Table of Contents:
- Comment from the Editor
- Cyprus - the political question
- Disability, Human Rights and Education in Cyprus, by Helen Phtiaka
- The Pancyprian Association for the Welfare of the Blind, by Christakis Nicolaides
- The ancient sailing ship of Kyrenia, by W. Macfarlane
- What is all this Akamas about! by Andreas Demetropoulos
- Paphos entertains, summer and winter, By Athena Karsera
- Readers Feedback
- Contact/Subscription Information
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1. Comment from the Editor
Dear readers,
A change from one year to the other doesn't mean that fundamental changes in human life will automatically occur. We though, however profit from such opportunities that we exchange wishes and hopes for a better and happier future and we all expect that the new period would bring us more satisfaction. As you all know, the first of January is not the beginning of a new year for all nationalities and religious confessions whereas the year 2002 is for many people just another number. Anyway, please accept my wishes and that of the Pancyprian Organization of the Blind to you all for a healthy, peaceful, happy and prosperous new year, independently of when the next time period for each of you begins. I hope that the coming years will be more productive for all, with less troubles, worries and artificial barriers.
I would also like to introduce the third issue of the Cyprus Braille Newsletter, which is sent free of charge to braille readers all over the world. More than 300 braille copies of the first two issues of the magazine have been produced and were distributed to blind individuals, libraries for the blind and institutions in more than 50 countries. The number of subscribers is still growing. We have also distributed the magazine through the Internet accessing more than 200 organizations, centres and institutions of and for the blind worldwide.
The current issue is more extensive than the previous two. The first article is a brief overview in historical perspectives about the political situation in Cyprus after its independence in 1960. It is published as a response to many letters from readers of our Newsletter all over the world, who asked for such information.
In section 3 of the newsletter we continue our discussion on the subject of human rights and the disabled people in Cyprus. The article was written by Helen Phtiaka and first published in the book "Disability, Human Rights and Education: Cross Cultural Perspectives" edited by Felicity Armstrong and Len Barton (1999).
In her article Helen Phtiaka deals with disability, human rights and the education in Cyprus: Education and employment for children and adults with disabilities has recently been a hot issue in our country. This is partly due to recent educational and legislative developments regarding the issue of integrated education for children with special needs. It is also due to a fund-raising activity for children and adults with special Needs, which was first launched 12 years ago and has recently turned into a major nationwide annual charity event called Radio-Marathon. Events such as this have raised all sorts of issues regarding disability and human rights, and it is true to say that they have increased public awareness on what used to be a taboo subject. At what cost? The charity model has become well established in people's consciousness at the expense of a human rights model. Who benefits from it, how do disabled people feel about it and what can be done in the future? Helen Phtiaka attempts to answer these questions in her article.
Many thanks to Helen Phtiaka and to Barbara Martin from the Open University Press in London for giving us the permission to publish this article in our Newsletter. The author is an Assistant Professor at the University of Cyprus. She holds a degree from the Universities of Athens-Greece (BA), Stirling-Scotland (MSc) and Cambridge-England (PhD) supported by scholarships from the University of Athens and the Greek National Scholarships Foundation. She worked as a Research Fellow at the Centre of Educational Development Appraisal and Research (CEDAR), University of Warwick (UK) from 1989 to 1992 and has been at the Department of Education, University of Cyprus since 1992. Her research interests cover many areas of Sociology of Education such as special needs, deviant behaviour, teaching and learning styles, home-school relations and qualitative research methodology. She has published widely in international journals and is the author of two books published by the British Library Research and Development Department, and Falmer Press.
With the 4th article I try to give a short description of the Pancyprian Association for the Welfare of the Blind, which is an organization of active volunteers, who support with their work and the money they collect through their activities the services and the programmes run by our Organization.
The next article is also very important and has something to do with the hope for the future of the Cypriot people. A common wish which was repeatedly express also for the coming year 2002 is that by next Christmas the refugees will allowed to return to their homes in a united Cyprus. A top story of Cyprus Weekly is a reminder of one of those occupied towns - Kyrenia. An article written by Bill Macfarlane on the Kyrenia ship and the replica that is now on display in Japan. For more information refer to article five of our Newsletter.
The last two articles deal with different matters concerning the Akamas peninsula situated on the west coast of the island written by Andreas Demetropoulos, former Director of the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research at the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment and the Paphos entertains, summer and winter written by Athena Karsera.
Wishing you pleasant reading and looking forward in meeting you at the fourth issue of Cyprus Braille.
Many regards and greetings from Cyprus to you all.
2. Cyprus - The political question
(Published by the Press and Information Office, Republic of Cyprus (32/ 1996 - 50.000) and
Printed by SOGEK LTD)
Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean with a long history whose origins go back nine thousand years. Its geographical position and its natural resources have always made it a target for conquerors. The Phoenicians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Romans, Arabs, the Frankish dynasty of the Lusignans, the Venetians, Ottoman Turks and the British, all conquered Cyprus in turn.
The settlement of Mycenaeans on the island in the 12th century B. C. gave the island its Greek character, which was maintained despite the influences and subjugation it went through during its chequered history.
The prevalence of liberal ideas in Europe and the rise of nationalism in the 19th century, were translated in Cyprus into a call for freedom, self-determination and unity with the Greek state. The Cyprus problem, simple in its essence, has over the course of time been complicated as a result of changing circumstances, international developments and foreign interventions.
The transfer of power in 1878 from Turkish to British rule allowed the national movement in Cyprus to grow, culminating in the 1931 uprising and the 1955 - 59 liberation movement. In 1960 Cyprus was declared an independent Republic on the basis of the Zurich - London agreements.
However, the constitution that was imposed on the Cypriot people contained divisive provisions which encouraged confrontation and dissent between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots (80% and 18% of the population respectively). In addition the rights granted to Britain, Greece and Turkey embroiled the young state in the antagonisms among the great powers and in the clashes between various economic and strategic interests in the region.
Turkey, with a view to promoting her expansionist and partitionist plans, found ways to mobilise Turkish Cypriot extremists to prevent the smooth functioning of the state, which led to the intercommunal clashes of 1963/64 and 1967.
The intercommunal talks which began in 1968 under the auspices of the UN and which continued over the following eight years, marked slow but steady progress.
The coup against the legal Cyprus government on 15 July 1974, which was organised by the military junta ruling Greece at the time, gave Turkey the much longed for excuse to invade the Republic of Cyprus, which it did on 20 July 1974 in contravention of the UN Charter and all principles governing international relations.
Results of the Turkish invasion and occupation:
37% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus - i.e. the northern part of the island, where 70% of the natural resources were concentrated - is under Turkish occupation.
200.000 Greek Cypriots - one third of the population - have been displaced from the occupied northern sector where they had constituted 80% of the inhabitants.
At the same time the Turkish Cypriots who lived in the free areas were forced by their leaders to move to the occupied area.
The ascertainment of the fate of the missing persons is still pending.
Only 665 people out of an original 12.300 at the end of 1974 remain enclaved in their occupied villages living under conditions of oppression, harassment and deprivation (January 1996 figures).
35.000 Turkish soldiers, armed with the latest weapons and supported by land and sea, are stationed in the occupied area, making it, according to the UN Secretary-General, one of the most militarized regions of the world.
85.000 Turks have been brought over from Turkey to colonise the occupied area with the aim of changing the demography of the island and controlling the political situation.
The hermetically sealed "Attila line" ("Operation Attila" was the code-name Turkey gave to the invasion of Cyprus) artificially divides the island and its people and prevents Cypriots from moving freely throughout their country.
In an effort to consolidate the de facto situation, the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" was unilaterally declared in 1983 in the occupied area, a pseudostate recognised only by Turkey and entirely dependent on it.
According to Turkish-Cypriot newspapers, about 50.000 Turkish Cypriots emigrated from the occupied area between 1974 - 1995 because of the economic, social and moral deprivation, which prevails there. As a result the Turkish Cypriots who are left are today outnumbered by the Turkish troops together with the colonists.
The illegal regime in the occupied area is deliberately and methodically trying to eradicated every trace of a 9.000-year-old cultural and historical heritage.
All Greek place-names have been replaced by Turkish ones. Churches, monuments, cemeteries and archaeological sites have been destroyed, desecrated or looted. Priceless religious and archaeological treasures, part of the world's cultural heritage, are being stolen and smuggled abroad, and illegal excavations and dealings in antiquities are taking place.
An end to occupation
The Cyprus problem is not an intercommunal dispute. It is a question of invasion and continuing occupation. Turkey continues unpunished to show contempt for the calls of the international community, as expressed in dozens of UN resolutions and continues to maintain the occupation and artificial division of the island.
It has so far not once shown the slightest inclination that it possesses the political will necessary to solve the problem.
The Cyprus government is firmly committed to finding a just and viable solution through negotiation based on UN resolutions - a solution that would safeguard the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, which would ensure the withdrawal of Turkish troops and colonists, would secure the human rights and basic freedoms of all Cypriots, would offer both internal security and security from foreign dangers and would safeguard the future of the Cypriot people as a whole in conditions of peace, prosperity and progress, in a united, federal and demilitarised state within the European Union.
| 3. | Disability, Human Rights and Education in Cyprus By Helen Phtiaka (From Armstrong, Felicity and Barton, Len (eds) (1999) Disability, Human Rights and Education: Cross Cultural Perspectives. Milton Keynes: Open University Press. With the kind permission of the author and of the publishers) |
Introduction
Issues of disability, human rights and education have a parallel but not necessarily inter-linked history in Cyprus. This is to say that although all three topics have often been debated in public, especially at times when this was expedient such as the International Year for the Disabled (1981), the three issues very rarely appear interrelated. This is particularly true of issues of education and human rights. In the eve of the introduction of new educational legislation for children with special needs this is particularly obvious. The new legislation will come (possibly within the year) to replace the outdated existing legislation of 1979 (MEC, 1996). According to existing legislation four categories of special need are still in use for education purposes, and "maladjusted, trainable, physically handicapped and educationally delayed children require special education which is provided in special schools and special classes" (MEC, 1996: p.73). In the proposed legislation for special education (MEC,1998) the law, obviously influenced by British educational philosophy and legislation of the late 70's and early 80's, (Warnock Report 1978 & Education Act 1981) speaks only of "children with special needs". These are defined as "children who have serious learning or adaptive difficulties owing to physical, mental or psychological inadequacies making special education necessary" (MEC, 1998: p.2).
It is apparent that the definition of educational needs is still based on a deficit model. Consequently, access to mainstream education is not perceived as a basic human right for these children but rather as a necessary legislative modification which will a) bring the legislation up to date, b) be in accordance with contemporary international educational practice, and c) cover current educational practice in Cyprus (integration of children with special needs in mainstream classrooms has been an informal Ministry of Education practice since the late 80's). The Ministry of Education and Culture declared philosophy on special education further clarifies the issue as it makes no mention of human rights:
It is generally accepted today that children with special needs must have equal educational opportunities of co-education with their peers in their neighborhood schools. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly acceptable that many of the learning and other problems children with special needs have can be dealt with satisfactorily inside the ordinary classroom with the use of differentiation and the appropriate equipment and organization of the learning environment. (MEC 1996: 10 1)
For the time being a combination of the use of mainstream classes, special classes in mainstream schools and special schools is in existence, depending on the child's condition and degree of disability. This arrangement naturally deprives a number of children from access to the National Curriculum and therefore from access to further and higher education.
Interestingly enough the Ministry officials, quite possibly influenced by University philosophy (Phtiaka, 1996) speak of (albeit without satisfactorily defining it) an inclusive school which will "educate all children" (MEC, 1996: p.10). According to their suggestion this school "must accept all children regardless of their physical, mental, social, emotional, linguistic or other condition". This statement, bold as it appears to be coming from an official document, is closer to the rhetoric rather than the philosophy of inclusive schooling. This is because it is not substantiated or facilitated in any way and is furthermore a long way away from current Cypriot educational practice. It can therefore be interpreted as the enlightened vision of a small group of officials who possess neither the coherent philosophy nor the necessary power to influence educational policy to such an extent. The introduction of an inclusive school system would require -quite simply- the complete destruction of the education system as we know it in Cyprus today (Phtiaka, 1996c). And this is unlikely to happen either very soon or very easily. The intense antagonism of the existing system coupled with an inflexible centralized administration and a very rigid content oriented national curriculum make a radical change very unlikely in the near future. Nevertheless a changing rhetoric is a good sign if it takes us to the direction of a changing philosophy.
This being the situation concerning existing and proposed legislation in special education and educational access of children with special needs in Cyprus, let's move on to broaden the scene. Given the complexity of the issue at hand and in order to cover as wide an area as possible the paper follows a modular structure offering glimpses of current practice and debate in three spheres:
-
a) the dominant model of thinking in the area of disability and special needs (Human rights?)
b) the role and the struggle of the disability movement (disability), and
c) the current debates in special education (education).
The first part is necessarily the largest as it examines the prevalent philosophy in the area and provides the context for the other two.
A note on terminology might be necessary before we start. Throughout this chapter the terms disabled and disability will refer particularly to adults and the term special needs particularly to children. Riddell's (1993) definitions of both disability and special educational needs might be helpful here as she notes the conflicting connotations of both terms and points to the common points between them. Like her, I shall adopt Oliver's position that ...similar forces have shaped social policies towards disabled people and educational policies for children with special needs. As a result of this, theoretical understandings of disability may be applied to the field of special educational needs. (Ridell, 1993: 446).
Human Rights - conceived:
Question: How is the human rights issue conceived in Cyprus regarding disabled people?
The Radio - Marathon
Dear sir,
The advertising for this year's Radio-Marathon has already started. The T.V. adverts in particular are bombarding us with images of money, piggy banks, collection stalls, receipts, and generally individuals who contribute financially. We ask the organizers: Are they trying to promote the idea that the special needs of these people begin and end in the financial context of monetary contributions? Is that the message they are trying to send to everyone, including young children, tomorrow's citizens? Do they really want to change current attitudes, or just retain them for their own interest? Is this the awareness increasing exercise they are boasting about? What social integration do they achieve in this way? How much information do they really think they offer towards the right direction of the appropriate handling of these people and the finite solution of their problems?
We are awaiting for your answers.
Thank you for the hospitality.
Andros Prokopiou - a person with special questions
22 October, 1996
(Prokopiou, 1996a).
This is a copy of a letter sent by the President of the Cyprus Paraplegic Organization (CPO) Andros Prokopiou to a newspaper on the eve of the big national fiesta called Radio-Marathon.
Launched 10 years ago (20.11.90) by a local Radio Station the Radio-Marathon has recently turned into a major nationwide annual charity event supported by the National Radio and a National Bank. Prokopiou appears to find the whole event misled and distressing. He is not alone in that. He speaks for a number of disabled people in Cyprus. He also speaks for a number of non-disabled people. I am not a person with immediately identifiable special needs. Yet, I too find this event annoying, insulting even. I find the persistence of the organizers for money gathering aggressive, often abusive, especially for people who do not happen to share their philosophy. Yet, year after year I give in. I contribute to the fund raising having been battered for a month by advertising in the intense soundtrack of Carmina Burana, and having been bombarded for two days by sentimental radio talk about "those children not as fortunate as us". At the closing of the event, with an intense feeling of having absconded from a national effort to build a better future, I hesitantly join in the festivities and humbly give my contribution. I am a weird exception. Most people appear to celebrate the event and share its "generous" philosophy. The enthusiasm of the radio D-J's seems to be catching. The whole country seems to be moving for two days in the powerful sounds of Carmina Burana.
My personal position and my eventual surrender, which are in direct conflict, indicate quite clearly the overwhelming power of the charity model which is the basic philosophy underlying the whole event. Obviously, neither the hustle and bustle of the organizers nor the unquestioning enthusiasm of the people are the most worrying aspects of the event. Those of us who disagree with the principle could perhaps lock ourselves away until it is all over and refuse flat out to join in the festivities. Or we could try to question it in private and in public even though this is no easy task. What is much more worrying though is the fact that through this event the charity model is prevailing over any other philosophy regarding disability, and the Radio-Marathon seems to be establishing itself in people's consciousness as the main body in the country responsible for special needs issues: a private trust instead of the State. This seems to be wholeheartedly supported and encouraged by State Officials whose job it is to deal precisely with these issues. It is common practice for instance for a parent trying to secure a class assistant for their child with special needs in the ordinary class to get the following response from Ministry of Education officials: "We have no funds for this, but have you tried the Radio-Marathon?" What is the parent to do? She/he usually tries the Radio-Marathon. If the child is lucky, the all-knowing governing body approves the request and this year's class assistant is secured. Next year? We start again. It is interesting to note here a question Prokopiou poses in a public speech of his: "What will happen if we push this situation to its limits and if at some point people get fed up with it all and stop offering money? What will become of these people (who depend on the money)?" (Prokopiou, 1993: 3).
The short answer is that they will have to fall back on their own (and their family's) devices having limited structures of formal State support available. However to fully understand the issues involved we need to go back a little and take things one at a time.
This is a fairly happy era for Cyprus. Despite the fact that the political problem remains unresolved, Cypriot people have, after long years of struggle, achieved a high standard of living. They have a good life (under the circumstances) and quite a number of them have an income which allows them to help others "less fortunate". The amount of money collected each year by a number of charities, Radio-Marathon in particular, is astounding for the island's population of 800.000 people. To quote Prokopiou again:
"...within 48 hours we can motivate the whole country and collect all this money which is disproportionate to our size..." . (Prokopiou 1993: 3).
It is perhaps not a coincidence that such an event was only launched in the beginning of the 90's when the political situation was relatively stable and the financial situation had improved considerably.
Sixteen years before that the Turkish invasion had left the island in a state of devastation and shock numbering 200.000 refugees (in a population of 500.000) and 1619 missing persons (still missing 24 years later). 1974 is not a long time ago, and people, when asked to give money for children in need, may well still remember their own children or themselves as children in need. They are therefore exceptionally generous in their offer.
With the assistance of the special socio-historical conditions of the island where the state is only 38 years old, the charity model is well established in people's minds and their response is immediate. It has been argued in the literature (Tomlinson, 1982, Wolfensberger, 1989, Barnes, 1994, Vlachou, 1997) that the charity model is a very powerful tool, not least because it puts itself "above suspicion". Who can argue with the principle of helping the fellow (wo)man without being in danger of being considered nasty and callous? It is very difficult indeed to overcome this hurdle and start asking difficult questions such as "who benefits from such a model?". More so in a country where suffering is still alive in people's memories and their first reaction would be to ease each-other 's pain. If however we insisted on being nasty and callous and asked this question regarding the Radio-Marathon, we may get some very interesting answers.
Who benefits from the Radio-Marathon fiesta?
In the last two years alone, the bank involved in the fund raising has pocketed approximately two million Cypriot pounds (that is about four million american dollars for international comparisons) which it has not deposited to its rival bank's counters but has kept to itself. Naturally by the end of the year the money is spent, but exactly when the bank account is empty Autumn comes and the Radio Marathon is on the road again.
Every year for the two days of the Marathon the National Radio station lives on its most impressive ego trip of the year. Organizers are congratulating themselves and each-other, (not forgetting the people who are offering the money) no doubt feeling very virtuous. Broadcasters encourage people with special needs of any kind to come and beg on the air for anything that catches their fancy (See also Barnes, 1994, p.207 about how "charity advertisers present disabled people as pitiable and pathetic in order to raise money"). And people do! In order to cover a perceived need they often expose themselves to publicity: "My little boy cannot walk or talk or whatever, and what would really make his days happier is a ...". The broadcaster then asks on the air: "Who will be generous enough to give little surprising that the vast majority of people who are highly visible during these long two days and who respond to such invitations are mainly children with various types and degrees of mental retardation. The disability movement is strikingly absent from the event, as are most adults with special needs. Prokopiou (1996b) is very helpful again when he comments: "We ask the organizers: Why did they never respond to a suggestion by the Coordination Committee of Struggle for the Disabled made two years ago for paraplegic, blind, deaf and other disabled athletes to get involved (in the athletic fiesta for the Radio-Marathon)?" (Prokopiou, 1996b)
The exclusion of disabled adults from the event is overshadowed by the participation of a large number of children, mainly from special schools. Participation in the event enhances and promotes the image of special schools all over the country and it is therefore very interesting to examine the role of the professionals involved (teachers and school administrators) in encouraging and supporting participation of children attending these schools to the festival. This is arguably the best "advertisement" segregated education receives in the course of the year. Clearly this is not an event that promotes the idea of an inclusive school as differences between children are exacerbated, if anything, and disabled and non disabled children who happen to be participating in it are at two very different sides of the event: the former being the recipients and the latter the donors of the charity that takes place. Interestingly enough donations are offered by special schools too (such as the School for the Deaf) presumably for those who are less fortunate than them! We can stop and ask here whether such acts of generosity may saw the seeds of discriminatory divisions within the disability movement later on by encouraging speculations about what kind of disability might be less disabling and therefore closer to the norm. Such divisions do not benefit anyone but the State who instead of being confronted with a strong united and demanding disability movement is dealing with small powerless groups of people requiring idiosyncratic and differentiated forms of assistance.
What of the trust's governing body? As is common practice for trusts of this type and well documented in the literature (Tomlinson, 1982, Copeland, 1995), the governing body consists of well established figures of Cypriot society - they could easily be named pillars - who do not necessarily have any professional relationship with the field of special needs, but are well known nationally for their charity work. What they get from it all, apart from the high profile, seems to be social and political influence and power, which in a small society like ours can easily be translated (for example) into votes during election time should they or theirs decide to stand for office. The same is true of public figures who are publicly seen to donate large sums of money or, even worse perhaps, offer personal items for auction.
It is only fair to state that the herds of volunteer workers who roast in the sun for two days collecting money may only get the moral satisfaction and the souvenir T-shirt. This is to say that it is not my point to dispute the good-will of individuals involved in this fund raising exercise, but rather to expose some of the hidden curricula of such an event. A final important point that needs to be mentioned is the complete lack of accountability of the governing body regarding the use and allocation of funds. It appears to be in their total discretion what they do with it, how they use it and who they allocate it to. Not surprisingly each year a fair amount goes to special schools and institutions.
Prokopiou (1996c) asks again:
"...It appears that approximately half the money is given to institutions. We ask the organizers. Are we wrong or mistaken when we hear them declare that the main goal of the event is to increase public awareness and (consequently) to help de-institutionalize people with special needs?..." (Prokopiou, 1996c).
Prokopiou is very accurate in pointing to the intense conflict between the declared goals and the actual practice of the event. This is not only the result of a confused philosophy, but rather a very successful way of keeping everyone happy without in the least challenging the status quo. All those mentioned above benefit from this arrangement as private interests are masked behind a facade of public offering. We could however argue that the State is the main beneficiary here yet again as it saves up on funds that it would be required to give to schools and institutions depending on it. Moreover it benefits because it sheds off exclusive responsibilities of having to cater for the needs of a number of its citizens to a private trust which is not dependent on anybody and not accountable to anyone. Yet, it is well known for its activity in the area of special needs and would function as a first port of call for people seeking support. In this sense disabled people's claim will remain reduced to a private request for help instead of taking the shape of a State challenge for rights.
As the years pass the event - and the trust - become well founded in people's consciousness and the charity model flourishes. In the last few years, and certainly during my time in Cyprus (from 1992 onward) the Radio-Marathon has dramatically grown in size and income every year. Yet its true beneficiaries cannot by any means be said to be disabled people or even children with special needs. The Bank, the National Radio, the special schools and the ideas they promote, the Governing Body, the Organizers, Public Figures donating apparently large sums of money, and more noticeably the State seem to be benefiting much more by the whole affair than those whom it is said to benefit.
The only positive outcome of the fiesta (if there is such a thing) is that children with special needs, are now much more visible than they have ever been before. The children themselves, it has to be said, are very happy during these days as they consider it their festival. Many parents are too. Parents of children with special needs feel they have now acquired a commonly understood vocabulary to introduce their children to other people. This does not mean that attitudes have changed drastically. To indicate this I need only mention the account of a mother of a child with Down's syndrome (Theophilides, 1995) whose son escaped her attention and started playing with the phone. He called the same number again and again and spoke to the people there. The receiver of the calls called the police, and a gentle policeman rang the boy's house. As the mother answered the phone the policeman -obviously well trained and sensitive on these issues- asked: "Do you have an idiot in your house?" The mother, initially taken aback, drew breath and replied: "No, but we do have a child with special needs!" The policeman must have had enough exposure to the charity fiesta to comprehend this term, but he clearly had not had enough sensitivity to use it in the first place. It was perhaps little consolation to the mother that she could use a term that could be understood and that she could employ the Radio-Marathon experience to lecture the policeman on his approach.
Human Rights - conceived:
Answer: Disability is not conceived as a Human Rights issue by everyone in Cyprus. Most of the time it is not conceived at all as such, although many people who work very hard for events such as the Radio-Marathon would be very hurt if they were confronted with this statement. The charity model is still the dominant mode of thinking regarding issues of disability, and this is not accidental. Organized bodies which have a vested interest in keeping this model alive promote the charity ideal, confusing the issue with arguments that emphasize pity and dependence and which work -very effectively I might add- on people's guilty consciousness. It is at the moment very hard to openly challenge the charity model, especially during the days of the fund-raising when the challenge would perhaps be most effective, without being misunderstood, accused of meanness and become marginalised. The disability movement seems to be still baffled as to what is the best way to approach this event and pass on the right message. In the meantime professionals in the field of special needs gratefully accept this money on disabled people's behalf. Some disabled people do too. Disabled officials make careful declarations -when asked- trying not to turn down any money offered (they need it under present circumstances) or upset the organizers (it would be unwise to make enemies of such powerful figures). Oliver's point about forced charity might also be applicable here: recipients of unwanted gifts or inappropriate services, for to refuse such "generosity" would be to confirm the "fact" that disabled people have not come to terms with their disability and have a "chip on their shoulder". (Oliver 1989: 16) For all these reasons the charity model is still holding strong and disability is rarely considered a human rights issue in Cyprus.
Human Rights - understood
Question: What do we celebrate on December 3rd? As it became clear from the previous section, the dominant model dealing with disabled children and adults in Cyprus is one of protection, donation and charity. Keith (1994, p. 2) describes a similar situation very powerfully when she states that she has become "someone people felt sorry for, someone who could be approached by total strangers in public places and asked intrusive questions". Even the notion of special educational needs is new and so novel that public attitude has not matured enough to move from admitting disabled children's participation in the mainstream school and the open society to accepting their rights in life, education and employment on equal terms with the rest of us. For this to be true disabled claims would have to be promoted to disabled rights, social pity to social obligation and state charity to state responsibility.
The main venue perhaps where questions of human rights are raised is the disabled organizations, that is to say the organizations which are set up and run by disabled people as pressure groups demanding education, civil and human rights, and which in their totality represent the disability movement. These organizations seem at present to be caught up between their own past, public opinion, and the state. Their past reflects a history of civil and legal battles with the state. In his account Florentzos (Florentzos, 1998) president of the Pancyprian Organization for the Blind and also president of the Cyprus Federation of Organizations of the Disabled, speaks of the domination of private initiative in the area of vocational rehabilitation of people with disabilities right up to the 1980's. It is perhaps no coincidence that 1981 when "the legal and moral obligations of the State were officially pronounced for the first time" (Florentzos, 1998: 2) was the International Year for the Disabled and disabled people were for the first time personally involved in shaping legislation which concerned them. The Cyprus Federation of Organizations of the Disabled was consequently founded in 1984, its membership being "Organizations consisting exclusively of people with disabilities and of the Pancyprian Association of Parents of Mentally Handicapped Persons" (Florentzos, 1998: 2). The main endeavour of the Federation as described by Florentzos has been: ...to achieve a system of legislation and administrative measures, which would coordinate and guide the existing private initiative and extend, above all, the care and social policy of the State, independent from the uncertain and unstable private initiative. (Florentzos, 1998: 2-3). Florentzos reports some success and a good relationship between people with disabilities and the State.
Public opinion is also increasingly sensitive but exclusively in terms of the charity model, and the state while for years responding slowly to their demands bound by international agreements (Florentzos, 1998), seems to have recently relaxed as public opinion becomes more sensitive and private funds are mounting. To quote Prokopiou (1995) once more: "...there are obvious examples that the present government denounces more and more its own social role, while encouraging charity at the expense of a welfare state." (Prokopiou, 1995: 2)
Concern regarding the prevalence of the charity model is also expressed by Florentzos who notes his personal dissatisfaction with this philosophy and that of the Federation thus: In spite of the fact that the Organizations of people with disabilities and our Federation itself have repeatedly demanded to participate in the organization of that annual event (the Radio-Marathon), the organizers, who are powerful businessmen, insist to reject it. Of course, people with disabilities feel very bad about it all. (Florentzos, 1998: 4).
While stepping back and allowing private initiative to lead is suspected as unofficial government practice, government rhetoric differs. State officials speak of the disabled people's human rights as expressed at the 1996 United Nations Resolution on Equal Opportunities Regulations for Handicapped People. During a public speech at the celebration of December 3rd (The International Day of the United Nations for Disabled People) the chair of the Office for the Care of the Disabled (Ipiresia Merimnis Anapiron) declared:
"In societies all over the world there are still hurdles which preclude disabled people from exercising their rights and their freedoms and which make their full involvement in community activities difficult. It is the responsibility of the state to take appropriate measures so that these hurdles are removed. Disabled people and their organizations must have an active role in this process as partners. Equality of opportunity for disabled people is an important contribution to mobilization of human resources." (Efrem 1997: 4)
Despite this impressive rhetoric, in a sincere self examination of the Cypriot state's response to the U.N. Regulations for Equal Opportunities for the Disabled in December 1993, Efrem declares that there is more continuing effort and goodwill than actual achievements in Cyprus on a number of issues, such as Information, Rehabilitation, Technical Support, Access, Education, Employment and Welfare, while personal issues such as marriage and sexual experiences are nowhere near the target level. To quote him again:
Regulation number 9 refers to the right on family life, opportunities for sexual experiences, the possibility of the provision of counseling for marital purposes, etc.. In Cyprus disabled people live mostly with their families, while marriage is almost unthinkable for some categories of disability as is the possibility of sexual experiences. (Efrem, 1997: 7).
How do disabled people themselves view the situation? We need to remember here Barton's statement (Barton, 1993, p. 239) that "disabled people are not homogeneous" just as the rest of society isn't. Some are content with their achievements so far and optimistic about the future:
In Cyprus we have achieved a lot, in many instances much more than other Europeans. (...) What we urgently need is a legal framework and mechanisms, which will produce the appropriate social policy in each area. (Hapoupis, 1997: 1)
It is not a coincidence that the person delivering this speech is blind. Blind people have the oldest and perhaps the most successful disabled organization in Cyprus, having secured for their members education and employment privileges, which are unknown to many other organizations. This is partly due to their long history of existence (the school for the blind was the first special school to be set up in 1929), and partly due to their powerful governing body which has successfully lobbied the state for education (there is a special entry category for blind students at the University of Cyprus) and employment (there is priority employment for telephone operators in all state services and a number of blind lawyers at the Public Prosecutor's office - a privilege that no other disabled body has enjoyed). He is therefore quite right. As an organization the blind have achieved the most in terms of education, employment and access in Cyprus.
They have by far the most University graduates and they are not in the deprived categories that Efrem previously mentioned, as many have families of their own.
Giannakis Christophorou of the Pancyprian Organization for Disabled Persons is more critical: Our experience so far has shown that the most important problem for people with disabilities is employment. And this is the result of (inadequate) education and culture. This is why I turn to the state (...) and suggest that it creates a comprehensive employment programme starting with education - it is well known that inadequate education creates insuperable problems for future employment-. (Christophorou 1997: 2).
Despite their (justified) different views on what has been achieved so far, both speakers are particularly concerned to address the term disabled (anapiros in Greek) and to differentiate it for the term unable (animboros in Greek). They both suggest that being disabled does not mean that a person needs to be dependent for life. This is of course a point well documented in literature (Oliver, 1989, Barton, 1993, Riddell, 1993, Barnes, 1994). Adequate training and education, they suggest, make disabled people as productive as anyone else in society in areas where they can be productive - as indeed is the case with able-bodied people. Christophorou is therefore quite justified to state that:
What we feel is lacking, is a comprehensive policy for disabled people. So that the class of the disabled will not be considered as a burden that has to be dealt with social support and contributions, but is taken into account in the financial plans of the country, is an integral part of the structure and function of our society. (Christophorou 1997: 3)
Interestingly, in his greeting for the day the Minister of Employment and Public Welfare, who is responsible for disability issues, is in absolute agreement with him -at least in theory:
December 3rd, apart from its symbolic and jubilant nature, functions for us as the starting point for the renewal of our efforts to materialize the principles of the United Nations Charter. (Minister of Employment and Public Welfare, 1997: 3).
Is this a rhetorical statement for the day, or does it have any substance? This remains to be seen, as the phenomena we are dealing with are contemporary and therefore constantly changing and developing. What needs to be made clear here is that the voice of the disabled people exists but is still (with one or two exceptions) too weak to be heard outside their own fora and into the public domain. At the moment it is covered by other voices which are meant to represent them but which do not speak the same language as disabled people do, such as the professionals in the field. It is also covered by the voices of people who traditionally have also spoken for the disabled, such as the important public figures who staff the governing bodies of special schools and charity organizations. This makes disabled adults invisible and promotes on their behalf views which are not theirs. It also disempowers them politically and allows decision making on issues such as education and employment to be largely made for them and without their participation. If we want to hear their voice we need to come to their meetings and listen very carefully. What they are saying is this: What (Cyprus) definitely lacks is the legal and administrative basis for providing people with disabilities with all the necessary special services required for their rehabilitation, social integration and every day needs. The State has never seriously dealt with this immediate need. (Florentzos, 1998: 5).
Human Rights - understood
Answer: December 3rd is the day when Cyprus celebrates what has been achieved in the area of human rights for the disabled, but much more what is yet to be achieved in this area. Human rights and achievements are experienced differently by different disabled organizations, as disabilities have a diverse history in Cyprus and some seem to have been seen as less inhibiting than others regarding education and employment. Nevertheless, human rights for the disabled seem to be understood in a very similar way by different organizations as they all state that being disabled does not mean being unable. There is universal agreement - at least on principle - that disabled people are/must be an integral part of our society, equal partners in our life and our struggle for a better future. So far we are a long way from this target.
Human Rights - interpreted
Question: What are we doing about it?
It is finally pertinent to look at what is at the moment being done to help materialize human rights for disabled people. There are at present before parliament two white papers which aim to legitimize disabled people's claims to their right for education and employment. Given that education precedes and prepares employment, I shall concentrate on the white paper of 1998 for special education.
The 1998 white paper is broadly based on the recommendations of the Constantinides Report published in 1992. The Report is the product of work of a special committee established in 1991 to examine special education provision and to look into the educational needs of children with disabilities in Cyprus. The committee worked under the guidance of Giannakis Constantinides, a High Court judge. Based on the report's recommendations a white paper on special education was first proposed to the government in 1995. The paper was considered too ambitious, its regulations too costly, and so it was returned for amendments. One of the main points of contention seems to have been the suggestion that the responsibility of the state to children with special needs and their parents begins at birth. The same process was repeated in 1997 with recommendations, which secured a smaller cost, this time the suggestion being that the responsibility of the state to children with special needs begins at the age of three. This was also considered costly and the white paper was turned back for further cuts. The 1998 white paper which was presented to the house of representatives on Thursday April 31st 1998 was discussed in the education committee of the parliament on two sittings: June 9th and June 23rd 1998. It states that the responsibility of the state towards the child with special needs and his/her family begins with school, at six years of age. It now awaits further discussion in a full parliament sitting.
It needs to be noted that this is a rather poor legislative interpretation of the responsibilities of the state towards the disabled child and his/her family - and indeed of the original suggestions of the Constantinides Report. Notwithstanding the fact that free pre-school education should be a given state responsibility for all children and their families (which it isn't under present educational legislation), children with special needs are even more in need of such a commitment from the state than other children are (Diakidoy & Phtiaka, 1998). If we were to examine this from a human rights point of view we would note that by denying them instant support at birth the state is in fact depriving these children of the opportunity to achieve their maximum potential in later development, and therefore education and employment. An educational/therapeutical decision made at the age of six is simply a decision made six years too late (Phtiaka, 1998). As noted earlier in this chapter (Introduction) there is no explicit link between human rights and education in the proposed legislation. If however we were to make this link ourselves, we would need to argue that this is perhaps one of the major human rights issues in dispute within the proposed legislation. The other one obviously is the fact that disabled children/children with special needs of any kind, are dealt with by a separate piece of educational legislation. This discriminates them from their non-disabled peers and makes them stand apart. As long as this continues to happen we shall never be able to reconcile the needs and the rights of disabled and non-disabled children.
What is the gain in terms of human rights? In the proposed legislation children with special needs are at last officially part of the mainstream education system, an educational right so far formally denied them although in practice partially exercised. This recognition will secure for them within the mainstream provisions that were so far only available in special schools, thereby facilitating as well as legitimizing their right to be educated alongside their peers. Integration of children with special needs into the mainstream school system will at last become official policy instead of experimental practice. This has to be an advantage over a situation where integration was depended on the parents' efforts, the school's generosity and the teachers' goodwill. A legislative framework may also help support integration where inadequate staff preparation and training and lack of resources and equipment have for the last ten years endangered its whole philosophy. This piece of legislation, inadequate and ungenerous as it may be, comes at a crucial moment when integration is severely tried in Cypriot primary schools and sporadic attempts are made at re-introducing special classes. It seems that our task is-
a. to improve it,
b. to support it and
c. to see it through parliament.
As soon as this is done we need to start working on the next piece of legislation which will address education as a whole and will make the newly passed piece of legislation as unnecessary as this will now make all the segregatory special education legislation of the past.
Human Rights - interpreted
Answer: Legislation to improve the human and the educational rights of disabled children is continuously proposed and improved. We have however a difficult task ahead if we are to realize the dream of an inclusive society. The inclusive school can be a first important step in this direction, and this we are slowly working towards. Crucial in this effort is the struggle to turn the question of special education into a human rights debate. This will help achieve a "public acknowledgment that discrimination does exist, that it is unacceptable and that the principle of equality (should) be given the protection of the law" (Barton, 1993: 244) by embracing all children of educational age in a common piece of legislation.
Conclusion
Summarizing we need to state that disability is not yet discussed in human rights terms in Cyprus; the disability movement -despite its achievements so far- is still largely invisible and inaudible; and inclusive education is moving ahead at a very slow rate. A lot of work has been done, mainly in the last ten to fifteen years, but much more is still laying ahead.
It seems that we can only take one step at a time. Cyprus is a young state with a long history of colonial dependence and occupation, a devastating war on its fourteenth birthday, one third of its land occupied by foreign troops, refugees, missing people and a serious unresolved political problem. The University is just six years old, constantly battling against ignorance, prejudice and priority on defense expenses. We need to battle on, convinced that the future will be better than the present and much better than the past. We need to ensure that disabled people will soon achieve equal human rights with the non-disabled in Cyprus. We need in parallel to make sure that the non-disabled too have their human rights fully reinstated on this island of ours.
It may be useful to conclude here with some questions, which will extend the discussion on issues that have been raised in this chapter:
* What would be the best way to deal with the charity model?
* What is the role of the disability movement in the building of a better future?
* How can we best introduce and implement educational legislation leading to inclusive schooling?
Constant worry and debate on such issues cannot but help us move ahead.
Notes
1 All extracts and quotations are translated from the Greek.
2 Translation of terminology in this area is no easy matter. For those who can make the comparison the Greek word used was "kathisterimeno".
References
Barnes, C. (1994): Institutional discrimination, disabled people and interprofessional care. In: Journal of Interprofessional Care, 8(2), 203-212.
Barton, L. (1993): The Struggle for Citizenship: the case of disabled people: In: Disability, Handicap & Society, 8(3), 235-248.
Christophorou, G. (1997): Greeting at the U.N. International Day for the Disabled, School for the Blind, Nicosia, Cyprus, 3.12.97.
Constantinides, I. (1992): Report of the Special Committee for the study of the ways of providing help to children with special needs, Nicosia: Ministry of Education and Culture (Ekthesi Eidikis epitropis gia meleti tropon parochis voithias se paidia me eidikes anages).
Copeland, I. C. (1995): The Establishment of Models of Education for Disabled Children. In: British Journal of Educational Studies, 43(2): 179-200.
Diakidoy, E-A. & Phtiaka, H. (1998): Early Years Education: Significance and Objectives, (Greek) Educational Review, 27/98, p. 7-30.
Efrem, C. (1997): The UN International Day for the Disabled: History-Meaning-The message of the Day for 3.12.97., Introductory Speech at the Celebration for the U.N. International Day for the Disabled, School for the Blind, Nicosia, Cyprus, 3.12.97.
Florentzos, M. (1999): The factual and legal situation of people with disabilities in Cyprus, Nicosia: Unpublished paper.
Hapoupis, A. P. (1997): Greeting at the U.N. International Day for the Disabled, School for the Blind, Nicosia, Cyprus, 3.12.97.
Keith, Lois (ed.) (1994): Mustn't Grumble - Writing by Disabled Women, London: The Women's Press Ltd.
Minister of Employment and Public Welfare (1997): Greeting at the U.N. International Day for the Disabled, School for the Blind, Nicosia, Cyprus, 3.12.97.
Ministry of Education and Culture (1995): White paper entitled The 1995 Education Law for the education of children with special needs. (Ypourgeio Paideias kai Politismou, 1995, Nomoschedio me titlo o peri agogis paidon me eidikes anages nomos 1995).
Ministry of Education and Culture (1996): Information Booklet on Special Education (Ypourgeio Paideias kai Politismou, 1996, Deltio Plirophorion Eidikis Ekpaideysis).
Ministry of Education and Culture (1997): White paper entitled The 1997 Education Law for the education of children with special needs. (Ypourgeio Paideias kai Politismou, 1997, Nomoschedio me titlo o peri agogis paidon me eidikes anages nomos
1997).
Ministry of Education and Culture (1998): White paper entitled The 1998 Education Law for the education of children with special needs. (Ypourgeio Paideias kai Politismou, 1998, Nomoschedio me titlo o peri agogis paidon me eidikes anages nomos 1998).
Oliver, M. (1989): Disability and Dependency: A Creation of Industrial Societies. In: L. Barton (ed.): Disability and Dependency, Lewes: The Falmer Press.
Phtiaka, H. (1996): The training of today's teachers on special education issues: The challenge for the University of Cyprus, presentation at the Second Pancyprian Educational Conference of the Independent Movement of Teachers and Nursery Teachers: The provision of special education to children with special needs and their integration to mainstream schools, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus, Saturday 17th February 1996.
Phtiaka, H. (1996a): Special Education in Cyprus - Future Perspectives: The vision of Special Education and the University of Cyprus, presentation at the Cypriot Association of Special Education (CASE) Day Conference Special Education in Cyprus: Past Experiences and Future Perspectives, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus, Saturday 4th May 1996.
Phtiaka, H. (1996b): Are we ready to meet the challenge?: Integration, inclusive education and children with special educational needs, paper presented at the British Educational Research Association (BERA) Annual Conference, 12-15 September 1996, University of Lancaster.
Phtiaka, H. (1996c): Each to "his" Own? Home School Relations in Cyprus, 1996. In: Forum of Education, 50(3), Spring 1996.
Phtiaka, H. (1997): Inclusive School: The Role of the University of Cyprus, presentation at the Cypriot Association of Special Education (CASE) Day Conference Inclusive School, Interdisciplinary Support and the University of Cyprus, Saturday 17th May 1997.
Phtiaka, H. (1998): Comments on the White Paper for Special Education 1998, presentation at the Education Committee Meeting of the Cypriot Parliament discussing the white paper entitled The 1998 Education Law for the education of children with special needs, Tuesday June 9th 1998.
Prokopiou, A. (1996a): Letter to the newspapers, 22.10.96.
Prokopiou, A. (1996b): Letter to the newspapers, 24.10.96.
Prokopiou, A. (1996c): Letter to the newspapers, 26.10.96.
Prokopiou, A. (1993): Unpublished Public Speech on 29th December 1993, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Prokopiou, A. (1995): Greeting at the U.N. International Day for the Disabled, Nicosia, Cyprus, 3.12.95.
Riddell, S. (1993): The Politics of Disability: post-school experience. In: British Journal of Sociology of Education, 4(4): 445-255.
Theophilides, P. (1995): Lecture given in the course EPA311 Introduction to Special Education, 16.10.95.
Tomlinson, S. (1982): A Sociology of Special Education, London: Rutledge.
Vlachou, A. D. (1997): Struggles for Inclusive Education, Buckingham: Open University Press.
Wolfensberger, W. (1989): Human Service Policies: The Rhetoric Versus the Reality. In: L. Barton (ed.): Disability and Dependency, Lewes: The Falmer Press.
| 4. | The Pancyprian Association for the Welfare of the Blind
By Christakis Nicolaides |
The Pancyprian association for the Welfare of the blind was founded in April 1972. It functions in close collaboration with the Pancyprian Organization of the Blind, the St. Barnabas School for the blind and the Cyprus Association of the Parents of blind Children. The Pancyprian Association for the Welfare of the blind combines both the professional skills trained personnel and the enthusiasm of volunteers.
The main aims of the Association are: (i) The promotion of the education and rehabilitation of the blind, with assistance in finding employment leading to a full and successful life.
(ii) Research into the number of blind in Cyprus, the circumstances in which they live and the various causes of blindness.
(iii) The active encouragement of all means for the prevention and cure of blindness, and the alleviation of the hardship, which may arise from impaired sight.
(iv) Training those who help as volunteers in service of the association.
(v) Enlightenment of the public, regarding the life and the problems of the blind and how they can be assisted.
(v) Seeking resources to assist the work of the Association.
(vi) Cooperation with Associations with similar objectives in other countries.
The Pancyprian Association For the Welfare of the Blind works with and for the blind. The blind and the partially sighted members of the Pancyprian Organization of the Blind and the sighted members of the Association work together, in a spirit of mutual respect and understanding.
The involvement of sighted people in matters concerning the blind doesn't mean that great advances have been achieved towards giving the blind independence and equality. Blind people are at last feel recognized as citizens with equal rights, only differing from sighted people in the nature of the problems they face. The blind have themselves taken active steps to overcome the obstacles created by their disability. The old fashioned ideas of "doing good" and simply offering "charity" to the blind have been replaced by a new spirit of cooperation, with the blind and the sighted helping each other.
The financial aid for the blind has been coordinated, through proper channels of the officials of the Association, the Pancyprian Organization of the blind and the school for the blind.
A number of District Departments and Branches of the Association have now been set up throughout Cyprus, and this has helped in the identification of the local needs. This decentralization is further being extended and consolidated.
Within the framework of the main activities of the Association are the following:
1. Fund raising To fulfill its aims the Pancyprian Association for the welfare of the blind needs a continuous flow of funds. To this end the Association organizes various activities, including lotteries and dinner dances. However, considerable help still comes from voluntary donations by friends and supporters. Funds are also raised for the blind by other local and international public minded organizations. A good example is the "Journey for sight" organized yearly by all the Lions clubs of Cyprus in collaboration with the Association, the Pancyprian Organization of the Blind and the School for the Blind. The continuous support of the public is vital to maintain this work in order to improve still further the services made available and to enhance the welfare of the blind in Cyprus.
2. Basic equipment The ambition of the members of the Association is to furnish all the blind in Cyprus with the necessary equipment, i.e. at least one cane, a radio cassette recorder, a Braille watch and with a much more expensive but very necessary Braille writing machine.
3. Talking books A large amount of the funds of the Association is spent in organizing and equipping a talking book unit. The talking magazine, published once a week, reaches the majority of the blind in Cyprus. In the meantime the Association is in the process of organizing and supporting the expansion of the talking book library of the Pancyprian Organization of the Blind. Through it, blind people will have the opportunity to borrow a variety of books from a selection of 2.500 recorded on cassettes by the Organization.
4. Allowances for a decent living The Association, through its Departments and Branches all over Cyprus, assists financially, unemployed visually handicapped persons with no income, towards a decent living. This assistance is offered either in a form of monthly allowances or free supply of goods, such as house equipment, bedding etc.
5. High tech equipment In order to ensure a more efficient and successful employment to visually handicapped professionals, the Association supplies them with modern electronic equipment, i.e. reading, writing and work processing devices such as Braille and Print devices, screen readers and note-takers.
6. Integration One of the main objectives of the Pancyprian Association for the welfare of the blind is the social integration of the visually handicapped, as equal and productive members of the society. This takes time, but the policy has proved successful mainly in the case of the younger generation of the blind.
7. Sheltered workshops Traditionally sheltered workshops provide a profitable occupation for the blind. A large number of blind workers are employed in such sheltered workshops of the Pancyprian Association for the Welfare of the Blind and of the Pancyprian Organization of the Blind, in Nicosia and Limassol. They Produce a variety of basketry and other rattan items, which appeal to the public and sell to many outlets such as hotels, banks, factories, flower shops, bakeries, commercial firms, etc. Management of the workshops is mainly by the blind themselves, but state assistance is required in the form of:
(i) Tax protection against similar imported products.
(ii) Preferential treatment of such products in government purchases.
(iii) Financial assistance to subsidize the workers wages so as to keep costs competitive.
8. Hostels for the blind Old fashioned ideas about the continuous protection of blind people in institutions, have already changed. However, it seems that there will always be people in need of institutional protection and care. Therefore, the Association has founded and maintains three hostels for the blind, situated next to the School for the Blind. These are the "Blind young men's home", "Blind young women's home" and the "Blind senior citizen's home". The number of blind people living in these hostels is decreasing and today only 16 people are hosted there.
| 5. | The ancient sailing ship of Kyrenia By W. Macfarlane (From the Cyprus Weekly, Friday, December 28, 2001, with the kind permission of the publishers). |
It was only fifteen metres long. According to carbon dating, its timbers could be in excess of 2400 years old, though its cargo, olives, almonds and wine, only dated to about 200 BC.
So, it was already an old ship when it went down. A few coins found on it came from the age of Alexander the Great. A wooden ship, at least a century old, is it surprising that it should meet its demise in some violent Mediterranean storm? But the archaeologists in their researches, unearthed, if that is the right word, along with a treasure-trove of artefacts and preserved cargo, a mystery.
No remains of the ship's crew were found, though all their utensils were discovered: four plates: four bowls, oil jugs and wooden spoons.
If this was indeed a primitive version of the Marie Deare, the sea would long since have disposed of the steaming remains of their last meal. OK, so when the ship foundered, they abandoned her. But how? There would be no lifeboats. Surely they wouldn't have had the time to take with them all their cash and valuables (the only money found was a few small denomination coins which helped to fix the date of the wreck, but added to its mystery). Finally, a number of spearheads were found, embedded in parts of the hull. It doesn't take much imagination to think of a pirate attack, the captain and his three-man crew taken off into slavery and the scuttling of the resilient old lead-clad trader. All the money and portable valuables would be taken by the raiders.
Overloaded
Nice theory, but the spear heads were found UNDER the hull and the ship wreck WAS a little near to port for a pirate attack to be all that likely. Pirate attack? Overloaded old ship foundering in a storm? Let's just say the mystery is unsolved.
Diver, Andreas (Arris) Cariolou, discovered it in 30m of water near Kyrenia, in November 1965, but a storm prevented him from fixing its position.
It took him two years of searching to locate it again. When he did, it turned out to be the best preserved pre-Roman shipwreck found to that time.
The Cyprus Department of Antiquities recognised it as an archaeological treasure. They invited the American Institute of Nautical Archaeology to raise and preserve its remains using state of the art technology.
How this was done, under the supervision of Michael Katzev, is a fascinating story in itself.
I am not going to dwell on the meticulous recording that took place; the gridding; the tagging and stereo-photography. Nor will I trouble you with details of the 'hoovering' process by which the protective covering of silt was removed: the raising of the amphorae, containing the cargo: the dismantling of the wooden remains, their cleaning and preservation with wax. All this took more than two years to complete and the results lie on air-conditioned, display in occupied Kyrenia.
All this is very interesting, but so, too, are all sorts of technical questions relating to it. How was it built, handled and navigated?
To answer such questions, the first clone of the ancient ship was started in 1982 at Perama, by the Hellenic Institute for the Preservation of Nautical Tradition.
This was to be a replica of the wrecked vessel, built in the materials and by the traditional ship-building methods of the ancient Greeks.
Studied
These involved the difficult process of constructing the shell before the frames and skeleton. All the traditional skills of mortice and tenon jointing of wooden plugs to house copper nails were used. Of course, none of the original superstructure the masts, the sails and rigging had survived.
To reconstruct these as accurately as possible ancient drawings and relief were closely studied. At the same time, the craftsmen, working with traditional materials and tools found that they were learning to 'think' like the ancient boat-builders.
They knew too that this was a ship that was intended to sail the Mediterranean just as its ancestor had done. Even the amphorae were reconstructed and volcanic millstones like those found on the wreck were added to create a similar cargo and ballast. Apart from the technical problems that were to be overcome, there were maritime and legal conundrums to be solved. How was the ship to be registered? How was it to be insured? How could it fulfil safety requirements?
In the end, it was registered as an experimental ship of primitive construction,' the safety elements were to be handled by escort ships, while insurance was procured on the basis of the cost of its construction, which was considerable. Thus, Kyrenia II saw the light of day and from its birth it was destined to become a Greek icon.
Immediately after it's launching in 1985 it began its Odyssey, one that is not yet complete, but can have only one possible destination.
It immediately embarked on a series of voyages, both experimental and ceremonial. Let us say at the outset, that it did not complete all these voyages on 'its own steam'. For major journeys, such as to the Statue of Liberty Centenary celebrations in 1986 and the Japanese Silk Road event in 1988, it completed the ocean crossings in the pampered safety of special containers.
Even on the experimental voyages certain sections were achieved by towing in adverse conditions.
The first experimental journey, from Greece to Cyprus, was completed, to a predetermined schedule, by means of a highish percentage of towing time. On the other hand, the journey back in March 1987 tested the ship's handling in winter, and involved less towing.
They wanted to see if the ship could be handled by a four-man crew in winter, to test it in adverse conditions and at night, and to find out, in a general way, how the vessel would have functioned.
One unenviable task was to find out the hard way how little headway they could make even against the lightest of breezes by rowing.
Somewhere along the line, they found that they could sail closer to the wind, by adding a cross-bar to the bow to secure the leading corner of the square sail.
Early formal voyages included trips to Germany for the Centenary of Hamburg, and to Spain for the Expo 92 Exhibition in Seville, when Kyrenia II completed the voyage by navigating the Guadalquivir river.
It was on one of these voyages that the second clone, Kyrenia III, came into being. Japan has a long tradition of wooden boat building and something about the tiny ship caught the Japanese imagination.
Glafcos Cariolou, son of the discoverer of the wreck, was appropriately appointed captain for this and other early voyages.
Enthusiasm
He vividly recalls the amazing enthusiasm with which the ship's arrival in Japan was greeted.
The outcome was the construction of a replica by the Japanese themselves, which is still on exhibition in a specially constructed museum in Hakato (ancient Fukuoka).
After the Spanish Expo, the Kyrenia II went on exhibition in Rafina, Greece and was transported to various parts of the country. It has spent long periods in Neo Faliron next to the Trireme and the Battleship Averoff, other famed representatives of Greek maritime tradition.
Current plans provide for its return to Cyprus for exhibition at the Museum of Nautical History of Cyprus, in Ayia Napa.
This is to be located near the monastery and construction is already well advanced.
It is a joint project funded by the Ayia Napa municipality and the Pierides Foundation and other organisations.
Is this then the end of the story? Apparently not. The clone is about to mutate.
Work goes ahead on Kyrenia IV, an experimental vessel of 'modern' construction.
It will be built by the refugee Kyrenia Nautical Club, closely to specification, but will use modern methods, which are much cheaper.
The aim is to create a replica that can be used for further investigation of the handling properties of ancient small trading ships like the one that sank at Kyrenia.
Such ships ranged widely in ancient Greek times, travelling as far a field as Cornwall for tin, and possibly even to Ireland.
There is particular interest in investigating the capabilities of the highly reshapeable square sail.
Surely too, Kyrenia II will not come finally to rest before its Odyssey ends, as it properly should, back where its ancestor ended its own long and eventful life.
| 6. | What is all this Akamas about!
By Andreas Demetropoulos (From MedWaves vol. 44, 2000, the Magazine of the Mediterranean Action Plan, UNEP/MAP) with the kind permission of the author and of the publishers) |
The Akamas peninsula is the last extensive coastal area in Cyprus, which has remained more or less untouched by man, are minder of the island's original identity.
Akamas/coastline is pristine and diverse varying from surf-swept beaches and cliffs, on the west coast, to calm azure crystal-clear waters fringing a similarly diverse coastline on the north coast. Green and Loggerhead turtles nest on its beaches and the occasional Monk Seal is till sighted there. The diversity of wildlife in this area ranks it as of outstanding ecological importance for the whole of the Mediterranean.
The Akamas hills reach about 670 meters in height. The geology of the area and its morphology form a complex mosaic with a multitude of habitats. Impressive sea cliffs and spectacular gorges are characteristic of the area.
Lichen-covered gigantic rocks dominated shark and spectacular landscapes. Its vegetation is of the Mediterranean drought (and goat) resistant Maquis shrub forest, of junipers, lentiscs and wild olive, with rock-roses and, in places, with a thin cover of pine trees. In the more humid areas strawberry trees, oleanders and myrtle can be found. Much of the area is state owned forestland. Lack of water and the inaccessibility of the area spared it of the fate of most of the coastline of the island, where agriculture and urban and tourism development have left little of the original fauna and flora.
Most of the fauna is here
The fauna of Akamas is rich and includes most of the Cypriot fauna. Species such as the endemic Cyprus white-toothed shrew, hedgehogs, lizards and snakes can be found here. Caves shelter several species of bats including the fruit bat, which has Cyprus as its northern limit of distribution. The floral diversity of the area guarantees the survival of many species of butterfly such as the endemic Paphos Blue, the Cyprus Meadow Brown and the Cyprus Grayling.
Freshwater crabs and many other species depend on the precious springs of the area. On sand-dunes, on the west coast, the spectacular Sand Daffodil and the sand-dwelling Spiny-Footed Lizard abound.
On the much coveted, surf-swept beaches of Lara and Toxeftra, Green and Loggerhead turtles nest. The Green turtle is now in imminent danger of extinction in the Mediterranean and now nests only on a handful of beaches in Cyprus and in Turkey. The come here in summer from many parts of the Mediterranean to lay their eggs.
A turtle conservation project, the oldest in the Mediterranean, has been operating since 1978 in the Lara/Toxeftra Reserve, but covering all nesting beaches outside the reserve also. Through it eggs are protected-from foxes and humans - nesting is monitored, and turtles are tagged; in 1989 the reserve was legally set up with management measures foreseeing that the beaches remain turtle domain. In the past Green turtles nested on other beaches also, which are now well-known tourist beaches.
Since 1989, courses at the Lara turtle station, in turtle conservation techniques and beach management are attended by Mediterranean scientists sponsored by MAP (SPA/RAC). Many have since started turtle conservation activities in their countries. The future of Akamas and its biodiversity now pivots on political decision-making. Detailed studies have been made, culminating in the World Bank's report "Conservation Management Plan for the Akamas Peninsula", which was funded by the European Union. This aims at the conservation of the area -safeguarding its biodiversity and ecological integrity-whilst securing a sustainable future for the area's population.
Conflicts between environmentalists and a melange of developers and local communities with aspirations to coastal tourism stretch to well over a decade. Among many deliberations and much controversy on the national level, the Akamas issue has become the focal point of supranational organizations, including the European Commission, which is intend on aligning Cyprus with the environmental Acquis Communataire, during the progress of Cyprus towards accession to the European Union.
Also, the Council of Europe's standing committee on the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats-which was ratified by Cyprus-opened a file against Cyprus for non-compliance, with very detailed recommendations for the conservation of Akamas.
| 7. | Paphos entertains, summer and winter
By Athena Karsera (From the Cyprus Weekly, Friday December 21, 2001, with the kind permission of the publishers) |
Paphos bustles in the summer when the seaside town is a popular destination for tourist families. But just what is the town like in the winter? Quieter than larger Limassol, but a hive of activity compared to hibernating Ayia Napa, Paphos remains popular even during the colder season. Especially harsh weather conditions earlier this month may have temporarily kept tourists confined to their hotels and apartments, but as soon as the rain stopped, the streets filled with holiday-makers.
Although the stormy weather turns the usually blue Mediterranean to steely grey, people make themselves comfortable gazing at the dramatic skies and huge waves crashing on the coastline.
During the early December storms, the sea became so rough that boats at the port were in danger of sinking and several boulders became unstuck along the harbour wall. This became a boon for amateur fishermen when the fish farm at the harbour was damaged at the hands of the storm, releasing thousands of its tenants in the second weekend in December.
Every year, many beach-road restaurants close for the winter or at least up until Christmas. This year several suffered at the hands of the angry storms. One establishment that directly overlooks the sea had its windows smashed and floors filled with salty seawater and sand by the end of the storms. Many shops also fell victim to flooding as a result of the unexpectedly heavy rains.
The rains also caused thousands of pounds of damage to crops.
Sidewalk cafes remain popular throughout the year whenever it is not raining and tourists from colder countries seem happy to enjoy their holiday in shorts and tee shirts.
This occurs even while anyone acclimatised to the local weather is wrapped up in jumpers and coats, getting on with everyday life in what is undoubtedly one of Cyprus' most beautiful places.
After work and on weekends many families take the opportunity to walk by the sea or visit one of the picturesque villages around Paphos - smaller ports Latsi and Ayios Georghios are only a short drive away.
Archaeological sites can be better appreciated when it is not sweltering hot and the town with surrounding villages nestled in a picturesque green and flower-strewn countryside provides plenty of food for the soul.
Other attractions include museums, the mosaics, the Paphos Aquarium and the famous Wall of Lemba.
There are many cultural events, plenty to see and do, lots of restaurants and a variety of pubs to help punters toast the New Year.
What is clearly evident is that Paphos is the place to be, summer or winter, even for those of us not after spending all day on the beach and all night clubbing.
8. Readers Feedback
At first let me thank all of you for your wishes for the new year and express to you my wishes for a mutual cooperation and better understanding between people from different countries all over the world. Let me comment and try to answer a few of the letters send to us during the last two months.
- I would like to thank our friends from India for their nice letters and wishes and send them our wishes for all the best for the future.
- I would also like to thank very much Mr. Huang Jiani, Senior Instructor, Hadley School for the Blind, for his beautiful card with a horse on it (expressing good luck and success) and his wishes for the coming horse-year, according to Chinese lunar calendar.
Mr. Arulappa from the state of Andhrapradesh, India, expresses in his letter his support to our work and insists that we continue with more interesting subjects about Cyprus "as a place of the bible". Some of his questions can be answered here:
- We have more than ten local and "pancyprian" TV Channels in Cyprus and about 30 radio channels broadcasting in different languages such as Greek, English, Turkish, Armenian, Russian, French and Arabic.
- The Summer period in Cyprus is very extensive and can begin from the middle of April to the middle of October or later. The coldest time begins usually by the end of November and ends mostly at the end of February. It doesn't mean that during this period we have rain and snow on the mountains. Nevertheless, this year "January 2002" we have a lot of snow covering places up to the lowlands. Every few years the population faces great difficulties with restrictions in drinking water and watering. About this problem I expect to publish more information in a next issue of our Newsletter.
Mr. Muni N. Palan from Nigeria finds our magazine very interesting and educating, because it gives to its reader's information about the position of Cyprus in the world and he is awaiting more issues of the Newsletter.
Mr. Paul Rand from England is working on teaching Braille to adult learners and one of his students comes from Cyprus. He would like to know if we can send braille material in Greek and or Turkish. He believes that it will please him very much to be able to read about Cyprus while practising his Braille.
- Unfortunately, we have no Turkish Cypriot students in the School for the Blind in Nicosia since 1963. For this reason we don't have any books in this language at the moment. We have asked for Turkish literature in braille from our Turkish Cypriot friends living in the Turkish occupied area. They are facing many difficulties concerning the education of Turkish Cypriot blind children, because they are unable to produce any Braille material in the Turkish language, either for their few blind students and blind adults. We hope to include an article from a Turkish Cypriot in the near future.
We have also received many requests about the availability of braille books and magazines in English and other languages. We indeed subscribe to more than 100 braille journals and other periodical publications which are printed in Braille by different institutions and libraries in Europe, Asia and the United States and we can send back issues to libraries for the blind and institutions for the visually handicapped in other countries. Please accept our apology for not being able to send such material in the English language to individuals, but we can send such magazines in German, French, Italian and Spanish.
Finally we would like to thank Mr. Kavu Ndukwe for his letter and his important suggestions for the improvement of our Newsletter.
- Primarily we would like to let you know that although Cyprus is not one of the industrial countries, our primary intention was not to publish "a Magazine of the Third World" only. We would like to continue with a variety of articles that might be interesting for blind people in all continents.
- The Newsletter is been printed with an Index Basic D embosser using a simple programme for computers called "the win-braille", which is specially designed for such printers. The contractions are incorporated in this programme and the processing works automatically. We can try to find out if some Braille contractions are misunderstood or eventually wrong and operate with them manually.
- We took into consideration your suggestion not to use punched braille paper so that dots and letters disappear in to the holes and make the words distorted. We will further publish the magazine in paper of small format, so that a travelling reader would take it along with him.
- We have also started printing on the whit hard cover of the Newsletter in braille (not in print as Mr. Ndukwe suggested in his letter) the title of the Newsletter, the number of the current issue, the publication date and the name of the editor.
As already specified we welcome any form of feedback. This is your page and here you can put forward your own ideas/contributions, which are greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
9. Contact/Subscription Information
If you would like a copy of this newsletter in electronic form please send an e-mail to:
pot@logos.cy.net
Subject line: Subscription to Cyprus Braille
If you require a braille copy of the Newsletter sent by snail mail please send a letter to:
Christakis Nicolaides, Editor
Cyprus Braille
Pancyprian Organization of the Blind
P. O. Box 23511
1684 Nicosia
Cyprus
Or fax your request to:
Fax: 00357 22495395
For direct contacts please call:
Mob: 00357 99657467
The end