Thessaloniki European Youth Capital 2014
Θεσσαλονίκη Ευρωπαϊκή Πρωτεύουσα Nεολαίας 2014
ΝΕWS LETTER #03 JULY-AUGUST 2013
thessaloniki2014.gr
Newsletter #03 / July-August 2013
In September the presentation of Thessaloniki EYC 2014 Program It’s getting closer!
As the program of the European Youth Capital 2014 comes to its final shape, Thessaloniki prepares to host large-scale youth events during the forthcoming months and throughout the next year. In cooperation with international organizations, networks of NGOs and social initiatives from Greece and Europe, we intend to introduce an open, welcoming and youthful city, which is ready to overcome any difficulty with its own forces. In Thessaloniki-European Youth Capital 2014, we follow the guidelines that were given by the young people of the city during the period of our candidacy and we develop our actions based on 11 thematic axes. The program was designed following best practices from other European countries and cities which are closely related to youth policies. Special emphasis is given on the motivation of new talents through 20 individual subjects, in which young people will be invited to present their projects. The program is going to be announced during the second fortnight of September and we urge all citizens of Thessaloniki to contribute with their active participation in this great opportunity that the young people and the youth organizations together with the Municipality offered to our city. In difficult times we attempt to highlight Thessaloniki as a center of youth activities in Europe. Furthermore, we design the youth policy of the city of Thessaloniki, setting as a priority the principal of co-decision with the local youth. This new European title proves to be useful and effective for the most dynamic group of citizens of Europe, the young people and in this sense, Thessaloniki seems to be a great example.
Newsletter #03 / July-August 2013
God Janus in London
«Youth in Action» looks back and plans ahead The European program “Youth In Action” ends its circle. From the next year, 2014, “Youth In Action” renames to “Erasmus for All”. In order to celebrate this transition and to redefine objectives and priorities, the representatives of the program, call a conference in London from 2 to 9 August, in which people active in youth organizations from 36 countries participate. Thessaloniki - European Youth Capital 2014 is present at this conference. The conference «Janus Project» is organized by the British Council and is named after Janus, the Roman god, who represented the idea of beginning and transition. “Janus Project” is a celebration for what has been achieved by the partners of “Youth in Action” program across Europe. Additionally, it is high time to find out how this program altered the daily life of young people in Europe. This conference is an opportunity both for celebration and reporting. Also it motivates a meaningful discussion around the planning of the actions of the next few years, which mainly focus on the youth mobility, education, information and equal opportunities in Europe.
Ride for the active citizen The action «Ride for your rights» in Maribor A group of cyclists from all over Europe that is crossing during this summer several EU countries with the slogan «Ride for your rights» visited Maribor. Cyclists, representatives of the organizations Campus Europae and Fraternité 2020, visited the premises of the European Youth Capital 2013 in the Slovenian city. They informed Maribor’s representatives about the objectives of their initiative, which are the shift of interest in active European citizenship and the strengthening of European values. The aim of the European Citizens’ Initiative Fraternité 2020 and Campus Europae is to strengthen the European exchange programs - like Erasmus or the European Voluntary Service (EVS) – and to contribute to a united Europe based on solidarity between citizens.
Newsletter #03 / July-August 2013
We invest in Youth
Message of the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Yiannis Boutaris for the International Youth Day This year, 12of August, which has been designated by the United Nations as the International Youth Day, finds us in a difficult economic and social situation, with high youth unemployment rates and acute social problems. Youth unemployment affects all countries and the estimates of international organizations for the future are quite disturbing. Our role, the role of all of us, of the society, public and private agencies, scientific and business communities, is to strengthen policies related to young people and to promote their point of view in the decision-making centres.
Thessaloniki is preparing for the European Youth Capital 2014 and invests in youth. We record problems, desires, dreams, suggestions from young people and youth organizations of the city. We want to work with young people for young people. We do not want young people as passive recipients but as active teammates who set their own prospects. We want to work together, we trust the young people of the city and with them we intend to design policies and interventions. We want young people with their action, to activate the basic principles and concepts of civil society. The International Youth Day is a great opportunity to reaffirm our intention and determination to ensure to the young people the right to become independent and responsible citizens and to contribute to the development and progress of our societies.
Newsletter #03 / July-August 2013
Free Software, Free Minds
Thessaloniki hosted the openSUSE Conference 2013 Freedom, games, loud music, and lots of fun... Is there any connection with computers, software and the latest technological innovations? Indeed there is, as it was demonstrated in the World Congress of the community openSUSE. The openSUSE Conference 2013, was held in Thessaloniki from 18 to 22 July and was supported by Thessaloniki - European Youth Capital 2014. The Olympic Museum of Thessaloniki, where the event was hosted, for four days was the meeting point of dozens of developers as well as friends of Free Software / Open Source Software from Greece and abroad, who participated in interesting discussions, innovative workshops, and social events. OpenSUSE is regarded as one of the best Linux distributions in the world because it is open, transparent, quite user friendly and of course it is part of the global community of Free Software and Open Source Software.
Among the speakers who participated in the conference some speeches singled out. Georg Greve, president of the Free Software Foundation Europe and CEO at Kolab Systems AG developed the theme of freedom in life, but also the freedom of the software. Miguel ﾃ］gel Barajas, a Linux ninja with a black belt in openSUSE, made an introduction to technologies of high availability (HA) and Theodore Chatzimichos, showed the participants the first steps of Puppet in a workshop. Particularly interesting was the intervention of Jos Poortvliet, who talked about the values underlying open societies and stressed that the challenge for new businesses is to follow the rules of open societies. These rules, want employees to contribute to business results at par with the Head, which means that the work should be done horizontally rather than vertically. The organizers and friends of openSUSE scheduled their next meeting, which will take place in April 2014 in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Newsletter #03 / July-August 2013
1,700 year old monument Rotunda and the splendour of its mosaics One of the oldest monuments of Thessaloniki, Rotunda is similar in nature to the Pantheon of Rome. Its name is related to its circular shape, and it was first used by the travellers of the 18th and 19th century. It was built during the years of Caesar Galerius, around 306 AD as a temple of Jupiter or Cabeiri or as a Mausoleum. The processional route, linking the triumphal Arch of Galerius to the palace complex, which has been excavated south of Egnatia Street, coincides to the axis of the Rotunda. The conversion of the monument to a Christian church dedicated to “Asomatoi” or Archangels, occurred probably at the end of the fourth century, reign of Emperor Theodosius. The finest relics from the early phase of the monument are the mosaics of excellent quality. In the composition of the first zone, depicting the heavenly sanctuary of the church, the major martyrs of each month are praying having their hands raised. It is one of the finest ensembles of the early Christian mosaic art. In the middle zone of the mosaics - almost ruined- one can see the feet of male figures in movement, probably angels. From the mosaic depiction of the third zone, are preserved heads of angels holding up a triple’’ glory’’ of ornamented wreaths with multi-radius stars. Among the angels is depicted the mythical bird phoenix showing up in a red radiant disk. In the centre of the ‘’ glory’’ is still to see, on the bricks of the dome, the preliminary sketch in a charcoal outline of the depiction of Christ in a gesture of triumph. The large-scale interventions that took place at the monument during the early Christian period burdened the static efficiency.
In the 7th century, after a large earthquake, several parts were destroyed. At the same time, a mural painting of the Holy Ascension is depicted in the apse. In 1590/1 Rotunda was converted into a mosque by Sheik Suleiman Hortaci Effendi. To the remains of the Ottoman phase are included the minaret, the fountain and the porticoes of the western and southern entrance. The name St. George, which is used until today for the monument, is given according its relation to the small church of St. George - a dependency of the Monastery of St. Gregory in Mount Athos – which is located opposite the western gate of the enclosure of the Rotunda. It seems that in the radically restored chapel of St. George have been relocated the consecrated vessels of the church when it turned into a mosque. Rotunda and eight other «ancient Byzantine churches» in Thessaloniki, which were used as mosques, have been declared as «national monuments” immediately after the liberation of Thessaloniki, in 1913. In 1916 extensive excavations began by greek and foreign archaeologists, while in 1917, Rotunda turned to a «Macedonian Museum» after a decree of Eleftherios Venizelos. The earthquakes of 1978, caused serious damage to the monument. The consolidation study was conducted by a scientific team of the Polytechnic School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the restoration (1981 – 1991) was curried by the 9th Department of Byzantine Antiquities. In 1988, Rotunda was among the Early Christian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki which were included in the List of World Heritage by UNESCO.
The presentation of the monuments of Thessaloniki is done with the collaboration of the Hellenic Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage, Thessaloniki Section, Committee of Architectural Heritage.
Thessaloniki European Youth Capital 2014 Maria Κallas 23 GR-54655, Thessaloniki T: +30 2313 318235
www.thessaloniki2014.gr info@thessaloniki2014.gr