At Ledra Palace in Nicosia, on the line that has divided Greek Cypriots from Turkish Cypriots since 1974, women from both communities will gather on 22 September to mark 25 years of an organisation built on reaching across exactly that line.
Hands Across the Divide (HAD), Cyprus's first bicommunal women's organisation, will hold a special event at 6pm to celebrate the anniversary, bringing together women, peacebuilders, civil society representatives, friends and supporters from across Cyprus and abroad to reflect on the organisation's journey and the work still ahead.
HAD was founded in 2001 by Greek Cypriot Katy Economidou and Turkish Cypriot Sevgül Uludağ, both committed to dialogue, reconciliation and peace for Cyprus. Over the past 25 years, the organisation has created opportunities for people from both communities to meet, work together and challenge the divisions that continue to shape life on the island. Uludağ, an investigative journalist and peace activist who spent decades uncovering the fate of Cyprus's missing persons, died in June this year at the age of 67.
A programme built on voices
Under the theme "25 Years Building Bridges Over the Dividing Line," the anniversary programme will bring together voices from HAD's history and from the wider women, peace and security movement, through personal reflections, recorded messages and contributions from Cyprus and abroad. Participants will consider the role women and civil society have played, and must continue to play, in building a peaceful, shared future for Cyprus.
The event will also pay tribute to HAD's two founders and to Cynthia Cockburn, whose work contributed significantly to peacebuilding and to women's cooperation across the island.
The anniversary forms part of a wider programme of activities running throughout 2026, including documentary screenings and bicommunal community initiatives designed to bring people together through dialogue, culture, shared environmental concerns and Cyprus's common culinary heritage.
About Hands Across the Divide
HAD was founded in 2001 by women from the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities as the island's first bicommunal women's organisation. For 25 years it has worked to promote dialogue, reconciliation, gender equality and the meaningful participation of women in peacebuilding. Though founded as a women's organisation, HAD's activities today are open to women, men and children, and aim to involve people from all communities and generations in building a culture of cooperation and peace.
"Hands Across the Divide": 25 years of women building bridges across Cyprus
When: Tuesday, 22 September 2026, 6pm
Where: Ledra Palace, Nicosia
Entry: Free, though pre-registration is required
"This anniversary is an opportunity to honour those who had the courage to reach across division, and to ask what each of us can do today to keep these bridges open and build new ones."
