19
January 2014
Peaceful message
Almost 100 of our Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot compatriots, members and friends of the
Association, attended the Christmas Lunch organized by the Enfield Cypriots Association on Thursday
19 December 2013 from 11.00 am until 5.30 pm at its premises in Boleyn Hall.
The event has run smoothly within a friendly
atmosphere together with the festive
decoration accompanied with plenty of food,
drink and music where everyone had a
pleasant social day.
The traditional turkey meal prepared, baked
and served with volunteer help from Mattheos
Panayiotou. Volunteering help at the event for
preparing and serving was offered by Hercules
Konstantinou, Maroula Artemis, Anna
Photiou, Aycan Sarachoglou and Yiannoula
Kleanthous.
The event greeted by the President of the
Association, Photos Kouzoupis and having
welcomed our compatriots who attended
spoke briefly about the history and work of the
Association and the Association's events
particularly in the last year with it’s return to
the Boleyn Hall. Especially emphasised the
major theme of work and practice of the
Association which is the bi-communal
character of the events and programs
(projects) that brings together and educate the
two main communities of Cypriots in the area
of Enfield in a spirit of understanding, respect
and acceptance. He stated that although the
today’s event stems from a purely Christian
religious holiday but despite of that GreekCypriots and Turkish-Cypriots celebrate
together in a peaceful and brotherly spirit and
wished the New Year to bring the longed-for
Freedom in our occupied and divided
homeland, so that all together we can celebrate
together again such and other events in a
United and peaceful Cyprus.
The event was attended by the Director of
Parikiaki and District Secretary of AKEL,
Pambos Charalambous. In his short greeting
he wished a Merry Christmas and Happy New
Year to everyone as well as Freedom in
Cyprus. Briefly mentioned the financial
problems plaguing Cyprus due to the global
economic crisis and the mistakes of the
bankers and the management efforts by the
Government complying to the memorandum
and to the Troika instructions and how they
affect our compatriots in Britain. There is no
movement to our national problem of Cyprus
and that is due to the intransigence of Turkey
and will have to intensify our struggle and we
have to mobilise as well the Cypriot
community in England towards the British
Government so it will act and exercise their
influence towards Turkey to stop being so
inflexible and change its position toward the
solution of the Cyprus problem
The event also was attended by Labour
Parliamentary candidate for Enfield North,
Joan Ryan along with her grandson. In a short
greeting she expressed her joy that Enfield
Cypriots Association despite the difficulties
encountered in the past with the building,
today is back and continues more renewed its
social and bi-communal work towards the
Cypriot community of Enfield, particularly in
this difficult period for the global economic
crisis together with the current Government's
austerity policy which brings unemployment
and slashing of social benefits. He promised
that as in the past, so today will be help and
stand alongside the Association to complete
the social and bi-communal vision in Enfield
but also that vision to materialise in a United
Cyprus for all Cypriots and wished the New
Year to bring the longed-for Freedom to
Cyprus.
One happy note of the event was when our
compatriot Argyros Dimitriou Paphitis had
offered free to all attendees a raffle ticket and
had donated two gifts, one king size bottle of
champagne and a bottle of ouzo. Lucky
winners were George Antoniou and Androulla
Sergiou.
During the event the members of the
Association and “popular”(laikoi) poets
Marina Skagia, Koulla Maurommati and
Theodoulos Theodoulou recited poems.
The celebrations continued until late afternoon
and ended with the draw of a rich raffle which
was sold in the room.
The Enfield Cypriots Association would like
publicly to thank and all who have contributed
or offered volunteer work or gifts for the raffle
so everybody enjoyed a successful event.
Enfield Cypriots Association