Nicosia, Cyprus: City of Peace

 

Welcome to Loizos Loukaidis and his colleagues who have formed Nicoia, Cyprus: City of Peace. The Nicosia, Cyprus – City of Peace Committee consists of the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR) and POST Research Institute. Please find more information on these organizations by following the contact links provided below. Also, many photos of Cyprus are included in the last section below.

Note: Introduction page with information primarily at the time of joining International Cities of Peace. For updates, please contact the liaison.

     

VISION
Our common vision at “Nicosia, Cyprus: City of Peace” is to contribute towards achieving an alternative sustainable future, which comprises of an egalitarian Cypriot society, that recognizes the dignity of every living being, and join our efforts towards an education that prepares children and youth to live in a multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-faith society in Cyprus.

MISSION
Our mission is to work towards making the city of Nicosia a model city of peace with a commitment to uphold the mandate of the United Nations “International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World” and transform Nicosia into an Educating City for Peace according to the mandate of the “International Association of Educating Cities”.

GOALS
More specifically, we aim at:

• Creating opportunities for children, youth and educators to engage in activities that foster critical thinking, multiperspectivity and understanding of the links between education and our perceptions towards “the other”,
• Taking action against any form of discrimination and advocating for respecting human rights,
• Re-examining school curricula to promote peaceful conflict-resolution, dialogue, consensus-building and active non-violence,
• Organizing activities that celebrate a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence,
• Joining forces with CSOs, community leaders, educational authorities and the general public in Cyprus to ensure participation and democratic procedures while advocating for a Culture of Peace,
• Taking measures to address the issue of symbolic manifestations of violence in the media and in schools through national commemorations and war games,
• Building partnerships with likeminded organizations and initiatives across the globe in order to create a strong network for a Culture of Peace,
• Training children, youth and educators in identifying and tackling issues of inequality and unequal distribution of resources at a local and global level and learning to live in justice and compassion,
• Advocating and campaigning for environmental sustainability and living in harmony with the Earth.

 

PROPOSED: City of Peace Resolution
Nicosia City of Peace Resolution
September 12, 2013

WHEREAS the World Health Organization defines health as not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, but achievement of a balance of physical, mental, and social wellbeing, and

WHEREAS peace is not merely the absence of war and violence, but a condition where society has achieved a balance of prosperity, security, justice and hope, and

WHEREAS peace is necessary for everyone to achieve health as defined by the World
Health Organization, and

WHEREAS the people of Nicosia share the common vision of contributing towards achieving an alternative sustainable future, which comprises of an egalitarian Cypriot society, that recognizes the dignity of every living being, and join their efforts towards an education that prepares children and youth to live in a multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-faith society in Cyprus,

WHEREAS the community leaders of Nicosia are committed to establishing peace in the region to promote economic opportunity and improve the quality of life of the people of our region, and

WHEREAS the United Nations has designated 21 September of each year to be the International Day of Peace, devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples; therefore be it

RESOLVED that the Nicosia City Commission for Peace proclaims the City of Nicosia to be a City of Peace in perpetuity, and be it further

RESOLVED that the Nicosia City Commission for Peace designates 21 September of each year
to be the Nicosia Day of Peace in perpetuity, and be it further

RESOLVED that the Nicosia City Commission for Peace develops policies and procedures that
promote establishing peace in our region in perpetuity.


Letter of Intent

 


ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP

Loizos Loukaidis holds a BA in Primary Education from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece and an MA in Peace Education from the UN mandated University for Peace where he specifically sought to examine the viewing of History Teaching as a vehicle for promoting a Culture of Peace. Loizos is now a Primary School Teacher and is also actively involved in the peacebuilding process in Cyprus through his involvement in prominent organizations such as the POST Research Institute, the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research and the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot Teachers’ Platform “United Cyprus”.

His research interests include issues such as Gender and Trafficking, Interculturalism, Human Rights and History Education and he has conducted research for UNDP-USAID, the Council of Europe, EEA Grants, the University of Cyprus and the Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies.


 

CONTACT INFO

Loizos Loukaidis <loizos_loukaidis@msn.com>

The Association for Historical Dialogue & Research (AHDR)

http://www.ahdr.info/home.php

Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Association-for-Historical-Dialogue-Research-AHDR/224097174294320

POST Research Institute

http://postresearchinstitute.wordpress.com

Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/POST-RI/112512052153995

“Tours for Peace” Project – 2011
Photography by Duygu Göze


Political Map of Cyprus. Map is showing the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea, with the Turkish Cypriot administered area, the area controlled by Cyprus Government – the Greek-Cypriot area, the UN Buffer Zone, Sovereign Base Areas S.B.A. of the United Kingdom.
(Nations Online Project 2007).
Map based on a UN map. Source: UN Cartographic Section

ABOUT NICOSIA, CYPRUS (from Wikipedia)

“The Mediterranean island of Cyprus has suffered a long history of foreign domination, violence, and civil strife.  Since the 1950s, when still a colony of Britain, Cyprus has been a battleground between its two main ethnic/religious populations—Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.  The history of the conflict includes a militant confrontation with British imperialism, a set of treaties giving a limited form of independence, the breakdown of that constitutional structure, ruthless meddling by the Greek and Turkish “motherlands” and the major powers, a Greek coup d’etat and the Turkish invasion that divided the island as it is today, and fitful attempts to negotiate a just settlement—all set against a background of communal violence, terrorism, and intimidation.” 

Equally true, however, is a record of cooperation and peace between most Cypriots, and, since 1974, the growth of indigenous efforts across the lines of hostility to reconcile.” (Excerpt from The Cyprus Conflict – An Educational Web Site, http://www.cyprus-conflict.net/intro%20page.html)
The history of the Cyprus Conflict as well as the history of reconciliation efforts is manifested in the history of Nicosia, the capital of the island. Below, you can visit some of the major sites of conflict as well as places of multiculturalism and coexistence in Nicosia through a virtual tour (Photography by Loizos Loukaidis).

DO YOU THINK YOUR COMMUNITY CAN BE A CITY OF PEACE? SEND AN EMAIL!

Note: If information or photos used here are copyrighted, please contact us and we will immediately delete the copyrighted material.