Action for Cooperation and Trust in Cyprus
...The best resource for peace in Cypriot society is Cypriots themselves...
UNDP-ACT II (2008 - 2011)
Strengthening Civil Society to Actively Participate in the Process of Reconciliation
With the goal of strengthening Capacities of Cypriots to actively participate in a process of reconciliation, ACT II partners with business leaders, media and technical professionals, service providers, civil society activists, youth leaders, educators, academics, researchers, opinion leaders and policymakers in both the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot communities.
ACT II projects build on the success of ACT I and consist of island-wide efforts that provide Cypriots from all communities with opportunities to work together on common issues and participate in a variety of peacebuilding initiatives across the divide. Between 2008 and 2011 ACT II will support several large scale projects. While each project has its own niche, focus and expertise, all projects are geared towards achieving ACT II’s overall goal and peacebuilding efforts in Cyprus.
ACT II supports projects that:
• Strengthen Cypriot civil society’s ability to effectively support and contribute to the peace process
• Provide Cypriots with opportunities to have a say in social and policy change on issues of common concern
• Promote cooperation, common understanding and reconciliation
To achieve a greater impact, ACT II works with civil society by engaging in partnerships that support the work of key change agents in society. The below diagram best highlights ACT II’s work:
The ACT II Projects are as follows:
Cyprus Community Media Centre
Aim: To create new tools to establish a more diverse and pluralistic media landscape
Partner Organisations: Consortium consisting of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) Support, AKOVA Women’s Association, Soma Akriton, Biologists Association, Cyprus Academic Forum, Cyprus Film Archives, Turkish Cypriot Diabetes Association, Eastern Mediterranean Artists Association (EMAA), Environmental Society of Lefke, European Network against Racism, Future Worlds’ Centre (CNTI),Association of Historical Dialogue and Research, International Children's Film Festival of Cyprus, Cyprus EU Association (KAB) , Action For Equality, Support, Antiracism (KISA), Management Centre of the Mediterranean, NGO Support Centre, Olive Tree Music, Peace Centre, KAYAD
Interdependence for Sustainable Development
Aim: To foster joint business partnerships and strengthen economic interdependence
Partner Organisations: Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce, Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry
ENGAGE
Aim: To encourage civil society to be involved in the peace process
Partner Organisations: The Management Centre, NGO Support Centre
Youth Activism
Aim: To provide a space for young people to promote coexistence
Partner Organisations: Medication Association, Soma Akriton Youth Organisation, EU Research Centre, HASDER, Doves Olympic Movement, Peace Players International, Environmental Studies Centre, Future Words Centre, ADHD Association, Frederick Research Centre, University of Nicosia Research Foundation, KAYAD
Multiperspectivity and Intercultural Dialogue in Education
Aim: To build the capacity of the education systems to promote multiperspectivity in education in order to meet the needs of the reconciliation process
Partner Organisation: Association for Historical Dialogue and Research
Cyprus 2015
Aim: To create an environment which allows for the promotion of open and diverse public discussion on the solution of the Cyprus problem
Partner Organisation: Interpeace
Cultural Heritage Initiatives
Aim: To encourage people-to-people contact through cultural heritage activities
Partner Organisations: Kontea Heritage Foundation, Union of the Chambers of Cyprus Turkish Engineers and Architects , EVKAF
Participatory Development Capacity-Building in Cyprus
Aim: To foster citizen participation and participatory decision-making to create an inter-communal, island-wide culture of participation
Partner Organisations: To be determined
Support to UN Confidence Building Measures
Aim: To support UN facilitated peace talks and confidence building measures
Partner Organisations: UN Agencies in Cyprus
For more details on each of our projects, select Projects from the main menu of our website.
Our achievements to date:
On 1 October 2005 the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched its peacebuilding project in Cyprus, Action for Cooperation and Trust (ACT). The purpose of ACT is to create opportunities for Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots to work together on concrete projects that will benefit all people on the island, while at the same time promoting inter-communal tolerance and mutual understanding. In 2008, the ACT programme moved into its second phase, where it continues to promote inter-communal cooperation with a focus on strengthening the capacity of civil society to actively participate in the process of reconciliation.
The ACT II project builds on lessons learned from previous peacebuilding programmes in Cyprus, including the Bi-communal Development Programme (BDP), which ran between 1998 and 2005, as well as the experiences of reconciliation programmes around the world. Between 2005 and 2008, the first phase of the ACT project demonstrated the potential for Cypriots from all over the island to work together. Through its support to over 120 projects, ACT I supported hundreds of Cypriots who were keen to demonstrate that intercommunal coexistence is possible. These projects in turn reached thousands of Cypriots all across the island, highlighting the practical benefits of cooperation, and actively contributing to circumstances where Cypriots can envisage the future of their society after a solution is reached.
Snap shot of ACT’s Achievements 2005-2008
120 projects implemented across the island
Over 70,000 Cypriots involved in inter-communal activities
300 intercommunal events and activities
14 islandwide issue-based advocacy networks
Over the past three years ACT has supported civil society in addressing island-wide social issues and peacebuilding. ACT’s Civil Society Strengthening Programme included many projects which aimed to enhance the role of civil society. For more information please see the UNDP-ACT Achievements Report (see links top right on this page).
While between 2005 and 2008 UNDP-ACT managed more than 120 sub-projects, in the second phase of the ACT programme a commitment has been made to have a smaller number of larger multi-dimensional projects, which are strategically designed and targeted to promote intercommunal cooperation.
UNDP-ACT II is driven by the need to enhance capacities among civil society actors to advance intercommunal peacebuilding and to this end help prepare civil society to engage in the peace process and post-settlement phase. ACT supports civil society organisations (CSOs) through training programmes, networking and exposure to international practices to improve their organisational efficiency and effectiveness.
UNDP-ACT I (2005 - 2008)
Building Lasting Relationships Islandwide
Download our full colour leaflet here: English / Greek / Turkish
What is Action for Cooperation and Trust (ACT)?
On 1 October 2005 the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched its peace building project in Cyprus, Action for Cooperation and Trust (ACT). The purpose of ACT is to create opportunities for Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots to work together on concrete projects which will benefit all people on the island, while at the same time promoting inter-communal tolerance and mutual understanding. The ACT project is managed directly by UNDP and has a total budget of US $26.5 million for three years (October 2005-September 2008). The project is funded principally by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with additional funding from UNDP.
What do we do?
We provide opportunities for Cypriot organisations to design and implement projects which will help build the foundations for lasting relationships islandwide. One of the main objectives of ACT is to encourage Cypriots to demonstrate the benefits of islandwide cooperation. To this end ACT funds projects and initiatives which focus on multicultural education and youth empowerment, promoting civil engagement, support to environmental protection and the preservation and promotion of Cyprus’s rich cultural heritage. In each of these areas ACT works with Cypriots to emphasise the need for Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots to work together to achieve a prosperous and healthy future for the island and its people.
We provide opportunities for young Cypriots to learn about multicultural values…
The overall objective of ACT’s education and youth work is to promote learning within a multicultural society, based on a common value system founded upon justice, tolerance and mutual respect. Giving an opportunity to young people to take a leadership role in promoting education on multiculturalism and tolerance is a vital aspect of these efforts. One of the main areas of work focuses on support to youth skills development programmes that teach and encourage volunteerism and community service, responsible citizenship and diversity in the workplace. Activities bring young people from across the island together through residential camps and training sessions, which not only impart new skills but also break down barriers and prejudices. Using communications tools such as film and discussion forums ACT also creates opportunities for young Cypriots to express themselves and to tackle issues which are common to young people across the island. ACT also supports efforts to create supplementary history teaching materials in both communities, while other initiatives focus on youth entrepreneurship, addressing learning difficulties, road safety and youth delinquency.
Our focus on promoting civic engagement derives from the belief that Cypriots are the best resource for building cooperation and trust in Cyprus…
ACT believes that a more vibrant and effective civil society is key to helping Cypriots address the issues which both divide and unite the different communities. Civil society can facilitate reconciliation and also help tackle different social issues which do not limit themselves to a specific community. Through training programmes, civil society networking and exposure to international practices, ACT helps Cypriot civil society organisations (CSOs) acquire skills and knowledge to improve their organisational efficiency and effectiveness. Through this work CSOs can better address the concerns of citizens in different areas and actively engage in decision-making processes. Raising the profile of an active Cypriot civil society is important, and in May 2007 ACT organised Cyprus’s first International Civil Society Fair, “Open Voices - Active Citizens”.
ACT’s work on HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness depends heavily on partnerships with civil society organisations and demonstrates one practical reason why cooperation between the two communities at all levels is so important. Though Cyprus has low levels of HIV infection, ACT works with different Cypriot organisations which promote islandwide awareness of the threats posed by HIV/AIDS and which provide support to those who care for people living with the illness.
Caring for the environment is an islandwide activity which depends on strong inter-communal partnerships…
Air pollution does not stop at the Ledra Palace crossing point and airborne viruses are not hampered by barbed wire. From an ecological point of view, the island is a series of interconnected ecosystems and therefore environmental issues can only be properly addressed on an islandwide basis. Against this background, ACT promotes inter-communal partnerships which can help care for the common natural heritage of all Cypriots. These efforts involve support for bi-communal advisory groups; environmental advocacy and awareness; and facilitating technology transfer and knowledge sharing. ACT currently supports three bi-communal advisory groups, which bring together Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot experts and focus on organic farming, dairy farming and pandemic prevention. ACT’s environmental advocacy strategy supports the philosophy that Cyprus’s rich and varied environmental assets can only be protected and maintained if the two communities work together. In this vein, ACT’s support to the Cyprus Environmental Stakeholder Forum aims to establish a broad-based coalition of environmental stakeholders which will forge a common platform for promoting a mutually-agreed islandwide set of environmental priorities. Finally, ACT assists with “Green” technology transfer which reinforces knowledge sharing between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot experts in the area of reforestation and organic farming.
Promoting gender equality and reducing the gender gap is a critical part of our work…
Though Cypriot women have always participated in and contributed to society, they have often faced many difficulties in participating equally in the social, economic and political spheres. In this respect, studies show that Cyprus needs to do more in its efforts to close the gender gap. Issues concerning gender equality are incorporated into all UNDP-supported projects and ACT supports a number of initiatives that aim to reduce the gender gap across the island. These include: training on gender mainstreaming, supporting women’s associations, promoting gender equality and helping to organise activities for International Women's Day on 8 March. In collaboration with UNFICYP and NGOs, specific areas of support focus on initiatives aimed at preventing the trafficking of women and promoting women's rights and health, while also paying attention to women in politics, the media and working life.
The active engagement of Cypriots from all communities to preserve the island’s rich cultural heritage helps build respect and understanding…
Cultural heritage is universal. It is what all people have a right to inherit from their predecessors and pass on to future generations. As a contributor to a continuous dialogue between civilisations and cultures, cultural heritage can help to establish mutual understanding, cooperation and respect between peoples. Against this background, ACT supports the preservation of cultural heritage monuments in Cyprus as one vehicle to create opportunities to bring people from the different communities on the island together. Moreover, by gathering around a common heritage, people have the opportunity to learn about and respect each other’s cultures. Currently ACT is supporting the restoration of several monuments which embody this spirit.