Cyprus-Forum.com

[Bananiot]

By Maria Emmanuel

At the beginning of the year, the English School, under the leadership of the competent new headmistress, set in motion a procedure to develop an anti-bullying policy. A working group of teachers, parents and students (to which I was also appointed), took part in this initiative. After an intensive process, a policy, based on local & international procedures, guidelines and legislation, was finalised and approved by the schools stakeholders. Now the school has a tool to process and tackle bullying behaviour, including racist one, which according to the guidance is considered to be the most serious form of bullying.

Here is an attempt to view the latest rezilikia, within the setting of anti bullying policies and guidelines……..

1. THE BULLIES IN SUIT AND TIE

On the 21st of this month I attended a meeting of parents at the school, to discuss the freezing by the Parliamentary Finance Committee, of the state funding of English School and the possible relation this could have, with attempts by greek nationalist circles, to abolish the Bayram Holiday of the school.

60-70 parents, the majority being Turkish Cypriots, attended the meeting, where a member of the School Management Board, confirmed the Bayram connection – the Board has been briefed by the Headmistress, that she attended a meeting with Nikolas Papadopoulos, president of the Finance Committee, to which she was asked to go alone. There the freezing of the funds was discussed and after lecturing her for 1 hour about the “ill functions” of the school, he advised her to abolish the Bayram Holiday.

The parents at the meeting were shocked and upset by the politician’s out of order intervention, to which they now became secondary witnesses. He has in effect blackmailed the school, using his position of POWER. And has put the school in the impossible position of having to choose between practicing religious intolerance and discrimination which is illegal, or enter into extreme financial difficulties. Like the big bully in the school yard who threatens a kid under his power, to beat up another kid or else …….

In the setting of anti bullying policies and guidelines, Nikolas Papadopoulos’s acts, fall within 3 different definitions of bullying:

1. Disrespecting or taking discriminatory actions against a person’s cultural or religious identity.
2. It involves an imbalance of power, leaving someone feeling helpless to prevent it or put a stop to it
3. Causes feelings of distress, fear, loneliness and lack of confidence in those who are at the receiving end.

Now if the school gives in to the politician’s blackmail, it will render its own attempts to tackle bullying, through policy formatting and training, void and meaningless. It will also be breaking the “The Law of English School (Management and Control) (Law167) Section 3″, which states that “the school should make provisions for all the students (including Muslim) to practice their own religion”.

As far as Papadopoulos’s political intervention in the educational processes of the school is concerned, let’s see what his sister Anastasia had to say a year ago, in a newspaper interview, defending her friends from the cyberbully englishschoolnews.com.:
“Και δεν καταλαβαίνω γιατί δεν αποδέχονται την απλούστατη απαίτηση της κίνησης των γονέων που ζητούν απλά να κρατηθεί η πολιτική έξω από το σχολείο.” (I don’t understand why they don’t accept the simple demand of the parents who simply ask for politics to be kept outside the school). Politics in this instance refers to the training teachers had in Ireland, in order to equip themselves with skills for the big changes brought about in the school, after the return of Turkish Cypriots students in 2004. On a similar tone, i.e. a call for no “political intervention”, are 2 emails I received from Central Bank of Cyprus, one of them originating from [email protected], campaigning in favor of the patriot parents in last year’s ESPA election.

If they were so much against “political intervention” last year, how come they so brutally practice it now? The answer has been given by a blogger – Greek nationalists demand and usually have, preferential treatment. I add that when the Greek nationalists happen to be also upper class, then they demand “preferential treatment to the square” (talking in mathematical terms and commemorating my super hero maths teacher, mr Ierodiakonou)!……

2. THE MASKED BULLIES

While the above mentioned meeting of parents was taking place in the new science building, 2 masked men entered the building. They were confronted by a 6th year Turkish Cypriot female student, while climbing the stairs and after hiding for a while, they left, swearing and making gestures to her. Later that evening I heard another girl, a 14 year old, saying that had she been there, she would also stand up against them – and even though she would be really scared, she would say to them “I am also Turkish Cypriot” (although she is not really). The school has succeeded in empowering girls to stand up against racist bullying, as set out in the policy: “Intervene, if you can, to prevent the bullying from taking place”.

I am confident that the school will do the same. And achieve the anti bullying policy’s aim
“to provide a safe, secure and positive environment for all the children and staff… promote respect for self and others and encourage mutual respect between all members of the School community.” The head ms Duncan in her first presentation to the parents, emphasized the importance of building trust and credibility through openness and honesty. The exposure of Papadopoulos’s bullying and his subsequent ridicule (rezili), is a result of her stance. A stance which is in stark contrast to the ethics of the patriot parents and their patrons. Who use misinformation, secrecy and lies, to create nationalist hysteria around the school, which is then propagated by the nationalist media, resulting in upheaval and escalated violence in the school. On another but equally significant level their actions amount to incitement of racial hatred, in breach of sections 3, 4 and 5 of the «Law of Equal treatment of Persons irrespective of Racial or National Origin Law 59(1)/04″ of the Cyprus Republic.

Now what should we parents do, to tackle the bullies in suits and ties? After seeing one after the other, “human activist lawyers” parade through and in support to, the cyberbullying blog “Christofias Watch”, I have lost faith in local human rights remedies. And anyway the bullies have to be judged by something higher and above the House of Parliament, to which some of them belong. So the decision is, that the “human rights judgment game” will be played in European Union ground.

In the meantime it is only right to put THE question to them:

«Εσύ, ποιος είσαι να κάνεις διακρίσεις?»

“Who are you to discriminate?”

[Piratis]

So let me get this right: Those who are illegally occupying 1/3rd of our homeland and violate our human rights want the lawful Cypriot tax-payers to pay money to fund a school that will make it more convenient to them to celebrate their own religious holidays?

Personally I do not want even a cent from the taxes I pay to go to such a school. Public funding should only be given to the public schools and to those institutions that respect the money of the Cypriot taxpayers.

"Bullying" is what is done by Turkey, who is using 40.000 Turkish soldiers to occupy our homeland and they are trying in this way to force us to accept their terms. Those who collaborate with the invaders should not expect the Cypriot tax-payers to sponsor them.

On another but equally significant level their actions amount to incitement of racial hatred, in breach of sections 3, 4 and 5 of the «Law of Equal treatment of Persons irrespective of Racial or National Origin Law 59(1)/04″ of the Cyprus Republic.

Bullshit. Equal treatment doesn't mean that the whole school should close whenever some students have some religious holiday. There are 100s of thousands of Greek Cypriots in the London (who are also British citizens and pay their taxes). Do the schools there close on Greek Orthodox religious holidays? I don't think so.

[B25]

Another one of Bananas bullshit posts to defend the indefencable.

Here malaka, apply your rules to your beloved Turkey;


1. Disrespecting or taking discriminatory actions against a person’s cultural or religious identity.
2. It involves an imbalance of power, leaving someone feeling helpless to prevent it or put a stop to it
3. Causes feelings of distress, fear, loneliness and lack of confidence in those who are at the receiving end.

Get your F buddies to apply this and then we can talk about your friggin schools.

If they want Bayram Holidays they can go live in Turkey.

Same shit has happened in the UK, morning assemblies banned, pork from menus banned, religious instruction, no christianity, but Muslim, hindu, Buddaism and anything but.

All these minorities demand, demand, demand, and the indiginous majority have to cave in and allow otherwise they are the bad guys.

I don't sgree with bullying far from it, you are a hypocrite Banana by critisising NP for bringing Politics to schools when you have brought schools to Politics.

Hade assirktir.

[DT.]

By Maria Emmanuel

At the beginning of the year, the English School, under the leadership of the competent new headmistress, set in motion a procedure to develop an anti-bullying policy. A working group of teachers, parents and students (to which I was also appointed), took part in this initiative. After an intensive process, a policy, based on local & international procedures, guidelines and legislation, was finalised and approved by the schools stakeholders. Now the school has a tool to process and tackle bullying behaviour, including racist one, which according to the guidance is considered to be the most serious form of bullying.

Here is an attempt to view the latest rezilikia, within the setting of anti bullying policies and guidelines……..

1. THE BULLIES IN SUIT AND TIE

On the 21st of this month I attended a meeting of parents at the school, to discuss the freezing by the Parliamentary Finance Committee, of the state funding of English School and the possible relation this could have, with attempts by greek nationalist circles, to abolish the Bayram Holiday of the school.

60-70 parents, the majority being Turkish Cypriots, attended the meeting, where a member of the School Management Board, confirmed the Bayram connection – the Board has been briefed by the Headmistress, that she attended a meeting with Nikolas Papadopoulos, president of the Finance Committee, to which she was asked to go alone. There the freezing of the funds was discussed and after lecturing her for 1 hour about the “ill functions” of the school, he advised her to abolish the Bayram Holiday.

The parents at the meeting were shocked and upset by the politician’s out of order intervention, to which they now became secondary witnesses. He has in effect blackmailed the school, using his position of POWER. And has put the school in the impossible position of having to choose between practicing religious intolerance and discrimination which is illegal, or enter into extreme financial difficulties. Like the big bully in the school yard who threatens a kid under his power, to beat up another kid or else …….

In the setting of anti bullying policies and guidelines, Nikolas Papadopoulos’s acts, fall within 3 different definitions of bullying:

1. Disrespecting or taking discriminatory actions against a person’s cultural or religious identity.
2. It involves an imbalance of power, leaving someone feeling helpless to prevent it or put a stop to it
3. Causes feelings of distress, fear, loneliness and lack of confidence in those who are at the receiving end.

Now if the school gives in to the politician’s blackmail, it will render its own attempts to tackle bullying, through policy formatting and training, void and meaningless. It will also be breaking the “The Law of English School (Management and Control) (Law167) Section 3″, which states that “the school should make provisions for all the students (including Muslim) to practice their own religion”.

As far as Papadopoulos’s political intervention in the educational processes of the school is concerned, let’s see what his sister Anastasia had to say a year ago, in a newspaper interview, defending her friends from the cyberbully englishschoolnews.com.:
“Και δεν καταλαβαίνω γιατί δεν αποδέχονται την απλούστατη απαίτηση της κίνησης των γονέων που ζητούν απλά να κρατηθεί η πολιτική έξω από το σχολείο.” (I don’t understand why they don’t accept the simple demand of the parents who simply ask for politics to be kept outside the school). Politics in this instance refers to the training teachers had in Ireland, in order to equip themselves with skills for the big changes brought about in the school, after the return of Turkish Cypriots students in 2004. On a similar tone, i.e. a call for no “political intervention”, are 2 emails I received from Central Bank of Cyprus, one of them originating from [email protected], campaigning in favor of the patriot parents in last year’s ESPA election.

If they were so much against “political intervention” last year, how come they so brutally practice it now? The answer has been given by a blogger – Greek nationalists demand and usually have, preferential treatment. I add that when the Greek nationalists happen to be also upper class, then they demand “preferential treatment to the square” (talking in mathematical terms and commemorating my super hero maths teacher, mr Ierodiakonou)!……

2. THE MASKED BULLIES

While the above mentioned meeting of parents was taking place in the new science building, 2 masked men entered the building. They were confronted by a 6th year Turkish Cypriot female student, while climbing the stairs and after hiding for a while, they left, swearing and making gestures to her. Later that evening I heard another girl, a 14 year old, saying that had she been there, she would also stand up against them – and even though she would be really scared, she would say to them “I am also Turkish Cypriot” (although she is not really). The school has succeeded in empowering girls to stand up against racist bullying, as set out in the policy: “Intervene, if you can, to prevent the bullying from taking place”.

I am confident that the school will do the same. And achieve the anti bullying policy’s aim
“to provide a safe, secure and positive environment for all the children and staff… promote respect for self and others and encourage mutual respect between all members of the School community.” The head ms Duncan in her first presentation to the parents, emphasized the importance of building trust and credibility through openness and honesty. The exposure of Papadopoulos’s bullying and his subsequent ridicule (rezili), is a result of her stance. A stance which is in stark contrast to the ethics of the patriot parents and their patrons. Who use misinformation, secrecy and lies, to create nationalist hysteria around the school, which is then propagated by the nationalist media, resulting in upheaval and escalated violence in the school. On another but equally significant level their actions amount to incitement of racial hatred, in breach of sections 3, 4 and 5 of the «Law of Equal treatment of Persons irrespective of Racial or National Origin Law 59(1)/04″ of the Cyprus Republic.

Now what should we parents do, to tackle the bullies in suits and ties? After seeing one after the other, “human activist lawyers” parade through and in support to, the cyberbullying blog “Christofias Watch”, I have lost faith in local human rights remedies. And anyway the bullies have to be judged by something higher and above the House of Parliament, to which some of them belong. So the decision is, that the “human rights judgment game” will be played in European Union ground.

In the meantime it is only right to put THE question to them:

«Εσύ, ποιος είσαι να κάνεις διακρίσεις?»

“Who are you to discriminate?”

Maria Emanuel, a half TC half Maronite who feels she can speak for GC's.

She lost me when she supported the Christofias watch blog.

[Bananiot]

Typical DT, deals with the author, not with the context of what the author says. In the same manner, Piratis and B25, two confirmed fascists carrying the mentality that brought us disaster. As to the verbal insults of B25, they simply confirm my assertion, what else can you expect from a "shy" fascist, hiding behind pseudonyms to spew his hate.

[DT.]

Typical DT, deals with the author, not with the context of what the author says. In the same manner, Piratis and B25, two confirmed fascists carrying the mentality that brought us disaster. As to the verbal insults of B25, they simply confirm my assertion, what else can you expect from a "shy" fascist, hiding behind pseudonyms to spew his hate.

Bananiot I know a few realities about the English School and about this specific topic that you may not know. I'll tell you about it if you like next time we meet.

As for the author, you're damn right I'll qualify the author of any piece and factor that into the bias or not of what they are writing.

I wouldn't expect a neutral piece to be written about the ethos of the Turkish millitary if it was written by a GC nor would I expect a non-bias piece on "GC bully tactics" written by a non-GC especially one that is half TC.

[Bananiot]

I will not make a sweeping statement, but probably, I know more realities about the English School than you do. Bloody hell DT, you can not even tolerate a half TC!

In effect, you people agree with Eroglu, when he told the UN G.Secretary the other day that guarantees are needed because there is no trust between the two communities. Before you blow your tops, this mistrust was very evident before 1974 too. Our sick nationalists took good care of this and of course brought Turkey to Cyprus.

[DT.]

I will not make a sweeping statement, but probably, I know more realities about the English School than you do. Bloody hell DT, you can not even tolerate a half TC!

In effect, you people agree with Eroglu, when he told the UN G.Secretary the other day that guarantees are needed because there is no trust between the two communities. Before you blow your tops, this mistrust was very evident before 1974 too. Our sick nationalists took good care of this and of course brought Turkey to Cyprus.

I can tolerate plenty. What I can't tolerate is a pseudo-liberal who claims to tolerate everything yet starts personal insults when an oppossite opinion to his own is heard.

At least the fascists never claim to tolerate anyone...you on the other hand sound very hypocrticial. Just because I did not agree with your post does not make me intollerant of tc's.

And I'll tell you something else, I have personal knowledge of this situation and of the author so quit trying to portray me as something I'm not just because I'm in a position to challenge this story.

I reccomend you learn to tolerate other opinions.

[Piratis]

Typical DT, deals with the author, not with the context of what the author says. In the same manner, Piratis and B25, two confirmed fascists carrying the mentality that brought us disaster. As to the verbal insults of B25, they simply confirm my assertion, what else can you expect from a "shy" fascist, hiding behind pseudonyms to spew his hate.

You are the confirmed fascist. You are Islamofascist, to be more specific. You want to Turkify and Islamize our whole island and everything you support has this as the final aim. It is traitors like you who help the foreign Imperialists to impose their rule over our island.

And now you want the Cypriot tax-payers to give their money to you so you can complete the unfinished work of the Ottoman and Turkish invaders?

Cyprus is open to all kind of cultures. Everybody is free to practice their own religion and customs. But people should also respect the culture of our island and stop treating the majority of the local population as if we are still the slaves of their empires.

[Nikitas]

My uncle taught at the English School for years, so as a child I knew the place well. At that time there were several TC teachers there as well as TC students.

As far as I can remember there were several mandatory holidays, including GC, TC and British ones. What is so different about the proposal now? Presumably if Buddhist students were to be accepted ins sufficient numbers then their holidays would be respected too.

But there is the other side of the coin. OK to have Bayram at the ES, how about Ayios Mamas and Apostolos Andreas festivities in their local churches? In this bazaar mentality which is imposed by the invader whoever gives an inch seems condemned to give a yard.