New book by ex-diplomat from Lake Barrington describes a unique cultural exchange

For 52 years, the Fulbright Commission on Cyprus brought together Greek and Turkish Cypriots as one of the only bicommunal organizations on the island. The conflict between the Greek and Turkish sides of the island continues to this day, but throughout the commission’s decadeslong tenure, it bridged divisions and brought educational opportunities for Cypriots on both sides.

Lake Barrington resident Keith Peterson, a former State Department diplomat, served in Cyprus as Chairman of the Board of the Cyprus Fulbright Commission from 2011-14, the Commission’s final years. Last month, Peterson published a book seven years in the making, titled “American Dreams: The Story of the Cyprus Fulbright Commission.”

“I sometimes think of writing this history as my penance,” Peterson said. “I had this awful task of managing the downsizing and closing of the commission, and I just thought, people had to know about this.”

The book is a story of the uniqueness of the commission — its bicommunal nature, its peak of $6 million in annual funding that made it one of the largest per capita commissions in the world and its involvement in conflict resolution between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. It’s also a story of the thousands of Cypriot students who benefited from the program through scholarships to American universities.

“It wasn’t just the knowledge that the students brought back from America,” Peterson said. “The attitudes that people brought back, of more openness and such, I like to think that contributed to the successes that Cyprus has gained from the program.”

Although the Commission closed in 2014, Fulbright programs in Cyprus still exist, including grants for U.S. students to do research or teach English in Cyprus. Organizations like StudyUSA — where Peterson said he plans to donate the money made from his book — have also taken up the mantle, providing counseling and locating scholarships for Cypriot students.

And, according to Peterson, it’s important that people continue to understand the change that educational exchange can create.

“At the end of the day, you go back to Sen. Fulbright, why did he found this program?” Peterson said. “He believed that education was a powerful — slow-moving, but powerful — force.”