The 20 English-speaking teens — 10 pairs — from divided Cyprus arrived in Northern Virginia July 1 for the inaugural one-month Cyprus Friendship Program [CFP] focusing on peace-building. Some are staying in Vienna homes.

Each pair is made up of a teen from Turkish-speaking Cyprus, the north, and one from Greek-speaking Cyprus, the south. Together, they are "Cypriot." Tayfun, 15 years old and from the north, and Michael, 16 and from the south, live with the Joe and Tamera Drozd family in Vienna. Tamera Drozd is CFPs director.

"We both live in the same city, but it’s divided," said Tayfun. "We are here to prove we can live together. We want peace."

HasNa, a D.C.-based nonprofit organization promoting cross-cultural understanding, created the prototype for CFP with its successful Northern Ireland friendship program, disbanded in 2007. "HasNa’s key factor is conflict resolution," said Drozd. The oldest UN peace-keeping force is in Cyprus, and it was not until 2003 that residents could cross the divide. Today’s teens, as future Cypriot leaders, play an important role in the peace process.

Tayfun emphasizes this is not a "holiday" for these new friends who are likely to face opposition, even among their peers, when they return home. "We’re here because we have proved we can live together," he said. "It’s not hard for the new generation, but when we go back, it will be difficult for us.

"Some people don’t want peace. They like borders. They like being Greek Cypriot or Turkish Cypriot."

"They want revenge," added Michael.

"But we’re all just Cypriot," Tayfun said.

For the teens’ protection in Cyprus, their last names are not identified here.

CFP teens participate in organized programs and informal inclusion in the lives of their host family. Programs range from a leadership program focusing on conflict resolution to a team-building ropes course, and community service.



THE "TEAM" — Michael and Tayfun — shared their thoughts on what they like the most about Vienna and D.C. Michael said it was the "majestic greenery" here, and Tayfun agreed. Tayfun described Cyprus as having no trees and "too hot to go out" and Michael described the landscape there as bare, yellow and brown. They love our weather and our people — "very polite" people here.

Michael called those he has met in Vienna and around Washington "tranquil," and said he’s never seen anyone upset here; he hasn’t been stuck in commuter traffic yet. Tayfun said the people here are "naturally polite, sincere." He told a Metro anecdote in which he accidentally bumped another passenger, apologized profusely, and got a courteous, "no problem" in response. In Cyprus, he said, a fight would have broken out over the incident.

They say they also love the food here. They have eaten Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, pizza and Starbuck’s breakfast fare.

Michael raved about the "real meals" he’s had here, especially the steak dinner Tamera Drozd made for them. For Tayfun, his favorite food is fast food and "all the different kinds of snacks."

The shopping here impresses the teens, as well. "The mall, Tysons, was fantastic," said Michael. "We got lost in there."

Tayfun said he really liked the mall, the National Mall in Washington, not Tysons, the "one where the monument is."

Michael noted that the Harry Potter premiere comes here on July 14, three days before the international premiere.

Tayfun asked if he could include in his favorites having gone into a cathedral in Washington.



DROZD, who participated in the Northern Ireland friendship program, says the CFP is going "even better than anticipated."

"Our expectations were exceeded. These 20 teens are very much engaged in the objectives of CFP. They’re really working the program. The parents in Cyprus are very much involved, also. They are getting together in Cyprus, as well.

"This is so successful already, we want to continue the program, to grow it. It’s all volunteer, the cost of airline tickets is so high, to grow we need financial contributions." HasNa gave CFP a start-up grant, which paid for airfares and facility-usage in the Washington area. Drozd said Vienna’s Rotary Club is helping CFP with a grant proposal for Rotary International, an infusion of funds much needed.



WHAT DO Michael and Tayfun hope to bring back to their hometown, the divided city of Nicosia? "We’ll bring back new ideas for peace along with the other teams," Michael said. "We’ll have a new approach to peace. Nothing has worked before. Now, it’s the new generation’s turn."

Tayfun believes "peace is possible. We’re here because we believe that.

"When we get home, we can write about the things we did in the U.S. Maybe, we can make our own magazines."

The two-day conflict resolution workshop hosted by HasNa focused on communication skills and cross-cultural understanding. The boys say they learned how to listen and how to talk so other people will listen to them.

On July 20, the 35th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, protesters will stand outside the Turkish embassy, railing against the invasion and occupation. But young Cypriots like those in the CFP see fruitlessness in that. "They [the protesters] will yell," said Michael. "They have to yell to be heard. Our actions speak for us, to make peace."

In a subtle validation of the program’s mission, Tayfun, looking for the right words to express himself, looked at his partner and spoke to him, "Help me out." Michael, thinking along the same lines, helped his northern Cypriot friend.

"When he [Tayfun] speaks in his dialect, I can pick up some words," said Michael. "Before the war in 1974, our ancestors all lived together. It was a Cypriot language. Now, in the north, it is Turkish-speaking, and in the south, it is Greek-speaking."

Like Drozd, Tayfun wears a necklace with a symbolic pendant. "It means, we are all Cypriot … no difference," said Tayfun. Michael says he thinks all the teens in the group will buy one upon their return home.

How did they pick each other as partners? Each participant was requred to find a person from the other side of the border whose name was unknown to him. Neither Michael nor Tayfun knew another of the same name. "It was destiny," said Tayfun. "Michael picked me."



MICHAEL SAYS that not only will he and Tayfun remain friends, but all 20 of the participants plan on maintaining the friendships they have forged over the past six months of working together in Cyprus.

"Coming from Cyprus is a very difficult thing in itself," Michael said. "We live on the border of two individual cultures. Our school books practically are brainwashing us that it is the other’s fault. We learn it is the north’s fault for the division. The north says it’s the south’s fault.

"It will be difficult going back. We’re going to face opposition, even from our own peers who don’t want us to be doing this. This is hard.

"We’re the new generation. We have new opinions and ideas on what to do now. The future is ours."



TO LEARN MORE about CFP to to donate to the program, go to http://hasna.org/CFP or contact Tamera Drozd, CFP Director, at tamera@hasna.org or deniz@hasna.org. Ph: 202-478-1034. Contributions can be mailed to Tamera Drozd, Director, Cyprus Friendship Program, c/o HasNa Inc., 2401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 410, Washington, DC 20037. Make checks out to HasNa and write "CFP" on the memo line.