Raised apart, speaking together | Andrea Constantinou & Fezile Osum | TEDxEEB3 Youth

Two Cypriot lawyers, Andrea Constantinou and Fezile Osum, reflect on growing up in a divided capital, where the narratives they were taught stood in opposition to each other. Both studied law in the UK and now work on EU law and policy in Brussels. Through dialogue, friendship and their shared collective space in Brussels, Gaïles, they describe how they found a common voice and story. The talk questions the official narratives that shaped their understanding of each other and their homeland, and considers identity, reconciliation and rewriting inherited stories.

• Two Cypriot lawyers raised on different sides of a divided capital
• Conflicting histories and inherited narratives growing up
• Friendship, dialogue and the collective space Gaïles in Brussels
• Themes of identity, reconciliation and rewriting inherited stories

In this session, Andrea and Fezile take the audience on a personal journey through their lives as Cypriots born and raised in a divided city. Both lawyers who studied in the UK and now work on EU law and policy in Brussels, they share many professional and personal experiences. Yet the narratives they were taught growing up stood in direct opposition to one another. Raised on different sides of a divided capital, they were shaped by conflicting histories and inherited truths. Through dialogue, friendship, and the creation of their collective space in Brussels — Gaïles — they discovered a shared voice and a collective story. Together, they challenge the official narratives that have long shaped and limited their understanding of each other and their homeland, offering a powerful reflection on identity, reconciliation, and the courage to rewrite inherited stories. An EU lawyer Human rights lawyer specialized in migration and gender equality This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx