Whose Peace?

The youth of Cyprus has been growing up in the shadow of conflict and nationalism. The hatred between the two communities has been implemented on us since our childhood in many different ways, through education, the media, politics and public opinion.

Whether Turkish or Greek Cypriot, our lives have been similar, we have been taught not to trust each other so much and not to be so close. Throughout all these years, we were forced to believe what our leaders said on the peace negotiations. The negotiations were never transparent enough and only little information was shared with both communities. With the presidential elections now in Cyprus, we can have a new era in the peace negotiation process. Both leaders have stated how much they will work for a “good” solution in Cyprus and how ready they are to make a new plan. Until now, except from the letters which were about giving confirmation on attending the negotiations, no significant step has been made towards the instigation of a new round of negotiations. With the emergence of the economic crisis, the Cyprus problem is not seen as the primary issue for the politicians in Cyprus.  Despite their promises during political campaigns, that the Cyprus problem is their primary concern, they do not seem to promote a solution. A solution is necessary for the country, but most importantly for the youths of both communities as any decisions taken today, will affect our future prospects. The uncertainty of the country causes the youth to be afraid of the future. Nationalism is rising, as it is promoted through the media and the education system which has great influence, especially over young people.

Peace cannot be seen as a secondary matter anymore; both communities deserve to live in a better country.  As much as the delay in the negotiations, the progress itself is also problematic. All these past years both communities were governed by elderly, male group of people. However, peace requires more than that; peace is for all and all parts of the society should have the right to contribute and help to shape the peace for their country. Especially the exclusion of women was criticised in many conflict areas and this resulted in the enactment of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325. The resolution has not been efficiently used in practice until now in Cyprus but it is expected to be useful for women to make their concerns be heard in the negotiation process. The United Nations has not passed any Security Council Resolution for the youth yet. However, as much as women can have different concerns and expectations from the solution, the youth has its own ideas too. Democracy requires all parts of the society to be able to contribute in the decision making processes and express their views. A young person can have different worries on future or may have different priorities from the dominating elderly men group. The youth has its own voice and a democratic process requires it to be heard. The leaders should be aware of their responsibilities for our future and make us to raise our voice as well. Peace is for everyone in Cyprus, so let us to make it ours too.

An economic-oriented solution to the Cyprus problem and the hidden risks

Crisis, crisis, crisis, crisis. This is all we can here, not to mention the disturbing images of cash being showed in every report concerning the economic crisis. How the crisis is portrayed in the media, though, despite being an interesting subject, is not what I will set out to talk about. Within this chaos,  this unnavigable sea of information and developments with regards to the economic crisis our country is facing, no one is mentioning the Cyprus problem. That is, none of the Greek-Cypriots. Some commentators in the Turkish-Cypriot community, though, have seen this crisis as the opportunity for a solution in the problem.

So how can this economic crisis be used, or even exploited, in terms of finding a solution to our problem? As the Greek-Cypriot community faces tremendous  economic problems, some say that it would be beneficial for them (us) to seek a solution and gain from unifying the two economies. Others press the matter of the natural gas and believe that the Greek-Cypriot community will try and solve the problem to benefit from the extraction and distribution of gas. Since Turkey is not ready to simply accept an extraction without it being a stakeholder, a solution to the problem can provide a solution to the energy problem that has arisen (In fact, this is what the former Minister of Commerce Mrs. Praksoula Antoniadou suggested in her book “ The Day After: Commercial Opportunities Following a Solution to the Cyprus Problem”).

It is at this point where I take a step back and ask: Is this an economic problem? Definitely not. So why do we even consider an economic solution to a non-economic problem? It would be foolish to completely disregard energy matters and wider economic issues that will arise during negotiations towards a solution, this is not what I am suggesting. Approaching, though, the solution in crude economic terms will disregard other, deeper and more important issues such as the deep-seeded social division between the two communities. Forwarding an economic-orientated solution to the problem, instead of approaching the political and social issues of the division, hides many risks that may develop in serious problems in the after-math of this solution. A socio-political issue should not be solved in this way, albeit its attractiveness due to the difficulties faced by either of the communities.

Finding a solution is the first step. It can even be said to be the easiest step. Maintaining the solution and maintaining peace is the next step. Disregarding, or not considering other parameters, but economic ones, during the negotiations and the drafting of the solution may lead to other problems which put in jeopardy not only the solution but the future of our island.

Religion

Religion is defined either as the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods or as details of belief as taught or discussed. Throughout millennia, in a quick overview of the historical narrative, the majority of cultures and societies that lived on this planet had religion in any form in their everyday lives. From the Olympian gods to Christianity and from Muslims to Hindus and Buddhism, religion, either as monotheistic or polytheistic always tries to communicate a common message; the evolution of the soul. 

"Don't blindly believe what I say. Don't believe me because others convince you of my words. Don't believe anything you see, read, or hear from others, whether of authority, religious teachers or texts. Don't rely on logic alone, nor speculation. Don't infer or be deceived by appearances." Buddha

"All the commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, and so on, are summed up in this single command: You must love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus Christ

"Kindness is a mark of faith, and whoever is not kind has no faith."  Prophet Mohammed

"Should even one's enemy arrive at the doorstep, he should be attended upon with respect. A tree does not withdraw its cooling shade even from the one who has come to cut it.“ Mahabharata 12.146.5

"Yes I am, I am also a Muslim, a Christian, a Buddhist, and a Jew." Mahatma Gandhi

Whether one practices religion -or not- , is and should be indifferent to the rest. After all, religion serves a purpose, and the mistakes of the past should be our guide for the future. It is in this respect that we urge you to understand that religion is not dividing us. Religion toleration unites us.

Cypriot Students Initiative

Digging for a future

The full documentary (20 minutes) can be found here.

The documentary shows why the CMP [Committee of Missing Persons] is one of the most successful examples of the bi-communal cooperation in Cyprus and illustrates the committee's efforts to locate, identify and return to their respective families the remains of about 2000 Cypriots who vanished in the violence and conflict of the 1960s and 1970s. It also features statements of families of the missing and a message by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Digging the Past in Search of the Future

The Elders [theelders.org] Chaired by Archbishop Despond Tutu The Elders is an independent group of global leaders who work together for peace and human rights. They were brought together in 2007 by Nelson Mandela, who is not an active member of the group but remains an Honorary Elder.

In one of their visits in Cyprus they created this documentary: Digging the Past in Search of the Future