On 9 January, the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR) hosted a community gathering at the Home for Cooperation in Nicosia, bringing together more than 200 attendees from across the divide. The evening was filled with music, meaningful conversations, as community members and supporters came together to express their solidarity, celebrate dialogue and collaboration amid calls to restart the Peace Education initiative ‘Imagine’.
The event brought together many distinguished guests, among them Nicosia’s two mayors, Mehmet Harmancı and Charalambos Prountzos. In their joint address, city leaders expressed strong, united support for the ‘Imagine’ programme, underscoring its role in fostering critical thinking, breaking down stereotypes, and building the foundations for peace and reconciliation in Cyprus. Mehmet Harmacı started his remarks by saying: “If we are to achieve peace on this island, if we are to achieve reconciliation and solidarity towards each other, then we need to actually know each other. First we need to imagine this.” and continued by stating “both of us are supporting it.” Mr. Prountzos thanked all the teachers involved in ‘Imagine’ and those who continue to keep hope alive. He underlined that hope is not a passive feeling but an active one, and expressed his hope that society will move beyond hoping to actually living and enjoying cooperation between communities, starting with children from a young age and extending into everyday life. Mayors expressed their appreciation to the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research for implementing the program.
A key moment of the evening was the premiere of the video “Let’s Imagine Together!”, produced by the AHDR in collaboration with video production company Neydi Olacağı. The video serves as an invitation for cooperation and dialogue and calls for both leaders of the island to join forces in reinstating the Peace Education initiative that has engaged over 8,200 students and 2,600 teachers across Cyprus to this day, offering workshops and training on peace, anti-racism, and human rights. In the video, children from different communities built a shared kite. Despite initial hesitation, discouragement from some adults, the children persisted, eventually lifting the kite into the sky and inspiring others to join.
The event was opened by the AHDR’s director, Loizos Loukaidis, who said: “Our work cannot be paused while we wait for politics to catch up with reality, nor can it be silenced by stalemates or setbacks. On the contrary, it is precisely in moments of crisis that civil society must insist on its role – strategically, persistently, and with integrity.” Kyriakos Pachoulides and Hale Silifkeli, AHDR’s Board co-presidents, continued: “‘Imagine’ showed us what is possible when education becomes a bridge instead of a boundary. When young people from different communities meet not as symbols or labels, but as human beings. When teachers are supported to facilitate difficult conversations with care, confidence, and honesty.”
AHDR extends its sincere gratitude to the programme’s donor, the Federal Foreign Office of the Republic of Germany, as well as to all the educators, young learners, and community members whose engagement continues to bring peacebuilding to life in Cyprus.
Watch the video: “Let’s Imagine Together!” – https://fb.watch/EADzTYU0mr/
Learn more about Imagine: https://www.ahdr.info/our-work/imagine/
