Funded By: EEA Grants/ Norway Grants

Project Partner: Council of Europe

Programme Period: January 2013 - December 2015

The Home for Cooperation is a unique community center located in the heart of Nicosia. It is the embodiment of intercommunal cooperation, contributing to the collective efforts of civil society in their engagement with peacebuilding and intercultural dialogue. Through its work it encourages people to cooperate with each other beyond constraints and dividing lines.

The Home for Cooperation essentially aims to act as a bridge-builder between separated communities, memories and visions. It provides working spaces and opportunities for Non-Governmental Organizations and individuals to design and implement innovative projects.

Today the Home has become a landmark building within the Ledra Palace crossing, UN buffer zone. It facilitates situations for people to get together and to get to know each other. The Home hosts an extensive variety of cultural, artistic and educational programs with the aim to foster creativity and intercultural trust in Cyprus and internationally.

In 2014 the Home for Cooperation was granted with the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra Award in the Conservation category. The Home for Cooperation project has been supported by the European Economic Area Grants and Norway Grants.

The purpose of the project was to support the operation and sustainability of the Home for Cooperation, whilst allowing it to function as a bridge-builder, not only between the communities of Cyprus, but also across ideas and initiatives that present new ways of approaching dialogue and mutual understanding.

The 36-month project covered activities under the three following “pillars”:

Pillar I - Supporting the operational expenses of the Home for Cooperation under which activities were centered on the functioning and maintenance of the Home for Cooperation on an operational level, building a framework for its future sustainability.

Pillar II - To support AHDR activities and to develop a dialogue on history teaching (in partnership with the Council of Europe). It included the organization of 3 international conferences and the development and publication of a trilingual guide (English, Greek and Turkish) on how to introduce a gender-perspective in history teaching. Moreover, this pillar included the undertaking of a research project ‘Nicosia as a shared space’ resulting in the production of an interactive website. A detailed description on all AHDR activities under Pillar II of the project are available through this link.

Pillar III - Outreach Activities to strengthen the sustainability of the Home for Cooperation, including the development of a ‘Small Projects Programme’ to support the implementation of new and appealing small projects, which center around the H4C while using its brand, its unique position and its advantages & resources that will be open to individuals, non-profit organizations, such as civil society organizations (CSOs), platforms, networks, ad-hoc groups and/or for-profit companies. Other activities under this pillar focused on outreach and involved the development of monthly newsletters, a website and a public service announcement on the Home for Cooperation. All ongoing activities at the Home for Cooperation are now available on the Home's  website.