April/08 Three year strategic programme development for UNDP-ACT Cyprus bi-communal peace programme. Developing a strategy for civil society solutions to the reconciliation process.

Jane Samuels Facilitator for three year strategic programme. Jane provided a detailed account of the objectives and concrete activities that would need to be considered over a three year period. The first objective is to identify stakeholders, including individuals and associations who are involved in all aspects of town planning and rural planning including municipal authorities.

The project would work to raise the awareness of these stakeholders of the benefits and policy change needed to create civil society ownership, in particular involve citizens and civil society in the process of planning and decision-making in the development of physical spaces. It would simultaneously provide these stakeholders with the skills and knowledge to initiate policy change and manage participatory processes wherein professionals such as planners, architects, engineers etc could work closely with civil society to take forward such spatial projects.

The strategy illustrated the success of participatory planning model of the Konthea cultural heritage restoration programme as a bottom up activity initiated by civil society. The presentation to the Reconstruction and Resettlement Council and KTMMOB that had taken place on 4 April in which both organisations had indicated a commitment to work together as partners on such a project.

The Konthea model is an opportunity to illustrate the many barriers that the community had to overcome. It set out the realistic steps necessary to achieve the increased capability of the partners to gain ownership of the process, through the bottom-up process to remove those barriers. The project has now identified 40 experts including architects, planners, engineers, and local authorities etc all who will have the capacity to appreciate the strategic achievements of this bottom-up participatory planning model for reconciliation and peacebuilding.

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