In February of this 12 months, I started my mandate, as Private Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-Normal, who requested me to discover if there have been favorable situations in Cyprus for negotiations to renew that may result in a definitive and sustainable answer. 5 months later, I held my final assembly with the 2 leaders, Nikos Christodoulides and Ersin Tatar.
For me, Cyprus was each, a brand new nation and acquainted one on the similar time. I by no means imagined discovering landscapes like these of my house in Colombia on this lovely island. I dwell in a city three hours from Bogotá, on a semi-desert mountain that would simply be discovered on any of the roads I traveled throughout my visits. Olive timber, which abound in each locations, are an emblem of peace and everlasting regeneration.
I held conferences with the leaders, who mentioned their positions and considerations at size. It was additionally vital for me to know the imaginative and prescient of the political actors and civil society, in addition to of the folks of the island. I’m very grateful to all those that shared their experiences and worries with me. I witnessed the generosity and kindness of Cypriot folks on each side.
These months have centered on a continuing seek for paths that result in producing belief between the events. You will need to transfer away from options that previously have created expectations that weren’t met and led to better disagreements and frustrations. Now, we should suppose in another way.
Throughout this time, and after extensively researching the island’s historical past, I understand that too a few years have been spent in confrontation and discrimination; an excessive amount of time blaming the opposite aspect. The established order has created better distance and a lack of know-how of the opposite, and this grows with every passing day. As a mechanism to keep away from additional frustration, for sure linked to the failed negotiation makes an attempt, many individuals appear to have surrendered to the impossibility of adjusting the present state of affairs.
On my first go to, I walked the deserted Ermou Road, powerfully symbolizing the lack to resolve a battle that has lasted greater than 60 years. The commemorations and monuments remind us not of the glory however the failure of the efforts to succeed in an settlement on the island. It reveals a Cyprus frozen in time. That is precisely what we have now the chance to vary now.
In any negotiation course of, you will need to acknowledge and perceive the previous. That is significantly true in Cyprus, whose historical past has been marked by a lot struggling and loss. Nevertheless, this previous shouldn’t be an insurmountable impediment to maneuver in direction of an answer that advantages all Cypriots, together with, those that consider that they don’t want to vary.
Cyprus has the potential to be a affluent nation in a troubled area in want of stability. Undoubtedly, respecting variations and parallel developments, Cypriots might develop into dependable companions for a lot of on the planet. A step in direction of unity will definitely contribute to safety on the island and to the sensation of having the ability to dwell in an environment of peace and tranquility.
I reiterate my invitation to attach with the longer term and, above all, to hunt options that improve the worth of every aspect. To heal the previous and enhance the current everybody should have a look at the longer term in a more healthy and extra hopeful method. Whereas recognizing the challenges, I consider that Cypriots might have a brighter and extra optimistic outlook if they may recover from the historical past of ache. We can’t neglect the younger folks on each side of the island. They deserve a distinct life with equal alternatives in order that their future just isn’t lower quick by their previous.
Vital insights in neuroscience have broadened my understanding of some behaviors in Cyprus. They recommend that the mind perceives actuality by merging previous beliefs with new experiences. These beliefs,fashioned, inherited and bolstered throughout childhood, are deeplyingrained within the mind, which loses the flexibility to assimilate new data. Consequently, when a painful previous is repeatedlytaught, it turns into unattainable for folks to be open to vary and consider in a hopeful various for a greater future.
Nice transformations in international locations are usually not exempt from criticism and accusations. There will probably be sectors that want the established order to compromise their positions. There’ll at all times be individuals who predict upfront the dangerous issues which can be going to occur. Some sectors understand even minor modifications as a menace or betrayal. Nevertheless, historical past teaches us that optimistic modifications happen when leaders acknowledge what’s at stake and deal with the long-term well-being of their communities.
I’m satisfied that Cyprus deserves and may discover reconciliation and a brand new method ahead. I’ll current my report back to the UN Secretary-Normal on the tenth of July, however my dedication just isn’t over, I’ll proceed to consider options for an enduring answer. The Secretary-Normal will determine the steps to be taken within the coming months. I stay optimistic and ask all Cypriots to encourage and stress their leaders to work for a greater and safe future. The leaders should present will and decisiveness for actual progress.
