THE SLOTH.
This newspaper is brought to you by: (From left to right) Adam Borowski (Video Editor), Catherine Noonan, Aleksandra Bieluk, Alex Coates, Mara Balasa,Sara Jasionowska, Zuzana Kustkova, Magdalena Wilford, Onur Can Ucarer, Aaron Graham and Luke Thomas (Editorial Assistant)
Tabel of content:
17. The Right to Fight with the Far Right
3. Hung Up on Intellectual Property
19. What You Need to Know About Wroclaw
4. Economy or Humanity?
21. The Balkans: Fierce Past, Unsure Future
5. Dear Mr President
23. Are We There Yet?
7. The More The Merrier 8. EU Army as a Tool for EU Values 9. Not So Great Expectations 10. Excuse Me, What? 11. Surprise! 12. Young and With(out) Future 13. Chairs Team 16. Keeping the Peace: A Clash of Rights 1
EDITORIAL Dear delegates. Welcome to the International Forum of EYP Poland in Wrocław! I am sure you by now have heard that sentence many times, but this will be my one and only change of doing so. Most of my time will be behind my MacBook editing three - hopefully brilliant issues for this session. I have been fortunate enough to get Luke Thomas from the UK as my assistant - fortunately for me, since he will be my right hand during this entire session, with editing, proofreading and chairing the media team. Unfortunately, you and I will not be spending much time together, but I can guarantee you, you are in my focus at all times. These magazines will be made entirely for you: To enjoy, to read, to be helpful, to be funny and to update you on what’s going on around in Wrocław and at the Session. Lastly, I hope you are looking forward to the videos that Adam Borowski from Poland are in charge of. When you see him filming, or a Journo with a camera taking photos, let them! It will be golden for you after the Yours, session, and you’ll love looking at it, no matter how Christina Daubjerg Newman tired/angry/sweaty you might think you look. Just remember, you are at your most beautiful with a smile on PS. I work on a MacBook with a Danish keyboard. Am your face! I not cool for figuring out how to do the Ł? Enjoy the session!
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HUNG UP ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY JURI - INCREASING INTERRELATION BETWEEN STATES HAS LED TO DIVERSE AND OFTEN INCONSISTENT POLICIES REGARDING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS. WHAT SHOULD THE EU DO TO ENSURE ARTISTS AND CONTENT CREATORS ARE PROPERLY COMPENSATED FOR THEIR WORK? - BY CATHERINE NOONAN The Hangover II. Admittedly, this isn’t usually the thing that springs to mind when someone mentions intellectual property. Not much springs to mind at all, generally, other than vague notions about artists and scientists trying to protect their paintings and experiments.
Besides subject matter, the main difference between these two types of intellectual property is that industrial MUST be registered before it has legal protection, whereas copyright comes into existence once the work is (a) tangible and (b) original. While this may sound basic, intellectual property law is one of the most highly disputed worldwide.
However, in 2011, Warner Bros. found itself embroiled in a court case with S. Victor Whitmill, a tattoo artist known best for designing Mike Tyson’s tribal tattoo around his right eye. Whitmill claimed that using an identical tattoo on character Stu after waking up in Bangkok breached usage of his copyrighted design. Warner Bros. claimed it as parody, therefore “fair use”.
Intellectual property law protects the rights of the original creators of everything from Twilight to X-rays. It ensures that artists and scientists alike get proper credit, monetarily and personally, for their original creations.
While this may seem trivial, it was ruled that Whitmill had a case, and Warner Bros. offered to digitally alter the tattoo in all DVDs of the movie, so as to avoid a lengthy case. The tattoo was Whitmill’s own original design, and therefore, his intellectual property.
Lately however, criticism has been increasing. Concern is growing over intellectual monopolies, patents granted for living organisms and even colours, like Louboutin red soles. Pharmaceutical corporations patenting and preventing release of vital medication in favour of extending profits have caused huge ethical controversy.
Intellectual property, the legal protection of works created by the human intellect. While the term is relatively new, only coming about in the 19th century and into common use in the 20th, the concept far precedes its legal moniker. In Ireland, the first copyright case started in 550 AD, when the monk Colmcille copied another monk, Finnian’s, book – the “Vulgate”, a full Latin transcription of the bible. Back then there was no European Patent Office or World Intellectual Property Organisation, so the only obvious solution was a raging battle, leaving 300 dead. Sadly, nowadays, intellectual property laws are somewhat less exciting.
Even the basic need for intellectual legal protection has been questioned - it’s argued that the sharing or copying of work/an idea for enjoyment doesn’t lessen or take from the original. This can be seen daily in the widespread illegal sharing of music and video files – I doubt many readers can claim to have never watched an illegally distributed movie or TV series online. Thomas Jefferson himself objected, saying; “He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me."
European law splits intellectual property into two categories: Industrial and copyright. Industrial includes inventions, trademarks, industrial design etc. Copyright covers artistic works such as novels, films, musical works etc.
Intellectual property law seeks to protect the individual’s right to their original work, to profit and control it as they wish. However, some argue it’s an unnecessary, profiteering machine that only quashes originality. Who’s right? I’m afraid you’ll have to draw your own conclusion. It’s illegal to draw anyone else’s
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ECONOMY OR HUMANITY? LIBE - OVER THE PAST DECADE, BOATLOADS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS HAVE BEEN ARRIVING ON SPANISH COASTS THROUGH THE STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR RESULTING IN THE SPAINISH GOVERNMENT PLACING MORE OBSTACLES TO STOP THIS FLOW. WHAT STEPS, IF ANY, SHOULD THE EUROPEAN UNION TAKE CONCERNING THE PROTECTION OF ITS CITIZENS AND THE PREVENTION OF THE INCREASING NUMBER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS? - BY ONUR CAN UÇARER Have you ever thought about the name of that famous strait, Gibraltar? It was year 710 when the Arab general Tariq Ziyad passed that strait, which was called ‘Mons Calbe’ back than, and invaded the Iberian Peninsula. That was the first time Strait of Gibraltar was used to pass large numbers of people from Africa to Europe. More than 100.000 soldier, as well as thousands of civilians passed that strait in 8th century. The impact of this migration was huge on Europeans, that they began calling the rock at the entrance of the peninsula, as well as the strait, ‘Gibraltar’, which means ‘Mount of Tariq’ in Spanish. However, the usage of the Strait of Gibraltar had differed a lot in 1400 years. The lifestyle, is unbelievably different in the two sides of Gibraltar. While the northern part, Spain, is living in welfare, modernity and comfort, the southern part, Morocco and also West Africa, is living in poverty under hard circumstances. The average income of a Spanish citizen is more than 12 times higher than a Moroccan. This income gulf is even larger between Spain and West Africa. No one wants to migrate from the land that they were born and live. No one wants to go to a country that they don’t speak it’s language but those bad conditions force poor people to migrate from their homelands. They use very dangerous ways to come to Europe. More than 5.000 people have died while trying to cross the Mediterranean since 1996. This migration is not a selection for them. This is an obligation.
“More than 5.000 people have died while trying to cross the Mediterranean since 1996. This migration is not a selection for them. This is an obligation.” Half a million people immigrate to Europe every year, and one-forth of the people comes via Spain. The influence of this vast numbers of foreign people on Europe is a lot. This topic is being discussed even more intensely because of the economical crisis occurring in the last years. In contrary to the humanitarian side of this problem, immigrants mean giant expenditures to governments. They need a place sleep and food to eat. They generally don’t have any incomes and they increase the unemployment. Immigration to Europe is worth more than 3 billion Euros per year, so the reasons of the people, who believe that the immigration should not be allowed, are understandable. The real dilemma comes next: is money, thus economy, more important than humanity? This is a question that Europe needs to answer in the near future.
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DEAR MR. PRESIDENT
YESTERDAY, WE FOUND A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW OUR LOVELY PRESIDENT, RICHARD JANOUŠEK. WE FOUND OUT SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT HIS LIFE, LEARNT OF HIS OPINIONS ABOUT THE EYP, AND DISCOVERED HIS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOUR EYP CAREER. BY ONUR CAN UCARER & ZUZANA KUSTKOVA How did your EYP adventure begin? The first EYP session I attended was in the fall of 2008, a Czech Forum. The session was actually in Czech. After that, I continued to the National Selection Conference and International Session in Helsinki. How many Sessions have you been to? I have been a Delegate four times, I've Journoed once, I've been an Organiser once and I suppose I
might have Chaired about thirteen times, which would bring us to the sum of twenty. How does it feel to be President of this session? I really like it, because I have Chaired quite a lot of times. I did want to take some steps further, with one of them being a Vice-President and then Chairing in Munich, at the IS (International Session). But being President of the Session is, again, different. Whhat I like about it especially is that you get to be in touch with all the three teams – the Chairs, the Journalists 5
and the Organisers, and also the Delegates. It is a pity I don't have a committee, but I still do want to know the Delegates. So I invite them to approach me and have a chat with me. Was being a President of a Session your main EYP goal? Definitely not at the beginning. At the beginning, I didn't know what the roles of the Officials were – what you can do within the session. But through my EYP carrier I did, at some point, decide that I would like to Preside a Session once. At the beginning, you learn from training and other people a lot. Then, after you Chair five-seven times, it's the other way around; people start learning from you. What future do you see for your EYP carrier? Well, I have not Head Organised a Session yet. I've been an Organiser only once, there was a Journalists' training in Finland, in Tampere. I've also never Edited, that is another thing I should try. I was also considering running for the Board a couple of years ago, but the meeting was on the day of my birthday and I was supposed to have dinner with my family. And since then, I've been traveling quite a bit. I did spend last year in Finland, so I have not run for a position anymore. What do you think about the Polish people and Poland in general? I really like it. I've been to Poland three times and what I would point out is that yesterday, I found out that ‘whipped cream‘ in Polish is ‘bita smietana‘, which in Czech would be like ‘beaten cream‘, which sounds really funny. But I think that the nation is obviously warm-hearted and welcoming to foreigners.
Can you introduce us to your mascot, Mr. Frawsome? Mr. Frawsome is a very good friend of mine. I received him about a month ago at a training event which I organised. He is composed of two socks. He is handmade and I made him myself. The name was given due to the Session in Munich, where the word ‘frawsome’ (freaking awesome) became the word of the Session and I do believe it’s a really good word. Do you have any recommendations or a message to the Delegates? Firstly, I think they should have an open mind, because EYP is scary. If this is your first EYP Session, the level of silliness shocks you in the Session so don’t be afraid. Approach it with an open mind. I’m sure that you will not regret it later on. Secondly, do embrace the topic of the session; multiculturalism. This is a huge part of EYP. Lastly, do stick to English. If you were to speak in your mother tongue and there were people passing by, they wouldn’t be able to join the conversation.
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Name: Richard Janoušek
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Age: 22
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Residency: Prague
• Favourite song: Parov Stelar Chembermaid Swing •
Favourite animal: Dragon
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Favourite book: 1984
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Favourite language: Finnish
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He hitch-hiked from Paris to Copenhagen
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He visited 13 countries in the last year
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He achieved his Bachelor degree on Monday (finished at 12:30, left Prague for the session at 16:30)
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THE MORE THE MERRIER AFET - THINKING OUTSIDE BORDERS: WITH CROATIA BECOMING AN EU MEMBER STATE IN JULY 2013, THE QUESTION ON THE ENLARGEMENT POLICY RESURRECTS. WHAT APPROACH SHOULD THE EU TAKE TO ITS FURTHER ENLARGEMENT AND CANDIDATE COUNTRIES? BY MARA BALASA “Welcome!” “Is it finally the time?” “Yes, you really did it.” This represents the first conversation between the European Union, the parent, and Croatia, the newly adopted child. But something is not right. I mean, where is the love? Where is the warmth in one parent’s voice? Well, sometime, in the future, there will be love. Until then, acceptance is the key word. Why acceptance? Think of a huge family, with 27 stubborn members. When it comes to enlarging it, each of them has to say “YES”. Because, after all, they have to share stuff like food, clothes, money and the affection of the parents. However, it seems like Croatia occupies a special place in EU’s heart since there is no need for post-accession monitoring. That is a nice attitude, considering the fact that this new “child” has been waiting since February 2003, the first time when this “adoption” was brought up. After that, an entire process of self-improvement has started: minimizing inflation, fighting with corruption, restructuring, selling ailing shipyards and resolving the baking and the border dispute with its neighbor, Slovenia. Fortunately, these numerous measures were not in vain, but this had to be proved to the other family members as well. Everyone who wants to join has to be well acquainted with the aforementioned process and, after fulfilling the entry requirements, it is up to the EU to decide whether the countries deserve to be a part of the Union. Since this is an important decision that could affect many people, the enlargement policy has a crucial role. Therefore, the biggest question is: Who is going to be the next one? It is well known the fact that the family is permanently expanding and thus evolving. Having this said, there will be other countries that will want to join, in order to obtain certain advantages such as freedom of movement, a single market, protection and a higher standard of living. But, since no family is perfect, there are also disagreements between the members. The numerous issues that need to be tackled give rise to endless discussions. For instance, when it comes to enlarging the group, there are always different opinions, because everyone wants to have the final word. Moreover, after someone else joins the family, other questions arise: how should the members behave? How will the newcomer’s actions affect the others? Which measures ought to be taken, in order to keep the EU as happy and stable as it is right now?
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EU ARMY AS A TOOL FOR EU VALUES
SEDE - TOWARDS A EUROPEAN STANDING ARMY? IN LIGHT OF THE CONFLICT IN SYRIA, CONTINUOUS CUTS IN EUROPEAN DEFENCE BUDGETS AND AN EVERINCREASING DEPENDENCE ON US MILITARY RESOURCES, HOW CAN THE EU IMPROVE ITS MILITARY CAPABILITIES WHILST RESPECTING ITS MEMBER STATES‘ FULL COMPETENCE IN THIS AREA? BY MAGDALENA WILFORD In todays world having military power equals political power. The best examples of that are countries such as: USA, with it's enormous military budget or China, with its approximetely 325 million active troops. They have best military forces in the world, therefore excel at this 'political race' with other nations. Having said all above, we see how politically weak EU is without decent military forces. The armies of indivual countries are becoming smaller, less powerfull and usefull each day due to continiously increasing cuts on defence budgets made by national government. In the light of vast amount of conflicts around the world the questions seems to arise whether there should be European Union army controled by individual countries? How can we improve situation in Syria? What should we do to prevent the civil war and how to make sure that human rights treaties are not being violated? If we want to promote values such as: freedom of speech, democracy, free eloctioning, gender and sex equality, if we want to STOP being dependent on USA and START being able to cope our own issues, we need powerful military forces for that. Good example of such dependance on USA is war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, an international armed conflict, that took place between 1 March 1992 and 14 December 1995. The war came about as a result of the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Eventually USA was the one enforcing their power in order to stop the war, meaning Belgrade was boomed. So do we we want to promote EU values and become more military, therefore politicaly powerful in the eyes of other nations? Plus, is EU ready to take such initiative and create its own army? These questions and many others that need to answeared not only to change something but to improve situation in many countries by implementing appropriate actions and solutions.
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NOT SO GREAT EXPECTATIONS BY CATHERINE NOONAN I wish I could pretend to have had a well rounded and educated knowledge of Poland before this Forum, but my sheer inability to even pronounce ‘Wrocław’ suggests otherwise. The worst part is that I can’t even use being Irish as an excuse, given that Polish nationals currently account for roughly 12% of Ireland’s population. Hearing Polish while walking around town is almost as common as hearing English – and Polski Skleps are so common that I can recognise numerous brands in local supermarkets. However, before I Googled ‘Wrocław’ to see where I’d be going, I openly admit to being inexcusably ignorant about the Polish landscape – both geographically and socially. I’d like to consider myself a relatively open-minded person. I try not to just accept or endorse stereotypes or generalisations. Despite this, whenever I thought about Poland, all I could think about was masses of unemployed; huddled against a barren, grey background – maybe a few factories thrown in in the distance for theatrical effect. It’s like knowing that the vast majority of Russians don’t live in constant winter, going around wrestling bears and surviving solely off vodka, but not knowing enough actual facts to have a more accurate image. Researching Wrocław only brought up beautiful images of old, ornate buildings, fountains and winding rivers. There was even a family friend who’d visited, and told me the same thing; raving about how gorgeous everything is and how friendly the people are. Still, the depressing, monochrome image lingered. Fortunately for all involved, that image was blown away the minute the plane touched the tarmac. If anything was going to smack the poverty-stricken stereotype out of my head, it was the blazing heat and shining airport that stood in glaring contradiction as I struggled down the rickety Ryanair steps. Following a brief mix-up with a taxi and an Organiser, the final shreds of my ill-informed image wilted away as the city rose up around me. After checking into the hostel, I decided to brave the heat and see some more of the city, (despite having idiotically only packed jeans and Dr. Marten boots). The marketplace set up in front of the town hall only enhanced the surreal, practically fairytale-esque atmosphere, with every reflective surface glistening in the sunlight. Naturally, my delicate Irish senses were somewhat overwhelmed by the incredible weather, but I suspect it would take a considerable force of nature to lessen the beauty of the city. In the end, Wroclaw spared no time in elegantly, and effectively, putting an end to my foolish preconceptions, (while providing me with a lifetime’s supply of Vitamin D). Though it’s obviously a foolish conclusion to draw after a few days in the sun, I can’t help but look around in disbelief as I stand in the Main Square and wonder why anyone would sacrifice this beautiful city for the grey streets and skies of Ireland
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EXCUSE ME, WHAT? POLISH CAN BE CONFUSING. SO CAN EYP. THEREFORE, ALEX COATES AND MAGDALENA WILFORD HAVE MADE TWO GUIDES FOR YOU, SO THAT THE INTERNATIONAL YOUTH FORUM OF EYP POLAND IN WROCŁAW CAN GO AS SMOOTH AS POSSIBLE. Tak = Yes Nie = No Cześć = Hello/Goodbye Jak się masz = How are you? Dobrze = Good Źle = Bad Spoko = Okay/fine Świetna/y = Awesome Pomożesz mi? = Can you help me? Jak masz na imię? = What is your name? Co robimy wieczorem? = What are we doing this evening? Tips For Surviving an EYP Session Miło cię poznać = Nice to meet you 1.
Don’t worry, be happy, and keep a
smile on your face. 2. Make sure that you are fully involved
W jakim jesteś komitecie = Which committee are you in?
in all available events.
Kto jest twoim chairem/journem? = Who is your chair/journalist?
3. 4.
Drink lots of coffee and water. Don’t be afraid of embarrassing
yourself; be brave. 5. Trust your chair to guide you through the session. 6. Prepare your research thoroughly for the Committee Work as this will make for the best resolution. 7. Pay attention to the dress codes for specific occasions. 8. Don’t overwork yourself; remember you are here to enjoy yourself too!
Zgubiłam/em się = I’m lost. Gdzie są orga? = Where is an organiser? Jak minęła ci podróż? = How was your journey? Czy lubisz swoich Współlokatorów = How do you like your room-mates? Dziękuję/Dzięki = Thank you Mój przyjaciel = My friend Hurrah! Now if you see someone struggling with any Polish language, don’t hesitate to come to their aid. Of course the Session languages are still English first and French second, however, it is always a pleasure to expand one’s knowledge of language and culture.
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Sloths were revered in ancient times as a symbol of youth. We feel that, as with any EYP Session, the IYF provides another perfect opportunity to enhance the reputation and perception of European youth amongst local, national, and continental communities. Sloths also get at the very least 15 hours of sleep per day (24hrs). This juxtaposes the sleep deprivation we will all be experiencing throughout the session. Finally, sloths are incredibly funny and joyful characters. Us humans appear to take much satisfaction purely from there existence. In conclusion, sloths are a figure of inspiration for us EYPers. They depict a healthy relationship between old and young, an ability to triumph over the adversity of sleep deprivation, and most importantly, they symbolise an intent to undertake each and every life pursuit with a smile on our faces 11
YOUNG AND WITH(OUT) FUTURE? EMPL - DESPITE GREATER STUDY AND MOBILITY OPPORTUNITIES, THE CURRENT EUROPEAN YOUTH'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATES HAVE BEEN UNPRECEDENTLY HIGH. WHAT MEASURES SHOULD EU INSTITUTIONS AND NATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS IMPLEMENT IN ORDER TO HELP ALL YOUNG PEOPLE SUCCEED IN THE LABOUR MARKET?EDENTLY HIGH. WHAT MEASURES SHOULD EU INSTITUTIONS AND NATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS IMPLEMENT IN ORDER TO HELP ALL YOUNG PEOPLE SUCCEED IN THE LABOUR MARKET? BY SARA JASIONOWKSA It is said that knowledge is power. However, numbers and statistics on the youth’s unemployment rates across the Europe seem to prove otherwise. According to the report of the International Labour Office, as a consequence of the latest financial crisis these numbers have doubled, which makes youths one of the most affected group of all. Painting a rather grim picture for the graduates, the ILO has also reported that right now young people are three times as likely to be unemployed than adults. The persisting economic instability in the EU has exposed young people to unpredicted hardship. The young generation is disproportionally affected by the exclusion and inequalities. Taking into consideration that the Europe’s society is ageing youths should be perceived as a key asset which can help to overcome the crisis. Moreover, there are over 100 million young people in the EU which represents fifth of its total population. Despite the miscellaneous opportunities offered to them they struggle to find their ways within the education, training systems and labour market. As a consequence, Europe is at risk of undermining its political stability and social cohesion. There has been various strategies to decrease the unemployment among the educated youths of the European Union. Some of those, such as the Youth on the Move Card which is a project of the European Year of citizens 2013, is currently working to help to reduce the problem. Although little improvement has been observed recently, there is still a long way to go. The enlargement of the European Union, the opening of labour markets, migration and globalization have increased the chances of overcoming the problem of unemployment. But even this appears to be not enough. Why is that so? The basic issue is still to be considered. Young educated people lack the technical skills, which means that they have theoretical knowledge impossible to be used in practice. Lately, there have been attempts to establish the educational system based on closer association of schools with local companies in order to provide a better start to the future career for young people. However, in countries such as Greece and Spain one in three young people is unemployed. Due to the crisis and lack of matching job posts there is a huge waste of the one of the most educated generations in history of Europe. In order to prevent the youth unemployment plague and improve the position of young educated people on the global market the EU institutions, stakeholders and the government have to work fast and look for the new solutions.
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CHAIRS President Richard Janoušek – Czech Richard’s favourite expression in Polish is ‘kaktus pochodowy’, which basically means ‘hedgehog’. The most inspiring quote for Richard is; "laundry is the only thing that should be sorted by colour".
AFET: Ewelina Wołosik – Polish Ewelina has spent four years in Spanish language class and now she wants to study in London, Warsaw or Krakow. She is an ambitious, optimistic and extremely friendly person. The quote which motivates her most is "tomorrow is today, only tomorrow".
CULT II: Anna Clara Örtendahl – Swedish Anna Clara is very passionate for coffee which she loves with her whole heart. Her favourite music is the tunes of Simon and Garfunkel and when it comes to literature, she likes Harry Potter.
SEDE Bogusz Olszewski – Polish Bogusz is keen on Andy Warhol's art and lifestyle. His name is constantly mistaken for a nickname or surname, even by the Polish people. The most meaningful quote for him is "think rich look poor".
CULT I: Caley Routledge – British Caley very nearly broke his ankle during day ZERO of the session. His name is often mistaken for a girl's name. He considers himself accident prone. He had a car crash during his second driving lesson
CULT III: Piotr Cichocki – Polish Piotr created a new class in his high school by posting an event on Facebook. He got his sailing license before even achieving his driving license. Moreover he is currently planning a cruise around Europe."It is when we all play safe that we create a world of utmost insecurity".
LIBE: Artur Kula – Polish Artur is very fascinated by Bergman's movies. He worships the timeless music of Pink Floyd, Joy division and Beirut. When he was in kindergarten he got lost in a theatre.
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TEAM CULT III: Mathilde Pascal – French In Mathilde’s home city an artist dedicated a meaningful quote to her; 'follow no one'. She had heard about the EYP before she started to study European Governance. Her cat weights almost 6 kilos.
IMCO: Maciek Kuczyński – Polish He hopes to study Law in Warsaw soon. He's interested in history and his capability of discovering wonderful things on the internet is stunning. He is such an adventurer; he wouldn't mind getting into a stranger's car at four o'clock in the morning in the middle of nowhere. JURI: George Ross – British George performed as Niall from One Direction in front of two hundred people at the International Forum in Ghent. Every session he stands aside, finds a quiet picturesque corner of the Session venue and pays tribute to the magnificent, supreme, omnipotent and benevolent matriarch that is Southwell.
IMCO: Lea Rösner – German Lea is a very talented musician - she has been playing piano since the age of seven and she sings in a school choir. Her school was affected by a school system change a year later than the other schools. She is inspired by a Chinese saying “if the wind blows, some people will build walls and some will build windmills”. AFET: Morgan McDonagh – Irish Morgan studies Architecture, which is pretty unusual for an EYPer. His smile and positive attitude can cheer all the participants of the Session. He is huge fan of films, particularly Shutter Island and Inception.
EMPL Chris Bauer- American Chris is a passionate EYPer and during the last three months he has participated in six EYP and MUN events. Apart from that, he is a huge fan of Economics. He knows Wrocław perfectly, although he is from the USA. His favourite quote is “everything starts small; everything starts with a compromise. Small compromises make the world turn”.
EMPL: Nathan Hunter – British Nathan was once bitten by the shark. He is British but has lived the majority of his life in France, has a Chilean mother, an Australian brother, an African-American grandfather and he apparently looks Turkish.
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KEEPING THE PEACE: A CLASH OF RIGHTS CULT I - IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT ATTACKS ON SOLDIERS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND FRANCE, SHOULD THE EU TAKE ANY STEPS TO DECREASE THE RELIGIOUS UNREST AND INCREASE ITS INTERNAL SECURITY? - BY ALEX COATES Internal security is the act of keeping peace within the borders of a sovereign state, in this case a collection of sovereign states. ‘’The act of keeping peace’ is an extremely completely task with many intricate facets. One of these aspects is freedom of thought, conscience and religion. (Article 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights) This states that one is free to practice their religious beliefs so long as they do not infringe upon the rights and freedoms of others. The most current example of religious unrest causing a threat to internal security is in UK where the soldier Lee Rigby was brutally and publically beheaded on a London street. The perpetrators were both UK residents who had been converted to Islam by radical means. One of the attackers claimed to be defending his religion and killing in an ‘eye for an eye’ fashion as Islam preaches. A similar attack happened a business district of Paris a week after the London crime. This time a French soldier was stabbed by a man who was also a convert to Islam. He was also claimed to be acting in accordance with his religious beliefs. This sheer level of explicit religiosity is not something that the EU treaty does allow.
taskforce in military operations (if needed) against these aggressors? If you answer this question with no, do you think every serious act of unrest should be taken to the United Nations to deal with?
“The Strategy is based upon the common values laid down in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.” As internal security is a topic with many different contributing factors, it will be extremely difficult for anyone to ever fully work out a set of guidelines which cover every base. There will always be loopholes, and there will always be people willing to break these rules.
The main document in this field is the EU Internal Security Strategy in Action which was set-up in 2010 . This first states that no single Member State is able to respond to threat to internal security on its own. This implies that if a person, organisation or religion attacks any Member State in any way that they are attacking all Member States. The Strategy is based upon the common values laid down in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. If the European Union is attacked from an outside source, then should it be the EuroCorps’ responsibility to head a
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THE RIGHT TO FIGHT WITH THE FAR RIGHT? CULT II - In the light of the rise of the far right movements in several European nations, should the EU act to tackle the arising xenophobia and far right parties despite the democratic principals? - By Aaron Graham Somewhere around January I was having a tea with two of my flat mates, who are both British. We were talking about everything from driving license exams to the English Premier League, but at some point, the topic of our conversation switched to politics. Out of simple curiosity, I asked them about their political affiliation; I was expecting only two possible answers, Labuor or Conservative. I got neither. To my surprise they both answered British National Party (BNP). I was stunned and immediately asked them for the justification, because there I was – a guy who is an immigrant in one country who went to different country to study – listening to how immigrants are stealing jobs and destroying Britain. That was the moment when I understood that far right in Europe is no longer a marginal issue. The ubiquitous economic crisis, Global War on terrorism and many other factors caused a feeling of uncertainty among European populations and made European voters to rally behind far-right nationalist ideas. Although crude racism has somewhat made way for more subtle emphasis on cultural integration, intolerance towards minority groups often dominates the message.
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Far right uses extremely populist methods to convince voters to join their ranks. Many of the parties blame immigration and the perceived threat from Islam for their countries social and economic ills. They propose very simple solutions like expulsion of all immigrants, closing borders or immediate withdrawal from European Union. In Norway, The Progress Party warning voters about the danger of increasing Muslim influence rode a wave of anti-immigrant feeling, and took nearly a quarter of the seats in parliament in the country's last election. Two years ago one of their former members, Anders Behring Breivik, murdered 77 people in the name of fighting immigration. Even though Norwegians are not a part of EU their example is worth noting. Deep economic crisis in Greece created conditions for fascist Golden Dawn to grab 6% of parliament seats and legitimized their agenda.
. “She has also earlier expressed her concerns about Cable-TV in Danish Ghettos, because she suspects the Islamic citizens to get secret messages from Arab television.” They use immigrants as scapegoats for the frustrations, insecurities and hardships of today's indigenous Greek population. They blame them for their country's dire lot – accusing them of infecting Greeks with diseases and of turning the center of Athens into a criminal jungle, young Golden Dawn militants hunt down foreigners in the streets, markets, parks and buses.
going from one MEP to two. Pia Kjærsgaard (Party Leader for Dansk Folkepart who recently left) says there is no east-west clash of civilizations because 'there is only one civilization, and that is ours. The others want to implement ferocity, the primitive, the barbaric, the medieval'. She has also earlier expressed her concerns about Cable-TV in Danish Ghettos, because she suspects the Islamic citizens to get secret messages from Arab television. The existence and emergence of far right in Europe is a fact. The question is not even what, but if anything can be done about it. Our system of liberal democracy grants every individual with freedom of speech, right to assemble and freedom of conscience. Likewise political pluralism is one of the basic principles, and each attempt to limit it would be a direct threat to our integrity. The topic question asks whether the EU should act to tackle the arising xenophobia and far right parties despite the democratic principals. To answer this CULT II delegates will have to go beyond simple “right and wrong” approach and perform not only political, but also complex philosophical analysis of the nature of our democracy.
Another example is the Danish People's Party (Dansk Folkeparti), which won 15 per cent of the votes in Denmark,
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WROCﾅ、W
WROCLAW MAY BE A RELATIVELY SMALL BLIP ON THE EUROPEAN RADAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN COMPARED TO THE LIKES OF PARIS, ROME OR BARCELONA, BUT AS HOLIDAYMAKERS ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE ADVENTUROUS THE MANY OF CHARMS OF THIS SMALL BUT SASSY CITY ARE DESERVEDLY BEING DISCOVERED. BY AARON GRAHAM
So let's start with the tedious, but really necessary information that will help you to understand the city spirit. The history of Wrocław is extremely multicultural. Ever since Wrocław was lost by the Kingdom of Poland in the 14th century, its existence was unstable until the Second World War. The city survived; Mongol Invasion , Napoleonic Wars and was ruled by the Kingdom of Bohemia (currently Czech Republic), all forms of Germany and even France. The reflection of Wrocław's heated and complex history is its diverse architecture, which has been influenced by all of the city's rulers. One random but interesting fact about the city planning is that its quantity of bridges places Wrocław on the top ten list for number of city bridges in Europe. Some people go as far as to call it the Polish Venice. Another arbitrary fact; 70% of the town was destroyed during the Second World War, so almost all the beautiful monuments that we can enjoy today had to be rebuilt. But enough with the history, now that you more or less know, how Wrocław came to be what it is today, I can finally give you some advice on how to enjoy it! Let’s start with where to eat. You cannot enjoy a full-day city-tour with an empty stomach. My advice is to visit ‘U Bernarda’ – it’s a splendid place to eat and also a great starting point t's located in the middle of the Market Square) at the same time. If you are an early bird, you can manage to make it for the breakfast menu. “Grilled Chicken Sandwich” with a glass of fresh orange juice, for an equivalent of 6,5 Euro, should be a perfect boost for you. If you visit “U Bernarda” for a dinner, you will have plenty of choice for very moderate prices. Now that you've already eaten it’s time for some sightseeing. For those who don't want to overwhelm themselves, I can advise three “must-see” places, after visiting which one would be entitled to say “I've really been to Wrocław”. These are Ostrów Tumski, Panorama Raclawicka and National Museum. Unfortunately you will have to “Google” them on your own.
place called ‘Spiż’. It is located right next to the town hall and is actually a small brewery (they produce their own beer). Additionally you can order some traditional Polish foods and drink a nice coffee. The very last spot you need to visit to have the ultimate Wrocław experience is club ‘Bezsenność’. The name can be translated as ‘insomnia’ and it is actually true. Once you enter, you don't leave until the early morning. It is full of tourists, international students and other young people who are positive and ready to party for the whole night. Once you get in, you have guaranteed satisfaction. This quick guide around Wrocław is dedicated for people who really don't have a lot of time to spend in the city, or those of you that are just too lazy to explore the finer details. If you are a Delegate, a young adult and want to have some fun in “The Meeting Place” (that's how some people affectionately refer to Wrocław), you should certainly book an extra night in the hostel and follow these instructions. I assure you, you will have a wonderful experience.
And finally, after a long day of wandering around the city, it's time for some real entertainment; nightlife. Market Square is full of different pubs and bars where you can try all kinds of beverages, but most tourists are particularly satisfied with a
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THE BALKANS – FIERCE PAST, UNSURE FUTURE CULT III - CONSIDERING THE CONTINUOUS SOCIAL UNREST THE BALKANS HAVE WITNESSED DUE TO MASS ETHNIC MIGRATIONS OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES, WHAT MEASURES SHOULD THE EU TAKE IN ORDER TO PRESERVE NATIONAL IDENTITY YET SETTLE ETHNIC CONFLICTS? - BY ZUZANA KUSTKOVÁ Ethnic migration; a term very important and heavily discussed in the last century. But what exactly does it mean? Well, the name speaks for itself – a large number of members of an ethnicity move to another country. There are several reasons, but the most frequent ones are political reasons, such as unstable or oppressive regime and discrimination. But lately, the importance of the economic factors has increased and caused a flood of immigrants to western European countries (for example Germany decided to use seven-year transitory restrictions on free movement of workers from new Member States, in order to protect their labour market). The immigrants always take a part of their culture with them, which is the basic idea of multiculturalism - more ethnic groups living side by side. But according to Angela Merkel, Nicolas Sarkozy and David Cameron, multiculturalism failed. The ethnic groups live together, but they don't know how to communicate, so the coexistence is not always ideal. People complain about the immigrants stealing the job positions, what is common for one culture can be shocking for another and some ethnic groups
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even want to change the local culture to theirs. And this is the problem the Balkans are dealing with too. Firstly, it is necessary to actually know, which countries are concerned when we say the Balkans, because most people can't name them all. Under this designation fall countries located on the Balkan Peninsula, plus Slovenia and Romania are sometimes also included. So in full, the Balkan countries are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo (disputed status – some countries don't recognise its independence), Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and the European part of Turkey. In the past two decades, the ethnic migration concerning Balkan states was caused by several factors. Many of them are of war origin, especially in the western part – the most significant conflict being the Yugoslav Wars, which began in 1991. The main cause of the problems in Yugoslavia were and still are the ethnic minority influx. This problem raised after 1945, when the frontiers were based on the historical origin, without actually respecting the ethnic composition. Each nation has also its prevailing religion (Catholic Croats, Orthodox Serbs, Muslim Bosniaks, etc.) which makes it even more difficult to
coexist. The presence of ethnic minorities had the effect of increasingly strong nationalism logically followed by ethnic hatred and - often successful - attempts of ethnic cleansing. Because of the civil wars and ethnic cleansings, large groups of people were forced to leave their homes and countries to become political refugees. Most of them ended up in another Balkan country, either in a more stable country of the former Yugoslavia or most often in Greece. Outside the Balkans, the largest groups emigrated to Germany and Austria. The tension between affected countries lasts to the present day, because the presence of minorities reminds of the past and makes it hard to preserve national sovereignty while not discriminating against groups of nationalities.
But a solution coming directly from the European Union (EU) is not so simple. Only Slovenia, Bulgaria, Greece and Romania are EU Member States. Croatia will be a member from 1st July 2013. Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey are candidates and Albania is an applicant, but none of them really meet the requirements so far. There sure is a solution, but we'll all have to wait for the resolution of CULT III.
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ARE WE THERE YET? BY MARA BALASA Travel. A single word, two silabels and countless meanings. For some, this represents the begining of an adventure, while for others it represents the adventure itself. After all, it is all about the gained experience, the unique memories, the people you meet and the numerous feelings struggling to take over your soul. Moreover, the concept of travel could be also associated with some of the (bad) things that may occur durring a trip, since they are the creators of the funny anectodes (of course, one can agree with me only if these obstacles are succesfully overpassed). Each of us starts a trip, firslty thinking of the destination. However, as surprinsg as it may seem, it is the journey that really matters in the end. Speaking of travel, as June was getting closer and closer, we, a bunch of EYPers, have found another reason to gather up: participating in the International Youth Forum of EYP Poland. The destination, Wroclaw, could be reached using all kinds of means of transportation, such as plane, train, bus, boat, spaceship and so on. 23
It is generally known the fact that a journey never goes exactly as planned and, in order to prove that, my fellow Officials have brought in their luggage some pretty amazing stories. From delays to embarassing moments, I can proudly say that they have got it all covered. For instance, when it comes to flying with a minuscule plane, the propeller becomes your best friend, since it doesn’t cease to ramble, during your entire flight. However, if you suddenly feel the urge to use the bathroom, you will be surprised to find the door closed and no one inside. After calling for the flight attendant and trying to break the door down several times, some random man gets out of it and asks what is wrong. Hmm was there even a problem after all?
heat was also an impediment. Some Officials had to come all the way from their houses in Wroclaw to the Chooper Hostel. Can you imagine how hard was for them to cope with the solar radiation? All in all, we should be greatful that all these people have made efforts in order to get here because, as I am writing this article, a wonderful session is taking place and YOU are also a part of it.
Unfortunately, worse things can also happen. How would you feel like if, by mistake, you found out that you have to pay some extra fee in order to be able to get to Wroclaw? Or if you would get stuck with a flight attendant in the middle of the airport for almost four hours, since you are still underage? I know that these things do not sound probable, but nor does missing the bus from Warsaw, because its departure venue has changed and, moreover, having a two-hour delay. But who are we to decide what should happen and what shouldn’t? It is not like we are paying for some tickets, not at all. In the end, as some might say, the 24
MONEY'S ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE? IMCO - TOWARDS A EUROPEAN STANDING ARMY? IN LIGHT OF THE CONFLICT IN SYRIA, CONTINUOUS CUTS IN EUROPEAN DEFENCE BUDGETS AND AN EVERINCREASING DEPENDENCE ON US MILITARY RESOURCES, HOW CAN THE EU IMPROVE ITS MILITARY CAPABILITIES WHILST RESPECTING ITS MEMBER STATES‘ FULL COMPETENCE IN THIS AREA? BY ADAM BOROWSKI Freedom of labour movement is one of the main economical principles of the European Union. Accordingly, every resident of an EU member state is allowed to pursue employment abroad of his home country without any major obstacles. At the first glance, this seems like a perfect scenario where qualified professionals can easily answer demand and develop their skills and vice versa - companies can easily seek out new employees from the EU-wide pool of candidates. Theoretically, freedom of movement should dramatically reduce unemployment in EU member states. Reality rarely meets expectations and so it is in this case. What really happens when full freedom of movement is introduced are massive migrant waves to the wealthy states of EU-15 such as Great Britain, France or Germany. Also, it is rarely the most qualified workers that migrate to these countries. The meat of migratory volume is made of low-wage, low-qualification workforce that moves in search of welfare benefits and higher salaries with next to no regard for the economy of the country it is entering. The above massive movements in search of employment are disastrous for both the origin and destination of the migrants. A good example of this can be seen in Lithuania where population has dropped by 14% in the years 1990-2011. For a country that is undergoing development, this is a crippling blow that paralyses the economy, preventing it from moving forward due to the lack of workforce which is now abroad. The countries that migrants target are not in a better situation - massive numbers of people put a strain on healthcare, education, housing and several other systems which are often unprepared for indefinite development.
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Migrants themselves often end up disappointed - they enter a pool of cheap workforce and often get exploited by their employers working longer hours for less pay than local employees whom migrants had replaced.
Freedom of movement is a risky endeavour which can easily backfire and send countries into an economic tantrum. Although greatly promising for the qualified workers, the migrants with few talents can end up in a situation that is worse than their original condition.
and send countries into an economic tantrum.� Overcoming these controversies and finding a common ground on the topic will be the task of the IMCO committee during the session where the balance between protection of local markets and freedom of movement will be debated.
When discussing freedom of movement in the European Union, there are several sides that one can take - the employee, the corporation, the government or the tax-payer being only a few. This is the reason why the topic has become so controversial in the recent years, with new social and political voices claiming they no longer want immigrants in their countries.
“Freedom of movement is a risky endeavour which can easily backfire
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INTERNATIONAL YOUTH FORUM OF EYP POLAND IN WROCﾅ、W IS MADE POSSIBLE BY
THE SLOTH. www.facebook.com/thewroclawsloths 27