Conferences, reporting, and culture – Josefina’s autumn as an intern in Nicosia

Our intern Josefina has worked at the Embassy of Finland in Nicosia and lived in the interesting city for three months. Josefina shares experiences of her autumn, which has included many events, reporting, and travelling around the island after the ease of the Covid restrictions.

I arrived to Cyprus at the end of September, and shortly after arrival, I started working at the Embassy in Nicosia. The timing was great since the weather had turned chilly in Finland, but in Cyprus, the best weather was just ahead after the hottest period of the year. In addition, the timing of my internship was fortunate because most events related to work as well as free time were organized physically as the local Covid restrictions had recently been eased.

I am graduating soon from an interdisciplinary Master’s program in Intercultural Encounters at the University of Helsinki. In Cyprus, I have received important experience concerning several themes related to my studies, such as international politics, conflict and peacebuilding, as well as refugees and human rights. The internship has turned out to be rewarding and it suited well to my studies and areas of interest.

A versatile internship experience and a vantage point to international politics and diplomatic relations

The personnel of the Embassy in Nicosia has welcomed me warmly. I have felt as an equal part of the international, heartfelt, and home-like work community of the Embassy. I have received supportive guidance and I have been trusted enough to work rather independently. For an intern, the advantage of working in a small embassy is that there is an opportunity to participate in various kinds of events and briefings as well as report on various topics.

During the internship, I have participated in events and conferences dealing with e.g. the Cyprus question, climate change and security, refugee integration, EU politics, gender equal foreign politics, and the religious heritage of Cyprus. I am especially thankful for the opportunity to report on topics that are of particular professional interest to me, such as gender equality and the participation of women in the Cyprus peace process. Moreover, my skills on social media and communication have strengthened during the internship.

I have had the opportunity to meet many Finns and Cypriots working in interesting local and international settings. In addition to diplomats, it has been extremely interesting to hear about the work of e.g. politicians, civil society actors, and UNFICYP and other UN professionals on the island. Moreover, the Finnish Independence Day receptions in Nicosia and Limassol as well as the concert by the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra interpreting Sibelius were memorable experiences for me.

Intern Josefina Kuusikallio, Ambassador Harri Mäki-Reinikka, Former Foreign Minister of Cyprus Dr. Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, and First Secretary of the Permanent Representation of Finland in the UN Sanna Orava at the residence of the Ambassador.

Unique everyday life on an interestingly located divided island

I was on Erasmus-exchange in Greece a few years back, and like many others, I imagined Cyprus being similar to Greece. After arriving, I was glad to declare the presumption as a mistake. From cultures to people, ethnic communities and the languages they speak and the religions they practice, food, architecture and history, Cyprus is everything but Greece. In my experience, Cyprus is a proper meeting point of Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Life in Nicosia, a city divided by the conflict between two communities, is unique. The conflict is frozen and fortunately there is no immediate threat of violence, but the Cyprus question remains notably present in the politics and everyday life on the island. On my free time, I was lucky for getting to know Cypriots coming from different backgrounds – people from the south, the north, as well as the official ethnic minorities of the island – and to hear their views on the current situation and the future of the island. Moreover, during my internship, crossing the Green line was easier than a while back due to the ease of Covid restrictions, and I had the chance to explore the north of the island concretely.

The location of Cyprus as an EU country geographically in the Middle East at the frontier of migration towards Europe is visible in everyday life as different impressions. Moreover, in Nicosia and in all over the island, there are countless landmarks from the different historical eras and rulers. These could be explored for a much longer time than three months. With InterCity-buses, I was able to explore the different areas of the island relatively easy and to swim in the turquoise sea. For a Finn, swimming in the cool water was not impossible even at the end of November even if there was not a sauna close by.

I will miss many things from the Embassy as well as the whole city and the island. I will certainly cherish the experiences and encounters I had for a long time even if the Embassy and the Foreign Ministry are left behind for now. ευχαριστώ για όλα – thanks for everything!

In the monastery of Bélapaïs in Kyrenia in the north of Cyprus. The Premonstratensians founded the monastery in the 13th century.