Fostering a Culture of Encounter 

It was a pleasure for Caritas Cyprus to welcome a team of students from the Lyceum of Soleas on Tuesday, March 14. As part of the European Parliament Ambassador School program, the students—who hail from different villages in the Soleas Valley of the Troodos Mountains region of the island—are exploring issues of human rights, equality and social inclusion with a view to then raising awareness regarding these core European values among their peers. While visiting the Caritas Center, the students assisted with the Greek-language classes for newcomers to Cyprus. A ball game out-of-doors and traditional Cypriot flaounes provided the group with a lot to talk about as they shared their varied perspectives, including on migration. The villages of the Soleas Valley are now home to many of the asylum seekers who have recently arrived in Cyprus.