Home for Cooperation celebrates 13th birthday

The Home for Cooperation marked 13 years since its opening on Monday.

The building, which is located in Nicosia’s buffer zone opposite the Ledra Palace hotel, was opened as a community centre in 2011 by the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research with the aim of bringing Cyprus’ communities closer together.

On Monday, they said that in 2011, “after several years of strenuous efforts buy a handful of people to not only convince the authorities, but themselves, that claiming this space was possible, they succeeded.”

In doing that, they said, “they transformed an empty space designed to keep us apart into a melting pot where first steps to come closer can be taken.”

“Today, the Home for Cooperation proudly celebrates its 13^th anniversary, staying strong despite all the challenges,” they said, adding that the building is a “success story of our communities and of all individuals with whom our paths have crossed along the way.”

They added that the building is “a story to be celebrated, shared, and embraced.”

“With the commitment and dedication of our staff and board to continue exploring different ways of building peace, the contribution of our collaborators and donors, the cooperation of numerous civil society actors and activists, the Home for Cooperation continues to be more than a building,” they said.

They thanked “everyone who joined us in this bumpy journey we took to reach this milestone”, and said they “hope we will continue walking together, transforming physical and mental barriers along the way towards the united Cyprus we dream of.”