Seminar on War and Peace
A whole world is now intensely following the
dramatic development in Cyprus. Is there a realistic hope for reunification? Will Cyprus as an entity or
federation enter the European Union in May 2004 or will only the Greek part of
the island do so? What are the perspectives if Cyprus continues to be a divided
island? The self-proclaimed northern republic of Cyprus rejected the Annan plan
for reconciliation earlier this year. But paradoxically enough it was the north
part that took the initiative to lift the green line and give the citizens from
both sides possibilities to visit their homelands again. In this turbulent
situation culture plays an important and vital role as an underlying source
of identity and reconciliation. But it must
be stressed that culture on Cyprus always has reflected at least the Turkish
(Ottoman) and the Greek heritages. But as in old times these two cultures have
inspired and enriched each other and are doing so even today.
The political situation became very serious after
the Turkish troops invaded the island in 1974. Here is not the right place to
analyze the background but it was indeed very complex. All Cypriot Turks were
suddenly moved to the north of the island and all the Greek Cypriots to the
south. They all were forced to leave their past behind, also houses and
belongings, and try to start new lives. Also the artistic community was divided
and the lack of communications created a growing gap in between them.
This was the situation when the Swedish
organization KLYS had the privilege to invite 15 Greek Cypriots and 12 Turkish
Cypriots to come and work for a week on the Swedish island of Gotland in July
1999. The idea of this meeting was born in connection with the International
meeting of NGOs in Stockholm the
previous year. Then the Greek Cypriot prose writer Niki Marangou and her Turkish Cypriot collegue Neshe Yashin
proposed a bicommunal conference under the umbrella of UNESCO. Their proposal was heartily endorsed by the
Secretary General Federico Mayor, who offered to sponsor such a meeting. Thanks
to contributions also the foreign Ministers Georgos Papandreou and his Swedish
colleague Anna Lindh – whom we honor today after the terrible deed against her
– we managed to arrange this historic meeting on Gotland. It was a week of
discussions and practical workshops. A most important and lasting result was
the friendship that all participants shared and the determination to continue
to cooperate also when back on the divided island. The so called “Gotland
process” had began.
It was of course not an easy thing to develop
mutual projects on an island where the border was closed and where telephone
lines were cut off. But thanks to Internet and e-mails – and the access to some
mobiles with Turkish sim cards – the artists and writers could continue their
work together.
Today two of the front figures in this process have
come to Opatija to tell us about the role of different culture activities on
their island today. Hopefully their experiences can give us all inspiration and
strengthen our efforts to unite the creative forces to safeguard cultural
diversity around the world. I am happy to be able to present to you Neshe
Yashin, an outstanding Turk Cypriot poetess and cultural activist and the Greek
Cypriot filmdirector Panicos Chrysantou. They will both give blood and flesh to
my introduction. Panicos will also give some proof of how a film camera can be
a weapon to defend human dignity in a politically tense situation.
I invite you all to a fruitful and rewarding
seminar.
Peter Curman, poet and member of SC, Sweden.