Uniting Old Nicosia

CHILDREN, teenagers, parents and teachers from both communities will be navigating through Old Nicosia tomorrow as part of the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) effort to encourage bi-communal understanding and cooperation.

An initial address by Nicosia Mayor Eleni Mavrou at the Ledra Street checkpoint will start tthe event at 10:30am.

The children, who are from both communities and aged ten to 18, will team up in bi-communal groups to navigate their way through the old city. Starting from the approximate centre of Nicosia, each team will be assigned one of the historic eleven bastions and have to find their own way there. Each team will be accompanied by an adult guide who will explain areas of historical interest along the way as they navigate towards the bastions.

The event is being organised by the Neon Soma Akriton (NSA), a youth group which is one of the 12 organisations in the UNDP Youth Movement in Cyprus. “The aim of this event is to show that the culture belongs to us both. It is the inheritance of us both.” said Dinos Logidi, spokesperson for the NSA.

“This is one of many events of this nature which are planned.” said Logidi “Whereas before there were lots of organisations each doing events on their own there has now begun an overall cooperation and coordination amongst organisations to do larger things and have more of an effect.”