Stelios bicommunal winners announced

SIR Stelios Haji-Ioannou has announced the 50 bicommunal teams each of which will receive cash prizes of 10,000 euros, among them 16 couples.

This year, nearly 700 Turkish Cypriots and Greek-Cypriots collaborated and submitted their applications for Stelios Bicommunal Awards 2018, to win one of the 50 cash prizes that are offered by the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation. Since 2009, the total value of the awards that were granted to bicommunal collaborations adds up to 3,250.000 euros.

The winners have been selected from various backgrounds including business, sciences, arts, sports, NGO work but also the partners in life category which concerns bicommunal couples.

Sir Stelios said that this year it had been a difficult year to be doing bicommunal work in Cyprus, as following the record year in 2017 with an all-time high number of applicants, there was a decrease in the number of applicants this year.

This, he said, was expected given the negative climate currently concerning the Cyprus problem.

“However, focusing on the positive side, still having 700 people apply is a good result for lasting peace on the island.”

Sir Stelios said that his favourite category, the partners in life, is the only category that has shown an increase year on year with the foundation now giving 16 awards this year compared to nine last year.

“At least at a human level the relations between the two communities are improving. We will be there to keep working for lasting peace on the island for the long run!” he said.

The selection was done in such a way in order to give 60 per cent of the prizes to new applicants and the rest was divided between past winners, and past applicants who have not won before. The idea was to encourage new forms of cooperation but also encourage people to keep applying year after year.

The Awards Ceremony this year that will be held on Wednesday at the newly acquired Headquarters of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, on 5 Markou Drakou street, South Nicosia, which is walking distance from the Ledra Palace.

For more information on the winning projects: http://stelios.org/