An award ceremony took place on Friday in honor of the Cypriot students who created the art project “Immigrants”, which is among the 50 winners of the European Citizen`s Prize 2016 of the European Parliament.
The art project `Immigrants` highlights the struggle of immigrants and underlines the need to build a new Europe focused on solidarity.
The event, which took place in the students` school, the Apostolos Loucas lyceum in Kolossi, in the Limassol district, was attended by Minister of Education and Culture Kostas Kadis, who said that through their project, the students, acting as active citizens, convey their concerns about the humanitarian problem of the refugees.
Kadis congratulated the students and their art teacher and noted that the art project, which demonstrates the harsh reality of the refugees, will also be displayed in the Council of Europe in Strassbourg during the current Cyprus Presidency.
The event, which was organized by the European Parliament`s office in Cyprus, was also addressed by Head of the European Parliament`s office in Cyprus, Andreas Kettis, and Cypriot MEPs Neoclis Sylikiotis, Takis Hadjigeorgiou and Lefteris Christoforou who spoke about the significance of the project and congratulated the students and their teachers on the lessons of solidarity they conveyed through their project. It was also addressed by the school principal Athena Onoufriou, the art teacher Popi Nicolaou, and on behalf of the students, Annita Yianni.
The school, the students and their art teacher received medals of honour.
The Group of 40 students was proposed by Cypriot MEPs Neoklis Sylikiotis (GUE) and Takis Hadjigeorgiou (GUE).
The European Parliament has honoured 50 people and organisations from 26 EU countries with this year`s Citizen`s Prize for their contribution to European cooperation and the promotion of common values. The jury, headed by Parliament Vice-President Sylvie Guillaume, selected the 2016 laureates after a consultation of the 79 proposals that made it through to the national juries.
The national award ceremonies will be followed by a central ceremony, to be held in October 2016 in the Parliament in Brussels.
Since 2008, the prize has been awarded to citizens or organisations who have contributed to promoting better mutual understanding and closer integration between citizens or who have facilitated cross-border or transnational cooperation within the EU.
CNA/SK/AAR/MM/2016
