Public presentation/discussion: Towards a Federal Solution -  What does this mean to you?

The ENGAGE project, in collaboration with the Good Offices of the UN Secretary General in Cyprus, organises a public presentation/discussion with the Special Advisor of the UNSG, Mr. Alexander Downer as the keynote speaker. The event will take place on Tuesday, 18 October 2011, 7.00-9.30 p.m. at the Olive Tree Holiday Village, Çatalköy area.

The presentation of Mr. Downer will address Federalism in the Cypriot context and will include a general overview of the current negotiations. Mr. Downer will also discuss the potential impact of a federal solution on the daily life of Cypriots. 

This event is part of the series of public discussions that the “ENGAGE” project has been organising since September 2010, which have focused on disseminating information and explaining Federalism to the wider public. The aim of this particular event is to take the Federalism series of events to the next level, by offering a different type of opportunity to the public, namely to interact with an expert directly involved in the negotiations, and to comprehend what a federal state will mean to them. 

Moreover this event will open new possibilities of communication with the public, and indeed do so outside the capital of Nicosia.  The project is supporting a wide outreach campaign that would engage as many people in the efforts for reconciliation and it is through open discussions with key people that such an engagement will be made possible. Most importantly however, the discussion which will follow Mr. Downer’s address, will allow the attendees to submit their own enquiries, thoughts and concerns to the SASG of the UN in regards to the Cyprus question.

First meeting held at Larnaka:

The “ENGAGE-Do your part for peace” project organised first public presentation/discussion with the Special Advisor of the UNSG, Mr. Alexander Downer as the guest speaker on Monday evening (10th of October) at the House of Arts and Literature, in Larnaka. During the lively discussion, and due to the voicing of strong opinions by a group of people opposing the idea of federation, it became apparent that there is still a great need for more public discourse on the future of the divided island and what that would mean to the people of Cyprus. This has demonstrated in turn that civil society has a role to play in supporting the reconciliation process and it is for this reason that civil society activists strongly encourage the leaders to take a more active role in engaging with the public.

In response to strong concerns voiced by some members of the audience, Mr. Downer reiterated the role of the UN as supporting the Cypriot led and Cypriot owned peace process.

For further information about the “ENGAGE– Do Your Part for Peace” project, visit the official website of the project at www.engage4peace.org or contact the press and communication officers at +90 392 22 77 234/ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and at +357 22875099/ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Best regards,

Notes for the editors:

In relation to the project ‘ENGAGE - Do your part for Peace’:

The ENGAGE program (www.engage4peace.org) is implemented by the Management Centre the NGO Support Centre and is supported by the UNDP-Action for Cooperation and Trust (ACT) programme in Cyprus, since April 2009. The program “ENGAGE - Do your part for Peace” aims at strengthening the role played by Civil Society in the reconciliation process by increasing policy positions led by NGO’s and developing strategic partnerships and networks in both communities.

ENGAGE Do Your Part for Peace project is listed by UNESCO as one of the 450 projects and activities world-wide that promote the Rapprochement of Cultures. Furthermore, the Secretary-General of the UN, Mr. Ban Ki Moon, acknowledged in his latest Assessment Report on the status of the negotiations in Cyprus the overall efforts of ENGAGE in the domain of peace and reconciliation on the island.

In relation to the NGO Support Centre:

The NGO Support Centre (NGO-SC) is a non-governmental, non-profit association that was founded in Cyprus in 1999. Its vision is to support the development of an emerging civil society in Cyprus and internationally, to provide resources to organisations for the purpose of undertaking a full partnership role in the socio-economic development of their society.

The objectives of the NGO Support Centre are:

• To help Cypriot NGOs build their capacities through the provision of consulting and training on organizational and management issues,
• To strengthen Cypriot civil society through intercultural dialogue and cooperation and by advocating for peace and reconciliation,
• To support Cypriot civil society by reinforcing links between local Civil Society Organizations and international NGOs, decision-makers and academics,
• To work with organizations in neighbouring and developing countries for mutual benefit, and to contribute in partnership, to the development of civil society infrastructure, human and social capacity.

In relation to the Management Centre:

The Management Centre has been in operation since December 2001 and it is now a fully resourced support centre that provides management and development services to organizations in non-profit, private and public sectors.. It has a team of highly qualified technical and administrative staff working full-time and also a pool of associate experts of consultants working project basis.

The vision of the Management Centre is to be a pioneering institution providing professional management and sustainable development services at international standards. There are three pillar programmes that the Management Centre has been built upon.  These are, Organizational and Economic Development, Work Based Learning and Professional Development and Civil Society & Reconciliation programmes.

The Management Centre by applying these three programmes are aiming at to managing change for sustainable development locally and globally by:

• Contributing to the strengthening of Civil Society as a vital force engaged in policy making and reconciliation processes
• Providing services for Management Systems and organizational development.
• Providing Vocational Training, Work Based Learning and Professional Development for a more effective workforce.
• Supporting economic development by research, analysis and policy recommendations.
• Establishing and improving systems to effectively utilize international and local projects