NEWSFLASH!!

THE AHDR HAS A NEW WEBSITE!!!

Please visit our new website at:

www.ahdr.info

As of 19 March 2010 this website will no longer be updated.  Please visit our new website for all our latest news.

Please note the revised deadline: Friday 18 March 2011 @18.00

Call for Cooperation!!

The AHDR have pleasure in announcing opportunities to join the Home for Cooperation (H4C)

Opening in May 2011

in the Nicosia (Ledra Palace) buffer zone, the H4C will operate

as an education, dialogue and resaerch center.

1. Office Space – partnership opportunities for organizations to become resident-partners at the Home for Cooperation

2. Canteen – a unique opportunity for interested parties to operate a canteen on the ground floor of the building

for more information about procedures and criteria

Deadline: 18 March 2011

Opportunity for Residents - Partners (English) Opportunity to operate Canteen (English)

Opportunity for Residents - Partners (Greek) Opportunity to operate Canteen (Greek)

Opportunity for Residents - Partners (Turkish) Opportunity to operate Canteen (Turkish)

TAKE YOUR SEAT AT THE HOME FOR COOPERATION

In order to enhance the Homes’ purpose and character; an experienced creative team are hard at work, planning the interior design of this multi- communal space.

As well as a conference space, offices and library, the H4C will house a fully functional canteen. And this is where you come in!  To make the canteen area that extra special, we are asking for your contribution…… in the form of donating a chair!!! Contemporary, futuristic designed chairs, environmentally-inspired pieces, antique chairs, bright color chairs, rugged, gothic, Cypriot traditional rush seated chairs - anything you wish! The more eccentric the better!

The idea being that our dear friends and members provide the H4C with a chair which they feel represents the Home and as such, join together with the AHDR in this historical initiative.

Deadline for emails of interest:  Friday 25 March 2011

Click here for further information

To find out about the progress being made on the Home for Cooperation, watch the AHDR's latest Video blog

"Opening Premise"

The AHDR invite you to share the message "Question, Examine, Think" with your friends and colleagues, through our our latest public service announcement:

"Say's Who?

To view in Greek, click here: "Ποιος το λέει;"

To view in Turkish, click here: "Kim Dedi?"

View our first public service announcement: "Different Perspectives"

Watch our video-blogs 'History on the Grill', 'New Faces, Old Places: A History of Home' and introducing our latest video-blog'Teaching to Learn'

Read AHDR's February 2011 Newsletter

Poetry and Translation Workshop, Nicosia

17 - 22 March, 2011

The workshop is collaborative effort among the Home for Cooperation of AHDR (Association for Historical Dialogue and Research), University of Cyprus, and the EU-funded network Literature Across Frontiers.  The workshop will bring together Cypriot poets writing in Greek, Turkish, or English into a poetic dialogue through translation with international poets writing in Portuguese, Catalan, Polish, Lithuanian.  The theme of the workshop is:  POETS IN NO MAN’S LAND.  Participants are invited to bring poems that reflect this theme freely interpreted so as to elicit different voices and perspectives on the poetics of “no man’s land,” translation as negotiation through no man’s land, contending places and spaces, histories and legacies.  The chosen location for the workshop – the buffer zone near the Ledra Palace checkpoint - also reflects the theme of the workshop.  The idea of translation is both metaphor and practice as translation is a space between cultures where negotiation of meaning takes place. The workshop intends to bring together unusual combinations of languages facilitated by a lingua franca, in this case English.

Some of the results of the workshop will be presented in literary readings in  North and South Nicosia (Weaving Mill (March 20th),  and at a venue in North Nicosia (March 21st) hosted by the Turkish Cypriot Writers Union.  Reading will be in the original languages and in translation.  A short documentary film (approx. 15) minutes will be produced by Stephanos Stephanides in collaboration with documentary film maker Stephen Nugent for an International Documentary Film Festival in October 2011.  A selection of the poems will be published in literary journals such as Cadences.

The event is organized as a first event in the process of establishing a Centre for Writers and Literary Translators in the House of Co-operation with the support of the Embassy of Sweden.

International Poets:

Anna Aguilar-Amat, Catalan language poet

Ana Luisa Amaral, Portuguese language poet

Tadeusz Dabrowski, Polish language poet

Vassilis Manousakis, Greek language poet

Sigitas Parulskis, Lithuanian language poet

and

Cypriot Poets:

Giorgos Christodoulides, Greek language poet

Gur Gench, Turkish language poet

Niki Marangou, Greek language poet

Jenan Selchuk, Turkish language poet

Stephanos Stephanides, English language poet

Cyprus Organizing Committee:

Stephanos Stephanides (Professor in Department of English Studies UCY, poet, translator)

Dalia Staponkute (PhD UCY,  writer, translator)

Vassilis Manoussakis (PhD, visiting lecturer in literary translation, Department of English Studies UCY, poet, translator)

"THIRD MOTHERLAND" SCREENING - 13 MARCH

4th Nicosia International Documentary Festival, Views of the World, 11-13 March, 2011, Melina Merkouri Hall

The "Third Motherland" film will be screened on 13 March @16.00 in the presence of directors

Watch the trailer here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dw6sYM9kb0

The "Third Motherland" is a documentary film by Costas M. Constantinou and Giorgos Kykkou Skordis

* What does it mean to belong to a motherland?

* How does it feel to be caught in between different motherlands?

* What burdens but also what rights and opportunities does belonging to an "other" motherland entail?

* How does ethnic conflict exacerbate identity problems and impact on the cultural heritage of small minority communities?

Filmed in Cyprus and Lebanon, The Third Motherland addresses these questions by following the story of the Cypriot Maronite community. The film reveals the dilemmas of identification and belonging and accounts for opposing feelings and beliefs within and beyond the community. This is a film about cultural loss, low self-esteem, cooption, denial of rights and everyday social problems but also of ethnic pride, cultural revival, joy and resistance.

AHDR'S PROGRESS PARTY

The inter-communal Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR) held a “Progress Party” on Sunday 6 February 2011 to mark the one-year anniversary of the construction work on the Home for Cooperation (H4C). The H4C which is expected to open early this year, will be a shared centre for inter-communal interaction concentrating on education and intercultural dialogue, hosting a library and archive, conference and exhibition spaces, and offices.

Festivities were held at the Cyprus Community Media Center (CCMC) from 13.00 – 17.00 on Sunday and included a traditional Cypriot barbeque, with over 100 people attending and joining in the fun. The day was made possible thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers consisting of friends and members of the Association.

from 5 – 9 May 2011, with a 5-day celebration involving a range of activities for all to enjoy.

EMOTIVE & CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES IN HISTORY TEACHING

A thought provoking symposium was organised by the AHDR on 27 November 2010 regarding the issue of teaching emotive and controversial history.

The Symposium featured presentations and discussions by esteemed academics in the field of History Education: Dr. Niyazi Kızılyürek, Dr. Giorgos Kokkinos, Dr. Dimitris Mavroskoufis, and Dr. Michalinos Zembylas, as well as History Educator Pavlos Pavlou.

A special feature of this event was a presentation of the book: "Τα συγκρουσιακά θέματα στη διδασκαλία της Ιστορίας" (The Conflicting Issues in History Teaching" and it was to have authors Dr. Kokkinos and Dr. Mavroskoufis present to discuss the book and share their wisdom. In addition, AHDR Board members Rena Choplarou, Dr. Charis Psaltis, Dr. Chara Makriyianni and Dr.Meltem Onurkan Samani presented fascinating research findings, as well as discussing the issue of history textbooks and the experiences of teachers in the teaching of emotive history.

Poster in English Poster In Greek Poster In Turkish

Click on the links below to read the featured papers/presentations:

Dr. Giorgos Kokkinos' presentation

Dr. Dimitris Mavroskoufis' presentation

Dr. Michalinos Zembylas' presentation and paper

Ms. Rena Choplarou's presentation

AHDR’s unique initiative to promote Students’ Historical Understanding

22-23 October 2010 marked a 2-day workshop organised by Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR), with the aim of promoting Students’ Historical Understanding. AHDR once again welcomed educators, researchers, historians and civil society groups from around Cyprus to its workshops entitled “Developing Historical Understanding”, which took place at the Goethe Institute, the J.W Fulbright Center and the Cyprus Community Media Centre in Nicosia.

Cypriot Teacher Trade Unions (KTOS, KTOEOS, POED, OELMEK, OLTEK) joined together to support the important initiative which aims to advance the teaching and learning of history in Cyprus.  Mr Sener Elcil, Secretary General of the Cyprus Turkish Teachers Trade Union (KTÖS),  Mr Emin Özkalp, General Secretary of the Cyprus Turkish Secondary Education Teachers’ Union (KTOEÖS), Mr George Kollifas, President of the Association of Teachers of Technical Education Cyprus (OLTEK), Mr Demetris Mikellides, President of the Cyprus Greek Teachers' Organisation (POED), Ms Louiza Pittakara, Vice President of the Cyprus Greek Teachers' Organisation (POED) and Mr Zacharias Papazachariou General Treasurer of the Organisation of Secondary School Teachers of Cyprus (OELMEK) attended the event and presented their ideas of the teaching of history in Cyprus.

Workshops sessions were organised in a lively, interactive way, with the enthusiastic participation of Cypriot teachers seeking to enhance their student’s historical understanding in the classroom. Examples were given of ways in which sources can be incorporated into classroom practice. Teachers took away with them suggestions about how they can prepare lessons and use materials in order to encourage students to question historical evidence and interpretations of the past.

Esteemed educationalists (Dr. Arthur Chapman, Christine Counsell and Rick Rogers) from the United Kingdom facilitated workshops during this weekend conference and Denis Shemilt, one of the most influential figures in the area of history education provided participants with a thought provoking presentation entitled “What are second-order concepts and why do they hurt so much?”

This event was part of AHDR’s project on Multiperspectivity and Intercultural Dialogue in Education (MIDE), which is a two-year research and education initiative sponsored by major partner UNDP-ACT.

AHDR IN THE PRESS!!

“ Finding a shared home for history” - Cyprus Mail - 10 October 2010
In a comment Chara Makriyianni and Rana Zincir in Sunday Mail’s opinion  page write about the need to develop intercultural competences and
understanding, the ability to critically question, but also tolerate  ambiguity. The AHDR, they say, has been working quietly yet steadily
through the high and lows of political life and conflict to enhance  pedagogical standards throughout the island. A group of committed members  have managed to raise the cash, secure permits and convince donors locally  and around the world that the buffer zone needs a Home for Cooperation. The  AHDR and the CCMC, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme-Action for Cooperation and Trust have commissioned a number of  video blogs to record its progression from a derelict house in no man’s  land to a new centre of learning and dialogue open to all. The film crew  has also documented training seminars on teaching conflict and  Multiperspectivity as well as attended and filmed various events held by AHDR in the buffer zone. These short, colourful and entertaining video blogs titled: “Old Places, New Faces: A History of Home”, “History on  the Grill” and “Teaching to Learn” can be accessed on the AHDR website.

To read the full article, please click on the following link: http://www.cyprus-mail.com/opinions/finding-shared-home-history/20101010

REPRESENTATIONS OF HISTORY AND INTERGROUP RELATIONS

Findings from ground-breaking research studies.

This thought-provoking symposium which took place on 28 September 2010 provided participants with the opportunity to hear poignant findings from ground-breaking AHDR research studies related to representations of history and intergroup relations in Cyprus. Researchers presented their findings from a large-scale quantitative research study on contact, trust and prejudice between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots with representative samples from both communities. This study is in collaboration with the Oxford Centre for the Study of Intergroup Conflict at Oxford University. Qualitative and quantitative research from formerly mixed villages in Cyprus were also presented which aimed to shed light in the past-present and future of bi-communal relations in Cyprus. Keynote speaker, Dr. Miles Hewstone, Professor of Social Psychology, Director of the Oxford Center for the Study of Intergroup Conflict at Oxford University, focused on the impact of diversity on attitudes and trust while exploring the missing dimension of intergroup contact. An invited researcher, Charlotte Fischer from Oxford University, shared findings and discussed themes and challenges from history education around the world.

For more information regarding AHDR’s research projects, please visit the research page of our website.

EUROCLIO BULLETIN (28)

This EUROCLIO Bulletin is one of the important outcomes of the EUROCLIO 16th Annual Professional Training and Development Conference that was successfully completed in Cyprus on 5-11 April 2009 thanks to the commitment, hard work, trust and cooperation between EUROCLIO, AHDR and Teacher Trade Unions from across the divide.  Get an online taste of the fruitful debate and find out about all those who contributed to this unique initiative on "Taking the Perspective of the Others: Intercultural Dialogue and Teaching and Learning History" event at: http://www.euroclio.eu/temp/EUROCLIO%20Bulletin_web.pdf