ACTIVITIES OF OUR GROUP

Our group becomes bigger day by day reaching today’s  number of over 12,000 members and with a smaller number of about 50 volunteers or so who co-ordinate and act as the core of the group, responsible for each and every organized activity and gathering.

The result of this effort is for the group as a whole to be presented as a compact pressure on public opinion and to decision making centers here and abroad.

This pressure aims for  the awareness of the society for the case of Famagusta and generally for the need for 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.  presented as a compact v

In this context  the Group has made co-operative relations with our compatriots the Turkish Cypriots and with the corresponding initiative group  “Famagusta Initiative”, citizens of Famagusta with a common goal.

This common goal for the Return to Our Town Famagusta is based on the 1979 High Level Agreement on Cyprus, on UN Resolutions of the Security Council 550 of 1984 , 789 of 1992 and on all consequent Leaders and UN Agreements for the Return of Famagusta as part of the Confidence Building Measures.

During this period the Group “Famagusta Our Town “succeeded in the following :

1. June 2012 – Pentecost Feast activity on the beach of Famagusta
2. June 2013 – Pentecost Feast activity on the beach of Famagusta
3. August 2013 – after vigorous efforts by members Nikos Karoullas and Umit Inatci the St. George Exorinos church within the Walled City of Famagusta was given to us.
4. October 2013 – Peace Chain.
5. October 2013 – Cycling for Peace.
6. 8/12/2013 –The First Holy Liturgy of the St. George Exorinos church takes place
7. December 2013 – we brought together in signing a protocol of cooperation the two Mayors of Famagusta , Alexis Galanos and Oktay Kayalp.
8. 05/02/2014 – RECONSTRUCTION OF FAMAGUSTA , we organized an informative meeting delivered by the group Famagusta Ecocity Project.
9. 10/04/2014 – History was written here. The first Epitaph Liturgy on a Good Friday after 40 years in our Town. More than 5,000 Christian believers attended the Epitaph Liturgy.
10. June 2014 – Pentecost feast activity on the beach of Famagusta
11. The forming of a spontaneous Human Chain during the Pentecost festivities of 2014
12. June 2014 – A Photographic Exhibition  by Umit Inatci at the Markets, at the within the Venetian Walls of City of Famagusta with the title  “famaGOSTa”.
13. 24/09/2014 – FACE TO FACE  at the cultural centre of the  Famagusta Municipality in Dherynia, an informative meeting  and with the exchanging of views.
14. November  2014 – The handing over to us of the Ayia Zoni church (within the Walls City of Famagusta)
15. December 2014 – Tree planting of a street in the within the Walls City of Famagusta
16. December 2014 – Symbolic placement of a Christmas Tree on Famagusta beach (Glossa beach)
17. 15/03/2015 – ORANGES IN THE SAND  –  A small symbolic manifestation on the Glossa Beach of Famagusta with the slogans of Peace and Oranges (every March an Orange Festival used to take place in our Town, a Festival that the citizens of Famagusta cannot celebrate any more as they are away from their town for 41 years now due to the Turkish invasion and the capturing of the City bynthe Turkish troops)
18. 18/04/2015  – the Good Friday Epitaph Liturgy at St. George Exorinos Church
19. 16/05/2015 –  an event organised for the support of the Opening of the Dherynia Check-Point with the slogan : OPEN FAMAGUSTA AVENUE, OPEN THE AVENUE OF RETURN….WE ARE RETURNING…
20. 31/05/2015 – Sunday Mass at the St. George Exorinos church and a Welcome Ceremony to Mike Elias who has walked 104kms from the Apostolos Andreas Monastrey to Famagusta with the slogan “I walk for a Reunified Country” and Sanctification of Waters at the Glossa Beach next to the barbed wire of our inaccessible and cut off City for 41 years.
21. 10/06/2015 – WE ARE EVRYWHERE, organised at the Cultural Center of the Bank of Cyprus in Limassol. The purpose of the meeting was to :
    Α) Inform the public of the activities of the Group
    Β) inform the public of the Role of the Group during the current Political Developments.
    C) Presentation of the program Mappin – maps by the people for the People
    D) Dialogue and exchange of views with the public..
    Ε) Viewing of various films concerning our town.
22. 22/07/2015 – CLEANING OF THE ST. PARASKEVI CHURCH at Kato Varosha. A group of volunteers cleaned the church after 41 years and on Sunday 26/7/2015 Prayer and Litany took place in the churchyard.
23. 24/07/2015 – presentation of the book of  the Turkish Cypriot friend and fellow Famagustian Doctor Okan Dagli “TOGETHER IN FOOTBALL”, at the Famagusta Cultural Center of  the Famagusta Municipality at Dherynia.
24. 07/10/2015 –  the Group of “Debate for the Reforming of Society” known as OPEK and  our Initiative Group “FAMAGUSTA OUR TOWN” have organized together a PUBLIC DEBATE on the subject of  : « THE ROAD TOWARDS REUNIFICATION – THE ROLES OF  LEADERSHIP  AND  OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY».
    Main Speakers :
    NICOS CHRISTODOULIDES – Government Spokesman.
    ALEXIS GALANOS – Mayor of Famagusta, President of the Union of Municipalities, ex President of the House of Representatives.
25. 10/10/2015 – ΜΕΜΟΡΥ & PROTEST at Famagusta on the beach, Glossa area. We entered  dressed into the sea.
    We went to the beach not to swim but to be wet in the deep.
    We went to show that we are in anger….this situation must come to an end……
    We went to pay our respects to the Syrian refugees and the innocent souls which were drowned in the seas recently trying to be saved.
    We went there at our town, at the Glossa area, there where offense is still continuing.
    We went there to see our Town and tell her that we are many, SHE MUST ENDURE.
26. 15/10/2015 – IN COOPERATION WITH THE Group  «FAMAGUSTA RECONSTRUCTION AND REVIVAL» we organised at  TEPAK (ΤΕΠΑΚ), Limassol an event with the subject : RETURN – RECONSTRUCTION AND RESETTLING IN FAMAGUSTA.
27. 18/10/2015 – Holy Liturgy at the St. George Exorinos Church in the within the Walls City of Famagusta There where psalms in the church by the choir ROMIOSYNH (ΡΩΜΗΟΣΥΝΗ ) and afterwards a small musical Program with other instrumentalists took place.
28. Ever since 8/12/2013 until today there have been 21 Holy Liturgies (approximately once a month) at the Saint George Exorinos Church. Each Liturgy is attended by many church followers from all over Cyprus.
29. Our group has attented various other events outside Famagusta in the occupied areas of Cyprus such as Kyrenia, Morphou, Limnia, Prastio, Tricomo, Leukoniko, Komi Kepir, Yialousa, Apostolos Andreas ….for us every corner of our Country is OUR TOWN.
30. Beyond the various events planned and organised our Group had various meetings with Politicians and Foreign Ambassadors :
    a.  with the Famagusta Mayor Alexis Galanos
    b. With the T/C Mayor of our Town.
    c. With the President of  DHSY Political Party.
    d. With the General Secretary of AKEL Political Party
    e. With the T/C negotiator.
    f. With Marios Karogian – DHKO Political Party MP.
    g. With the UK Ambassador.
    h. Wit the Australian Ambassador.
    i.  With the French Ambassador.
    j. With the Ambassador of  the USA.
    k.With the Israel Ambassador.
    l. With the Ambassador of China.

Our Group “Famagusta our Town ” will continue to give its struggle through events and acts for ” Peace, Co-Existence and Return  because,

United We Can….…

United We Claim…

United We Return……