A real solution for cyprus?

[Dhavlos]

WE constantly talk about the ways in which a solution should look like, but we all know that there is no political will (or much public will) for a solution to come about. Therefore, in my opinion, there is almost no reason for a solution to be made that wil actually come into effect within the next 10 years. We all look at the larger scale, 'how things will work' within the government, which is all good and well, but do we forget the 'bottom-up' approach that all democratic, modern states are based upon, ie that it is the people that should truely hold power and authority not 'imposed' upon them.

So, that means the solution must not be soley political, and that it should infact be a social solution. THe people are what need changing, it is the people who must accept a solution, as well as having to live next to each other, with each other and work with each other. We all dream of a peaceful cyprus, which promotes individual freedom, as well as protecting our cultures and traditions we all hold close to our hearts.

It is for these reasons that i am putting forward my own 'road map' for reunification of the island. I propose 3 stages, which hopefully, i beleive,if implimented would make a solution desired and workable.

1. Education
I propose that the North and the South create a common curriculum to be taught to ALL the children in cyprus, from primary to higher level education, with the free movement of 'knowledge' around the island. That would mean that all the universities, north and south would be open to all the graduates in cyprus, and would give recognised qualifications. In primary and secondary school, i think that the children should be taught the same curriculum. Now, people will argue that history lessons would be controversial, but i do not beleive they will be. History is all about opinions, and you gain your knowledge from varieties of sources, so i would propose that ALL school children are taught the Turkish Cypriot and the Greek Cypriot side of cyprus' history, and leave it up to the individual child to decide whether they wish to take one side or another, or infact, some kind of middle road(which i hope most will do).

Lingusitically, i would propose that all children are taught Greek and Turkish as well as English and other languages they wish. Lessons would be taught in either a variety of the three languages, or all in english, which would mean that any child could learn in any school, and the language they speak will not matter, since english would not be the mother tongue of any child.

Any child would be allowed to learn in ANY school. Schools in the south would be twinned with schools in the north, and common events such as sports days and presentation evenings etc, would be done between the two schools, so that children from both sides get used to each other, and see they are not the enemy. Maybe some kind of 'teacher exchange' could take place also between schools, so that the children can learn from people with a variety of backgrounds, and again, get used to each other.

2. Freedom of residence and the property solution

I propose that an independant court be set up (including a Turkish Cypriot, Greek Cypriot and EU judge) to sort out the property problem. THey would have powers to force people from thier homes, as well as set the amount of compensation etc for claims etc. ALL property claims would go through this courts, and its desicion being final.

A few years after the establishment of the joint education system, i propose that cyprus should liberalise its land purchases, so that any resident of either side can buy land from either side, without restrictions. At first i assume people will not buy a lot of land, since they may look to see if they get their old property back, but after most of these claims have been filed and sorted, say about 10years, i would assume that more people may buy land in the south and north, and people could quite peacefully coexist on either side.

3. The political solution

Whilst numbers 1 and 2 are taking place, the north would be able to open its ports to trade(basically, economic recognition), but construction would be resticted, and would only be allowed to take place in areas agreed by authorities in the north and south, so that no more 'occupied' land is built upon (same for Turkish Cypriot land in the south). Politically, the 'states' would operate the same as they do now, giving citizenship etc, to those who they wish etc...

The sitation of settlers would stay the same. Either they could be given soem kind of financial aid to return, or given work permits, but if they live on occupied property, they will probably have to move, but be given some kind of council housing by either the north or south. Settlers who are married to Turkish Cypriots or who have lived on teh island for 20 years or more, or if they qualify for other reasons, would be allowed to stay.

In my thinking, if you consider the impact of the common education, i beleive we will be in a very different situation, 20 or so years from now. People will be less hostile, and hopefully will respect each other, as well as see themselves as cypriots etc (ie im saying 'cypriotness' would have been acheived). Hopefully, the will of a solution will be stronger, and people may begin to want the same things , or compromise for the good of 'cyprus' and 'cypriotness' . Simply, the will for a solution will be there, and would actually come about, since people want a solution, and it can be based on whatever they want, becuase by then, people will know if there are homogenous areas etc. Basically, a solution will happen becuase people will want it to happen.


What do people think? Will this work? What are your opinions on this?

[cypezokyli]

bravo dvavlos.
very interesting ideas.

i also believe that the exact form of goverment is not as important, as the political will to make it work.

the education step both historically and linguistcally would be a great idea.
if i may , i would add the closing of wounds as we discussed already, with finishing this disgrace with the missing persons of both sides, and setting up those truth comissions. you have right the society should start getting prepared.

for the other two, i am not that sure that our leadership, would be willing to accept them if they are not part of a complete solution.

[Dhavlos]

oops, sorry, yes i should include also a truth and reconciliation commisison...or at least some kind of organisation thing that documents everyones experiances during the 60s...

[depurple]

Davlos
good work:
I will also add:
1: Education: Greek, Turkish and English lessons:
2:No Military and weapons on the island:No consciptions:
3: One base Akrotiri will stay as a part of NATO & EU: The other two handed back for development:
4: 2 States North & South with a central government in Nicosia:Like Australia: NSW & VIC but government in Canberra:
5: Freedom of movement: If you want to live on your ancestral land under Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus go ahead: They will be no fear because no army or weapons:
6: Compensation????????Let me work out what people are owed because most of the people in the Cyprus Government are corrupt North and South:
Who would you trust: Denktash, Clerides or Bassilou to work out compensation to the poor people:OR Britain, Greece or Turkey who don't give a stuff about the concerns of honest Cypriots:
MY scale of compensation is the best: The closer to the sea the more money per scalla:
Simples: Work out how much 1 scalla near the beach is worth in Limassol, Paphos OR Ayia Napa:
Then work out how much it is I KLM away and so on: Then the views:
The have the money: Work on minimum 200,000 EURO per scalla then MAYBE we might have an agreement:
That way the people who get compensated can get some money that money to ease the pain and suffering and the depriving of their children and family lifestyle: It wont heal the wounds but its a start:
Also asset test: Denktash, Clerides, Basilou and others and maybe we can get some money out of them as well: Pay back time Boys:

[Dhavlos]

[Dhavlos]

just thinking out loud here, but could this kind of 'solution' be our websites 'beleif' as such. We all know that this section fo the forum is for rfinding a solution, but do you see what i mean when i say that this could be it. After all, i dont think there is anything that is highly controversial, and it just leaves open the possibility of any knid of final solution, becasue as we know, we are not really gong to find one any time soon!

[Dhavlos]

has no-one got any comments for this

[depurple]

Davlos
Good work again: let go over a couple of points:
The Bases: We must keep one to keep the British (we owe them money for the infrastructure of Cyprus)
The Turks so they have a foothold in the Mediterranean:
The Greeks so they think they have there foot in Cyprus:
NATO to watch the middle East BUT Cyprus should be paid Rent for this use:
Let them all think of protecting US while we concentrate on sending our children to school for a formal education:
As for the central government IT must be even and also have the ethnics in Cyprus on the committee to monitor there rights as well:
The Freedom of movement can also have the compensation clause for those who do not want to return to the North or South But it must be worth money not peanuts:

[Dhavlos]

SO:

JOINT CURRICULUM -(notable learning both languages, and both sides of modern cypriot history)

PROPERTY BOARD - (set up to sort out property issues...decision being final)

FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT/PROPERTY - (Say, 5 years after the property board is set up...free up property purchasing on both sides-but not disputed property)

TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION - (a commission to document memories/stories of the communal strifes..possibly to find a final answer, or just to have everything archived...leadng to some kind of museum for people to learn from)

ECONOMY - (the ports in the north opened, but all ports on teh island put under a joint commission...construction etc, can happen, but only on undisputed land)

TROOPS - (descaling of all troops on the island to 1960 agreements)

Do people agree with this vision of what should happen BEFORE the political solution should be found....especially the first 4 points. ??

[Dhavlos]

IM declaring support of these proposals.

[Birkibrisli]

Good work,Dhavlos...

You can have my support for your plan.

[Mills Chapman]

Dhavlos,

I agree with everything you wrote. My specialty is with the education component, and as I am American, I am not going to get involved with the other two parts. However, regarding education, I think it's important that the schools use cooperative-learning methods and in-school conflict-resolution programs (CRE). These things are a bit technical to people not versed in educational research, but they can do a lot of good in building a superordinate identity between people of different groups, whether they are Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, or blacks and whites. I don't know a good Turkish Cypriot website on cooperative learning, but for all you Greek Cypriots reading this, check out www.cyacl.net .

In the U.S. in the 1970s, they put blacks and whites in the same schools, and the results were often disastrous. A lot of fights broke out, also with Hispanics, and researchers realized that there was a lot of competition in the classroom for the teacher's time (usually whites were perceived as faster learners, and thus teachers had a hard time teaching an integrated class). With cooperative learning, "if" implemented properly, a lot of cognitive and socio-emotional benefits can pour forth - such as raising the superordinate identity of Cypriotness over the T & G identities.

Also, for history, Academic Controversy (also known as Creative Controversy) is a splendid teaching method for controversial history issues. It works like a cooperative debate - arguing, and then arguing for the other side, and then integrating into a final essay. For more on this, see http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/classroom/controversy.html

Also, check out www.hisdialresearch.org if you haven't seen it already. - Mills

[depurple]

Dhavlos: A couple of things to add:
The property broad MUST be fair Not peanuts:
The property is is the MAIN Issue: If the people who lost their legal land where offered say 100,000 Euros per Scalla then a lot would take leaving the rest to go back:
BUT if you are offered peanuts then 110% would want it all back to the millimeter:
The Bases:
We owe Britain infrastructure money so Britain will want to keep one BUT if we turn it over to NATO it will make Greece & Turkey happy chappies:
The Military:
NON at all: Only NATO or EU troupes and also get rid of all weapons from the island including hunting guns: Let them all stick with Flying their Kites: And NOW with bird flu it is a good Chance to set up a fund to pay compensation for the guns:
A Buy back scheme by the EU or Cypriot
government:
Antique Guns? Remove the firing mechanism:
TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COMMISSION a MUST!
I want to see what Denktash & Clerides have to say as well as Nadil and others: That will be the best thing BUT I would like to ask the questions:
Please can I?
cheers: