Through the art of their sculptural creations, the students of the Lyceum Apostolos Loukas, in Kolossi, are calling for an end to the abuse of children and for peace in the world, who called on the Minister of Justice to convey the messages and for the state to do the right thing to be heard and to have a result.
"These things are around us, they are heard, but nothing is being done about it" said, referring to sexual abuse, a final year student to the Minister of Justice Marios Hartsiotis after the inauguration of the children's sculpture park in the courtyard of the high school, the first pan-European park student art on human rights.
The students declared that they were "deeply moved" by all that they experienced, together with their responsible Art teacher, Popi Nikolaou, and explained to the Minister who performed the opening last Friday, April 12 on behalf of the PtD, what they learned about the each subject – right that each of the sculptures dealt with. The girls expressed their preference for the "All Mouths Closed" project on sexual abuse. "It is unthinkable to abuse a soul. It is not possible that there are so many wars around us and we do nothing. We became very aware of all this, thanks to Mrs. Popi Nikolaou. We now see more positives. That we can change the world all together" they said.
The students asked the Minister of Justice to do everything possible "to stop these problems. It's not something positive."
"Double congratulations" Mr. Hartsiotis gave them because, as he said, "you are to be praised for a miracle" explaining that while "we hear and see so much these days, people like you promote the defense of human rights. You are one of the strong shields for the war and the slide that we have had in recent years in all institutions and at some levels of human rights."
The state, he said, is sensitive to the issue of human rights, gender equality and the fight that "every day we all have to fight against sexual abuse, violence - whether it's physical or psychological." He explained that the Government is taking many actions and will take even more because "we don't want these phenomena to catch up with us, we want to catch up with them. Whether they are children, or women, or people in general."
He called the students "heroines" because in the last few days, while everyone is saddened by what is happening in schools, he saw the youth resisting with the creations of art, the sculptures, which "make us all proud, not only as objects, but as a thought and philosophy".
He invited them to continue strongly, saying that "you put a stone at the bottom of the well that does not exist, as you said. Whatever you want, the state is by your side." And the conversation with the schoolgirls ended with laughter at the question if they know where the Minister's office is to visit him and Mr. Hartsiotis to invite them.
Every project an emotion: the experience of female students
"Each project creates a different feeling for you and that's why we did them. To give strong messages to the world, messages of love. That the world should not have injustices", Konstantina, a final student, who participated both in the creation of some sculptures and in the action of the opening ceremony, told KYPE. "We feel angry that there are wars, it is unacceptable that people sexually abuse children," she said describing some of her feelings, with Konstantina noting however that the final message "is positive." The work that touched her the most was the broken wall with the message "break the silence" and the small children coming out of the house "where this evil is happening".
They feel grateful to their teacher. "Two years passed too quickly. It sensitized us, it made us care more about the world, to feel more about what is happening," he said.
Elina, also a high school senior, also commented on how many new, interesting things they learned through experience and creation. Each project, he explained, required a lot of study and discussion. They learned from how a sculpture is technically made to what the human rights aspect it reflected was about. Her favorite is also "All mouths closed" which started its creation last year and was completed this year.
Sofia, a sophomore, said it was very moving to learn all the messages behind all the sculptures and she feels grateful to have helped create some of the sculptures. And her favorite "All mouths closed".
It is the most emotional, the girls said of their shared preference and explained how hard they worked to make this project to fight child sexual abuse possible.
Konstantina, Elina and Sofia also sent a message to their teacher and said they were proud of her. "Keep doing what you're doing. To make other generations of students very happy, to make them like school and want to come every day. To feel that they are creating something," Elina said. It gave life to many children of our age, said Konstantina, noting the connection of children with works, nature, creation. "To continue to inspire because at the end of the day what remains are the experiences and that we did this as a team. It's a team thing. You are not an individualist," he said.
The younger Sofia is sad that Mrs. Nikolaou will be leaving the Lyceum of Apostolou Louka. "But while they were here, they were the best years of my life. May Popi continue to be herself and do what pleases her in life."
"Let's shed light"
"How can you be inspired by human rights?" we asked the director and choreographer of the small performance at the opening ceremony and student of Popi Nikolaou until 2006, Haris Christodoulou. "Of course you can. It's a big spectrum that afflicts society today and we have to touch it and bring it out in order to give the right messages, through perhaps some dark images through what's happening." And this, he said, "to shed light and send the right messages".
The students who participated in the event were from the Apostolou Loukas High School and almost half of them did not even know how to dance, but they learned.
"To protect the works"
Through Art, which is not a conventional course, you can channel ideally in a more creative way, said Popi Nikolaou. "Art is not just a lesson, it is a means to make a small revolution and pass a huge message through the new generation. In essence, you are creating new citizens who see things with more knowledge", said the Art teacher to KYPE, who sent a message to those who have the responsibility "to protect the children's park".
The works in the park include "Invisible", which is about women's freedom of existence and expression, on the occasion of the execution of Iranian Mahsa Amini, "Fallen Angels", which deals with human trafficking and seeing minors, "All mouths closed » on the sexual abuse of children.
Also the play "The children want peace", deals with the need for peace in the world, "Lymbourka", which likens the Cypriots to ants that when united, despite being small, are strong, "Hus and anir" about the relationship of man with nature, as we come from soil and water and end up in soil.
Even "I forgot how honey is made" which refers to the goddess Earth and the importance of the bee in the ecosystem, the project "In Cyprus the miracle still works" created in 2013 after the financial crisis and depicting a cross that everyone carried then but and society.
It should be noted that the award-winning project "The Immigrants" is kept in a museum in Nicosia.
Professors of various specialties such as Greek and English philologists, professors of technology, music, IT, etc. collaborated for the projects.
Source: KYPE