The Initiative Group “FAMAGUSTA OUR TOWN” was firstly envisaged by a small group of citizens of our town having as a primary objective the posting of photographs about Famagusta, the life in our town, its people and bringing together the citizens of Famagusta after decades of being away from their town using social media as a means for this objective.
The social web of the town which was lost abruptly one night of August 1974 began slowly-slowly to be woven.
Through this communication between the citizens a common target and goal, the return to our town arose and year after year the desire has materialized to a struggle for the return to our city.
The small group of citizens kept growing reaching today 12,000 members and a smaller restless group of volunteers which co-ordinates and acts as the core of the whole group is responsible for each and every organized activity and gathering of the Group.
The result of their efforts is that the Group in its entirety is presented as a solid pressure group to public opinion and to the decision centers both at home and abroad.
The pressure aimed for the awareness of the society for the case of Famagusta and generally for the need of an Agreed Solution to the Cyprus Problem and the Reunification of our country with the return of land, the complete implementation of human rights for all the citizens of the country and the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the island.
In this climate the Group has made co-operative relations with our compatriots the Turkish Cypriots and with the corresponding initiative group the «Famagusta Initiative”, citizens of Famagusta with a common goal as us.
This common goal for the Return to Our Town is based on the 1979 High Level Agreement on Cyprus, on UN Resolutions of the Security Council n0 550 of 1984 , n0 789 of 1992 and all consequent Leaders’ and UN Agreements for the Return of Famagusta as part of Confidence Building Measures.
With hard work and laborious efforts the Group has accomplished a lot:
Some of its successful accomplishments are
- Symbolic Pentecost feasts {known as Κατακλυσμός (Kataklysmos)} on the beach (something that Famagusta was famous for before 1974)
- A Human Peace Chain on the beach of Famagusta
- Symbolic placement of oranges on the barbed wire with which the Turkish Army fenced off the City of Famagusta known as the “Ghost Town ” on the day of usual celebration of the Orange Festival (a well-known festival which used to take place in Famagusta prior to 1974)
- In August 2013 after vigorous efforts by members Nikos Karoullas and Umit Inatci the St. George Exorinos Church within the Walled City of Famagusta was handed to us for use.
- After a lot of efforts and hard work a vision had become a reality, on the 8th of December 2013 the first Liturgy of the St. George Exorinos Church took place and until today there have been 20 Liturgies, the peak of all being the Historical Epitaph Liturgy in 2014.
It is our strong belief that the Civil Society has an important role to play towards the solution of the Cyprus problem.
It is our strong view that it is the citizens who will have to implement an agreed solution and this Group acts as a catalyst and a forerunner of a peaceful co-existence between the two communities in a spirit of understanding, reconciliation and co-operation away from acts and mentalities of the past which divided and partitioned our country.
With our moves and contacts we managed to restore the trust with our Turkish Cypriots compatriots, we have surpassed myths and illusions that divided us and we are ready to positively and effectively contribute towards the Reunification of our country.
We demand from Political Parties and elected Representatives for their support for our struggle and efforts that we make.
We demand for their practical contribution towards our demands for the return to our town
We demand for their participation to events and acts in the free areas of Cyprus and / or our occupied town together with our Turkish Cypriot compatriots.
Our Group “FAMAGUSTA OUR TOWN” will continue through events and acts to put on a struggle for Peace, Co-existence and Return because
United We Can…
United we Return….