Yiannis Laouris (Progam Director)

President of the CNTI and co-founder of the Technology For Peace portal (www.tech4peace.org) together with Dr. Harry Anastasiou and Derwis Besimler (North Cyprus). Laouris is a medical doctor specialised in neurophysiology and a systems engineer trained in Germany and the US.  His research is in the areas of learning through computers and the role of technology in the transformation of our society and ways in which it can serve peace and reconciliation between conflicting societies.  He was also founder of a chain of 26 computer learning centers for children known as Cyber Kids.  The curriculum for Cyber Kids, which was developed by members of the applicant organization, received seven prestigious international awards for its innovation and social responsibility.
Laouris has been actively involved in the citizens' peace movement in Cyprus for the last 15 years.
His involvement began as a member of the first group of peace trainers that planned and executed the trainings in communications and conflict resolution skills that eventually reached more than three  thousand citizens from both the Greek and Turkish communities (1993-1997). In his work, he has acquired valuable practical experience in helping conflict societies deal with difficult issues. He has written several articles about his practical approach and given speeches in many international forums on his ideas and experiences. He is an active member of many peace groups such as the Seniors Trainers, the Platform Solution-Now, the Young Business Leaders, The CITI Group, and others. He is a Co-Director of the Office for the Eastern Mediterranean of the Institute of World Affairs (see www.iwa.org) and Local Representative for HasNa Inc. Washington DC (see www.hasna.org). Dr. Laouris also serves as the facilitator of the most active bi-communal youth group in Cyprus, known as, Youth Promoting Peace (see www.y2p.org) since 1999. His peace work is continuously supported by grants from the UN, EU, US, and other international bodies.

Kerstin Witting (Project Coordinator)

Ms. Kerstin Wittig holds a M.A. in International Relations/ Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Tübingen/Germany. She has conducted a 3-months field research for her M.A. dissertation on bi-communal activities in Cyprus in 2004. She is working with Future Worlds Center since 2005 and is currently managing the Unit for Global Education and directly responsible for three projects focusing on intercultural dialogue, diversity, and awareness raising on development issues and global education. Throughout her projects, Ms Wittig primarily works within the educational context, with young people and teachers. Before working in Cyprus, Kerstin has coordinated one EU-funded project and several informal initiatives promoting the integration of 2nd and 3rd generation migrant students in German schools.

Klitos Symeonides (Cyprus Adult Education Association Partner )

George Zikas (Human Rights in Education Network Partner)

Mr. Zikas is a primary school, Head Assistant, and has active involvement in the Civil Society since the 1980's.He is a holder of a Masters degree in Curriculum and Intercultural Teaching Methodology.  Mr. Zikas is an expert trainer for youth, adults teachers on Human Rights and Intercultural Education as well as an Educational Curriculum Designer.  
Since September 2002, he is the Project Manager of Human Rights Education Network.  He is a Phd canditate at the Department of Education, University of Cyprus.

Joseph Joseph (University of Cyprus Academic Partner)

Past Chair, Professor of International Relations and European Affairs, Jean Monnet Chair in European Foreign and Security Policy at the Department of Social and Political Science Department of the University of Cyprus. Two BAs in Political Science and Public Administration at Panteion Univ. Greece; MA in Political Science from the Univ. of Stockholm, Sweden and PhD in Political Science from Miami Iniv, USA. Wrote many books and published over 30 papers in referred journals on issues of democracy, European affairs, Human rights and peace issues.

Savina Joseph (Young Cypriot Scientists Network)

Savina Rita Joseph is currently studying at Oxford University for a M.Sc. degree in the field of Applied Mathematics. She has recently graduated from Imperial College London with a B.Sc. degree in Mathematics (First Class Honors). Apart from this, she aims in excelling in all aspects of her life and getting involved actively with social issues as far as her tight schedule will allow. After completing her studies, she intends to pursue a career in research and academia in applied mathematics.

Elina Joseph (Young Cypriot Scientists Network)

Lina Mary Joseph has a B.Sc. degree in Mathematics from Imperial College London. Recently, she completed her M.Sc. in Mathematical Modeling and Scientific Computing at Oxford University and she is currently attending a Ph.D. program in Systems Biology at Warwick University. In the long run, she aims to get involved in the academia and carry out research in the field of mathematical biology.

Romina Laouri (Young Cypriot Scientists Network)

Romina joined Ashoka in September 2005 after graduating with an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Chicago. She completed her undergraduate work at Macalester College ( Minnesota, USA) where she studied Political Science, International Studies, and Spanish. Throughout her education, she has done various research and projects on youth movements, human rights, conflict resolution and post-conflict development. Romina grew up in Germany and Cyprus . Growing up in Cyprus, an ethnically divided country, she was motivated by a strong belief that young people can make a difference. Having recognized the importance of bringing together young Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots, she co-founded a youth group (Youth Promoting Peace), in which participants could express their views and concerns regarding the Cyprus conflict and design strategies for re-unification. This was the first youth-led group of its kind, for which Romina and her team attracted support and funding from the United Nations.

Neophytos Loizides (Young Cypriot Scientists Network)

Lecturer in International Politics and Ethnic Conflict at Queens University, Belfast. Completed his PhD at Toronto University, Canada. His research focuses on crisis behaviour, elite framing and communication strategies in conflict resolution. Also interested in elite framing in parliamentary democracies and the influence of framing and communication in conflict transformation. Other activities include conflict resolution models in deeply divided societies focusing on negotiating ‘settler’ vs. ‘indigenous’ people conflicts as well as indentifying strategies of using direct democracy (referendums) in peace processes.

Stella Gavrilidou (Educator in Deryneia)

Stella has been a primary school teacher from 1993. She mostly teaches Mathematics, Science, Geography, History and Design Technology to ages 10 -12. She has been cooperating with NGOs since 2006. She has been an active participant in the Projects ‘Extending EU Citizenship at the Eastern End of Europe’, ‘Promoting a multi-ethnic and multinational Cyprus starting from the educational environment through Structured Democratic Dialogue Process’ and finally in the project “Global Connections – Development Education’. She is mainly interested in active learning and in development education ideas like racism, human rights, environment, sustainable development, fair trade, active citizenship, etc. During her action for multiculturalism in Education she organized lessons for ages 6 – 12 aiming to build good relationships between students based on respecting the diversity and being tolerate. Moreover she helped to organize workshops based on SDDP investigating questions like ‘How the multicultural school will be?’, ‘Which are difficulties to create such school?’ and ‘What can we do?’. In these workshops students, teachers and parents participated as equals. As a result of those workshops many actions were taken like a celebration day for different cooking from different countries. Parents from different countries helped to cook food or desert and offered them to the students. Moreover parents from other countries taught to teachers or students a street game from their origin, finally a day devoted to games from different countries was organized. Paintings on the wall with the message All equal But Different were done. Right now Stella is trying to promote to her school the idea that all we should be active citizens and that our actions matters to our society. That’s why teachers should try to teach students how to be critical and active.

Markella Dionysiou (Educator in Limassol)

Eva Argyrou (Educator in Nicosia)

Mary Ioannou (SDDP Facilitator)

Ms. Mary Ioannou is a clinical psychologist working for the Ministry of Health, Mental Health Services, placed in the Central Cyprus Prison and at the Children and Adolescents Psychiatric Unit of Archiepiskopos Makarios III Hospital since 2006. She has been working as an external associate with Future Worlds Center since 2008. She undertook a project on PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) which was focused on the education of professionals possibly dealing with this disorder through lectures and workshops. She is also part of the SDDP facilitation team for several projects.

Tonia Loizidou (SDDP Facilitator)

Ms. Tonia Loizidou holds a BSc in Psychology from Central Michigan University, USA and an MSc in Applied Psychology from Brunel University, UK. She is also in the process of receiving her qualification in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy from Beck Institute of Cognitive Therapy and Research, USA. She has been working with the CNTI since May 2006 holding the position of the Administrator. She has been member of various projects such as the “Extending EU Citizenship” and “Human Rights” program, she is coordinating the “Peaceful Europe” project and holds the psychologist’s position for the “Unit for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture.” Her future involvement includes also scientific research.

Larry Fergeson (SDDP Facilitator)

Mr. Fergeson started with Future Worlds Center in 2005 as an intern from the Conflict Resolution graduate program at Portland State University. Upon his return to Cyprus in 2007 he assumed the responsibilities of program development and project coordination. In 2008, he managed the projects called “Uniting for Citizenship and participation: Youth promoting Vulnerable groups’ Rights, Opportunities and Knowledge” (UCYVROK), “New Media Landscape Now!” and assisted with the project “Youth Ambassadors for Millennium Development Goals”. In addition to coordinating projects he also researches funding opportunities, writes grant applications and assists Dr. Laouris in drafting academic papers. Larry’s areas of interest include media ethics, conflict resolution, civil society capacity building, democratic dialogue processes, development education and uniting youth in constructive ways. His educational background includes an undergraduate degree in broadcast journalism from Texas State University and graduate studies in conflict resolution at Portland State University, both in the United States. Additionally, he also acts as a media consultant/expert, radio programme producer and television presenter.