Strong messages for the strong value of the Diaspora for Cyprus, were sent by the Cypriot "Icon Hunter", Tasoula Hadjitofi
Tasoula was honored with the significant Lifetime Achievement Award at the Cyprus Diaspora Forum, in Limassol.
The Cypriot ‘Icon Hunter’ from the diaspora, the internationally renowned Tasoula Hadjitofi, was once again honored with the significant Lifetime Achievement Award during the Award Ceremony of the Cyprus Diaspora Forum, which took place on Saturday, March 9, 2024, in Limassol, organized by Paul Lambis, a mass media specialist.
Mrs. Hadjitofi's work was applauded by hundreds of attendees at the ceremony, who traveled from all over the world specifically for the Forum, as well as by businesspeople from Cyprus and other countries, ministers, diplomats, and others. The award ceremony was also followed by thousands of other viewers around the world through electronic channels.
Mrs. Hadjitofi, a globally recognized activist for human rights, religious freedom, international humanitarian law, and the protection of cultural heritage, delivered powerful messages to the audience. Addressing the present representatives of the Government and political parties, she specifically mentioned:
"...The moment you realize the power Cyprus will have when you embrace the Diaspora, for Economic Diplomacy, for Security Diplomacy, and the moment we change the 'narrative' about what happened in Cyprus, the narrative we have been promoting for 50 years now, that 'does not sell', then that is the moment Cyprus will be free."
It is worth noting that the presentation of Mrs. Hadjitofi's work and her speech, spread waves of emotion, while the audience stood up and applauded incessantly. Throughout the evening, numerous people expressed their desire to actively contribute to her cause. It was a pleasant surprise that dozens of people from various other nationalities, who live permanently in Cyprus, expressed their warm support for her cause and the intention to strengthen it.
Mrs. Hadjitofi issued a strong call to action to the Cypriot and Greek diaspora, urging them to fight against Turkey's attempted exploitation and islamization of occupied Cyprus, to end the divisive narratives that confuse the people, and to systematically address violations of the human rights of all Cypriots.
As a member of the diaspora and resident of The Hague, Mrs. Hadjitofi emphasized the critical importance of International Conventions, such as the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, adopted in the aftermath of World War II's cultural heritage destructions, applicable in any partial or complete occupation. It is under this Convention that, after 18 years of struggle, the Netherlands returned four precious icons that originated from the Monastery of Antiphonitis. The Dutch government had amended its relevant civil legislation to enable the return of these ecclesiastical sacred treasures, based on the 1954 Hague Convention.
Mrs. Hadjitofi expressed her regret by noting that, while International Conventions have led to great successes in recovering treasures of cultural heritage in Europe and America, in contrast, in resolving the Cyprus issue, we do not adequately utilize the corresponding International Conventions that secure the human rights of all legal residents of Cyprus. Her concern and question, as she said, is that given these International Conventions, why is the Cyprus problem approached with the local narrative of the two communities, which is based on the discrimination and segregation of the Cypriot residents into Christians and Muslims?
Mrs. Hadjitofi calls on everyone to realize and harness the immense power of the Diaspora, both through Economic Diplomacy and Security Diplomacy, in order to re-define the Cypriot narrative and directly link it with current international and European hot issues.
