SoCiaL rEConCiLiaTion anD CiViC iDEnTiTY in CYpruS

European Liberal Forum

social reconciliation AND CIVIC IDENTITY IN CYPRUS BRIEF

In November 2016, as leaders Nicos Anastasiades and Mustafa Akıncı travelled to Switzerland for intensive negotiations, thousands of Greek-Cypriots and TurkishCypriots gathered in the UN Buffer Zone in a bicommunal event organised by 120 organisations from both sides of the divide. They gathered to express their support for the peace process and to celebrate their common Cypriot identity, on an island where divisive narratives and enemy images still flourish. This brief examines the issue of social reconciliation in Cyprus in the context of the intransigent ethnic conflict that has remained unsolved for over fifty years. The nature of the conflict requires that any progress in the formal negotiations and indeed any political agreement be complemented by a process whereby members of the two communities learn to live together as citizens of a shared liberal-democratic state.

AN INTRACTABLE CONFLICT An intractable conflict such as the one in Cyprus is one that is prolonged and perceived by many of the members of the communities involved as irreconcilable, unsolvable and of a zero-sum nature. It remains very common in political discours in both the Greek-Cypriot and the Turkish-Cypriot communities to present the

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ongoing negotiations as a process of give-and-take whereby any perceived “gain” for the other community is necessarily a “loss” for the one’s own, rather than a process of establishing the basis for a common future. The conflict has over the decades dominated social and political life and discussions, with other social and political issues often being put aside or seen as compromising national unity in times when the nation is perceived to be under threat. At the same time, themes such as ethnic victimisation, unaddressed historical grievances, traumas and hostility towards the other side are continuously present in everyday discourses and historical narratives.

PSYCHOLOGICAL REPERTOIRES Intractable conflicts are characterised by a particular psychological repertoire in each of the parties involved. This refers to shared beliefs, attitudes and emotions that sustain an intractable conflict and particularly the image of the other community as the “enemy”. The psychological repertoire of each community is constituted most notably by:

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a. a collection of negative stereotypes, prejudices, feelings and emotions towards the other community; and b. a fixed view of the dispositions, feelings and intentions of the other community In essence, it is continuously shaped by negative information about the other community – the “enemy” – and serves to demonise it and to blame it almost exclusively for the suffering and the injustice that one’s community has experienced. There is little space for critical reflection on the role and wrongdoings of one’s own community (the victim that must be redressed and whose claims are just and fair), which are always overshadowed by the perceived role and wrongdoings of the other community (the greedy aggressor whose claims have no moral standing and who wishes to have gains in the negotiations that will unquestionably be at the expense of one’s own community). The “other” is an unchanging threat to “our” existence and can thus only be seen with hostility.

OVERCOMING EMOTIONAL BARRIERS Conflict resolution is a formal process whereby the leaders of the two parties aim to reach a mutually acceptable agreement. Social reconciliation, however, focuses on transforming identities to dismantle the image of the other as the “enemy” and introduce a new lens through which to understand the conflict. It is a pre-requisite for peace-building, as the latter requires, for example, that Greek-Cypriots stop expecting that Turkish-Cypriots will behave in ways that are detrimental to them and vice-versa, and that there is more talk about the two communities’ common future and prospects in a common country.

decades and the one-sided narratives through which individuals from both communities view and understand the negotiation process. In each community, what needs to be transformed are: c. beliefs about the other community: These have been dominated by negative stereotypes and a onesided narrative that have served to delegitimise and depersonalise the “other”. E.g. Greek-Cypriots viewing the Turkish-Cypriot community as a homogenous group that is hostile, unapologetic and opportunistic, and vice-versa. Change would mean a more balanced stereotyping of the other community, together with a recognition that it is made up of diverse individuals with differing opinions and with whom they share (at least) a common humanity. d. beliefs about itself: Dominant narratives in each community tend to posit it as righteous and praise the rightfulness of its claims vis-à-vis those of the “other” of whom it has been a victim. Reconciliation involves critical reflection that should lead to a more realistic self-image. This would acknowledge the contribution of one’s community in causing and perpetuating the conflict, including past atrocities that tend to be ignored in dominant narratives. Change would therefore mean a recognition not only of the suffering of one’s community but also of its misdeeds. History education has played a central role in cultivating the aforementioned beliefs. History textbooks have perpetuated the problem by promulgating one-sided monolithic narratives which posit the unquestionable moral superiority of one’s community over the immoral other. Instead of teaching children to think historically and equipping them with the tools to understand the “other”, negative stereotypes and misconceptions are reinforced and perspectives that reflect badly on one’s community are ignored.

Regardless of the efforts of the two leaders, Nicos Anastasiades and Mustafa Akıncı, peace-building requires a social reconciliation process that addresses the emotional barriers that have been built over the past

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INTRODUCING MULTIPERSPECTIVITY The prevalence of ethnic nationalism in the past decades has undermined critical democratic debate on identity issues and on the narratives about the “enemy” in both communities. Certain matters are deemed to be nonnegotiable and absolute truths, and questioning them attracts labels such as “traitor” and “sell-out”. Ethnic nationalist narratives often demand full consensus on their definition of the national interest, their version of history, and the framing of the “other”. Full consensus is, however, not only unachievable but also undesirable in a healthy democracy that respects and upholds the pluralism that characterises the individuals that constitute its political community. Critical debate on dominant discourses and the official view of history is essential to both the quality of democracy and to the peace-building process. Debate within each community has been limited by taboos and stigmas, and thousands of people have had no direct contact with the “other side”. A healthy and inclusive democratic debate with multiperspectivity can dispel myths, fears and stereotypes about the “other”. It can give a human voice to and integrate the concerns, fears and perspectives of individuals from the “other” side. It can also redefine the peace process as a shared responsibility of all Cypriots that requires cooperation, rather than as an antagonistic process between Greekand Turkish-Cypriots.

THE ROLE OF RELIGION In the Greek-Cypriot community, religion, and specifically the Orthodox Church of Cyprus has great influence in society and politics. It has historically assumed the role of the “guardian” of the Greek nation on Cyprus, and its current head, Archbishop Chrysostomos, is rather vocal with regard to the ongoing negotiations. Very recently he proclaimed, for example, that he did not believe that a settlement could be reached as the “Turks” were greedy and shameless. In another statement, he made reference

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to the Ottoman Turks that conquered Thessaloniki in 1430 to point out that these are the same people that the Greek-Cypriot community is negotiating with today. In other words, the Head of the Church often adopts the narrative that places full blame on the other side and presents “our” side as the victim that has been wronged throughout history. Religious leaders can, however, be a powerful asset in peace-making and make use of their credibility and moral authority to promote peace and complement the social reconciliation and peace-making process. More specifically, religious leaders can help their followers to overcome the fear of the “other” through intra- and inter-faith dialogue to prepare them to engage with, understand and respect social difference and to realise the common values of justice and compassion that both communities believe in. They can also help their communities overcome the lack of knowledge about the faith of the other community and the commonalities between the two faiths (in this case Christian Orthodox and Sunni Muslim).

COMMON ISSUES For decades, the “Cyprus Problem” has dominated social and political life to the extent that important issues were often marginalised and have only recently surfaced in mainstream politics. These issues transcend ethnic boundaries and include gender equality, LGBT+ rights, and disability awareness. Activism and working to achieve progress in these fields helps bring together individuals from the two communities who can identify with each other and look for solutions on shared problems, despite the de facto division of the island. Bright examples can be seen in the work of organisations such as the Association of Historical Dialogue and Research, Hands Across the Divide, the Gender Advisory Team, Accept LGBT Cyprus and Envision Diversity, as well as various trade unions and professional organisations, certain political parties and numerous other civil society and social media initiatives by individuals across the divide.


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END NOTE

REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING

Social reconciliation is not a step that should be taken only once the two communities have successfully reached a settlement deal. It is clear that reconciliation is closely linked to and should be contemporaneous with the negotiation process, and that it is integral to achieving peace.

Association of Historical Dialogue and Research (n.d.) Proposal by the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research on the Reform of History Education. Online, available at www.goo.gl/W6ADM1

The leaders of the two communities need to take steps to reframe the problem as a shared problem that can only be solved cooperatively, and doing this requires dismantling the negative stereotypes and mutual fears that have been cultivated over the past decades. Civil society, cultural and business initiatives across the divide bring people together and facilitate the muchneeded human contact that was missing between members of the two communities. Beyond the negotiations between the two leaders, it is of utmost importance that bridges of communication are built between citizens on both sides that will allow more Cypriots to think in terms of a common, open future.

Bar-Tal, Daniel (2000) ‘From Intractable Conflict through Conflict Resolution to Reconciliation: Psychological Analysis’, in Political Psychology 21:2. Online, available at: www.goo.gl/No842y Ker-Lindsay, James (Ed.) (2015) Resolving Cyprus: New Approaches to Conflict Resolution (New York: I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd). Papadakis, Yiannis (2008) ‘History Education in Divided Cyprus: A Comparison of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot Schoolbooks on the “History of Cyprus”’, in PRIO Report 2/2008. Online, available at: www. goo.gl/y8GAxw Smock, R. David (Ed.) (2006) ‘Introduction’ in Religious Contributions to Peacemaking (United States Institute of Peace). Online, available at: www. goo.gl/CKMW6W

AUTHOR Loris Lysiotis Co-funded by the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum asbl are responsible for the content of this publication, or for any use that may be made of it. The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) alone. These views do not necessary reflect those of the European Parliament and/or the European Liberal Forum asbl.

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