Salpy Eskidjian | BIO

Salpy Eskidjian Weiderud is one of the two architects of the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process under the Auspices of the Embassy of Sweden- (RTCYPP) which is an unprecedented peacebuilding initiative in Cyprus launched in 2009 and currently serves as the main facilitator of the religious leaders’ dialogue for peace in Cyprus. In her capacity as senior consultant for peacebuilding and human rights, Salpy has served as special advisor to a non governmental organization called Viva Rio in Brazil (2006); the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN-OHCHR) and facilitator for the Nicosia community leaders’ (mayors) joint meetings, (2014-2015). Since 2013 she has been appointed a member to the Governing Board of the Home for Cooperation and works closely with the civil society and international community in Cyprus.

From 2006-2007, Salpy was Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor for Church of Sweden, Norwegian Church Aid, DanChurchaid. (Focus on Human Rights, Peacebuilding and Security/ based first in Geneva, Switzerland and later in Uppsala, Sweden.) In 2005 she was invited to be the Special Representative of the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches to Jerusalem when initiated and set up the Jerusalem Ecumenical Center, based in Geneva- Switzerland and Jerusalem. From 1995 -2005, Salpy was the Programme Executive on International Affairs, Peace and Security (responsible for Middle East Policy, Disarmament and Peace building), for the World Council of Churches – Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (WCC/CCIA) based in Geneva – Switzerland. During this period she was Founder and Director of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) –The first ecumenical human rights accompaniment programme in Middle East working with Israelis and Palestinians. She headed the Election monitoring team of the WCC under the EU umbrella for the first Palestinian Elections and was one of the leaders of the WCC delegation to Iraq to monitor the Oil for Food programme and its humanitarian effects. Salpy was a founding member of the International Action Network on Small Arms and Light Weapons (IANSA) and initiated and led the Ecumenical Action Network Against Small Arms (ENSA). As the Executive Coordinator of the Programme to Overcome Violence (POV) of the WCC (1995-2000) she led it’s Peace to the City Campaign (1997-1998) and initiated and organized the WCC’s Decade to Overcome Violence: Churches Seeking Reconciliation and Peace (2000-2010). Salpy was the first young woman ever to serve as Programme Executive on Justice, Peace and Human Rights for The Middle East Council of Churches from 1989- 1994 based in Limassol-Cyprus where she set up the first human rights training programme for churches and church related agencies in the Middle East.

Salpy holds a Master’s diploma on Human Rights and Diplomacy from University of New South Wales, Australia, a Post Graduate Diploma on Development and Human Rights from the Graduate Institute in the Hague and a BA (Hons) in Sociology and Criminal Justice from The George Washington University in Washington D.C USA. She is a graduate of The English School, Nicosia – Cyprus.

Salpy speaks, English, Greek, Armenian, basic French & Swedish. She has taken introductory courses in Arabic & Spanish and is currently studying Turkish. Since 2010 Salpy is based in Nicosia – Cyprus.