It has been over six decades since Cyprus was granted independence in 1960, and for almost all of that time the island has experienced inter-communal strife. From the inter-communal violence of 1963, to the Greek-instigated military coup in Cyprus and subsequent Turkish invasion in 1974 dividing the island, the Republic of Cyprus has been marked by conflict since its inception. Despite borders opening in 2003, the island is still deeply divided and interactions between the two communities are limited. This is especially the case when considering the youth of Cyprus, with many Turkish-Cypriots and Greek-Cypriots having no experience interacting with each other, and holding biased perceptions of the “other side.” Impossible to ignore in this predicament is the role of education. Education has always been a vital issue in Cyprus, as it is in many other divided societies, with schooling being essentially segregated between north and south. An exception to this rule is the AHDR (Association for Historical Dialogue and Research)-implemented Imagine Program, funded by the Federal Foreign Office of the Republic of Germany. Although this program has been well received, it has nevertheless faced myriad issues, stemming chiefly from the political divide. Examining this program—its inception, functioning, obstacles--can afford new insights into the role and difficulties faced in the area of education in divided societies.
For the purpose of this policy report, we will examine the educational system based on recent studies and reports, contrasting the state approach with that of the Imagine Program. Then we discuss interviews we held with Imagine Program educators.
