Lions united North and South of Cyprus for the First Time for a bi-communal activity ….
Readers mail ….
From Fikret Sendil ….
The island of Cyprus welcomes a groundbreaking moment in the name of the Lions Movement for the first time since its division in 1974.
The Lions Walk To Serve Foundation, operating within the jurisdiction of the Lions district of 117-B (Cyprus and North Greece), met with the Mağusa Mesarya Lions Club serving in Northern Cyprus, the undistricted area.
The ethnically divided island of Cyprus is home to both the Lions district 117-B (Greek Cypriot Community) and IDENT 5855 Undistricted Cyprus (Turkish Cypriot Community).
Lions Clubs and Lions Foundations operating in Southern Cyprus enjoy all kinds of international engagements since they are registered in 117-B, the official Lions administrative district of the island of Cyprus, while Lions clubs operating in Northern Cyprus have an undistricted structure and do not belong to anywhere. Despite this fact, Lions Clubs International acknowledges the northern part of Cyprus as an undistricted territory but not a separate geographical area from the rest of Cyprus.
While the Cyprus peace negotiations, which have been going on for half a century, have not yet come to a conclusion, the Lions managed to bring together the north and south of Cyprus for the first time through a bi-communal activity.
The Lions Walk To Serve Foundation, established in 2013, presented mini footballs produced for the visually impaired children living in the Turkish Cypriot Community.
A Ball for All is the world’s first mini football for blind children which has been supported and highlighted as the global service project during Lions Europa Forum 2021 in Thessaloniki.
PDG George Savvides, the President of The Walk To Serve Foundation and members of the Foundation Committee from the Greek Cypriot Community visited Famagusta Old Town in the northern part of Cyprus and met with members of Mağusa Mesarya at a friendly lunch meeting.
The friendly gathering of the Lions of both sides at such an event is being one and only example in the island’s Lions history since 1974, in which a Lions Foundation registered in 117-B (Greek Cypriot Community) and an undistricted Cyprus Lions club in the north (Turkish Cypriot Community) decided to take steps for community service.
The friendly lunch meeting began with the welcome speech of Fikret Şendil, a member of Magusa Mesarya Lions, which was followed by PDG George Savvides’ address. Afterwards, the balls were delivered to the members of Mesarya by the members of the Foundation.
Ibrahim Genç, the President of the Mağusa Mesarya extended his appreciation to the Greek Cypriot Lions for their support through the Lions Walk To Serve Foundation and congratulated the successful works of the Foundation.
The Lions have agreed to reunite for joint service activities as soon as possible.
