ENGAGE Launch Do Your Part for Peace Phase II a great success!

The ‘ENGAGE-Do Your Part for Peace’ project launched its second phase tonight at the Home for Cooperation to a standing room only audience. Those in attendance heard about the successes from phase 1 of the project as well as new activities planned for the next year and a half. CCMC produced a video piece featuring interviews from Representatives of the Leaders of the two communities Mr Iacovou and Mr Ozersai as well as the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Cyprus, Ms. Lisa Buttenheim. All expressed their views on how civil society in Cyprus can contribute to the on-going peace process and how civil society can ENGAGE the wider public in a dialogue and a better understanding. The ‘ENGAGE-Do Your Part for Peace’ project is one of the most vital and visible civil society empowering efforts on the island. CCMC supports the ENGAGE team and applauds their success tonight and in the future endeavors.

Youth Power party – what a night!

Last night the newly branded Youth Power – a network of twelve organisations – launched their new visual identity and Small Grants Initiative at a fantastic party at the Home for Cooperation in Nicosia’s buffer zone. The venue was packed with people enjoying the live music (violin and guitar), and watching a series of great videos made by CCMC for Youth Power, featuring their street festivals, cultural initiatives and other recent peacebuilding activities. There was also a treasure hunt, and it was great to see so many young people involved in identifying hidden symbols in the Youth Power photo exhibits on display on the night. Youth Power are a CCMC member and also a fellow partner in the wider Peace it Together (PiT) network. To read more about the PiT partners, you can follow this excellent blog, featuring a plethora of snapshots, guest posts and articles on the network.

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Youth Power Party! – celebrating a new chapter for youth activism

Where will you be on Monday evening, 30 January? Well CCMC will be at the Youth Power Party from 6pm, at the Home for Cooperation, in Nicosia’s buffer zone. There will be snacks and drinks, string music (guitar and violin) as well as a treasure hunt for a great prize. The party is open to everyone and entrance is free. 

Disability Initiative Event 19 March 2011

On Saturday, 19 March 2011 at 11:00am, CCMC member the Disability Initiative is organising a unique event and they are asking everybody to join them. Disabled people in the Turkish Cypriot community face challenges in accessing restaurants, cafes and banks. Many of them are forced to live an isolated life, unable to leave their homes and participate freely in daily life. This event has been organised in order to raise awareness of this reality and to give businesses on ‘Dereboyu Street’ the chance to make their spaces accessible to disabled people. By choosing this popular street as the first location for its action, the Disability Initiative aims to convey to businesses the importance of modifying their spaces. One month ago, members of the Disability Initiative distributed letters to the cafes, restaurants and shops on Dereboyu Street requesting the necessary changes to be made to their spaces by 19 March 2011. Please join the Disability Initiative at the start of ‘Dereboyu Street’ on Saturday the 19 March from 11am onwards.

Cyprus joins Earthdance 2009

This year, Cyprus joined the largest globally-synchronised dance event in the world – which took place in over 300 locations in more than 60 countries.

The Cyprus Network for Youth Development led by its Youth Activism project, contributed by organising basketball players for peace, 12 music and dance groups, 50 performers and an audience of 2,000. The theme was living, appreciating and celebrating diversity. You can watch the video below: