In the spotlight - The role of NGOs in sustainable urban mobility in Nicosia, Cyprus

Ms Theodora Heracleous, Director at HUB NICOSIA Theodora Heracleous holds a BA in Modern Greek Literature, a BSc in Sociology and an MSc in Gender Studies from Linköping University, Sweden. Dora is a youth trainer and facilitator. Dora has been trained in the use of education for a culture of peace and is currently facilitating peace education workshops with Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot students across the Cyprus divide. She has also accumulated experience in developing projects, educational material and facilitating youth training relevant to sustainable development, including human rights, peace and conflict resolution, responsible production and consumption, and sustainable cities and communities. Dora has extensively collaborated with youth and adults at the grassroots level. She has been awarded the Stelios Bi-communal Cyprus Award (2018) offered by Sir Stelios-Hadjioannou Philanthropic Foundation for her feminist grassroots projects and initiatives. Hub Nicosia is an educational NGO based in Nicosia, Cyprus. The Hub Nicosia Ltd (Hub Nicosia) is a Non-Governmental organization that operates as an educational center and a co-working space for individuals and organizations with cultural, educational, environmental, entrepreneurial and social aims. It is located near Nicosia’s city center and welcomes people from a diverse set of communities and ethnic backgrounds, supporting migrant communities extensively. HUB NICOSIA recognizes the reality of our increasingly globalised world, characterized by growing complexity, interdependence and interconnectedness and attunes to the need to prepare young learners for a changing reality through global citizenship education and sustainable development education with a focus in innovation, inclusion and integration. A considerable number of our projects aim to cultivate knowledge, skills and attitudes in a number of topics, such as human rights, gender equality, environmental awareness and promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence encouraging all learners to think critically, respect differences and take action for a better future. Hub Nicosia has been implementing a number of European projects in recent years, relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Green Deal. Ms Heracleous, serves as the HUB NICOSIA Director. A youth trainer and facilitator, Ms Heracleous has accumulated experience in developing projects, educational material and facilitating youth training relevant to sustainable development, including human rights, peace and conflict resolution, responsible production and consumption, and sustainable cities and communities. She suggests that of the most important challenges related to sustainable urban mobility in Nicosia and Cyprus, relate to the lack of appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes, so as to instil a mindset related to sustainability. Despite Cyprus being a small island, there is a tradition of using private cars for transport, and public transport is only improving in recent decades; therefore it was not the preferred option. Other green, sustainable transport means, including bicycles, are gaining preference, but there is a lack of infrastructure to support such lifestyle choices. Hub Nicosia, is one of the NGOs trying to advocate for sustainable urban mobility and development. Working on the field, it offers training, initiates programs locally and supports other NGOs and individuals working for a greener Cyprus. The organisation does not count on public funding/government funds to implement local initiatives, but instead operates on the basis of European Funding Programmes to be sustained. However, the NGO has an extended network of local partners and stakeholders, with which they collaborate to reach beneficiaries, implement activities, events, and training as part of the European funded projects. These stakeholders include universities (public and private), municipalities from across Cyprus, community associations, other NGOs, and numerous organisations, including the Youth Board of Cyprus. Some of the projects relevant to the field of sustainable urban mobility, Green Deal and the SDGs, include: Fairpreneurs (Ethical, Green, Youth Entrepreneurship Education) Empowers youth educators to nurture the next generation of ethical entrepreneurs. We guide them in fostering sustainable businesses that align with the SDGs. By bridging knowledge gaps and developing entrepreneurial skills, we aim to heighten awareness of social and environmental sustainability in entrepreneurship. https://fairpreneurs.eu/ European Volunteers for the Environment The European Volunteers for the Environment project aims to engage young people to understand, learn and take action for the environment and the fight against climate change. The partners of this project will achieve this by communicating the different aspects of the Green Deal through pedagogical processes and enabling volunteering missions. The project is coordinated by Pistes Solidaires, France, and brings together organisations from Cyprus, Italy, and Greece. https://www.volunteers4environment.eu/ BC4ESE (Building capacities for innovation in the eco-social entrepreneurship education) The partners on this project aim to establish an innovative framework for the intersectoral eco-social development that will allow local associations and young people to actively contribute to smart, sustainable and inclusive development of targeted areas in Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, Belgium and Cyprus. This will in turn enhance the partner’s capacity to develop and implement meaningful high-quality digital youth work that teaches and promotes eco social entrepreneurship in partner countries. https://ecosocent.eu/ Me.green "me.green" project aims to provide, through the work of a transnational team, a coherent set of information to help young people develop a mentality and a proactive attitude oriented towards the goal of a sustainable Europe. “me.green” project aims to: *increase the European identity among young people by promoting youth mobility, *promote the exchange of good practices (small local practices, sustainable use of water, recycling and reuse of waste, expenditure on KM0 etc.), *activate information / training cycles on sustainable development among young people as a matter of strategic importance for humanity, as highlighted by the UN program., *Promote an entrepreneurial mentality of young people starting from the concepts of European citizenship, active citizenship and cooperation The partnership consists of partners from Italy, Cyprus, Belgium and Turkey. https://me.green/ 21C-SDG The project objective is to increase pupils’ skills and competences in 21st century skills with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as the framework. The digital materials will focus on developing critical thinking skills, creativity, problem solving skills and digital competencies such as media literacy in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Combining 21st century skills and UN SDG’s provides a perfect opportunity for pupils to develop critical thinking, problem solving, entrepreneurship and digital competences while working with real world issues such as pollution, water contamination, equality, etc. Countries involved: Denmark, Cyprus, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, The Republic of North Macedonia. https://www.facebook.com/21CSDG/