Peace-builders at the Crossroads: Reflections of a Fulbright Scholar in Cyprus

In a few weeks I will be leaving this beautiful island in order to return to my faculty position at George Mason University. It will be good to be back home and reconnect with my friends, my family, my colleagues, and my work in the United States, but being away from Cyprus will be difficult for me. The images from the special places that I have visited on the island are etched permanently in my memory. Your kindness and hospitality have created a tie that chains my heart to all of you. The work that we have done together is now an integral part of my own identity as a professional and as a world citizen. It won't be easy to be away from the people and the physical space that brought me these gifts, but their presence in my life means that I will never actually leave Cyprus; rather I'll simply have to stretch the chain a bit so that it reaches over the Mediterranean, through Europe, and across the Atlantic, and all the way to Fairfax, Virginia. Of course, I do not intend to leave permanently, so I hope to follow that chain back to Cyprus frequently.

I feel a deep sense of satisfaction and hope for the future as I stand here among my friends and colleagues. I am fortunate to be a part of your efforts to create a new future for Cyprus, and I would like to acknowledge the three key players that have made this work possible. First, I want to recognize the participants in the various workshops, seminars, and project groups, who play the most important role in this work. Each of the bi-communal activities is the result of an initiative by citizens in the two communities, and everything that currently exists is first and foremost a result of your strong interest and desire to create closer ties with one another. Second, I would like to credit the core group of planners, facilitators, and project leaders who have devoted so much of their time and personal resources to organizing and conducting the various meetings and workshops. Without your dedication and hard work, there would have been no progress. Finally, I must thank the various individuals and their diplomatic missions who have provided logistical and financial support to make all our meetings and gatherings possible. Cyprus is fortunate to attract the very best of the international diplomatic personnel to its shores, and all of us are the beneficiaries of their foresight and their commitment to building bridges across the green line. It has been my privilege to work closely with Ambassador Kenneth Brill and the staff of the U.S. Embassy, with Mr. Gilles Anouil of the office of the European Commission in Cyprus, and with Mr. Gustave Feissel and his staff of the United Nations. No one should doubt their personal commitment to helping resolve the tragic conflict on this island. I am especially grateful to the staff of the Cyprus Fulbright Commission and its director, Mr. Daniel Hadjittofi, who together with Dr. Judith Baroody, chair of the Fulbright Board, have exerted great efforts to make this work possible. Lastly, I must recognize the support and flexibility of my home institution, George Mason University, and especially my department chair, Dr. Don Boileau. Their willingness to "let go of me" for over 2 years in order to live and work in a place that isn't even on their maps is a sign of both trust and forward thinking.

Two and one-half years ago, when I first came to Cyprus, the active peace-building community consisted of a small group of individuals in the two communities who were eager to promote greater bi-communal contact. This "core group" had come together through their participation in various conflict resolution workshops conducted by professionals and academics from the United States and Canada, particularly Herb Kelman of Harvard University, Ron Fisher of the University of Saskatchewan, Louise Diamond of the Institute for MultiTrack Diplomacy in Washington, D.C., and Diana Chigas of the Conflict Management Group in Boston. In cooperation with the Bi-communal Steering Committee, my first task was to work with a core group of conflict resolution trainers, to help them understand the nature of their task as peace-builders, to create a vision for the future of their work, and to develop a collaborative action agenda for accomplishing their goals. This group succeeded where many before them had failed -- they created a collective vision for the future that includes the concerns and hopes of both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, a product based on active participation and consensus from all members of the group and representing a true partnership in learning and action. The people you see here tonight represent the success of initial efforts to implement their vision of peace-building activities. There are now over 300 people in 8 groups that meet regularly, representing young business leaders, youth organizations, women's groups, educators, management personnel, university students, and citizens from all walks of life. In spite of the never-ending obstacles placed in the way of bi-communal meetings, these individuals and groups have continued their meetings, and they have created a force for change that will be impossible to turn back.

Tonight I am here to celebrate with you these efforts to create a new model for peaceful co-existence on this island. Our work is nothing less than a paradigm of future federation in Cyprus. It represents a future where the two communities work together in genuine peace, based on principles of understanding each other's needs, respect for diversity, and willingness to work together in a true partnership. In our meetings, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots manage their affairs by working closely together -- discussing issues, struggling to listen, dealing with their own and each other's pain from the past, sharing hopes and fears about the future.

It is not easy for people to come together after so many years of separation. There are many difficulties to overcome, both within the groups and from outside. The groups must constantly deal with myths and misconceptions about each other, lack of trust fed by on-going events, occasional attempts (both deliberate and unintentional) to disrupt the fragile climate of understanding. People who are involved face opposition from within their own community -- accusations of betrayal, naivete, and collaboration with the enemy. And most burdensome of all is the constant need to readjust schedules and expectations when programs have to be canceled or postponed because of a breakdown in the unnecessarily troublesome procedures that are required for bringing people together. Yet the groups continue their work, making slow, steady progress toward building a working relationship that is strong enough to withstand the forces that are aligned against it. The momentum is strong now, and as the participation tonight and at the bi-communal gatherings of September 30 and October 24 have clearly shown, even tragic events such those that occurred in August along the buffer zone cannot break the strong desire for contact and communication.

Although a great deal of progress has been made, there is still a long way to go. And getting there will not be easy. I believe the people of Cyprus will have to make some hard choices in the coming months, and the decisions you make will determine whether the future is one of permanent separation or one of peaceful and productive co-existence. The status quo, which is an uneasy and anxiety-inducing state of uncertainty, cannot continue to exist. The international community is poised to make what could be one last serious attempt to promote peace in Cyprus, and a failure this time around might leave the two communities with a certain, but undesirable, state of affairs. I challenge all those who sincerely believe in peace to prepare yourself for the struggle that lies just around the corner. It will require courage, sacrifice, and determination. Please allow me to outline what I believe are the primary challenges that you must face.

First, I want to speak to the participants in the bi-communal groups, represented by most of those present tonight. The task ahead of you is not for the weak-hearted. It will require courage and commitment. Your must bring more and more people into the process, you must continue to expand the activities until everyone in Cyprus is affected in some way by your work. Very importantly, you must involve those who are skeptical, those who doubt the effectiveness of bi-communal meetings, even those who are hostile to what you are doing. Remember that you are not trying to negotiate a political solution with the other side -- this is a job for the people you elect to represent you. And it is already clear from previous agreements of the past 22 years that some form of bi-communal and bi-zonal federation will result from the political negotiations. Such an arrangement, whatever form it takes, will require a much different attitude than currently exists among the general population. It is up to you to demonstrate the readiness of people to work together in a federation, and you must prepare the people in the two communities for implementing such a solution. You will be confronted by many challenges, both from within your own groups and from outside. Your actions are a direct threat to those who are working against the best interests of Cyprus, and they will do whatever they can to make your task difficult. Be assured that they cannot destroy your good efforts as long as you continue to move forward. You are on the only path that does not lead to a dead-end, and I urge you to stay the course.

Second, allow me to say a few words to those who have taken on leadership roles in facilitating this work. You too will face the difficulties I mention above, but your most serious challenge is to find ways to manage your own affairs in a fruitful manner. During these past two years, I have seen many communication patterns in your groups that have made it difficult for you to be productive and efficient in your efforts. Some of your habits must change if the work is to grow in a healthy manner. Number 1: I urge you to keep the overall objectives of the work above personal feelings and concerns. Jealousy and infighting will accomplish nothing. No matter how left out, overlooked, criticized, or rejected you may feel when something occurs that is against your wishes, keep in mind that the most important thing is for the work to move forward. Number 2: Seek to provide leadership through support, not control. From what I know of Cypriots, they will stop participating or else actively resist when someone is too controlling, leaving the "leader" with no followers. In an ever changing, dynamic, constantly growing organization, leadership takes place through encouragement more than discipline, through listening more than giving advice, through promoting ideas more than giving orders, through helping people grow more than pointing out their limitations. Number 3: Assume the positive about someone's intentions until it is proven otherwise, especially when dealing with those you have come to know well. When something happens that you don't understand, withhold judgment. Seek to understand why someone might have done something rather than immediately assume bad intentions. Number 4: Take care of each other. Don't forget that your fight is against chauvinism and extreme nationalism, not with each other. There are not many of you, and it will require all the help you can give each other in order for your efforts to succeed.

Third, I ask something very important from the international community. You must do more to make bi-communal events happen. Your support for the current activities is much appreciated, and we all recognize that without your help, there would be almost total absence of communication and contact between the communities. It is my view that your most important role as diplomats in Cyprus is bringing the two communities together. The amount of money, time, and human resources that is spent on diplomatic activity in Cyprus is out of proportion to the size of the population of this island, and yet after over three decades of intense work, the tangible results are disappointing. I ask you to look around the room here tonight, and you will see the tangible results that can occur from investment in bi-communal activities. You will also see around you the promise of what could happen in Cyprus if you took advantage of the opportunity before you. These people each know 10-20 other individuals who want to meet with members of the other community, and simple arithmetic will tell you that the 300 people currently involved in these groups could easily become 3000 or 5000 or more. If this many people were involved in on-going bi-communal seminars, workshops, study groups, and projects, the whole of Cyprus would be affected in profound ways. Be careful, however, to use -- not abuse -- the people who are willing to work for peace. Keep in mind that every individual here tonight has a job, a family, and many other commitments. They already give a lot to be part of these groups. Don't ask them to do the things that you can do for them. They need appropriate facilities in which to meet, including well-equipped bi-communal centers, libraries, and gathering places. They need trained facilitators, both local and third-party experts, who can guide them through a constructive process of dialogue and cooperation. They need administrative assistance in managing logistics. They need funds for carrying out their projects. Most of all, they need a means of communicating and meeting with each other. It is your urgent task to develop a mechanism whereby groups and individuals who want to meet each other can do so with a minimum of constraints. Yes, I realize that the two communities are technically in a cease-fire and open flow of people is not possible. Yet I see no reason why simple procedures cannot be put in place that will allow bi-communal groups to meet whenever they wish and wherever they wish and as often as they wish. Only a concerted and united effort on the part of the diplomatic community can make this happen. You will see quickly that the rest of your job as diplomats will become much easier, both now and in the future.

Fourth, I cannot resist directing a few comments to the leadership of the two communities. You must view the bi-communal activities as a desirable, constructive, and integral part of your own struggle to lead Cyprus toward peace. There is nothing more natural, more human, and more beneficial to the future of this island than the simple act of people meeting people. The best way to demonstrate your sincerity about resolving the Cyprus conflict is to do everything you can to encourage people from the two communities to come into peaceful contact. Attempts to keep the people of the two communities apart is nothing less than suicidal. You are killing not only your own legacy but also the future of this island. No matter what kind of political agreement is reached, the people of Cyprus will have to learn to live together on this small piece of land, and they have had almost no practice for the past 30 years. No matter what kind of future you envision for Cyprus, the bi-communal meetings that are taking place can only help your cause. To the Greek Cypriot leadership I say: The best way to achieve your goal of unification of the island, is to encourage and support bi-communal meetings in which people can learn what living with the other actually means. To the Turkish Cypriot leadership I say: The best way to achieve your goal of partnership with the Greek Cypriots is to remove barriers to the only example of partnership that exists on this island. People from all walks of life are coming together to learn about each other and how to work together, and their biggest struggle is the totally unnecessary task of finding a way to meet each other, something that should be taken for granted rather than taking so much of our time and energy. The bi-communal activities should not be used as a political tool to put pressure on the other side or on the international community. By doing so, you're burning the walls of your own house in order to keep warm for a few moments longer, and when the storm comes, you will have no protection from the wind, the rain, and the cold. You must begin to view the participants in the bi-communal activities as you most important allies. They are the ones who will make it possible for people in your own community to accept the agreement you will sign, and they are the most important guarantors of its implementation. Please look forward to what is just around the corner, and you will find in front of you the people in these bi-communal groups, preparing the way.

Finally, I would like to pose a challenge to the people of Cyprus. Cypriots have many beautiful personal qualities that could make this island into a model multicultural society, an example of which the world is desperately seeking. There is a natural kindness toward others, a hospitality that is unequaled elsewhere, a charm that is irresistible. Unfortunately, the Cyprus problem weighs so heavily on everyone that attempts to exhibit these qualities toward one another across community lines never enters the mind of most people. However, I believe that to bring peace to Cyprus you must do the unthinkable. You must reach out your hand in friendship to the other side. You must give the people in the other community a reason to believe in your sincerity and goodwill. You must show a willingness to listen to the pain and suffering that the others have experienced. You must put away symbols of separation and hatred. You must remove from the textbooks and the mouths of your teachers the image of the other as an enemy. You must quit the rhetoric of blame, and accept responsibility for your own community's contribution, both from the past and now, to the Cyprus problem. You must stop the provocative acts that threaten the existence of the others. You must give up the idea of using violence and force. Above all, you must view as legitimate the needs and concerns of the other community. The path to peace is through rough and unexplored territory, full of monsters who appear ready to gobble all of us at any moment. Don't be fooled into thinking that force alone can tame or defeat these monsters. Be sure that their repulsive outward appearance hides within them a confused mind and a troubled heart, and these hideous creatures can be tamed with the proper combination of strength and understanding. Keep in mind that the strongest moves in any conflict are toward the other, not against the other.

I challenge everyone to begin from this moment in focusing your thoughts and actions about what will happen after a solution in Cyprus. In the final analysis, this will matter more than the kind of solution, because the people of Cyprus are strong enough to take hold of any situation and make it work. Please realize that it is not possible for your leaders to sign an agreement in which each side gets everything it has been demanding. Of course, creative solutions can be found for many of the points of disagreement, but the fact remains that you will have to give up some things that you have vowed to never let go of. But you must let your leaders know that peace is worth the price that will have to be paid. Let your leaders know that if they will manage to sign an agreement, then you will work out a way of bringing the two communities together in friendship. In the long run, I believe that both communities will gain everything they ask for and more, if you are willing to look toward the future together in instead of drowning yourselves in a past that has been distorted beyond any degree of usefulness. If you will allow those qualities that are most dear to you as a Cypriot to emerge in their full form, they will lift you above the Cyprus conflict, and you will start to see each other as fellow human beings, as common residents of a small and fragile island that is groaning beneath the weight of its peoples' sorrows.

My friends, you have taken me with you on an important part of your journey toward peace. I feel myself a very fortunate person. I cannot say farewell, because even though I will not be living in Cyprus during the next few months, I will remain with you in many ways, and I plan to see you again soon. You have drawn me into your lives and into your work, and even if I tried I would not be able to shake loose from your firm hold. I hope that my presence among you contributes in some small way to the many beautiful things that, because of your work, are already happening in Cyprus. I look forward to continuing together with you the journey toward peace.