‘Educating for peace’: conflict, division and social work education in Cyprus

Abstract

Social work practice and training in the context of political and ethnic conflict has seen renewed interest among scholars. Recent research has tried to shift focus away from simplistic interpretations of social work as an unshakably 'benevolent' profession. A recent emphasis on social work's colonial legacies and the structural causes of political violence provide us with important new directions on how to rethink and reshape social work education and practice in these contexts. Cyprus presents a very interesting, yet under-explored, case study as it remains an island de facto divided, along ethnic lines. The division has resulted in the physical and political separation of the two most populous ethnic communities (Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots). United Nations (UN)-sponsored peace talks have gained momentum in recent years. This paper offers the first systematic exploration of the views of social work students across both sides of the divide. Through a mixed-method approach, students were able to express their thoughts and beliefs on 'the other' and on social work in the post-conflict realities. The study confirms the contradictory nature of social work education in Cyprus challenges the futility of nationalism and argues for the importance of bi-communal social work partnerships.

Working for peace: Conflict and social work practice in the divided Cyprus

“…The lack of any psychosocial preparation among the people of the island and especially among professional groups, like social workers, is obvious in the current survey. Moreover, the responses of professional social workers demonstrate that there is dearth of social work education on bicommunal issues (Ioakimidis et al, 2021). It should be noted that although for almost half a century there have been ongoing negotiations between the two communities, not much has been achieved towards the preparation of the people of the island.…”

“…Social workers' associations are responsible for educating their members regarding the possibility of the reunification of the island. Similarly, as a recent survey on social work students in Cyprus revealed, not a single social work programme has included a module that openly discusses the Cyprus conflict (Ioakimidis et al, 2021). This is not uncommon among tertiary and higher education in Cyprus.…”

“…Moreover, for social work practitioners, working in communities affected by ethnic and political violence, even at a ‘post-war’ or ‘post-conflict’ stage, their practice is heavily influenced and guided by mechanisms of political control (Coulter et al, 2013; Ioakimidis et al, 2021). Post-conflict communities are characterized by high levels of insecurity and uncertainty, as well as difficulties to define boundaries.…”

“…Societies emerging from political ethnic conflict experience transition to peace as a complex and often protracted process. The island of Cyprus constitutes an example of a society that has experienced ethnic conflict in different forms and intensity for a period of over 60 years (Ioakimidis et al, 2021). The result of this conflict was the war that eventually led to the division of the island between the two communities.…”

“…This initiative took place in 2016 where the first bicommunal social work platform was created, to bring together social workers from both communities. This team of social workers, encouraged by the overall pro-peace movement, was determined to reclaim the role of social work as a peace-building, rather than divisive, institution (Ioakimidis et al, 2021). To do so, the team decided to explore Cypriot social workers’ views of the conflict, trauma and peace.…”