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http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/21/world/europe/greek-and-turkish-cypriots-unite-to-restore-a-church-and-a-bond.html?_r=0

This event illustrates the conflicts between these two ethnic groups, but shows that it is possible for them to cooperate with each other. It shows how many countries with ethnic conflicts are torn apart by the separation of ethnic groups, but they cannot find a way to resolve the conflict. fortunately, it seems that Cyprus is slowly moving toward progress with the issue even wit the stalemate that has lasted decades.

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Like the one here, these projects are perhaps the most tangible sign that the long-festering recriminations in the island's small communities have softened into a desire for healing that has far outpaced any progress by Greek and Turkish Cypriot political leaders.

Last week, President Nicos Anastasiades of Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Dervis Eroglu, met in Nicosia, the capital, for the first time since talks were last halted in 2012. They declared that the status quo was unacceptable.

Many agree. "We cannot accept that in the 21st century, when Europe has been united after two bloody world wars, and when apartheid has been abolished in South Africa, that Cyprus is a country still divided," said Theofilos Theofilou, a Greek Cypriot who helps run the Committee on Missing Persons with a Turkish counterpart investigating the hundreds of Greek and Turkish Cypriots who disappeared in the conflict.

But others are not holding their breath. After Turkish forces invaded following a Greek military-inspired coup, Ankara declared the northern third of the island a separate republic. It remains unrecognized by any state but Turkey, while the Greek south has joined the European Union. United Nations forces still patrol a buffer zone along the so-called Green Line, which runs through the island like a scar.

Multiple peace talks have collapsed amid disputes over power sharing, the redrawing of property boundaries and the claims of thousands of displaced people. Yet even as political efforts stumble, citizen-led peace projects like the one in Kontea are blossoming.

"Kontea represents a genuine grass-roots effort to find a common purpose," said John M. Koenig, the American ambassador to Cyprus. "It's an inspiring story, and more of them are happening."

East of Kontea, Turkish Cypriots in the port city of Famagusta have joined with displaced Greeks to demand the opening of Varosha, a once-glittering beach resort that lured Elizabeth Taylor and other stars. Today, it has decayed into a veritable ghost city under barbed wire and the rifle points of Turkish troops.

Any renewal would hinge on a breakthrough in peace talks. But locals are busying themselves with plans to turn Varosha into an ecological city in the hope of spurring economic development.

"Before, there were accusations on both sides - who destroyed what, who is responsible," said Takis Hadjidemetriou, a Greek Cypriot who leads the United Nations Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage with a Turkish counterpart. "We decided to change the climate from confrontation to cooperation, for the sake of all Cypriots."

"The Cypriot people have no hatred in our hearts," he continued. "Each one understands the pain of the other, which is considered the pain of Cyprus."

Such is the case in Kontea, a village that bustled with activity until the invasion drove out Greeks. In 2003, travel restrictions across the Green Line were first eased, and Charalambos S. Pericleous, a former resident, was captivated by the possibility of working with the Turks now living here to restore the village to its former glory.

"It was the first time we came into contact with Turkish Cypriots at that level," said Mr. Pericleous, now president of the Kontea Heritage Foundation. "We feared they might respond negatively. We were surprised that their response was very positive."

Not everyone was on board. "We had some problems, because not everybody thought like we did," said Ali Tayip, a Turkish Cypriot who is a supervisor of the restoration. "There were people who were against peace, and against any interaction between Greeks and Turks. But the project helped form a bond, and now they are closer to each other."

In 2010, the community planted a Peace Park, an oasis with 1,100 carob trees and a playground. Soon after, the group restored a dilapidated Frankish cloister abutting the church, less than 500 feet from a Turkish mosque towering in the sun.

Then came St. Charalambos, symbolic to all the villages in the area and the site of a large marketplace where Greeks and Turks mingled before the division. Restoring it was an idea "that started from the bottom up - we didn't wait to be led from above," said Mr. Pericleous, who urged villagers "to open our minds and our hearts to peace."

As workers put the finishing touches on the church this month, Mr. Konteatis, the retired Greek Cypriot, eagerly showed before and after photos of the reconstruction, while Mr. Tayip passed around homemade wine.

A young Turkish artisan with a broad smile presented a cake with cream and ground pistachios. A Greek carpenter cut oranges picked from nearby trees, and poured vodka into tiny cups.

On Sunday, as people from all corners of Cyprus jammed into St. Charalambos, Muslim and Christian clerics recited prayers at the restored altar. Turkish Cypriots sold doughnuts in stalls outside, while older Greek Cypriots patiently waited to light candles and bow before icons.

"Look at us," Mr. Tayip said. "It can be this peaceful, if everybody wants it. After all, we are all human beings."

Correction: February 21, 2014

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Greek and Turkish Cypriots Unite to Restore a Church and a Bond

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Like the one here, these projects are perhaps the most tangible sign that the long-festering recriminations in the island's small communities have softened into a desire for healing that has far outpaced any progress by Greek and Turkish Cypriot political leaders.

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Every September, the Wine Festival takes place in Lemesos. This festival is in tribute to the grapevine, which thrives in Cyprus. For ten days, people enjoy locally produced wines. This festival is usually accompanied with loud and lively folk music and some rowdy alcohol-induced dancing.

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Comic Con is a beloved festival in western pop culture, and now, it has been brought to Cyprus. Due to popular demand, the first ever Cyprus Comic Con was held September of this year. During the event, people of all ages, especially teens, can dress up as their favorite characters and meet other people who have the same movie/television/video game/book/comic book obsessions as them.

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The majority of the population is part of the Greek Orthodox Church. It is diffused from the nearby country of Greece.

Greek Orthodox is a region of Eastern Orthodox, a branch of Christianity, making it an universalizing religion.

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Cyprus Country Profile

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84% of Cypriots speak Greek, rather than the official language of the country, Turkish, which claims only 13%.

Greek is part of....

The Indoeuropean Language Family

The Hellenic Language Branch

The Greek Language Group

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The "Particulars" of the Greek Orthodox Church

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The "Particulars" of the Greek Orthodox Church

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The Greek Orthodox church is a regional division of the Eastern Orthodox Church, a branch of Christianity. Christianity is monotheistic, believing only in God. The worship style varies depending on the region, reflecting the individual culture of the area. Overall, church services in different centuries and continents have in praise of God, Bible readings, prayers for the needs of the world and those who are ill, statements of faith and prayers seeking forgiveness for wrongdoing.  A frequent feature is a sermon that explains the Bible and relates it to the present day. The sacred text of Christians is the Holy Bible. The Architecture often grandesque, and you will see references to the Bible in paintings and mosaics.

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Turkish ( 18% of the population)

come from: Turkey

language: Turkish

religion: Islam (note: Most do not practice strict adherence to Muslim principles; they do not regularly wear religious attire or attend the mosque, but the religious festivals are of importance in their culture, and everyone is expected to participate.)

Below are Turkish Cypriots participating in an Islamic religious festival:

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These are the two most prominent ethnicities in Cyprus and their characteristics:

Greek (77% of the population)

come from: Greece

language: Greek

religion: Greek Orthodox

Below is a Greek cultural festival:

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http://www.hotmusiccharts.com/cy/itunes

Above are the iTunes Top 20 in Cyprus. Looking at the list, you see that most of the artists on the list are western pop stars, most prominent being One Direction. This British pop music quintet took the United States by the storm in 2010, and now they are dominating the pop music charts in Cyprus.

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The roles of women in Cypriot culture are very different from those in the United States. Movements of gender equality have been successful thus far. In recent years,

Cypriot women have had increased participation in education and the workforce. Today, they occupy 44% of the labor force, a great step forward from 1985, when it was only 37%, and 1976, when it was only 30%. 62.1% of Cypriot women of working age (15-64) are part of the

labor force. As for education, 31% of women complete education after
high school in colleges and universities in comparison to the 29% statistic for men. However, while these statistics may make it seem like Cyprus contains a society with a mindset similar to that of modern western civilizations, there appears to be very long way to go. Only 14.4% of high level jobs, that is management and corporate head positions, are occupied by females. Also, according to European Union, the normal or average salary gap between genders is 17.4%. However, in Cyprus, women are paid 24% less on average than men. This makes sense, because socially, Cyprus is a patriarchy. Current women’s roles are to marry and have children. All other achievements, in education or career, are of lesser importance. Even in the modern day Cyprus, where many women work full time jobs, mothers and housewives are expected to make their domestic goals of first priority. So, while Cyprus is moving toward being a more modern society, they still have a long way to go, because it is unlikely that they wll simply abandon their traditional values.

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2. Ethnic Tension in Cyprus: Turk/Greek Conflict

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2. Ethnic Tension in Cyprus: Turk/Greek Conflict

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In 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus, which was inhabited by Greeks. It was called the Invasion of “Attila”. The first part of the invasion, on July 20th, was followed by ethnic cleansing of Cypriot Turks from Greek-held areas almost immediately after. During this invasion, whenever one ethnic group occupied an area, they would 'cleanse' the are of the other group. After the war, almost no Turkish Cypriots remained in the southern Cyprus, and less than 10,000 Greek Cypriots remained in the northern Cyprus, most of them unhappy, because they felt pressure by their surroundings to leave. To prevent more bloodshed, the U.N. Agreed to allow for the separation of the two groups. Today less than 300 Greek Cypriots remain in the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus, and those 300 usually live in remote areas. Less than 1000 Turks chose to stay in Southern Cyprus. From that point on, the two ethnic groups have put considerable

effort into staying separated, and they have been at a stalemate, where neither group is willing to attack the other because of fear of bloodshed.

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" <http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cytoc.html> . Accessed November 2014

The Republic of Cyprus. "The Official Web Site of the Republic of Cyprus." <http://www.pio.gov.cy/index.html> .

Accessed November 2014U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook. <http:// www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook> . Accessed November 2014

U.S. Department of State. FY2001 Country Commercial Guide:2001. <http://www.state.gov/www/about_state/business/com_guides/2001/europe/cyprus_ccg2001.pdf> . Accessed November 2014

World Trade Organization. "WTO: Trade Policy Reviews; Cyprus, June 1997." <http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tpr_e/tp55_e.htm> . Accessed November 2014

Sommer, Peter. "Turkish Folk Traditions." Cultural Traditions of Turkey. Peter Sommer, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.

"Syrtos." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.

"The History of the Cyprus Conflict: A Background W/Peacebuilding Strategies." The History of the Cyprus Conflict: A Background W/Peacebuilding Strategies. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.

"CYPRIOT FOLK DANCES." CYPRIOT FOLK DANCES. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://www.kypros.org/Cyprus/dance.html>.

"Folk Culture." Folk Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://www.aboutcyprus.org.cy/en/folk-culture>.

"Cyprus Music." Cyprus Culture, Traditional , Musical Festivals in Cyprus. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://www.yourcyprusportal.com/cyprus-music.php>.

"Cyprus Island - Information - Archaeology." Cyprus Island - Information - Archaeology. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://www.cyprusisland.com/01_Information/culture.htm>.

"Cyprus Comic Con." Cyprus Comic Con. Comic Con, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://www.cypruscomiccon.org/>.

"Cypriot People & Culture - Cyprus.com." Cyprus.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2014. <http://www.cyprus.com/cypriot-people---culture.html>.

"Cyprus - Culture, Customs and Etiquette." The Translation Agency For A Complete Professional Translation Service. Kwintessential, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014. <http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/cyprus-country-profile.html>.

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At Greek weddings, social gatherings, and celebrations, you will often find the men and women, of all ages partaking in an ancient chain dance called syrtos. It consists of two lines, one all men, the other all women, and a partner dance occurs between the two lines. This dance is meant to represent the harmony of men and women's roles in life. It is a tradition in the Greek ethnic group, and sometimes, the dancers will wear traditional dress when performing it.