Cypriot representatives are preparing to meet in South Australia at the end of the month for the Federation of Cyprus Communities of Australia and New Zealand’s 44th annual conference.

Officially commencing on January 29, the three-day event will be officiated by the High Commissioner of Cyprus in Australia, Ioanna Malliotis.

The conference is considered to be one of the most significant events on the Cypriot community’s calendar, and federation president Michael Christodoulou AM says it is an opportunity to discuss important issues affecting the community both Down Under and abroad.

“We’re basically engaging with our communities within Australia, but also with what is happening in Cyprus,” he explains. “We speak about issues concerning women, seniors, businesses, how to trade with Cyprus, how to assist Cyprus. And of course a big issue for us is the Turkish invasion in Cyprus.”

Organisers of the event are expecting the attendance of representatives from all community groups, including a considerable number of youth members, which Mr Christodoulou says is very important for the community’s future.

“My personal belief has always been that engaging youth is very important to the survival of a community, so educating them is therefore very important.
“What you want is for the youth to take over, and one way to do it is by having them engaged with you now, and eventually some of those kids join their local boards or committees. We have many examples of that,” he says.

One of the highlights over the years has been the high calibre of guest speakers; this year’s speakers are yet to be announced.

Last year’s conference, held in Sydney, saw archaeologist Dr Kathryn Eriksson present her findings based on the completion of her PhD on archaeology in Cyprus.

While a resolution to the Cyprus issue remains high on the federation’s agenda, the president stresses that local Cypriot communities will continue to be a big focus of the conference.

“We need to maintain our grass roots; we should pay attention to our seniors and issues with women, especially health issues.”

The conference is set to take place from January 29-31, 2016. The opening ceremony will take place on Friday 29 January, 2016 at the Cyprus Community of SA, 6-8 Barpowell Road, Welland, SA at 7.30 pm.

For further information, contact SA president Christos Ioannou on 0437 793 012 or via email ypruscommunitysa@gmail.com