About Us

Active Cypriot Programs and European Learning Into Acceptance (ACPELIA) was founded in Limassol, Cyprus in 2019. A part of the European Programs of Cultural Association NOSTOS Pissouriou has been transferred to a newly formed organization, the ACPELIA, which retains the same OLD and PIC numbers (Organisation is on the rural area of Cyprus with members from all over Cyprus and other Rural areas. Our organisation is in close cooperation with community councils of these areas). All members of the Cultural Association are also members of NGO ACPELIA. The main aim of the Organization is the rescue, preservation and transmission of cultural heritage, environmental sustainability, social and environmental entrepreneurship, social inclusion, and the elimination of discrimination and racism, as well as the opportunity for our members to engage in environmental, cultural, and sports-related activities, as well as issues of racism, equality, democracy, and discrimination. Cultural and Sporting activities promote social inclusion, human rights and assist in limiting generational discrimination. To promote the aforementioned important values, the association is organizing cultural, informative, educational and interactive activities for youth through the association's newly formed European Programs department. These activities include dancing, theatre, educational activities with games, and other performances in which young people can learn about issues affecting humanity through Non-Formal Education.

​

Our organisation is a volunteer organisation, which means that we have no paid staff however when we have approved projects in the areas in which we work, we enter into independent contracts with suitable youth workers, trainers, and project managers to carry out all of the activities outlined in these contracts. We have over 50 youth workers, learners, and group members who are willing to work with our organization are prepared to be employed in accordance with the requirements of each plan.

We are taking part and working in a lot of Erasmus Plus Program in a lot of ways:

1. As an applicant organisation, we provide all of our members with the opportunity to develop plans and implement them in any area of work with which we are involved. We want our members to be active citizens in Cyprus and throughout Europe as a result of this effort. 

2. As a partner organisation with numerous partners across all over Europe, we contribute to the implementation of KA204, KA205, and KA347 projects, according to the need of each plan. In this kind of project, (if there is a genuine need), we are attempting to establish independent contracts with our members so to motivate them to work on these plans and to acquire the necessary skills for organising and becoming successful trainers or leaders in the future. 

3. As a co-beneficiary organisation, the main reason we take part in this kind of project is that all these programs are usually KA105 (training's and youth exchanges). They clearly address the objectives of our own organization, and thus the primary reason we take part in them is to provide our members with an opportunity to see how other organisations work within the framework of Non-Formal Education and to instil a passion for this way of teaching in their own groups and life.

​

Where our name comes from?

"Aspelia" is an ancient name for Cyprus that was mentioned by the Latin writer Pliny in his work "Naturalis Historia" and is derived from Xenagoras, as he mentions. Numerous scholars have suggested that the correct name for the island should be "Ampelia," which implies that the island was overgrown with vines. We retained the name ASPELIA but changed the letter "s" to a "c" to accommodate acronyms that better describe our organization's objectives. As a result, the name ACPELIA was chosen, which stands for Active Cypriot Programs and European Learning Into Acceptance.

​

OUR LOGO

Our Logo is our identification. Through the logo, we represent our civilization, history, mythology, and Greek and European culture. At the bottom of our logo appear two olive branches. These olive branches represent the flag of Cyprus and peace. Additionally, they represent the olive wreath that the winners of the Olympic Games took for their victory. In the centre of the olive branches, there is a bronze talent. In ancient times, the island of Cyprus was named for bronze. Thus, Cyprus was named after the Latin word “CUPRUM,” which means bronze. Then, two olive branches are joined together with seven stars, the European Union's symbol. Also, the number of stars corresponds to the seven letters of our organization's name, its acronyms (A.C.P.E.L.I.A.). In the middle of the logo, there is a Centaur wearing a Greek helmet and holding a trident in his hands. Centaur was a mythical and powerful creature. His half body was that of a horse, while the other half was that of a man. The most famous centaur was ”Chiron”. The Greek helmet denotes the Greek identification of Cyprus. Concerning the trident, it was the symbol of the god Poseidon. Poseidon was the god of the sea and the journey. In ancient Greece, all sailors made sacrifices prior to embarking on their voyages to ensure a safe journey. Therefore, the trident in our logo represents our Erasmus plus journeys throughout Europe.