The
ID interdependent
ANARticle
Dancing with Swords
Sunny, yesterday my life was filled with rain
Tickling the president with some questions
Even in 2012 Traunsteinians still travel back in time to enjoy their 16th century traditions.
Are Southern people much friendlier and more joyful than Northern people?
p. 16
p. 9
p. 12
First Issue of The Independent - First Regional Conference in Traunstein 2012
Traunstein
Issue one
The Editors
Timm Br端njes (DE) Noura Berrouba (SE)
2
traunstein2012.weebly.com
Issue one
Traunstein
CONTENT ANARticle
16 15 Social networks connecting people
6
18
Social media connecting people
19
Preserving vs. Adapting
20
Access Denied
21
Change in Urban Mobility
Theodor Hall
Dana Klimakova
Jelena Stevanovic
Lara Reinfelds
22
Student Mobility: A Limited Opportunity
23
To Neglect or Not to Neglect?
Manfredi Daniels
Moira Lanterns
24
13
Oona Kiiskinen
Welcome
7 The future of the Internet
NGOs - The New Kids in The Game?
Veto: a way to hinder democracy
25
Today’s Challenge
26
Bonding Through Transport
27
The Right to Free Media
Sigrun Fagerfjäll
Anna Borrell
Theodor Hall
sh*t
8
Sh*t EYPers say
Take your pick
14
12 Sunny, yesterday my life was filled with rain traunstein2012.weebly.com
Global thinking in a hundred years
15
3
Traunstein
Issue one
Editorial Dear Delegates, By coming to this session, you have taken your very first steps in the European Youth Parliament. We could spend endless amounts of words and endless amount of hours trying to explain it to you. EYP can best be described as a rollercoaster ride; you hate it and love it at the same time. But most of all, you have no idea what you are getting yourself into, which loops will turn you upside down, when it will end and what obstacles you will face on the way. You will scream, you will defend every part of your belief, your opinions, you will contract friendships you would never have had the possibility to otherwise and you will find yourself questioning yourself and your surroundings. Just like with all rollercoasters, you will be so overwhelmed when you get out that you will want to get back on another round again… and again… and again. Welcome to the EYP!
4
Follow us:
Contributors:
Noura Berrouba - Editress (SE) Timm Brünjes - Editorial Assistant (DE) Clemens Rawert - Video Editor (DE) Moira Lanterns - Journalist (NL) Anna Borrell - Journalist (ES) Theodor Hall - Journalist (CH) Jelena Stevanović - Journalist (AT) Manfredi Danielis - Journalist (IT) Oona Kiiskinen - Journalist (FI) Sigrun Fagerfjäll - Journalist (SE) Lāra Reinfelds - Journalist (CH) Dana Klimova - Journalist (CZ)
traunstein2012.weebly.com
Issue one
Traunstein
Numbers Take a look at how much our apparently insignificant forces can give in building up something huge. These estimates can help you understand how powerful we can be if we work together!
160 people at the session; 1.97 times the soldiers of a 15th century Venetian battalion (81 soldiers) 53600 km travelled to get here; 1.34 times of the circumference of the earth (40000km) 3783 pages of material read; 3.05 times the number of pages of the holy bible (1229 pages) 3217 total years of age; 3.41 times the age of the Bayeux tapestry (942 years) 10263 kg of EYPer mass; 13.6 times the mass of an adult cow (750 kg) 1290 dm^2 of sleeping bags; 1.12 times the volume of a German Mercedes car (1150 liters) 206 sq. meters of umbrella covers; 1.43 times of a pro-league tennis field (144 sq. meters) 3428 inches of the GA ties; 1.65 times the distance between the kremlin door and red square (5610 inches)
Not to consider the 436 litres of coffee that will
be drinking and the 1893 hours that will be slept during the week. What to say? When united we become truly strong!
traunstein2012.weebly.com
5
Traunstein
Issue one
Welcome to the European Youth Parliament An introduction to the structure of a session, national committees, EYP international and why you should get involved in the European Youth Parliament. by
Manfredi Danielis
W
elcome to the European Youth Parliament, thus your adventure begins. At first glance you will have one of the following questions running through your mind: What is happening? Who are these people? What am I doing here? Do not worry these are totally legitimate feelings, the very same ones that we have all experienced when each one of us started a few years ago. With this article I will try to synthesize the basics of what you are getting introduced to. The European Youth Parliament (EYP) is a non-partisan and independent educational project which was founded in France in 1987 with the aim of promoting European citizenship and bringing together young Europeans in a formative process. It is based on a network of 36 European associations called national committees that together organise more than 120 events, so called sessions, every year. In other words, the event you are now taking part in is repeated, with slight variations depending on the national
6
committee, in almost every European country. Each year, the EYP reaches out to more than 5000 new young Europeans. All events, short or long, share the same structure. They involve a phase of teambuilding (games, bonding and befriending), a chapter of committee work (the part you had to research for) and a final part of debate in the general assembly where you defend your resolution and criticise others’. These events involve a series of individuals that share different roles: the organisers, all senior EYPers, are the ones to plan the event, the chairs lead the various committees and the journalists that run the session journal and media, the teachers that brought you to this event and finally you, the delegates, the real protagonists of this session. What do we want from you? That is a good question. It is more appropriate to say that we do not want anything but moreover hope that you enjoy this session and take in as much as possible. EYP has much to offer. Be-
sides the awareness of current European topics, it gives us what our schools systems have always failed to provide: a chance to change ourselves. EYP changes people; it makes them more confident, more tolerant and kinder. You will find that intercultural understanding is not some cool textbook word but rather a word that becomes reality in our organisation. Take any individual Bavarian, Latvian or African and I assure you that after you have both undergone our “program� you will develop a friendship. EYP bonds and unites people all over Europe. Loosen yourself, take chances, be active and you will see that those wacky kindergarten games your chair makes you play have an enormous hidden meaning. They are specifically designed according to the social dynamics and the laws of the group to help you bond with the individuals that surround you. Take this opportunity and make it count. Welcome to the European Youth Parliament!
traunstein2012.weebly.com
Issue one
Traunstein
The Future of Internet Most people use the Internet every day, but it has become important in politics only recently. intellectual property rights like SOPA, PIPA, ACTA and data protection are hot topics at the moment. by SigrunFagerfjäll
A
s you become more involved in the EYP, something called the European youth poll will start popping up on your Facebook newsfeed and appearing in your email inbox every now and then. Embrace it. The European Youth Poll is a frequent poll administrated by the EYP that deals with current issues. Thousands of young Europeans share their opinions in every poll and the results are then sent to politicians and other people with great influence. In the past the European Youth Poll has been mentioned in the European parliament and commented on by many MEPs and even one European commissioner. The last European Youth Poll deals with a very controversial issue; an issue that will affect us all and that has a tendency to raise strong feelings. ACTA, SOPA and PIPA - internet policies. You have probably come across these strange abbreviations many times in the past few months. They stand for Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act and they are proposed laws that have been received with mixed feelings by the public. Ba-
traunstein2012.weebly.com
sically, all of these proposed laws aim to put an end to the sharing of copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods, so called online piracy. But while the laws would give the owners of copyrighted material the means to hinder people from sharing their material online without permission, they would also change the lives of every internet user. How? Well, some say that these laws will put an end to sites such as Youtube and Wikipedia since it is hard to control what information
“Could you imagine a world without free knowledge?” is shared there. We can already see the results of similar laws when we find that some Youtube clips can only be viewed in certain countries. The laws might also have another sort of impact; several human rights organisations oppose them, claiming that they would hinder online movements such as the
one of the Arab spring. In January, Wikipedia along with other popular websites had a complete blackout for 24 hours to protest against SOPA. On the blackout page there was a message asking if we could imagine a world without free knowledge. And if you think about it you will probably realise how much you depend on the internet in your everyday life. You will think about all the times you have used Wikipedia to research for your homework assignments. You will think about all the times you have spent hours putting off said homework assignments watching funny Youtube clips. You will think about all the ridiculous pictures of cats that you would never have seen if the internet was restricted. Online piracy is not a good thing but the world is not ready for restricting laws such as ACTA, SOPA and PIPA. This is the opinion I shared when I took the European Youth Poll. My hope is that my opinion, along with yours and the ones of thousands of other young Europeans will end up influencing the decisions of European and global politicians.
7
Traunstein
Issue one
Sh*t EYPers say
by
Moira Lanterns
You have probably seen them on Youtube; those “sh*t white people/Jews/gays/women/Latinas/ Arabs/men say” videos. If not, they are highly recommended since they make fun of stereotypes in a nice way. So along those lines we would gladly provide you with a list of things EYPers say!
“I am going to take a nap.” The ironic thing about this sentence is although its popularity, it usually does not come to fruition, ever.
“Coffee!” This phrase is usually somewhat mumbled and barely audible because the EYPer saying this is usually on the verge of giving in to a nap. Sometimes it is however very audible, when the EYPer in question may have had more than enough of it already. This is usually said to an organiser, and let me tell you that the chances of obtaining this black gold are highly increased by adding “please?”
“Food!” EYPers love their food and they like it unhealthy. Well, all that can be said here is that people tend to forget that it is not necessarily about the quantity. Make sure to get all the essential vitamins in. That way, food is helping you being productive, other than holding you back.
“Really?!” EYP brings together people from all over Europe and although Europe is pretty united, there is weird stuff happening all over. For instance did you know you can lose your driver’s license if you get caught drunk on a bike in Austria? Well, now you know.
8
“He/she is so hot!” Contrary to popular belief, smarter people are prettier. Logically an EYP event is overflowing with smart people, and well, statistics have proven that those EYPers are smoking! The fire alarms have at several EYP events went off during general assembly.
“I love that too.” Great minds think alike, and well, as mentioned before, there will be a lot of great minds. Please take the opportunity to voice your weird love for either Pokémon, How I met your mother, dubstep, knitting or philately. There will be likeminded people.
“I respectfully disagree with you, my fellow delegate” The funny thing about this sentence is that it is just the pretty variant of what we scream to one another at school during breaks, and well it does sound a lot nicer than any of those swearwords.
traunstein2012.weebly.com
Issue one
Traunstein
Dancing with the Swords Even in the 2012 Traunsteinians still travel back in time to enjoy their 16th century traditions.
by Jelena Stevanovic
T
raditions; every country, every family and often cities practice them. While traditions in other places range from huge 15thbirthday celebrations for girls (Mexico) to a ‘mandatory’ afternoon nap; the Siesta (Spain), here in Traunstein it is a festive performance by a few citizens at least once a year. Every now and then, our host-city takes a look back at the Middle Age and celebrates the so called Sword Dance. Allegedly dating back to 1530, it was brought back to life by
traunstein2012.weebly.com
a Traunsteinian pharmacist in 1926. Driven by his interest in history, he stumbled across this tradition in the municipal archive of Traunstein and supported its first concrete revival at the celebration of the city’s 800th anniversary. Since then, the Sword Dance has been an addition to another Traunsteinian tradition, namely the Georgiritt; a horse ride to honour St. George. Starting and ending on the Traunstein town square this horseback pilgrimage leads one through the city and is followed by an impressive performance by
the Sword Dancers. The Sword Dance itself illustrates the change from winter to spring. The leader of the dance, dressed in red, symbolises spring while the two buffoons represent the ghosts of winter. The performance is concluded by the symbolic death of the two buffoons, their throats being cut through by spring. The victorious Sword Dancer is then raised in the air on a platform of swords. Since its rediscovery, this tradition has been celebrated on a regular basis and become an important part of some Traunsteinian lives. In 2009, the Traunstein Sword Dancers were officially invited to the Steuben Parade in New York. Each year in September, this parade goes down 5th Avenue. It is the biggest and most important annual event for an active German-American cultural exchange. Thus, it was a great honour for the Traunstein Sword Dancers to be a part of this happening. If you should find yourself back in this lovely city, be sure to plan a visit to the Middle Age and enjoy a performance by the Traunstein Sword Dancers. It seems to be an entertaining tradition rarely to be found in other places.
9
The
s r i Cha Team
10
11
Traunstein
Issue one
Sunny, yesterday my life was filled with rain
Are Southern people much friendlier and more joyful than Northern people? Do you feel happier during the summer? Does rain get you down or do you rather enjoy jumping into the puddles in the street? by
Anna Borrell
FEB 22nd
T
o start with, this has always been an intriguing subject, thus has it been studied by scientists and sociologists. To make an educated guess, one would think that weather has an impact on the mood. When the days are hot and sunny and you feel happy and joyful for no apparent reason and you feel like everything is better, as if the sunshine filled you with energy. And when it is cold or rainy and you feel sad, melancholy and you just want to stay at home holding a warm cup of tea under your favourite blanket, but you cannot quite put your finger on why are you feeling like this. Everyone can have days that are happier than others, and it even has been proved that weather has an impact on your mood. Another, maybe even
12
FEB 23rd
more intriguing question is; does the weather have a real impact on personality? People usually relate joy and general a good mood with Southern people, “playa, sol and paella”. Clichés aside, this might be true. Living in a country where you see the light of the day for more than 10 hours and you can be outdoors without freezing, going for a walk on the beach or just reading a good book in a summer dress on your terrace. I am pretty sure that makes your life happier than having to go to bed at 9pm because the sun has been down for more than 5 hours already, and you just do not know what else to do. The light and the sun makes you go outside, hence you meet people instead of being at home.
This can lead to you being more extroverts and outgoing. Keeping all of this and the fact that I am writing from a Spanish perspective in mind this might be a bit biased. However, I just know that when I travel abroad and I do not see the sun for more than a week, I feel gloomy and sad. But this is because I am not used to it, obviously if you live in a country where it pours with rain everyday you adapt to it. This does not mean that Northern people are shrinking violets and always blue, nonetheless they tend to be more reserved and introvert and not as zany as Southern people. But as always, where would the fun be if we all were the same?
traunstein2012.weebly.com
Issue one
Traunstein
Veto: A way to hinder democracy Russia’s and China’s veto in the Syria-discussions
R
ussia and China vetoed the United Nation’s (UN) resolution asking for the Syrian president Assad´s resignation. The resolution endorsed the plan of LAS calling for a stop to the repressions in Syria and the massive killing of innocent citizens. The day before the voting, a large massacre in the city of Homs had broken out and around 300 people died as a result. Bashar alAssad earlier stated that named news were false and were published in order to influence the voting in the UN Security Council. If the intentions had been as said, the tactic certainly worked. The most important part of the vetoes is the question popping out straight away: “Why?” The answer is a rather controversial one. The Russian veto was not motivated by an effort to protect its ally and keep the good trading conditions with the Syrian weapon industry. It was also a manifestation of Moscow´s determination to stop the
process of West´s “Crusade” against all hostile regimes. Diplomats although see the action as a Russian counteroffensive after the time of the UN´s unusual activities. Twice last year, the UN approved the “use of all means available”; the use of force in Libya and the Ivory Coast. In both cases, the event resulted in the fall of the
1. Stability. At home as well as outside the coun-
try, Russia and China emphasise stability. It is due to the fact that it legitimises their non-democratic ways of governance in the absolutely best way.
2. Extremism. Both the governments are afraid of it, especially of how easily it can spread among the inhabitants of their own countries.
3. Multilateralism. Moscow and Beijing see the West as a driving force for democratisation movements in the world. The wave of revolutions in the Arab countries is considered as a display of the efforts of Western countries to act unilaterally. The
traunstein2012.weebly.com
by
Dana Klimova
regimes. Libyan dictator Gaddafi was killed and Laurent Gbagbo from the Ivory Coast is awaiting a trial in the International Tribunal in The Hague. In a Russian and Chinese opinion, the UN´s action is a violation of the sovereignty of state (which UN should protect) of the countries concerned.
right to veto in the UN Security Council allows Russia and China to illuminate that they are not to be ignored.
4. The principle of non-intervention. Russia and
China, whenever they are looking for allies or trading partners, stress the non-interference policy. Dictators in Zimbabwe, Sudan and other countries know that they will not bother them with human rights and democracy but can ally with them for their influential part in the UN Security Council. It is considered as an important foreign currency, particularly regarding the export and foreign investment in weaponrie. Moscow and Beijing cannot afford being questioned.
13
Traunstein
Issue one
Global thinking in a hundred years. The world is constantly changing. To the good or the bad is a matter of personal opinion but it is certainly all going somewhere, even if we do not know what somewhere actually is. by Lara
Reinfelds
n 100 years, our world will have changed a lot. Maybe some of us will still be alive, wrinkly, old and knitting socks for our great, great grandchildren or playing scrabble and scaring people with our fake teeth. Something that really is going to change is global thinking. Imagine a world where borders have become irrelevant because we have realised that we are all humans and should try to make the best of the situation. Imagine a world where no one lives in Iceland anymore because frankly, it is just too cold, boring and tanning will be back in fashion all year round. Upholding values specified to nationality will become difficult because countries will be too multinational. Asian, Caucasian and everything else will melt together to form the perfectly mixed human, devoid of prejudice caused by skin colour, shape of eyes and favoured food. We are al-
I
14
ready going in that direction: the UK’s favourite food is curry, a dish certainly not native to the British Isles, the United States have a president whose father was from Kenya, and Berlin; the German capital, has the highest density of Turkish citizens outside of Turkey. While today, people might be surprised to learn that there are people with multiple passports, change will bring generations of proud AustrianFrench-Vietnamese-Russian or South African-Chilean-Swedish citizens. The world will come to realise that it is not a question of saving oneself as an individual but accepting a responsibility we all have; to help. That does not mean building a spaceship and trying to save humanity by finally getting a moon-base, bringing a few people there to reproduce and letting our planet get destroyed. What will be finally understood is that we, as the intelligent human race that we are, have
to take responsibility for our actions, our planet and ourselves. Whether the Chinese tourists decide to go live in the Swiss Alps, the Icelandic people choose to move to the Great Sandy Desert in Australia where they are free to tan as much as they want to, as long as they do not care about getting cancer, this world is going to change. Change is inevitable; change is necessary, it is the only thing to bring progress into this world. And while it may be kind of 2008, think of Barack Obama and “Yes, we can”; change is what we need. And isn’t it convenient then, that it is exactly what we get? So let us celebrate inevitable change, a change in the way we will be thinking and change in the way this world works. And let us hope for the best. Sometimes that is all there is we can do.
traunstein2012.weebly.com
Issue one
Traunstein
From Eurolines to covoiturage- take your pick Finding an affordable way to travel can turn out to be tricky at times. We know that the EYPers love to travel and following we offer you some handy options for budget- friendly travelling. by
Oona Kiiskinen
Through Europe by bus If you do not mind early wake-up calls and hours of sitting in the bus, Eurolines can be a good option for you. It is a student friendly priced option and you can get to pretty much anywhere in Europe as they go to over 500 destinations in altogether 25 countries; all the way from the Mediterranean coast up north close to the Nordic countries. It takes more time than taking a train or a plane, but as the busses in most cases run during night, time can be spared by travelling that way. http://www.eurolines.com/
Low cost airlines- the treat of our decade Flying divides the travelling time minimum into half of the normal, but it does not need to double the prize of it. The 21st century has seen the rise of low- cost airlines, mainly operating in Europe. It has extended the opportunities to discover the different corners of our continent. To give a few examples; Ryanair and Easyjet are well known for cheaply prized flights, something starting even from 10€, flying to the smaller airports close to the major ones (like Frankfurt Hahn, Paris Beauvais, London Stansted, Rome Ciampino). However, as the flights are that lowpriced, the extra- costs tend to bring the price up quite quickly: for example Ryanair takes 15- 30€ for a suitcase, and when paying by credit card one needs to pay an extra fee for that. Problems arise especially if there are changes to the travel plan. For example, Easy Jet charges 40€ per flight for getting it changed into another one. Not a luxury but reasonably prized option once you make sure that your travel dates are confirmed!
traunstein2012.weebly.com
Hopping into same car with a friendly stranger Hopping into a stranger’s car and paying for it? Parents would not be pleased to hear it this way, but there is actually a totally legal action and a perfectly reliable website for this; way better and more organised than just hitchhiking. People tell each other where they are off to by car, and how much for example from Strasbourg to Paris costs to hop on. Anyone can sign up on the website, browse offers and contact the drivers for prices and other conditions. In the majority of cases this is not only the cheapest option to get from place to another, but also the most ideal way to save both money and spare the environment. What more could we even hope for? http://www.covoiturage.fr/
15
Traunstein
Issue one
AN ARticle Tickling the president with some questions by Jelena Stevanovic
The long-awaited session in Traunstein has finally started and I got some of the president’s precious dinner time to talk to him. Anar Kucera from the Czech Republic is presiding for the first time in a while and is enjoying this comeback and the importance that comes with it. Apart from being special he sees himself wandering around and sup-porting all the other participants of the session. Before the actual event, he mostly co-operates with the Headorganisers, which is followed by finally meeting the rest of the officials. At the session itself, Anar thinks it is crucial to “support everybody at and in the session in a way that you can, so that they can give their best and if they are successful then you did a good job.” Because of this being his first presidency since 2009, Traunstein 2012 presents a special session to Anar. To others, all EYP sessions might
16
seem the same. Because of that, I was curious to see what made this session differ from all the others that Anar has been to, apart from the position he is holding. There is one word, which can be seen as the answer to this question; People. “The people make each session unique!” According to our president, we will meet “a really cool bunch of officials and delegates around here.” Furthermore, the session theme is a very important issue in the eyes of our president. He sees it as a topic all of us are facing every day, but still people do not deal with it to the extent that it deserves. As various types of networks (e.g. social, etc.) have become a part of everyone’s lives, one should also be open to con-sider the negative aspects of their usage. EYP as a network has many different meanings to everyone. To Anar, EYP is mainly about the spirit that is created at sessions and spread
all over the organisation by the participants. He enjoys that the people one meets and the EYP as such is open, tolerant and welcomes everyone with open arms. With these people, he connects his best EYP memories. As probably all EYPers have, also Anar remembers some special situations more than others. However, it is rather connected to weather than to certain people. His excitement about going to a Norwegian ses-sion in December was basically killed by problems at German and French airports, which turned a 7 and a half hours journey with one stop-over into a 4 and a half days trip to Oslo. Although EYP might not always have the best moments to offer, the people and their spirit make it worth-while for Anar to stay involved.
traunstein2012.weebly.com
Issue one
traunstein2012.weebly.com
Traunstein
17
Traunstein
Issue one
Social media connecting people by Theodor hall
The time is February 2004. An arrogant young Harvard student is sitting in his dorm with his friends when he suddenly comes up with the computer script that, little did he know, would change the world and affect millions of lives.
The social networking sites have played a massive role in the recent development. In the land of the pharaohs, whilst revolution was in the air, the revolutionaries used the Facebook events feature to plan their uprisings and to spread the word. Not knowing how to react, Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s dictator, disabled internet access to the people which ironically lead to this fundamental breach of human rights becoming common worldwide knowledge via social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. The uproar that followed was immense. The world demanded that Mubarak would step down and after just 18 days of protesting their wish was granted. This is just one example of many in which the huge potential of global connection in social networks, is realised. Without
18
Facebook, Mubarak’s oppressive reign may have continued for many years. Especially with natural disasters I have found Facebook to be a gargantuan awareness raiser, especially for youths, as many of them sadly do not even glance at the news. In such situations, Facebook serves to pass on the horrible news within seconds of a disaster, and knowing and seeing the problem is he first step to helping those in need. Although one thing must be said- it is a sad culture we live in when a spoiled, drug-addled popstar’s death receives more attention than the deaths of millions all over the world. I sadly doubt this can be avoided. Don’t let me be misunderstood. I am not at all claiming Facebook is solely positive or that it caused the Egyptian revolution; that was the work of the Egyptian people who had
the will to fight back. Social networks, can however, facilitate global connection and take us into a world without political borders. These internet sites provide us with countless opportunities and can make life a lot easier for us all. Let us take a less dramatic example; EYP. Try to imagine PED without the stalking of the session photos and the hour-long chat sessions. Or imagine not being able to get your session information on Facebook- of course all this is possible without Facebook, but Facebook makes all of this so much easier. Our planet is developing into a web of data built out of our contacts and connections, and us and we should utilise this luxury to the best of all our abilities. Or we could just poke our friends on Facebook.
traunstein2012.weebly.com
Issue one
Traunstein
Preserving vs. Adapting by
Dana Klimova
CULT I In recent years, Europe has been trying to unify itself by various treaties, charters, regulations and recommendations. It is however clear that this process can never be absolutely completed. Europe might reach the economic and maybe even political standards of the United States, although never in regards to culture, customs and languages. All in all, we can find around 500 European languages on our small continent, not counting the non-European ones. The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) is a European treaty adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe to protect and promote historical, regional and minority languages in Europe. Official languages within regions, provinces or federal units within a State (for example Catalan in Spain) are currently not classified as official
traunstein2012.weebly.com
languages of the State and will therefore benefit from the Charter. On the other hand, the Republic of Ireland has not been able to sign the Charter due to the Gaelic language as it is defined as the first official language of the country. Taking that into account, we can say that Europe is trying to protect its heritage. The question to be asked it whether it implements the ideas in a good way and whether the charter benefits everyone equally. Another action The EU has taken is the creation of various exchange programs that are made to promote minority and regional languages by sending those native speakers to other parts of Europe, where official languages are used on a regular basis. I am of the belief that this further wipes out minority languages. From my point of view, those students are not promoting
their own culture, but rather adapting to the official one. The European charter should also include parts about promoting language heritages through seminars, movies, fairs and such. For instance, people are studying in various inoperable fields. It would be much better to give people the possibility to study in fields that could keep up their culture and create customs for coming generations. As a final word, I will highlight an opinion that I do not share but is often discussed in the Czech Republic: Should not immigrants adapt to the customs of the country where they are living? For instance, many react on the gypsy topic with words like; “If you want to live here, forget your culture. Adapt.� There are many points of views, what you think is the right one, is up to you!
19
Traunstein
Issue one
ACCESS DENIED by Jelena Stevanovic
IMCO Internet is said to be a web between users. The word itself calls for the connection of different stakeholders, creating a digital bond and platform for various actions. However, since in current Europe, internet access is not provided for all citizens, many people are restricted from the total inclusion in the digital world and its numerous offerings. The endless depth of a huge web presents uncountable opportunities for the internet users. Whether it is entertainment, commercial or information one pursues, the World Wide Web will almost always present an answer to one’s quest. Hence, people without internet access face a limitation of the range of possible solutions when dealing with some of their needs and issues. A very obvious example of
20
such obstacles would be the prolonged process of data transfer that non-users have to face, instead of electronic mail there is only ‘normal’ mail. Furthermore, nowadays more and more services are being moved to the digital world. Whereas, you can go shopping on- and offline, there are certain things that can only be managed by using the internet. No access would therefore mean facing disadvantages and even exclusion in some fields of everyday life. For instance, studying has become almost impossible without internet usage. Not only for research but also for basic administrative actions it is necessary to be connected to the World Wide Web. The future also holds an increased use of internet services in the field of politics. Following the example
of Estonia, other European countries will most likely engage in online elections and an intensified connection between politicians and citizens through the internet. Hence, the internet will play an even bigger role in active citizenship. The above-mentioned issues that present themselves to those without internet access are only one aspect to be considered in the debate about a full digital inclusion in European countries. This topic, like the internet itself is of great depth and can be approached from various perspectives. The question to be asked is whether other views and issues can outweigh the disadvantages many people without internet access still have to face.
traunstein2012.weebly.com
Issue one
Traunstein
Change in urban mobility by Lara
Reinfelds
TRAN I With an ever growing global population comes an ever growing amount of traffic and a large part of this traffic in the EU is made up of car transport. Car transport is not only expensive, it also causes pollution and this in turn causes diseases amongst other things. It is therefore necessary, in this day and age especially, to look at other possibilities and move away from individual car ownership. Governments have to make sure their citizens have access to sufficient public transportation and support companies that offer their employees eco-friendly transportationopportunities. Cycling; a very healthy and economical alternative to using a car is being supported in many large European cities such as Copenhagen, Paris
traunstein2012.weebly.com
and Amsterdam, where bicycle-sharing has a comparatively long history, with special bicycle-rental stations. These bike-sharing systems are also found in smaller cities but especially regions that lack sufficient public transportation should be supported by the government in finding means of transportation apart from the traditional car. This includes trains and electric car rental; such as the one in Milan or the one proposed in Paris. While cycling has many health benefits, it is also tiring, not suited to some people’s and region’s conditions and can turn a short trip into a really long one. The electrical cars could be a solution to some of the problems we are faced with. However, only time will tell how effective they
are and how they can be improved. Until more possibilities are open to people in rural areas, the government and employers should promote car sharing and using public transportation as frequently as possible. While bio fuel is a possibility that needs to be explored more thoroughly, one needs to keep in mind the downside of its production and set priorities. Priorities are also important, considering the current financial situation we are in, but decisions should be based on what is best for everyone; including the environment, citizens and State.
21
Traunstein
Issue one
STUDENT MOBILITY: A LIMITED
OPPORTUNITY by
Manfredi Danielis
CULT II
“Give it 15, 20 or 25 years, and Europe will be run by leaders with a completely different socialization from those of today” (extra quotation, no charge) Over the last few years, the European higher educational programs have undergone an extensive transformation. The Sorbonne and Bologna declarations have greatly homogenised university structures as to permit an extensive amount of mobility to the European student population. Graduates and undergraduates, guided by the Erasmus program, are free to move around the continent, taking classes in different countries without the fear of falling behind to their native peers. But still today, many obstacles remain that reduce the potential Erasmus applicants to a miserable percentage of the student population. First of all, students fear language barriers. In a Europe of twentythree official languages it is difficult for students to study abroad in a foreign
22
language without losing track of their subject. In an internationalised world, too little is being done to promote the inevitable internationalisation of knowledge. Further higher education should be offered in English so to facilitate the task of studying abroad. Second, students interested in learning outside of their countries inevitably face financial difficulties. The Erasmus salary is not enough to cover expenses and funding is usually very hard to find. 86% of students reject Erasmus for this reason. How to ask governments that risk insolvency due to the recession to pour money into education grants? Experts propose that setting up a centralised European Credit Union for Students could be efficient in creating a fair market of student loans. After all, studying abroad should be seen not as a cost but as an investment. Since loans are considered as a risky option by young Europeans, who have seen what too much debt can
do, economist have suggested that low interest or income-contingency loans could be applied as to not scare the potential Erasmus applicants away. The third block to the interEuropean student mobility dream is the residual lack of integration between the university systems in the various Member States. Issues concerning the credit transfer system, the quality and validity of evaluation and the lack of communication still scare student from trying the Erasmus experience. A program that came to life in 1987 and that offers a crucial life-learning opportunity cannot still receive only 200.000 applications per year. Erasmus should be the norm, not the exception. May the day come soon when a specific year of college will be referred as the ‘Erasmus year’. We need the EU to take up a central role in facilitating student mobility and changing this from dream and into reality.
traunstein2012.weebly.com
Issue one
Traunstein
To Neglect or not to Neglect? by
Moira Lanterns
ENVI Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are in a way the cause, result and solution to poverty in Africa all in one. The economic aspects that come with these three have to be highlighted and thus will be. To start with it being a cause; logically, if people are extremely sick and in risk of death, they are not working nor going to school and therefore only costing money, thus not being beneficial to their respective countries. To continue, NTDs are in a way a result of the poverty; logically, in poorer countries overall hygiene, healthcare and basic facilities are far to be seen. Making the NTDs spread like a spiral going downwards exponentially. Lastly they could form a solution to poverty; if people are working instead of being sick or in risk of death.
traunstein2012.weebly.com
So why are we not jumping on a plane and injecting all of these people with nice shots so they can get up from their sick behinds and be productive? The answer is harsh; the cold truth is that we like the current situation too much. Pharmaceutical companies have no interest whatsoever in providing the poorest part of our planet with vaccines. People will become healthier but CEOs prefer a bonus consisting of cash rather than smiles. Then there are also the people benefitting from NTD affected countries staying poor. China is especially fond of this; it has this system of lending corrupt governments huge amounts of money for a really low interest rate. The government then invests this in for instance infrastructure. China, smart as it is, however, makes sure that they are the ones building the
infrastructure and thereby getting their loan back, twice. Than the last aspect of course is, must we care? Perhaps we should be somewhat worried; the natural habitats of mosquitos, assassin bugs and sand flies are getting bigger because of global warming. Secondly, because people travel and migrate, a lot more of the diseases are coming on holiday with them. With approximately 165 million Europeans living in poverty, these diseases might cause a vicious cycle that will make us regret we ever neglected it. However until the bigshots are capable or are forced to set aside their hunger for more money, I do not see the sick getting healthier anytime soon. Once again, the cold, harsh truth.
23
Traunstein
Issue one
NGOs - the new kids in the game? by
Oona Kiiskinen
AFET The question of the help provided by the NGOs; the non- governmental organisations, is considered to be a bit of a two-sided coin. Often referred to as the third sector, they are valuable for rising awareness on issues and providing expertise on very specific political fields. NGOs are seen as a vital promoter of democracy; kind of like a system of checks and balances or a ‘guardian of democracy’ holding the official governmental bodies and the decision makers accountable and continuing to be critical on the democratic deficit of global governance. However, the problem arises when we consider the fact that, unlike the governments, NGOs are not democratically elected bodies; overall, they have the same goals as lobbyists,
24
with a bit more formality but are not elected through democratic processes. This causes a major dilemma, as they still have the access to the governments and the possibility to criticise them; they are indeed the representatives of the civil society. Since they are not democratically elected this representative function cannot be legally recognised. At the moment, the NGOs are considered by many as a kind of ‘free- rider’ that have a useful function but that lack institutional legitimacy. This is why the accountability of these guardians themselves is needed to be monitored. Getting to the core of the problem is to ask: “how are we to monitor the NGOs in the fashion that they do for the governments?” Finding the
balance between the freedoms for the NGOs to work and to be creative but still to be held accountable will be one of the key challenges. However, if this is properly managed, the ideal result would be a more open system, where the NGOs monitoring the democratic processes, setting the checks and balances and would be monitored and controlled by themselves. Thus resulting in increased legitimacy and further accountability in their future part. We as the new European generation have a chance to be innovative here; find a way to hold the NGOs accountable without holding them back, so that their full powers can be realised and taken into use.
traunstein2012.weebly.com
Issue one
Traunstein
Today’s Challenge by Sigrun Fagerfjäll
SEDE The European Youth Parliament was founded in 1987. The founder, Bettina Carr-Allinson could probably never have imagined back in the days, that 25 years later, a committee would be dealing with such an issue as cyber war. SEDE’s committee topic is without doubt one that represents the 21st century. It is only in the past few years that cyber wars have become reality and this naturally makes it harder to find a solution to this complex problem. An example that demonstrates the complexity of this topic is the Stuxnet Virus. If anyone would have told Bettina about Stuxnet back in 1987, she probably would not have believed what she heard. Stuxnet is a computer
traunstein2012.weebly.com
worm, first discovered in 2010. It targets so called Siemens supervisory control and data acquisition systems. These are software that control specific industrial processes. Many believe that Stuxnet was spread to five different Iranian organisations in order to shut down the Iranian uranium enrichment infrastructure. In other words; to shut down the Iranian nuclear power plants. There have been many speculations about who created Stuxnet. The Russian computer security firm Kaspersky Lab investigated the attacks and concluded that it must have been conducted “with nation support” since they were so sophisticated. Nations fighting through the use of internet; this is a prime example of a cyber war.
The dangers of cyber wars should not be underestimated. We might not see horrible pictures on the news of bombings and blood but great harm can still be done if the threats are not taken seriously. Stuxnet was supposed to shut down nuclear power plants. Next time, a computer worm might target the security system of a nuclear power plant instead. We need to realise that there are lives on the line and act now. This is what makes the topic of Security and defence a matter of such importance.
25
Traunstein
Issue one
Bonding Through Transport by
Anna Borrell
TRAN II How far should the intervention of the State go when it comes to the transportation network? Should private companies have the power over transport industries? Will all European countries come to an agreement on the matter of transport infrastructure? To begin with, it is important to highlight the importance of the transportation network of the EU. International relations between European countries and companies increase daily, and the need for stronger and more solid infrastructures between these countries is vital. In general terms, the EU is moving towards a European integration. This can be seen easily in the times of crisis that we are facing, where countries are helping each other economically and politically. This is why it makes sense to create a potential EU-wide strategy of transportation
26
now, to make this bond between countries stronger by communicating them through a homogeneous infrastructure of freight and transport. For example it does not make any sense at all that the rail gauge varies depending on the country. It made sense back in the past when this difference was created to avoid attacks by train between countries during wars. Nowadays, further standardisation of rail gauges seem likely, as individual countries seek to build inter-operable national networks, and international organisations seek to build continental and macro-regional networks. Additionally, the EU should ask itself who should improve these infrastructures in order to stand the development that we are facing, and that we will face in the future. We found ourselves here with the typical dichotomy of state control and private
investment. On the one hand, we are in a time where financial resources are lacking and extremely needed, but on the other hand, transport infrastructures should be one of the core priorities of the States. Moreover, if private investors would take the leading role in the transport industry and would oust the State monopolies, we could find ourselves in a situation where efficiency and innovation are increased. Nevertheless, perhaps these private enterprises would not be looking for the public’s best interest but for their own greatest profit in order to overcome private competition. In the light of the previous arguments, maybe the best would be the cooperation between private enterprises and public states, thus creating partnerships that would lead to a stronger transportation network.
traunstein2012.weebly.com
Issue one
Traunstein
The right to free media by Theodor
Hall
LIBE Freedom of press is just one of those terms used to justify any kind of slanderous journalism that exists in this world. It can be used as an excuse for simple lies when abused. So why do we support it and look at it in such a positive manner? It is because Freedom of press is an absolute fundamental need for a functional journalistic society. Despite the negative sides to Freedom of press, anything other than free press is pointless and unfair. The masses trust the media and the press and due to this politics can under no circumstances have any sort of power or influence over the media. This creates propaganda media that influences the viewer, which in turn voids the democratic rule. Take everyone’s favourite Italian comedian for example: Silvio Ber-
traunstein2012.weebly.com
lusconi. After many controversial escapades involving very young strippers/ prostitutes/ actresses the “Bunga bunga president” remained in power, and more importantly, a popular leader, only resigning this last November. How could this happen? Gruppo Mediaset is an Italian media company founded and still owned by Berlusconi. In practically all broadcasts on their channels, Berlusconi is promoted and depicted as a symbol of Italy’s prowess. By using the common media, Berlusconi is able to end up seeming like the good guy despite his abysmal presidential rule in which he makes a shame of the entire Italian parliamentary system. This is a prime example for why absolute Freedom of press without censorship must be a basic human right. We as advanced civilizations in
the western world must set an example for the more afflicted nations in- and outside of Europe. All member states of the EU must abide to strict laws and regulations and if they do not stick to them they should be excluded from the EU. According to these regulations, Hungary should be given the choice of abolishing their instituted media laws or stepping out of the EU. This may seem radical but I firmly believe we should not give censorship a chance, especially online. With media access becoming more global day by day, it is our responsibility as Europeans to lead the way to a better and stronger press society, where free opinions are granted. I urge all of you to take up action and protect our hard-earned freedom with everything you have.
27
Traunstein
Issue one
NEWS.
by
Anna Borrell
A growing body of evidence from both science and history suggests that the eight-hour sleep may be unnatural. An experiment has been done where people sleep first for four hours, then wake for one or two hours before falling into a second four-hour sleep. During the waking period between sleeps, the human capacity to regulate stress naturally increases exponentially.
At least 48 people have been killed and dozens injured in a wave of bombings and shootings across Iraq. The violence targeted predominantly Shia areas, in particular police officers and checkpoints. In Baghdad, nine people died in two successive blasts and outside the capital, at least two were killed in Baquba. No group has yet said it was behind the violence.
The threat from terrorism and piracy in Somalia are among the issues that will be discussed at a conference in London on the future of the country. Representatives from 40 countries will attend the event, aimed at devising a common approach to a country blighted by years of civil war and famine.
A West Midlands MEP has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud the European Parliament. Nicole Sinclaire, a European politician from the United Kingdom and Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands, has been arrested together with three other people, that were part of an inquiry following an allegation made in 2010 into allowances and expenses.
India’s government has told the Supreme Court that homosexuality is immoral, “against nature and spreads HIV”. The home ministry urged the court to reverse a 2009 landmark decision by the Delhi High Court that decriminalised gay sex.
28
traunstein2012.weebly.com