Bicommunal schools project ‘suspended, not cancelled’
A UNITED Nations-backed educational programme called “Imagine”, which aims to foster relations between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot children, has been “suspended” in the TRNC, National Education Nazim Çavuşoğlu has said.
Mr Çavuşoğlu, of the National Unity Party, made the comments in response to questions in Parliament from main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) MP and Deputy Speaker Fazilet Özdenefe.
Ms Özdenefe said that the “Imagine” project “supports the culture of peace and provides education against racism and discrimination” and is “very important” for bicommunal relations but that “action has been taken to cancel it”.
Mr Çavuşoğlu stated that the project was “not cancelled but suspended” and that it would “still be carried out if the necessary steps are taken” by the Greek Cypriot side of Cyprus.
Referring to what these steps could entail, Mr Çavuşoğlu said that while a school was opened for Greek Cypriots living in Dipkarpaz in North Cyprus, “we could not provide education to Turkish Cypriot students in Limassol [in South Cyprus] and were not allowed to send books to them”.
UN Spokesperson Aleem Siddique said in a statement to Cyprus Today: “The UN has been alerted to challenges to the Imagine project and is currently working with both sides on the issue.
“The project, launched in 2017, has been implemented by the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research and the Home for Cooperation under the auspices of the Technical Committee on Education, and it is funded by the Federal Foreign Office of the Republic of Germany.
“The Imagine project has aimed at increasing connections between schoolchildren from both communities through peace education and contact.
“While we engage with both sides, it is reminded that the Security Council has repeatedly stressed the importance of peace education, including in its last resolution on Cyprus 2646 (2022).”