The British All Party Parliamentary Group on Cyprus British MPs lead clean up of cemeteries and churches – 30/03/2012

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David Burrowes MP – Chairman of the Cyprus All Party Parliamentary Group and the two lead member of the religious and cultural heritage sub-committee Matthew Offord MP and Jim Sheridan MP, together with Nick de Bois MP are inviting volunteers from both communities to support the clean up session of churches and cemeteries in Cyprus. The anticipated two day cleaning session will commence in the morning of the 10th May and conclude on the afternoon of the 11th May 2012.

The Archbishop Chrisostomos has asked for work to be carried out at the following sites:
St. Anastasios(2churches)- Peristerona
Archangel Michel- Pigi of Amochostos
Panagia –Genegra
St George – Genagra
Panagia – Assia
St Artemonas –Afania
Cemetery of village Pigi (Amochostos)
Cemetery of village Genagra
Cemetery of village Assia

Turkish Cypriots have also asked the Cyprus APPG Members to visit cemeteries in the following villages:

Kivisili
Dromolaxia
Kala Chorio
Skarinou
Kofinou
Kotsiatis

David Burrowes MP said “When I last visited Cyprus with Nick de Bois in November I was appalled by the condition of the churches and cemeteries which I visited. I resolved to do something practical about it and return with volunteers to clean up and restore some respect to religious and cultural heritage and also build confidence. The aim of the visit is not to apportion blame for the past nor deal with longer term issues of restoration of heritage, but to in a measured way show some care for the sites that remain and restore some respect. We will be visiting both Christian and Muslim sites and I encourage both Greek and Turkish Cypriots to take part and support the initiative.”

If you would like to join the group of volunteers, particularly if you have a family connection to the villages please email Marina Savva the CYP-APPG Secretariat directly at marinasavva@cyprusappg.co.uk to express your interest; we have been working closely with a reputable travel agency and prepared a package deal to support volunteers wishing to participate in the clean up session.

Pro-I3T project: How can it help you? – 30/03/2012

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The usual question that an association like the Union of Cyprus Municipalities (UCM) or the Assembly of European Regions (AER) receives from its members concerning town twinning is: “I have this project idea. Can I finance it through town twinning and how?”

Pro-I3T will aim to reply to that question in a structured and detailed way, with up-to-date information, written in a simple way that can be easily understood by every municipal or regional officer or even simple citizens. Pro-I3T consists of two main components:

1. The production of 15 comprehensive thematic guides. In addition to these guides, the already existing “Guide to EU funding” will be updated and translated in English. This comprehensive brochure has proven to be extremely useful for Cypriot local authorities, and its translation into English will give all European local authorities the possibility to use it. All information guides will be in a form of a CD Rom. This will permit to small local authorities that do not have access to IT, to get access to the information material. The guides will also be uploaded on a website in order to make them available to the totality of local and regional authorities in the EU and beyond.

2. The organising of two training sessions (one in Cyprus and one in Brussels) which will aim to teach local and regional practitioners how to use the provided information material (CD-Roms, websites etc) and therefore how to improve the quality and the implementation procedures of their activities. The first training session will take place in September 2012 in Cyprus and it will take the form of an AER “training academy”. This training method has been repeatedly implemented by the AER, a fact that guarantees the quality of the event. The second one will take place in October 2012 in Brussels, in the premises of the Committee of the Regions of the EU. This event will be open for participation to all European local and regional authorities and civil society stakeholders, not only members of the UCM and the AER.

In both sessions (Nicosia and Brussels), participants will have the possibility to share their experiences in working with European programmes and the Europe for Citizens programme and will explore the possibilities for twinnings among their members and with Municipalities from the rest of the EU. They will also be trained upon the use of the information tools of Pro-I3T as well as online partner search tools and the application procedures for the Europe for Citizens programme. Finally, they will have the possibility to discuss on the advantages and realities of multilevel-governance, the need for regional and local planning of actions, and of course on the EU itself.

The British All Party Parliamentary Group on Cyprus British MPs lead clean up of cemeteries and churches – 30/03/2012

/in

David Burrowes MP – Chairman of the Cyprus All Party Parliamentary Group and the two lead member of the religious and cultural heritage sub-committee Matthew Offord MP and Jim Sheridan MP, together with Nick de Bois MP are inviting volunteers from both communities to support the clean up session of churches and cemeteries in Cyprus. The anticipated two day cleaning session will commence in the morning of the 10th May and conclude on the afternoon of the 11th May 2012.

The Archbishop Chrisostomos has asked for work to be carried out at the following sites:
St. Anastasios(2churches)- Peristerona
Archangel Michel- Pigi of Amochostos
Panagia –Genegra
St George – Genagra
Panagia – Assia
St Artemonas –Afania
Cemetery of village Pigi (Amochostos)
Cemetery of village Genagra
Cemetery of village Assia

Turkish Cypriots have also asked the Cyprus APPG Members to visit cemeteries in the following villages:

Kivisili
Dromolaxia
Kala Chorio
Skarinou
Kofinou
Kotsiatis

David Burrowes MP said “When I last visited Cyprus with Nick de Bois in November I was appalled by the condition of the churches and cemeteries which I visited. I resolved to do something practical about it and return with volunteers to clean up and restore some respect to religious and cultural heritage and also build confidence. The aim of the visit is not to apportion blame for the past nor deal with longer term issues of restoration of heritage, but to in a measured way show some care for the sites that remain and restore some respect. We will be visiting both Christian and Muslim sites and I encourage both Greek and Turkish Cypriots to take part and support the initiative.”

If you would like to join the group of volunteers, particularly if you have a family connection to the villages please email Marina Savva the CYP-APPG Secretariat directly at marinasavva@cyprusappg.co.ukto express your interest; we have been working closely with a reputable travel agency and prepared a package deal to support volunteers wishing to participate in the clean up session.

Pro-I3T project: How can it help you? – 30/03/2012

/in ,

The usual question that an association like the Union of Cyprus Municipalities (UCM) or the Assembly of European Regions (AER) receives from its members concerning town twinning is: “I have this project idea. Can I finance it through town twinning and how?”

Pro-I3T will aim to reply to that question in a structured and detailed way, with up-to-date information, written in a simple way that can be easily understood by every municipal or regional officer or even simple citizens. Pro-I3T consists of two main components:

1. The production of 15 comprehensive thematic guides. In addition to these guides, the already existing “Guide to EU funding” will be updated and translated in English. This comprehensive brochure has proven to be extremely useful for Cypriot local authorities, and its translation into English will give all European local authorities the possibility to use it. All information guides will be in a form of a CD Rom. This will permit to small local authorities that do not have access to IT, to get access to the information material. The guides will also be uploaded on a website in order to make them available to the totality of local and regional authorities in the EU and beyond.

2. The organising of two training sessions (one in Cyprus and one in Brussels) which will aim to teach local and regional practitioners how to use the provided information material (CD-Roms, websites etc) and therefore how to improve the quality and the implementation procedures of their activities. The first training session will take place in September 2012 in Cyprus and it will take the form of an AER “training academy”. This training method has been repeatedly implemented by the AER, a fact that guarantees the quality of the event. The second one will take place in October 2012 in Brussels, in the premises of the Committee of the Regions of the EU. This event will be open for participation to all European local and regional authorities and civil society stakeholders, not only members of the UCM and the AER.

In both sessions (Nicosia and Brussels), participants will have the possibility to share their experiences in working with European programmes and the Europe for Citizens programme and will explore the possibilities for twinnings among their members and with Municipalities from the rest of the EU. They will also be trained upon the use of the information tools of Pro-I3T as well as online partner search tools and the application procedures for the Europe for Citizens programme. Finally, they will have the possibility to discuss on the advantages and realities of multilevel-governance, the need for regional and local planning of actions, and of course on the EU itself.