OUR STORY

Founded in 2002, SYNTHESIS began with the belief that social change starts with the individual. It was perhaps one of the first enterprises that ever started with social inclusion as one of its main priorities.

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Over the past two decades, SYNTHESIS has evolved into one of Cyprus’ leading organizations in social entrepreneurship and social innovation. Leading not because of its size but because of being bold enough to challenge traditional systems. In early 2003, it designed and run the pioneering project "Social Skills and Healthier Self Esteem" (SHE). SHE was the first European project to incorporate self-esteem within an educational context. SHE introduced "social circles"as a learning environment and placed emphasis on human qualities for facilitators and trainers, rather than mere academic qualifications.

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By 2010, SYNTHESIS was helping shape a new conversation that connected enterprises with social purpose. It organized Cyprus’s first Conference on Social Entrepreneurship, before the financial crisis had reached Cyprus, and much before "social entrepreneurship" became the buzz word of today. 

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In 2013, SYNTHESIS was the first enterprise to have an office in the United Nations area of Nicosia, reaching both Cypriot communities across the dividing line, focusing on entrepreneurship and leadership development where others focused on the political problem of the country.

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In 2015, it founded Hub Nicosia, a coworking space and a hub for social innovation, which in 2018 was established as non-for-profit entity.

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In 2019, the Social Café was born, an initiative that aims at the empowerment and social integration of migrants and refugees.  Launched through the PandPas project (2017–2019), it continues today as a lasting example of sustainability beyond the end of its funding cycle.

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Two decades on, SYNTHESIS stands among Cyprus’s leading organizations in social innovation and entrepreneurship, partnering across Europe to advance inclusion, sustainability, and well-being.