Australia supports the ‘faith in humanity’ walk
AN AUSTRALIAN-based Cypriot duo have won the support of MPs in their home country for an epic 374.8km Cape Zafer-to-Aphrodite’s Rock walk this month.
Turkish Cypriot Yalçın Adal and Greek Cypriot Stavros Protz featured in Cyprus Today in February for their 16-day trek aimed at showing “faith in humanity, cultural diversity and a free and united island”.
They launched a crowd-funding appeal, raising a total of Aus $6,412 of an Aus $12,000 target to date towards their once-in-a-lifetime trip.
Australian MP Maria Vamvakinou announced that the two Cypriots had met with members and senators in the country’s Parliament on Tuesday.
Ms Vamvakinou said: “Since theirs is a walk of hope and healing, they were honoured to ask indigenous politicians Senator Patrick Dodson and Ms Linda Burney MP for advice on keeping the dialogue of reconciliation open.”
The two men have also won support from members of the Australian Cyprus Parliamentary Group headed by Anthony Albanese MP.
Ms Vamvakinou added that the pair planned to plant a “reconciliation tree” in the capital’s buffer zone for the people of Cyprus and the “First Nation People” of Australia and that the two politicians had offered help to plant indigenous trees in Australia.
The pair’s Journey into Cyprus — East and West is scheduled to start from Apostolos Andreas on Wednesday, March 21 and sponsored companions can pay to join the effort — although anyone is welcome to walk along with them.
Donations may be made online via https://chuffed.org/project/journeyinto-cyprus, where route details are also listed.