The separation, the reunion and the hope

Our class before 1974- the separation

I received my secondary education in the American Academy of Larnaca and from 1970 till 1974 I had nine Turkish Cypriot classmates. Our common experience as friends and students in the Academy was what was important for us and we never quarrelled about the differences in our background and history. I remember Kiani who was the philosopher in the class, Ali for his kindness and for his ability to have a good word for everyone, Mehmet for his sense of humour and his amazing dribbling abilities in football, Salih with whom I would compete for the highest grade in the tests, Adnan's smiling face and his amazing ingenuity in cheating in tests like scripture, Ali and Ahmet for their shy politeness, Imbrahim whom Mr Prodromou would try to teach how to pronounce English words properly and say 'umbrella' instead of 'ombirella' and, of course, Aygen our gentle giant. In June 1974 when we were saying good-bye for our summer holidays we had no idea that we would not meet again next September. So when the next academic year started there were nine empty chairs in the classroom...

Annual photo 3A 1974 with names>>

Meeting after 20 years

The first reunion On the 3rd of April of 1994, I had the opportunity through the United Nations to be given permission to go to the north of Cyprus. One day before the visit I managed to send a message to a Turkish Cypriot friend, giving him the names of my old Turkish Cypriot classmates asking him to try and find out if any of them were still in Cyprus. If so, inform them that I would be crossing the Ledra Palace checkpoint at a particular time and that I would like to meet them. I did not know what to expect. As I walked the strangely quiet hundred meters between the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot checkpoints my heart was beating very fast and I felt overwhelmed by a feeling of numbness as if I was in a daze..... Then I heard voices coming from the other side, calling my name: 'Nicos, Nicos!' I looked up and from the distance I began recognising some faces and I started calling them as well, 'Mehmet, Ali, Adnan!' They were there, seven of them. Two could not come as it was difficult to get permission from their place of work. We embraced and kissed one another. They were all eager to learn about our other classmates and news of our school. They had copies of the American Academy magazine with the photograph of our class. Twenty years had passed. And yet, our friendship was still there as if we were never separated. We spoke of the need to work for peace in our divided island, to make sure that our children will not grow up with the poison of hatred and violence inherited from past generations and maybe we could contribute to the breaking down of the psychological wall separating the two communities of our beautiful island. And, I believe, that unless this wall inside us is broken down it will be impossible to break down that other wall, the wall of shame, that like an open wound, still bleeding, separates our common home into two...

From 1994 till today

The hope After the powerful experience of our reunion we tried to keep in touch but given the obstacles to communication it proved to be very difficult. But we never lost hope, no matter how many more years passed. We also decided to that we would work together for the benefit of our school and, in time organised several important events:

Pyla 8.1.2003

First reunion of all our classmates for the first time since 1974 the rest of our Greek Cypriot classmates were able to meet with the Turkish Cypriot friends in a house in Pyla. Genuine friendships were again renewed most authentically. Kiani told us of a strange dream he had ten years ago of his best friend in the class, Yiannos, who was dressed in priest's clothes. A few days after the dream he had found out that Yiannos had became a monk and was in Stavrovouni monastery. As a group of former Academy students now in our mid-40s we made plans to benefit the older and younger generations of our school.

Another photo>>

Pyla 17.1.2003

Three generations of Academy students come together In an old restaurant in Pyla an extraordinary gathering took place. About 150 Academy students (ages 15 to 18) were the audience to a presentation by a panel made of eight members of my bi-communal class. We were also joined by some of older teachers, so at least three Academy generations were represented. We spoke of our friendship as Academy students before the war and demonstrated by our presence that this friendship was still as strong. For the overwhelming majority of our students in the audience this was an eye opening experience of a kind of hope they never thought existed.

The panel>>

The supportive director Mr Frank Ruggiero >>

Newspaper cutting>>

Pyla 8.2.2003

Reunion of all Academy graduates We sent a public invitation to both sides of our divided island for graduates of all years of the Academy for a reunion in Pyla. Hundreds came along – some more than 80 years old. Current Academy students helped in organising the event which became a bridge not only between communities but also between generations.

Academy 20.6.2003

A belated graduation ceremony of nine Turkish Cypriots The Greek Cypriot members of our class went on and graduated in 1977 but the Turkish Cypriots never had the same opportunity since they had to leave in 1974 after completing only the fourth class. In 2003 the Greek Cypriot members of the class wrote a letter to the school asking that during the next graduation ceremony an honourary diploma is given to our friends. So on 20.6.2003, joining the 100 teenager graduates there were nine middle aged Turkish Cypriots. Almost all the members of our class from both communities were there with our families. The violence in Cyprus has left so many undeserved scars of suffering in the lives of far too many good people on this island and created so much brokenness. On that night, in a symbolic way, this brokenness was more and a sense of wholeness was restored again…

Academy 6.3.2004

The first reunion of all school graduates in their old school Our class organised another reunion event, but this time it took place in our school. It was an important day in the history of our school since, for the first time since the war such an event took place. Invitations were sent to the media in both sides. The programme of the day was presented jointly by a Turkish Cypriot and a Greek Cypriot member of our class. We honoured our pre-1974 teachers, gave certificates of attendance to Turkish Cypriots who were not able to graduate because of the war and gave a special prize to the oldest graduate present in the event. There was also an open forum where former students were invited to share stories of their life at the Academy.

Academy 6.6.2008...