At CPDC, we believe that the Cyprus peace process needs fresh approaches that put citizens at its center. Our C-Up initiative represents a groundbreaking shift from traditional top-down negotiations to inclusive, citizen-driven dialogue that can help bridge decades of division.

The project introduces deliberative democracy practices to Cyprus - a methodology that enables ordinary people from both communities to engage in meaningful conversations about their shared future. Through structured dialogue and collaborative problem-solving, we're creating space for voices that have long been excluded from peace processes.

What We're Doing

We're bringing together 30 participants - 15 from each community - for our first bicommunal citizens' assembly. This carefully designed process will demonstrate how deliberative democracy can work in Cyprus, creating new pathways for dialogue and trust-building.

Pilot Citizens' Assembly

Community Engagement

Four mini assemblies across the island, from Nicosia to rural areas, are testing our methodologies and ensuring that different voices - urban and rural, young and old - contribute to shaping this new approach.

Using AI-powered technology, we're facilitating real-time multilingual conversations that allow participants to communicate authentically in their own languages while understanding each other perfectly.

Innovation in Action

Research and Advocacy

We're developing policy briefs based on international best practices and our local experience, creating resources that policymakers can use to support more inclusive governance.

Raising Awareness

Through videos, infographics, and articles, we're helping the public understand what deliberative democracy is and how it could transform the way decisions are made about Cyprus's future.

Why This Matters

For too long, peace processes have been conducted behind closed doors by political elites. While negotiations continue to stall, public trust in finding a solution remains low, even though polling shows most people on both sides still want a peaceful resolution.

Young people, women, and marginalised communities have been particularly excluded from these conversations, yet they're the ones who will live with the consequences of any decisions made today. The C-Up initiative changes this by creating structured opportunities for citizens to contribute their perspectives and ideas.

Our Approach

We work across the divide, maintaining partnerships with civil society organisations, international bodies like UNDP, and our co-applicant ICLAIM. Every activity is designed to be inclusive, ensuring representation across gender, age, geography, and community background.

Our communication maintains sensitivity to the complex political context while fostering genuine dialogue. We use respectful terminology that acknowledges different perspectives without prejudging outcomes, creating safe spaces where people can engage authentically.

The C-Up initiative isn't just about one project - it's about establishing a new model for how Cyprus can approach its challenges. By demonstrating that citizens can engage constructively across community lines, we're building foundations for a more participatory approach to governance that could extend far beyond peace negotiations.

This work requires patience, commitment, and the willingness to try new approaches. We invite you to follow our progress, engage with our materials, and consider how you might contribute to creating the inclusive processes Cyprus needs for its future.

Looking Forward

EMBRACE: Rights for Reconciliation Project

Launch Event of the ‘EMBRACE: Rights for Reconciliation’ project was held on 22 June 2023 at the CPDC premises in Nicosia.

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