The Imagine bicommunal education programme is ready to resume following the agreement reached by the two Cypriot leaders, with organisers now awaiting a circular from the Ministry of Education.
Speaking to Politis Radio, Association for Historical Dialogue and Research director and programme coordinator Loizos Loukaides said a commitment had been secured from the Education Minister for the issuance of the relevant circular before the end of the year.
Organisers say programme can resume immediately
"We provide the infrastructure and the educators. We are ready to start the programme tomorrow," Loukaides said.
He added that responsibility now rests with both communities to respect the leaders' decision to restart Imagine under the auspices of the Technical Committee on Education.
Programme suspended in 2022
Loukaides explained that Imagine was created in 2015 by the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research and launched as a bicommunal initiative in 2017 with the support of then leaders Nicos Anastasiades and Mustafa Akinci.
The programme continued until the pandemic, with some activities later moving online.
In October 2022, participation by the Turkish Cypriot community was suspended following a decision by then Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar.
Loukaides said the association subsequently reorganised activities, continuing educational visits outside school hours with parental consent.
More than 9,500 students involved
According to Loukaides, more than 9,500 students and 4,500 teachers have participated in the programme since 2017.
Imagine is aimed at children aged 6 to 18 and operates across Cyprus, including in remote areas such as Peyia, Rizokarpaso and Pyrgos Tillyrias.
Priority is given to schools located further from the Green Line, he said.
Focus on peace and human rights
Responding to criticism of the programme, Loukaides said Imagine is neither a history curriculum nor an initiative promoting a specific solution to the Cyprus problem.
Instead, he said, it focuses on peace education, anti-racism and human rights, giving children the opportunity to meet peers from the other community.
Participation is voluntary and requires parental consent. According to Loukaides, 94% of parents provided consent during the period when the programme operated institutionally.
Funded by Germany
Loukaides said the programme has been funded since its inception by the German Foreign Office, which supports conflict-resolution initiatives in divided societies.
He added that parents are now also being included in programme activities and that the organisation remains open to volunteers.
"We are waiting to see the children return to the Home for Cooperation. That is when we will consider the programme to have fully restarted," he said.
Source: Politis
