As part of the global UN campaign to #InvestInPeace, the youth in Cyprus are leading initiatives to showcase how shared actions can build the foundations for a more peaceful and sustainable future.
Sometimes, the most powerful connections are built not in meeting rooms, but on a simple bench, under a shared sky. This is the heart of BenchTalks, an initiative created by a group of young Cypriots including Sarah Hassan and Elias Kousoulos Kovachian through the UN Youth Champions for Environment and Peace programme.
Driven by a shared belief that caring for their island can bring people closer together, Sarah and Elias teamed up with peers to create a unique space for dialogue about the environment.
Their BenchTalks model is beautifully simple: To produce a podcast where participants, often from different communities, are paired to have one-on-one conversations on a bench placed inside the buffer zone. For their first edition, they invited experts to join the conversation.
“The environment feels like a powerful topic for Cypriots to work on together because it affects all of us,” Sarah explains. “It gives us a shared space to come together, take responsibility, and connect through action.” Elias adds, “environmental challenges don’t stop at crossing points.”
The BenchTalks experience reshaped their perspectives on peacebuilding: Sarah learned that “meaningful change often begins with simple conversations, and that creating space for dialogue can be just as powerful as taking action.” Elias saw the importance of sustaining such efforts: “I realised that in sensitive contexts, small initiatives are important, but real impact comes from sustaining them and consciously building toward something larger.”
Now, as UN Youth Champions for Environment and Peace, they carry this momentum forward: Sarah sees it as “a responsibility,” proving that “small, local actions can truly make a difference when people come together.” Elias feels tasked with "not just starting conversations but carrying them forward.”
Their hope? That more young people across Cyprus will continue creating welcoming spaces for dialogue, making cooperation feel natural when facing shared challenges. BenchTalks shows that when youth lead with purpose and empathy, even a simple bench can become a foundation for a more connected future.
The UN Youth Champions for Environment and Peace is an initiative supported by the British Council and several partners and underscores UNFICYP’s commitment to the Youth, Peace and Security agenda, recognising the indispensable role of young people as drivers of sustainable peace and environmental stewardship in Cyprus and around the world.
