Agios Athanasios

“My first contact with the SnapShots project was with Pietro Pinto, Project Manager, in 2017, during the process of preparing and submitting the proposal to the European Union,” says Andri Agathokleous, from the Municipality of Agios Athanasios, Cyprus.

“From the beginning, I had high expectations for this project, which was interesting for us because it had a vision, clear objectives and a social purpose: all aligned with the values, priorities and activities of the Municipality.”

“For me, it was the first time participating as a ‘Project Manager’ on behalf of the Municipality of Agios Athanasios in a large project with more than 5 million budget and so many partners and I felt excited and anxious, but at the same time very happy about this challenge,” says Andri. “All in all, I had the opportunity to meet new people and other cultures and grow professionally and personally. Of course, the last year of the project was challenging because we had to change and redesign some of our activities due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

“One of the most interesting moments of this project was the implementation of the No more bricks on the wall campaign in Cyprus and especially in our municipality for the establishment of October 3 as the European Day of Remembrance for refugees and immigrants who died in the Mediterranean Sea – explains Andri – Although it was a stressful time, every person and stakeholder involved worked non-stop for days, but the result of this work is something that will remain forever in the minds of the target audience, stakeholders and target groups. We hope we were able to add value and contribute positively to the campaign and its goals and objectives.”

“Due to its location in the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus receives daily flows of refugees and immigrants. Cypriots have a developed sense of solidarity and memory since a large percentage of the population experienced the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus and lost their homes, property and in many cases their family and friends,” Andri emphasizes. “Many Cypriots were or still are immigrants because of the Turkish invasion. Cypriots are hospitable and supportive of refugees and immigrants coming to our country and try to help when they can. The truth is that Cyprus is isolated from other European territories because of its location. However, the implementation of this and other similar projects has opened the door to developing networks and building long-term cooperation between the territories of Europe.”

“European projects, and the Snapshots project in particular, facilitate the implementation of actions such as seminars, events, festivals and campaigns through which we can network with people and groups of people dealing with immigration issues,” says Andri. “We also thus get in touch and interact with immigrants and refugees themselves, creating for them a community of people they can trust and turn to in case of need. Immigrants and refugees need the basics of living in their host country, but they also need communication, acceptance and programs that help their smooth integration into the local community. Agios Athanasios has been able, through projects, to build strong ties between the local community, local organizations, and other stakeholders to continue helping these people long after the projects have ended. The municipality of Agios Athanasios implements its own initiatives and programs to encourage the integration of these people, such as Greek language classes, learning about Cypriot culture, food and community programs, as well as other activities that facilitate skill development and interaction with the local community. All of this is to help immigrants, refugees and the rest of the municipality’s citizens feel confident and safe living together.”

“I would say that more communication and publicity actions would have helped to improve the critical perception of European, national and local decision-making bodies and the public on immigration and asylum issues,” Andri concludes. “These could have acted as information multipliers and played a key role in public opinion. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic did not allow for many interactions and raised health care as the number one priority for many countries while pushing back many other topics such as immigration and asylum. Also, traveling to attend other partner events, workshops, conferences, etc. would have been very helpful.”