New monument marks contribution of volunteers

The Monument of the Volunteer will be a reminder and motivation for more initiatives towards an altruistic mission for our fellow human beings, President Nicos Anastasiades said on Saturday.

He was speaking during the monument’s unveiling ceremony in Limassol, organised by the Pancyprian Volunteerism Coordinative Council and attended by Limassol mayor Nicos Nicolaides and Amathus bishop Nicolaos among other officials.

The president congratulated the council for the initiative, paying special respects to head Stavros Olympios, “a man who has truly dedicated his life to altruism and volunteering”.

The monument, he said, is a gesture of gratitude, “expressing just a fraction of the honour and respect due to all volunteers”.

“There are countless examples where volunteers have offered their most through their active and significant contributions to our country through crisis management,” from creating community food banks to organising blood donations and supporting the sick, including in the pandemic, the president said.

Anastasiades emphasised that based on the collaboration between the state and volunteers, “Cyprus has been recognised by the European Union as one of the very few member states adopting a comprehensive volunteerism policy,” with volunteers from Cyprus contributing to policymaking on an EU, UN and Council of Europe level.

For his part, Olympios talked about the importance of volunteering, particularly during the pandemic, and thanked Limassol municipality and everyone else involved in the creation of the monument.