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A novel catalyst for the Cyprus solution

Propose and discuss specific solutions to aspects of the Cyprus Problem

1. Do you think this school could exist in the current situation? 2. Do you think it could expedite a political settlement to the Cyprus problem even if that means the settlement would occur 10-15 years after the school's opening?

Poll ended at Wed Sep 05, 2007 4:43 am

1. Yes 2. Yes
10
29%
1. Yes 2. No
11
31%
1. No 2. No
11
31%
1. No 2. Yes
3
9%
 
Total votes : 35

Postby Alexandros Lordos » Sat Jan 29, 2005 2:55 am

Mills, thank you for responding to my post ...

I fully agree with you that it is best if surveys are complemented with in depth interviews ... the problem with me is that I do not live in Cyprus nowadays, and I am restricted to doing most of my work via the computer. So interviews are for now impossible to me personally ... if I had some research partners who are permanently in Cyprus, then they could take over the qualitative part while I continue with the surveys ... but so far I have not found anybody.

As for two-barreled questions ... yes, I am aware of the problem. But the questionnaire was very long already and I could not afford to separate questions in the way that you propose. Besides, I asked it in the way that I believe it would be realistically feasible for such schools to operate: I cannot see bicommunal schools in Cyprus operating under any other authority, except the Federal Government, since that will be the only authority co-administered by the two communities ...

As for your remarks about the Annan Plan ... yes, I am glad to hear you confirm my suspicion/conviction that the Annan Plan was deeply flawed in the issue of education ... in fact, education was not at all discussed in the plan, as if schools do not have a role in re-unifying a country.

Anyway, I hope you find someone else to give you a scholarship, because the work you want to do is important ...

Have a nice day ... :)
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Postby Mills Chapman » Sat Jan 29, 2005 4:00 am

Dear Alexandros,

Thank you for your warm response in return.

It was good to see that we are in agreement about in-depth interviews. Not being in Cyprus to do the interviewing is a very reasonable excuse.

Regarding the double-barreled question, I hope I wasn't being too nit-picky.

Have a pleasant weekend. - Mills
Last edited by Mills Chapman on Fri Aug 26, 2005 7:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
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bi communal school

Postby anlarm » Sat Jan 29, 2005 8:20 am

Dear Mills and Lordos,
Those are interesting ideas. I am an educator; I taught at secondary schools for 14 years and have been teaching at the Teachers Academy for the last 14 years, training elementary teachers.
People probably haven't thought about education in the Annan plan because education has been separate since 1958 or 59. They assume it will continue to be so after a federal solution. And definitely the education ministries of both sides would like to have some control over the curriculum of such a school (with regard to national/international accreditation and also worries about sensitive issues).
However, when I talk to people in Cyprus, such ideas seem so far away. Many TCs are losing hope of a federal solution. They think GCs do not care much about such a solution anymore, being in the EU and exploiting all the economic and legal benefits of it. Why should they share sovereignty with us! Both sides talk about opening more check points on the green line but GC government still does not allow GCs to do any shopping in the north. TCs however, are free to buy almost anything in the south. Every move taken by the Tasos government increases the doubts of TCs. TCs are waiting to see a large scale civil movement (like the demonstrations we had in 2002-03) in the south, proving the sincerety and eagerness of GCs for a solution.
Under the circumstances the bi-communal school project does not seem feasible to me in the near future. I thought I should share this with you.
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Postby Mills Chapman » Mon Jan 31, 2005 9:53 am

Dear Mr. Anlar,

Thank you for your long message and for sharing your concerns. I infer that you support the idea of this school but simply think that it would be too difficult to implement, at least for the time being.

I don't think there was anything in your message that would be too difficult to overcome. I say that while fully respecting your cumulative experience of 28 years in the field of education.
Last edited by Mills Chapman on Sun Aug 28, 2005 7:50 pm, edited 7 times in total.
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Response to Brother and my last message for awhile

Postby Mills Chapman » Sat Feb 05, 2005 1:08 am

brother wrote: Your ideas for sowing the seeds of peace today in the minds of our children to benefit us in the future has much potential but the implementation of such an idea is harder to achieve than you can imagine. Should your next strategy not be how to get a majority of people on board to make it happen? This is what we should be concentrating on now.


I’m not sure how best to implement this idea right now. Though I have written many people (including those at UNOPS, UNFICYP, newspapers, embassies, UN missions, consulates, EU missions, universities, and Fulbright offices), I am not going to think seriously about implementing this in Cyprus for the next couple of years. I first want to worry about researching the best habits for optimizing my own health, and then I want to focus on researching all of the components needed for implementing this idea regardless of the conflict (Cyprus, Jerusalem, Panmujom, Amritsar/Lahore, the Ethiopian/Eritrean border, the Chinese/Vietnamese border, the Timorese border, and possibly the Ireland/Northern Ireland border).

In trying to do something that many would say is impossible, there are two ways to spend my time:

1. Attempting to carry out my strategy so that it will succeed in the relevant context, in this case Cyprus: (writing Cypriot officials, marketing my Cyprus website, traveling to Cyprus and trying to meet people face-to-face, etc.)

And

2. Researching two areas:

 The components of my strategy itself for executing this impossible idea; I need to ensure that it is the best strategy possible for the given topic, regardless of both the geographic context (Cyprus, Korea, Jerusalem, etc.) and whether or not I even leave my house or write anyone of importance (researching the principles of various subjects – persuasive writing, public speaking, conflict resolution in general, cooperative learning, in-school conflict resolution programs, history curricula that equally integrate two opposing perspectives, how to turn one idea into a tangible school, marketing, grant-writing, web design, and effective negotiations)

 The components of my strategy for maintaining optimal health, which will allow me to have a steady stream of energy while attempting to do the impossible (researching the principles of various subjects – religion, philosophy, nutrition, stress-reduction exercises, stretching, time management, creativity/visualization, investing/taxes, automotive care, house maintenance and its major systems (heating, water, electrical), optimal emotional/physical intimacy with my spouse or girlfriend, and lastly, how to travel frugally but still in an enjoyable way) ---- This one will be good regardless of what I do with the rest of my life, and thus it is logical - at least to me - to pursue this one first.

However, you don’t need me to market this; you can just take my concept and evaluate it. If it makes sense to you, you can pitch this idea to others with as many of the essential details as possible. Talk about it with your friends, parents, politicians, and others, including the academic community. Always ask what their criticisms would be and then try to answer.

What are their criticisms of this school without there an existing political settlement? You can always come back to this thread to see my description of a specific point. Here are three web pages that might help you with marketing this idea:

1. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... 0?v=glance - How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas, by David Bornstein

2. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... 34-0721660 The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcom Gladwell

3. http://radio.weblogs.com/0107127/storie ... rsion.html - Tipping point summary -

All I can provide for the time being is this idea, but this idea belongs to the world, and I have to prepare myself to make it happen in any location at a moment’s notice.

2 questions for thought:

1. How will Cypriots and others 200 years from now look back and judge all of the ideas that had been proposed, all of the strategies? Which ones, if they had been implemented twenty years earlier, would have had the biggest positive impact on Cypriots’ inter-ethnic attitudes today? Would there have been another breakout of fighting?

2. Look at the feasibility of this school in a conflict that is not yours. If I took this idea to the Koreans or to Israelis and Palestinians www.jerusalemsolution.org , what would be their concerns, criticisms, or complaints?

This schooling idea can still work if the new round of negotiations fails in October and leads to a continuation of the status quo or to permanent partition.
Last edited by Mills Chapman on Tue Aug 23, 2005 9:14 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Postby cannedmoose » Sun Jun 19, 2005 1:00 pm

Good luck Mills, your idea is sound but obviously there are numerous technical and logistical issues that would no doubt get in the way of such a proposal.

Nonetheless, I hope your presentation is well-received.
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Postby Dhavlos » Mon Jul 04, 2005 12:07 pm

Ive read the website and think it is a really good idea. I wish you good luck in your conference and hope that your message is heard and taken up.

Ive always thought that social changes need to be made for any real political solution to take place. It makes sense. Why have a political solution, if the people do not get along. Im sure as you have seen on this website, in other forums, that often rational debate is taken down quite a few pegs to things about who did what/when/where etc... quite petty things or at least none which are constructive.

Political change is easy, its the minds of people that you have to win over.

Maybe also you could help set up more of theses types of schools along the border, not just for politicians' childern, but also for the general public. Its these constructive bi-communal efforts that make the difference, not political slagging-off matches as to who said what and who was right (often neither).

Hopefully in the near future, your ideas are taken up, along with other constructive efforts to unify the people of cyprus. Then and only then would a political solution naturally evolve.
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Postby Mills Chapman » Sat Aug 13, 2005 3:18 am

Dear Dhavlos,

I'm sorry for not responding earlier to your encouraging message. Thank you for what you wrote.

As for additional schools along the border, I did create a drawing with schools over the line at Morphou and in the Famagusta area, but I have shelved that diagram until I can make some headway with the Nicosia school. I have so much information to share that talking about other schools might overwhelm those who can bring this vision to fruition.
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The latest draft of my proposal

Postby Mills Chapman » Sun Aug 28, 2005 9:48 pm

Hello everyone. You may have noticed that, with the help of the moderator, I have deleted a lot of my messages on this thread. I deleted those messages because the latest draft of my proposal includes the content of those messages, and I did not think it was fair to ask new readers to read two versions of the same document. I have also edited my remaining messages here so that they would be more concise.

My www.cyprussolution.org website will tell you how to download the full version of my proposal - with drawings, maps, graphs, photographs, and a diagram. If you have any questions about obtaining the proposal, please send me a private Cyprus-Forum message or e-mail me using my address listed on my website. If you have questions or concerns about specific content in my proposal, please discuss them here so that we can all follow along. Thanks. - Mills
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Postby cypezokyli » Mon Aug 29, 2005 3:11 pm

hey mills

to be honest i also thought about this idea

such schools arleady exist (or at least existed in israel)
there are also researches on the web comparing the achievements of different schools as well as the attitude of the parents
(i ll try to refind those websites)

i am afraid that in the webside you offer there is just one page (at least in my pc) are there attached links in the table of contents?
since i cannot reach the whole project this is my first response to your idea:

imo

1. the idea of starting from 2 years olds is great. not only bc they carry no racists attitude at this age, but also it is the age when they are too clever and can learn easily languages

2. as a result i believe that the school should be bilingual. it is not too difficult if one starts from such a small age. more over learning each other language is an ever grater step towards understanding each other. lastly i dont see the reason why the kids should communicate in a third language

3. i strongly believe that the numbers should be 50 - 50

4. if there would be no financial support, then fees shouldnt be a problem. it should start from somewhere

the rest as a pm
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