by Christos Tuton – July 2, 2020

NEPOMAK Short Courses in July 2020

As part of the commitment of NEPOMAK and the Presidential Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Photis Photiou, to connecting young, diaspora Cypriots with their heritage, history and culture, a series of short courses are available to NEPOMAK members during July 2020. There are classes in Modern Greek language (beginner level), Modern History of Cyprus, Folkloric Dances and a one-off webinar on the history of the Cypriot dialect.

These courses are possible thanks to the generous support of the Presidential Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus. The courses will be taught by the University of Cyprus (language, dialect) and the University of Nicosia (history, dance).

The Modern Greek language lessons will be taught live, with teachers running each lesson twice to accommodate for the different time zones across NEPOMAK’s member regions. It will be a valuable opportunity for diaspora Cypriots who do not speak any Greek to learn the language. The Modern History of Cyprus course will cover the entire period from Ottoman Cyprus to Cyprus’ accession to the European Union. The Folkloric Dances course will teach syrtos, sousta, zeibekiko and kouza. Finally, the webinar on the history of the Cypriot dialect will give a fascinating insight into Cyprus’ unique dialect.

Every July, NEPOMAK sends young, diaspora Cypriots from around the world to visit Cyprus, explore the island and learn about their Cypriot heritage. These programmes, known as NDCP (NEPOMAK Discover Cyprus Programme) and NCCT (NEPOMAK Cyprus Culture Tour), are the organisation’s flagships annual events. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both programmes have had to be cancelled. However, these new short courses provide NEPOMAK members the opportunity to learn about Cyprus from their homes and maintain their connection with their homeland.

Commenting on these new courses, Presidential Commissioner Photiou said, “the top priority in our strategy is the encouragement and active participation of our diaspora youth. There can no diaspora in the future without the young generation, because it is this generation that will be called upon to take the reins in continuing the multifaceted work that our diaspora is accomplishing. We want them to know their identity, their history, culture and language.”

NEPOMAK President Christos Tuton said, “we are very grateful to the Presidential Commissioner, the University of Cyprus and the University of Nicosia for arranging these courses for NEPOMAK members. Usually we would be sending dozens of diaspora Cypriots to our beautiful island during July but we hope these courses can help bring people a little bit closer to Cyprus during this difficult time.”

NEPOMAK members can sign-up for the courses by visiting www.nepomak.org/apply