Greeting by Stefanos Stefanou, General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL at the “Phyllosha” Environment and Culture Festival

 

Saturday 18 September 2021, the community of Agii Vavatsinias

Dear friends,

Welcome to Phylloshia.

Now that the spotlights have been turned off, now that the big empty talk has ceased, we are back here again in the region to give breath to the life that was burned away in the devastating fires of last July.

We are back here again in the fire-ravaged areas, as we have been here since the very first moment the fires broke out.

We are returning here again, as we have returned several times in a short space of time with big delegations from the Party and the People’s Movement, to meet with the affected residents and working people in the area.

We come here often and will continue to come here to convey our practical support and solidarity with the residents of the area. Today’s Festival has this character and conveys this message. We know that the damage done is extensive and that it will not be easily and quickly healed. It will take a lot of effort, but we will be here to continue and complete this effort. To bring life and a perspective back to the region.

We know and acknowledge the pain of the people who have seen their fields, lives and their work up in flames and burned. We know that they live every day with the memory of that nightmare and its painful consequences on the microclimate, daily life and on agricultural work.

Last July’s fire has been recorded as the most destructive forest fire in our country’s modern history. However, the most tragic aspect of the unspeakable disaster is the loss of four of our fellow human beings. It is the destruction of many properties, the severe damage to electricity and water supplies, the loss of livestock, the destruction of farms and local crafts and businesses.

We will be here to continue to monitor whether the promises made by the government and relevant state agencies are being implemented.

We will continue to consistently and continuously raise the problems with the relevant authorities through meetings, petitions, letters and utilizing the procedures of parliamentary control.

The scrutiny we will continue to exercise will not only include the commitments made, the implementation of which is a priority. It also includes the promotion of policies and measures that will develop a comprehensive preventive policy, as well as an adequate infrastructure that includes all the necessary means, structures and procedures that will allow for a speedy and effective response to fires.

The reality is that the fires of last summer have revealed once again many weaknesses, inefficiencies and shortcomings of the whole system, which were made even worse by the erroneous political choices made. They revealed the delays in decision-making, but also their implementation. And as the fires here in the region have shown, procrastination is costly.

We are therefore sounding the alarm, because three months after the fires, the recommendations of the Scientific Committee on post-fire disasters and risks, particularly those concerning erosion and flooding, have not been implemented. It is imperative that the erosion and flood protection works are completed and the ecosystem restored.

The area must be restored to its previous state as soon as possible. Absolute priority must be given to prevention, on a risk-by-risk basis, using all available resources and purchasing modern and appropriate equipment, following a detailed analysis of specific needs.

Training and enlightenment is needed in schools, specific population groups and the general population. It is essential to organise and utilise voluntary organisations, which are anxiously seeking a substantive role and which can get involved and contribute to the issues of emergency, response and rehabilitation.

The prediction is that hot summers in the coming decades will occur more and more frequently in Cyprus due to climate change. This means a greater risk of more frequent fires, followed by floods, landslides and disasters. We need to prepare by upgrading the resilience of all our systems, especially infrastructures.

What we do or do not do now will determine our lives in the next ten years. We in AKEL choose to get things done, we choose to act. With initiatives like today’s, with continuous political action both inside and outside the Parliament for a comprehensive plan, for prevention and risk management.

What ultimately matters is what we leave behind. So what do we want to leave our children and grandchildren, other than towers, shopping malls, concrete and iron? We want to leave clean air, clean water, humane life, a clean environment and a life-giving culture.

We want to leave our children a better Cyprus. Tonight’s initiative is a small beginning. It is our wish and goal that more initiatives and actions will follow. We, at least, will continue along this line and we hope to find more imitators.

Today’s event is dedicated to the environment and culture, which are two of the main pillars of life. The choice of the community Agioi Vavatsinias is not accidental, since it is the birthplace of Manos Loizou, whose 39th anniversary of his death was marked yesterday. Manos Loizos created his own history with his music and lyrics, contributing to the struggles for a better life and a better society. I don’t think there could be a better place and a better opportunity to remember him tonight.

We thank the community of Agioi Vavatsinias and of course the community leader – who so willingly supported and embraced our initiative, as well as all the communities and community leaders in the region.

I would like to thank the artists for the cultural programme and all the producers who are participating in our Festival.