January 2020
MD6 student Chrisostomos Muwonge has been selected by the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) to represent UNIC and Cyprus in the forthcoming Commonwealth Futures workshop with the theme ‘Reimagining Peace’. The workshop will be held at Durban University of Technology in South Africa in March 2020.
The workshop will provide a forum for student leaders from across the Commonwealth to explore ways of bringing peace and nonviolence to the challenging issues facing the world. Over the course of four days, participants will be given the space to share their unique contexts and experiences and to undertake a participant-led group work project, assisted by skilled facilitators. Each project will reflect on the theme of the workshop, with the aim of producing a practical solution that could effect change on their campuses, in their communities and beyond. The workshop will conclude with a field trip to the Gandhi Phoenix Settlement, where the final session will take place.
This event forms part of the Commonwealth Futures series organised by the ACU and the British Council, with workshops taking place in India, South Africa and the UK. The series is designed to highlight the role of young leaders in promoting social cohesion through cultures of tolerance, ethics, respect and understanding – with the outcomes directly feeding into the 2020 Commonwealth Youth Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.
Asked by MedNews to comment on his forthcoming participation, Chrisostomos said: ‘I look forward to contributing to the voice of young people within the Commonwealth and developing my leadership skills in an international forum.’
The University of Nicosia joined ACU last year and signed a memorandum of understanding which includes the option of establishing a regional office of the Association at UNIC. Read the announcement here