Cyprus' Peace Council (PPC) presented its 2025 Peace Prizes to the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) and the Bi-Communal Choir for Peace “Lena Melanidou Choir” during a ceremony on Monday evening at the Pallas Theatre in Nicosia.
In his address, PPC President Tasos Kosteas highlighted the council’s efforts in 2025, noting its collaboration with other organisations to mobilise against wars and serious violations of international law.
Referring to Palestine, he condemned “the tactic of manufactured humanitarian crises implemented by Israel, which devastates the civilian population,” and added that contemporary Israel “insults humanity, history, and culture. It tarnishes its own history and defiles the memory of the European Jewish Holocaust victims.”
Calls for investigation on British Bases
Kosteas also called for a full investigation into the role of the British Bases in Cyprus during attacks on civilians in Palestine and elsewhere. He condemned the Russian invasion and ongoing violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty, US intervention in Venezuela, the embargo and threats against Cuba, and aggressive intentions regarding Greenland.
“Humanity now faces a new arms race,” he warned, highlighting how militarisation dominates public debate and shapes dangerous political logic. Rising defence spending, he said, diverts vital resources from combating hunger, healthcare, education, and environmental protection. He emphasised that militarism is not neutral, as it fosters the belief that problems are solved through violence or the threat of violence. “History has shown that arms races do not bring stability, only suspicion, fear, and uncontrollable chain reactions,” he noted.
Kosteas stressed that the erosion of international law disproportionately harms small and vulnerable states such as Cyprus, underlining the country’s strong reasons to uphold justice and truth.
He praised collaboration between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities as the cornerstone for building trust and healing historical wounds. “Two of the most emblematic examples are the CMP and the Bi-Communal Choir, which, despite operating in distinct fields — humanitarian and cultural — serve the same sacred purpose: reconciliation,” he said.
Grief transcends nationality
Highlighting the CMP, Kosteas explained that Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot scientists work side by side in laboratories and excavation sites, demonstrating that shared grief transcends nationality. “This joint effort allows families to close cycles of mourning, reduce suspicion, and cultivate empathy,” he added.
Regarding the Lena Melanidou Choir, he emphasised its volunteer-driven approach and cultural mission. The choir has represented Cyprus internationally but, most importantly, has visited and performed across the island, spreading messages of peace voluntarily and without charge.
In conclusion, Kosteas noted that while the CMP confronts traumatic pasts, the Bi-Communal Choir envisions a harmonious future. “Both organisations show that cooperation is not only essential to resolving the Cyprus issue but is the only path for a society to move forward, free from the burden of a legacy of violence and war,” he said.