By Michalis Sophocleous
The fire in Limassol was a painful tragedy. We mourned lives lost, saw hundreds of people lose their homes and dreams. We witnessed the destruction of a beautiful part of our country; the social, economic, and environmental consequences will haunt us for decades. And yet, as painful as it was, this tragedy also illuminated another, moving and precious aspect of Cypriot society: self-initiative, empathy, solidarity. The power of “we” when everything around collapses.
It may sound somewhat cynical, but natural disasters are bound to happen. You can’t always prevent the dramatic consequences of an earthquake, a flood, or a fire. In an organized state, however, the government inspires trust by being prepared in advance and doing everything humanly possible to protect the lives and property of its citizens, with society standing alongside it to support it. In Cyprus, the opposite happened recently. When the state machinery faltered, essentially throwing in the towel during those critical hours, the people of Cyprus rose up, self-organized, and, to a large extent, took on the role of substitute. The state was paralyzed; society functioned.
It was the mayors who voluntarily evacuated communities, the residents who, after helping the most vulnerable escape, built firebreaks and assisted in firefighting, the trained volunteers who rushed in unbidden to help. It was the countless companies and organized bodies that, without hesitation, opened supermarkets, hotels, stores, and gas stations, putting every imaginable product and service at the disposal of the emergency effort, regardless of cost.
Some might say that these things are more or less expected in Cyprus. What was by no means guaranteed, perhaps unimaginable to some, was the mobilization of young people, volunteer organizations, informal groups, and ordinary citizens within mere hours. All those who coordinated aid missions through social media, filled stadiums, warehouses, and trucks with essential supplies, offered homes to host the displaced, cooked, carried, and stood by those in need. Those who still today rush to clean up and restore, as best they can, affected communities and support their residents.
It was not only the speed and scope of the mobilization that impressed, it was the ethos and conscience behind it. Not for show. Not for a like or a story. But because Cypriots felt it was self-evident; it flowed spontaneously from their hearts. Even people who had never spoken a word about public affairs were activated: entrepreneurs and laborers, young and old, mothers, children, models and influencers, organized sports fans who usually clash in stadiums, and youth from political party branches who argue in auditoriums, all found themselves holding each other’s hands and creating an extraordinary chain of humanity, immense in size and effectiveness.
This is not merely consolation. It is hope. Cyprus still carries within it the seed of solidarity and collective conscience. Not always visible, not always organized, but real. And, most importantly, it has young people who are not passive observers. They are not “comfortable,” “indifferent,” or “apolitical,” as some accuse them of being. They are people thirsty for participation, action, and substance. When given space and incentive, they do not hesitate to take responsibility and act.
The truth confirmed by the fire is that society has never stopped caring. It was simply tired of hoping for leaders who do not inspire or guide; who ask for applause instead of companions; who settle for power rather than see it as a weighty responsibility; who believe the people only need grand announcements, smiles, and handshakes, instead of vision, planning, and the courage to build a better country.
This is what people grew weary of. This is what the young grew weary of and they turn their backs on their leaders. That is why so many of our fellow citizens abstain from elections; that is why they vote for “Fidias”; that is why they do whatever can shake a system stuck in stagnation. It is a constant cry of desperation, hoping the system might change.
Hope exists. We found it again in the ashes. In all these acts that reminded us that our country is not only its institutions, it is, above all, its people. People, however, who deserve leaders who believe in them, stand with them, and fight alongside them. Leaders whom they can trust again.
This opinion was translated from its Greek original.
