Pathos, ethos, logos
By Effie Giannakouri, Attorney-at-law, MBA
The lawyer, the politician, the teacher, the businessman, the scientist, the mother; we all, to varying degrees, need to communicate and inspire others with our words. We all know that speaking in front of others, arguing constructively and effectively, and expressing a point of view in a simple discussion are critical modern skills.
The sheer breadth and momentum of technological development in the last Demi century, the unpredicted and unprecedented Covid19 pandemic crisis, have revolutionised how we communicate, but while our messages can be heard faster and by a larger audience the quality of that message has deteriorated. With technological advancement comes passivity and reliance. With a move from letter writing, reading and note taking comes a loss of institutional memory on the value of those skills. The preservation and investment of speech and oral communication is a priority in maintaining and advancing human development and conscience.The absence of basic democratic education has had a profound
negative consequence on a political level in the world. People who cannot
appreciate and deconstruct arguments or know to question the premise of a
message have been and will continue to be swept away by shrewdly stirred
sentiment and populism. Social media, a potential force of extraordinary
positive change, has become a vehicle for sensation and fiction in place of
reliable and accurate information. If we aspire to see a more democratic world,
educating young and older people on the value of truthful and structured
communication is an obvious and necessary channel through which the tide might
be
turned.
In reflecting on opportunities for change we must consider where we learn how to effectively and graciously communicate? We no longer grow up in communities which appreciate the company of others or teach around the “estia”; the social value in the beauty of storytelling and the excitement of critical and cordial disagreement. Although valued by schools and seen as essential to a modern communicator; public speaking, discussion and oral skills are not central to the curriculum of any educational system. Hence, there is an obvious, current, unmet global need between supply and demand for an institution where people can learn and practice these vital communication skills.
Logos Academy aspires to become the obvious choice where people can develop or hone their communication skills. Naturally placed in the birthplace of democracy and rhetoric, where “pathos, ethos, logos” were first described as necessities for any kind of persuasive speech, Logos Academy is an International Center, the fulcrum of communication education, where the interpersonal values are cultivated while creating an energetic forum of different people, talents and ideas.
As a Center, Logos Academy is a hybrid of both a place and an online service. The 2020 pandemic has been the mother of both restrictions and opportunities in the education field. Restrictions, since an Institution in the form of a locus, is no longer adequate as the sole provider of instruction. Opportunities, as the world has, out of sheer need, caught up with the preexisting media of elearning and working remotely, realising even further the absolute need for efficient communication skills. We utilize the limitless and borderless nature of an online educational program, reaching out to the invaluable source of international instructors whilst acknowledging that public speaking skills are ultimately honed when having an audience, hence creating all the possible parameters for such an opportunity to occur.
The participants of Logos Academy usually are:
Professionals, who want to invest in these skills for their professional development, but also companies who deem these skills necessary for their employees, providing the necessary tools to those who aspire towards innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership. We have worked with a wide range of professions, from politicians and lawyers, to CEOs, top level managers and entrepreneurs. There is no one size fits all approach. We customize all programs according to the needs, but also to the talents of the people who want to learn how to communicate better. We respect the time and the resources individuals and companies allocate to this education.
University Students, who require these skills for their immediate academic enterprises and for their future careers. There is no Public Speaking class at most Law Schools, nor is there such instruction at most universities; surprisingly it is not mandatory at most Business Schools across the globe. These students are ‘cold-called’, asked to present, graded on their ability to do so, but no one teaches them how to succeed or to progress. We believe that university students have the rare opportunity to learn with and through their classmates and we encourage and facilitate the creation of public speaking/ debate clubs in their institutions.
Schools and educators: In all educational systems around the world, communication is a valued skill, one which all educators desire to develop and instill in their students. Activities exist, and there are resources online. However, teachers desire training in how to actually develop these skills in a classroom setting consistently, effectively, and continually. Through this center, with the assistance of trained educators, we develop public speaking clubs and curricula, from high school through business school, with activities, worksheets, assessment, tailored to the needs of the subject teachers and the level of the students, with training and support for teachers and professors, ensuring that communication is advanced.
The key activities of Logos Academy are, but not limited to, the following:
- Classes during the week
- Seminars for Companies
- Corporate Training retreats for International customers
- Debate and Speech Competitions
- Debate and Speech Camps
- E-learning classes
- Creation of Materials/ Programs designed to create 21st century communicators for a Greek/IB School
- Creation of Curricula for Speaking Programs
The founder and director of Logos Academy is Effie Giannakouri, an attorney-at-law and a businesswoman. She has worked as a public speaking coach all her adult life, working with high school and university students, professionals, politicians, schools, companies, and the Greek Ministry of Education. She has served, amongst other positions, as the Coach of the Greek National Debating Team and the Convener of the 2009 World School Debating Championship.
Nikos Kazatzakis famously said: “You have the colors, you also have the paintbrushes, draw your own paradise and jump into it.” So many factors may contribute to us not reaching for those colors and paintbrushes, or when we do, not being able to. Attaining the necessary skills is one of them. The ability to communicate your thoughts, feelings, plans and ambitions, is probably the most important of those skills. Being able to speak and communicate should not be a luxury reserved for the bold and the lucky. Our vision, in Logos Academy, is to turn this rare luxury into an accessible opportunity for all.
Thank you.
Effie Giannakouri
Attorney-at-law, MBA
eg@logos.academy
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