Summer School Program on Conflict Issues and Conflict Resolution

The School of Law and the Diplomatic Academy of the University of Nicosia organised last year two Summer Schools on issues pertinent to conflict analysis and conflict resolution.

The aim of the summer school programs is to engage students with conflict resolution and conflict analysis issues, to understand the different aspects of conflict and that of the Cyprus conflict in particular. The structure and the approach of the Summer School offers to the students a firsthand experience with a lot of fieldtrips and meetings. This is an applied method that can help students understand issues which cannot be learned in the academic classrooms. The Island of Cyprus is an ideal living laboratory in which to study a complex conflict-related problem within a safe and stable environment from multiple angles.

In the past year two Summer Schools were organized on issues pertinent to conflict analysis and conflict resolution.

The first summer school, which was attended by American students from School Year Abroad (SYA), took place from the 8th to 12th April 2019. The second Summer School took place on the 8th to 14th July, with an international audience from Nairobi Jaffery Academy (Kenya).

In the frame of the programs, the students had a series of activities, such as meetings and discussions with academics, refugee associations, and officials in the Buffer Zone, United Nations officers, the Anthropological Laboratory of the Committee of Missing Persons (CMP), various NGOs and local actors. In addition, the students visited museums and took part in cultural and religious trips and excursions around Cyprus.

The School of Law of the University of Nicosia invites individuals or institutions who are interested to participate in the Summer School program to contact to the below email [email protected]

Testimonials

Nicole B. is currently a junior at SYA Italy and a blogger for the Campus Reporter program. She comes to SYA from Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire

“Last week, I was a part of the first group of SYA students to go to Cyprus. I am so happy that I decided to apply and lucky to have been able to go. Cyprus is a unique place that almost no one knows. It is an island in the middle of the Mediterranean. The island is currently divided in two; the Republic of Cyprus (a recognized country) and the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” (not recognized). This is the result of the ongoing conflict.

The University of Nicosia, who brought us there, had many interesting activities planned for us. We visited many cathedrals, mosques and museums that were important to the projects that each of us had. In addition to this, we had the privilege to go to a U.N. military base in the “buffer zone” and sit in on a U.N. project meeting. There were British soldiers there and at the meeting, there were community leaders listening to what the U.N. official was proposing. We also met with an NGO that is doing peacemaking work with children. They gave us an informative presentation on how their organization brings children from both sides of the border together. We were also able to meet and interview professors at the University of Nicosia. There, we had the opportunity to present our projects and ask them questions. So we had interesting and exciting discussions. Something else I didn’t expect to be amazing was our trip to the monasteries in the mountains. It was so natural and peaceful up there. Another fun thing we did was meet high school students from a town called Ayia Napa. We sat in circles in a cafe together, just getting to know each other. I became friends with some of them. And in the evenings, we had dinner, sometimes with SYA, sometimes not. The city of Nicosia is lively at night, so it was a wonderful experience to be able to live it.

Our trip to Cyprus is beyond words. Not only was it beautiful and welcoming, but eye-opening and educational. I learned about the conflict and identity politics and history. And we had fun learning about all of it”.

Teacher, Nairobi Jaffery Academy, Kenya

‘We wish to have another summer school in Cyprus… We are keen to sustain and improve our collaboration”