EYPigeon-The Best Of 2011

Aut umn i s s ueoft heof f i ci al News l et t erofEYPUkrai ne

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compi l at i on oft hebes t art i cl esof2011

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irst breathe of Greek air, first step on Greek land – finally we can say that dreams come true, no matter what kind of obstacles you face on the way to them.

How funny it was to see the people who seemed to be so serious playing “Suck&Blow”, “Alele”, “Energy Ball”, “Peel Banana”, and manymany others! But apart from games chairs also made everything possible for us to get to know each other better, to become friends, to learn how to trust each other in such a short period of time (only two days!). Being blindfolded during some games appeared to be rather sense-aggravating and made it more difficult to solve problems we faced without the ability to use non-verbal communication.

But thanks to our chairs new useful skills were acquired and we were ready to work as hard as needed on our resolution during three days of Committee Work. We knew each other’s weak and strong points and knew that we should not only listen to people but also hear what they are saying.

That’s why going through hot debates was not as difficult as it could’ve been. We exchanged information about the topics we had chosen before arriving to Greece, made important conclusions, fought over some issues with tolerance towards friends’ opinions, and wrote the best resolution possible!

One great thing that should be mentioned about Greece is its food. The first time we tried the real Greek cuisine was on the committee dinner evening. As Loutraki itself is a little town surrounded by mountains from three sides and stand-

ATHENS

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ing on the sea coast on the forth, the dinner in restaurants located by the seaside gave us unforgettable memories. In Athens we had a similar evening with delegation dinners where we had an opportunity to visit nice cafes in historical center of the city, not far from the ruins of Acropolis. The usual Greek menu consists of plenty of seafood variously cooked and baked cheese, and of course meat and sausages as well as salads and vegetables. The dishes are usually so big you just can’t eat them to the end even though they are all really tasty. We definitely recommend you whenever you come to Greece - taste cheese balls, mousaka (some kind of meat, vegetables and cheese pie but without pastry) and baked cheese with honey, which they serve you at the beginning of the dinner. Really delicious.

Organisers of the session planned some fun activities, so one day we had to perform stories about Greek gods but in a special way - those had to be formed into a musical.

That was so much fun! We gathered in a small amphitheater and every committee staged its performance. On the day after we had a theme party, so everyone looked like they escaped from the circus. Yes, you guessed right - it was a Circus Party! Clowns, Shadow-man, Strong-man, Fairies, beasts and loads of other characters.

During the last two days we had the General Assembly, which was the culmination of the whole session. Hot debates were shaking the walls of the old building as some issues were controversial. Because of 15 committees being present, the

procedure stretched into 2 days with 7 committees on the first day and 8 on the second. The discussions were remarkably fruitful. The delegates were extremely enthusiastic to have a word. A big size of our committees made some committees having a queue of 10 or more people to speak, while no more than 2 eventually did. Out of 15 resolutions 3 have not passed. We all have seen how politics work.

The Ukrainian delegation was one of the most productive with every delegate having participated in the debates and two of them having given a speech. Each day, there were several delightful coffee-breaks just outside the parliament in an adorable garden with gypsies all around begging for food.

The General Assembly venue was a building of the Old Parliament, which is now a museum. EYPers brought this ancient building back to life and visitors of the museum were surprised to see the new round of debates in the parliamentary chamber. Among special guests were present Janez Poto?nik (European Commisioner on the Environment Issues), Philipp Scharff (Director of the Schwarzkopf-Foundation Young Europe), Philippos Petsalnikos (President of the Hellenic Parliament), and Ville Vasaram?ki (Executive director of the EYP). We all were honored to listen to their inspirational speeches and see them at the GA. After the session each of us realised that EYP is all about PEOPLE who made the session happen. It’s hard to evaluate how much experience we gained there, how much fun we shared with others and how wide we broadened our horizons.

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M h a o with lida y EYP ys -UA Portugal National Selection Conference in Evora The hospitability of Portuguese can’t but impress – these people would go to another part of the city at 2a.m. just to pick you up after your swim (one more reason to come to the country – OCEAN quite different experience after the Black Sea)! They would bring you to the airport and make sure that you’ve successfully checked-in.

One may suggest that as habitants of southern country, they must be hot-tempered. Quite the opposite :). Portuguese are unbelievably relaxed and calm. Never will you see the organizers screaming or rushing. We, Ukrainian EYPers, should definitely take such a “nerve-proof ” approach to session organizing (and to life in general) as an example.

Needless to say, Portugal and Ukraine are really connected. In fact, one out of ten delegates has some Ukrainian studying in his or her university, going together to the pool etc – true story about our enormous diaspora in Portugal. Our countries have traditionally been friends. At least judging from the Eurovision votes :) The thing that can never be forgotten is the delicious seafood – the tables at Portuguese village were full of dishes with shrimps, mussels, and other delicacies – fresh and still with the ocean smell…

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Austria National Selection Conference in Vienna From the words of Tarasevych Nata

The fact that Austrians speak the same language as Germans doesn’t mean that they must be of the same temper. That’s just another false stereotype. In fact they are open and easy-going! Take Ukrainian hospitability, flavor it with German accuracy and you will get a pure Austrian!

It is not a secret that Vienna is the royal city. Glorious and posh it is a perfect place for those who lack fairy tales in their life.

Austrians tend to be idealistic everywhere and Austrian EYP sessions are not an exclusion. The level of the last national session was vey high. It was not only about the organizational moments – session spirit was also one on the highest priorities. The organizers worked hard to make the event perfect!

Spain National Selection Conference in Madrid From words of Cherednichenko Valeria

The first reason why you should visit Spanish sessions is to try their sun that follows you everywhere in this country.

Spaniards, who have been taking the solar power from the very childhood, appear to be extremely cheerful, energetic and positive. So do the EYP sessions in Spain. Participants feel so relaxed. It is so easy to make Teambuilding with them because they come open and optimistic, ready for socializing of any kind.

The one who is fond of soups will be definitely disappointed not finding them in the list of Spanish traditional dishes. Instead, s/he would see a great variety of tiny sandwiches, called “tapas”, usual food in Spanish bars and also at Spanish EYP sessions.

Don’t be surprised to see a cleaner walking in the street and humming some tune or young people singing in public places. That’s the way these open-minded people express their emotions.

Poland Krakow Regional Session The first thing you notice about Krakow is its medieval spirit. The city is full of legends; its tiny buildings and narrow streets are pure beauty.

If you ever hear anybody telling you about some snobbish Polish guy, never believe – it’s a lie! These people are far from being critical, reserved or restrained. Only at Polish session you may see people doing somersault right on the GA! Or a shark-toy taking part in the Teambuilding…

There is one good thing about being Ukrainian at a Polish session – on the last day of the event you can understand Polish language almost perfectly.

English+Ukrainian+a couple of days spent there=intermediate Polish speaker!

Romania National Selection Conference in Transilvania

by Olga Popovyvh

Romania – the land of vampires. Although none of them were found, this land is still full of history, castles, beautiful hills, mountains and meadows. You can spend the whole day exploring Romanian cities, but that obviously would not be enough.

Although Romania is the neighbour of Ukraine, the two countries differ a lot. “Most time of the trip we were trying to find out some similarities. And we did! Who knew that the most pronounced word “Yes” is the same in Romanian and Russian, while all the other words sound completely different from any Slavic language! When trying various dishes of Romanian national cuisine, we also found out that “sarmale” are actually our “golubtsi”.

And this list goes on!”.

What also amazed us a lot is the hospitality of Romanian people: no matter whether you are EYPer or not, familiar person or stranger - everybody was trying to help us and guide us around.

Overall, this was definitely an experience that is worth repeating!

Turkey Istanbul International Forum

From words of Ianovytska Anastasiia

As it is widely known, Istanbul is a city of contrasts. Only here a church may face a skyscraper, the buildings standing on different sides of the road. Not only do the buildings vary here, but people also represent different cultures, pray to different Gods, their social backgrounds are also not the same. Nevertheless, they all can coexist peacefully. Istanbul welcomes everyone. Ukrainian EYPers are not exclusion – the organizers of Turkish sessions treat their guests perfectly well.

Apart from well-known delicious desserts (Turkish delight, pakhlava etc), their cuisine may offer you a great variety of meat dishes.

Have you ever been dreaming of getting to another continent? Never been to Asia? Then you don’t have to go far – Istanbul session is the best option for you because it is the only city that is placed on two continents simultaneously.

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РУБРИКА ПЕРША Author Nata Tarasevych

The 11th Anniversary of EYP-Ukraine

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e all love Birthdays, that's a sure thing!.. Especially when it comes to Birthday of our beloved organisation.

Organised by Kristina Chelmakina and Lyubov Dvoretska, this evening was truly special for everyone present.

Around 35 active EYPers had a chance to experience EYP bright memories. They brought to us special presentations prepared. One video even included greeting of our foreign EYP friends which indeed was a great pleasant surprise for us (btw you may watch video here). The celebration was really memorable due to the evening warm atmosphere, congratulations from honourable Ms President, huge deliosious Birthday cake with 11 candles, making wishes and a lot more. Having the opportunity to own our separate hall for the evening, we continued with EYP style crazy dances and some karaoke songs (who told you need to have a voice to sing? :) We are all looking forward to sweet summer time when we'll have another Birthday to celebrate!:)

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РУБРИКА ПЕРША

he only thing better than meeting cool new people is meeting cool new people interested in EYP. That is why the GA that took place in Kiev on the 1st of October was so much fun.

Almost 50 young people gathered in Lyceum of International relations N51 to spend a few unforgettable hours with EYP. The organisers did a great job – everything was held on a very high level, what made a good impression on participants. Newcomers, who formed nearly half of the present people, were pleased to find themselves among so many active and initiative fellows. Some were pleasantly surprised to meet our Nigerian-Ternopil community on the event, who made the whole way to Kiev from Ternopil exclusively to attend the GA. “I really enjoyed the atmosphere created by organizers.”

Iaroslava Stukalov, newcomer The agenda of the event included both fun and serious parts. And by fun, of course, we mean teambuilding, that casted away all the fears of our new members about EYP being boring. Serious part included traditional EYP presentation, slide-show of summer EYP events and the Schengen visa seminar. But the highlight of the event was the incredible super-micro-mini-session that allowed all the participants to feel for a moment what it is like to be a delegate. For only an hour and a half we managed to play traditional teambuilding games, brainstorm on the topics and hold actual minidebates. Some participants were a little bit nervous about speaking in public, others were glad to have an opportunity to express their point of view. With no doubt, everyone was satisfied with this new experience.

“The mini-session was great. It really inspired me to take part in a real EYP session.” Anna Pustovit, newcomer The event didn’t end there. Afterwards we all went to the pub nearby to have so-called happy hour! We were glad to spend additional time together. Some more games and talks gave a real boost to a friend-making process. Sincere smiles on faces and deep interest in people’s eyes were the best reward for the organisers!

“We are glad to see new people getting into EYP. That inspires and motivates us to work further with bigger effort.” Kristina Chelmakina, Board member of EYP-Ukraine

Author Tetiana Korniichuk

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The De partme nt Is Spea king: F R

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When it comes to planning a trip abroad, there are two main issues that can arise: visa restrictions, and the ubiquitous lack of funds. If you’re going to an EYP-session (or any conference/ seminar/etc.) abroad, the first is usually not a problem if you apply on time with a proper invitation and it’s just going to be a matter of time and nerves at the embassy. But it’s the second thing that keeps most of us away from taking these opportunities. Fortunately for myself, I went to a lot of cool events in my university years for free, both EYP and others – in Europe and around the world.

is how you will present yourself as they will be funding people they will see as the best ones. b) Fundraise for yourself. Even if you can’t get any financial help from the organizers, there are many options on how to fundraise for your trip to the event yourself. The process can be somewhat long and technical, but to cover it briefly – there are a few main ways to go here.

Looking for funds at your university. Universities often support their students to go to international events. It boosts their prestige and allows them to use it for whatever PR-purposes they need. And blatantly speaking – universities often have bigger funds than there are in their budgets and some will be interested to support their students if they see that it will be helpful for them in the future. There are quite a lot of people, who have been able to secure funding from their universities, but it very much depends on your relations with the university’s officials and also the university’s own policy. For example KNEU seems to be quite supportive of their students, but try to get the same out of Mogylyanka!

When a student, there’s usually not a lot of money to be spared and of course the first option that comes up – ask your parents! But when it comes to going to an event abroad, it can really put a big strain on the family budget and even if they are able to pay, the chances are – you’re either putting them in an uncomfortable position or you yourself will have to forego travel abroad for quite a while, while the family finances recover. Thus, the best option is to find a way to go there for free.

And since the visa is usually free and the participation fee - minimal (if you have financial issues, I personally wouldn’t recommend going anywhere that has a high participation fee; there are tons of other awesome opportunities in the world that are free!), the main problem is to pay for your travel, which with high airplane ticket prices can be in the hundreds of euros depending on the destination.

c) Asking a foundation of a grant office to support. A number of nongovernmental or charitable foundations offer support to youth to attend various international events. But their availability is very limited and often you have to apply in advance. You would be at a better advantage if you’re connected to a certain organization with good monetary support. For example FLEX alumni, who studied in US high schools for a year can apply for small travel grants from their program. d) Asking airplane companies for tickets. As the main article of expenses is usually the airplane tickets, you can always try to ask the respective airplane company to give you a ticket for free. In essence – it’s really simple for them to do and most of them are not flying 100% full anyway. The problem is of course that if they start to support every person, who wants to go to a conference – sooner or later everyone will be flying for free. Thus a lot of airlines’ business models prohibit such travel support. Swissair is one and KLM is another if I remember correctly. But there are many others, who can potentially support you if you really pitch out your cause. I don’t know many people, who’ve been able to secure their travel this way, in fact only few have tried and I see how one can possibly get quite lucky here.

Basically, there are two main ways to go to an event for free: a) Find an event that reimburses your travel costs. This may sound like Captain Obvious, but indeed a lot of people overlook the sheer possibilities of doing more research in this area and focusing on these opportunities. In fact, there are many events in the world that would welcome you and pay for all your expenses to get there. Hey – some will even pay for you to take the taxi to the airport in Ukraine on your way there and back! The trick is to find them, but if you google around and better – ask your friends, who may know or even gone to such events before, it’s not that hard. When it comes to EYP, there are also a few sessions that offer travel reimbursements – and likewise they’re great opportunities that you should always try to take advantage of. The biggest difficulty when applying for such an event would be to prove to the organizers that you’re worthy to be taken as a participant and in case the travel reimbursement is for a select few – also to get it. From my personal experience I’d say stressing that you’re from a poor country and such is not the best option. The organizers already know that your country is not the richest in the world and what’s more important – 90% of other people are focusing on this. What’s better is to mention concretely but precisely that you are experiencing strong financial difficulties and to focus on why you want to go there, how you will benefit from the event, enrich others and why you are the best choice. Because the people, who are going to be selecting whom to give support and whom to give a “sorry, but you’re rejected” letter, will perceive that everyone has big issues anyway and it’s practically impossible for them to assess the differences. Thus what will make all the difference

e) Fundraising from private businesses. Usually this is the way most people fundraise for their travel to a conference abroad. However when doing this you should always remember that the company you’re approaching will never do it just for you, every company is oriented at making profit in the end and they will seek to get some benefits out of it. It may be getting extra advertising, a better public image, etc., but whenever you approach a company you should understand their needs and try to “sell” them their support of your attendance to a particular conference and highlight their benefits out of it. Usually their reason to support you would be to later showcase how much the company supports the community and add to their statistics on “social responsibility”. But even when it comes to this getting support for travel is very hard. Blatantly speaking – why would a company give thousands of hryvna to a student to go hang out at a conference, when it can donate it to a more pressing cause? The best option here is to approach companies that you, your relatives or your friends have connections with. They will be much more eager to support you, even for the simple reason that you’re not a stranger to them. Even if you don’t know any companies like that – ask around and you will get some leads that will allow you to start the conversation with them much better.

Overall getting funding to go to a conference or an event abroad will most likely be a long and tedious process with many setbacks on the way. You will want to quit and be ready to forget about it all. But if you try hard, you will surely persevere in the end. And with more and more experience you’ll surely become great at finding support for attending awesome events worldwide. Good luck!

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РУБРИКА ПЕРША

EYPARENTS

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ave you ever thought how many people are involved in EYP? Probably you did, at least once. At every session there are organisers, chairs, board, journalists, delegates, sometimes jury members, guests… Besides, we have national committees, head office in Berlin, and we’re working on making the number of involved people even bigger every month.

However, there’s one category of people who are constantly involved in EYP, but somehow we always exclude them when counting. Can you guess who are we talking about?

We’ll give you some clues. Those people are the first ones to experience your fundraising skills; those people are the ones to help you pack your suitcase when there are only 3 hours left before your flight; they are the ones to figure out how to bring you back home when you overslept and missed your flight (that’s a kind of extreme situation, but let’s be honest, we had those kind of stories in EYP); they are the ones to whom you are afraid to show some of the session photos and they definitely are the ones to whom you are proudly showing your name signed in a resolution. Figured it out already? Yes, exactly! Those people are your PARENTS. And since the moment you started doing EYP, they received the honor of being EYParents.

You may think that there’s nothing special in being a parent of an EYPer. But in fact, help and support of our parents is something that gives us an opportunity to experience EYP. And when no one else can help, they become our allies.

Want a real-life story? We’ll give you one. Sure you’ve heard of Nata Tarasevych, our fabulous Board member on International activities. She is one of the most involved people in EYP in Ukraine. Though, you probably haven’t heard of

Lyudmila Ivanovna, Nata’s mother. She is not just a loving mother trying to support her child; she is a real EYPer herself.

She knows the way EYP session goes better than some delegates and she’s always near when she’s needed, like a real organizer. All-night resolution printing, early morning newspaper sorting, GA – she’s there.

But that’s EYP part. Being a pationate mother, she also takes care of feeding and putting to bed at least for an hour sleep those overenthusiastic kids who organized all this mess called an “EYP session”. We are amazed and so proud that European Youth Parliament Ukraine has not only great members, but also great parents of aforementioned members.

Of course, we all have different parents and they show their care, support and appreciation of what we do in EYP differently.

But please, have mercy on them! Being an EYParent is a hard job. Imagine yourself in 20 years, sending your own kid to his first EYP session. Scary, ha?))) So, keep in mind that whatever happens , your parents love you, worry about you and expect you to come home at least several times a year.

Author’s note: If you have any funny or interesting story about your EYParents – don’t hesitate to contact me and tell your story. OUR EYParents deserve to be famous)))

Columnist: Lyubov Dvoretskaja

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SUM M h E o with lida R EYP ys -UA

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Norway

WHAT: Norway WHERE: Trondheim, Norway WHEN: 14-16 September WHO: Uchenna Chiedozie Egbete (chair),

Germany WHAT: International Forum of EYP-Germany WHERE: Weimar, Germany WHEN: August 28 – September 3 WHO: Uchenna Chiedozie Egbete (chair), Tamara Kuripko, Oleksandra Gordienko, Olena Gordiienko,

France

WHAT: 67th International Session WHERE: Grenoble, France WHEN: 15-24 July WHO: Kateryna Opanasyuk (chair), Oleksandra Gipsh, Lyubov Dvoretska, Volodymyr Soldatenko, Olga Popovych (delegates)

Spain WHAT: The 2nd International Forum of EYP-Spain (Iberian Forum’11) WHERE: Girona, Spain WHEN: 4-11 August WHO: Maria Shcherbak (delegate)

http://eyp-ua.org/news/isgrenoble/

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Poland

WHAT: National Selection of EYP-Poland WHERE: Warsaw, Poland WHEN: 7-11 September WHO: Oksana Korchak (chair)

WHAT: 18-th Regional Session of EYP Poland WHERE: Rzeszów, Poland WHEN: 6-10 July WHO: Dmytro Honcharenko (vicepresident), Mariia Kononenko (delegate)

WHAT: Joint School Session WHERE: Kyiv, Ukraine WHEN: 25-28 September WHO: loots of people

http://eyp-ua.org/news/rzeszow_report/

http://eyp-ua.org/news/jss/

Ukraine

Hungary

WHAT: Chernihiv Regional Session WHERE: Chernihiv, Ukraine WHEN: 24-28 August WHO: loooots of people

WHAT: 1st Summer Forum of EYPHungary WHERE: Győr, Hungary WHEN: 16-19 June WHO: Olga Spytsia (delegate)

http://eyp-ua.org/news/che/

Georgia

http://eyp-ua.org/news/danube_cruise/

Cyprus WHAT: 4th National Selection Conference of EYP-Cyprus WHERE: Paralimni, Cyprus WHEN: August 31 – September 4 WHO: Anna Suprunenko (chair) http://eyp-ua.org/news/cyprus/ 9

WHAT: 3rd International forum of EYP-Georgia WHERE: Batumi, Georgia WHEN: 12-16 August WHO: Evheniia Melekhovets (editor), Anna Lachykhina (chair), Lyubov Dvoretska, Yegor Vlasenko (journalists), Roksolana Pidlasa, Ruslan Azarov, Nataliia Vorobey, Chrystyna Kyrylych, Yurii Kyrylych, Vadym Kyselev, Oksana Maiba, and Olena Grygor’eva (delegates). http://eyp-ua.org/news/bif11/

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A view of the newcomer: Chernihiv Regional Session as the first EYP experience.

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t the end of summer from 25th till 28th of August in the city of Chernihiv, which is on the very North of Ukraine, I happened to spend four most memorable days of summer side by side with wonderful people. Chernihiv is a place where the Regional Session of EYP-Ukraine took place. “Changing the World – Challenging Youth” – under this slogan in the city with more than 1300 year history 95 young people from 13 countries of Europe gathered to discuss urgent problems of nuclear energy future, youth employment, education and culture, human rights and others.

However, I realised the guests of the city were motivated not only by discussing the above mentioned topics. For those who have never participated in EYP events the words like “session”, “assembly”, “delegate”, “committee”, “voting procedure” may not seem to be entertaining. Going from Kyiv to Chernihiv I couldn’t even imagine how false my expectations towards EYP session were – I expected it to be boring and extremely serious, and it turned out to be completely different.

All my prejudices disappeared already during the first day of the session. Before the official part of the session we experienced teambuilding, the aim of which was to form efficient group communication. At first sight it may seem hilarious when adult people act as children - run, jump and play foolish games. The great importance of this session stage is that it helps the team to create spirit and to develop confidence and trust in each other. Teambuilding took place on a territory of a children's camp. The atmosphere of this

Author: Valentyn Bondaruk

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day was emphasized by extreme feelings: the night in a tent, the lack of warm shower and the romantic starry night above. The great evening in the camp included the committee presentations followed by an awesome open air party. The informal meeting offered the delegates a lot of opportunities to get to know each other - amateur performances, dances, hot dogs ... - all of these influenced the spirit.

Next morning all the participants left for Chernihiv city itself where the Opening Ceremony of the session took place. The morning was extremely stressful yet amazing in its own way:) We woke up and had a light breakfast served at once. After changing into formal clothes (still in the camp) and a short transfer to the city, the delegates arrived at the Chernihiv City Hall, where they were welcomed by organisers, representatives of local authorities and session partners. After the Opening Ceremony there was a city-quest which turned out to be loads of fun. To cope with the tasks one had to be really creative, smart and sociable. Most of us were visiting Chernihiv for the first time. It’s interesting that the city impressed not only with its architecture and sightseeing places, but also with its special atmosphere of tranquil quietness. Even policemen were always in a good mood - they allowed one of the committees to fulfill their challenge and took a picture with them.

In the afternoon it was just the right time for the official part to start. Everyone had his own point of view, but the experience gained from discussions can scarcely be overestimated. Each of us made every possible effort to deliver his own ideas and at the same time to consider opinions of others. To find a decision that would be accepted by everyone is not an easy task, but substantial criticism and tolerance to the proposed views allowed us to find a starting point and to develop it in our resolution.

In the evening the Eurovillage took place. Turkish sweets, Swedish crisp bread with paste made of cheese and shrimps, Georgian lavash, Moldovan wine, Portuguese Port wine and of course Ukrainian “salo” … the tables were full of delicious food.

The staggering folk dance performed by the Georgians, the fascinating playing the guitar by Bruno from Portugal and many more great performances – all that offered us a great opportunity to plunge into the diverse cultural environment, and feel their authenticity. Isn’t it a striking illustration of “unity in diversity” – the motto under which Europe has united?

The time of work flew fast, so having finished our resolutions we left for the city centre where at one of the best local pubs the Farewell party was held. The theme was “Back to School”, therefore the dances of the delegates wearing uniform reminded of a school disco. It is doubtful whether this bar has ever received visitors in such quantity, but with no hesitations they would love to have us there again:)!

Not quite "school" questions were discussed the next day.

The next day it was the time for the General Assembly held in accordance with the parliamentary procedure where each committee submits its resolution for consideration and defends it.

The meeting room of Chernihiv City Hall was a witness of hot debates of European youth. It was very pleasant to note that in spite of criticism and sharp questions the benevolence and deep respect were integral parts of the discussion. After the Closing Ceremony the most difficult thing for me was to accept the fact that it’s the time to say good bye. I was just running around with a camera trying to take pictures of everything. I wanted to save everything on the memory stick, but even 4 Gb were not enough. Four days staying in Chernihiv introduced to me to lots of interesting outstanding young people and largely changed my outlook. And even my future plans. Four lovely days that without a doubt became a cherry on a cake named ‘Summer 2011’.

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EYP abroad Author Lyubov Dvoretskaya

Author Yegor Vlasenko

Georgia

G

reetings from your EYP-abroad guide! Our too short, but, oh, so eventful summer has finished, but here comes not less eventful autumn. I’m sure, this beautiful and a bit gloomy time of the year makes you think of good old granny Europe, with its fairy-tale streets and gothic cathedrals. But I think it will be much better for our physical and mental health to go a little southeast from Kyiv, all over to the Black Sea and across, to get the warmest welcome from EYP Georgia.

So, our second stop is Georgia, the country of traditions, wine, hospitality and democracy. And, believe me, as I’m saying from my own experience, it all applies as well to their National Committee. Let’s get acquainted – EYP Georgia.

Location: Georgia, Tbilisi. With regional representatives in Batumi, Gori and Zugdidi.

Year of founding: 2007 President: Mariam Chikhladze Wherever and whenewer you go to a session in Georgia, it can be considered as your personal holiday. And most certainly not because of the lack of seriousness of the session, but because of the Georgian attitude towards guests. I bet you didn’t know the meaning of the word “hospitality” before went to Georgia.

When going to the sessions of EYP-Georgia, always remember to take with you the following: - Good mood; - Photo camera (it’s so beautiful in Georgia that you’ll try to take picture of everything around you); - Swimmong-suite (just in case); - Phone numbers of at least two organizers and one official (one more time, just in case); - A bottle of water (you don’t have to bring it from Ukraine, just remember not to drink tap water, for the last last time - just in case))) - Ukrainian passport and everything else that makes you Ukrainian (keep in mind that in Georgia being Ukrainian is an advantage); Somehow, Georgian EYP manages to combine the officiality and lightheartedness of the sessions which gives you the perfect opportunity to fully enjoy your EYP experience and the country you are in. The “officialty” part goes from the fact that most of their sessions are usually supported on the level of national authorities (don’t forget to be polite when greeting Georgian minister of something at the opening ceremony!), and “lightheartedness” part goes from the depth of Georgian soul.

Actually it’s easy to notice the similarities of our National Committees. Besides the obvious resemblance of organizational structure and session year plans, both our NCs have very considerate and caring attitude to our international guests, good balance between work and fun of EYP and mutual love for Supra (though our Supra is a person, and no one else but our beloved vice-president on PR, but she is just as much of a celebration as Georgian Supra is).

There are also two more very special features of EYP-Georgia: - Every time you go home after their session, you always want to come back to Georgia; - Friendship that you’ll find there will remain with you for your whole life.

Of course, to form your own opinion of National Committee of every EYP-country you should go there yourself. But I promise that Georgia will not be the country to disappoint you.

I assure you, Europe is bigger than it seems but a lot closer to us than you may think, and EYP-Georgia is a live example.

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T

hose who have been to Georgia know that this country has its own, special spirit which can be found in everything – in land, in wine, and in its incredible people. Traditions and values here are not on paper – they live in the hearts of Georgians, making these people generous friends and high-class hosts. Nothing can describe this better than traditional Georgian celebration, the supra. Its strict order of toasts and ceremonies don’t make the feast boring and official – on the contrary, these traditions create the atmosphere of warm unity and great fun. To experience supra, tourists often attend special ceremonies held in the traditional Georgian restaurants. However, there is another way, much more true and soulful – just befriend a Georgian! (Be yourself and this will happen much sooner than you expect).

What to expect from the feast itself?

1) Tons of delicious Georgian food and oceans of wine and chacha (be aware, it can be twice as strong as vodka); 2) Lots of people, including friends, relatives, neighbors and so on:) 3) Tamada, a toastmaster of the party and its most respected person. Tamada leads the supra, and all his orders are obligatory. A true tamada can drink liters of wine without getting drunk at all.

4) Lots of toasts on all possible topics! But be prepared to drink to God, Georgia, friendship, and beautiful ladies – these toasts are a must at every supra.

5) Lots of singing and dancing – Georgian party is for sure not only about table talks! Everyone is free to invite for a dance any partner without any distinction as to age, status or type of relationship. Dance in Georgia means fun and friendship.

Even being the only non-Georgian at the party, don’t be shy or timid – you are a guest here, not a stranger. Speak from your heart, drink till the end – and you’ll have a time of your life!

And remember, if you haven’t experienced supra – you haven’t seen a real Georgia.

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EYP abroad Author Lyubov Dvoretskaya

Author Yegor Vlasenko

1) How long have you been involved into EYP? 2) Among the EYP sessions attended , which one was the coolest?

Why? 3) What are your first associations with “EYP-Ukraine”?

4) What makes a real Georgian? (5 features/skills/characters) 5) Imagine that you have to say a toast to EYP-UA on behalf of the whole EYP Georgia . You’re holding a glass of red wine and saying...

QUESTIONS

Giorgi Samkharadze

1.Since 2008 (the year when Georgia officially became the member of EYP Community) 2.Hard to pick one out of around 20 amazing sessions, but as for the “coolest” one I’ll go for “Khmelnitsky 1st RS’09” which totally exceeded my expectations, especially the crazy Farewell Party, which later became legendary (check http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.6571721 9264.60906.641024264&type=3& fb_source=message) 3.Beautiful ladies and wonderful Community.

4.I don’t want keep to stereotypes, but still I’ll try to pick the 5 features: - Should be able to dance/sing Georgian;

- Should be able to supply friends with sufficient amount of drinks (mostly wine) and be able to lead the table as a toastmaster; - Should be able to host friends at home coming from all over the world and provide tours around Georgia; - Should have a clear understanding of “derivative financial instruments” and hedge accounting (Wait a second, that’s not true, I guess...); - Should be in love with Ukraine!

5. Honestly speaking, I’ve personally seen how the tireless efforts from the organisation’s leadership have turned into a success story, which is now called EYP-Ukraine. I know how efficiently Board members worked to achieve all this. I won’t go into the details, but what I’ll wish you is to maintain the enthusiastic about what you’re doing, guys, don’t give up growing, advancing and improving, keep turning your success into the organisation’s success and vice versa. What I am expecting is that Ukrainian people should be proud of EYP-Ukraine for “producing” so many successful people for their country by lighting the “sparkles” on the right time.

Ruslan Tsulukidze

Privit Ukraino!

1) For 3 years; 2) Batumi International Forum 2009. Why? Because of real EYP spirit and enthusiasm!

3) Ukrainian EYPers are the future of Ukraine; creative and hardworking team; patriot youth; 4) a) Hospitable, b) Patriot, c) cheerful, d) friendly, e) reliable; 5) .... My dear EYP-Ukraine! I have an honour to say a toast to EYP-UA on behalf of the EYP-Georgia. We really appreciate your kind attitude to our country.

We are happy that we have a chance to share our ideas, to see our common values, and to have friendly relationship.

The representatives of EYP-UA are more than welcome to Georgia:)

Akaki Kukhaleishvili

1) I have been involved in EYP for 4 years.

2) First Batumi International Forum, as it was an extraordinary session spent in different, sometimes extreme conditions.

3) Best Friends, very sociable, active, spontaneous and enthusiastic.

4) Georgian traditions, dancing, singing, drinking WINE(!), hospitality plus strong motivation for country development and a good mood.

5) To our UA friends, wishing EYP UA to become one of the most successful and important youth organizations, creating a strong platform for UA’s European democratic future. And wishing its members a lot of energy, ideas and creativity for building new and prosperous country.

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Nino Sioridze

Nu vsoo, k delu...

1) since 2008 2) 1-st Batumi International Forum, ‘cause there I had the time of my life in EYP 3) cheerful, interesting, friendly atmosphere 4) Georgian is a man of principle; quick-witted; proud; debauchee (a person who likes to spend time with partying with friends); talkative; 5)I think that toast in English isn’t that sonorous but I’ll try: .... my dear friends I would like to say a toast for our “long-term” friendship, that has started long time ago, exists today and will be invariable for ever an ever...

Salome Tsimakuridze

1) It’s approximately 2 years; EYP is a part of my life.

2) To my mind, the coolest EYP session was the 5th Istanbul International Forum. It was fabulously organised, with high academical level and amazing venues, city tours, parties, accommodation, etc.

3) My first associations which are connected with EYP-Ukraine are: well-organised, friendly and unique people who try to do their best to create awesome sessions in Ukraine.

4) 1. Georgians particularly love being the hosts 2. incredibly friendly 3. traditional 4. reliable 5. have sense of humour.

These are the key points which make a Georgian.

5) I’m holding a glass of red wine (kidding) and saying: wish EYP-UA fantastic and productive work with genius youth from all over the world!! Wish EYP-UA continue its successful participation in building more democratic, safe and peaceful Europe of tomorrow!!! :*

Tornike Zurabashvili

1) I have been involved in EYP for almost 3 years.

2) I guess the best session I attended was Stockholm International Session. This was on the one hand my first international session as a delegate and it made me double-excited and one the other, the atmosphere of that particular session was beyond the normal quality of EYP international sessions. Plus, I got to talk at length at the General Assembly and then debated with other delegates, who were equally (if not more) experienced than me in those topics. For a person as motivated as I, participation in Stockholm IS turned out to be very challenging and intriguing time.

3) My first and last association with EYP-Ukraine is and will be Dmytro Honcharenko.

4) Plurality of ideas and features is what really makes a Georgian nation but these are some most common features that the majority of Georgians possess. 1. Freedom-loving 2. Creative 3.

Energetic 4. Sociable/friendly 5. Devoted.

5) I wish you a lot of enthusiasm and success in all of your future endeavors. May you continue giving young Ukrainians the golden sessions and moments, you have been gifted in the past. Your success as EYP-Ukraine will always be met happily here in Georgia.

Kevin Austin (Kakhi Sanikidze) 1) I have been involved in EYP since October 2010, so pretty much for one year.

2) I think the coolest session for me was Georgian National Selection in May; I liked it because I was an Editor and I had an amazing team.

3) I have never been to Ukraine myself but I know some Ukrainian EYPers and I can say only positive.

They are my lovely friends.

4) That’s hard to answer what makes a real Geor-

gian because everyone understands it in a different way. I think a real Georgian is patriot, orthodox Christian, very hospitable, good at dancing or singing, and probably loves wine too much, hehe.

5) I’d like to raise this toast to EYP-UA, to my amazing Ukrainian friends who made me fall in love with their country without ever being there. I’d like to wish them a lot of success and as good new generation as their old members are.

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FACE CONTROL Columnist Oksana Korchak

1) When did you meet each other for the 1st time?

MILA: It’s actually hard to recall when I met Katia for the first time because it seems that I know her for the whole life. But answering the question, we met for the first time in Dubin in 2007 at the Dubin International Session. And she didn’t like me.

KATYA: Dublin IS, 2007 2) Describe her in 3 words.

MILA: creative, smart, special KATYA: ginger, crazy, lovely 3) What are the things you like most about her?

M: she is a reliable and trustworthy friend. She is also very knowledgeable and wise. I can always ask for advise and be sure that it will be helpful. And we share fun. We find the same things funny and we get each other’s irony. And she is extremely stylish.

K: she doesn’t look like me 4) What are the things you don’t like about her?

M:she is tough to people. including herself K: that we are different 5) Her favourite drink M: sambuka. sometimes she drinks becherovka. sometimes she goes for bloody mary.

K: spirits 6) If she once found herself in a desert island, what are the thingsshe couldn’t live without?

M: b e aut i f u l things K:flip-flops 7) Gesture/phrase most frequently repeated by her M: popustis’. bugagashen’ka.and she’s got a very special facial expression when she starts laughing. She curls her lips and makes very funny eyes. I just love at such moments.

K: don’t know 8) What is the most important thing in her life?

M: harmony with herself is very important for her K: friends

Young Europeans say: More Integration is the Answer to the Euro-Crisis Press Release The German Chancellor backs away from her pro-European positions, the French President supports her, and in Finland a party opposing European help for Greece wins elections: While national reflexes seem to be a common reaction to the Euro-crisis, the youth in Europe take a clear stand for more Europe in times of turmoil. This is the result of the first European Youth Poll by the European Youth Parliament in cooperation with Stiftung Mercator.

An overwhelming majority of young Europeans under 27 demand more European efforts: 90.9 % say the crisis should lead to closer cooperation between European countries in financial and economic policy. Even financial transfers from stronger to weaker economies are welcomed by 73.8 % as part of European solidarity. 1213 people from 35 European countries participated in the first European Youth Poll conducted by the European Youth Parliament among its alumni.

Regardless of difficult news on their common currency, the young Europeans do not think the Euro is in serious danger: Over two thirds agreed with the sentence “I trust in the stability of the Euro”, a majority in non-Euro countries (65.7 %) as well as in Eurozone countries (74.0 %).

“I´m convinced that, with closer “Do you trust in the stability of the Euro?” cooperation, we could have curtailed the impact of the current crisis”, says 19-year-old Céline Vermeire from Belgium, one person who took the poll. However, the young people identified “national interest” as by far the most dominant theme in national debates.

“I’m happy to see so clear a commitment of the youth to the EU, especially in times of growing Euroscepticism and populism with nationalist slogans”, Rebecca Harms, President of the Greens - Free Alliance Group in the European Parliament.

While a big majority calls for deeper European integration, there is skepticism regarding further enlargement: Respondents inside current EU member states were split Céline Vermeire (19) from Belgium: “I´m convinced that, with closer cooperation, we could over this topic, with a slight majority have curtailed the impact of the current crisis” of 51.6 % opposing further enlargement and 44.0 % in favour of it.

The European Youth Parliament (EYP) is a non-partisan and independent educational organization active since 1989. Today it is one of the largest European platforms for political debate, intercultural encounters, political educational work and the exchange of ideas among young people in Europe. The EYP consists of a network of 35 European associations in which thousands of young people from diverse backgrounds are active in a voluntary capacity.\

For more Information please contact: Jacob Düringer Project Manager Sophienstraße 28-29 10178 Berlin Germany +49.30.28095146 j.dueringer@eyp.org www.eyp.org

This project is supported by Stiftung Mercator

For complete results and additional information, please visit eyp.org.

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The EYPigeon is grateful to all those who contributed to the Newletter making process.

Chief editor/layout designer: Zhenia Melekhovets Press team: Korchak Oksana, Suprunenko Anna, Popovych Olga, Gipsh Sasha Proofreading: Vynogradova Katya Interviews: Cherednichenko Valeria, Ianovytska Anastasiia, Tarasevych Nata, Honcharenko Dmytro, Rusin Jinrich