Special announcement: CCMC podcast starts on CyBC2 Radio 27/10/11

We're pleased to announce that CCMC now has a monthly podcast slot all about community media and our members on CyBC Radio 2's 'Round and About' show. The first podcast will be broadcast Thursday 27 October between 6-8pm. 'Round and About' is CyBC Radio 2's most popular daily show and consists of reports, music and live interviews on current affairs, health, social issues, entertainment, cultural and political topics. The programme, which is transmitted live, is presented by journalists Rosie Charalambous and Nathan Morley, both veterans of broadcast and print media. Round and About is often agenda setting, with interviews with leading politicians, newsmakers and notable personalities. Let us know what you think of the show and stayed tuned for other editions of the CCMC podcast on CyBC Radio 2 on the last Thursday of every month, keeping you up-to-date with community news and events coming up each month. You can listen to the programe islandwide on 91.1FM or streaming live online through this link and will be available for download on our website shortly afterwards.

CCMC Call for Volunteers! CMFE Annual Conference 17-19 November 2011

CCMC is proud to be hosting the first General Assembly and Annual Conference of the Community Media Forum Europe (CMFE), on 17-19 November, to be held in multiple locations in Nicosia's Buffer Zone. Since launching our Call for Papers we have been inundated with requests for participation from Cyprus and across the globe, and we are anticipating a big turnout come conference time! In light of this high demand, we are looking to recruit five energetic and enthusiastic Volunteers who will help make this event a resounding success. For more information on the position, please see the attached Terms of Reference. 

Please note that the deadline for Applications is Friday 28 October 2011. We look forward to hearing from you, and please spread the word to anyone you think may be interested!

Shoot 'n' Run 2011 project 15, 18, 22 October

CCMC amplifies voice of civil society at its ‘Speak for Peace’ festival

The Cyprus Community Media Centre’s (CCMC) ‘Speak for Peace’ festival brought the buffer zone to life on 24 September 2011. The festival united the public, civil society organisations and youth in a celebratory atmosphere marking the International Day of Peace. People of all ages and all walks of life were given the chance to come together and express themselves for peace. CCMC recorded audio messages from participants which will be collated and sent to the Leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.  

Some of the audio messages included:

“I am 13 years old and I don’t want to live in a divided country. I want Cyprus to be united.”

“I want to say to the Leaders that we can’t have peace without justice. I urge you to be the kind of leaders who are transcendent and who tap into the great moral energy that is peace.”

The event also featured a vibrant basketball tournament from PeacePlayers-Cyprus, in which over a hundred teenagers were organised into bicommunal teams. There were also stalls where civil society organisations were able to get their messages out and inform people about their work as well as a communal barbecue, music, entertainment, stalls, competitions, sports and film screenings. 

One of the organisations taking part was Language Transfer, which aims to bridge the language barrier between the two main communities in Cyprus through free online language lessons. “It was good for once to be celebrating peace, rather than only talking about it,’ said Michailis Eleftheriou founder of Language Transfer, “We have peace. Now let’s talk about reunification.”