Thirty Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot university and high school students participated in a U.S. Embassy-sponsored Socrates Café

On Sunday April 20, 2008, thirty Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot university and high school students participated in a U.S. Embassy-sponsored Socrates Café at Chateau Status restaurant in the U.N. Patrolled Buffer Zone in Nicosia. The students are all alumni of the Bold Leaders Summer Camp in Denver, which is organized by Critical Mass Leadership Education and sponsored by the U.S. Embassy’s Bicommunal Support Program and Cyprus Fulbright Commission.

With a view to promoting debate on pertinent philosophical issues within a trusting environment, the Socrates Café provided a safe forum for meaningful dialogue on different topics chosen by the participants themselves including: religion and science, smoking, and truthfulness. The Café was moderated by Assistant Public Affairs Officer John Rhatigan, Bicommunal Coordinator Juliette Dickstein, and AMIDEAST Project Coordinator, Karen Stephanou. The conversations were dynamic and respectful and spilled over into the breaks and onto an online blog created previously by the Bold Leaders.