Michalinos Zembylas, co-chair of the Bi-communal Technical Committee on Education, speaking on Politis Radio 107.6 & 97.6, outlined the role and importance of the Imagine programme, while voicing serious concerns over the absence of this year’s circular from the Ministry of Education, which would allow the programme to continue during school hours.
This development points to a lack of political will and is likely to have repercussions both for the credibility of the Greek Cypriot side at the United Nations, where Imagine is recorded as a successful confidence-building measure (CBM), and for the ability of the two communities to keep channels of contact open and prepare the younger generation for future coexistence.
A Misunderstanding
Zembylas focused in particular on the public debate of recent months, which, as he said, was based on a misunderstanding. The so-called “study visits” were not excursions, but an experimental component of the programme, aligned with Council of Europe practices.
Their aim was for students to become familiar with the whole of Cyprus through issues such as environmental degradation and cultural heritage, not the Cyprus problem or competing historical narratives.
Despite reactions expressed in February–March, he clarified that claims of “school trips to the occupied areas” do not reflect reality. At the same time, while there has been no official announcement of a withdrawal by the Greek Cypriot side, “the essence is that no circular has been issued,” he noted.
Zembylas recalled that in 2022 Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar withdrew the Turkish Cypriot side from the programme, arguing that it “changes children’s minds”. That withdrawal has since been recorded negatively in all UN reports.
Pressure and Reactions
The co-chair said that teachers, students and parents who are voluntarily interested in participating are questioning why this year’s circular has not been issued. The Technical Committee is in contact with the Ministry of Education, but it remains unclear what course of action the ministry intends to take.
The failure to issue a circular creates the impression, he said, that there is no political will, stressing that political direction is set by the President of the Republic and not by the Technical Committees.
He warned that a de facto suspension of the programme during school hours would be recorded negatively in the next UN report, as happened following the Turkish Cypriot side’s withdrawal.
Part of the CBMs
Zembylas underlined that Imagine is an official confidence-building measure and has been implemented by the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR) since 2016, under the auspices of the Bi-communal Technical Committee on Education and with funding from the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The programme is based on experiential workshops focusing on peace, combating racism and human rights. All activities are voluntary and require parental consent.
Activities begin as single-community sessions within schools and conclude with bi-communal meetings in the buffer zone, without identity checks. To date, more than 8,000 students and 2,500 teachers have participated.
This article was originally published on the Greek-language Politis website.