Participate, learn, decide, challenge: stronger Cypriot civil society for sustainability, advocacy and change!

About this project

<p>Having the UN Sustainable Development Goals at its core, this project aims to engage Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in understanding and advocating for their human right to a sustainable and healthy environment.&nbsp;</p> <p>With “Knowledge leads to awareness; Awareness leads to change” as its motto, this bicommunal project aims to create synergies and joint forces among CSOs and informal groups and build networks of active citizens across the divide. To do so, a series of activities will be implemented to foster civic engagement and volunteerism through the heightened involvement of the public, particularly children and youth, in actions and advocacy that concern the protection of the environment and the promotion of sustainability.&nbsp;</p> <p>Training and capacity-building activities will be implemented, aiming to build capacity in CSOs and informal groups working on a variety of topics that can affect and are affected by environmental/sustainability policies, helping them become more efficient and effective at advocacy and participation.&nbsp;</p> <p>The successful implementation of these activities will enhance the capacity and sustainability of civil society and will foster peacebuilding. The overall result of the project will be its contribution to a stronger and more sustainable civil society on the island, greater bicommunal cooperation and intercultural dialogue concerning sustainability, and more active citizens.&nbsp;</p> <p>This project is implemented through the collaboration of AKTI Project and Research Centre with the Turkish-Cypriot organization MASDER (Famagusta Walled City Association), and Norsensus Mediaforum from Norway.&nbsp;</p>

Bilateral cooperation results

The AdvocaCY project successfully strengthened bilateral relations by fostering collaboration between Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and engaging with donor project partners. Through joint activities such as co-creation cafés, networking events, and training workshops, the project created opportunities for meaningful dialogue and cooperation. A key outcome was the establishment of 12 formal collaboration agreements between CSOs, surpassing the initial target of 5, and promoting long-term partnerships for sustainability and advocacy efforts. The involvement of Norsensus Mediaforum, a donor project partner, further enriched the project by providing expertise in media literacy, strategic communication, and advocacy training. Their contribution helped build the capacity of CSOs, equipping them with essential skills to enhance public engagement and promote sustainability initiatives. Additionally, the partnership extended beyond the project’s initial scope, with AKTI and Norsensus continuing their collaboration through the "Digital Communication Tools for Effective Public Engagement and Advocacy" project under the Active Citizens Fund Cyprus. Public engagement was also significantly enhanced through three large-scale awareness campaigns, which reached over 10.7 million people and emphasized the importance of civic participation in environmental advocacy. The project’s visibility was further amplified by media coverage and a centralized events platform, which engaged over 35,152 people in sustainability-related initiatives. By promoting cross-community cooperation, capacity-building, and public awareness, the AdvocaCY project contributed to stronger bilateral relations, improved mutual understanding, and the development of lasting partnerships that will continue to drive sustainability and civic engagement efforts in Cyprus.

Project partners

• Norsensus Mediaforum Donor project partner· Norway
• Mağusa Suriçi Derneği (MASDER) Famagusta Walled City Association Project partner· Cyprus