The leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities have agreed to resume the Imagine peace education programme, paving the way for the return of intercommunal activities in schools across Cyprus.
The agreement was reached on [date] by President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman, with the programme set to continue under the auspices of the Technical Committee on Education.
The Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR), which initiated and developed Imagine, welcomed the decision and thanked both leaders, the United Nations and the members of the Technical Committee on Education for their efforts to secure its resumption.
A programme bringing communities together
Launched in 2016, Imagine was developed by the AHDR and subsequently supported by the leaders of both communities. In October 2017, it was placed under the auspices of the Technical Committee on Education.
The programme is implemented by the AHDR in cooperation with the Home for Cooperation (H4C). It is funded by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany and supported by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus and the Office of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus.
Designed and delivered by an intercommunal team of educators and trainers, Imagine operates in Greek, Turkish and English. Its approach reflects the AHDR’s own bicommunal structure, with the organisation founded in 2003 by Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot educators and historians.
Since its launch, the programme has engaged more than 9,500 students and 4,500 teachers from Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot schools across the island.
Imagine received the GENE Global Education Award for 2020/2021 and has been consistently recognised in reports by the UN Secretary-General as an important confidence-building measure.
AHDR says it is ready for immediate resumption
Welcoming the leaders’ agreement, the AHDR said it was ready to resume the programme as soon as possible, with its trainers, educational resources and the facilities of the Home for Cooperation prepared for the return of full intercommunal implementation, including activities during school hours.
The association also highlighted that, despite the suspension of the school-hour component, it had maintained the programme’s expertise and capacity through continued teacher training and educational activities with children.
Building on the framework established in 2017, the AHDR said it looked forward to continuing its cooperation with the Technical Committee on Education and working with the education authorities of both communities to finalise the practical arrangements needed for schools to participate without delay.
Renewed commitment to peace education
The resumption of Imagine is expected to provide further opportunities for students and teachers from both communities to meet and engage in educational activities centred on mutual understanding and cooperation.
The AHDR reaffirmed its commitment to continuing Imagine as an established peace education programme in Cyprus, expressing its intention to bring Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot students and teachers together once again during school hours.
