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CITIZEN
PEACEMAKING
IN CYPRUS
The story ofco-operation
and trust acrossthe Green Line
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CITIZEN PEACEMAKING
IN CYPRUS
The story of co-operation
and trust across the
Green Line
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Cpyrigt 2013
United Natins Deelpment Prgramme.
Prduced in Cyprus.
All rigts resered. N part f tis publicatin may
be reprduced, stred in a retrieal system r transmitted
in any frm r by any means, electrnic, mecanical,
ptcpying, recrding, r terwise, witut prir
permissin f UNDP-Actin fr C-peratin and Trust.
Publised by UNDP-ACT
ISBN 978-9963-627-05-9
www.undp-act.rg
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Acknowledgements
Editors
Cristper Luise and Tabita Mrgan
Contributors
Cristper Luise, Niclas Jarraud, Kimberly Fukaris, Elizabet Kassinis,
Jn Lewis, Starula Gergiadu, Nilgun Arif, Pelin Maneglu, Pembe Mentes
Design
Zara Der Arakelian
Printing
Abslute Paper
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If you want to make peace with your enemy,
you have to work with your enemy.
Then he becomes your partner.
Nelson Mandela,
Former President of South Africa
We cannot change the past, but we can change
our attitude toward it. Uproot guilt and plant
forgiveness. Tear out arrogance and seed humility.
Exchange love for hate - thereby, making the
present comfortable and the future promising.
Maya Angelou,African-American Poet and Civil Rights Leader
True peace can rarely be imposed from the
outside; it must be born within and between
communities through meetings and dialogue
and then carried outward.Jean Vanier,
Philosopher and Writer
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Contents
Chapter 1: An innatie partnersip fr scial cange ........................................... 7
Chapter 2: Cyprits pre tat c-peratin and ceistence are pssible ............... 16
Chapter 3: Citizens play teir part in te searc fr peace ...................................... 27
Chapter 4: Ciil sciety rganisatins imagine new narraties f te future ........... 52
Chapter 5: Legacy ..................................................................................................... 67
References .................................................................................................................. 72
Endnotes ..................................................................................................................... 74
Photos: Pages 29 - 44
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6
Extract from UN Security Council Resolution 2114
(30 July 2013)
Agreeingthat active participation of civil
society groups, including womens groups,
is essential to the political process and can
contribute to making any future settlement
sustainable, recallingthat women play an
important role in peace processes, welcomingall efforts to promote bicommunal contacts
and events including, inter alia, on the part
of all United Nations bodies on the island,
and urgingthe two sides to promote the
active engagement of civil society and the
encouragement of co-operation between
economic and commercial bodies and to
remove all obstacles to such contacts.
http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/RES/2114(2013)http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/RES/2114(2013)7/27/2019 Citizen Peacemaking in Cyprus
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Te wrld is canging. Tday citizen-led rganizatins play a leadersip rle in all
walks f life; scial, plitical and ecnmic. Many f tese rganizatins wrk
as legitimate and ften muc needed partners t gernment, te priate sectr and
internatinal rganizatins suc as te United Natins and te Eurpean Unin. Te
key rle played by ciil sciety in fstering scial cange and ecnmic deelpment
as epanded in te 21st century as gernments seek partners t manage te
cmple callenges f glbalizatin. At te same time te pwer f mdern glbal
cmmunicatins as embldened ciil sciety and encuraged citizen participatin
and pened up an internatinal public space fr debate and actin. Tese same frces
ae als infrmed and inuenced public pinin n an unprecedented glbal scale,
creating a csmplitan set f alues and epectatins n te part f te general
public tat transcend natinal bundaries and are nw saping te plitical agenda.
As lng ag as 1969 te Republic f Cyprus ratied te Internatinal Cenant n
Ciil and Plitical Rigts2, a grundbreaking dcument wic establised te rigt
f citizens t inuence public affairs werein eery citizen sall ae te rigt and
te pprtunity, witut () unreasnable restrictins: t take part in te cnduct f
public affairs, directly r trug freely csen representaties. Nearly frty years
later te cncept f citizen-led demcracy as radically canged, s muc s tat in
2004 te Panel f Eminent Persns n United Natins - Ciil Sciety Relatins (Te
Cards Panel)
3
argued tat ciil sciety is as muc part f tdays glbal gernanceas gernments. In te past few years te internatinal cmmunity as sugt t
furter cnslidate te rle f ciil sciety, effrts wic are reected in cmmitments
AN INNovATIvE PARTNERShIP FoR SoCIAL ChANGE
A SOCIETY BASED ON GOVERNMENT
BY DISCUSSION REQUIRES A STRONG
CIVIL SOCIETY THAT PLAYS AN
ACTIVE ROLE IN POLITICAL DEBATE.
Civil paths to peace: A report of the
Commonwealth Commission on respect
and understanding1
Chapter 1
http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/ccpr.aspxhttp://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/ccpr.aspxhttp://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/226-initiatives/32340-panel-of-eminent-persons-on-united-nations-civil-society-relations-cardoso-panel.htmlhttp://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/226-initiatives/32340-panel-of-eminent-persons-on-united-nations-civil-society-relations-cardoso-panel.htmlhttp://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/226-initiatives/32340-panel-of-eminent-persons-on-united-nations-civil-society-relations-cardoso-panel.htmlhttp://secretariat.thecommonwealth.org/files/227381/FileName/CivilPathstoPeace978-1-84859-001-4web-secure.pdfhttp://secretariat.thecommonwealth.org/files/227381/FileName/CivilPathstoPeace978-1-84859-001-4web-secure.pdfhttp://secretariat.thecommonwealth.org/files/227381/FileName/CivilPathstoPeace978-1-84859-001-4web-secure.pdfhttp://secretariat.thecommonwealth.org/files/227381/FileName/CivilPathstoPeace978-1-84859-001-4web-secure.pdfhttp://secretariat.thecommonwealth.org/files/227381/FileName/CivilPathstoPeace978-1-84859-001-4web-secure.pdfhttp://secretariat.thecommonwealth.org/files/227381/FileName/CivilPathstoPeace978-1-84859-001-4web-secure.pdfhttp://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/226-initiatives/32340-panel-of-eminent-persons-on-united-nations-civil-society-relations-cardoso-panel.htmlhttp://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/226-initiatives/32340-panel-of-eminent-persons-on-united-nations-civil-society-relations-cardoso-panel.htmlhttp://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/ccpr.aspxhttp://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/ccpr.aspx7/27/2019 Citizen Peacemaking in Cyprus
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I have been involved in peace-buildingwork across the divide for decades.
I have had the opportunity through
this work and face-to-face contacts to
enrich my knowledge about the Others
reality, concerns and needs as well asform many friendships based on trust
and desire to work together. I have also
seen many changes in (mis)perceptions
of my students when they met the
other and the acknowledgment that the
dominant national narrative gives limited
and selective information compared
to the richness of experiences and
personal stories which citizens from both
communities and others share.Maria Hadjipavlou,
Professor of Social and Political Science, University of Cyprus.
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made by eads f state at te 4t hig Leel Frum n Aid Effectieness in December
2011 in Busan (Krea), were it was recgnized tat ciil sciety rganisatinsplay a ital rle in enabling peple t claim teir rigts: in prmting a rigts-based
perspectie; in saping deelpment plicies and partnersips; and in erseeing
teir implementatin. one year later te UN General Assembly adpted te
recmmendatins cntained in The Future We Want4, te dcument wic arse ut
f te Ri+20 Cnference eld in June 2012. As a result UN member states
endrsed te Ri+20 cmmitments wic articulated an inclusie apprac t
deelpment, trug wic brad public participatin and te ice fr citizens can
be secured in te prcesses tat underpin te decisins tat affect te lies f peple,wit special empasis n wmen, yut and marginalised grups in sciety.
Since te eents f te Arab Spring and ter ppular actin mements
wrldwide, te need fr cnstructie citizen actin t elp manage scietal cange
as becme een mre starkly eident wrldwide. In respnse t a series f glbal
crises, ppular demand fr plitical and deelpmental slutins rted in ecnmic
and plitical inclusin as increased. Transitins in te Arab states in particular
are reminders bt f te pwer f ciic participatin and te need fr cntinued
supprt t gernments and scieties if tey are t sustain demcratic transitin.
Cncerns abut te legitimacy and transparency f gernments are n te rise
wrldwide, and ae catalyzed a new accuntability agenda inling mbilizatin
f bt public and priate actrs n te issue f accuntable gernance, gender-
respnsie institutins and te need fr a new cntract between state and sciety.
Te ramicatins f many f tese sci-plitical canges ae been nticed
particularly keenly in Cyprus since tey ae taken place in neigburing cuntries.
Cyprus eperienced its wn ecnmic turmil in 2013 te year te glbal nancial
crisis came t te Greek Cyprit cmmunity te Turkis Cyprit cmmunity was
already eperiencing te cnsequences f decades f ecnmic stagnatin. Tese
eents and teir fallut require a retinking f plicy and apprac, bt at natinal
and internatinal leels, wile te need fr Cyprus t engage fully in te reginal andglbal plicy debate n te management f demcratic transitin is self-eident. one f
te many cntributins te Cyprit peple and teir leaders can make t tis debate
http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=%20A/RES/66/288http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=%20A/RES/66/288http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=%20A/RES/66/2887/27/2019 Citizen Peacemaking in Cyprus
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is teir lng and etensie eperience f ciil sciety actiism in te management f
te sci-plitical callenges f cnict. It is a stry wic demnstrates te pwerf multi-dimensinal partnersips inling lcal ciil sciety and te internatinal
dnr cmmunity, and wic manifests in itself te prfund and inspiratinal alues
f citizen-led cange.
UNDP AND USAID COMMITMENT
TO RECONCILIATION IN CYPRUS
Tere was irtually n independent ciil sciety mement in Cyprus prir t 1974
and it is peraps nt surprising tat tere was n citizen-led peace mement in te
immediate aftermat f te eents f tat year. Tere were certainly ery few bi-
cmmunal meetings between Greek Cyprits and Turkis Cyprits fr te net 15
years. Indeed te de fact partitin f te island meant tat ciil sciety sectrs n
eiter side f te diide deelped independently frm eac ter, and it was nt
until te early 1990s tat indiidual Cyprit ciil sciety actiists and academicsbegan t nd creatie ways t start a dialgue n w tey culd supprt a slutin
t te Cyprus questin. At te time many felt tey were perating in an unfaurable
enirnment, and until 2003 cntacts between ciil sciety rganisatins (CSos) acrss
te buffer zne were almst impssible, sae by sme pineers w fund ways t
meet by attending wrksps abrad, r, ery ccasinally, in te buffer zne itself.
In the early days you needed to be brave to get involved
as anyone from the other community was considered
the enemy. There was no easy way of meeting and the
authorities had to grant us permission to enter the
UN buffer zone.
Michalis Avraam, Cypriot civil society pioneer.
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It was very exciting to be part of a meaningful action that
had to do with the future of Cyprus. However externalforces were continuously discrediting our work.
Bulent Kanol, Cypriot civil society pioneer.
Te United Natins Deelpment Prgramme (UNDP) and te United States Agency
fr Internatinal Deelpment (USAID) began priding supprt fr small-scale
bi-cmmunal effrts in te 1970s. Te lw-prle endrsement f bi-cmmunalcntact canged in 1998 wen te tw rganisatins agreed t establis te Bi-
cmmunal Deelpment Prgramme (BDP). Te BDP was te rst cncerted effrt
by te internatinal cmmunity t slicit and fund ciil sciety initiaties tat brugt
Greek Cyprits and Turkis Cyprits tgeter t wrk n issues f cmmn cncern.
Altug te rganizatins wrking n actiities fcused n neutral issues suc as
ealt care and te enirnment, crss-cmmunity ciil sciety wrk was uneard f
and te mtiatins f tse participating in te initiaties were regularly questined.
In spite f tis te BDP ad a uge impact n canging te practicalities f bi-cmmunal wrk, because it was te nly mecanism aailable fr supprting
structured bi-cmmunal interactin, and by 2004 70% f BDP prjects ad
succeeded in acieing sme frm f face-t-face cntact (eiter n te island r
ff-island) between Greek Cyprits and Turkis Cyprits. Altug te BDP was
successful in breaking many f te tabs assciated wit bi-cmmunal cntact,
it culd ae been blder in its attempts t fster an inter-cmmunal ciil sciety
sectr, t spark plicy dialgue and supprt adcacy. Te 2005 CIvICUS study
fr Cyprus5 reiterated te weakness f ciil sciety in bt cmmunities and teinability f CSos t ae an impact eiter n plicy r preailing scial nrms.
It was against tis backgrund tat UNDP and USAID launced te Actin fr C-
peratin and Trust prgramme6 (ACT) in 2005. Te prgramme led te way in te
adancement f inter-cmmunal relatins in a less tan faurable climate. Its wrk
was facilitated weer by te relaatin f crssing restrictins between nrt and
sut by te Turkis Cyprit autrities in 2003. Fr te rst time face-t-face cntact
between Greek Cyprits and Turkis Cyprits became pssible enabling te scpe f
ACTs wrk t be far mre etensie. Despite callenges and te cntinued diisin f
http://www.intercollege.ac.cy/media/Civicus/CIVICUS7Apr06_summary.pdfhttp://www.intercollege.ac.cy/media/Civicus/CIVICUS7Apr06_summary.pdfhttp://www.intercollege.ac.cy/media/Civicus/CIVICUS7Apr06_summary.pdfhttp://www.undp-act.org/http://www.undp-act.org/http://www.undp-act.org/http://www.undp-act.org/http://www.undp-act.org/http://www.intercollege.ac.cy/media/Civicus/CIVICUS7Apr06_summary.pdfhttp://www.intercollege.ac.cy/media/Civicus/CIVICUS7Apr06_summary.pdf7/27/2019 Citizen Peacemaking in Cyprus
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te island, te ACT prgramme elped establis a slid fundatin fr cmmunicatin,
c-peratin and recnciliatin between Greek Cyprits and Turkis Cyprits. oereigt years, dedicated indiiduals and rganizatins frm acrss te diide succeeded
in bringing abut dramatic canges in scietal attitudes twards c-peratin between
te tw cmmunities. Wrking against a backdrp f fear, mistrust and prejudice te
Cyprits w were part f te ACT prgramme cse t listen and learn, discuss and
debate and, ultimately, t negtiate and cmprmise.
Frm te start USAID and UNDP utilized cnsultatie prcesses t ensure tatstakelder aspiratins and cncerns were understd, beneciary needs addressed and
feedback sared. Public cnsultatins were eld at te Ledra Palace htel t discuss
te state f trust between te tw cmmunities based n pll results and sureys. Tis
public utreac eercise elped te ACT prgramme t align its pririties in accrdance
wit plitical deelpments and assess te strategic needs f te emerging inter-
cmmunal ciil sciety sectr. Te ACT prgramme elped t demnstrate te alue
f c-peratin by epliting pprtunities t wrk n areas f cmmn interest and
mutual benet suc as ecnmic deelpment, cultural eritage and yut. Between
2005 and 2008, te prgramme funded 120 prjects, inling 70,000 Cyprits in bi-
cmmunal actiities, wile deelping te skills and knwledge f 370 CSos. Wile
eac prject ad its wn fcus and epertise all were geared twards te prgrammes
erall peace-building gal. In 2009 te ACT prgramme respnded t te resumptin
f negtiatins between te islands leaders by wrking wit key ciil sciety partners
t design prjects wic wuld bring Cyprits clser t te prcess f making peace.
BRINGING CIVIL SOCIETY
PEACE-BUILDING APPROACHES
TO THE wIDER UN
Te UN presence in Cyprus is nt frmally an integrated missin, but in practice it
perates like ne. Eac f te majr UN rganisatins te United NatinsPeacekeeping Frce in Cyprus (UNFICYP), te ofce f te Special Adisr
f te Secretary-General (oSASG) terwise knwn as te UN Gd ofces
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Mission, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) plays a
role that reects its global remit. While UNFICYP focuses on monitoring theceasere between the two sides and maintaining the security of the buffer zone,
the Good Ofces Mission is charged with facilitating the ofcial peace process and
UNDP supports the wider peace-building and reconciliation efforts on the island.
Traditionally UNDP and UNFICYP worked closely in Cyprus, even when there was no
ongoing peace process. From its inception ACT helped its partners to access facilities
and places to meet in the UN buffer zone, which is under the jurisdiction of the UN blueberets. This involved obtaining permission to hold bi-communal events at the islands
key crossing points, along with providing logistical support to ensure access across the
Green Line when necessary. In 2007 UNFICYP facilitated access to the grounds of the
Ledra Palace Hotel (home to the British UN contingent which monitors the ceasere
line in Nicosia) to allow 500 UNDP invited guests to attend a screening of lms
made by young people about various social issues. Earlier that year UNFICYP helped
UNDP and its partners organize the islands rst civil society fair which attracted over
2,000 participants to the buffer zone.
Over the years, successive Special Representatives of the Secretary-General (SRSGs)
have attached great importance to the work of the ACT programme in the context
of the UNs overall mission to build trust between the two communities, repeatedly
emphasising the role of civil society. This was reected in the regular reports made
by the Secretary-General to the Security Council on the UNs work in Cyprus. The
reports commended the work of Cypriot civil society and highlighted the contribution
made by UN-supported bi-communal activities and projects. Some of these reports
also reected the need for civil society to have a greater role in the peace process,
and the Secretary-General often appealed directly to the leaders of each community
to create the necessary conditions for this to happen. In June 2012 the Secretary-
General reiterated the value of civil society by stating: I furthermore encourage
political leaders to fully embrace the concept and practice of a more inclusive
dialogue which ensures that civil society actors can have a more meaningful role inthepeace process7.
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on 8t July 2006 te Cyprit leaders, in a meeting wit UN Under-Secretary-
General Ibraim Gambari, agreed t measures t restart te peace talks wic adended wit te rejectin f te Annan Plan in 2004. As part f tis prcess it was
agreed t establis bi-cmmunal tecnical cmmittees wic wuld seek cnsensus
n specic areas amngst Cyprit specialists in a particular eld. Te agreement was
implemented in 2008, and te tecnical cmmittees were establised in April f tat
year, fllwed by te re-establisment f te UN Gd ofces Missin and te
resumptin f direct talks between te leaders. Wit a strng track recrd f
bi-cmmunal actiities and te eperience f assisting tecnical cmmittees during
te preius peace negtiatins, UNDP was well placed t better cnnect te ciilsciety pririties f te ACT prgramme wit te frmal peace prcess
nw underway. UNDP-ACT played a pital rle in te deelpment and
facilitatin f te tecnical cmmittees. Signicantly, participants in sme f
te cmmittees included ciil sciety leaders and tecnical eperts w ad
wrked n earlier bi-cmmunal prjects supprted by UNDP and USAID; mst
ntably tse dealing wit te enirnment, cultural eritage and ecnmics.
In parallel, CSos were able t implement sme f te fcially-sanctined
cndence-building measures r CBMs wic ad emerged trug te wrk f
te tecnical cmmittees wit funding and supprt frm te ACT prgramme.
UNDP-ACTs tecnical and nancial supprt t te cmmittees allwed fr eigt
leader-appred CBMs t be implemented. In additin ACT supprted ter CBMs
utside f te peace prcess wic pred imprtant in paing te way fr increased
cntact between te cmmunities. one signicant eample f tis type f CBM saw
te pling f USAID and EU funding t pen a new crssing pint in 20108,
wic linked tw relatiely islated cmmunities tat ad nt ad direct cntact wit
eac ter since 1974.
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Confdence-Building Measures supported by the ACT Programme,
2009-2013
Nature of CBM Technical
Committee
Result
Campaign on co-operation
for the prevention of wildres
within the buffer zone.
Environment Raised awareness of the dangers of wildres in
the buffer zone and built the capacity of both
communities in a potential re area near the zone
to prevent them.
Asthma awareness initiative. Health Increased the knowledge of doctors from both
communities specializing in asthma.
Launch of the JointCommunications Room (JCR).
Crime Improved the sharing of information on criminalmatters between the two communities.
Seminars on children at risk
and on prevention of drug abuse.
Crime Allowed for the sharing of information on drug
abuse between the two communities.
Campaign on raising awareness
of water saving measures.
Environment Raised awareness of water conservation needs in
Cyprus.
World AIDS Day event,
Cyprus Against AIDS.
Health Raised awareness of HIV/AIDS and increased the
knowledge of doctors from the two communities
working on the issue.
World Diabetes Day event. Health Helped doctors from the two communities toexchange information on diabetes.
Topographical study for the
Arnavut Mosque and the Church
of Archangelos Michael.
Cultural
Heritage
Provided the foundation for further restoration
work on the two sites.
Technical Committee CBMs supported by UNDP-ACT and other CBMs
Nature of CBM Implementing
Agency
Result
Opening of new crossing point. UNDP-
Partnership forthe Future (PFF)
Linked two communities that had not had
direct contact since 1974 and created additionalopportunities for contact between them.
Fiscal federalism conference. Management
Centre
Provided a forum, outside of the ofcial
negotiations, for key players in the negotiations
to explore how scal issues would be addressed
in a federation.
Two conferences on property. PRIO Cyprus Provided a safe space outside the ofcial
negotiations for discussions on the property issue
and the introduction of new ideas to key actors,
including members of the negotiating teams.
SCR 1325 Conference. PRIO Cyprus
Gender dvisory
Team (GAT)
Raised awareness on the lack of inclusion of
Security Council Resolution 13259 on women,
peace and security in the negotiations.
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/wps/http://www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/wps/http://www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/wps/7/27/2019 Citizen Peacemaking in Cyprus
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Wat will be te lasting impact f te ACT prgramme n te searc fr peace in
Cyprus? Prgrammes supprting peace are all t ften judged by mement, r lack
f mement, in te plitical prcess; and after eigt years f supprting prjects
prmting trust between te tw cmmunities, te island still remains diided.
Years f wrk ae swn, weer, tat tere is n symbitic relatinsip between
te plitics f te cnict and te scial prcesses wic, gien te pprtunity, may
pride te impetus t island-wide recnciliatin. Transfrming te landscape f
recnciliatin in Cyprus as less t d wit te leaders psitins at te negtiatingtable, and mre t d wit assisting te tw cmmunities in naigating different
pats wic lead t mutual understanding, respect and te tangible benets f
c-peratin. Te ACT prgramme prided pprtunities fr Cyprits t design
radmaps fr cange wic tey were ten able t sare wit teir leaders and wit
te public at large.
Te cnclusin drawn frm tis wrk is tat Cyprits temseles ae demnstratedtat partnersip and c-peratin are nt nly pssible, but desirable.
CO-OPERATION MAkES
GOOD BUSINESS SENSE
In ne f te mst signicant areas f c-peratin te ACT prgramme supprted te
effrts f business leaders frm acrss te island in encuraging initiaties wic wuld
reitalise ecnmic relatins between te tw cmmunities. Te Cyprus Camber f
CYPRIoTS PRovE ThAT Co-oPERATIoN
AND CoExISTENCE ARE PoSSIBLE
wE MAY HAVE ALL COME ON
DIFFERENT SHIPS, BUT wERE
IN THE SAME BOAT NOw.
MARTIN LUThER KING, JR.
Chapter 2
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Cmmerce and Industry and te Turkis Cyprit Camber f Cmmerce recgnised
early n te alue f inter-cmmunal c-peratin. Fllwing te intrductin f teEUs Green Line Trade Regulatin in 200410, business leaders frm tese rganizatins
cse t wrk wit te ACT prgramme t translate te regulatin int tangible
cmmercial benets. TeEconomic Interdependence11 prject, wic te tw cambers
managed, put in place mecanisms designed t clse te gap between businesses in
eac cmmunity. Tese included te rst island-wide business directry and an
assciated mbile pne applicatin allwing businesses t identify ptential industry
partners in te ter cmmunity. Te tw cambers als prduced researc wic
clearly demnstrated te nancial benets f a settlement, and cmmissined teprductin f innatie lms t cmmunicate teir ndings t a wider audience.
Why should we take the given realities
for granted? Its not a far-fetched situation;
its more of a Back to the Future situation
Manthos Mavrommatis: President of The Cyprus Chamberof Commerce and Industry (in reference to The Nine OClock
News in the Year 2030 lm)
Te Economic Interdependenceprject elped t transfrm te relatinsip between
te cambers, instituting rganizatinal and attitudinal canges wic were grunded
in a genuine realizatin tat business-t-business c-peratin was a pragmatic frmf trust-building wit ptential fr mutual ecnmic benet. It was tis prfessinal
relatinsip tat paed te way fr ne f te mst signicant episdes in Greek
Cyprit-Turkis Cyprit c-peratin f recent years. In July 2011 te island
eperienced a crisis fllwing te destructin f te main electricity generating plant
in te Greek Cyprit cmmunity. Using te c-peratie mecanisms establised during
te curse f te prject, te tw cambers f cmmerce negtiated an agreement
wereby electricity frm te Turkis Cyprit cmmunity was transferred t te Greek
Cyprit cmmunity. Tis arrangement included a system fr cannelling funds and frte pysical recnnectin f te island-wide electricity grid.
http://ec.europa.eu/cyprus/turkish_cypriots/green_line_regulation/index_en.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/cyprus/turkish_cypriots/green_line_regulation/index_en.htmhttp://www.cpnnet.net/http://www.cpnnet.net/http://www.cpnnet.net/http://ec.europa.eu/cyprus/turkish_cypriots/green_line_regulation/index_en.htm7/27/2019 Citizen Peacemaking in Cyprus
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On 17th July 2013, in what was described
as the worst ever environmental disaster
to befall the Turkish Cypriot community,
approximately 100 tonnes of oil spilled into
the sea in an ecologically sensitive region.
The catastrophe was mitigated as a result of
the tight co-operation built across the divide
through the Economic Interdependence project.
The same day, the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce
and Industry, together with the Turkish Cypriot
Chamber of Commerce, building on their strong
relationship, brokered an agreement enabling
the transfer of oil-absorbent booms from the
Greek Cypriot Community to the site of the
disaster. According to Leonidas Paschalides
from the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, The two Chambers have demonstrated
once again the crucial role they play in handling
crisis situations across the divide through
bi-communal co-operation for the benet of
all Cypriots. The focal points established by the
UNDP/USAID-funded Interdependence project
have proved to be instrumental in this direction.
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7,107,8856,728,248
4,462,536
1,680,099
2,529,425
1,577,582
1,429,335
2,179,786.84
1,139,759
8,000,000
7,000,000
6,000,000
5,000,000
4,000,000
3,000,000
2,000,000
1,000,000
0
July 2011 August 2011 September 2011 octber 2011 Nvember 2011 December 2011 January 2012 February 2012 March 2012
Trade in Electricity across the divide
Source: EDGE/USAID September 2012 Green Line trade analysis12
Tis episde swed w te priate sectr culd be at te frefrnt f recnciliatin
effrts, irrespectie f te state f te frmal peace prcess. oer tw years (2010-
2011) te tw cambers f cmmerce undertk a jint researc eercise t frecast
te cnditin f te Cyprit ecnmy under tw scenaris: an immediate settlement,
r a delayed settlement. Entitled Assessment of current economic interdependence
between the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot communities and recommendations
for reinforced economic convergence13, te reprt reealed tat te leel f ecnmic
ecange acrss te diide was far mre nancially signicant tan ad been
preiusly indicated by fcial Green Line trade statistics.
It is enormously important for the business community
to do what it can to drive this process and remind people
of the benets of a solution.
Alexander Downer, Special Advisor of the Secretary General
It als cncluded tat a Cyprus settlement wuld reme many f te eisting
cnstraints t ecnmic deelpment, allwing Cyprus t better weater te glbal
ecnmic crisis. one majr recmmendatin was tat een in te absence f a frmal
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settlement trade between the two communities should be actively encouraged through
the opening of more crossing points, further harmonisation of the Turkish Cypriotcommunity with the EU acquis communautaire, the co-operation of professional
associations and the implementation of large-scale condence-building measures
proposed by the technical committees. The ndings of the report were dramatised
in a lm which explored the impact which a settlement would have on the islands
economy. Screenings of the lm, The Nine OClock News in the Year 203014, prompted
lively public discussions about the incentives for resolving the Cyprus question.
As someone who has lost faith in the peace process,
this lm has moved me for the rst time in many years.
Comment on a social media site.
Preserving a shared
natural heritage
Environmental co-operation has long been seen by the UN as having the potential
to make a major contribution to the advancement of reconciliation. The UN-wide
partnership for Environment and Security (ENVSEC15) is based on the premise that
working together on solving environmental problems is often the simplest way
to longer-term, more systematic and fundamental co-operation. Where conicts
occur, environmental co-operation may pave the way to broader solutions16. One
of the most visible examples of this phenomenon was the re-connection in the late
1970s of the sewerage system in Nicosia, which subsequently laid the foundation
for the creation of the Nicosia Master Plan17, a bi-communal structure, which
continues to strive to develop a common vision for the islands divided capital.
Many of the environmental experts who participated in this eld of bi-communalactivity concluded that the protection of Cyprus fragile natural resources depends on
a single coherent approach to the sustainable development of the island as a whole.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbrk1i4xXBIhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbrk1i4xXBIhttp://www.envsec.org/http://www.envsec.org/http://www.grida.no/publications/et/ep2/page/2488.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/publications/et/ep2/page/2488.aspxhttp://www.nicosia.org.cy/english/enniaio_omada_meletis.shtmhttp://www.nicosia.org.cy/english/enniaio_omada_meletis.shtmhttp://www.grida.no/publications/et/ep2/page/2488.aspxhttp://www.nicosia.org.cy/english/enniaio_omada_meletis.shtmhttp://www.envsec.org/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbrk1i4xXBI7/27/2019 Citizen Peacemaking in Cyprus
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The ACT programme used this pragmatic assessment as the basis for a number of
projects illustrating the mutual benets of environmental co-operation. In 2006 aposter campaign at the Ledra Palace crossing in the buffer zone, entitled Nature
Without Boundaries, highlighted potential areas of co-operation, such as the
prevention of wildres, biodiversity, and public health; all areas that some years
later were addressed by the Environmental Technical Committee.
Its wrong to distinguish between north, south, east
and west, because there are no such boundaries as far
as nature is concerned.
Tuberk Emirzade, COAG member.
Some of the earliest inter-communal networks emerged through environmental concerns
about the islands farming practices. As Green Line trade became a consideration for
business people, interest grew among Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in developing
common environmental standards across the dairy and organic farming industries. The
Madison Dairy Advisory Group (MADAG) and the Cyprus Organic Advisory Group
(COAG18) were created in 2003 and 2005 respectively to provide vehicles for this form
of co-operation at a time when the concept of corporate environmental responsibility
in Cyprus was in its infancy19. The COAG and MADAG efforts paved the way for a
range of environmental CBMs led by the private sector as Green Line trade developed,
with a MADAG proposal for inter-communal co-operation whey management20 nding
a place in technical committee discussions on condence-building during 2012-2013.
Civil society participation increased as a result of these efforts and took the form of
hybrid projects in which technical leadership was provided by appropriately qualied
experts, but where CSOs took charge of the ensuing public awareness campaigns.
One project which illustrated this approach was entitled Innovative Biological
Approaches for the Reforestation of Environmentally Stressed Sites (IBARESS)21
,and involved reforestation experts, academics and environmental NGOs from both
communities. In another case, teams of scientists collaborated on a bi-communal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ex9h6Vx2yc&list=PL6764A0A17F1F86F0&index=20http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ex9h6Vx2yc&list=PL6764A0A17F1F86F0&index=20http://www.undp-act.org/data/articles/cer_en.pdfhttp://www.undp-act.org/data/articles/ACT_Final%20Report_Whey%20management.pdfhttp://www.undp-act.org/data/articles/ACT_Final%20Report_Whey%20management.pdfhttp://www.undp-act.org/data/articles/pfs_pim002_ibaress_ii_gc.dochttp://www.undp-act.org/data/articles/pfs_pim002_ibaress_ii_gc.dochttp://www.undp-act.org/data/articles/ACT_Final%20Report_Whey%20management.pdfhttp://www.undp-act.org/data/articles/cer_en.pdfhttp://www.undp-act.org/data/articles/pfs_pim002_ibaress_ii_gc.dochttp://www.undp-act.org/data/articles/pfs_pim002_ibaress_ii_gc.dochttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ex9h6Vx2yc&list=PL6764A0A17F1F86F0&index=207/27/2019 Citizen Peacemaking in Cyprus
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research project to map the biological diversity of the de-militarised UN buffer zone22.
The project, which received international media attention, uncovered the naturaltreasures of the buffer zone, which had remained hidden for over three decades, thus
demonstrating the value of co-operation and how the natural heritage of the island could
not be protected by one community alone. Emboldened by the success of this work,
the scientists broadened their collaboration to include other initiatives, such as the
rst ever joint survey of water birds23 across the island since the 1970s and a
series of environmental awareness campaigns.
nature and the environment can bring the two
communities together and contribute towards building
co-operation and trust.
Costas Kadis, member of the CESF and team leader
of the Environmental Technical Committee.
Environmental co-operation under the ACT programme demonstrated the necessity of
public participation in environmental decision-making; this is already a well-established
principle in international law, as specied in the Aarhus Convention24 and the EU
Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive25. More importantly, it corresponds to
a strong desire by Cypriots to be consulted in decision-making, especially as regards
the peace process. In response to a 2008 survey26 which showed that most Cypriots felt
they were not being properly informed or consulted on important environmental issues,
the ACT programme supported a range of public consultations in towns and villages
across the island. This culminated in a study (conducted by the Cyprus 2015 project),
which led to the proposal of a set of CBMs to ensure the sustainable development of the
island based on common concerns; these included the development of an eco-city and
the installation of a photo-voltaic facility in thebuffer zone27 to generate solar power
for island-wide use.
http://www.undp-act.org/data/articles/waterbirds%20book%20final.pdfhttp://www.undp-act.org/data/articles/waterbirds%20book%20final.pdfhttp://www.unece.org/env/pp/introduction.htmlhttp://www.unece.org/env/pp/introduction.htmlhttp://ec.europa.eu/environment/eia/sea-legalcontext.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/environment/eia/sea-legalcontext.htmhttp://www.cyprus2015.org/index.php?option=com_phocadownload&view=category&id=6%3Areports&Itemid=34&lang=enhttp://www.cyprus2015.org/index.php?option=com_phocadownload&view=category&id=6%3Areports&Itemid=34&lang=enhttp://www.cyprus2015.org/index.php?option=com_phocadownload&view=category&id=6%3Areports&Itemid=34&lang=enhttp://ec.europa.eu/environment/eia/sea-legalcontext.htmhttp://www.unece.org/env/pp/introduction.htmlhttp://www.undp-act.org/data/articles/waterbirds%20book%20final.pdf7/27/2019 Citizen Peacemaking in Cyprus
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ACTs support eventually led to the formation of the
Cyprus Environmental Stakeholder Forum (CESF28)
the rst inter-communal environmental advocacy
network bringing together academics, journalists,
civil society leaders and others to demonstrate the
importance of an inter-communal vision to protect
the islands shared natural heritage. Launched in
2007, with the support of the Cyprus Technical
Chamber (ETEK) and the Union of the Chambers
of Cyprus Turkish Engineers and Architects
(KTMMOB), the network became an advocacy
success when its representatives participated in
a major policy-making event. The CESF became
the rst bi-communal group to address the
Commission on Sustainable Development29 at
the United Nations in New York in 2007. This
opportunity for a direct input into the formulationof global environmental policy demonstrated the
power of co-operation and the potential of civil
society and academics to pioneer reconciliation
efforts. One year later members of the CESF were
appointed to the newly-formed EnvironmentalTechnical Committee.
http://www.cyef.net/http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=4773&catid=7&typeid=46http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=4773&catid=7&typeid=46http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=4773&catid=7&typeid=46http://www.cyef.net/http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=4773&catid=7&typeid=467/27/2019 Citizen Peacemaking in Cyprus
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Keepers of each
others culture
Cypriot culture is among the oldest in the world. The rst signs of civilization date
back to the 7th millennium BC. The islands rich cultural landscape includes hundreds
of archaeological sites. The ACT programme invested in preserving this heritage
through projects which were designed to ensure the integrity and protection of culturally
important sites whilst serving to bring the two communities together within a framework
of concrete collaboration. This combined approach constitutes a unique contribution tothe preservation of the rich cultural heritage of all communities in Cyprus.
The shared objective of the cultural heritage restoration projects was to give all
communities on the island a chance to take pride in the rich and diverse cultural heritage
around them while gaining rst-hand experience of how co-operation across communal
lines can build interpersonal trust. The tangibility of restoration projects helped local
communities to re-imagine the physical spaces around them and gave a meaningfulcontext in which participants could pursue contact with members of the other
communities. The departure points for these journeys were often professional
with architects, engineers and planners working together but through the process
of collaborating on the design and implementation of projects, individuals came to
trust their counterparts in the other community, rst as fellow professionals and later
as friends. Close interaction with the other community often compelled people to
revisit their own prejudices and in many cases individual attitudes were changed.
The ACT programme was courageous enough to experiment with cultural heritage
initiatives and the most successful projects were those which embraced the
participation of local people and allowed community-based organizations to take
the lead in project design and implementation. The Cultural Heritage Preservation
Circle project30, implemented by the Kontea Heritage Foundation and the Union of
the Chambers of Cyprus Turkish Engineers and Architects (KTMMOB), is one of the
best examples of how this worked in practice. The lessons learned from participatorycultural heritage projects like this were used to develop other similar initiatives
seeking to reconnect Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots around shared spaces31.
http://konteaheritage.com/http://konteaheritage.com/http://konteaheritage.com/http://konteaheritage.com/http://issuu.com/undp_in_europe_cis/docs/future_together_researchhttp://issuu.com/undp_in_europe_cis/docs/future_together_researchhttp://issuu.com/undp_in_europe_cis/docs/future_together_researchhttp://konteaheritage.com/http://konteaheritage.com/7/27/2019 Citizen Peacemaking in Cyprus
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Cultural heritage sites restored through support from UNDP-ACT,
2006-2012
Name Description
Grand Turkis Bat. Built n te ruins f a Latin Curc by te ottmans between 1571 and
1590, tis building as istrically been f great symblic imprtance in
Cyprit cultural life.
Prpet Elias Curc
and Mnastery.
Te hly Marnite/Catlic Curc f Prpet Elias is bt a majr
religius mnument fr many Cyprits and a spiritual and educatinal
centre. Basic repairs and fencing f te site were carried ut.
Ayis Nepyts Capel. Lcated in te buffer zne, tis listed mnument was restred t its
frmer state by te Department f Antiquities. In c-rdinatin wit lcal
residents and te UN access was made pssible fr ccasinal isits and
fr maintenance.
Faieru Day Care Centre. Te restred Faieru Day Care Centre prides reabilitatin and
educatinal facilities fr peple wit a range f disabilities. Lcated
near Paps Gate, te centre seres bt cmmunities. Its peratinal
pilspy is based n understanding, respect, friendsip and mutual
acceptance, making it unique in te eld f specialised care.
Multi-purpse
Cmmunity Centre.
Tis traditinal mudbrick building was built in te early part f te
last century. Since its restratin it as been used as a cultural and
enirnmental centre.
Cultural heritage
Preseratin Circle prject.
Te prject included te cnstructin f a peace park and te
restratin f a illage curtyard. Te prject cntinues t pride
pprtunities fr many inter-cmmunal gaterings and t inspire ter
illages.
Armenian Curc
and Mnastery.
Lcated in te Arabamet neigburd, tis 14t century Gtic
mnument was restred t its frmer glry. Te prject inled te
Armenian Cyprit cmmunity and eperts frm te lcal cmmunity in
Cyprus and erseas.
Centre fr visual Arts
and Researc.
Tis ld ur mill will be restred as an arts and researc centre,
and will pride a space fr te Sharing History, Art, Research and
Education prject (ShARE).
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Through the Cultural Heritage Preservation Circle
project, UNDP-ACT supported the work of Greek
Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots committed to
restoring a set of cherished cultural heritage sites,
some of which date back to the 12th century.
The project adopted an inclusive approach
to public consultation with town meetings,exhibitions, networks for conveying information
and receiving feedback and was structured around
joint decision-making by parallel Turkish Cypriot
and Greek Cypriot management committees. These
mechanisms enabled the project to pioneer a locallyowned participatory decision-making model to foster
reconciliation and instil condence in the prospect
of reversing the islands division. Designed jointly
by local leaders in the communities, the project
demonstrated how combining reconciliation and
citizen participation in decision-making around
tangible assets of common signicance can
transform the conict dynamic into one of
mutual respect and shared values.
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Wen te cmmunity leaders Dimitris Cristas and Memet Ali Talat restarted
negtiatins t resle te Cyprus cnict in 2008, UNDP and USAID decided te
ACT prgramme needed t reect te new plitical climate if it was t pride ptimum
supprt fr ciil sciety in te recnciliatin prcess. At te time, te prgrammes
wrk was cnsidered imprtant fr te creatin f a scietal climate wic wuld
facilitate fcial negtiatins, including te implementatin f mutually agreed CBMs.
In 2009 te ACT prgramme adpted a plicy f assisting ciil sciety t prepare fr
engagement bt in te peace prcess and in a ptential pst-settlement pase. UNDP
and USAID agreed t wrk wit ciil sciety rganizatins t elp facilitate te full
engagement f all Cyprits wit te peace prcess and t feed citizen pinins int tat
prcess trug frmal and infrmal mecanisms. T succeed, tis required an apprac
wic empasized plicy dialgue, adcacy and te pursuit f gd gernance,
all elements inerent in participatry peace-making. Embarking n tis stage f te
jurney UNDP, USAID and teir Cyprit partners deelped a cnsensus tat a durableslutin t te Cyprus questin must be Cyprit-wned; but tat wnersip must lie
as muc wit te peple f te island as wit te pliticians w wuld brker a deal.
CITIZENS PLAY ThEIR PART IN ThE SEARCh FoR PEACE
I THINk THAT PEOPLE wANT
PEACE SO MUCH THAT ONE OF
THESE DAYS GOVERNMENT HAD
BETTER GET OUT OF THEIR wAY
AND LET THEM HAVE IT.
DWIGhT D. EISENhoWER
Chapter 3
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THE EMERGENCE OF A
PEACE-BUILDING CIVILSOCIETY SECTOR
Te ACT prgramme supprted ciil sciety peace-builders w wanted t make te
debate n peace a part f te ppular discurse acrss te island. oer time Greek
Cyprit and Turkis Cyprit CSos graduated frm being te managers f discrete
interactins between like-minded prpnents f bi-cmmunal c-peratin, t becmepractie adcates f island-wide recnciliatin. By 2013 a relatiely mature debate
n te rle f ciil sciety ad becme rted in te mainstream media n te island;
smeting wic 10 years preiusly wuld ae been tugt imprbable. As a
result, ciil sciety rganizatins came t be iewed as ne f te mst imprtant
ices in te prmtin f inter-cmmunal recnciliatin. hweer, wile teir
wrk culd be seen as supprting te traditinal plitical peace prcess, as practised
by te plitical elite, it is neiter dened by tat prcess nr dependent upn it.
Without grassroots dynamism and support, it will be
difcult to reinitiate talks, let alone bring about their
successful conclusion. A more participatory framework
will allow multiple processes to progress in parallel,
leading to cumulative progress in internal and international
substantive dossiers while simultaneously building societal
trust. Building trust in the process and in each other is as
important as brokering a deal.
Erol Kaymak, Senior Researcher, The Center for Sustainable Peace
and Democratic Development (SeeD)
Te ACT prgramme elped lay te fundatins fr a mre cerent and cal
peace-building ciil sciety sectr trug a series f capacity deelpment initiaties.
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Members f Te Elders Grup were te guests
f nur at te fcial pening f te Cyprus
Cmmunity Media Centre.Te ENGAGE prject epanded public discurse n te current peace prcess
by rganizing a series f discussins n te cncept f federalism attended by
te Special Adiser f te Secretary-General.
Multicultural yut camps elped yung peple t callenge steretypes and build trust.
Te Pwer f one inter-reginal cnference brugt tgeter200 participants frm 28 cuntries t discuss citizen-led
innatin and scial cange.
UNDP-ACT slar panel installatin in te UN Prtected Area.
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Wit te slgan Were teres a will teres a way te 2007 Ciil Sciety fair attracted media attentin wit its message f c-peratin.
Te 2007 Ciil Sciety Fair brugt tgeter tusands f ciil sciety actiists in te Buffer Zne.
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Celebrating te cmpletin f a cultural eritage restratin prject.
Te fully restred hme fr C-peratin in te UN Buffer Zne.
Initatin t te launc f Te Studi
Cyprus rst inter-cmmunalisland-wide bradcasting facility.
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Te tw leaders plant lie trees dnated by ciil sciety
in supprt f te resumptin f peace talks in 2008.
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Ciil sciety declaratin in supprt f resumptin f peace talks in 2008.
Te ENGAGE n te me NGo fairs tk place in arius lcatins arund te island.
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Cultural heritage Preseratin Circle prject: befre and after pts.
Internal iew f te restred Armenian Curc and Mnastery.
Eternal iew f te restred Armenian Curc and Mnastery.
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Te newly restred Grand Turkis Bat.
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Training pster fr Cyprus Cmmunity Media Centre.
Tgeter Anyting is Pssible Yut Camp by KAYAD.
Yut Dialgue Prject calls yung peple t actin.
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Te rst prize winner receies is award at te
Sting Reality Film Festial.
Members f te Gender Adisry Team launc teir recmmendatins
fr impring gender perspecties in te peace prcess.
Increasing te media skills f ciil sciety at te Cyprus Cmmunity Media Centre.
Initatin t rst eent fr Maallae.
Members f te Yut Adisry Bard prudly launc te rst
human Deelpment Reprt n Yut in Cyprus.
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Te Cyprit Puzzle eibitin traelled t cities arund te island.
Te Cyprus Critical histry Arcie gies access t digitized articles relating t inter-cmmunal relatins in Cyprus.
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Yut Pwer small grants gae lcal yut NGos a cance t celebrate and cllabrate.
Cyprus organic Adisry Grup at te State Fair.
Te Ciil Sciety Awards gae recgnitin t te wrk f
grassrts rganisatins wrking acrss te diide in Cyprus.
Yut Pwer partners tk part in te glbal Eartdance eent in 2009.
Sting Reality yung lmmakers
cmpetitin annuncement.
Pster frm te Yut Pwer
celebratin eent.
Wrld AIDS Day eent, Cyprus Against
AIDS by te Tecnical Cmmittee n
healt Matters.
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Beind te scenes during te lming f vices f Tmrrw: Yut in Cyprus.
Gardas yut camp participants interacting trug teatre.
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Cildren celebrate te rst birtday fr te hme fr C-peratin in 2012.
Celebrating Cyprit culture under te Future Tgeter prject.
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Te tw leaders jin fcials frm te UN and te dnr cmmunity
t celebrate te pening f a new crssing pint in 2010.
Greek Cyprit and Turkis ciil sciety leaders address te Britis huse f Cmmns n 15 May 2012.
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Te pening f te Nature witut Bundaries utdr eibitin in 2006.
Greek Cyprits and Turkis Cyprits celebrate Wrld Water Day 2011.
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opening f te Peace Park as part f te Cultural heritage Preseratin Circle prject.
A UN sldier lks n as te tw leaders fcially pen te hme fr C-peratin.
Initatin t te screening f te
Te Nine oclck News in te year 2030.
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one f te majr milestnes was Cyprus rst International Civil Society Fair: Open
Voices Active Citizens32
(2007). Te fair tk place in te etinkaya ftball pitc inte UN buffer zne and attracted er 2,000 participants. It was ailed as te biggest
bi-cmmunal eent n te island at tat time. Te fairs slgan Were teres a will
teres a way epressed te aspiratins f ciil sciety actiists w sugt t reac
ut t teir peers frm te ter cmmunity and tgeter t nd ways f raising te
ices f citizens trug ciic participatin and engagement. Many f te ciil sciety
rganizatins taking part ad already eperienced sme bi-cmmunal cntact befre
te fair, but UNDP-ACT recgnised tat tere was a cmmn desire amngst ciil
sciety actrs t bring sme crdinatin t teir wrk. Te fair marked te beginningf te creatin f a public space fr te epressin f slidarity between Greek Cyprits
and Turkis Cyprits and allwed CSos t psitin temseles as part f an inter-
cmmunal scial mement tat culd speak cllectiely fr te public interest f bt
cmmunities.
At te same time UNDP-ACT launced its $1.8 millin Civil Society Strengthening
Programme (CSSP)33. Implemented by a cnsrtium led by te Internatinal Training
and Researc Centre (INTRAC UK) in partnersip wit tw Cyprit CSos te
Management Centre f te Mediterranean (MC-MED)34 and teNGo Supprt Centre35
te tw-year prgramme engaged er 200 CSos in a series f structured capacity
building actiities wic fcused n enancing te effectieness f participating
NGos. At its cnclusin UNDP-ACT identied a cre netwrk f well-structured
CSos wic ad demnstrated te institutinal knwledge and capacity t lead te
sectr int an area f rapid grwt and impact. A majr success tat arse directly frm
tis eperience was tat a number f te inter-cmmunal partnersips frged under
te auspices f te CSo Fair and CSSP went n t successfully mbilise additinal
resurces frm ter dnrs including te EU.
Te success f tese initiaties elped ciil sciety leaders understand te alue f
reclaiming te gegrapical spaces wic ad istrically dened te islands diisin.
Fr years, te nly enues fr bi-cmmunal cllabratin and dialgue ad been teUNFICYP-cntrlled Ledra Palace htel alng wit te Gete and Fulbrigt Centres
in Marku Draku Street. But after 2009 tis area began t pen up, transfrming
http://www.undp-act.org/default.aspx?tabid=104&it=1&mid=789&itemid=0&langid=1&extraId=40http://www.undp-act.org/default.aspx?tabid=104&it=1&mid=789&itemid=0&langid=1&extraId=40http://www.undp-act.org/default.aspx?tabid=104&it=1&mid=789&itemid=0&langid=1&extraId=40http://www.intrac.org/pages/en/ccssp2008.htmlhttp://www.intrac.org/pages/en/ccssp2008.htmlhttp://www.mc-med.eu/http://www.mc-med.eu/http://www.ngo-sc.org/http://www.ngo-sc.org/http://www.ngo-sc.org/http://www.mc-med.eu/http://www.intrac.org/pages/en/ccssp2008.htmlhttp://www.intrac.org/pages/en/ccssp2008.htmlhttp://www.undp-act.org/default.aspx?tabid=104&it=1&mid=789&itemid=0&langid=1&extraId=40http://www.undp-act.org/default.aspx?tabid=104&it=1&mid=789&itemid=0&langid=1&extraId=407/27/2019 Citizen Peacemaking in Cyprus
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te crssing pint int a ie f peace-building actiity. Tday, te hme fr
C-peratin36
, te Cyprus Cmmunity Media Centre37
(CCMC), and te EU MeetingPint38 ffer Cyprits frm all walks f life pysical sared spaces were te
cmmunities can meet and cllabrate. Te ACT prgramme played its part in
canging te buffer znes gegrapy by establising te CCMC facility and entering
int an agreement wit te Assciatin fr histrical Dialgue and Researc39
(AhDR) and te Nrwegian gernment t supprt prjects wic wuld be managed
frm te reabilitated hme fr C-peratin. Indeed te ACT prgramme ften
used te cnergent spaces alng te Green Line t bring te tw cmmunities
tgeter arund a ariety f peple-t-peple cntact eents including wrksps,art eibitins, sprts tures, lm festials and perfrmances. Priding Cyprits
wit te cance t reclaim te diided space alng te buffer zne became a key
drier in te deelpment f a cesie ciil sciety mement. Anter testament
t tis transfrmatin was te emergence f a number f rganizatins wic
became grunded in a Cyprit rater tan a Greek Cyprit r a Turkis Cyprit
identity. organizatins suc as CCMC, AhDR, Yut Pwer40 and te Centre fr
Sustainable Peace and Demcratic Deelpment41 (SeeD), played a aluable part in
te creatin f te fundatins fr an inter-cmmunal ciil sciety peace-building
sectr n te island.
Purchasing and renovating a dilapidated building
in no mans land and turning it to the Home for
Co-operation was in no way an easy endeavor.
And yet, this was just the very rst step of a long lasting
and demanding journey towards the realization of an
ambitious vision: to question the current use of the so
called dead zone, through its transformation into a space
of co-operation, a forum of contact and dialogue, based
on solidarity, and the promotion of mutual respect and
understanding, amongst all people in CyprusKyriakos Pachoulides, President,
The Association for Historical Dialogue and Research
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Bringing people into
the peace process
UNDP and USAIDs policy of creating opportunities for citizens to make their voices
heard on the islands future was endorsed both inside and outside Cyprus. The call
for citizens to be partners in the Cyprus peace process was championed by successive
United Nations secretary generals, who made direct requests to the islands leaders to
fully involve civil society in the peace process. Recognizing that civil society in Cyprus,
as in many parts of the world, needed to be a legitimate partner in decision-making
and policy formulation, the ACT programme sought to be as inclusive as possible and
invited people from all walks of life to join in the development of policy options for
reconciliation between the two communities. As a result, for the rst time, creative
avenues for addressing the Cyprus conict were opened up, allowing ordinary people
to be part of the debate of the future of the island. The effect was to deepen the quality
of democracy in Cyprus as the agenda for building cooperative structures across the
Green Line broadened beyond professional negotiators and traditional peace activists.
Previous unsuccessful attempts to reach a settlement on the island had convinced
many that Cyprus needed to emulate successful peace processes in other parts of
the world which had emphasised public participation in negotiation, trust building
and socio-political transition. In 2009 UNDP-ACT launched projects aimed at
helping civil society to bridge the gap between citizens and the policy-making elite.
One vehicle for this was the Cyprus 2015
42
project, which used peace pollingand participatory action research43 approaches to measure public opinion towards
the negotiating positions of the two leaders, and to enable them to make informed
decisions based on this knowledge. Over four years, the project built a very concise
picture of citizens attitudes towards what they felt would make a settlement work
for the people of the island. In addition the wealth of survey data and public polling
conrmed the widely held belief that the Cyprus peace process was detached from
the concerns of the general public, with the overwhelming majority of Cypriots in
both communities believing that the leaders ignored their opinions on the negotiationprocess, despite a widespread desire to be consulted on such majorpolicy decisions44.
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Extent to which the voice of citizens is heard by the leaders
in the negotiation process-Source: Cyprus 2015, 201245
Opinion on whether citizens should be consulted
on major policy decisions-Source: Cyprus 2015, 201246
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The results of these surveys were utilized to produce periodic high-level policy briefs
that were given directly to the negotiating teams. In January 2012, the Cyprus 2015team produced a brief, entitled Negotiating the Core Issues47, which was discussed by
the leaders at the Greentree II meeting in New York. The project became the only
genuine gauge of ordinary Cypriots opinions of their leaders management of the peace
process, and while negotiations were taking place, it was the only channel providing
the leaderships with evidence-based analysis of constituents reactions to their respective
negotiating positions.
UNDP-ACT used several other mechanisms to help expand the arena for citizens
exposure to, and participation in, the peace negotiations. One of these was a set of
public debates on a federal solution based on the High Level Agreements of 1977 and
197948, which form the current basis for the negotiations between the two leaders. The
meetings involved the Special Advisor of the UN Secretary-General and were intended
to inform Cypriot citizens about the implications of a federal solution and the way
it would affect their lives. The forums highlighted the need for political leaders to
discuss the meaning of a federal solution with their respective constituents. The tworepresentatives of the leaders were invited at different times to support and participate
in civil society-led events and discussion forums. In February 2012 theENGAGE, Do
Your Part for Peace49project invited the Leaders Representatives, George Iacovou
and Kudret zersay, to discuss the important role played by NGOs in informing the
public about the challenges and opportunities for a comprehensive settlement. After
several years of civil society activity, bi-communal projects and advocacy the event
helped to formally recognize the role of CSOs in bridging the gap both between the
two communities and, mono-communally, between the political elites and the
general public.
The ENGAGE project launched its Active Dialogue Networks (ADNs) in 2011
with the aim of bringing the reconciliation process to local communities around
the island. The project focussed on towns and villages not usually associated
with bi-communal activities, and encompassed a number of rural areas in bothcommunities. The ADNs provided opportunities for communities to connect their
local realities with a broader perspective on the implications of a political
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The conference Womens Peace: Applying
the UN Security Council Resolution 1325
to Cyprus and the Region held in December2012 highlighted the importance of womens
participation in peace processes.
I think that the UN needs to advocate for
a quota system for women that will actually
have a greater chance of delivering a
demilitarised peace in Cyprus.
Olga Demetriou,PRIO Cyprus Centre
UN women should recruit a representative
to represent Cyprus as soon as possible with
appropriate resources to support the inclusion
of gender perspectives into the peace process
and womens political engagement.
Biran Mertan,Gender Advisory Team
We would like the UN to encourage and support
specic training for men on gender equality and
to raise awareness of the importance of womens
political participation.
Nadia Karayianni,NGO Support Centre
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settlement. Structured around local community dialogues, activities involved civil
society representatives, academics, business people, journalists and local ofcialsdiscussing a number of core issues related to gender, peace and reconciliation,
sustainable development and civil society. The open dialogue methodology
encouraged consensus on a series of local development priorities subsequently
written up in the form of advocacy papers which ENGAGE later discussed with local
leaders and decision-makers.
The open dialogue format enshrined in the ADNs was also adopted as a useful wayof working by Cypriot women who wanted to engage the leaders on the application
of Security Council Resolution 132550 (2000) to the negotiations and to the larger
issue of reconciliation between the communities. Security Council Resolution
1325 requests UN Member States to protect the rights of women and girls in armed
conict and ensure increased representation of women at all decision-making
levels in national, regional and international institutions and mechanisms for the
prevention, management, and resolution of conict. For the Cypriot civil society
peace-building movement a public debate about SCR 1325 offered opportunities tourge the leaders to embrace gender considerations as part of the ofcial peace
process, while at the same time creating entry points for a more public approach
to the management of the process itself.
The ACT programme responded to these developments by supporting an initial
assessment of the role of gender in the peace process and wider reconciliation
efforts. This led to the formation of a Gender Advisory Team51(2009) of local women
activists who collaborated on ways of foregrounding gender issues in both formal
and informal peace processes. The GAT collaborated with UNDP-ACT and the
Peace Research Institute of Oslo52 (PRIO) to develop a series of recommendations on
incorporating gender concerns into the governance chapter of the negotiations; these
were disseminated at a conference in Nicosia in December 2012 called Womens
Peace: Applying the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 to Cyprus
and the Region53.
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CIvIL SoCIETY oRGANISATIoNS IMAGINE NEW
NARRATIvES oF ThE FUTURE
ALL OF US IN CYPRUS, GREEk
CYPRIOTS ON ONE SIDE OF THE DEAD
ZONE, TURkISH CYPRIOTS ON THE
OTHER, ARE OBSESSED wITH ONE
QUESTION. wHO IS TO BLAME?
YIANNIS PAPADAKIS,
EChoES FRoM ThE DEAD ZoNE
Te pysical separatin f Greek Cyprits and Turkis Cyprits is underpinned
by a psyclgical diisin rted in tw irrecncilable narraties f te past. Te
language f te Cyprus cnict cnslidates te dminant sci-plitical psitins
f te cmmunities and is te currency wic gerns teir day-t-day relatins;
funded as it is n a principle f mutual nn-recgnitin. Despite te eistence f seen
crssing pints alng te Green Line and a steady stream f Cyprits crssing frm
ne side t te ter since 2003 (er 20 millin crssings ae been recrded), te
leel f trust between te tw cmmunities remains lw, wile te quality f
peple-t-peple cntact as impred little er te years. Sureys sw tat
nly 17% f Greek Cyprits ae persnal cntact wit Turkis Cyprits wile
32% f te numerically smaller Turkis Cyprits ae persnal cntact wit Greek
Cyprits. In terms f penness t te principle f ceistence, just er alf f GreekCyprits wuld accept aing neigburs r clleagues frm te ter cmmunity
and wuld be willing fr teir cildren t attend mied scls. Te majrity f
Turkis Cyprits, weer, reject tese mdels f ceistence, and bt sides
erwelmingly reject te pssibility f aing a bss frm te ter cmmunity
and disappre f mied marriages fr teir cildren/siblings54. Te psyclgy
f diisin translates int limited scial interactin and in eac cmmunity te
assumptin is tat te ter side is t blame fr te cnict and its cnsequences.
Chapter 4
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Types of contact with people from the other community
Source: UNDP-ACT 2013 Trust Surveys
Greek Cyprit Cmmunity
Turkis Cyprit Cmmunity
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Tis reality is reected by te media in bt cmmunities, wic perpetuate te
dminant narratie f mistrust. Jurnalists reliance n te serices prided bypress fces and news agencies means tat bt print and bradcast media stries
rarely transcend te dminant retric f eac cmmunity and gie minimal space t
alternatie ices. Te use f tw different languages (Greek and Turkis) furter
cntributes t a lack f understanding, and many media utlets marginalise stries n
peace-building, ciil sciety actiities, diersity and multiculturalism, wile scial,
ecnmic, and enirnmental issues tat cncern bt cmmunities are gien irtually
n cerage.
CREATING ALTERNATIVE
PUBLIC DISCOURSES
Te ACT prgramme respnded by elping ciil sciety partners t create pysical
and irtual spaces were peple culd eplre te relatinsip between te tw
cmmunities witut being tied by te cnstraints f te dminant narratie. Starting
in 2007 UNDP-ACT funded seeral large-scale initiaties wic attempted t reerse
te psyclgy f diisin by giing Cyprits te freedm and resurces t imagine
and articulate a future isin f te island witut te cnict. Tese initiaties went
sme way t epunge many f te negatie assciatins linked t bi-cmmunal
actiities and t prmte te rle f ciil sciety as a partner t te public and priate
sectrs. Te effrt paid diidends as inter-cmmunal dialgue as since becme
widely accepted. Accrding t a majrity f Greek Cyprits and Turkis Cyprits,
participatin in bi-cmmunal eents as ad a psitie impact n te leel f trust
wile te majrity f Greek Cyprits (74%) and Turkis Cyprits (69%) credit bi-
cmmunal actiities wit aing elped te tw cmmunities cme clser tgeter55.
A majr acieement was te establisment in 2009 f te Cyprus Cmmunity Media
Centre56 (CCMC). Tis arse trug ciil sciety-led cmmunicatins initiaties
wic ad been supprted by UNDP-ACT er seeral years. CCMC quickly became ane-stp-sp fr inter-cmmunal media cllabratin and a resurce fr ciil sciety-
led adcacy. Te rganisatin elped t institutinalise an alternatie discurse n te
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Cyprus cnict by canging te language used t articulate inter-cmmunal relatins,
and dispelling many f te myts and misappreensins tat ad built up arundtat relatinsip.
Getting 22 different organisations to agree on a vision
was no small task and involved all our skills of patience,
negotiation and communication. Since then we have grown
to 43 organisations we call our members, and this growthsignies the belief in our work and the good that can come
from working together.
Larry Fergeson, General Manager of Cyprus Community Media Centre
CCMC was able t cllabrate wit mainstream media in te c-prductin f
teleisin and radi prgrammes, as well as regular clumns in majr newspapers.CCMC fcussed n citizen jurnalism and enanced media literacy, empwering
CSos t create and distribute teir wn media cntent. As a result, it als canged
te way ciil sciety cmmunicates wit an epanded audience, by generating a
mre inclusie and better infrmed public dialgue. In 2013 te ACT prgramme
nanced CCMCs bi-cmmunal internet bradcasting facility based in te UN
buffer zne, te rst f its kind in Cyprus. Te Studi prduces prgrammes wic
pride Cyprits wit a neutral surce f news and infrmatin n issues t d
wit peace and recnciliatin, and ter deelpments in te tw cmmunities.
It als bradcasts MYCYradio - Cyprus rst multilingual web radi funded by te
Eurpean Cmmissin representatin in Cyprus.
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The partnership with youth organisations reected
a long-term emphasis on young people which ran
throughout the ACT programme. Empowering the
young to create new discourses on the future of Cyprus
in schools, colleges, universities, clubs and among
friends was considered essential to the creation of
a conducive climate for reconciliation. The ability of
people-to-people contact to break down barriers and
reverse prejudices was more evident among youth
participants in ACTs peace-building projects than with
any other constituency. Surveys showed that of the
1,600 active participants in the ACT-supported youth
peer learning programme between 2006-2008, the vast
majority (90%) made friends and exchanged contacts
with someone from the other community, and of these
over 80% maintained that contact after the end of the
project, either through internet chat, phone contact
or meeting socially. Young people were involved in
projects which addressed youth delinquency, sports
for personal development, road safety, special needs
education, multicultural education, inter-communal
arts and culture, and explorations of the aspirationsof Cypriot youth.
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Anter area were te ACT prgramme was able t diersify public discurse was
in te apprac t istry teacing. UNDP-ACT wrked clsely wit teAssociationfor Historical Dialogue and Research57 t supprt prfessinal educatrs frm bt
cmmunities in mdernizing te educatin system. Trug te Multiperspectivity
and Intercultural Dialogue in Education58 prject, AhDR deelped supplementary
educatinal materials n te Ottoman period59, traditional games60, and mixed
villages61 as well as encuraging new metdlgical appraces wit publicatins
suc asLearning to investigate the history of Cyprus through artefacts62,andThinking
historically about missing persons63. Te prject intrduced seeral undred teacers
t mre balanced ways f istry teacing in teir respectie cmmunities and tepssibility f adpting perspecties wic accmmdated te perceptins and realities
f te ter cmmunity. In 2010-2011 AhDR ran a public awareness campaign wit
teleised public serice annuncements prmting te alues f critical tinking and
carrying te slgan Questin, Eamine, Tink Critically64. Tday AhDR manages
te hme fr C-peratin, were te rganizatin is undertaking grund-breaking
wrk t digitally arcie primary surce material n inter-cmmunal relatins.
I personally am proud of being part of a team of Greek
Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots working together towards
a common goal and setting a very good example to our
leaders, our communities and future generations.
We interact on a day-to-day basis and yet we showcase
how preconceptions of the so-called others can beovercome in time and space. Each day I am excited about
going to work, I do what I believe and I am condent that
by doing this I am inuencing young people and beyond.
Alev Tuberk, AHDR-MIDE Educational Director
Yut prjects ae demnstrated te energy wic yung Cyprits can bring trecnciliatin. In an attempt t arness tat creatiity and entusiasm pprtunities
were created fr yung peple t participate in leadersip skills training s tey culd
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becme ambassadrs fr peace, using teir persnal eperiences t inuence a brader
public debate. Witin tis cntet Cyprus main yut NGos and yut-afliatedrganizatins decided tey wuld ae greater impact if tey wrked tgeter under
te cmmn umbrella f te Cyprus Netwrk fr Yut Deelpment, subsequently
renamed te Yut Pwer Netwrk65. Yut Pwer empasised te needs f yung
Cyprits and gae rise t a series f small grants prgrammes. Te prject was
caracterised by innatie appraces t peace-building, and reaced ut t yung
peple w ad neer preiusly been inled in bi-cmmunal actiities.
Te 2009 Cyprus human Deelpment Reprt66 n yung peple swed tat a
majrity f yung Cyprits belieed tey ad a respnsibility t elp nd a peaceful
slutin t te islands diisin, weer many did nt knw w t get inled,
r belieed pprtunities fr tem t becme actie were limited. Te reprt als
demnstrated tat yung Cyprits felt tey ae little cance t inuence decisins
wic gern teir lies, and a large prprtin beliee tat yung Cyprits are
insufciently represented in plitics. on te ter and almst alf f Cyprit yut
admitted tat tey d nt actiely participate in any sci-plitical r public gd
rganisatin. original researc was cnducted trug etensie plling f yung
Cyprits acrss te island, wile a Yut Adisry Bard made up f 24 yung
Greek Cyprits and Turkis Cyprits met regularly t discuss te researc, ensuring
te genuine pinins f yung peple were fremst in te temes, analysis and
recmmendatins f te nal reprt. Te 2009 human Deelpment Reprt led t te
creatin f a Cyprus Yut Carter wic, fr te rst time, articulated a cerent set
f ideas n te canges yung peple belieed wuld impre teir lies. Designed
by te Yut Adisry Bard te carter addressed: family, educatin, emplyment,
leisure actiities and ealt, freedm f speec, sci-plitical participatin, and peace
and recnciliatin. Amng ter tings it appealed fr te demilitarizatin f Cyprus,
te use f mdern tecnlgies t supprt recnciliatin, te prmtin f multicultural
principles in educatin and te adptin f a cmmn Cyprit ciic identity wic
recgnised tat te term Cyprit refers t bt Greek Cyprits and Turkis Cyprits.
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Youth Voices:
We already became friends, went out a couple
of times, exchanged phone calls and emails.
It is always helpful to know a journalist in
the other community. It gives you the chance to
double check what is being broadcast on
the other side.
Young Journalists Project participant.
I dont have Greek Cypriot friends but I want
to have [some], whom I can meet in common
activities. I really want to learn more things
about them.
Human Development Report respondant.
To start with, there should be no dividing line;
the two communities should be mixed.
Human Development Report respondant.
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Designing policy options to
stimulate public participationin reconciliation
The notion of a Cypriot-led, Cypriot-owned peace process was quickly embedded
in the style of negotiations which started with the Christoas-Talat talks in 2008.
International experience has shown that the more democratic peace processes have
yielded the best results. According to one international organization:
While democratic compromise produces the solutions regarding the issues in
conict, then, reconciliation addresses the relationships between those who will
have to implement those solutions. It is important to point out, though, that this
applies not simply to the politicians and the deal-makers who are engaged in
the compromise. It applies to the entire population. The relationship which must
be addressed is not simply that between parliamentarians or le