Women into Action - Cyprus
Notes of the Meeting
7th November 2009, Merit Crystal Cove Hotel, Kyrenia-Girne
Present: Tina Adamidou, Aydin Mehmet Ali, Heidi Trautmann, Leonie Brittain, Mirianthi Loizou, Jenny Fryda, Chrissi Christodoulou
Apologies: Netha, Cigdem, Esra, Asli, Zehra, Leslie, Melissa, Navodi, Silviya, Olga, Gulsen
Agenda
1 Agreement of 10 October 2009 meeting Notes
2 Nicolas Panayi Exhibition
3 Heidi’s Website
4 Addresses and contact numbers
5 Venues for future meetings
6 Nationalism
7 Project Groups
8 Participation/Structures
9 Cadences
10 Date of Next meeting
1 The Notes of the last meeting were agreed by the women present. Tina has sent an email to Karen Howell to ask about the progress of the Limnitis/Pyrgos (Yesilirmak) women’s meetings but has yet to receive a response.
Action: Tina to ring Karen before next meeting and Aydin to ring Gulsen for update
2 Nicolas Panayi, an artist in the South is holding an exhibition of his work dedicated to the recent arrest of migrants. Heidi has already circulated the information and asked that we as a group of women show our support by attending the exhibition.
Date:
Time:
Venue:
Action: Tina will resend the invitation. Can someone email the group to explain how to get to the venue?
3 Website - Heidi has offered to dedicate part of her website to the WiA-C with updates of events, meetings and anything else that members would like to send her. This way it can be accessed by all. It can be found on her website under the heading Cyprus Activities and Movements (Women into Action). She would also like to put links to various organizations such as KISA.
Action: any woman who wants to put something under this section in Heidi’s website to send directly to her. Comments as to why they joined the group particularly welcome. Tina and other women to send photos of the various meetings held.
4 Addresses, telephone numbers, other details- agreed it would be a good idea. Esra already working on this.
Action: Esra and Tina to continue coordinating
5 Vanues - There was a discussion regarding different venues where meetings can be held. There are of course some members who cannot cross to the South so emphasis was kept to meeting places in the north to accommodate.
Suggestions were:
` 1 Franco-Turkish Cultural Centre
2 Baha-i Centre
3 Goethe Centre
4 Limassol (women in Limassol have expressed an interest in hosting a meeting in their town.
Action: Heidi and Aydin to contact the Franco-Turkish Cultural Centre and the Goethe Centre to see if they are available for our next meeting
Chrissi mentioned the House of Europe who have funding available for various activities. Action: Chrissi to find more information and submit an email to the group to see how we can utlilize this contact.
6 Nationalism - The issue was discussed at length with the formation of a subgroup to meet and discuss the matter further. Ideas about outcomes and aims were put forward. It was agreed that it is the most important issue in Cyprus at the moment. Our work would be looking at the issues of nationalism and women and how to empower women to begin to challenge nationalism when they encounter it.
The subgroup: Jenny, Aydin, Tina, Mirianthi, Emine, Cigdem and Chrissi.
Lead: is Jenny and Assistant is Chrissi. You can contact them by email to add your names or other women you think will be interested.
Jenny will circulate date of meeting planned at the end of November of the subgroup.
7 Other project Groups:
i.‘Women go Hunting’. This is a direct action idea to disrupt men hunting by going to popular hunting spots on Sundays with loud foghorns, loud music and T-shirts with Tweetie Pie or similar saying ‘please don’t shoot me’ to scare off the game. Apart from rare migrating birds, others are reared specifically to be killed by thousands of men who find it appealing to spend their Sunday mornings performing this disgusting male ritual. Other issues on male culture, protecting the environment, publicity, high visibility personalities, other groups involved in similar activities to be contacted, the dismissive attitude to non-Cypriots were also discussed. It should be a women led action if not solely women initially. It should be done in the South and the North.
Subgroup: Tina, Jenny, Aydin; Heidi to provide website support.
Action: 1st action to be on 28th November; women interested to contact the egroup
ii. Elderly Women in Centres - Leonie is visiting a woman in an old people’s home in Goneyli. At this home some of the elderly do not have relatives, some do but are not visited by them. Some seem unhappy in their environment and it was suggested that maybe some support from women in WiA-C would make a difference to this vulnerable group. Activities such as music, dance/exercises and simply talking to the elderly would be a way to show support. Leonie would like some Turkish speakers to join her.
Subgroup: Leonie, Tina, ??
Lead: Leoni.
Action: Tina to contact the Lefkosa Municipality’s Orchestra to see if they can organize some musicians to visit the old people’s home. Heidi to contact the Kyrenia Children’s Choir for the same purpose.
Time was running out so more suggestions in brief are as follows:
iii. Women’s Creative Writing Workshops-
Interested: Tina, Heidi, Leonie and Jenny.
Lead: Aydin.
If you would like to join this subgroup send e-mail.
iv. Gender Equality Work-
v. Cypriot Cookbook-
8.Participation/Structures - There was no time to discuss the issue so this will be held over to the next meeting
Next meeting: 12th December 2009
(either Goethe Centre or Franco-Turkish Cultural Centre to be announced nearer the date of meeting))
Notes: Tina and Aydin