Keti Clerides

Katherine Clerides, also Keti Clerides, (, born London, May 10, 1949) is an activist for the peaceful reunification of Cyprus. She is Honorary President of the Board of the Glafcos Clerides Institute in Cyprus and a former MP in the House of Representatives, Cyprus. She was the first woman to be elected as vice-president of the Democratic Rally party (2003-2007) and the first Secretary of the Women's Organization of her party. She has been a member of the Cyprus Conflict Resolution Trainers Group which is thought to have helped to start the peace movement in Cyprus. She is known for her decades of work on the rights of women and girls in Cyprus and for her inter-community and reconciliation work on the divided island. She is a barrister-at-law and a citizen peace-builder. In 2016 she became a JAMS Weinstein Senior Fellow in recognition of her contribution to the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), having participated in conflict resolution workshops, organized by the Fulbright Commission, for Greek and Turkish Cypriots working for the reconciliation and reunification of the island. She is married to Costas Shammas, an accountant and peace activist. Early life and education. Katherine Clerides is the daughter of Glafcos Clerides (1919-2013), who was President of the Republic of Cyprus from 1993 to 2003, and Lilla Erulkar (1921-2007). She is the granddaughter of Ioannis Clerides, former Mayor of Nicosia. Clerides has qualifications in Sociology, (Bedford College, London University), Political Science, (New York University) and Law (Gray's Inn, London). Political and community career Clerides worked at the Department of Statistics and Research of the Republic of Cyprus from1970 to1971 and at the Centre for Social Research from1972 to 1974. From 1975 to 1977 she worked at the International Federation of Family Planning in London. From 1980 to1991 she was a legal advisor to the Bank of Cyprus. In 1974 she took on the duties of press representative at the Cyprus Press and Information Office, informing foreign journalists about the Cyprus issue and the problems of refugees. Clerides was an MP for the Nicosia district of Cyprus for two terms between 1991 and 2003, and was also a substitute candidate from 2004 to 2006. She founded and was the head of the Secretariat of Community Outreach and Civil Society Empowerment of the Democratic Rally party (DISY) of Cyprus.