National Debate on MDGs in Cyprus

On 10 October 2009, the Future Worlds Center organised a first National Debate in Cyprus about the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Debate was hosted by the UNDP – Action for Cooperation and Trust in Nicosia and included a panel of distinguished guests such as representatives from UNDP-ACT, The European Institute of Cyprus, the Cyprus Family Planning Association, the Cyprus NGO Platform ‘The Development’ and the Cameroonian Students Association. Kyriacos Triantaphyllides, Cypriot Member of European Parliament, honoured the debate with an opening speech that was read by Yiannis Laouris, President of the Board of Future Worlds Center.

The National Debate on MDGs was part of the EU funded project ‘Youth Ambassadors for Millennium Development Goals’ (Project No.: ONG-ED/2007/136-678) that the Cypriot NGO Future Worlds Center is implementing as partner organisation, with Salesian Missionary Voluntary Service in Poland as the lead, and EDUCON (CZ) and Hungarian Baptist Aid as members of the consortium.

The National Debate attracted around 70 participants – members of civil society organisations, university students, teachers and high school students from different cities around the island. A large part of the participants have agreed to become Youth Ambassadors and to plan future street happenings and round tables at universities to further promote the MDGs in Cyprus.

For more information about the project, please contact Larry Fergeson at Future Worlds Center larry.fergeson.cyprus@gmail.com or visit http://cy.youth4world.com/.

Information provided by Kerstin Wittig, Future Worlds Center