ONE YEAR OF
EYP GEORGIA
CONTENTS p. 3 - Introduction of the Team p. 4 - Creation of the “Killer Issue” p. 6 - Rustavi 3rd Regional Session (Nov 3-5) p. 8 - 71st IS Delegation (Nov 2-11) p.12 - EYP Xmas (I survived Apocalypse) Party (Dec 22) p.14 - EYP Georgia For Common Good (Charity Event Jan 20) p.16 - The Incredible FOUR (Interviews with four newcomer delegates) p. 22 Game of Placards: Realm of Seven Kingdoms (The School Session Mar 9-11) p. 24 - Signagi Excurison (Mar 23) p. 26 - The 72nd IS p. 30 - First Batumi School Session Craze (Apr 19-21) p. 32 - Europe Day p. 34 - All roads leave to Telavi (May18-20) p. 36 - The 7th NSC (June 6-9) P. 38 - The Partyholic Anti-PED (June 9) p. 40 - 74th International Session (Oct 4-13)
Tamar (Tamri) Matiashvili (Editor/Contributor) – Member of the National Committee of EYP Georgia (Human Resources); has actively participated in events organized by EYP since 2011 Salome Kandelaki (Contributor) – Member of the current Board of EYP Georgia, Head of the Public Relations Department, Member of the National Committee; actively participated in events organized by EYP since 2010 Ia Tserodze (Contrbutor) - Member of the National Committee of EYP Georgia (Human Resources); has actively participated in events organized by EYP since 2010 Veriko Devidze (Contributor) - Member of the National Committee of EYP Georgia (Public Relations); has actively participated in events organized by EYP since 2009 Nana (Nanuka) Gurgenidze (Contributor) – Has been active member as delegate and official of and variously contributed to events organized by EYP since 2010
Irakli Grdzelishvili (Contributor) - Member of the National Committee of EYP Georgia (Human Resources); has actively participated in events organized by EYP since 2010 Erekle Antadze (Contributor) - Has been active member as delegate and official of and variously contributed to events organized by EYP since 2011 Nini Gigani (Contributor) - Has been active member as delegate and official of and variously contributed to events organized by EYP since 2011
Creation of “the Killer Issue” A few days earlier, when the sun went dim and the sky turned black I was contacted by a mysterious person (Okay, it was my longtime EYP friend Tamri), who made an offer I couldn’t refuse. An issue which was to depict a year of EYP Georgia was on its way and keyboard buttons beneath its text were already crumbling. Being the lazy EYPer I am, by the time I had checked what articles I could choose from, all the articles I was either interested in, or able to write about, had already been taken. . Ergo, you are reading this petty attempt of creating an original article of my own (LOL) and saving my life from abovementioned friend of mine, who also happens to be an editress (I don’t think this is a real word) of “the killer issue”
(working title; We’re also considering naming it “the issue” or “Thrillingly Halcyon EYP” (whoever came up with that must have a high SAT score. Not) which goes on to showcase undisputable creative capacity of the working group). Right now, I looked at the working group in order to find somebody to make fun of or recall a nostalgic EYP related story that I had with them and I’m stunned to find out we’re only 8 people (my god, I was expecting at least 9), but my desire was cut by a Facebook message from the menacing editress (Again, this is NOT a real word), who said this article must be at least 1 page long and I’m just realizing I’m not even halfway through.
Anyways, thanks mom and dad, I loved you. Thank you EYP, for everything you’ve done for me. My dying wish is for International Session hosted by Tbilisi in the fall (And yes, I’m detailing information in order to make this article longer) to be as great as my writing ability (Modest person alert) and my one regret is that I couldn’t die for EYP twice. The other regret being not being able to nail that pretty girl that one time. Sitting here for the last 15 minutes, looking at the last sentence, I realized I’ve driven myself in the corner while writing this article. But that’s what’s good about EYP and EYPers, they help you out of the corners. They let you write a pointless article which is just a flow of your thoughts (She better let me), be whoever you want to be, act however you want to act, write “as you like it” (We are all but delegates and the whole session is a general assembly – Erekle Shakespeare, 2013). We represent the voice of European youth and our voice is high, our roar is splendid, our sense of humor might need some perfection. Our way of life is free and beautiful; we have not lost the way.
Our souls are not barricaded by hate. The very nature of EYP cries out for goodness in man, cries out for European brotherhood, for the unity of us all. The very nature of EYP cries out for goodness in man, cries out for European brotherhood, for the unity of us all. And if I’m heard (or more accurately read) by at least one person out there, than this issue is worth every minute spent on it and a thousand on top of it (And yes, I did just write a part of Charlie Chaplin speech from “The Great Dictator” with minor changes. It’s a great movie, you should definitely see it). And upon reaching the apex of this article with Charlie Chaplin (And required one page) I must say goodbye, but of course it’s a temporary one. We will meet on other EYP sessions, sessions of EYP Georgia. The EYP branch that grows ever faster, bigger and better. Its spirit is so enormous that you could almost touch it, you could say that it’s more real than you…and me.
By Erekle Antadze
There is a widespread opinion that the real EYP spirit comes during the regional sessions, when all of the participants are together as a whole team, living together and fooling around all day and night. During this year, EYP Georgia organized two most fascinating regional sessions, the season was opened with the Rustavi 3rd Regional session head organizers of which were Salome Kandlaki (Me) and Lasha Vashakidze. We, the HO couple, extremely different from each other, like heaven and earth, had a true battle, but you know everything ended peacefully because ‘Peace and Security’ was the theme of the session. Amazing three-day session involved 82 participants coming from all over Georgia, most of whom were first comers who joined the EYP family and became EYP addicted. Officials team did everything to create a comfortable environment, organizers did their best to follow the agenda and make the delegates enjoy the session; Chairs tried to keep the high academic level and helped their
committees to draft interesting resolutions; As for the journos, the team was composed mostly of the first-time journalists which was a bit risky but they managed to successfully overcome this great challenge; moreover they enthusiastically joined press teams at the following sessions. The session was even more significant because it was the first session after the election of the new board! The session was financed by the Rustavi Youth Centre thanks to former EYPer Tamta Gabunia, who supported us during the whole session. Session environment lived up to EYP standards; the participants were staying in the youth hostel, in the evening they had free time, when they played table tennis, watched movies, told funny stories, etc. At the same time, the orgas were trying to print issues at the Rustavi City Hall, then at school and after the unsuccessful attempts, they spent the whole following in internet cafĂŠ, but they were still happy in the morning making wake up calls. The strange thing happened during the
session - delegates lost appetite, so the organizers tried to distribute the extra food to the poor people. Here comes the party‌ For the first time in EYP history we had Rafaelo and all kinds of sweets! Now that was awesome! All of the participants were together, dancing and singing various songs and taking group photos for memories. At the end, most of the delegates were crying and
hugging their new friends. We are proud that after the session the first time comers continued EYPing and now they are actively involved in the sessions abroad and some of them became the members of the 74th IS orga team, so we should appreciate their enthusiasm and wish them productive work! Hoping that the future of EYP
By Salome Kandelaki
A.T.G.S.I.T.L.F.T.B aka the Horribly Long Acronym with the Extremely Uninformative Meaning “Tickets?” “Check.” “Passports?” “Check.” “Sanity?” “Uuuumm… I guess?!” “Ready we are then!” We boarded the plane and headed to the Netherlands for the 71st International Session of the European Youth Parliament in Amsterdam. It was horrifying. Being aware of the intensity of international sessions in general, I was thinking about nothing but reading through thse pile of the interminable number of papers on my laps. As peculiar as it may seem, our delegation comprised only of girls: Mariam, Lili, Keti, Tatuli, Ani and well… Me! We were feminine, we were tender (in a masculine
way) and we were ready to kick butt (as in make friends, have fun and work productively)! Nevertheless, it was not until after we boarded the plane from Istanbul to Amsterdam that we became completely thrown into the mind-bubble of good “amsterdamy” expectations. And so, we reached our point of destination and met the lovely organisers, awaiting us at a special cube-shaped, white-red place, called “The Meeting Point”. From there, we were taken to heaven… heaven, called “Center Parcs De Eemhof”. Breath-taking nature, daunting greenery, mazelike paths and in-between a small cottage, except, there were, literally, hundreds of Even the fact that all six of us periodically got lost on the way to our cottages began to please us, as our very presence
those cottages. Everything was just fantastic. in that monstrously diabolical beauty had a soothing effect on us. I find it impossible for anyone not to feel content there. Well… unless you are wearing heels… and you don’t like wearing heels… and it’s raining cats and dogs… and you’re cold… and you just want to dive into a deep slumber… Hm, let’s move on, shall we? We all lived in different cottages with people of different ethnic backgrounds and nationalities. Personally I was perpetually surrounded by the Irish. Got to admit, they do know how to party!Speaking of parties… boy, they were everywhere! The feeling of ubiquity of the evening/night parties eventually sunk in and we liked it. Although, I must outline the most memorable of them – the silent disco.
You should have seen the looks on our faces – dancing without music, dancing without any rhythm or apparent beat, but dancing to the music in our heads… literally! For a by-passer we would have come across as mental underage people, who have just broken out of a lunatic asylum.After some time, we were taken to the heart of Amsterdam. It may not have been as groovy as the “cottage heaven”, but it sure was the perfect place for socialisation - bunk beds
and extreme physical closeness. Consequently, as we were already in Amsterdam, we began to roam the streets of the city. Here are the most noticeable parts: Bicycles, coffee shops, coffee shops, coffee shops, coffee shops, coffee shops, coffee shops, coffee shops. You get the point. So, there we were, walking over the bridge, gently, swiftly, innocently, when we saw a shop, named “Queen’s Seeds”. Keti wanted to buy tulip seeds. She couldn’t resist the temptation to go inside and
buy some. I was with her. I moaned and I groaned, I gave warnings and I still went inside. The conversation went something like this: “Do you have tulip seeds, sir?” “Haha, no, haha. But I do have some other kind of seeds,” – and he chuckles darkly. “Okay. Thank you. Bye,” – and we ran. We ran like bats out of hell – full tilt.
Moreover, that day AkzoNobel hosted the Amsterdam 2012 theme night at the Rijksmuseum – the National Museum of the Netherlands in Amsterdam. The event started with speeches on leadership in the business world by Tex Gunning (a member of the board of AkzoNobel) and by a speech from Roel Jansen on political leadership in the Eurozone and on the history of Economic and Monetary Union. This was followed by a Q&A session, a dinner and tours of the museum. As for the more academic part of the session, committee work was intense. Debates and discussions became more and more ardent as we
proceeded to look into the deeper layers of the issue with great particularisation. The general assembly, therefore, was quite consuming, though terse in its manner. We were given a specific amount of time, namely, 15 seconds and 1 minute to ask questions and afterwards, give answers, respectively. So, as I said, the general assembly, in itself, was utterly uptight. But wait, the session became even more meaningful, when on the 20th of June the organisers of Amsterdam2012 received a response from
European Commission VicePresident for Industry and Entrepreneurship Mr. Antonio Tajani after sending the resolutions of Amsterda//m2012 to the European Commission, European Parliament, the Council of Europe, and many national institutions throughout Europe. Our zealous work put into words and rephrased into proper, formal, resolution-suited sentences deserved the accolade of Mr. Tajani. Here we were, once newcomers to the big and transcendent family of the EYP, at an international session. It was unbelievable, yet so believable when faced with the realities of well… NOW. Our unparalleled trip became even more of a pleasingly bewildering experience, when we strolled through the breathtaking streets of Amsterdam, visiting the Hermitage, Madame Tussauds and so much more! We danced with Charlie Chaplin, became Marilyn Monroes for a couple of minutes, stood gazing into the inconceivably mesmerising masterpieces of famous artists, struggled with the blowing wind, won and got lost. Yup. It’s not an adventure, if you don’t get lost. Wait… am I forgetting something? Oh, yes, the title. You know how every session has its “session song”? Well, this was ours (WARNING: MUSIC MIGHT CONTAIN CATCHY BEATS): http:// youtu.be/eBhXO40uO7g. Enjoy. Imagine singing this at the GA… AWKWARD. P.S “Brains travel on bikes!”
By Nini Gigani
"Go and search everywhere for the girl whose foot this slipper fits. I will never be content until I find her!", said the prince to his ministers when the Cinderella slipped from his arms as she heard the first stroke of midnight! We all know how much searching the ministers did and how hard it was for them to find the girl. Well... At least they had the slipper... Unlike EYP-er boys after the Christmas party on December 22. The only thing they had on the girls from previous night was that they wore red! Those who have not been there may assume that finding a girl with the colour of her outfit is easy but funny things here: 8 out of 10 girls on EYP X-mas party wore red!!! !!! And as I had access to lost and found things I can say for sure that there was no slipper. I don't know whether boys searched for the girls (at least on Facebook) or not but one thing I know for sure: we had the kind of night the Cinderella and her
prince would not dare to even dream about! Let's take it back to where it all started... Beginning of the beginning took place in the brain of one of the EYP-ers, Giorgi Gvenetadze, where the idea of organizing a party was born... As we all witnessed some time later the idea was truly awesome! He gathered volunteers who started promoting the party so that a lot of EYP-ers would join us. I would like to emphasize the fact that we, the EYP-ers beside many other t hings know exactly where to collect the money for our events. We sold the invitations at Mcdonalds' and this perfect choice of the location gave us (at least the most hungry ones) the opportunity to sell VIP invitations. Even though we sold just one VIP ticket, it was worth it (the cheeseburger was delicious!) On December 22, when the universe was
EYP XMAS (I SURVIVED APOCALYPSE) PARTY Young, Wild and Free!
celebrating the survival of the "apocalypse", tEYP-ers were doing the same, just in 100 times crazier and funnier ways than the rest of the world. I am sure that the most of us do not remember the details of that evening which proves that the party turned out to be a success but every EYP-er knows what a true EYP Party means. This is the time when we share drinks and snacks instead of arguments; arguments; This is the time when "wanna dance?" is the most common question and not "do you have a spare marker?"; This is the time when you do not need to be recognised before making a brave move and challenging someone on a dance floor; This is the time when organizers do not care about how much of juice you have spilled and journos are not trying to catch you in ridiculous situations because everyone knows they can be caught too. This is the time when too. This is the time when
everyone is in your team; This is the time when instead of voting we make noise to express our positive attitude towards something; This is the time when the least formally dressed ones are the coolest and not the other way around; Xmas party was not an exception. It had everything a perfect EYP party needs: drinks, snacks, good music. We were even treated by some special effects. But most importantly, we had a lot of EYPers around. It was the day when we celebrated not only a Christmas Holiday or apocalypse survival, but just being young... and wild... and free... Frankly speaking, none of us rushed home with the “last stroke of midnight� but fortunately we did not turn into pumpkins :)) We made one more amazing memory together proving that it is nice to have fun and feel the true awesomeness of being young at EYP Parties once in awhile!
By Veriko Devidze
EYP Georgia for Common Good EYP...The European Youth Parliament...The first associations you might have when you hear the name are the sessions, people in suits and dresses and the voting, everything connected to formalities. However, EYP and, in particular, EYP Georgia is not only about the sessions. On January 20, 2013 EYP Georgia held its second annual Charity Event. A bunch of active Georgian EYPers, backed up with random people who found out about the event themselves, collected a huge amount of clothes, books, stationary, toys, DVDs and many other useful things and brought all of this to a Foster House called “Caritas Georgia”. It was a thrill then, taking all of these children to a cinema and seeing their happy faces while they discussed the content of the movie, it was a thrill to know that their lives had at least been slightly altered to the better, that they’d have all the notebooks and all the coloured pencils that they might have needed to draw the fairies, castles, cars and dragons in their heads. European Politics, which is so vigorously discussed in EYP, is aimed at progress, at changing the world to a better place, to common welfare and all of the participants understand this; they know that by making their voices heard, by saying what has to be said an impact will be made, the transformations will occur.
Edmund Burke once said the famous phrase “All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.” Presuming we are the good men, we try to do all we can through EYP while we are young. However, it all somehow stays theoretical; we know that one day our words will change the world but don’t we want to see the results right here and right now? Charity Event made the whole phenomenon and aim of EYP much more tangible. Those happy faces meant that we did change something, someone’s lives and honestly, nothing could be more rewarding. EYP spirit, which once finds abode in our souls, stays there for good, rejoiced that day, that very day when we made a difference. It inspired us to greater deeds, it made us feel that we are indeed capable of changing the world; it strengthened individuals and the whole EYP as a byproduct of the disinterested act of kindness. A huge success indeed as it was, it is hoped that the Charity Events will continue to be held at least annually as long as EYP Georgia exists and pursues its goals of nurturing democraticallythinking Youth who are full of Philanthropy.
By Tamri Matiashvili
ity r a h c y n a e t h o t g e 't v n a e h v ha rt, you u o If y ea rt h a r e u h in yo kind of t s r o w . e l b trou ope H b o B to e r i s de e no h t h t s i i ity sw . r r a e h h t c se o True eful to ompen s c be u ht of re denborg g e thou uel Sw n Ema
“No bec one h givi ome p as eve n oor r ― g.” by Ann e Fr ank
I hope one day I will host my own charity event to give back to society. Yani Tseng and presumably every single EYP-er
Di pr d un a evai ive fab hea l, ea rsal Ch le. ven, rth cha r w ar a nd ou ity les he ld b Ca ll a e leb Co lto n
The Incredible FOUR I sat in a tiny café, drinking tea with raspberry flavor and staring at my striped jeans. It was already dark outside. I felt lonely and bored. The worst combination of feelings a person can possibly possess. I was chewing on my straw like crazy and frantically looking at my watch, wondering when THEY would come. My tiny black notebook seemed not so attractive anymore… funny, I had chosen it on purpose as I wanted to seem “professional”. I giggled. This action caused other visitors to look at me with weird expressions as I was sitting there. At a table. With five chairs. Giggling. Alone. Now that I think back, I would have looked at myself with a weird expression as well. But at that moment I just glared at everyone else back and mouthed something insignificant about stereotypes. Stereotypes themselves are stereotypes. But that’s another topic. So, I sat there, in a tiny café, waiting. Waiting for four heroes. And in fact, they were the main characters of my story. When they arrived, the café started to look livelier. And I started to look happier. The reason why I had gathered Jill, Tata, Mariam and Gio there, was to interview them. Well, at least that’s what I told them, but in reality I just missed my friends. - So, tell me why you decided to join EYP, I asked. - Well, I was basically thrown into it. My school told me about it and I just decided to try it out. But I had no idea, I was totally unprepared. These words my friends were said by Jill Baer, one of the best delegates of EYP Georgia. Imagine: if she managed to rock the place while being unprepared, what would have she possible done with certain information? Why, I am obviously kidding as she has every bit of information and knowledge that exits on planet Earth. Jill is herself the true definition of EYP. She stands for internationality, democracy, freedom. And god I love her school for throwing her into EYP. - Why did you carry on then?, I inquired. - Because I love politics, plus EYP is a great social place. I also love its broad structure and I just want to say that EYP Georgia is doing a great job. Jill is an incredibly sociable and nice young lady. Not only is she smart but super cute as well. She is going to be a senior at High School starting next fall and her plans are of course getting good grades and a high school diploma. Jill is also thinking of taking a gap year and getting an internship at UN. Later, she is going to apply to universities and prepare all the necessary documentation. I also can’t help mentioning that she has the same dream as mine. She dreams of having
a charity either for women, education or post war aid. Furthermore, she wants to settle down and have a family one day and most importantly be happy, as a person. - Jill is a very cool name, but do you have any nicknames? - Well, Jillz, Jilly, Jilly bear, Jylliard… hmmm… (pauses) oh yeah! (excited) My friend calls me a sailing boat! The rest of us started laughing hysterically. A sailing boat. How cute is that? Jill later explained that in urban dictionary a sailing boat is a person who resembles her a lot. - Okay, let’s get back to EYP. Which position do you like the most? - I love being a delegate. But I would really like to be a chair… or a president (laughs) I smiled. For a moment I thought of her as a chairperson and envisioned a perfect scene. Jill would absolutely be one of the best chairs. I could already see her as the delegates’ favourite. - It’s just that the games… uh! Memorizing those games are killing me!, she added. Humorously of course. I laughed. I mean who LOVES memorizing instructions? Speaking of likes and dislikes… - Hey, Jill. Here is a random one, tell me your favorite animal. - A PONY! My influence, I would like to think. You see, I am CRAZY about ponies: plastic or alive. I have totally influenced her on that one. But enough about me… - One more random question! If you could be anyone for a day, who would you be? - Egon Schiele, she said after a few minutes of thinking. I also inquired about the best days of her life. She told me that one would definitely be when her sister was born and the other the last school day in Mongolia. Her friends all dressed up and took her to a fancy restaurant, acted like gentlemen. Her hair was perfect. Her friends drove her everywhere and bought her a lot of ice cream. The fun part though was that in the end her flight was canceled. - One last thing and we are done! Who do you think is the coolest EYPer? She told me that it was Mariam Chubabria. Mariam is the president of EYP Georgia and also Jill’s first chair. I think whole EYP should be thankful as Mariam encouraged Jill to carry on with EYP. And Jill? SHE IS THE BEST. I AM TELLING YOU.
And now it was Tata’s turn: I am proud to say that I told her about EYP! Well, there were also a couple of her friends who advised it and her schoolmates, BUT still, I like to think that I told her about EYP! - Did it live up to your expectations? - It is even better! I actually thought that it would be impossible to become a member and that it would be awfully serious. I found the mixture of everything that I was looking for! Tata Jakeli is a future freshman at Lafayette College. How cool is that?! Right now, she is trying to figure out her major and wants to be very productive in her productive in her extracurricular activities next year. - You ready for next one? So who would you be for one day? - John Lennon, she said without hesitation, he is my biggest idol. I have been a huge fan of “the Beatles” since childhood. - And what is your biggest dream? - Being a musician. Maybe forming a band. - Anything else? - No. Just music. Tata is the kind of person who inspires everyone. The moment you look at her, you realize that she is something special. Her clothes, her smile, her haircut. All of it. She is mega talented in every way. And when I heard her sing and play the guitar, she was so passionate and genuine that NOBODY, absolutely NOBODY could think about anything else but the world she had created for us. The world of colours and beauty. - And your favourite animal iiiis? - PONY! My influence, I would like to think. You see, I am CRAZY about ponies: plastic or alive. I have totally influenced her on that one. Okay, and tell me your nicknames, you should have at least one! Yeah, one of them is Jako ( the main character of a Georgian literature piece) , because of my surname. And also Che and Tunchli, but don’t ask why, I have no idea. (laughs) At last I asked her to describe her best day. I smiled as she said the exact date: 19th April, 2012. That was the day when her phone rang and she was informed that she had officially become the winner of an exchange program “FLEX”. This program enables high school students to study in the US for a year. You can imagine the excitement!!! I would have probably dropped the phone from enthusiasm. But then again, Tata was the perfect choice!
The next one was Mariam: - So, Mari, what’s your story, how did you join EYP? - Well, as a matter of fact you were the one who interviewed me, remember? (we both laugh) But before that my friends from High School told me about it and as I am generally interested in joining different NGOs, decided to give it a shot. I loved my first session and decided to carry on because I want to get more experienced and I just want more of EYP! Mariam is the youngest of the four. She is only 15 years old! I think I can relate to her as I was also 15 when I joined EYP and participated in a National Session for the first time. Looking at her and realizing how smart and mature she is, I should have been a total moron back then compared to her. She is going to start her eleventh year soon and wants to pass exams in order to graduate a year earlier. Her plans for the next year: studying, studying, studying! - Okie dokie, Mari, who would you be for a day? - My mom… - Your mom? Out of all people? - Yes. My mom. Out of all people. - Why? - Because she is the best. - Why is she the best? - Because she is my mom. I couldn’t help but to smile and tear up a bit. She might be mature but still managed to remain childish from the inside. Maybe if the world had more people like her, we would finally find peace. - What is your dream Mari?, I said, slowly drifting into her world and losing sight of the café. - Once my mom said that she dreamt of visiting Switzerland. So my dream would be sending my parents there. I couldn’t help but to smile broader. She also has the unique ability of putting others first. The thought of this made me wonder about myself, being worthless. - And could you tell me about your favourite day? - The best day of my life was when my dad told me that he was taking me to London with him. I was so excited!!! - Great! And what about… - Oh no no no, wait!, she interrupted, my second best day was when I was chosen for the IS!!!
Seriously now? Can a human being be any cuter? - You favourite animal? - PONY! Yes they can. TADA! We have a winner! The only possible person would be a pony lover. And in fact in this case I think the pony love thing is actually true. - Is there anything you want to add, sweetheart? - Ammm. YAY! And P.P.P! (Positive Pink Ponies, my imaginary motto for life)
And with a huge smile on my face I moved on to Gio, as you know ladies first, so I had to save the gentleman for last: - Hey! Sorry for making you wait, but please tell me your motivation behind EYP. - I am really interested in International Relations. In fact, I am thinking of majoring in International Law. After vising the US, I also wanted to get to know Europe better and the whole community of EYP is splendid. Oh, and I just LOVE the GA. Gio is going to be a freshman at Tbilisi State University. But he is going to prepare his application and pass exams in order to start studying at Sorbonne University next year. He is also a delegate I would like to call “my legacy”. You see, while being a delegate I was famous for my sum up speeches. They even nicknamed me “the sum up girl”. But after Gio came along, nobody would even dare to compare us as he is 100000000000 times better than me. I had not seen a sum up-er like him in a long run, so at the end of the session I named him “my legacy” and told everyone: The story of Ia Tserodze has officially ended, but the journey of Giorgi Gugenishvili has only just begun. - So, gio, which is your favourite position in EYP? - Oh, I would loooove to be a chair! Like Jill, I think that Gio would be a perfect fit! I know that I would totally want to be his delegate! - Do you have any nicknames? - My friends sometimes call me Gugena, because of my surname. And they also named me Jorge! (read this name in Spanish). (laughs) Gio also shares his dream with me. He wishes for a Nobel Prize for peace. Furthermore, he dreams of being mentioned in the history of Georgia. And not of any other country, but his own. We could use a few more patriots like him! - Sooo, here we go for the last time, your favourite animal? - PONY!
My influence, I would like to think. You see, I am CRAZY about ponies: plastic or alive. I have totally influenced him on that one. - Who do you think is the coolest EYPer? - Nanuka Gurgenidze. She was my first chair and definitely encouraged me to go on no matter what! I would also like to thank Nanuka for this. Thank her for her discovery for such a phenomenal EYPer and friend. Lastly, I asked Gio to tell me about the best day of his life. In fact I received a series of events in the end, leading to a storyline every bestseller author would envy. Gio is a huge Florence & The Machine fan. He is also the winner of the the exchange program “FLEX” and when he got the call he was listening to the song “dog days are over”. Ironically, the lyrics of this song say: “Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father, run for your children, for your sisters and brothers. Leave all your love and your longing behind. You can't carry it with you if you want to survive. The dog days are over.” Furthermore, Gio knew from an interview that Florence was not planning a tour the year he would spend in the US, BUT because of her new album she suddenly decided to change her mind and tour! Guess what? One of her concerts was held in the city where Gio lived! If I had a story like this, than it would definitely be the best story of my life as well. I didn’t want to say goodbye to my dear friends. But I had to. It was getting late and I had to let them go. So I did. And yet again I felt lonely. But not bored. I thought about these young people. I thought hard. My cup was now empty. The café was looking at me in a weird way again. But I knew that somewhere out there where people who I could trust and believe in. I smiled. And this time I didn’t care about the stereotypes. The stereotypes are the stereotypes. These people would definitely break all of them someday. And I would still sit at a small café. Drink tea with raspberry flavor and stare at my striped and already old and torn jeans. And maybe, just maybe break a stereotype on my own as well. The one of lonely people. Because I was not lonely. They were there. Somewhere out there. These four people. I smiled. And with these thoughts I left the café . Lonely but definitely not bored.
By Ia Tserodze
Game of Placards: Realm of Seven Kingdoms School Session 2013 was being planned months ahead with 2 amazing head-organizers and 8 equally fabulous organizers. They worked on it, they lost their sleep on it and they made the whole session simply possible. Applause to them! On march 9th, 11 am, about 80 delegates, 90% of which were new-comers passed the threshold of EYP, half of them not fully realizing what they were getting involved in. And then it all started. The opening ceremony, the crazy teambuilding, some obviously out-of-mind dudes with cameras running around… after some time, the delegates realized how the things worked and then the hard part began: They went to one of the following committees: DROI, AFET, FEMM, LIBE, CULT, ENVI I, ENVI II and they started the complicated process of writing the resolutions… just like the real delegates would have done in real European Parliament… It was dashing, it was unbelievable. They were doing something absolutely extraordinary… and then, when the day had ended they suddenly had to run, run a lot, hunt for treasure, prove that they are the best… btw, congrats, CULT. And they did run, filled with the serious spirit of solving actual problems of the world they ran like 10-year-olds to hunt… and that was more than thrilling… That was unique… something they will never experience outside EYP! Then the second day came. A really tough one. The delegates worked all day completing their resolutions, cosseting
amazing young people who were so helpful and so great. Then all of us enjoyed the EU concert where committees showed their sketches and individual performances were observed. Nice singing, piano-, guitar-,drum- and harmonicaperformances. Then all of us were happy and soothed, after a totally overwhelming day. ...9 a.m. or even earlier the alarm clock rang… we all opened our eyes, closed them back again and then jumped out of our beds… It was the GA day! We put on our dresses/suits, rehearsed our speeches, charged our batteries, went through procedures… and off we went. We entered the conference hall and saw everyone dressed up ad realized we were like that too… just like we would have been in an actual parliament… then we spoke, and we said what we wanted to say! The day, though, did not go without a pair of handcuffs but we were set free, we had our say and that was great. No, that was awesome. Then we rushed home to change the clothes, but something had changed, we were not who we were before, no we were greater on the inside, we had grown. Then we put on our party-clothes and went… umm I believe the party-details should stay undisclosed, for sake of everybody’s reputation, there is just one thing I want to mention. The president of EYP Georgia announced the chosen delegates for the National Selection Conference… and there was laughter, were tears of joy and happiness. On 12th we woke up, and we felt that we were hollow. We missed something, something part of us… and then we realized that was EYP… The European Youth Parliament…. And that was the School Session 2013… and we all knew, those memories would stay with us forever.
By Tamri Matiashvili
Sitting absolutely bored staring at the computer screen, contemplating on meaning of life and scrolling through senseless trolls when suddenly a notification pops up. What it could be, you wonder. You open it and what is there? An invitation to an Anti-PED excursion to Signagi! Now, at last, something is going to happen in your life to bring joy to that face, to lighten your sleepy eyes, because well,
since March 11 you’ve been so completely depressed. The next days are like whirlwind passing so fast to let you get to the day you’re so anticipating. You don’t even realize how you got to that Radisson Blu Hotel when you are suddenly surrounded by people you so dearly love and have so strongly missed You sing all of those songs that are so famous and feel so happy all the way. Then you see all the sights in Signagi, which are indeed amazing, but honestly you don’t care the slightest bit. What you do care for is that there are all those cool people around you who make your life a bit brighter when they’re around. Then you go to a very nice field with a very, very strange statue of a peculiar
shape, you eat there, kindle fire, tell some bonfire stories and well it’s all about fun. Delicious Cookies sweeten the whole trip up (or at least Zura Giorgobiani’s belly (he ate literally 3/4 of all the cookies) and you feel so blissfully content, in the middle of nowhere (well nowhere with a gas station). The caring and loving School Session orgas are virtually everywhere taking care of everyone else but having heck of fun just as well. (Actually more of it, given that they had all the food and drinks). Then you ascend the bus again and well a bit more melancholic, way more exhausted start singing the same old songs of memories that you so
much appreciate and adore. Then Radisson again, that huge building reminding you that it’s time to go back to that halfcyber life staring at screens. But no, you’ll not be that half cyber-man anymore; you have a new memory to revisit, a new experience to reflect upon and learn from, a new adventure and maybe even a new beginning ahead of you, because in life, in the end, it’s these small things and trips that matter the most.
By Tamri Matiashvili
A Trip to Signagi Experience we shall never forget
72nd International Session I held my hand high up in the air. I could feel the tension, even though I was not necessarily part of it. I was biting my nails as I was watching Koka, a delegate and my best friend at the same time, deliver the defense speech. His committee delegates where all shaking and rooting for him in unison. I looked back and saw Zuka, looking anxiously through his resolution as the debates rounds were coming and he was answering the first one. My big earrings made sound as I turned my head all around the Parliament building, trying to figure out the expressions of other delegates; secretly hoping that every single one of them would vote for Koka’s
committee. I remember him saying something about illegal migration and in the end very smoothly raising his voice in order to encourage people to vote for the resolution. The next thing that I remember is me standing up from my chair like crazy, dropping the resolution, my notebook and probably an eyeliner which I was keeping just in case, screaming at the top of my lungs, cheering and clapping for him and giving him a huge hug when he took his seat next to me again. Well that’s the last thing that I remember. Oh, and yeah and one more thing, I kind of was his chair.
At the end of the 6th NSC, the president called out the names of those chosen for the 72nd IS. So, here they were: The first one to rise was Nanuka. Man, she is gorgeous! The moment she stood up all eyes were on HER! She is one of the smartest young ladies in EYP and she has been a favorite from the very start. Plus we go to school together. This year we graduated together, had prom together, so you can figure out the rest, we have history and I was happy that I was with her at present, yet again. The second one was Mr. Erekle. He is also one of my closest friends. I knew that he would be chosen from the very start. Erekle is the kind of guy who always gets what he wants, after all. He can be sarcastic at times, but there are no second thoughts that he is as smart, ambitious and successful as a boy his age can possibly be. He is also the luckiest person I know, but I’m going to elaborate on that later. The third and the fourth were Koka and Zuka, my precious delegates. Koka being the cutest, sweetest, nicest and the most intelligent boy ever. . A true gentleman and someone I can
always trust. While Zuka being a tall, attractive, bright and witty boy with the best taste in music possible. Earlier on, he handled the debates like a pro and made me incredibly proud, even though I had never doubted his abilities and talent. The fifth one to rise was Gio. Every time I mention his name I can’t help smiling broadly. At first sight, you might think that he is simply a clever teenager but he is way more than that. He is the nicest and funniest boy on planet Earth. And every time he laughs or smiles about a jokethat just makes your day. And finally, the last one rising from his chair in a proud and cocky manner was Laduka. He stood up with a face saying: “huh, please, not a surprise”. But no one except for me knew that he had been staring at me, mouthing “ok?” since the moment the chairs reentered the hall after choosing delegates. You see, he is someone who everybody loves. Everybody and everywhere. He might not be the most hard-working person in the world but he can make you laugh till you die. Also, he thinks that he is going to be the president of Georgia. Well… let’s give this boy a chance to dream. And basically, that made the team. Months passed and April was coming closer and closer. The team needed two members, so Irakli, Nanuka’s boyfriend and my best friend, and I decided to apply. After a few weeks I got a sudden video call from Laduka, screaming that both Irakli and I got chosen. I was angry that Laduka was the first one to know but at the same time of course delighted for both of us, or shall I say all 8 of us.
Now that this article has already become boring, with the introductory part and all the drama I might as well get started about the session itself: Nanuka and Irakli got to Munich first and the rest of the gang got there together. However, when we arrived we were super tired and it turned out that we had to reach the hotel by train, which we had to pay for. Trust me it was not a sight you would have liked to see. Tired faces, exhausted from flying; the last thing we wanted to do was go through our huge and ugly backpacks in search of the remaining money we had exchanged. So we were standing, devastated when suddenly a man showed up. We were standing in a line and he, out of the blue, pushed everyone away, jumped into the line, pulled me back and tapped Erekle on the shoulder. Erekle turned and the man just gave him his ticket and left. Did I mention that I would elaborate on his luck more? Well this is exactly what I was talking about! After all this, the session finally started! Everything went smoothly and as planned. We became big fat ponies, froze to death in the park and occasionally got lost in the railway stations. But all in all, the session turned out to be a huge success. Classical music played at the opening ceremony lasted for the whole session and the spirit could be felt in the air. On the general assembly all 8 of us stood up for our resolutions as well as backed each other up during the debates. There were a lot of tears (including mine) at the closing ceremony, but we couldn’t help it. We had to admit it. We were going to miss the session as hell.
We were lucky enough to get a few extra days in Munich after the session. Of course, as typical Georgians we managed to fight with each other, nearly get kicked out of the hotel and argue desperately about room allocation. Laduka and Erekle even tried to rent bikes, but hopefully failed in doing so. The most valuable moment though was the filming of Laduka’s, Erekle’s and Koka’s band’s official music video.
Traumatized faces of other people in the park looking at this mesmerizing sight can also be seen on screen. At the end of this article you have probably realized 2 things. One, that the 72nd IS was fabulous. And two, that I have too many best friends. Or maybe they have too many best friends. Who knows? What I do know is that the eight of us will carry on being comrades for a long time.
And maybe, just maybe, someday, go back to another IS as officials.
Or at least just Erekle. That would be more logical.
THE END. By Ia Tserodze
First Batumi School Session Craze Ch-ch-ch-ch… ch-ch-ch-ch… ch-chch-ch… Cramped space, yucky smell, sweaty air, higgledy-piggledy, stuff… stuff everywhere and a bunch of EYPer gangsters with a beautiful experience ahead of them. While a runaway train was choo-ing from Tbilisi to Batumi, a predestined group of youngsters from Batumi was getting ready for the best time of their lives – the glorious Batumi School Session! This was the first ever event organised by the first ever regional committee Georgia has ever had. The significance of this session is even greater, as it served as a substantial prerequisite for establishing an annual school session tradition in the ponderous seaside city of Batumi. The session, with its theme being “active citizenship for democratic governance”, was held in the Batumi State Maritime Academy. The crowd was hoarding and soon enough, there was a plethora of people, standing still,
feeling a bit uneasy and estranged. Naturally, we – the chairs – commenced contaminating all the others with the EYP spirit. . This intercontamination process is also often referred to as “General Teambuilding”. However, this general teambuilding was different: do you know the feeling, when you really want to do something, but you choose not to, because you think it’s embarrassing? Well, I don’t know whether you know the feeling or not, but those guys there, peeping out of the academy windows, watching us have some big fat fun and building the train of love, sure did! I would say they were suffering from the “EYPelousy Syndrome”. Eventually, the initial discomfort was replaced with some crazy “EYPeirdness” (I should really stop asininely combining words). By the end of the second day, the whole session became handicapped. It was time to show compassion and some creativity as well!
Delegates were forced to be legless, one-eyed, deaf or otherwise disabled. This activity proved to be effective and also extremely useful for bonding. From the perspective of a chair, the session went well academicwise. Keeping in mind the fact that the majority of the delegates were newcomers, most of them were able to overcome the obstacles every newcomer has to face. Not only were the delegates engaged in debates and discussions on an international level, but they were also treating themselves with some wacky games.Then? Then we partied! To bring some fire on the dance floor, a few of the officials got themselves out there and performed an act of mental strangeness – we played Alele”! I have to say, everyone was terrified. They were scared of their officials. They thought we had gone nuts. They thought they lost us. On a brighter
note, our strategy worked! Mission accomplished! Lastly, when it was time to leave, everyone felt nostalgic. We knew we would miss everything and everyone to whom our memories were then already closely associated with. The sadness disappeared, when in the nick of time two delegates came all the way from the party to the train station to say goodbye. It was the sweetest, most heart-melting thing ever! Did I say the sadness disappeared? Pardon me. It got WORSE! So, thank you, delegates, I’m very grateful for making me want to cry my heart out. Isn’t it strange, though? Isn’t it strange how we go back to our everyday lives the next day? Isn’t it strange how strange and tingly we feel inside after every session? Isn’t it strange just how much a person can be attached to something? Don’t know about you, but I sure do like strange. Until next time! Tally-ho!
By Nini Gigani
Europe Day
For the Brighter Future Walking down the Agmashenebeli Avenue, Tbilisi, on May 9th , you would hear the sounds of applause and pleasant Jazz/Blues music playing. You would be lucky to see some EYPers there, as well. On 9th of May EYP Georgia was celebrating the Europe Day. The event was organized by the Tbilisi City Hall and involved some important guests - ambassadors of European countries, mayor of Tbilisi, member of Tbilisi City Assembly and others. The aim of the event was to celebrate the Europe Day, also known as Schuman Day, which is an annual celebration of peace and unity in Europe. Sixty-three years ago, on 9 May 1950, then French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman made the first move towards the creation of what we now know as the European Union. He read a declaration to the international press in Paris, calling on France, Germany and other European countries to pool their coal and steel production as "the first concrete foundation of a European federation". as "the first concrete foundation of a
“European federation". It is remarkable that only five years after the end of the most dreadful conflict in Europe, the Second World War, he proposed the creation of a supranational European institution, to take charge of the coal and steel industry, the very sector which had induced the war. The countries, which he called upon, had almost destroyed each other, and reconciliation was a brave thing to imagine at that time. May 9 became Europe Day in 1985, with public manifestations in Member States celebrating European achievements. This day is celebrated in all member states of the European Union using various forms. May 9 is notable in various forms in most member states of European Union and the EU candidate countries. Due to the political nature of the day, it sees an attempt to teach people the values of the European Union and to speak in support of European integration. The flag as another symbol plays a major role in general celebrations. Therefore, Georgia, country striving to join the Union, celebrated the European great occasion as well.
The event was held in one of the most beautiful and European parts of the city – Davit Aghmashenebeli Avenue. The Day of Europe was accompanied by breathtaking live concert by Tbilisi City Hall orchestra. Members of the European Youth Parliament Georgia created a space – or I would call it a special tent, to host honorable guests in its atmosphere and to get them acquainted with the past and the future of our organization. Every person, attending the event, could acquire information about EYP either from video, colorful stands, information booklets or experienced representatives of the organization. It is important to mention that the EYP Georgia was the only organization represented on event with its personal tent. Moreover, EYP Georgia displayed a “wall of thoughts” where guests could state their opinion and end the sentences: “I Feel European When…” & “For Me Europe Is…”
Using this wall, officials of Georgian governmental structures and representatives of EU embassies shared their opinion regarding European issues with our peers and the guests who were present at the event. It was delightful to read the responses of Georgian youth, which mentioned being “United in Diversity”, “Liberté, égalité, fraternité”, and sometimes, even Pizza. Europe Day was concluded with pleasant buffet for participants and one last performance of the Band of The Tbilisi City Hall. Personally, when I was walking home with my friends after attending this event, I felt European. I knew that Georgia is destined to join the European Family some day, making one of my favorite pieces of music - Ode to Joy, the anthem we will once stand up for, proudly placing our hands on our hearts.
By Irakli Grdzelishvili
All roads lead to Telavi A very ordinary day dawned on May 18, 2013. An idle Saturday, when almost all the people slept late... Almost. On May 18 tens of keen youngsters gathered in Tbilisi to embark on a journey which would ultimately lead to one of the memorable EYP Georgia events so far – the 1st Telavi Regional Session. The officials and delegates from Tbilisi joined the new-comer delegates and an organizer from Telavi and together we set out to be participants and/or creators of the very first EYP Session to be held in Telavi. The session comprised of five committees: FEMM (committee on women’s rights and gender equality), ENVI (committee on environment, health and food safety), DROI (committee on human rights), CULT I Committee on culture and education I) and CULT II, which concerned
problematic issues in Georgia or in Europe. Before moving to the discussion two committees-FEMM and ENVI had a chance to witness presentations and pose the questions to the experts from the UNFPA. We first cheered, played icebreaker games, got to know each other and then... Then the hard work started; delegates, led by chairpersons, started tackling complex European issues that the world was facing. The Chairs’ Team in its turn, was governed by the Board presided by Mako Tirkia and vice-presided by Salome Kandelaki and Ani Chkhikvadze, The Press Team, with 2 crazy Editors, Tamri Matiashvili and Giorgi Metskhvarishvili, in the lead, started, or rather resumed, working on three issues of the session and one super-long session video. And the people, people who made it all
possible, headed by a super-sweet HeadOrganizer Mariam Maisuradze, worked hard all through the session, and ere it, without a moment of rest to create an amazing session in all sesnses. The Orga Team was definitely not alone here; UNFPA and the Local Governance helped it out both logistically and financially.
in the dictionary of fools� and EYPers are anything but fools. The Committees came up with extraordinary solutions and on the General Assembly, after heated debates, the majority of delegates voted in favour of proposed resolutions and all of them passed successfully.
However, it was not all about business. By the end of the 1st day the delegates played the most amazing game that has recently been created in EYP Georgia – The Treasure Hunt. The delegates had so much fun and were so tired that it was completely unimaginable to see them running all through the night being happy and telling EYP stories... Then again, this is EYP, and as Napoleon once said “Impossible is a word to be found only
Eventually, after the closing ceremony the participants moved to the farewell party venue and had the time of their lives (and well, a long time in WCs given the amount of drinks and a gargantuan Cake). For the safety and reputation of individual delegates/officials, more precise and intriguing details of the party shall remain undisclosed. As the Press Team said, what happened in Telavi, stays in Telavi.
By Tamri Matiashvili
The 7th NSC Every newcomer or experienced EYPer, who has participated in an EYP event, has a dream - attending the International Session, a 10 day marathon of EYP spirit. They know that there is only one way to acquire needed experience and gain their places on the IS - rocking the National Selection Conference! This fact makes the NSC the most prominent event of the year on national level. Preparation for NSC starts way before the first day of the session, delegates from various regional, city, school and university sessions are selected in order to participate in the most intense, exhilarating and memorable session of the year. Entire EYP Georgia puts its head together to make the session as perfect as possible, every year NSCs are getting better and better. The Head organizers of the 7th NSC - Veriko Devidze and
Keso Antelidze, along with their experienced team, had to work harder than ever to outshine the previous 6th National Selection Conference. The call for organizers was launched in March and already on the 19th of March the organizing team of the session assembled. Step by step, day after day, the session started to take its shape. . It seemed everything was in its place, every aspect of the session planned and arranged; the session planned and arranged; however, one vital position of the session was still under question mark‌ Who would take the responsibility of being the president of the session, a
single person responsible for the academic success of the entire 7th NSC? Call was launched soon and the president came to be none other than Monika Ghosh from EYP UK. I have been acquainted with her a little bit as I had the pleasure to see her a few times in Munich, on 72nd international session. Having the president as experienced as she was gave the entire session a completely different appeal. Chairs alongside with the president and Vice Presidents started to prepare for the session about a month before. Soon the chairs training was over, preparation kit was finished, enthusiasm was accumulated. The press team, led by Sofi Bokuchava and Ria Farkas took responsibility for the newspaper and the Video, ergo the officials were officially ready to start the session.Every detail for the perfect session was ready, now the organizers just had to bring every part together on the 6th of June. The 7th NSC was "unified in diversity"! We had delegates from 3 Regional Sessions - Rustavi, Telavi and Batumi. Tbilisi was represented by the selected delegates from School Session 2013. 3 days flied like a flash. Looking back at it now I cannot really pinpoint what made 7th NSC stand out from the other sessions, but it was different‌ 7th NSC had the soothing breath to it. Even memories about the session are filled with warmth and smiles in my mind.Time really flies when you are having fun (yes even during committee works). Delegates had their General and committee teambuilding, followed by academic committee work, chairpersons guided the process of reaching perfect resolutions, and on the 3rd day of the session resolutions were checked and printed. Process was fast, fruitful and fun! Speaking of fun... Our organizers and journalists did not leave us without a tremendous amount of EYP spirit. The tradition of a high-class Euroconcert and Committee presentations was not forgotten and we definitely had a great time during those 2 hours. However, even greater fun was still ahead of us.9th of June, was the day of the GA.
The day, which determined 20 people, who will be given a chance to make their EYP dream come true - get selected for the International Session. NSC is always academically strong session and 7th NSC was clearly not an exception. . After discussing arms trade in middle east, water problem in Europe, LGBTQ rights, data protection mechanism, EU's dependency on fossil fuels, European educational system and EU's agricultural policy, majority of delegates decided to vote in favor of presented resolutions, therefore, all the 7 resolutions passed, which is pretty rare on National Selection Conferences. Soon after the GA was finished it was time to announce lucky 20 delegates that would represent Georgia on International sessions in Tbilisi and Riga; President of EYP Georgia, Mariam Chubabria, announced the names of selected delegates. Only drum rolls were missing to make that moment more intense to the delegates... 20 delegates were announced. We could see happy, sad, surprised faces on the delegates faces, you know how it is said sometimes winning is not everything but there are no losers in EYP. Let's wish them all good luck! President pronounced the closing speech and the session was officially finished, but before that president did one thing that I found to be quite interesting. Monika said that the microphone was open to anyone (from officials to delegates) who wanted to say anything about the session and how it affected them. The brave girl turned out to be one of the delegates from CULT committee, who delivered heartwarming speech regarding her first ever EYP experience at 7th National Selection conference. But that's not all. To see how the session ended, turn to page 38, my next article, about the unforgettable Party at PartyHolics.
By Nanuka Gurgenidze
The PartyHolics Anti-PED European Youth Parliament – this is a truly magnificent place for debating, getting new camaraderie’s, forming new relationships, obtaining various new information, sharpening public speaking skills, perfecting English language and most importantly, goofing around like 5 year old kids from time to time. EYP is, without a doubt, an eclectic place, drawing to itself most unique, intelligent and witty people. EYP is not a single organization, as we know. It does have its branches all over Europe and recently even beyond European borders. Ergo, it is impossible for every branch of our immense community to be identical. This fact is not necessarily something to be remorseful about, as we know European Union motto is “united in diversity”. As I already mentioned, every EYP branch is idiosyncratic, they all do look like each other from the first glance: same Zulu game, weird but funny Hi Ha Hu, the same timetable, sometimes frustrating committee work and exciting (sometimes-sporadic) General Assembly (GA). However, every EYP branch has something that helps us to identify its lineage. For example, to me EYP Germany stood out with its perfect, German time management and overly organized team, EYP Romania with its smiley faced people and EYP turkey with its spectacular session newspapers and videos. . We, the EYP Georgia are known by our signature thing; PARTIES!
Why? EYP Georgia has the craziest, funniest and most crowded parties for sure. In Turkey, Germany or Romania, one thing is certain - after every session each delegate, chair, journalist or organizer is left with the huge PED (post EYP depression) in the chest. In most of the countries, people feel the PED gap by chatting with their committee members on Facebook, looking through pictures from the session and in the worst scenario - reading every issue from the session (this means the PED got the (best of you! Snap out of it). EYP Georgia found the unique way to fight the PED. When the Post EYP EYP Depression is at its highest point, Georgians assemble a great party. It is said that people should learn how to shift their disadvantages into their advantages, that is exactly what EYP Georgia has done. Only in EYP Georgia can one come across all the people who have at least once appeared on EYP session by simply attending a special event, called AntiPED. So far, you know that EYP Georgia has a certain “party legacy” on its
shoulders; therefore, everyone was waiting with high anticipation for the yet again amazing EYP party. The date and the venue for the event was settled upon, 9th of June at Partyholic house, located in the middle of nowhere. (I am not even joking; the place was beyond the city where the lights were fading in the street, just after the sixth tree in the wood). So who could have imagined the party would have been this much success. Imagine 3story house, great music, with over 30 rooms which are filled with EYPers and our spirit. Almost every participant of EYP sessions, past members of the National Committee, along with former members of the Board of EYP Georgia assembled with participants of the 7th National Selection Conference, making this party both the antiped, and After Party of the NSC. As I entered the PartyHolics house, at least 5 EYP-ers greeted me with wide smiles on their faces and warm hugs. Over 150 people were at PartyHolics house on that day with, majority of rooms occupied by various groups playing different games. For the people that were in the dancing mood, there was a DJ and the huge dancing floor located on the last floor of the
building. Delegates, Chairs, Journos, Orgas, VPs’ and the President of the session were blend between each other, goofing around, dancing with one and other, remembering their old sessions and greeting their old friends. Of course there were people with astonished looks on their faces, because they could not understand where they have come to, the “virgin EYPers” delegates who have ended up in EYP each in their own unique way. But none of us was offended, upset or bothered by those looks, because the truth is…we all once had them on our faces. The party was wild. It could not have been other way – we, the EYPers are known for our talent at having fun. At some point even the police couldn’t handle our positive spirit and asked us to turn the music down, however, they soon realized where they came to – people with the most peaceful desire of having fun after exhausting session and smiles on their faces, staying positive even while talking with the Policemen. (I swear we did not smoke weed there… or who knows.) Till the dawn EYP marched in Ivertubani’s biggest house and did not let the neighbors sleep. We made sure that they knew who was in the town on that day. The party was a superb success! Next day… Honestly, my head does not want to remember.
By Nanuka Gurgenidze
74th International Session Yes, you guessed it right! In Tbilisi!
It all started on February 16th, 2012. Just an ordinary day with a common picture: me killing my precious time on Facebook, having fun on 9gag and listening to my friends’ conversation regarding EYP simultaneously, when a WILD post appeared: European Youth Parliament Georgia: SUPERB NEWS!!! Governing Body of EYP has accepted the application of EYP Georgia to host 74th International Session in Autumn 2013. YES you read right, 74th IS will be held in Georgia. We would love to thank GB for such an important recognition.
Back in a day I did not perceive fully what an International Session is. I considered this approval not so breathtaking as the EYP webpage delivered it to be. However, after returning to Georgia after 69th International Session in Istanbul, I knew what an immense responsibility has the Governing Body put on our shoulders. European Youth Parliament organizes 3 international sessions annually. The competition between the cities is extremely high. During the IS, more than 300 participants come together to become a part of EYP history. The delegates, grouped in 15 different committees, will be working on the
resolutions for three days during the committee work and will be presenting and defending their plots of labour for 2 days on the General Assembly. 18 Chairpersons will be taking charge of the 15 committees and 15 Journalists and 2 editors will be making sure that all of the information, photos and videos are stored and delivered well and on time. The Board of EYP will be attending and assessing the session The session will take off on October 3, 2013 and will last till October 14 in which period over 300 delegates from all over Europe will get acquainted with the splendid culture, people and traditions of Georgia and of
the countries of the whole Europe, for the participants from all the countries will have the opportunity to share the scents of their cultures during the EUROvillage and euroconcert. Organized excursion to the remarkable places and sights which will also encompass active involvement from the participants themselves and the planned introduction of local foods will enable the participants to find out more about the host country. Session teambuilding will take place at Bazaleti Lake Hotel Complex. Session teambuilding will take place at Bazaleti Lake Hotel Complex.
The Complex is situated on th shore of the Bazaleti Lake, 900 meters above the sea level. The location combines the benefits of cool mountain air and the Bazaleti Lake’s refreshing water. The General Assembly will take place at the I. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU). TSU is the oldest university in Georgia. Founded in 1918, the university is known as a high quality instruction and research center. TSU’s main directions, values, and reforms have enabled the university to join the European Higher Education Area. During the session, the participants
will enjoy a trip to Kakheti, one of the oldest regions of Georgia. Kakheti’s natural and cultural environment genuinely reflects the Georgian history with its ancient monuments, ethnic traditions, and unique hospitality of local residents. The region is home to a large number of ancient castles and magnificent churches. The whole event will be filled with both academic and entertaining events making the 74th IS of EYP one of the most memorable and unforgettable sessions in EYP History. Participants of this amazing session: Brace Yourselves! Ten days which you shall never forget await you.
By Irakli Grdzelishvili