Partners for peace
Fifty Turkish and Greek Cypriot partnerships have won 10,000 euros in funding through the latest round of Stelios Bicommunal Cyprus Awards. ANIL IŞIK meets Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and ANNE CANALP discovers how he is fostering innovation, business and island amity — from a ‘Drink for Peace’ bicommunal beer project to rock music and football.
PEACE is proving the winner after a decade of philanthropy. So said businessman Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou in an interview to mark the 10th edition of his Stelios Bicommunal Cyprus Awards for cooperation between Turkish and Greek Cypriots — a scheme he sees as making conflict on the island less likely. Speaking exclusively to
Cyprus Today to coincide with this month’s latest awards ceremony, the easyJet airline founder said interest in the scheme — which gives cash prizes of 10,000 euros to cross-border partnerships in a range of spheres — had swelled from an initial five awards 10 years ago, to 50 this year.
The Greek-born British entrepreneur said: “I started [in 2009] saying, ‘what’s the biggest problem in Cyprus?’ Back then the [South’s] economy was doing very well and the biggest problem was the divide, so I said maybe business people can help to solve the problem, so we advertised and managed to find five Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot business people who would cooperate. “We first gave five prizes and it was very difficult to find the people to cooperate [then]. Fast forward, and this year we received applications from about 700 people — half and half, Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots.”
Sir Stelios said interest had been at an all-time high last year, but he was not dismayed to see applications for awards drop off slightly this year.
“Last year . . . when we were collecting the applications it was in the middle of Crans-Montana [international peace summit] and there was more optimism in the island, more advertising
so we received more applications — about 800 and something.
“So in reality to lose 10-15 per cent [since then] is not too bad. I think it’s respectable that we still have 700 people who want to be part of this.”
He added, laughing: “For the first time, we have two football teams . . . So if you start counting football players its actually more than that!”
Speaking at his Stelios Philanthropic Foundation in South Nicosia, near the Ledra Palace crossing, Sir Stelios — a Cypriot by parentage despite being born in Athens — said he had acquired British nationality as well, “because of the colonial past”, and had founded easyJet after emigrating to London 23 years ago.
“I was lucky twice — I had a rich father and I started easyJet, which is a very large European airline. That gives me . . . a good steady income, of which I use some for the . . . foundation.
“My motivation is purely philanthropic; trying to give back to society.”
The businessman explained: “I believe in peace and I am not a politician and I don’t want to be a politician. My main objective is to help the two communities to get together and I believe if the two communities talk to each other they will be friends and they will be less likely to go to a war. The winner is peace on the island.
“Of course it’s difficult to measure success in this, because another year has gone and we had no war, so peace has won.
“But 10 years on I think we have made a difference. We have destigmatised cooperation between the two communities . . . From a very low base . . . it is showing a steady increase every year. It’s going up. More people basically talk to each other.”
Cooperation in business, sport or the arts, and between non-governmental organisations, is a staple of the winning schemes — but 2015 saw the inclusion of surprise new category winners: husband and wife Michalis Michael and Şükran Özerdem, whose “bicommunal project” is their son, Denis, born in 2014 and said to be the first “bicommunal baby” on the island since 1974.
Shrugging off criticism of the “partners in life” awards, to couples comprising a Turkish Cypriot and a Greek Cypriot, Sir Stelios said he considered this to be “an ultimate example” of the spirit of his awards, aimed at “encouraging communities to get along with each other”.
“This is about not being ashamed to say we have friends on the other side . . . and that’s why [this is] one of my favourite categories . . .
“These people have joined their lives together, therefore they are less likely to go to war — it’s the ultimate form of cooperation. [It] is the only category that has shown an increase year on year . . . At least at a human level the relations between the two communities are improving.”
Football has also now entered the annals of Stelios award-winners, with one of his year’s prizes going jointly to the Mağusa Türk Gücü and Nea Salamina clubs.
Responding to a question about the nature of football, sometimes associated with fanaticism, Sir Stelios congratulated both clubs, but admitted: “I think football can get a bit tribal. I am glad that these two clubs and those who lead them are open-minded enough to say you can have friendly matches . . . The definition of [this] means you don’t have enemies, but you have friends.”
As for the bigger picture of the current political climate in Cyprus, he commented: “Last year we thought we were very close solving the problem. It didn’t happen . . .
“I don’t think the problem could be solved in Switzerland; that’s where you go for skiing, not for solving problems.
“I think at the end of the day people solve the problem. If the people are friends and they are cooperating and not fighting, that’s how the problem will be solved. And remember politicians are elected by the people, so they will elect the leaders who can solve the problem.”
Have his awards contributed to that rapprochement?
“Sometimes I think: there was nothing 10 years ago, so 700 people [now] is a success,” he said.
“But equally 700 people in an island of a million people — it’s a drop in the ocean . . . Do we see the glass as half full or half empty? . . . I don’t know, but I am optimistic that if the trend is going up we will keep up. I am not a politician. I don’t want to get elected tomorrow. I am here to help.
“I made a pledge that I will continue to help and my foundation hopefully will be around for a very long time to aid this process.”