Declaration of Solidarity to the Refugees

On the 19 June 2010, Vicky Germanakou, coordinator of the Unit for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture (URVT), had the opportunity to be one of the signatories of the Declaration of Solidarity to the Refugees. The event was organized on the occasion of the World Refugee Day by the Opinion Action Services Ltd and the University of Cyprus with the participation of the Minister of Interior and the Asylum Service. The signing of the Declaration signified a further step to the commitment taken on by the Government of Cyprus, along with the involved society groups, in ensuring to the protection and well-being of asylum seekers and refugees in Cyprus. In this respect, the Unit for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture, which operates since 2006 under the Humanitarian Unit of the Future Worlds Center, ensures to provide rehabilitation services to asylum seekers and refugees who are victims of torture and trafficking, assisting them and their families, to re-build their lives and harmoniously integrate into the local society.

For more information about URVT and its services please visit: www.urtv.org

CyberEthics invited to POGO Women’s Organisation Seminar

Lawrence Kalogreades, coordinator of the Cyprus Safer Internet Helpline, was invited as a guest speaker and panellist at the POGO Women’s Organisation Seminar with the subject “Sexual Molestation of Minors: Prevention Policies”. The seminar included guest speakers from local child protection and welfare societies and the social services, and was initiated by an introduction by the Minister of Labour and Social Insurance, Mrs. Sotiroulla Charalambous.

A detailed expose of the nature and extent of sexual molestation in Cypriot society was the presented, upon which Lawrence presented the work of CyberEthics as a node responsible for generating awareness on issues such as online grooming and sexual exploitation, as well as the role of the Safer Internet Helplines and Hotlines. An extensive discussion with the audience then ensued, with the event lasting a total of 3 hours, 2 hours over the initial estimate.

For more information about internet safety, as well as CyberEthics and its services, please visit www.CyberEthics.info.

CyberEthics at the IZ' Primary School of Limassol

Lawrence Kalogreades, coordinator of the Cyprus Safer Internet Helpline, presented the work of CyberEthics as well as the basics of Internet safety to a group of pupils of the IZ' Primary School in Limasso. The 80 pupils who attended the presentation, which ran for two hours, showed great interest and shared their opinions and concerns with their school-mates and the coordinator of the Helpline. The children and teachers expressed the necessity for a similar presentation to be given to their parents in order to get them 'up-to-date' with technology in the same manner that their children are.