Life Inside_Outside a Bubble
On Saturday 21st March, the POST RI team spent the morning bursting the ‘bubble’ that is Cypriot society, as part of the ‘Life Inside_Outside a Bubble’ event organised by Urban Gorillas. In collaboration with Optimi project, participants to the giant bubble that filled the space inside Bedesten were invited to challenge their preconceptions and put their fears and complaints of the lives we on this island lead into perspective. By physically bursting balloons that carried shocking facts and sobering messages about events and situations developing globally, individuals were brought to earth, encouraged to feel global humane solidarity for a moment, before sharing hopes and dreams for the future that were sent soaring up into the sky. Children and adults alike appreciated the impact of the short, literal and audible, as well as the longer-lasting, metaphorical and quieter bursts.
21 Mart Cumartesi günü, POST RI ekibi, Uban Gorillas tarafından organize edilen “Baloncuğun İçindeki ve Dışındaki Hayat” isimli etkinlikte Optimi Project ile bir araya gelerek, Kıbrıs toplumunun önyargılarını sorguladı. Lefkoşa, Bedesten içerisinde İtalyan mimar Marco Canevacci tarafından dizayn edilen büyük şişme bir yapı içerisinde gerçekleşen etkinlikte ziyaretçiler, dünyada olup bitenler hakkında şok edici gerçekler ve aydınlatıcı mesajlar taşıyan balonları patlatarak, hayatlarındaki korku ve şikeyetlerin ötesine geçmeye, bir anlığına da olsa küresel gerçeklerle bağlantı kurmaya teşvik edildi. Balonların bir metafor olarak kullanılarak yetişkinlere olduğu kadar çocuklara da hitap eden etkinlikte, bir anlık gürültüyle patlayan balonların ortaya çıkardığı şaşırtıcı bilgiler ilgi ve taktir topladı. Etkinliğin sonunda, geleceğe yönelik umutların ve hayallerin yazıldığı balonlar göğe bırakıldı.
Introductory Training to Peace Education in Platres
From the 16th to the 18th of January the Education for a Culture of Peace team, including the project team, members of the project Advisory Board and trainers, gathered in Platres for an introductory training to Peace Education. It was a fun-packed, but relaxing weekend which gave us the opportunity to refocus our energies, review the progress of the project so far and prepare for the coming months’ activities. When we weren’t socializing, cooking together, or playing games until well into the night, we were engaged in workshops and discussions where we reviewed the basic pillars of a Culture of Peace, exchanging and expressing views about each. Against the backdrop of a blue sky and pine trees, through a series of videos, games, quizzes and thought-provoking discussions we explored some of the most important issues in our field, including dismantling a culture of war, building intercultural respect and solidarity, living with justice and compassion, and promoting human rights and responsibilities. As this training served as a practice-run for those we will delivers to teachers across the island, we shared good and bad practices when implementing a Culture of Peace in schools and dealing with these issues, drawing from examples from schools in Cyprus. Over the course of three days we brought our skills, ideas and priorities together, discussing all aspects from the project from communications and strategies to the budget. It was a wonderful way to spend a weekend and to reflect on why each of us is pushing for a Culture of Peace in Cyprus; we would like to thank everyone who joined us from Nicosia and beyond for continuing to dedicate their time and effort to the project and to peace, and Louis and Eleni for doing such a great job of guiding us through the workshops and providing us with huge inspiration and motivation. Watch this space for upcoming activities!
“Gender and Peace Education” Workshops
As part of our new project “Gender and Peace Education” which was implemented in cooperation with KTOS (Cyprus Turkish Teachers’ Union) Gender Committee with the financial support of Friedrich Ebert Foundation, in October 2013 POST RI organised two separate training workshops for teachers in Famagusta at the regional headquarters of KTOS (23rd October) and in Morphou at the Morphou Ataturk Maarif Kindergarten (25thOctober) . Having aimed to enhance gender awareness among the teachers within the scope of peace education and increase their capacity to promote gender equality in their daily practice, the workshops were conducted by POST RI trainers Mehves Beyidoglu Onen and Tegiye Birey.
POST Research Institute 