Motherhood, politics and communication with Deniz Birinci
Deniz is a Turkish Cypriot mother and communication expert with years of experience in the politics of the island. I invited her on the show after she posted on social media, her 8-year old daughter speaking both Greek and Turkish. This post came after news broke that there were talks amongst both communities and groups actively involved with bi-communal work, to introduce both languages to primary schools. Nationalist parties and individuals rallied against this initiative leaving people and mothers like Deniz and myself wondering how we will ever unify our island and our children. Today on the show, Deniz speaks about her decision to raise a bi-communcal child, who attends a Greek Cypriot public school and the challenges they face. We also talk about our leaders, how to communicate better and fight the hate we see and our roles as mothers raising children on a divided island.
Mentioned in the podcast:
- Solo in Greek on the attack of the Imagine project.
- Interview in Greek with Skevi Koukouma on the 1974 rapes.
- Mothers for Peace - A discussion
Deniz's recommendations for those interested in bicommunal groups:
- Songbirds Intercommunal Choir for kids which is absolutely free of charge and where kids learn our most Cypriot songs in both official languages.
- UWC Cyprus for High school students and youth in general who would like to have an amazing high school experience abroad and bicommunal groups like Hade.
- For middle aged and above, Enorasis Social Club where they explore bicommunally our island and beyond.
- For women, the bicommunal women's network under the auspices of the Irish embassy.
- For those in politics, become a part of the Ledra Palace bicommunal parties network under the auspices of the Slovak Embassy.
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The Mamma Mu podcast is supported by the Limassol Therapy Center, a space where therapists offer a range of treatment options including therapy, family therapy and parenting support.
The Mamma Mu podcast is also supported by Wiggle, Cyprus' first female sexual wellness store.