supreme Council of Ethnikoi Hellenes
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The Supreme Council of Ethnikoi Hellenes (Υπατο Συμβουλιο των Ελληνων Εθνικων), commonly known as YSEE, is an umbrella organisation in Greece established in 1997 to defend and restore the ethnic, polytheistic, Hellenic tradition, religion and way in contemporary Greek society. The organisation arose from the union of several other independent groups of Ethnikoi Hellenes. Since their founding, YSEE has distributed over 170 letters and press releases aimed at increasing religious freedom for Ethnikoi Hellenes in Greece and hosted over 100 educational events. [1]
YSEE estimates that 100,000 Greeks practise in the ethnic Hellenic tradition. These Ethnikoi Hellenes face varying degrees of discrimination in Greece, which is overwhelmingly Orthodox Christian. One of YSEE's main goals is to obtain legal recognition for their religion, which is not acknowledged as a "legal person of public law" in Greece. One consequence of this lack of legal recognition is that Ethnikoi Hellenes have been prevented from establishing permanent places of worship.
YSEE was a founding member of the World Congress of Ethnic Religions and hosted the seventh annual WCER Congress in June 2004. YSEE is also a member of the European Union's action programme to combat discrimination.
In addition to their political activities, YSEE regularly holds traditional Hellenic rituals and ceremonies, including an annual Prometheia festival at Mount Olympus. About 2500 people attended the Prometheia in 2005, making it easily the largest such gathering in the modern world. [2] The festival includes talks on philosophical and religious topics, theatrical and artistic displays, and religious rituals and namegiving ceremonies.
