The project is titled “Minority Rights: A contribution to the solution of the Cyprus problem“ and funded by the European Commission, under its Reconciliation, Confidence Building Measures and Support to Civil Society: Cypriot Civil Society in Action Programme. The project’s main activities include consultation research, an exchange trip, training, and advocacy and media campaigns.

MRG is a leading international human rights organisation, with over 40 years of experience in working to secure rights for ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and indigenous people and to promote peaceful coexistence and sustainable social change in more than 60 countries all over the world. With research, education and training, reports and other publications, lobby and advocacy campaigns, legal and other action, MRG believes that the inclusion of minority communities leads to stronger, more cohesive societies, while exclusion can result in instability and conflict.

KISA is a NGO in Cyprus, whose vision is to contribute to the creation of an all inclusive, multicultural society, free of racism, xenophobia and discrimination and where, through the interaction and mutual respect of different cultures, there will be equality of all, irrespective of nationality or ethnicity, colour, creed or gender, sexual preference or any other characteristic.

For the implementation of the project, the two partners also cooperate with other local NGOs (Non Governmental Organisations), such as the TCHRF (Turkish Cypriot Human Rights Foundation).

KISA and MRG (Minority Rights Group International) would like to invite you, or a representative member of your association, to the capacity building workshop “Conflict Resolution, Peace Building, Human, Gender and Minority Rights” , which is a very important activity of the larger project.

The workshop will be held on 26 – 28 March 2010, in the conference room of the Cyprus Community Media Centre, located within Ledra Palace in the buffer zone, in Nicosia.

The capacity building is addressed to women and men leaders and/or representatives of the various ethnic and religious groups present in both sides of the island. Its aim is to enhance and strengthen the knowledge, skills and capacity of participants concerning such issues as conflict resolution mechanisms, minority, human and gender rights, advocacy and media work, and the representation of the interests and needs of their own communities, through lectures by expert trainers and group discussion. The workshop will also include design of action plans by the participants themselves in order to address and implement specific issues they choose inside their own group or in network with other communities and/or other groups and agencies.

For more details about the workshop, please see the attached draft programme.

We very much hope that you or another person from your association will be able to participate in this innovative training, shared by all communities in Cyprus. We would urge you to observe equal gender representation in your nomination.

We would also appreciate it if you could return the attached registration form at your earliest possible convenience but not later than 20 March 2010, by fax (+357 22773039) or email (kisa@cytanet.com.cy).