2880 Minutes – Issue 0

Regional Sessions EYP Finland in 2013 Kuopio | Turkuof| Oulu | Tampere Kuopio | Turku | Oulu | Tampere

2 880 MINUTES until the end of the session.

Issue 0

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Regional Sessions of EYP Finland in 2013

EUROPE OF CHANGES What about doing something scary for Halloween?

First times are scary. You do not know what to expect, what will happen or what will come out of it. The only way to know is to go for it.

Congratulations on taking this step and trying something new by coming to this session. The European Youth Parliament is not as scary as it sounds. During the 2,880 minutes that you will spend at the session, you will go through many things you have never done before – teambuilding, committee work, general assembly.

You will not be alone: organisers, journalists and chairs will be there all along to guide you and help you survive the session, not to mention your fellow delegates who are going through this for the first time too.

Make the most of these almost three thousand minutes to meet people, challenge yourself to try something out of your everyday life, and enjoy a wind of change.

Welcome to Turku Regional Session 2013!

–Mathilde Pascal (FR), Editress

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Editresses Mathilde Pascal (FR) Giada Benfatto (DE) Journalists Riccardo Passarella (CH) Lauri Lahtinen (FI) David Sole Crespo (ES) Marek Haisl (CZ) Maria Browarska (PL) Mari Ylivaikko (FI) Saara Rissainen (FI) Marja Pentikäinen (FI)

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CONTENTS STNETNOC Dress Up

Hitchiker from the Future

A Delegate’s Story The Icebreaker

The Spirit of the Iron Curtain Interview: Head Organisers

Behind the Scenes A Fickle Society

The Icebreaker – Part 2

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Dress Up EYP sessions have certain guidelines in terms of dressing. Even though dress codes may seem confusing, there is no need to panic when packing for an EYP session. With the help of this guide, you will know what to bring with you and when to wear it.

Teambuilding Dress code for Teambuilding is Casual.

Casual wear is something you would wear on a normal school day. As Teambuilding includes physical activities, remember that you need to be comfortable. Some parts of teambuilding can be held outdoors, so do take also warm clothes with you.

Opening Ceremony Formal wear should be worn for the Opening Ceremony. For men, formal wear includes suit and a tie. Be sure to pack appropriate shoes, as trainers should not be worn. Ladies have more of a choice. A neat dress, skirt with a tidy blouse or a suit are among your options. Something you would wear for a family celebration is suitable.

Committee Work

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Smart Casual is the dress code for Committee Work. The dress code is not strict and allows you to wear basically anything that you feel is suitable for the occasion. A golden mean between Casual and Formal wear is what you are looking for. You can for instance combine the jeans you wore for Teambuilding with the blazer you had at the Opening Ceremony.

Theme Party The theme for the Farewell Party is Time Travel. Pick an era you are interested in, be creative and wow everyone at the party. The wackier outfit you find related to the theme, the better.

General Assembly Just like for the Opening Ceremony, the dress code for the General Assembly is Formal. By modifying the clothing you had for the Opening Ceremony a bit, you can get a totally new look!

You can do miracles for example with the change of a tie or high heels. Bear in mind that you will spend the entire Sunday in these clothes. Even for the sake of fashion, do not wear something in which you cannot breathe or move. –MP

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Hints & Tips: 1.

Spice it up! By paying attention to small details, you can bring your outfit to a whole new level. Gentlemen, have you thought of wearing a bow tie instead of a normal tie?

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Opening Ceremony and General Assembly are not synonyms for a nightclub. Ladies, remember this when choosing your dress.

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Visit your family members’ wardrobes. There is no need to empty local clothing stores before the session.

Instead, take a peek on someone else’s clothes and accessories to find the items you are looking for.

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Hitchhiker From the Future With the prices of time travels still soaring, we decided it was about time common people found out what is it like to travel in time. We had a journalist, who wishes to remain anonymous, take a trip to the past and see what the weather is like in 2013.

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tanding in the centre of my home town had never felt this strange.

Some buildings looked familiar, but if it was not for the fact that I knew my destination, I would not have known where I was.

Among the first things that attracted my attention was the language of the people. I could easily tell that it was the same language I speak, albeit it sounded like an unfamiliar dialect.

Just by following a conversation I learned something new. It seems like these people are so shy that they even have an expression for putting one’s head down to avoid eye contact: to duck face. All of this was odd as a time travelling guide issued by the government claims that languages hardly ever change. I am starting to believe

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those of my contemporaries who claim that the government manipulates dictionaries.

Having studied the language and the culture of these people – my ancestors – I decided to see what they considered to be news. ”You can judge a nation by its newspapers,” as the old saying goes. I consider those words to be wise, even though the printed media has died out. Because of this, I was surprised to find a paper lying around at a park. There was nothing particularly interesting in the paper; just a big fuss about a regular government shutdown.

It must have been a slow news day as there was no mention of poodles.

It could also be that the past does not care about poodles at all.

I read through the paper and left the park only to run into a man with a box in his hand. He asked me something I could not understand; possibly for a donation. The only thing I could do was to mutter an apology and run back to the time machine. There was no way I could have interacted with the man without causing an illegal time paradox.

I wonder who it was that decreed that time travelling is relatively safe and ethical?

– LL

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On the wings of an EYP session

The structure of an EYP event can be very confusing for someone who attends to his/her very first session. Each session consists of three different parts: teambuilding, committee work and the General Assembly, better known as GA. This short story from a delegate’s perspective gives a hint at the situations and feelings delegates might face throughout the session.

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Confusion.

Do not let go for anything. Your committee is a sticky toffee. Stick to it! We are the last ones remaining.

But I cannot resist any longer. People are pulling me away from the group.

I have to let go. Game over. After playing the most peculiar games and solving the most random tasks, this was the best – or worst – one out of all of the things we have done today.

I could never have imagined that I would play a game such as the Sticky Toffee with people whom I met a few hours earlier. Unlike what I thought it would be, it was not awkward at all.

Spirit of EYP? Perhaps.

Discussion.

When I had my first glance at our committee topic, I found it as easy as pie. However, during committee work I realised that the topic on foxy noises was more challenging than I thought.

The recent phenomenon “What does the fox say” has raised questions in the public. What actions should the EU take, to provide a communication method between a fox and a horse?

In order for me to be the pick of the litter, I must participate in the conversation more actively.

“What if they could communicate by Morse?”

A success. Our chairperson looks satisfied, since we were stuck on the previous issue for a long time. A girl who strongly believed that a communication method between a horse and a fox is unnecessary because of their peaceful coexistence in wilderness stuck to her own opinion and did not back off. Committee work means putting heads together and, above all, compromising and finding a consensus.

Exhaustion.

It is time for GA, and I have never been as tired as today. After ten cups of coffee and an energy drink, I am still about to fall asleep. Preparing two attack speeches at three o’clock in the morning and going to sleep at half past four perhaps was not the best choice with the wake-up call at half past six. I fought an inner war between waking up and continuing sleeping. Here I am now, in a beautiful venue, trying to figure out a point to make. And shaking because of the amount of caffeine consumed. The president asks us to vote whether AGRI’s resolution passes or not. My eyelids feel heavier than ever. Maybe I will sleep for just five minutes…

–SR

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The Icebreaker During your time in Turku 2013, you will get to know a lot of new people and faces, and even make friends with a bunch of them over the next couple of days. To easen the process, we have interviewed as many of you as you could prior to the session, asking questions about yourselves, your opinions, and sometimes some plain random ones. – RP

What brought you to this session?

What do you think of people wearing socks with sandals?

Susan Moreen Njambi - I thought it would be a good experience.

Erenata Kadrolli : That’s like mixing mustard and ice cream.

Sara Lindholm - My passion for politics, Europe, internationality, diversity and teamwork.

Frans Cederlöf: C’mon thats just gross!

Philippa Rytkönen - Well, because I was curious about EYP. Axel Meyer - I want to raise my political awareness and be able to make wiser decisions later in life.

Sami Sihyo - some of my friends are members of EYP and they really recommended this to me.

Elmer Bergman: They obviously want dirty socks.

Elina Mäkelä: Wrong. Just wrong.

What’s your smartest way to spend your time off?

Jolanda Salokoski - I think it’s to do things you are too afraid to do.

Tea Kuivala - Talking with friends hours and hours over the night in summer vacation. There’s nothing more important than good talking moments! And Grey’s Anatomy is always good choice too!

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Would you hug your journalist at the session “just because”?

Teresa Artjoki: I’m all about spreading that love, baby.

Mimmi Mannila: If I end up in that situation, yes, why not? Hugs are great Maria Mylläri: Yes, of course! I could hug anybody “just because”.

Random hugging is fun.

What’s creativity in your opinion?

Juana Iranpuur - To me creativity is to understand what the word life means.

Levi Mäkikalli - I would say that creativity is to let your mind fly free and forget everything else. To be creative you have to be relaxed and you must not try too hard.

Patrik Lathi - Creativity is actually you. Creativity is you and your ways to deal with an issue.

What’s the most random fact about you?

Jemina Vähämäki: I´m seriously afraid of peacocks, ostriches and pheasants. I have no idea why.

Sara Laurikainen: I own (as people like to call it) a crazy cat lady starter kit, in other words I live with 10 cats.

Emilia Westermarck: I eat pea soup with ketchup and cheese.

Anette Nikola: when I was young I wanted to watch again and again the part of the Titanic, where Titanic hits the iceberg. (what an icebreaker).

Nea Raunio: I have two pillows in my bed and they both have their own place where they need to be or then I can’t sleep.

Annika Laaksonen: I am terrified of butterflies.

Santeri Pesonen: I sometimes like to annoy people with radical statements just because I want to provoke them to think, while I’m having fun of them getting confused.

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The Spirit Of The Iron Curtain 67 years later, the spirit of the Iron Curtain Speech made by Britain’s ex-Prime Minister Winston Churchill returns. In the current economic panorama, Europeans have to react as they reacted to Churchill’s speech, with more union. Without that, who knows what will happen of the European Union?

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th March 1946, Fulton, Missouri. “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.” These were the words of Winston Churchill, who had been Britain’s Prime Minister during the Second World War, words spoken to 40,000 students about how things were changing in Europe. He said Europe was divided by an “Iron Curtain” in 1945 with two main spheres of influence, the Soviet in the East and the Capitalist in the West.

Today, Churchill’s words seem outdated. Europe started to unite more than 60 years ago and so the Iron Curtain spirit vanished quickly from people’s minds. Europe became a huge union of countries searching for peace and economic stability. Nonetheless Churchill’s words had an effect; without them Europe would probably never have seen the reality and would not have worked towards a European union.

Just five years later the first steps towards a European Union were established with the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). France, Belgium, Luxemburg, The Netherlands, West Germany and

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Italy integrated it. Countries which had lost the war were making union treaties with countries which had defeated them. From then on treaties and the integration of member states have followed, until today where the European Union has 28 member states and 17 of them share a common currency, the Euro.

Moving forward to the 21st century, the economic crisis is tearing apart the EU, reminding us of Churchill’s speech. Anti-European feelings are rising and two groups of countries are emerging. The first group, “Northern Europe”, are the major economic contributors to the EU which criticise that they only put money for the rest (Germany, UK, France, etc.). On the other hand “Southern Europe” includes those countries with severe economic problems and which receive money from the rest (Greece, Ireland, Cyprus, Spain, etc.). People from the “South” criticise the “North” for controlling their decision making and argue that they would work better by themselves. At the end of the day it all looks like Europe is on its way to a divorce.

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Is a “21st-century Iron Curtain” developing throughout Europe? How can Europe be safeguarded against this threat?

Taking a step back to the first split of Europe in the late 1940s, similarities between then and now emerge. At that time Europe was divided due to ideological factors. In the West were the Capitalist countries; in the East the Communist countries. An ideological division can also be observed nowadays, due to the current economic crisis. The “Northern” European countries are in favour of austerity measures to solve the economic crisis.

They are keener on spending less and cutting public services to solve the crisis. The “Southern” countries are so implementing these measures because the “North”, which controls decision making in the EU, told them to. However the citizens of the “Southern” part of the EU believe that growth policies are a more efficient solution to the crisis. Who is right? At the moment the “Northern” EU countries rule and do as they want, but the economic crisis continues, taking the EU to a point where there is a serious threat of split.

How can Europe face this threat?

The answer is clear: union and consensus. If European countries realise they need to help each other as they did after Churchill’s speech we will end up quicker with this situation. When Europe was separated things ended catastrophically in two world wars. It has become practically impossible for Europe to enter in a domestic war. Still, support for European integration is clearly decreasing and this can lead to the end of the EU - or its split into two. For things to smooth down consensus must be reached on the reforms to end the economic crisis. “Northern” countries have to realise that they cannot just implement their ideas in other countries, but must listen to the “Southern” EU countries to find other possible solutions. Only then will the EU propose policies that satisfy all countries and that do not lead to an inevitable separation.

The EU is like a couple in crisis heading towards a divorce that none of the two want. The two sides have to sit down and work together to solve this crisis and leave Churchill, his words, and his Iron Curtain in the past.

-DSC

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Those who make it happen “You don’t have time to sleep – you need to have fun, meet people and enjoy your time in Turku,” months of preparation come down to the upcoming three days, during which you should be guided by these words.

Maria Browarska: How did your adventure with EYP start?

Sofia Rostén: Oh, how history repeats itself – it was 2010, I attended a session in Turku, in the very same school as this session will be held.

Valtteri Valtanen: I was supposed to start at the RS in Raisio in 2011, same as Ian but unfortunately I could not make it. Instead I was lucky enough to join the National Session in Tampere in 2012 as a replacement for my school’s delegation memeber.

Ian Perring: My teacher advised me to join the RS in Raisio in 2011 – she thught I would like it. She didn’t describe EYP as it turned out to be and thank god for that – otherwise I probably would not be as much involved as I am now.

When you got to know one another, did you expect that you would organise a session in the future?

SR: No, never. Valtteri and I were in a band before I got to know he was involved in EYP. It just happened and I didn’t really expect it.

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VV: Ian and I went to the same upper secondary school so we have known each other since we were 16. I got to know Sofia when we were forming a band about a year ago. I also play in a different group with Ian. I did not expect to be a Head Organiser before I got involved in local EYP actions at the end of 2012 – it all happened very quickly but ever since it has felt like a natural decision.

IP: I knew Valtteri by the name of Limppu through my school, we used to hang out in the same group of friends. Sofia and I knew each other vaguely until we got better acquainted thanks to EYP. I could not imagine hosting a session with anyone else, the dynamics of the three of us are just on spot.

What is the most important part of an EYP Session from the Head Organiser point of view?

SR: Cooperation. EYP is not about quarreling but finding the solution by working together.

VV: Making sure that the participants are taken good care of and that they have a pleasant experience.

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IP: Food. It is surely possible to survive a weekend with no sleep if you consume enough caffeine, but food is just essential.

I would like to attend a session as a journalist but my absolute favourite spot would be a chair – it seems like lots of fun.

Do you plan to organise other events in the future or do you prefer other roles in EYP?

What message would you like to pass on to the participants?

SR: I will probably take a small break from EYP since my studies in Scotland is the thing I need to focus on the most right after the session.

VV: I would not like to be a Head Organiser any time soon but other offical roles, including being an organiser, sound great.

IP: Organising is really fun but being a Head Organiser is a little bit to much.

SR: Be metal.

VV: Change the world, and while you’re at it, have a good time!

IP: You don’t have time to sleep. You need to have fun, meet people and enjoy yourself. Oh, and that speech totally can be done tomorrow, it’s just a question of how much caffeine you consume.

-MB

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Behind the Scenes

Like Helen Keller once said: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”. The same applies for each European Youth Parliament session. There is a group of people working behind each event called officials, who work together to make each session successful. Participating in a session as an official gives one an opportunity to try something new in a different role and see the session through different eyes.

In every session there is a board that consists of the President and Vice-Presidents. The President of the session leads the chairs’ team and coordinates the board. The board represents the whole session and has a very important role during the weekend. Together with Vice-Presidents, the President checks each committee’s resolutions, supports the chairs in their role and together with them, leads the General Assembly, which is held on the last day of the session.

One of the most familiar roles in EYP for a delegate is the role of the chairpersons, who lead the committees during the weekend. Like every other

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official, chairs begin working before the session. Their work requires responsibility, as they plan the teambuilding, write the topic overviews and prepare the committee for the General Assembly. However, one of the most important challenges for a chair during the session is building up team spirit, so the delegates will get the most out of the committee work.

A group that may be puzzling is the media team, which consists of journalists and the Editors, who coordinate their work. At the beginning of the session, the Editors train the journalists and plan their work throughout the session, coordinating

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the team from behind the scenes. In the meanwhile, the journalists make the session unforgettable by shooting videos, taking pictures and writing articles. Each committee is assigned a journalist, who does not only capture great moments but can also helps the chair, for example with teambuilding, if needed.

Last but not least, the Head Organisers have been organising the session for almost a year. They have done an enormous amount of work searching for the right venues and patrons and everything the session needs. Head-organisers also lead the whole organising team. The organ-

isers deal with all the practical things that are needed in the session. Their areas of responsibility include preparing food and taking care of other officials’ and delegates’ needs.

Each of these roles are important when it comes to organising a session, as they guide the delegates and introduce them to European Youth Parliament. This Regional Session in Turku has over 30 officials, and they all are needed for making this weekend unforgettable for delegates and officials themselves. –MY

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Fickle society – from enthusiasm to scepticism The European Union is a result of a long and complicated integration process. Nevertheless, the roots of the idea lie much further back in history. Europe has gone through many changes, as has the perception of Europe by its society.

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id you know that the first idea of uniting Europe goes back to the 15th century? It was first conceived by a Czech king, George of Poděbrady, who wanted to implement a peace union among the European states.

However, his thoughts were not understood by the society of his time.

The process of uniting Europe thus started to develop much later and blossomed during the second half of the 20th century when society realised the necessity of cooperation.

The end of World War II kicked-off the integration process. Many European countries had been strongly damaged by the war, and none of them could individually ensure peace, safety and economic prosperity. Only uniting Europe would do so. Between the 1950s and 1990s many organisations based on supranational cooperation were created. It was like a “big bang”.

The idea of uniting Europe was widely accepted and spread around Europe like wildfire.

Yet today´s public opinion is changing. Euroscepticism is getting more

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and more popular. The willingness for cooperation is dwindling while in countries such as Great Britain people have demanded to get out of the EU. The low turnout at the elections of the European Parliament, dropping to 43% in 2009, also proves the decreasing interest in the EU. So what changed?

The Great Recession followed by the Eurozone crisis surely has had an impact on society. After half a century of peace, stability and prosperity this crisis has brought harsh times upon the member states. It has become popular to blame the EU for everything unpleasant. It has happened many times, e.g. in the Czech Republic.

When the government passes a law which has detrimental effect for the citizens, their excuse is usually the “evil” Brussels. Unfortunately many voters are not well-informed and believe whatever their government say.

This surge of populism is leading to a rise in Euroscepticism. The Czech Republic is not an isolated case either.

Blaming Brussels for every uncomfortable decision has become a habit in several struggling EU countries. The

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development of such practices as well as yellow journalism contributed to transform nowadays society into naive and uninformed people.

It is amusing to observe how public opinion is dependent on living conditions and how easily and quickly it can change. In prosperous times there is a

small minority of Eurosceptic people.

When a crisis appears, society suddenly needs a scapegoat – someone to blame for it. Populism, but also a lack of transparency and information, have made the EU a perfect target. How will this change? –MH

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The Icebreaker– Part 2 The delegates answers didn’t always make us smile – sometimes, they gave their opinion on social issues, Europe, and awareness-raising projects such as the EYP. – RP If you could find a solution to a social issue, which problem would you address?

Europe is usually called “the old continent”, do you think this is the right definition?

Christoffer Aminoff - I think that the definition of Europe as the “old continent” is only accurate from the point of view of those who were born and/or raised in Europe and of those whose parents came from Europe.

Joonas Tolonen - In a word: yes.

Western civilisation was born I Europe. Christianity, democracy and the industrial revolution have affected and still affect the whole world to a greater or lesser extent.

Jim Jormanainen - Yes, the population in Europe is ageing rapidly and the centre of the world has been here and in the USA for a long time.

Kira Silén - Europe is still relevant in both international economy, culture and politics.

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Juhani Kirppu - the biggest social issue we have is the inequality between people.

Emma Mähöhen - I’m concerned about the increase of social exclusion especially among young people.

Heidi Bruce - I would most likely address the high unemployment that is an issue in many countries.

Siru Ahonen - I would focus to lack of freedom of speech in developing countries.

Elisabeta Hoxhaj - Education. I think lack of proper education is the root of most of society’s problems.

Where/how do you see yourself in twenty years?

Jessica Mason - Probably as the president of Canada.

Olga Tammi - In twenty years I have a family and I work as a teacher. Before all of that, I want to study in Ireland.

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What if a life-changing experience in your opinion?

Anna Azamifar - Life changing experience is something that really opens your eyes and changes your point of view about life.

Aune Nuyttens - A life-changing experience is something that affects you positively or negatively and makes you live your life differently.

It can possibly change your way of thinking too.

Europe and the world are chaning right under our eyes, what is the change that troubles you the most?

Aino Röyskö - I’m personally quite troubled about the current climate change. It can have a huge impact in our daily lives and on the future generations.

Aino Lohikoski - A life-changing experience in my opinion is either making some difference in this world or just amazing voyage.

Venla Partanen - it is how the urban structure focus more and more on person’s achievements.

What do you think of programs aimed at raising political awareness among young people (Like EYP)?

Jyry Virtanen - Commercialism.

We’re surrounded by commercials.

Anniina Nikander - They’re very good, especially for young people who are interested in politics and want to talk about it and learn more.

Wilhelmina Hindström - Young people. They are becoming more and more manipulated by media and political parties.

Janna Torikka - The general Downhill. Everything is slowly falling apart.

Silvia Goller - I think it’s very important to let young people know about politics and how they can make a difference.

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