Women Will Collect Sentences for Peace

Hands Across the Divide group launches support action for Turkish Cypriots: Saturday 11, January - Eleftheria Square, Nicosia, from 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM.

Nicosia

The Greek Cypriot members of Hands Across the Divide will be starting on the day and place above a series of activities to show solidarity to the struggle of the Turkish Cypriots.

During the very busy Saturday morning they will be out there in the central square of Nicosia. There are three aspects of their action:

Collecting sentences for the peace mountain campaign

This is in support of the initiative in the north where people are being asked to write a sentence for peace, put it in a plastic bottle and give it to the organizers. They will then collect them and create a "Mountain of Peace" where all the bottles will be carried with lorries outside Mr. Denktash's house and piled up to a height more than the house. The Turkish Cypriots organizing this are currently on a hunger strike for peace.

The Greek Cypriot members of the "Hands Across the Divide" NGO will be collecting from the public in the south sentences for peace which will then be sent to the organizers of the campaign in the north. I

Those who want to give support to this action send an e-mail with your sentence for peace to the Secretary of HAD, Tina Kallis at [email protected]

Handing out the group's statement for peace

The statement below will be handed out (in Turkish, Greek and English) to the public in the square:

"Forty years of separation have alienated the two communities in Cyprus, promoting mistrust and nurturing hatred instead of reconciliation and rapprochement. We and the future generations to come deserve a country without borders, fear and violence where every citizen can have the opportunity to live, grow and develop in a society based on values of equality, democracy and freedom. The struggle of our Turkish Cypriot compatriots inspires us to continue the efforts towards a unified Cyprus and the well being for all through the accession of a reunited island to the European Union. We therefore urgently demand the signing of a peace agreement until 28th February 2003."

Pinning white ribbons of peace

People who will write a sentence and/or will get a copy of the statement, will also be given a white ribbon to pin on their clothes as a symbol of peace and solidarity to the Turkish Cypriots.

The campaign with these three parts will be taking place every Saturday in the same place and times till Saturday the 22nd of February (included). The group is working hard in preparing a very big event for the 28th of February...

For more information about Hands Across the Divide

You may contact from the southern part of Cyprus - Tina Kallis - Secretary - Hands Across the Divide : [email protected] Tel: 357- 99-864696

From the northern part of Cyprus - Sevgul Uludag - member of the Management Committee of Hands Across the Divide: [email protected] Tel: 90-542-853 8436 (NM)