Cyprus
In response to over three decades of conflict and division between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, The Elders are supporting local initiatives working for reconciliation and peace at the grassroots level.

In response to over three decades of conflict and division between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, The Elders are supporting local initiatives working for reconciliation and peace at the grassroots level.
As part of their September 2009 Cyprus visit, the Elders held meetings in the UN buffer zone in Nicosia – the only place that Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots can easily meet - with leading women from politics, civil society, business, journalism and academia. Speaking afterwards to local media they called for a greater role for women in the peace process in Cyprus.
Gro Brundtland and Lakhdar Brahimi arrived in Cyprus at a critical time, just as the second phase of negotiations on reunification of the island began. The Elders met leading women from politics, business and civil society, encouraging them to press for a more active role for women in the peace process. They also met Cypriots working on reconciliation, who are trying to develop a shared understanding of the painful issues of the past.