This January, Cypriot radio stations Radyo Mayis and Radyo Astra were chosen to receive the famed Kutlu Adalı Award for Talk of the Island, a bi-communal radio program broadcast across Cyprus in both Greek and Turkish.

The Kutlu Adalı Award was created in memory of Cypriot journalist Kutlu Adalı, who was assassinated in 1996. The award is given every year by the Cypriot Press Laborers’ Union in recognition of media professionals working to promote peace in Cyprus.

Talk of the Island is the result of HasNa’s 2005 program implemented with the Management Centre located in north Cyprus and the Future Worlds Center (formerly the Center for Neuroscience and Technology Institute) in the south.  Talk of the Island aims to foster communication, understanding, and respect between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots by covering issues that affect both communities.  Through bilingual news, music, and discussions that include listeners from the north and south, the program uniquely enables Cypriots to interact and learn about one another across the “Green Line”.

Osman Kalfaoğlu (Radyo Mayıs) and Aral Moral (Radyo Astra) received the award in recognition of the bi-communal broadcast.  Speaking about the award, Osman Kalfaoğlu stated: “This is the first time [the Press Laborers’ Union] has awarded a bi-communal program.  We should encourage more bi-communal cooperation between journalists and explore ways to allow journalists to be able to exchange information daily across the divide.  There is a lot of misinformation about both communities reported in the media and if there was more cooperation between journalists, this could be prevented.”

Visit the Talk of the Island website to listen to live and past recorded airings of the award-winning program.

HasNa has implemented peacebuilding programs in Cyprus focusing on media and communications since 2002.  Click here to find out more about HasNa’s related Cyprus programs.