American Dreams: The Story of the Cyprus Fulbright Commission, tells the story of the 52-year run of an independent bicommunal educational institution founded in the hopes that it would help keep Cyprus within the circle of liberal democracies post-independence.

Through the lens of the Commission’s work, it is also a history of American involvement in the island, where strategic interests, Cold War politics, and the idealistic vision of Senator J. William Fulbright came together to form one of the most unique such Commissions in the world.

It is also, in its own way, a history of the island and its people over the past 60-plus years and their efforts to reconcile their very different visions of how Greek and Turkish Cypriots might move forward together into the future.

The Cyprus Fulbright Commission was unique because of its bicommunal nature, where Greek and Turkish Cypriots worked and benefitted together; because a conversation between a Senator and an Ambassador led to a multi-million-dollar scholarship program that made the Commission – on a per capita basis – one of the largest in the world; and because the Commission poured millions of dollars into the quest for peace through a program of conflict resolution training.

The conflict resolution work did not always find a positive reception. The Commission was accused of “brainwashing” a population of Cypriots or committing treasonous acts in trying to teach Greek and Turkish Cypriots to find common ground.

A trio of Greek Cypriot Executive Directors and a group of committed Greek, Turkish, and American Board members kept the Commission focused on its mission.  Their perseverance reflected Senator Fulbright’s belief that education is a slow moving but powerful force.

Author Keith Peterson, a former diplomat, and Commission Board Chairman, draws on his extensive experience in Cyprus to capture the enduring legacy of the Fulbright Commission’s commitment to educational exchange and diplomacy. 

A most authoritative account of the events that ensued regarding the rise, immense contribution, and fall of the Cyprus Fulbright Commission. The author’s meticulously detached approach, illuminates a program that offered so much to so many with so little. The work brings to life a program that gave the best and brightest hope for education; in turn, what they gave back to the sciences, arts, humanities and particularly to peace and understanding on a global level was, and continues to be, beyond anyone’s expectations.

Daniel Hadjittofi

Former Executive Director, Cyprus Fulbright Commission

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I always said working at the Fulbright Commission in Cyprus was a way of life rather than just a job. Keith Peterson captures many of the emotions we felt during our lives there, and it brought tears to my eyes reading through the memories. Keith’s book on the History of the Fulbright Commission in Cyprus brings to light many forgotten details from its 52-year history, making for an intriguing read for anyone interested in international exchange programs, but especially for those thousands of Cypriots and Americans whose lives it touched. I will always feel blessed for the opportunity I was given to contribute towards educational and bicommunal efforts in Cyprus, and now I have something that will keep reminding me of it.

Anna Argyrou

Senior Counselor – 1991 to 2014, Cyprus Fulbright Commission