On the occasion of the World Teachers’ Day and the 10th anniversary of the historic Cooperation Agreement signed on January 10, 2015, the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot teachers’ unions came together at the joint reception to commemorate a decade of collaboration under the umbrella of ETUCE.
Organized by the Cyprus Turkish Teachers’ Trade Union (KTÖS), the Cyprus Turkish Secondary Education Teachers’ Union (KTOEÖS), the Primary Education Teachers’ Union (POED), the Secondary Education Teachers’ Union (OELMEK), the Eastern Mediterranean University Academic Staff Union (DAÜ-SEN), and the Technical Teachers’ Union (OLTEK), the event featured messages of solidarity and cooperation.
Maviş: Teachers on both sides of Cyprus are raising generations of free thinkers and peace-believers
Speaking at the reception, Burak Maviş, Secretary General of KTÖS and Cyprus Representative of the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE), emphasized the role of teachers in building peace. “Today is World Teachers’ Day. And we know that teachers on both sides of Cyprus are raising generations that think freely and believe in peace,” said Maviş, emphasizing the crucial importance of bi-communal cooperation not only in education but also in building bridges between communities.
“Peace on this island is possible through education. The solution lies in understanding each other.”
“Peace on this island is possible through education. The solution lies in understanding each other,” said Maviş, emphasizing the responsibility of educators to raise a generation that walks toward the future with peace, equality, and hope. Maviş also stated that the reunification of the island is possible on the basis of a bi-communal, bi-regional federation based on political equality.
KTOEÖS President Selma Eylem, DAÜ-SEN Foreign Relations Secretary Yeşim Dede, POED Secretary General Haris Haralambus, OELMEK Board Member Kyriakos Mathaiou, and OLTEK Board Member Christos Galatis also spoke at the event, expressing their wishes for cooperation and solidarity.
