Bicommunal Support Program (BSP)

The Embassy’s Bicommunal Support Program (BSP) provides theme-based training programs for Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in areas of common interest that range from education and media, to youth leadership and combating trafficking in persons. These programs give participants the chance to work together to break down barriers and find practical solutions to island-wide concerns. Since its inception in 2000, BSP has reached thousands of Cypriots through a wide variety of activities. Most BSP programs are administered by AMIDEAST, a U.S.-based non-profit organization that maintains a staff and office in Cyprus.

 

In addition to AMIDEAST programs, BSP directly oversees a small-grants fund, which supports bicommunal projects of under $10,000. These grants are intended to help Cypriots support their own bicommunal undertakings in Cyprus. For more information on this program, including grant application guidelines, send us an e-mail.

 

Read more about BSP/AMIDEAST Supported Programs
Read more about BSP Small Grants Program
Small Grant Application Guidelines

 

For more information, please contact

Bicommunal Coordinator
Tel. +357 22 39 39 39

Click here to e-mail us

 

 

Cyprus America Scholarship Program (CASP)

 

The Cyprus America Scholarship Program (CASP), which is administered by the Cyprus Fulbright Commission, provides bachelor's degree-level scholarships and short-term professional training opportunities. CASP also supports bicommunal summer camps for Cypriot youth and university students.

 

 

More about the Public Affairs Section

 

 

BICOMMUNAL SUPPORT PROGRAM

"Jazz Futures"   The “Jazz Futures” program began in June 2008 under the leadership of the Chris Byars Jazz Quartet. With a view to establishing sustainable inter-communal networks of Greek and Turkish Cypriot musicians, “Jazz Futures” includes rigorous musical training, jam sessions and public concerts in venues across the island. The program has received significant media attention and has succeeded in building island-wide musical bridges between the communities: participants who knew little or nothing about the other community are working together and performing on a weekly basis.   Concerts have been held at the Buyukhan in Nicosia, Jazzy B in Limassol, as well as Lotofagoi, Chateau Status and Club Narnia in Nicosia. A special bicommunal concert took place at Faniromeni Square in Old Nicosia in honor of the opening of Ledra Street. The Honorable Eleni Mavrou, Mayor of Nicosia, opened the event, which was sponsored by the Nicosia Municipality.   Read more about Chris Byars Jazz Quartet's visit to Cyprus Photo Gallery

Institute of Communication and Languages The Institute of Communication and Languages was launched in December 2008 under the auspices of the Management Centre. Years of hard work that have transformed a modest pilot English language program for Turkish Cypriot professionals into a full-fledged institute that has taken root within the community. Originally administered by Spring International Language Center, University of Arkansas, with the support of the U.S. Embassy’s Bicommunal Support Program, the curriculum of this program focuses on the enhancement of English language and communication skills of Turkish Cypriot professionals in order to facilitate professional development, hone the communication skills of those involved in settlement negotiations and European Union activities, and strengthen bicommunal linkages. Since its inception in 2005, the program has graduated ten classes and made a huge impact on the Turkish Cypriot community. Participants have demonstrated marked improvements in oral, aural and written English language skills. Furthermore, they are better equipped to engage in island-wide activities, to participate actively in international conferences, to undertake doctoral work in English, to develop state-of-the-art software packages in English, and to collaborate over extended periods of time with counterparts from the European Commission, World Bank and other international and private organizations.

Istanbul Journalist Symposium May 2008 Forty-five leading journalists from both communities in Cyprus and from Greece and Turkey attended the 3rd Journalist Symposium on May 3-5, 2008 [more]

Combating Trafficking in Persons From 2005 to the present, the Bicommunal Support Program has given assistance to a variety of activities aimed at combating trafficking in persons, specifically the exploitation of women in the commercial sex industry. Examples include: a two-year capacity building training for Greek and Turkish Cypriot non-governmental organizations and small grants for bicommunal conferences, research on best practices in anti-trafficking legislation, stakeholder engagement strategies and awareness raising campaigns in both Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities.

Cyprus Bold Leaders Summer Camp Critical Mass Leadership Education has run this three-week camp for five consecutive years for forty Cypriot teenagers. The program focuses on creating an empowered, related, and committed community of ambassadors skilled in the areas of intercultural awareness and communication, conflict resolution and collaborative leadership. Activities center on urban immersion, games and discussion, as well as outdoor challenge exercises, canoeing, camping, and rock climbing. Participants also have the chance to spend time with American host families. Upon their return to the U.S., participants remain engaged in bicommunal activities that include working with orphaned children, beach cleanings, tree plantings and public concerts. Read more about the program from the Critical Mass Leadership Education website

Corporate Social Responsibility   The Bicommunal Support Program recently sponsored a training initiative on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for up-and-coming Cypriot businessmen and women. Global Education Services and its partner, Seattle University Albers School of Business and Economics, implemented an intensive nine-week program, which began in Cyprus and continued in Seattle, Washington.   The training covered the basics of business and community ethics, environmental concerns (as they pertain to corporations and the general community), questions related to accountability to local communities, marketing, product development and quality control, as well as intellectual property issues. The overall goal of the program was to understand better ethical behavior as the context for profit and community health as well as the context for individual success and social responsibility. Participants worked on specific action plans with a view to transferring ideas learned from their studies and internships into projects that could be carried out with local businesses upon their return to Cyprus. An example is an environmental campaign that is currently being carried out within the schools.   Read more about our Corporate Social Responsibility program for Cypriot CEOs (July 2, 2008)