MULTIPLE STORIES: The 'crossings' as part of citizens' reconciliation efforts in Cyprus?1 Part of this paper was presented at the international Education and Research Association conference held in Nicosia Cyprus, August 2005

This article discusses the dynamics of 'crossings' across the Green Line in Cyprus from a social-psychological and reconciliation perspective. I will present individual stories of crossing the divide and meeting the Other after 30 years of mutual isolation in order to illustrate the Cypriot experience. In ethno-national conflicts and in divided societies, maintaining contact across ethnic, religious or geographical barriers is important because it helps soften stereotypes and misperceptions and gradually complicates the 'enemy image'; however, without institutional support these contacts can reconfirm old stereotypes or misperceptions. The opportunity to cross the Green Line and establish contacts between the two communities has been given to Cypriots since April 2003 and has been welcomed by the European Union and the international community. In this article I argue that, whereas these contacts form part of the public reconciliation process and constitute an element of informal peace education and narrative, they will not suffice to bring about sustainable peace and reconciliation unless supported by the political level-symbolically as well as institutionally. I define reconciliation as the capacity to reach to the Other, feel empathy for the Other's suffering and, by engaging in shared social activities, challenge the bipolarity of 'us and them'. The challenge remains of how to incorporate these 'new realities and stories' in the information that makes up the master narrative. To do this it would entail official engagement in a new dialogue about history making.