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The Head-Organ-isers: Lads and Ghentlemen

Lights From the South

A Spark of Hope for Them, but Also for Us

In the Footsteps of Atoms and Bacteria

“But We are Initiated... Aren’t We?”

Euroconcert Backstage Pass

Your Session Journal

Not Just on Blue Monday

youth in progress

session coverage04

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26

28

24

06

30

20What is Inequality’s Colour?

One Outfi t Says More Than a Thousand Words

#nowthatchers-dead

In a Lawless State

Monarchy in the Modern Age

Fornever Alone

people and politics

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REGI & LIBE

Christian BrowneNina Cathrine Selmer

Editors

Randolf CarrRobin JanasekVideo Editor

Beth ThayneMedia Journalist

Alex Guzenko

AFCO I & CULT II

Christopher ProctorKhalid El GhoulAFCO II & EMPL II

Juan Estheiman AmayaMarilena Saraidari

EMPL I & FEMM

Elisa MartinelliNathalie ThielITRE & CULT I

Gonzalo Sola RodríguezSorcha Foster

magazine team

Now that the session is over, we can reveal our secret

in the fi nal editorial. Do you want to know what the

key to a successful session is?

Randolf Carr and Robin Janasek

www.ghent2013.be

4

The Head-OrganisersLads and Ghentlemen

Ghent2013 International Forum is drawing to a close,

and it seems like it has been an immense success. Be-

hind all the participants involved there are two key

fi gures that make up the fi rm foundation that enabled

this event. Always tired, usually invisible, but still al-

ways available behind the scenes, Lorenzo Van de Pol

and Jonathan Piepers give us a look into their achieve-

ment.

How was the idea of Ghent 2013 initiated?

Jonathan and Lorenzo: The fi rst time we met was at the 1st International Forum of EYP-Europolis Belgium in Ant-werp, however never had a chance to maintain a proper conversation at the Forum itself except for one night, which we got to spend at the airport. A couple of weeks after the Antwerp Forum we met at one of the local bars where Lorenzo brought up the idea of organising a forum in Ghent. Therefore the night of November 27th 2011 be-came the starting point of the today’s session. Discussing and evaluating every possible aspect of the future event for the next two hours, we made up our minds and shared

our idea with Stefan Vandenhende, the President of EYP-Europolis Belgium.

How comfortable do you feel working with each other, as

the core of the session?

J: Although we come from diff erent regions of Belgium and speak diff erent dialects with unique accents that actu-ally sometimes make it harder to understand each other, we managed to perfectly exchange the information and build a strong team.

L: Shortly after the Forum idea was initiated, Jonathan’s name was the fi rst one I could think of at that moment. From the very beginning I had no doubt that me and Jona-than will make up a successful team.

Having your goal set very high and expecting the best

outcomes, have your expectations been met so far?

J: My expectations before the forum were defi nitely not as high as the reality we see today. I cannot say that I un-derestimated our opportunities before, but the current outcomes seem a lot more impressive. Moreover, I did not expect to have so much buzz around the forum, especially

I feel extremely tired and each

time I have a spare minute I am thinking

of crawling under the table somewhere.

Alex Guze Alex Guzenko (UA)

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after I found out that the Munich International Session was scheduled on about the same dates.

L: For me both the outcomes as well as the process towards this result are equally important. During the winding path of putting the session together we established lots of es-sential contacts, important for both the personal and or-ganisation’s development.

Have there been any struggles with the Forum so far?

J: When there were any failures, they came from the fi eld of the human resources. It was painful to accept one can-cellation and the fact that one of the members could not join the organising team due to sickness one day before the session commenced.

L: We had some minor issues with fundraising at the end of the session. However, we successfully managed to over-come those.

What was the brightest moment of the Forum so far?

J: I am still baffl ed by the fact that we got the opening cer-emony venue in the City Hall, initially intended for com-

pletely diff erent purposes.

L: I was very ecstatic to see all the people that I have been e-mailing for the past couple months, so the fi rst day of the session has been the brightest so far.

How can you describe your present state?

J: I feel extremely tired and each time I have a spare minute I am thinking of crawling under the table somewhere and taking a power nap or rushing to my car and getting one of the energy drinks that will keep me awake for another couple hours.

L: I had only six hours of sleep for the past 48 hours, so the 8-hour nap I took today became another pleasant moment of the entire session. Moreover, I feel extremely satisfi ed with the work that has been done so far despite some mi-nor issues in the organising team.

Any pieces of advice for future organisers?

J: Never organise! But in case if you do, think carefully of all the potential risks and be ready to spend the session nights at the organiser’s room arriving fi rst and leaving last for the whole session period.

L: Take your time. I know that some EYP events are being organised in a two- or three-month period and I doubt that it is possible to create a product of a high quality in such a short period of time. We made a conscious decision of establishing the Forum dates exactly 18 months after we had an idea.

6

‘We were best friends at my fi rst EYP session. We shared a committee, wrote our fi rst resolution together and enjoyed debating. It was before she was exposed to the glamorous and tawdry life on the stage. I keep constantly rewinding the Euroconcert in my head, the event that split our paths and tore apart our friendship. Right now she is already famous; and I am still climbing the ladder of my EYP career. I doubt she will ever talk to me again...’

After the immense success at the Euroconcert at Ghent2013, our participants might have changed their life forever. Foreseeing such an outcome, we decided to imme-diately interview the performers, before the fame carries them away.

Why did you choose the particular piece you performed?

Is there something very special about it?

Matteo Van Dijl: From the very fi rst moment that I heard “In Volo”, my attention had been instantly drawn to it.

The tune was stuck in my head until I fi nally learned how to perform it. Moreover, as an organiser, I knew what the venue would look like and that performing this piece will perfectly fi t into the creation of the concert’s atmosphere.

Romanie Assez: The piece is a song I wrote myself, and I thought that the Euroconcert would be a perfect place to perform it.

When and why did you start playing your instrument?

Goncalo Sampaio: I started playing guitar when I was in the 6th grade, and it has already been 6 successful years of mastering playing my instrument. With this experience, I felt very comfortable performing on the stage.

Matteo Van Dijl: My parents have always wanted me to be a culturally oriented person. That is why I started my musi-cal education at an early age. Moreover, my brother plays the same musical instrument. Although I have been play-ing piano for 8 years already, I admit that I should be even more professional by now.

Romanie Assez: I played the saxophone for 9 years before, but at some point realised that I need to try something novel and diff erent, and the guitar became a perfect al-

Alex Guze Alex Guzenko (UA) marilena saraidari (GR)

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ternative. I have been playing it for 5 years already and it seems to be going well.

Do you play any other musical instruments?

Matteo Van Dijl: I have tried to play trombone for a year, however, all my enthusiasm vanished before I became skill-ful.

What does music mean to you?

Laura Vizule: I go to a music school where I started singing and playing the piano and the guitar. Fortunately, my par-ents have been really supportive of my decision to become more than just an amateur performer – my mother is my number one fan!

Would you like to connect your artistic talent with a fu-

ture profession?

Matteo Van Dijl: No, music should remain in my life as a hobby – mainly for the practical reasons.

Romanie Assez: No, not with the guitar, but I am planning to attend an acting school soon. So art will become even a more signifi cant part of my life.

Goncalo Sampaio: No, I am looking for something more practical than music, but if I were sure about my future suc-cessful development as a musician, I would defi nitely con-tinue in that path.

Laura Vizule: I would either like to be a computer pro-grammer or a cinema director as a main job, because in Latvia one can’t really live from singing. I would, though, love to become a professional singer, and perform for fun, and in order to gain some extra money as well.

Being involved with EYP and taking care of the artistic

endeavors is more than enough, but maybe you have any

other outstanding aptitudes?

Matteo Van Dijl: I am pretty advanced in fl irting and curs-ing in 20 diff erent languages as well as cooking. During the tiny bit of my spare time left, I advance myself in fi nding ways of attending as many EYP sessions as possible.

Romanie Assez: I can imitate a proper farmer’s accent and pretend that I am very mad at someone.

8

The cell phone is today often referred to as someone’s “third hand”. This dramatic expression of calling electronic equipment a human body part truly shows how personal it can often be seen. The so called ‘third hand’ has opened up many doors that were previously nonexistent. The phone started off simply as a communication instrument. How-ever, it has developed into an experience every time you open or unlock your phone. The smartphone has no limits. Instead of being restricted to merely having Internet ac-cess on your computer, the smartphone has taken social interaction to a whole new level with all the diff erent de-vices making it possible for people to stay connected at all times, wherever you are on the planet. Social media such as Twitter and Facebook make us constantly aware and up-dated about events and people around us – not just about

those we know personally. The World Wide Web helps us to increase our meeting opportunities, but also to stay in touch with those we do not have the chance to regularly meet in person. This has resulted in an alteration in the way in which we form relationships.

The need for love and contact is an innate human instinct which begins at birth. Nevertheless, the need to constantly stay up-to-date through the aforementioned sources and gadgets can go too far. The most common phobia in the world is known as “nomophobia” which is the fear of be-ing without your mobile. However, underneath this ap-parently superfi cial phenomenon lie two more profound fears: the fear of missing out and the fear of being alone. The thought of only keeping your own company can be stressful for many, and turning off our smartphone is usu-ally something we only do onboard airplanes.

As we always seem to be socially active, the next question which arises is how much peer pressure and media infl u-

Nina Cathrine Sel Nina Cathrine Selmer (NO) nathalie thiel (se)

Fornever Alone?

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ence our decisions. This will be a factor as long as we live in a society based largely upon the approval of others and the underlying need to fi t into a certain group. Inevitably, this will aff ect the decisions we make. The needs for social status and prestige are connected to this and furthermore the need for a romantic relationship. Some scholars argue that there are three sources for this pressure that some people experience. The three sources are as follows: your-self, your immediate social circle and the institutions and laws of your society.

Looking at this assertion, it is reasonable to argue that we do indeed live in a society where being alone and single is frowned upon. What’s more, some argue that our recent-ly developed need for constant contact with the outside world through social media is both a cause and eff ect of the pressure felt. With today’s constantly accessible infor-mation, we are accustomed to using every free second to update ourselves on everything from news and politics to images about our friends’ activities on Facebook. This be-

comes particularly relevant when we see evidence of our acquaintances’ successful relationships and begin model-ling our own expectations after them, which can lead to unwarranted envy and frustration. In this way, behaviour can also be aff ected, as we frequently end up trying to adapt our social media appearance for the sake of appeal-ing to a potential partner.

Therefore, our mind is not trained to relax and to just spend time alone, disconnected from the rest of the world. Spending time by yourself or even more drastically, staying single, is therefore for many a situation they feel the need to escape. When the media feeds us with information on how to maintain, or create, a healthy, well-functioning rela-tionship we forget that not being in a relationship is no in-ferior option. When discussing how to keep a relationship between two people healthy, we tend to forget that we need to have a healthy relationship with ourselves as well - even if that means taking some time off and not checking your phone for an hour or two.

10

Human Rights – these two words are often spread over magazines and newspapers, losing their real meaning while everyone starts to rely more and more on them with-out questioning their existence.

We believe in the importance of these eleven letters, we fi ght for them, writing columns in newspapers or shocked interventions on blogs and websites. The truth is that we

just take them for granted and we are so hypocritical to talk about this subject only when a major scandal shows up on the television.

We are at the same time naive and arrogant to believe that Human Rights are an everlasting instrument allowing us to be free to express our opinions anytime we want to, pro-tecting our lives. It may be a disappointing revelation, but we must stop fantasising and fi nally understand that hu-man beings are not free and will likely never be; it’s just a massive deception.

Even though we are raised with the idea that every person

Gonzalo Sola Rodrig Gonzalo Sola Rodriguez (ES) elisa martinelli (it)

what is inequality’scolour?

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is granted with the right of freedom, this is easily shown wrong when we just observe all the violations of the Uni-versal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) all over the world. It is with dramatic realisation that we have to face the dependency of this convention on economical and so-cial circumstances as well as geography.

Since 1948, the year of its creation, there have been many improvements in terms of Human Rights throughout the world; we cannot affi rm that we have already succeeded. Unfortunately, the violation of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights spreads as fast as its daily utilisation and quotation in speeches, articles, treaties or discussion with

the aim to create a better society. We have not advanced so greatly. Wars, colonisation, poverty, and the destruction of culture are also sons of our age. The UDHR is the core of all moral principles and policies that became our society guidelines.

Some sociologists and political experts have added new theories and explanations about this factual failure. The own moral roots of the Human Rights concept held by the UDHR content itself ideas promoting inequality. Moreover the main defi ning adjective of the Human Rights is the term “universal”. If we turn that adjective into an action and look into its literal meaning, “Give a universal character or application to something,” we can realise the UDHR may never attain that real goal. Homogenisation is the true goal of the concept of Human Rights, which is embraced by the UDHR. And globalisation is the most developed and last state of this homogenising process. Having a factually equal society would be possible only if diff erent cultures, values and standards we can fi nd in our world are worth the same. Unfortunately, this does not occur nowadays because the viewpoint of the Univer-sal Declaration on Human Rights is not inclusive, but ex-clusive, of such alternatives. The UDHR contains the main principles of political liberalist theory. Otherwise, why is it possible to kill a person if they attack your private property, like it happens in the USA? Is the right of private property above the very essential right to life? There is even no need to mention that the right of private property is the core concept thesis of the political liberalist theories.

We know that using relativism in a Human Rights declara-tion would not be ideal either due to the fact we would exchange the poles, but we would keep being in one of the extremes. Multiculturalism’s main ideas are complete-ly needed in our purpose to make the Human Rights an applied element around the world. A real and factual re-spect as well as interrelation amongst all the cultures is the archetypical path we should head through, if we want to achieve the vision about the Human Rights. This inter-relation between cultures and societies can only be con-sidered by avoiding any superior judgement coming from a concrete society as it still happens right now between ‘Western Civilisation’ and the, pejoratively named, ‘other worlds’. This apparent moral superiority is the main cause of the more than common violation of the Human Rights that we are witnessing.

The world is seven billion colours on a paint palette, which is still waiting to be used. Only the utilisation, complemen-tation and mixture of every single and possible colour are able to create the best of the artistic works.

Nothing is in black and white, but it is a mixture of diff erent greys that merge themselves creating that variety of opin-ions, ideas and cultures we are used to deal with. We are the only ones who can add colour between the lines that shape our own morality; take your paint brush and bright the world’s lack of equality.

12

In a time where democracy and the power of the people are so highly valued, the monarchy still lives on. When we are part of societies where the right to self-government stands so strong, the concept of a monarchy can indeed seem backwards. Then why do so many countries still have this institution? And is there really a place for monarchs in the 21st century?

On the one hand, people have argued that the monarchy, being the ancient institution that it is, prevents a country from progressing in general. With a royal family to consider and the traditions and values that they portray, progres-sivity and liberal policies have been harder to implement in some countries. The cost of the monarchy is also some-thing to consider. The British royal family, for instance, costs the public over 134 million pounds, if the maintenance of the grounds, facilities, et cetera is also taken into account. However, having a president is also an enormous expense. Beyond that, many people see the monarchy as something that helps keep the country unifi ed and creates a cultural identity. Many are happy with having the monarch as the person representing their country abroad, and argue that being represented by a politically non-partial fi gure sim-plifi es many issues. Another argument supporting this in-stitution is the historic aspect that follows this way of rul-ing a country. With history comes traditions, and it can be argued that the monarchy helps to keep these traditions

alive, even though one many say that tradition alone is never a reason.

Looking at some examples, one can see that even inside the borders of Europe, there is a huge diversity within the exclusive club of monarchs. In countries such as Norway, the royal family is indeed not perfect, but very “normal”. By cycling to work, sending their children to the local public school and the Crown Prince Haakon marrying a single mother, they have shown that the monarchy can be close to the people as well as representing them and their his-tory. However, not all royal families have adapted like this. Looking at the British royal family, there is not much trace of public schools or simple living. There are of course rea-sons for this, such as security and expected image out-wards, but it cannot be denied that this is a very diff erent lifestyle from other royal families. Nonetheless, scandals have also occurred many royal families. Everyone knows about controversies with Princess Diana, and more recent-ly the Swedish royal family have been involved rumours concerning both infi delity and exotic dancers.

Weighing diff erent arguments and aspects of the tradi-tion of having a monarchy against each other, fi nding a solution does not get automatically easier. However, the monarchy seems like an institution that is here to stay, hav-ing survived centuries of troubles much more severe than what we have seen in recent decades. If you want to see what type of monarch you would have been if you were (un-)lucky enough to be born one, take our quiz.

Nina Cathrine Sel Nina Cathrine Selmer (NO)

monarchy in the modern age

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Your son wants to marry a single mother. What do you

do?

A) Let him – love should be the only factor in a marriage. B) No way. Someone educated and upper-class seems like

a much better choice.C) Ban the marriage. And know with certainty that your

son will keep seeing her on the side. Like you would.

You are home alone and have to make dinner. What do

you do?

A) Make yourself some nice pasta bolognese, that is what you make for your family every Saturday night so you’re

practically an expert.B) Home alone?! There is nothing called “home alone” in your vocabulary. The 395 servants are all there for your

convenience. And foie gras it is. C) Order some food. And a loooooot of wine.

Most As:

Congratulations, you are the humble and grandfather-like King of Norway! Not only do you take the subway once in a while, you also look like the grandfather everyone wants

to have. And what could be better than that?

Most Bs: Felicitations, you resemble Queen Elizabeth II in more than one way. You have an unfading love for dogs and cream teas, and even at the age of almost 87 you look

amazing in both purple and yellow.

Most Cs: Felicidades, you are the King of Spain! Corruption, what

is that? Flamenco, gazpacho and a couple of elephants to hunt are all you need.

Do people ever call you the queen?

A) Why would they? I’m a man and very manly.B) Yes. That’s all I have to say on the matter: Yes.

C) No, but they do call my wife “Reina”.

The Ghent2013 farewell party is coming up. What are

you going to wear?

A) My favourite knitted sweater knitted by my favourite person in the world: my wife.

B) A purple skirt. With a purple jacket. And a purple shirt. And a purple hat.

C) I would put on my military uniform. Oh, I how I love that uniform.

14

One outfit says more than a

thousand words

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The evolution of mankind has changed the world we live in. In the same way that political and social issues have in-fl uenced our lifestyle, these same changes have highly af-fected the way we dress. Initially, clothes were conceived to protect us from the environment that surrounded us. In the past, weather conditions such as heat, cold, sun, rain, snow or hail impacted our ancestors and their cultures’ sense of ‘fashion’. Today, our clothes serve much more as an instrument to express our inner selves than just for func-tional reasons.

We have evolved into refl ecting major traits of our person-ality in the clothes that we wear; in a sign of re-affi rmation of our identities, it is now us who totally condition what we choose to wear. As individual fl ags of the 21st century, even our shirts stand up for concepts which link us in some way or another to certain collectives: Patriotism, humour, music, football, politics, or celebrities. According to special-ist William Keenan from the University of Nottingham, we can fi nd up to three levels of identity that are transmitted from the way we dress: personal, cultural and historical. But how and when did clothing become a refl ection of our in-ner self?

When ceremonial and religious events started taking place in human communities, the need for the establishment of a social order became refl ected through ceremonial cos-tumes. The most elaborate and decorated ones translated into a higher social rank. As diff erent periods gradually began to add up in history, the same tendency continued; from Roman Emperors to religious leaders, hierarchy was expressed through unique pieces of apparel. But while nobility in society had already shifted towards the use of clothes in a communicative way, lower statements still maintained the functionality. Around the 19th and 20th centuries, religion and political power started losing their strong infl uence on morality and traditions, diverging from the ongoing social tendencies. It was from then on that the sense of functionality continually faded away from the use in most clothing.

The recently elected head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, represents an illustrative example of the aforemen-tioned trends. Analysing the symbology of his clothing, the traditional wear he has chosen globally refl ects the values of tradition and continuity.

The Pope’s conventional outfi t usually consists of a white mozetta (a cape), a gold pectoral cross and red papal shoes. Nevertheless, current Pope Francis has a diff erent approach compared to the previous one of Pope Benedict XVI. The importance of humility, aiding the poor, and ac-knowledging the suff ering and deprivation of others are priorities that he feels most passionate about. A character-istic trait that describes Pope Francis is fi rst and foremost to focus on simplicity, which is therefore mirrored in his clothes. That is a reason of why the attire belonging to the Pope has now been reformed in concert with his personal-ity and preferences after he attained the prestigious and powerful position. In a time in which the Catholic church is in deep need of internal reforms, he took the rational de-cisions to eschew the exclusive red and purple robes and replace them with plain white ones, have a cross made of iron around his neck instead of a golden one, and further-more to wear simple loafers from Argentina in contrast to the conventional red shoes. In other words, his clothes are a simple and convenient way to express personal priorities in a respectful manner.

An outfi t can radiate power and strength in that way – more simply put though, our style of clothing can refl ect our innermost and basic personality traits, or convey what we cannot express with words. In that sense, the saying, “To wear your heart on your sleeve,” gets a new and more literal connotation. So next time you dress in the morning, stop to think of the thousand words that you are putting on.

Nathalie Thiel (Se) Juan Estheiman Am Juan Estheiman Amaya (ES)

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#now

that

cher

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Margaret Thatcher was one of the most divisive fi gures in British politics. She is described as either a radical reformer or a destructive leader, depending on one’s political view-point. On Monday however, news broke that Baroness Thatcher had died from a series of strokes, which attacked her already frail body. The reaction on social media shocked many. The death of an old woman was treated with such vitriolic language; “#dingdongthewitchisdead” was a re-curring theme on many twitter and Facebook feeds.

The reaction of society to the death of famous individuals is intriguing. If Margaret Thatcher had been a ‘normal’ old lady, she would have been mourned by her family and left in peace. But this is not the case in our increasingly celebri-ty-obsessed culture.

Other recent examples of public phenomena surround-ing celebrity deaths include Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. Michael Jackson was of course incredibly well known as one of the greatest global pop icons before his death. His death unleashed a wave of media attention, which brought him and his opus back into the public eye, resulting in record sales increasing eightyfold in just a few days.

This regained attention was undeniably deserved, with Jackson being one of the most innovative performers of a generation. One must, however, regard it with a grain of cynicism – the same cynicism that some of Jackson’s sur-roundings showed: Jackson’s record label immediately re-released the entire back catalogue and even some records, which the star had explicitly declined to publish when he was alive.

Another recent example is singer Whitney Houston. Once her death as a result of a drug overdose had been con-fi rmed, it took less than half an hour for the price of her music to rise steeply on iTunes. This blatant exploitation of stars’ deaths must make us question society’s underlying respect for deaths and tragedies.

In this type of culture where the worth of a product in-creases through a person’s death, are we in danger of go-ing from paying our respects to marketing, even glorifying death? Referring to Amy Winehouse as a tortured genius,

do we justify her unruly behaviour and drug and alcohol abuses? Once dead, it is possible to forget some of the more unsavoury aspects of behaviour and solely celebrate their success. It can also work the other way around and remind us solely about the worst in people and blind us to the good they contributed.

Nowadays, there is a never-ending stream of opinion on social media sites, and although there is praise, the major-ity is slander. Celebrities continue to be treated like animals in a cage, their every quote and action stalked and pub-licised, which are then used as an excuse to love or hate them. This leads to another interesting phenomenon, the lack of balance in viewpoints regarding celebrities.

A balanced critique seems not to be acceptable when dis-cussing deceased stars. A description of their utter excel-lence or their total monstrosity is the only script that can be followed. Love and hate are the only choices when it comes to forming and stating your opinion of a recently passed celebrity. The lack of moderation is notable but so too is the immediate response; with many new fans jump-ing on the bandwagon and suddenly discovering their profound aff ection for the deceased. The growth of a post-mortem fan base could be considered to actually debase the work the person was famous for; they are celebrated for being dead.

Australian actor Heath Ledger’s star power increased hugely after his untimely death. He is today adored by many, who appreciate his acting capabilities. However, prior to his death many of his fi lms were little known and low-budget, signifying just how death plays a part in fame. This is in stark contrast to the likes of Vincent Van Gogh whose art gained recognition only after his unfortunate death. Whilst he became the celebrated artist he is today only after dying, it is most certainly because of his work, as opposed to the manner of dying.

Total adoration or disgust for an individual who has just died creates a ready environment for forgotten viewpoints to regain credence in society. One of particular interest is Margaret Thatcher’s recent passing. The “Iron Lady” was one of the most important fi gures in privatising large sec-tions of British enterprise and resulted in free market eco-nomics gaining relevance in society. This has diminished to an extent, but will her death bring her ideas and legacy to the foreground once more, as with Michael Jackson, Whit-ney Houston and Amy Winehouse?

Sorcha Fos Sorcha Foster (IE) Christopher proctor (FI)

18

in alawless

state

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The world today is becoming increasingly progressive. Indi-vidual rights and equality are considered essential and are often backed by legislation to ensure that minority opin-ions are respected without disregarding culture-specifi c nuances. However, in a world where countries are increas-ingly interconnected, diffi culties arise when neighbouring countries have signifi cantly diff erent social outlooks.

This has far-reaching consequences; issues from abortion to drug consumption are aff ected. The Netherlands, for example, recently changed its laws regarding drug policy and tourists. The country was becoming a ‘must-see’ des-tination primarily because of the legal status of marijuana.However, this ‘law-avoidance’ type of tourism is being used increasingly to circumvent more fundamental laws.

Gay marriage, for instance, provokes strong views in many people. Many are vehemently opposed on the grounds of religious and moral stances, whilst others feel that any-thing less than equal treatment in every regard is outdated. The spread of the latter attitude has led to the legalisation of gay marriage in some countries, whereas in others civil partnerships, and in some countries no options are avail-able for same-sex couples is available.

This leads to a legal quandary. If a couple’s marriage is rec-ognised in one country but not another, are they techni-cally married. What is more, this can even occur inside a single nation. For instance In the United States, only nine of the fi fty states currently permit gay marriage. This has resulted in a type of “marriage tourism” whereby couples travel to another state to “tie the knot”. However, the irony of the situation is that upon return to their home states, their union is no longer considered legal.

While odd, this is not an anomaly. Inside Israel, same-sex couples cannot marry, but those who marry in countries were such unions are lawful can receive recognition from the Israeli state. The situation arises inside Europe as well. Gay marriage is legal in some states and not in others, re-fl ecting the diversity of cultures across Europe. In many

countries where same-sex unions are available, legislation has been created to prevent the gay-marriage tourism phenomenon as in the United States. But there is another problem: With the free movement of labour, travelling and working in multiple countries has never been easier. For the gay community, however, diffi culties arise as pension arrangements and spousal allowances may be aff ected de-pending on the state in which they reside.

Such a lack of clarity can only contribute to undermining the gay community’s sense of identity by putting their relationships under the strain of legal discrimination or discordance. Although countries are entitled to legislate as they see fi t, in a globalised social environment, it is, as with many issues, problematic not to have some coherent understanding.

A place where this problem is particularly apparent is Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom but has a devolved administration which is en-titled to promulgate laws relating to social issues. The re-gion is signifi cantly more conservative than the rest of the UK and religious ethics have a signifi cant impact upon poli-cies. Although England, Scotland and Wales have just le-galised gay marriage, Northern Ireland has declined to do so and as such couples in the region have inferior rights to their compatriots on the mainland. Of course, there is the possibility to travel to England, but upon returning home, their marriage is essentially again rendered meaningless.

This is not the sole disparity between Northern Irish and Great British policy. “Abortion tourism” is a further ever-increasing problem. Women who wish to obtain a termina-tion of pregnancy need to travel to England as abortion is illegal in Northern Ireland unless there is an explicit danger to the life of the mother. As an abortion can be acquired rather easily from physicians in England, the legislation of Northern Ireland basically becomes defunct, merely incon-veniencing rather than preventing cases.

Controversial and visible examples such as abortion and gay marriage convey the diffi culties faced by lawmakers when legislating on social issues. The very integrity of a law can be undermined or a small population segregated, simply by a judge in another country taking an alternative view. It begs the question of whether a more integrated-level justice system should be developed to prevent such imbalances across the world. This could potentially create the necessary level of clarity in order to prevent the current trend for law tourism and simultaneously strengthen the underpinnings of a common justice system.

Sorcha Fos Sorcha Foster (IE)

20

Christian Bro Christian Browne (UK)

At any given time, approximately fi ve percent of youths are suff ering from a form of depression – a mental illness which cripples the lives many more than one commonly assumes. Large numbers of cases of depression among teenagers go unnoticed, undiagnosed and untreated, causing anguish and trouble for thousands.

The number of factors which aggravate or create depres-sion in youth is vast, including traumatic life events, genet-ic predispositions, prescribed medications and social or fa-milial circumstances. The one thing these factors all have in common is that they can’t be controlled by the individual, meaning any teenager can be susceptible to suff ering from depression at some point during their formative years.

People mistake depression for something extraordinary and that won’t aff ect them, but statistics show that it is actually becoming more common and aff ecting people

from all walks of life. The help given to people diagnosed with the condition ranges from counselling to prescrip-tion medication, but those who are affl icted with depres-sion often feel they are undertreated. That is why charities and youth projects such as “Students Against Depression”, a project specifi cally targeted at depressed or vulnerable youths, are set up; as many of the treatments and thera-pies are designed for adults rather than the younger gen-eration.

One defi ning feature and advantage of Students Against Depression is that it uses an online network rather than forming a clinic or forum in which patients would have to attend in person. It means that you can gain free and easy access to people that can understand a teen’s issues and give advice from one teenager to another. It greatly allevi-ates the social pressure and stigma of dealing with depres-sion, something which is known to make the condition worse.

The Students Against Depression project started in the United Kingdom due to the tragic loss of two young men,

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Charlie Waller and Matthew Wood, to suicide. In response, their families and friends invested in the project to reach out to other young men and women suff ering from the ef-fects of depression and suicidal thinking.

The project that formed has now had an impact on count-less lives, as their website provides vital information on the causes, symptoms and treatment of depression.

The program has helped people such as Martha [last name withheld], a university student who faced the daunting task of coping with depression and a suicide attempt after a severe accident and years of bullying and family prob-lems. With the help of Students Against Depression she managed to overcome these issues and is thoroughly on the mend with the careful guidance of the charity. These developments are aided by the community of students on the website who share their feelings about their course and life at school or university, like Martha who ended up sharing her story. This helps create a sense of solidarity and togetherness that has been proven to help reduce depres-sion.

Students Against Depression is also now starting to branch out; they are now looking for youths at schools and univer-sities to set up action groups around the United Kingdom but also around Europe. You can also get in touch with them if you’re worried that someone you care about may be suff ering from depression. They not only give advice to the person you are anxious about but also to you. As deal-ing with a loved one or friend who has depression can be very diffi cult and can even lead to you developing the con-dition, there is a huge importance in being active about dealing with depression.

“One in four of us will experience some kind of mental health problem in our lifetime. One in 10 will experience depression or anxiety with depression in any one year. This statistic holds true for students and young people. Depression is one of the biggest dangers facing young people today – suicide is the biggest killer of young men under 35 in the UK.”

- Students Against Depression

22

Khalid El Gh Khalid El Ghoul (NL)

Lately, the European Union has been having some trouble with soaring rates of youth unemployment in many of its Member States. The problem is, however, not limited to un-settling unemployment rates. The problem includes scarce chances for entrepreneurship, development and growth. In a capitalist world, where all depends on continuous growth, this could be a catastrophe – be it now, or when we, already dubbed a “lost generation”, head out into soci-ety to start a life of our own.

In tough times young people are often the fi rst to lose out. They are relatively inexperienced and low-skilled, and in many countries they are easier to lay off than their elders. This makes them obvious targets for employers seeking to cut back on spending. With poor growth and measures that fail to increase job prospects, the situation is unlikely to im-prove. The young jobless, however, tend to bounce back in

such situations. Just as they are to fi rst to be dropped, they are often the fi rst to get back in. Due to slow or inexistent recoveries we missed out on that bounce though.

Fortunately, as is usual when a problem rises, solutions arise as well. Throughout Europe, many decided to take ac-tion against these depressive prospects and consequently a number of initiatives were born. These initiatives focus on practice, education and leadership. They present high school students with the opportunity to participate in events, consisting of training in debating, public speak-ing, entrepreneurship and creativity. Put this in a competi-tive context and what you get is a motivational, possibly inspiring, experience for its participants. Besides all this, they gain a hands-on experience, sought after by many employers.

One such initiative is Jet-Net, a Dutch-based network of co-operating businesses, schools, and governmental institu-tions. Among other aims, it promotes the pursuit of higher education after high school, due to a relatively low num-

“But we are initiated… aren’t we?”

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ber of students compared to the job vacancies in techno-logical areas, and its network incorporates 171 schools, 84 businesses, and 26 other institutions. The premise for the measures is that many youths have a distorted perspective of the job prospect in these areas and a lack in exposure to practical situations.

Jet-Net aims to change this by developing a number of content-rich activities, on a yearly basis, which expose the students to relevant challenges. These activities carry practical implications in the business world and education. This gives the students a sense and awareness of the so-cial implications of pursuing a career in technology. This is refl ected in the organisation’s objectives, one being the enrichment of educational content and the other hosting activities that give an honest and clear perspective of a job in this area.

Made possible by Jet-Net: Several schools participating in a debate with corporate CEOs about the future outlook concerning employment and entrepreneurship opportu-

nities, and a competition in which several groups designed and developed a robot with a social implication. These are just two examples of the activities organized by Jet-Net in cooperation with schools. They do not go unnoticed by so-ciety as they form an area of interest for the media, with numerous articles and news items published about their activities.

Jet-Net is just one of many initiatives that have arisen in Europe and it is not clear whether they will be eff ective in reaching their aims. More importantly, one could say that we have yet to wait whether this will be enough to ease youth unemployment rates and increase opportunities to save the “lost generation”. The measures mentioned ear-lier have yet to prove themselves to be actual solutions. Whether they do or not is in the end less relevant than the fact that they show that it is not necessary for us to wait for policy makers to come up with solutions. It is in truth up to us to create a sustainable and favourable future.

24

A SPARK OF HOPE FOR THEM, BUT

ALSO FOR

US

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Careless, selfi sh and spoiled; this is how the older genera-tions often see us youngsters, growing up in the richest areas of the planet with an incommensurable comforts and high living conditions. However, this quick judgement towards the youth in the 21st century is proven wrong by some humanitarian programmes and activities involving a great number of young people all over Europe. Fortu-nately, not every young European is as careless towards the world as some assume, and the amount of volunteers who devote their time to helping populations in areas of crisis, struck by civil wars or corruption, is currently increas-ing.

One of the most active Italian non-profi t organisations is the “Associazione Zaatar”, founded in Genoa in 2008 with the aim of giving fi nancial and medical support to the population living in the area of the Gaza Strip, as well as Syria and Lebanon in the last few years. Its name is rooted in some ancient traditions of this area, according to which the mixture of mountain herbs called Zaatar and the olive tree are the symbols of Palestine, its culture and people.

When the association was founded, its members were just a few volunteers who had lived in Palestine for some years with the intent to help a population that had been struck by war for decades. Unexpectedly it soon grew with the membership of new young students driven by the will to engage themselves in such a profound and life-changing experience, ready to set aside their comforts and habits to help people whose only reality is confl ict and deprivation. The most recent generation of young volunteers brought a new stream of ideas and opinions to the association, a wind of renewal and change, allowing more prominent donations and developing the sensibility towards humani-tarian activities in a society otherwise too busy to care about what is going on in the world.

The benefi ts gained from the cooperation of diff erent gen-erations are even more explicit when it comes to the wide variety of events organised by Associazione Zaatar. At the very beginning of its activity, the majority of humanitarian aid consisted in online donations mainly made by private

persons, while nowadays its projects range from charity concerts of local bands to fi rst-hand volunteer camps in the area of Gaza.

The most important initiative is the establishment of a work camp for volunteers in Hebron, a city in the West Bank. Its purpose is not just bringing medical aid and deliv-ering food to the Palestinian population, but also helping the economic growth of the area. In these camps, built up with the help of other international humanitarian organ-isations, young volunteers work side by side with Palestin-ians in order to rebuild houses where war left just ruins, to produce goods, and to organise activities for those chil-dren who have never known what real childhood is. More-over, an olive tree harvest is organised every year, allowing the Palestinian population to have a quicker production of olive oil, which is often brought back to Italy and sold in ethnic fairs and shops.

While braver youngsters leave all their lives behind tempo-rarily to dedicate their perseverance and time to people in need by going directly to Palestine, others stay in Italy and help the association in collecting donations for the camps. Among the wide variety of events there are fascinating ex-hibitions of pictures taken in Palestine by volunteers who have lived and worked in the camps for months, as well as dinners where people can taste the food of this region. Es-pecially during spring and in summer Associazione Zaatar organises charity concerts and fairs where everyone can purchase Palestinian food and listen to typical music of the region.

The work of this association, as well as any other humanitar-ian organisation, is massive and it never stops. The eff orts of each and every volunteer, the sacrifi ces, the devotion, and the determination are the reasons why this kind of project is possible. These very inspiring young people give hope not only to the Palestinians, but also to our society; as long as there is someone willing to sacrifi ce their comforts to help their fellow humans, we are not completely lost in our dull routine and numb towards the world abroad and its sorrows.

Elisa Martine Elisa Martinelli (IT)

26

It is impossible to talk about the current economic and so-cial situation of Spain without focusing our attention on the real estate crisis and its eff ects. Especially if we want to concern ourselves with the situation of Spanish youth, it is diffi cult to avoid the mentioned fact above. Moreover, some people maintain the idea that the Spanish economic crisis and its consequences on the Spanish youth are also related to educational issues like the high scholar failure rate and the poor investments in research and develop-ment. We cannot deny that there is a logical interrelation among all these facts and it is obvious that the crisis and its lasting eff ects are results of this combination. Neverthe-less, in the following lines I want to call attention especially to the historic lack of investments in research and develop-ment caused by the Spanish State.

This point is the main reason behind the creation of the Federación de Jóvenes Investigadores, or Federation of Young Researchers, in short: FJI. This association of young

scientists and researchers was created in 2000 with the goals of fi ghting against the continuous reductions in re-search and development budgets as well as to improve the labour conditions for young Spanish scientists and re-searchers like them. Notably, the establishment of this or-ganisation dates back years before the crisis, which clearly indicates these insuffi cient investments are not a new is-sue in Spanish social and political spheres. It is essential to mention that the association was created by young people themselves for the purpose of improving the situation of the Spanish youth.

The articulation of the association’s aims is mainly cen-tred on two specifi c aspects. On the one hand, the fl ight of human capital or, as it is commonly called, the ‘brain drain’ of the Spanish youth. This phenomenon is manifests itself as the large-scale emigration of a large group of in-dividuals with technical skills or knowledge. In Spain this fact specially aff ects young people who have just fi nished their studies in scientifi c and technical degrees and fi nd themselves lacking chances to get a job. The Federación de Jóvenes Investigadores tries to solve this problem or, at least reduces its negative impact, by looking for private

lightsfromthesouth

Gonzalo Sola Rodrig Gonzalo Sola Rodriguez (ES)

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fi nancing. They also have elaborated several bills that in-cluded measures to prevent the ‘brain drain’ among the Spanish youth, but we must acknowledge that those legal proposals never were taken into account by the Spanish legislative institutions.

On the other hand, this organisation has always looked for a completely diff erent development of the State budgets in research and development. As the representative of the association Ester Artells affi rms, the lacking job opportuni-ties mainly caused by the insuffi ciency of money that the Spanish State assigns for science forces large numbers of Spanish youngsters to look for a new life outside its bor-ders. Consequently, the Federación de Jóvenes Investiga-dores identifi es the ‘brain drain’ and the low priority of re-search and development in Spanish politics as a singularly crucial problem with two parts, which makes it even more burdensome for the Spanish youth and their goals.

Worries and restlessness of Spanish youngsters aside, it is time to say that associations like the FJI are the ray of hope for all of European youth. Young people who break with the limitations and stereotypes of the youth throughout

Europe and look for a better future that lets them build their lives in order to fulfi l their personal goals. There is only one concept that can properly express this achievement: progress.

Keeping in mind the diffi culties that Spanish young peo-ple particularly, and the European youth in general, have, we should go over the concept of progress and remake it. We need to consider progress and youth as two sides of the same concept. We, the young people, are the condi-tio sine qua non that makes progress a successful concept. Nobody is coming to solve the problems of the European young people. We, the youth, have realised that it many cases we are not part of political agendas around Europe.

The FJI is just an example of thousands that we can fi nd around all the European countries. This fact demonstrates how big the human potential from young people is. It is also means that it is diffi cult to stop our convictions if we consider ourselves as one part of progress’ equation. Let’s believe in us.

Your session journalEditors’ Note: We’re leaving these pages blank for you to use the space to

write down your very own best moments from the last week as a whole -

or even better, to let your fellow delegates write down their favourite com-

mon memories here to take home with you and look back at some time.

What was your favourite moment of the session?

“The UK delegates’ performance at Euroconcert.”

“The Hipster Party.”

“Khalid [journalist] spilling water all over CULT II’s committee room and then refusing to clear it up.”

“Every time walking by Jan [Vice-President] and hear-ing his ridiculously intellectual voice.”

“The Time Machine video.”

“Losing our voices in General Assembly.”

“A UK delegate getting kissed by 40 people at once.”

“Someone bleeding because of an intense game of Ninja.”

“A two-truths-and-a-lie story, which involved bunnies being burned, leading to the committee chant ‘burn-ing bunnies’.”

By Christian Browne and Khalid El Ghoul

Thank youghent

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