Monocultural meetings should be a thing of the past as far as a Cyprus settlement is concerned. Yet in Britain in meetings held between the Government and Cypriots emphasis is often placed on meeting one community's needs separately before that of another. As you can imagine to achieve this, the Government  is often (perhaps rightly so) criticised for supporting one community's needs more than the other.

In some circumstances, Monocultural meetings can actually be useful if you are having a meeting specific to one community's needs. For instance, if the issue is the Turkish or Greek  language, or the educational needs of one community then these kinds of closed meetings are both useful and acceptable, but when addressing a solution for Cyprus, which has been a shared tragedy, and needs to be a shared solution that transcends communities, it is a poor strategy even if the underlying intention is of good will.

POSITIVE CLIMATE 
Regarded as the "Last hope" by former Republic of Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides, the need to find a solution in Cyprus now is one of urgency with cautious optimism. For the first time  there are two progressive leaders who both support reunification and who have a long history of positive relations.  With AKEL and CTP occupying position of power in the north and in the Republic, every Cypriot I interview now reveals they are hopeful of reaching a solution. "This time is different," I hear time and time again. More positively, this optimism seems to be shared by the UK Government whose Europe Minister Jim Murphy confirmed Britain's commitment to a solution in a half of British Turkish Cypriots last week.

To the pleasure of thousands of UK Cypriots, Mr Murphy said that there was no plan B or C, only a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation. Mr Murphy further impressed his audience when he said that he wished to see the empty chairs next to Turkish Cypriots filled by Greek Cypriots in the next meeting, but if the Government supports a bi-communal solution in Cyprus and supports bi-communal projects and meetings there, then it is only appropriate to ask, why does the Government not already practise bi-communalism in its own dealings with UK Cypriots?

NO SEGREGATION PLEASE!

Some contest that Greek and Turkish Cypriots are distinctly different communities with different languages and religions and therefore they should be addressed separately when the topic is Cyprus. As well as amounting to a policy of segregation, such a policy can be deceivingly counterproductive. First, the policy leaves the Government exposed to criticism of 'taking sides' and of uttering one message to one community and a different message to another. Second, the policy if it is deliberate gives the impression that the Cyprus problem is solely an ethnic conflict, while ignoring the political, philosophical and even ideological divisions within each respective community. Third, the policy goes against promoting a Cypriot voice and consciousness, regarded by many outsiders who want a just and principled settlement in Cyprus, and recently by former UN representative, Alvaro De Soto as essential to not only finding a sustainable peace but to nation building.

DIALOGUE 
Still some argue that both communities need to establish dialogue first before bi-communal meetings with the Government can become a reality.  [b]But what is meant by dialogue? I am curious as to why the Government believes this is not already occurring? Greek and Turkish Cypriots have already established dialogue in London for many years. The two main communities may have separate radio stations and newspapers owing to the differences in language but British Cypriots frequently meet to discuss and debate Cyprus politics. Parakiaki and Toplum Postasi newspapers have for years a friendly relationship unrivalled by other newspapers with both newspapers currently planning joint English pages. Meetings, discussions and even just casual informal meals have been routine for many years particularly amongst the progressive Left wing Cypriots. The Cypriot Centre in Wood Green run by Chris Stylianou has a Turkish Cypriot Secretary Hasan Raif and has organised bi-communal events for many years. The Cypriot Centre in Hackney too is Bicommunal, while the Southwark Cypriot Centre was set up by both ordinary Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

More recently British diaspora Cypriot groups have sprung up on the social network facebook and have seen thousands of Cypriots of all backgrounds join to enter discussion, such groups include "One Cyprus", "We are Cypriot" and even "North London Cypriots Unite." Some groups have even developed into real life groups. New mixed network groups like Cypriots for Cyprus (C4C), although not the first bi-communal groups have already established organized meetings, met MPs and agreed to speak with one Cypriot voice! There are many other associations and groups to whom I apologise for not having the space to include them in this writing.

Sadly, I am not convinced the Government are aware of this reality. To my disappointment, I was informed that Ms Ryan made assertions that it was acceptable to meet Cypriots separately. Although, I believe Ms Ryan meant no malice; it would have been far more constructive for her as the Prime Minister's Special Cyprus Representative to follow Mr Murphy's line more by actively promoting meetings between both communities. Bi-communal meetings can be just as useful and informative in London as they can in Nicosia. But perhaps Ms Ryan was thinking of Northern Ireland.

OWN MODEL

While I am not opposed to drawing lessons from other world models, the Government should not rely on Northern Ireland as a model to comprehend Cyprus and Cypriots. Cyprus is its own model. Among Cypriots, there are Cypriots as well as Greek and Turkish Cypriots. The Government should not categorize people or force them to go against their convictions by joining one group or another. Furthermore, while Northern Ireland and Cyprus can both be defined as bi-communal bi-communalism is much broader in Cyprus than in Northern Ireland. An anachronism that is increasingly challenged today, Cypriot minorities such as the Latins, Maronites, Armenians and Roma are included within this bi-communalism as either Greek or Turkish Cypriots. Unlike Northern Ireland, Cyprus also has new realities, such as a large new immigrant / settler community.  There are now Turks and Kurds from Turkey in the north, Sri Lankans, Thai, Pontians, Eastern Europeans and Filipino immigrants in the South not to mention more recent Syrians and Iraqis and British home owners. In the Republic nearly 110,000 people and in the north some 140,000 belong to any of these 'lesser' groups. With up to 250,000 new comers nobody should be encouraging monocultural meetings for the future of what is increasingly a multicultural Cyprus.

PROMOTE UNITY

But some say it is not the Government's job to bring Cypriots together. I agree UK Cypriot communities should and must try to engage with one another without a helping hand from Government. In many respects, Cypriots for Cyprus (C4C), a new network of Cypriots of all backgrounds has been designed for that very purpose.  But such efforts must also be backed by the Government.

Engaging and enrolling all Cypriots into the future of the island is essential to eliminate accusations that the Government are taking sides or transmitting messages that are different to each community. Eliminating the need for organising one group to match the other, a policy that can be likened to divide and rule, encouraging Cypriots in Britain to attend meetings together will be a useful way to further dialogue and encourage Cypriots to reach consensus. Encouraging Cypriots to speak with a single voice, which is necessary to develop a Cypriot consciousness is a sensible approach to complement the peace process led by the United Nations in Cyprus. The Government whose policy is a reunited Cyprus should import that policy in the way it treats diasporic Cypriots in Britain. As Ms Ryan herself said, diaspora Cypriots can play a key role to help the peace process in Cyprus. The Government should consider Bicommunal meetings with the Minister and the Prime Minister's Cyprus Representative as an opportunity to add weight to the Government's own policy on Cyprus.