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Friends of Karpaz, North Cyprus

Started in 2004 the North Cyprus Friends of Karpaz Association is comprised of local residents and other interested parties who wish to protect the much coveted Karpaz region in North Cyprus. For many years now the area has been home to the rural way of Cypriot life and is one of the most ecologically diverse areas of the island of Cyprus. Friends of Karpaz will do its best to keep it just that way.

In conjunction with the Management Centre, an NGO organisation involved in helping civil society, members were sought from local areas within the Karpaz to help launch the association. Their mission was to create more awareness of the historical, environmental and also the cultural richness of the region. The awareness factor is not just focussed locally either and is equally aimed at an international level through lobbying and advocating of this truly diverse area.

As an association they are also non profit making, certainly non-political and are determined to influence the powers that be that there is room for sustainable rural development which can benefit North Cyprus as a whole. Many holiday makers the world over are choosing to look for unique and culturally rich holiday experiences and Friends of Karpaz aim to provide for that whilst convincing local authorities that there is a market out there.

The Association isn’t just about eco-tourism in North Cyprus, it also aims to help and provide for the local community. Sadly in remote rural areas, people are leaving to find work in larger towns and cities due to shortages in local employment.  Friends of Karpaz works with locals to offer alternative solutions that will enable them to continue their way of life.  These include ideas such as crop farming initiatives, introducing community activities which involve and help support local women and the continuation of local labour through the younger generations.

Local community events are also another way of involving the local community with initiatives such as tree planting which have proved to be very successful. Festivals such as the North Cyprus Büyükkonuk Eco-Festival and the promotion of all things associated with Turkish Cypriot culture such as folk dancing, crafts, cuisine and local skills are also something which the association is keen to promote which  can also benefit the local community.

The ultimate aim for the future is to open a Karpaz Cultural Centre where anyone can visit to find out more about the flora and fauna of the Karpaz, local initiatives, future events being held and much more.   Already, together with fund raising and donations from organisations such as the UNDP (United Nations Development Projects), they have been able to open an office in Pamuklu village which functions as an operations centre and meeting place.

Again other aims are to open more traditional style tourist accommodation such as pensions and small bed and breakfasts which can offer locallygrown produce within their menus as part of an overall cultural holiday.  These ideas will help to promote local culture and should go some way to further protect the environment from pollution created by the larger hotel complexes.

If you would like to find out more about the association, its members, mission and plans for the future then please visit the Friends of Karpaz website for more information. Also, if you are able to offer any spare time to volunteer then they would love to hear from you.  You can also become a member too or even visit their own Friends of Karpaz Facebook Group!

There are many more groups and charities in North Cyprus, all aiming in their own way to protect the beauty and uniqueness of this wonderful place on earth, and you can read about most of them by clicking the link above!