(Simona Mengascini, SIR correspondent in Cyprus) – Two hundred members of the staff, eight hundred from the Sant’Egidio community and three hundred guests, both religious and lay, from all around the world. These are the figures provided by the organisers of the Forum of Cyprus. The event which is currently taking place in the capital of Nicosia "The Civilisation of Peace. Faiths and Cultures in Dialogue" is being attended by Jews, Muslims, Christians, Indus and Buddhists. Since Saturday, the have attended meetings, they have discussed, and they have walked together encouraged – not hindered – by their diversities which are clearly visible even in their clothes. They are assisted by a number of interpreters whose task is to provide translations for every speech of the twenty one round tables on the agenda in at least three languages. Italian, Greek, English and French are the most used languages, but there are also interpreters for Russian, Arabic and Japanese. Many Cypriots, mainly young people from high school, are also attending the meetings expressing their grief for the Island’s occupation and division. To overcome this barrier, a delegation of forty religious leaders passed through one of the capital’s check points last Sunday and went to the Cathedral of Santa Sofia, in the Turkish part of the city. This is to demonstrate, as Andrea Riccardi put it, that "true civilisation is to live together." ” ” ” “
