AR 2007/Activities

Activities

Unit for Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture http://www.urvt.org

The Unit for Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture is a project funded by the European Refugee Fund and the Republic of Cyprus, through the Asylum Service - Ministry of the Interior. The project has been initiated in 2006 and has since been funded consecutively. The Unit supports and promotes the empowerment and rehabilitation of torture victims with a focus on refugees and asylum seekers. URVT’s mission is to assist victims of torture by providing multidisciplinarytreatment and rehabilitation services and also to raise public awareness of issues concerning torture and rehabilitation. URVT’s integrated treatment approach ecompasses a full range of services including medical treatment, psychological support, legal counselling, and other social services. The Unit works closely with a network of volunteer service providers, medical professionals, and language and cultural translators to help victims of torture and their families rebuild their lives. The Unit is the only of its kind in Cyprus and its personnel has been trained accordingly in Greece by MCRT. Results of the action: The Project being now in the second year of its operation has rehabilitated more than 30 individuals, some of whom are still being supported and some have received asylum on the grounds of humanitarian principles. The Unit has also done substantial work in the field of raising public awareness within society.

E u r o p e a n s meet in Caucasus http://alldifferentallequal.info/node/537

The project was a contact making seminar (CMS) that brought together youth organizations from five program countries and EU member states (Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Latvia and Poland) with youth NGOs from five non-program countries in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). During the contact making seminar the participants succeeded to exchange contacts, expertise and visions and managed to identify common aims, needs, concerns and interests of the 11 different partner organizations. At the CMS more than 30 ideas for joint projects between participating organizations were developed. Some of the projects have already secured funding and more than five follow-up projects started a few monts after the seminar.

SafenetCY -Island - wideSafer Internet Hotline in Cyprus http://212.31.98.230/cyethics2/page.php?pageID=15

SafenetCY is the hotline that promotes the safe use of Internet in Cyprus. It serves the needs of all people that live on the island (i.e. also Turkish Cypriots and other minorities) and addresses not only issues of pornography, but also racism (currently on the rise in Cyprus), gender discrimination and inappropriate use of people’s images. It operates as a combined Awareness Node and a Hotline under the CyberEthics project. The project engages actors from the government and the civil society, thus contributing towards the eradication of cyber crime through informed actions of European citizens and public institutions that aim to change behaviors, mentality and attitudes, giving special emphasis to rural and less developed areas of the country. The Hotline handles reports made through its corresponding website. In line with Cyprus legislation on the anonymity of the reporter, the Hotline operator takes all necessary actions in order to deal with the reported issue independently of who has filed the complaint. Every report is recorded on SafeNetCY’s Database. From that point every procedure has to be completed in less than 24 hours from the time the report was made.

CyberEthics http://www.cyberethics.info

The CyberEthics project is co-funded by the European Commission. CyberEthics, the Cyprus Awareness Node has implemented in 2007 a very successful Safer Internet campaign. The collaboration of all its partners, Microsoft, CYTA and others in connection with the creative use of its “Cyber” and “Ethics” characters and its new safer internet computer game have been very effective in promoting awareness to the Cyprus public, island-wide. The three Cyprus-made TV spots together with some European ones have been broadcasted hundreds of times through multiple TV channels. The website has undergone major face lifting and significant expansion in content. Different sections for children, youth, parents and educators make it easy to access a wealth of materials. The Hotline section has been integrated and is liked easily from all pages. The Family Planning Association, the Olive Branch Foundation, the University of Cyprus, CYTA, the Cyber Crime Unit of the Police and the Ministry of Education have all been engaged in concert in numerous presentations to respective target groups. The project aims to: 1. operate an island-wide hotline for Internet users in Cyprus to report illegal and harmful material and activities, so as to reduce the circulation of illegal content on the Internet. 2. inform users of the hotline’s scope of activity and how to contact it; 3. make clear to users the difference between their activities and those of public authorities, and inform them of the existence of alternative ways of reporting illegal content. 4. deal rapidly with complaints received, in accordance with best practice guidelines drawn up by the network and in cooperation with law enforcement authorities. 5. exchange specific information on identified illegal content with other members in the network. 6. Participate actively in networking nationally and at European level and contribute to cross-border discussions and exchange of best practice. 7. cooperate with the awareness node present in the country and Europe Direct. 8. take an active part in events organized for the Safer Internet day at European, national and local level. 9. develop a structured method of concertation with the relevant actors (e.g. Internet Industry Association, major communication service providers, media regulators, legal authorities) in cooperation with other safer Internet nodes in the country, if any.

Everybody’s Song - Music as a tool for the promotion of diversity and intercultural understanding www.everybodyssong.net

The general aim of the project is to reflect on the role of music in intercultural understanding and to identify ways in which to utilize it in youth work. The participating countries were Bulgaria, Cyprus, FYR Macedonia, Greece and Serbia. Objectives include: to raise awareness about cultural diversity; to train youth organizations and musicians in intercultural learning; to establish partnerships between youth NGOs and artists; to attract new target groups to youth work and the arts; to facilitate cross border cooperation between five different countries; to increase the visibility of the Youth in Action program in South East Europe.

Peaceful Europe http://www.peacefuleurope.info

The Peaceful Europe Project was implemented in collaboration between Future Worlds Center (Cyprus), Human Rights and Education Network (Cyprus), Comune di Senigallia (Italy), Comune di Ostra (Italy) and Centrum Vol’NehoCasu (Slovakia). The purpose of the project was to design, develop, and implement tools and activities, which cultivate peace and non-violence. The project activities included awareness activities, a research and a series opf workshops targeting teenagers aiming to explore the concepts of Peace Education, Intercultural Learning and Cultural Diversity in the context of Europe.

SteLLLa http://www.stellla.eu

SteLLLa is a partnership of 7 European partners from Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovenia and Spain, supported by the EU Lifelong Learning Program (LLP) and subprogram GRUNDTVIG. The name SteLLLa is the short form of the longer name “Stimulation of eLearning for Life Long Learning for Adults”. It is the ambitious aim of SteLLLa to develop a generic method for autonomous learning for adults that can be implemented in the training courses of various professions. First of all, we will share information and experiences. The expertise of each partner combined with the well balanced constitution of the group guarantees a synergic cooperation and a cultural enrichment. Starting from concrete eLearning tasks; trainers, learners and the partner institutions will create new good practice examples for several domains. Adult learners will be involved in the test settings. We will promote these new eLearning techniques to enhance the Life Long Learning opportunities for adults. Also, we want to stimulate trainers and learners to use an eLearning environment as a communication tool and for didactical purposes; to use modern ICT methods not only to communicate but also to acquire and exchange knowledge.

Cost219ter www.cost219-ter.org

The FWC serves as the National Contact Point in the European network COST Action 219ter: Accessibility for All to Services and Terminals for Nex Generation Networks. The Action merges the new mobile technologies with a humanitarian angle, aspiring to the day in which new mobile technologies will be accessible and beneficial to all. Driving principle of the action is that the latest mobile systems will provide the opportunity for building a more inclusive telecommunications arena. The applicant has recently organized a European conference in Cyprus (http://cnti.org.cy/cost219) and is co-authoring a book chapter in a Cost219ter book publication.

I.S.O.L.A. Innovative Strategies and Opportunities for Less Favoured Regionshttp://www.isolaproject.org

The Future Worlds Center is an implementing partner of the project entitled: ‘Innovative Strategies and Opportunities for Less Favoured Areas’, with the lead agency being Cultural Association of ORIENTARE in Cagliari/ Italy. The main aims of the project are to involve Youth from Less Favoured Areas in Trainings and Actions that will strengthen their social skills, their qualifications for their professional careers, and that will help disseminate the values and objectives of the European Union. The Local Coordinator of the organisation attended a 5-day Training on the Youth Programme, Project development and management skills for working in multilateral teams in Cagliari/ Italy.

Building a Multi - Ethnic and Multi - National Cyprus to promote European Values and Regional and International Peace http://www.multiculturalcyprus.blogspot.com

The main objective of the project is to promote awareness and increase the sensitivity of the Cypriot society on how a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural Cyprus serves European values and promotes regional and international peace. To meet the main objective, the project will engage students, teachers and parents in workshops and activities to create a vision map for a multicultural and multiethnic Cyprus, as well as visualize and implement specific activities, which contribute towards materializing the vision for a multicultural

Strengthening Asylum for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Cyprus

FWC (CNTI) is the implementing organization for UNHCR in Cyprus. The aim of the project is to ensure that asylum seekers have access to a fair and efficient asylum procedure and both asylum seekers and refugees enjoy their rights based on national, European and international law.

Talk of the Island http://www.talkoftheisland.org

Talk of the Island is the first bi-communal radio program on the island of Cyprus. It wants to promote a culture of peace and to display balanced news reporting by informing all island communities about local issues and events that are not typically covered by the current media. The show also provides a forum for open, island-wide dialogue and direct communication about on-going issues. Talk of the Island aspires to be instrumental in providing a vehicle for all Cypriots who share a vision for the future and that of a unified Cyprus. Talk of the island started broadcasting in October 2005. Two skilled producers working together, one from northern Cyprus and one from southern Cyprus implement the program. It is broadcasted weekly in both parts of Cyprus. Talk of the Island is also broadcasted online on our website.

Civil Society Dialogue http://www.quickwasp.net/civilsociety

The Civil Society Dialogue project will bring together civil society organizations from both sides of the island to share experiences and work to create a Citizen’s Platform where ideas are discussed and an Action Plan is devised to build the new reunited Cyprus. Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriots having years of bi-communal experience will come together with others who are not very experienced in that field but are young, well educated and motivated individuals to share experiences and ideas and generate their vision of the island..

EU Kids Online http://www.edukidsonline.net

The EU Kids Online project examines research carried out in 21 member states into how children and young people use the internet and new media. This three-year collaboration aims to identify comparable research findings across Europe to evaluate the social, cultural and regulatory influences affecting both risks and children’s and parents’ responses to them. It charts available data, notes indicative gaps and identifies factors that shape the research capability of European research institutions. Finally, it examines methodological issues relating to cross-cultural analyses and the study of children’s online experience in order to develop a best practice guide to research

Hibernation

The Hibernation Project is a research project focusing on new technology for learning. It investigates how animations can be used to support learning. More specifically, the project investigates if animations are more effective for specific types of learners than for others, e.g., students with reading difficulties, students who prefer the auditory vs. visual channel for learning. The project consists of three phases: Phase 1: Specification of the learning domain, the foundation of theoretical background, the design of the empirical study; Phase 2: Desig of animations with respect to design principles and empirical findings; and Phase 3: Data collection, data analysis, and interpretation.

MAPA http://www.MentalMaps.org

The purpose of the project is to develop a screening test capable not only of predicting children at risk (e.g., possible dyslexics), but also equipping the teacher with a profile of mental abilities relevant for choosing and designing personalized remediation programs. Most innovative, the system is language independent, i.e., it relies on cognitive rather than language-based measures. The MAPS battery addresses eight major domains of language-independent and -dependent tests that have been frequently linked to reading development and/or disability: (1) short term visual memory (2) short term auditory memory (3) auditory and/or visual discrimination (4) letter-sound & sound-symbol correspondences (5) lateral awareness (6) categorization (7) sequential processing (8) navigational ability. Preliminary data were reported in various conferences.

New MediaLanscape Now http://www.cyprusmedia.wetpaint.com

The “New Media Landscape Now!” project aims to bring together journalists from both sides of divided Cyprus to produce a strong vision for an ideal media landscape which will hopefully serve as a magnet to mobilize transformation. The FWC organized a workshop with Cypriot journalists that will focus on the development of a road map towards an ideal media landscape in Cyprus. The FWC organized two follow-up, closed-door conferences with a total of 24 journalists - 12 from each side of the island. They worked together to finalize a vision of a future media landscape in Cyprus and to develop an action plan with steps towards a feasible transformation of the existing media landscape. They put together a set of guidelines sharing good practices and potential steps towards a new media world, to be disseminated among the main stakeholders related to media on both sides.

Accessibility for all to services and terminals for next generation mobile networks http://www.tiresias.org/cost219ter

The aim of the project is to ensure that asylum seekers have access to a fair and efficient asylum procedure and both asylum seekers and refugees enjoy their rights based on national, European and international law.

Resource - Adaptive Design of Visualizations for Supporting the Comprehension of Complex Dynamics in the Natural Sciences

The purpose of the project is 1. Interdisciplinary optimization of resources in learning from dynamic visualizations. 2. Development of instructional materials that meet high standards with regards to the scientific content domain, the computer technology, and the constraints of the cognitive system. 3. Development of innovative learning scenarios with dynamic visualizations (e.g., situated mobile learning). 4. Assembling a final product for complex and situated learning.