Theme in one setnence
RENNes’
NOVATION
I
Editorial Bon. Nous voici donc (mon chaton et moi) à 2 heures du matin, à devoir écrire un éditorial. [Note pour votre avenir, ne répondez jamais “oui” à deux éditrices sans avoir entendu la question.] Quoi qu’il en soit, il faut trouver un sujet, maintenant. Quelque chose de très officiel sur le bonheur d’une session PEJ dans mon ancien lycée serait tentant, mais trop facile. Une improvisation au hasard sur les modes de survie des pangolins dans la vallée de la Bekaa serait tentante, mais un peu trop facile également. Non, il me faut plutôt un sujet un peu sérieux et que je puisse couvrir de manière intéressante. Hmmm... Parlons du PEJ, tiens. En général. Je ne vais pas vous faire un historique, ou un discours sur les valeurs du parlement européen des jeunes, Marco (Di Giusto) fera ca bien mieux que moi. Non, je vais vous parler de ce que le PEJ peut vous apporter. Parce que le PEJ, c’est du teambuilding, des discussions passionnantes sur la politique de la pèche et les orientations diplomatiques européennes, une trépidante assemblée générale, des spécialités culinaires à n’en plus finir, et tout et tout. Nous sommes d’accord. Mais au final, tout ca ne va pas changer votre vie. Ce qui va la changer, ce sont les gens que vous allez rencontrer. Ceux que vous allez revoir. Les pays que vous allez visiter avec eux. Les discussions que vous aurez. Les découvertes que vous ferez. Tout ce qu’ils vous apporteront. Ce qui va changer votre vie, ce sont les émotions que vous ressentirez. La surprise que vous aurez quand vous vous rendrez compte que vous aussi, vous êtes capable de gérer un groupe de délégués la première fois que vous serez chair. La joie de votre premier article publié quand vous serez journaliste. La fatigue de votre première nuit blanche. L’hésitation quand vous prendrez l’avion vers votre première session à l’étranger. La peur de votre premier discours lors d’une cérémonie d’ouverture. Et ce sentiment de fierté lorsque vous vous rendrez compte que quoi que vous vouliez faire, il vous suffit de volonté pour le réussir. Le PEJ, ce n’est pas seulement ce que vous allez vivre pendant trois jours. C’est ce que vous vivrez demain. Bonne session. Benoit “Roberto” Viault, chargé du journalisme – PEJ France on behalf of Giada Benfatto (IT/DE/FR/UK/AT/CH/CZ) and Evelin Jürisson (EE)
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Contents Index
Régions de France p4 What is EYP? p5 Yearning For Learning p6 Woman Rights p7 Besoin De Mixité p8 The Price of Safety p9 Je vous garde à l’oeil p10 Spoilers p11 Aspirations p12 Officials’ Roles p13 HO Interview p14 St. Vincent p16 Student Riots p17 Tree Huggers p18 Land grabbing p19 Orange revolution p20 Baby Fat p21 Old new World p22 Confessions Intimes p23
La conquête de la Bretagne Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Picard/ch’ti – avec sa grammaire bizarre et son vocabulaire unique, cette langue ne ressemble pas au français du tout. Si tu entends quelqu’un qui dit « Té veux m’faire gober d’z’œufs durs ! » cela signifie que tu as dit quelque chose d’improbable. Chuchemourette – l’aphrodisiaque préféré de la région à base de cassis et de genièvre. Il a aussi un goût agréable.
Languedoc-Rousillon La crème catalane, plus délicate que sa sœur célèbre, la crème brûlée. Elle en contient les éléments essentiels : les zestes de citron et la cannelle. Pas de flammes nécessaires ou permises pour la préparer – on utilise un grill.
Basse-Normandie Le mot-clé ici est définitivement la crème. On en trouve dans tous les plats des coquillages aux desserts. Heureusement pas dans leurs cidres ou leurs calvados. Ce serait une vraie tragédie.
Bretagne Vous avez peut être remarqué l’amour des Bretons pour la forme de trois jambes ou spirales rayonnant en un point. Ces triskèles sont un héritage des celtes, leurs ancêtres qui apparemment n’ont pas détesté l’idée des jambes et du corps séparée. Chacune des branches signifie le feu, la terre, et l’eau.
Alsace
Si vous demandez à une Strasbourgeoise ce qu’elle aimerait manger ce soir, elle va surement vous répondre, avec un petit peu de dialecte alsacien: une choucroute ou tout simplement une flammeküeche. Pour leur sortie du samedi soir, presque toutes les jeunes filles Alsacienne se préparent longtemps à l’avance pour ressembler à Lady Gaga sur le dance floor…
Aquitaine En ce qui concerne les Terrassonnais, ils vont vous demander dans un français hésitant, dû à l’influence encore grande du limousin, s’il y a du foie gras ainsi qu’un verre de Bergerac prévu pour l’apéritif de ce soir.
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ENTERPRISING YOUNG POLITICIANS AT WORK Mario Pacal explains the foundation and goals of the European Youth Parliament. The European Youth Parliament (EYP/PEJ) warmly welcomes you to the 31st National Session of EYP France. You have already been through icebreaking games and heard fascinating speeches at the opening ceremony but you most probably do not know a lot about the organisation itself. What do these 3 letters stand for? This unique organisation was founded in 1987 and it consists of national committees, and a central office located in Berlin, Germany. Conferences and sessions have been organised ever since and as years pass by, EYP has spread throughout Europe and even reached parts of Asia. The newest member to join this year is Azerbaijan. All of this results in more than 10 000 young Europeans from more than 30 countries gathering at over 100 events each year to form the voice of the youth. The key aims that EYP promotes are democracy, education and the idea of creating unity
amongst Europe’s youth by gathering them together for international, national and regional sessions. These young people get to experience diversity and get to know different cultures by teaming up and working together on up-to-date topics that influence the world. Diplomacy, agriculture, climate, economy and transport are just a few areas to mention. We live in a complex world after all. Each conference is made up of Teambuilding, Committee Work and a General Assembly for parliamentary debate. In addition to that, musical entertainment, collective dinners as well as evening activities are organised. A hardworking young debater should be able to relax as well. One of the main advantages EYP has over other organisations is the general approach. Within this New World, students actually ‘get to know’ rather than learn and discover. There is no teacher standing in front of you explaining the entire topic.
In the end, active young European citizens who are able to debate about any topic and respect others’ opinions are the result EYP aims for. Social, media, language and people skills are presents given to the ones willing to accept EYP as a part of their life. Whenever representatives of the European commission speak about the vision and ambition of young European citizens, they are speaking about us - and now you are part of it. The will to change and recreate the universe lies within you and this non-governmental organisation gives young Europeans the platform to Rennes’novate the world you are living in. This is a makeover the world has been waiting for. Your personal dreams of the perfect are not just thoughts. You have to stand up and share them.
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yearning for learning Education is moving further and further away from its ‘one size fits all’ ethos of the past and learning to involve all students, including the ones with disabilities. Still, Erik Müürsepp finds that a lot of work remains to be done. It is great to realise that the joys of writing essays, completing labs and struggling with exams are nowadays available to nearly everyone. This is a far cry from the way schools and universities used to function some decades ago when severe mobility impairment or a learning disability such as dyslexia ruled out any sort of participation in ‘mainstream’ education. But even in European countries, there is still a large variety of different attitudes and strategies for special needs education. While attending primary and secondary education in Estonia, I was unaware of there ever being a disabled student in my school for whom special provisions were made. This could have simply been my ignorance or pure chance, but my impression remains that students with disabilities attending mainstream schools are not as common as they should be. Although special schools may be an easier solution
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for the state, they bring about a multitude of problems. Acceptance can only develop if we are aware of the people around us that are different from ourselves. By segregating disabled and non-disabled children, all we are creating are more negative preconceptions. If you have grown up with the impression that you are superior to someone else, then no anti-discrimination law will make you treat them with more respect on a basic level. However, the greatest benefits are for the disabled students themselves. Statistics show that disabled youth who attend mainstream schools perform better academically, have higher selfesteem and better social skills. Is it really fair for us to deny them these opportunities for development? Obstacles still remain in the implementation of high quality education for disabled youth, not
least of which is the cost. Developing individualised educational programmes, constructing and staffing resource rooms in schools for specialised instruction – all of this involves significant extra spending. In times of financial hardship, as we are experiencing at the moment, such investments are among the first to be cut or maintained at the same level for a long time. The lack of a unified Europeanwide strategy for including disabled youth in education is also holding us back. With different countries placing the responsibility on the school/university, the local government or central government, it is no wonder that the quality of education for disabled youth varies so greatly. Therefore, it is up to us to create a new policy that allows every child the access to the same temples of wisdom we all cherish.
woman rights: new winter collection Does media influence women and cause severe psychological complications? Andres Lestal shares his concerns with us. When you try to go to sleep, you start noticing things around you. There is the clock ticking in the corner, the creaking solo of a spring in your bed, and the quiet whistle from the crack in your window that has been giving you a headache. Even though you only just noticed these noises, it does not mean they were not there before. The world has been affected by a certain problem for quite a long time, but only lately have people started to pay attention to it. This concerns media and how it influences the way people think. More precisely, this is about how media falsely portrays women. The portrayal of a woman in the media is almost always the one of a girl who does not know what she is doing and looks cute doing it. There is a specific type of female-targeted advertising that focuses on reinforcing these stereotypes. Beauty products are advertised in a way that causes their target audience to experience insecurity and doubt about personal appearance.
this influences public opinion, peer pressure amplifies the effect. In some cases, one becomes so insecure that it interferes with one’s life. For instance, media is a strong influence on the escalating number of cases of anorexia. There have even been cases of severe psychological trauma due to being exposed to such advertising. Unfortunately, there is almost nothing to do about the situation since psychological pressure is considered a legitimate means of advertising. All in all, it is doubtful that society can claim to have gender equality because this looks like the exact opposite. Problems are best solved by eliminating their source. In this case, it would be best to somehow convince the media of changing its evil ways but because there is no such thing as ‘the global media agency center’, the question remains open. Perhaps this is something best left for future generations to solve. Or is it?
This has been going on for years, decades even. Because
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Pauline Gueguen raconte comment l’insuffisance de logements sociaux crée un renforcement des inégalités L’émergence d’une crise immobilière pose de nombreux problèmes au sein de l’Union Européenne. De plus en plus, et ça dans toutes les grandes villes européennes, les classes les plus aisées sont des privilégiées, elles ont la chance de pouvoir profiter des meilleures banlieues et des endroits les plus cotés des grandes métropoles. Par ailleurs, on voit s’accentuer le phénomène de ghettoïsation des classes et les mutations sociales. Le prix de l’immobilier ne cessant d’augmenter – surtout en ce qui concerne le centre des villes – les classes moyennes, les jeunes et les locataires se retrouvent exclus de l’accès aux services urbains. L’accès au logement et l’équilibre des territoires sont aujourd’hui au cœur de la volonté de préserver la mixité sociale européenne face à un éclatement du marché de l’emploi ne permettant plus de reproduire les liens sociaux existants. Mais cette crise immobilère est, en partie, la conséquence directe du désengagement croissant des pou-
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BESOIN DE MIXITÈ
voirs publics en matière de logement. En effet ils réduisent les budgets publics, privatisent le logement public ou social et assouplissent les marchés locatifs.
Alors que l’Union Européenne prône la mixité sociale et la diversité cette crise de l’immobilier provoque des effets contraires. Un fossé se creuse de plus en plus entre les classes. Les populations vivant en périphérie malgré eux, se retrouvent contraintes. L’accès aux transports, aux écoles, à l’emploi est difficile pour eux. L’offre des loyers étant déjà précaire, et en plus de cela, les prix ne cessant d’augmenter, les moins aisés se retrouvent alors tous au même endroit, en dehors des villes, ce qui crée alors deux territoires distincts. Il me semble injuste que certaines classes soient mises de côté malgré eux. En effet, chacun dispose des mêmes droits, des mêmes libertés indépendamment de ses ressources financières ou du pays d’origine. Ce phénomène devient contradictoire avec l’idée de l’Union Européenne, la diversité.
Le problème principal, c’est que les pouvoirs publics ferment les yeux sur cette ségrégation sociale qui ne cesse de se renforcer. A Nantes par exemple, la mixité sociale est difficile à mettre en place et les localisations de l’offre sont très discriminantes. Cela s’explique par la volonté, pour certaines communes pavillonaires, de garder un marquage sociale favorable en préférant payer la taxe financière anti-logements sociaux. L’exclusion sociale entraine l’impossibilité d’un sentiment d’appartenance à une communauté, une homogénéité, ce qui devrait normalement exister.
L’intervention publique est alors indispensable dans ces conditions. Elle devrait permettre la mise en place de logements sociaux et réguler l’offre de logements privés. Les emplois, établissements, commerces et autres devraient pouvoir, par la suite, être fréquentés par tous afin de ne faire aucune différence sociale.
THE PRICE OF SAFETY Big cities introduce you to a life in freedom and safety. But it is a life of controversial everyday recording, warns Mario Pacal
The financial crisis has shown its face to the European population and the gap between the poor and the rich is still expanding. Many fight for their own existence and as poverty grows, the crime rate does not stand still either. The rate of crime in big cities has dramatically increased within the last 5 years. Statistically speaking, each and every one will sooner or later be a victim of crime. Regarding the latest developments in technical surveillance and the investments of several European cities (e.g. London, Bern) into the security sector, it is no wonder that people have started to feel being always watched from above. Personally speaking, I can see myself more often on the screen of a CCTV monitor than in the mirror. However, is crime the only reason why the expansion to a police state is accepted so easily by the majority of citizens? Have you ever been faced with the word ’terrorism’ by the public media?
Frightened and influenced people are more willing to accept that they have to give up parts of their freedom to get the safety measures the state provides them with. In fact, in some cities an entire day of a single pupil can be recreated just by looking at the CCTV tapes from subways, buildings and ATMs. If terrorism really exists today or not is something which should be up to everyone to decide for themselves. In the end, feeling safe while being part of the public transportation system is worth every effort necessary.
tionally, it is a money and time saver for the executive body of bigger cities.
Fundamental privacy rights are the only reason why it is not possible for everyone to follow the footsteps of their neighbour or crush by now. These rights of freedom, in my opinion, are more than necessary to regulate the tendential flow of the use of surveillance technology which, in the end, turns humans into pawns on a chess board.
Since it is a balance act, it should be supervised and regulated by the EU. Technology can be your friend and life saver in the end.
Today, crime can be solved by publishing pictures of robbers recorded by cameras and placing these in the newspaper; a measure encouraging the state to build a CCTV network and in addition, bringing hope and trust to citizens who criticise the topic. Overuse leads to mistrust and protest, while specific usage can help solve crime and lets us feel safe while travelling by public transportation.
On the other hand, surveillance in public places is essential for solving crimes. Addi-
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Je vous ai à l’oeil
Valentina Moles
Elle est au sommet de la tour, elle est dans le gymnase, elle est dans le hall. Elle est dans les couloirs, dans la salle des journalistes. Elle est partout. Elle passe silencieusement parmi nous, peut être sans qu’on la remarque. Elle nous observe, elle immortalise tout ce que vous faites. Elle vous suit en passant inaperçue. Sa présence rôde au-dessus de vous, elle vous observe depuis l’ombre. Elle peut lire vos émotions, vous interpréter. Elle sait toujours où vous êtes et ce que vous faites.
Même si nous sommes dans un lycée qui ressemble à un ancien château hanté du Moyen Âge, nous ne parlons pas d’un fantôme. Elle n’est ni effrayante ni lugubre. Par contre, elle est très souriante et gentille, un peu timide, mais toujours disponible. C’est Sara Rinaldi, notre extraordinaire Vidéo Éditrice. Elle vous a accueilli avec une vraie séance photo, vous a suivi avec sa caméra, en filmant toutes les activités inhabituelles du teambuilding, elle produira pour vous un film plein d’émotions qui vous fera sourire, rire, peut-être verser quelques larmes, quand vous serez rentrés à la maison après la session. En effet, vous ne savez pas encore ce qui vous attend à la fin de la session : la «Post EYP Depression» (PED). Ce célèbre syndrome est souvent développé après une session du Parlement Européen des Jeunes (PEJ). Ses symptômes sont un violent sentiment de solitude et une nuance de mélancolie envers ce que vous allez quitter. Vous vous sentirez incomplets : en effet, une partie de vous restera attachée à la session. Elle sera divisée en multiples morceaux qui voyageront avec vos nouveaux amis dans l’Union Européen. Le seul traitement consiste en des multiples participations aux futurs évènements du PEJ et au maintien au contact permanent avec vos connaissances. Vivez l’expérience.
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spoilers are pointless About the mentality of timely information and why people don’t like to know who the murderer is before Sherlock Holmes does. Andres Lestal shares his passion. This story is going to contain spoilers, so consider yourself warned! Stop reading now if you don’t want to know that Snape kills Dumbledore. People like watching movies but don’t usually go to the cinema alone. Those who go to the cinema alone are often either professional critics or very sad people. If you are neither of these, then you probably have a certain group of friends you go to see movies with. Chances are that one of your movie buddies is extremely afraid of spoilers. A spoiler is a point of information that reveals certain nuances in a story and removes the element of surprise. A spoiler can come in many forms. For instance, you can spoil an entire movie by saying: „In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy never left Kansas because it was all just a dream“. Other types of spoilers can ruin a certain plot point. For an example, revealing that King Oedi-
pus was actually in love with his own mother. Some people hate spoilers with a passion. If there is a chance they might so much as get a hint about what is going to happen in a movie, they freak out in a fantastic nerdy explosion throwing useless trivia in every direction. Their reasoning is that spoilers ruin the movie experience – as if knowing certain plot points ahead of time is going to significantly reduce the quality of the movie. They say that the less you know beforehand, the more interesting it is to watch. On the other hand, these same people always make sure they watch every possible trailer and teaser out there before actually going to the cinema. Newsflash! – trailers contain plot points. Without knowing a single thing about the movie you would not choose to go to see it.
experience. You basically program yourself to react to a spoiler in a certain way. If you experience a disappointment like that, then you are more likely to hate that kind of situations even more. So, what if you know how the movie is going to end? So, what if you heard what the super secret twist ending entails? Having been told that Kevin Spacey’s character in The Usual Suspects was Keyser Söze all along can never be compared to seeing the story develop. You may know that he is the bad guy but the twist ending is all the stronger. Spoilers are pointless, so pay them no heed.
The fact that you are afraid of spoilers ruins your movie-going
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Valentina Moles et Anastasia Lvova découvrent les sécrets des deux personnes à qui l’on doit d’être ici.
2HO COMME Nous avons eu la chance d’obtenir une minute dans la journée bien remplie d’un Head Organisateur (HO), qui nous a expliqué comment lui et son co-HO ont réussi à gérer la force organisatrice de la session. Nathan Hunter a été privé du droit de manger son dessert tranquillement pour nous expliquer quels sont les malheurs et les bonheurs des deux Head Organisateurs – lui-même et Guillaume Bodson, qui était malheureusement trop occupé au moment de l’interview. A la question : en quoi est-ce que le rôle d’un HO est diffèrent de celui d’un organisateur, il nous répond qu’il trouve que c’est particulièrement difficile d’être un HO car il est souvent nécessaire de faire tout le travail des organisa-
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teurs. Par exemple mercredi et jeudi il a dû courir comme un « poulet décapité», dit-il. Il a dû faire des allez-retours de l’école à la gare, toute la journée, ce qui ne permet pas d’être disponible en tant que chef coordinateur de la session. « Les HOs sont les deux personnes à contacter au cas où il y a des problèmes, les responsables de toute l’organisation. Par contre, quand on a déjà les mains pleines, ce n’est pas toujours possible d’aider tout le monde » explique-t-il.
dant 15 secondes et je répond seulement après. »
Après cette réponse un peu nihiliste Nous lui demandons alors, si il n’a pas développé une réaction allergique à la sonnerie de son portable : « Non, non. J’ai Because I Got High d’Afroman comme sonnerie. Je l’adore tellement que je le laisse sonner pen-
Nous concluons l’interview par une dernière question, concernant l’état d’esprit des HO pendant le premier jour de la session. « Fatigués, mais toujours bien motivés. On a beaucoup à préparer pour la suite ».
En riant nous demandons quelles activités et surprises ils ont préparés pour la session, en espérant avoir des informations confidentielles. « Nous voulons que cette session soit comme on en a encore jamais vu » répond-t-il. Il nous avoue avoir fait beaucoup de changements par rapport à la manière habituelle de faire : « On veut qu’elle soit inoubliable ».
DISPARU: Guillaume Bodson, deuxième Head Organisateur de la session. Il a été vu pour la dernière fois le vendredi matin, se dirigeant vers la Tour. Des membres de l’équipe organisatrice s’expriment sur lui.
H2O
Il aime être appellé “Le Belge”, et s’habille mieux que Nathan. ~ Béa
Really inspiring, enthusiastic – Très Bien! ~ Sarah
“The guy is great at bringing the group together!” ~ Léo
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Aspirations Morgane Stephan et Pauline Gueguen racontent les peurs et espoirs des délégués.
90 délégués sont arrivés hier. Surement 90 cœurs qui battent plus forts que d’habitude. C’est leur première session, cela signifie donc de l’excitation, mais aussi du stress, des attentes, des peurs… C’ést la première fois qu’ils sont mélangés avec d’autres français de différentes régions ainsi que avec des étrangers. La plupart des délégués voient en cette session une nouvelle expérience ainsi que l’opportunité de rencontrer de nouvelles personnes. Sohailla et Zeyneb, de la délégation de Lille, pensent aussi
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que ce sera une manière pour améliorer leur anglais et se cultiver. Sorelle, Sana, Louise et Malou veulent par la suite en savoir plus à propos de l’organisation d’un Parlement Européen et profiter de cette occasion pour s’impliquer dans la politique. D’autres sont impatients de débattre, de confronter les opinions et d’essayer de trouver des solutions, comme Nadhir, Tom et Jan, de la délégation de Montpellier. Mais les délégués ont aussi des peurs. Celle qui ressort le plus est probablement le problème linguis-
tique. Un avis aux délégués : ce n’est pas en contournant la chose que cela va améliorer les choses. Oser est le chemin à prendre à présent, lancez-vous donc avec l’anglais! Louise et Malou évoquent aussi : « Nous avons aussi peur du jury et aussi de ne pas avoir bien compris notre sujet, même si nous pensons avoir beaucoup travaillé dessus ». A la fin de ce premier jour, on espère que ces 90 délégués vont rêver du lendemain et rayer toutes les craintes mentionnées
COLOURS of a session
Are guidance, memories and accommodation something we need? Konstantina Goula and Mario Pacal would like to introduce you to the colourful Shirts and Hoodies of the session. You have seen them running around in Rennes, now it is finally time to meet them - follow the aquamarine, or the sunny, or the heart to get what you are longing for! To represent diversity, the organisers, chairpersons and media team are clad in three basic colours and are here to provide everything for you. Blue like a smurf and as productive as Papa Smurf, chairs are doing their job in guiding and advising you. Though a chair is usually something you can sit on, you should not do that without asking them first in this particular case. They are always in a good mood and ready to wake you from your dream world, motivating sleepers to give everything they can and even more. Among the chairs’ team, you can find the very precious President of the Session, Andrea Stagni (IT), and his left and right hand, Vice-
Presidents Dana.
Elise
and
As yellow as the sun, the stunning journalists are bright like diamonds, capturing everything that is happening with their cameras. Be aware, they may take a photo of you when you do not expect it. Do not get surprised in case you see yourself starring in the newspaper in a ridiculous pose! A session journalist is someone who almost never sleeps. In fact, two or three hours per night have to do in order to deliver you a newspaper you will love. The media team is mostly spontaneous and lively, running up and down the school house and they can multi-task like computers. Being red like tomatoes and most probably on the verge of turning mad, you can see and hear organisers with the help of their megaphone from far away. Guillaume Bodson and Nathan
Hunter, the two Head Organisers, delegate a big group of individuals to do things the way they were planned. Despite of the huge amount of work, everyone is surprisingly energised. Sleep costs time, time is short and therefore, staying up all night fulfilling every wish of each participant is their priority. Personal needs are overrated anyway. These professional caretakers are at your service. All these officials are the wheels that keep sessions moving. Thanks to their hyperactivity, every session is a success. Each official plays a substantial role in order to create an unforgettable and life-changing time for the participants. Do not be afraid of the blue, red and yellow thanks to their devotion the new EYP world is a reality. Just come closer to them and open your heart, share your problems, have fun.
Check page 3 to see the journalists
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Les murs qui nous hébergent Impressionnés par les apparence majestueuses du lycée St. Vincent, Erik Müürsepp et Anastasia Lvova ont décidé de parler avec le chef d’établissement pour en découvrir plus.
Une fois bien installé, Monsieur Pican commence son discours avec un sourire accueillant, et commence à raconter. Nous apprenons ainsi que ce lycée privé a été fondé il y a presque 170 ans. Pendant la première guerre mondiale les bâtiments du lycée servaient d’hôpital arrière et lors de la deuxième le hall, où les délégués ont présentés leurs sketches de commissions, servait du quartier général utilisé successivement par l’armée Française, Allemande et Américaine. Malgré le préjugé que l’on pourrait avoir par rapport à un lycée catholique, ces bâtiments ont connu des moments de lâcher-prises. Les longs couloirs du bâtiment du 19ème siècle, que les élèves
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longeaient en rangs parfaits et en silence total pendent les années 50-60, devenaient aussi un mini Tour de France des professeurs enthousiastes de vélo qui logeaient à l’établissement. Dans l’un des couloirs il y a aussi un plaque qui attire l’attention du visiteur avec son air imposant. Il est là pour commémorer les anciens élèves de St Vincent qui sont morts en défendant leur pays contre les ennemis. C’est encore un autre élément qui nous rappelle de l’histoire de cet endroit et du principe de protéger ses camarades. En plus membres du Parlement Européen des Jeunes (PEJ), qui ont pendant ces trois jours pris en charge du lycée, St Vincent
est rempli de jeunes très différents tous les jours. La majorité des élèves sont anglophones, de toute nationalités et toute âges, et peuvent profiter ici d’un programme bilingue. St. Vincent et son personnel sont aussi dédiés à assurer l’accès libre à l’éducation. Un nombre important de sections spécialisées pour les élèves nécessitant des suivis particuliers fait preuve des efforts qui sont faits chaque jour dans cette direction. La persistance de St Vincent, les rôles différents qu’il joue et les idéaux de ses étudiants, sont a eux une source d’inspiration pendant cette session, ainsi que dans la vie.
a CLASH of generations? Konstantina Goula discusses youth bulges and political violence within the EU.
It has frequently been suggested that exceptionally large youth cohorts, the so-called youth bulges, make countries in which they occur more susceptible to political violence. Europeans are witnessing a spectrum of protests firsthand, from sober public demonstrations to violent mass unrests.
Unemployment rates for 18-25-yearolds are, in most instances, well above the national average in the European Union. Yet, beyond economics which can be partially blamed for the degree of upheaval in Greece and other youthled riots in Europe in recent years, there is something greater.
The upset masses have taken protests to the streets destroying everything that comes across them in their fight for their rights. At times, there appears to be an identifiable cause that can mobilise an angry mob. Prolonged frustration over political leadership has also ignited violence. However, riots can also spark from a single incident, such as allegations of police abuse, and a wider range of motives can keep the flame burning.
Therefore, the question that arises is this: are we only opposed to a market crash or are we dealing with a wider cultural and social crisis when it comes to the young within Europe? Apparently, the old proliferating European model has degraded and the new generation is in the need of changing the collapsing materialistic European mechanism and set new values.
Youth bulges are often credited to being a potential factor in the increase of political violence and this phenomenon is not new to Europe. The protests that raged throughout 1968 in Western Europe included a large number of students. Worldwide, campuses became battle grounds for social change. Youth also protested for civil liberties, against racism, for feminism. Furthermore, the beginnings of the ecological movement can be traced down to the protests against biological and nuclear weapons. This year, media - so influential in the forming of the political identity of this generation - became the tool of choice for the revolutionaries of the Arab Spring. After witnessing high unemployment rates and a global economic downturn, young people in Europe are disaffected and, quite frankly, angry.
Taking all the above into serious consideration, I firmly believe that the student riots nowadays stand for the re-enhancement of the European identity. Values can sometimes be elusive to define, yet they govern behavior and goals, priorities and actions. They provide the architecture for great nations or organisations such as the European Union. The point of departure for most discussions on the European identity is the idea that a political community needs a common set of values and references to ensure its coherence as well as to guide its actions. The role of the youth in the re-orientation of the European Union could open new paths for reconsidering the dimension of the Europe as a continent offering equal opportunities to everyone.
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TREE HUGGERS CALL TO OXYGEN
Are forests managed like our banks? Then it is no wonder they keep sharing the Lehman Brothers’ fate. The European Union must set up a rescue plan to thwart the disappearance of our woodlands, says Morgane Stephan.
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We all know forests are essential for our physical wellbeing. Restraining carbon emissions, permitting the development of millions of species, including our own, giving spirituals breaks – still, woodlands are assaulted from all sides. Indeed, forests represent perfectly sustainable development areas. Their owners reach their economic profits thanks to wood trade, ecological goals thanks to CO2 absorption. Preservation of biodiversity and even social aspects are covered because of the recreational and the legacy value of woodlands The Communication report of the committee on agriculture highlights the EU’s supportiveness of international processes for the achievement of sustainable forest management world-wide. The difficulties here are inherent because of the fact that each country has its own forestry policy and organisation. For instance, in Italy difficulties are classified as regional responsibility, whereas France uses more of a national plan. Moreover, the parcelling
of forestry between private and public bodies has led to a decrease in wood resources. A huge amount of forests are privately held. Thus, there is a strong necessity to call up private owners. However, this action needs to be established in cooperation with public service bodies that will support the private owner of forests by subventions and common directives. The main goal is to create a reforestation fund based on a climate change necessity. The European Commission plans to stop the reduction of forests no later than 2030 and to cut down tropical deforestation around 50% by 2020. Regulation is also vital in order to distinguish “industry wood”, wood that can be used for wood fillings and producing cellulose, and “renewable wood”, wood that is used as a combustible; aiming to prevent the extinction of this resource. Also, the European Commission’s department responsible for
agriculture has to face illegal timbering. Overall unfair competition penalises the wood production of European countries and threatens the fragile balance of this resource. The EU could implement a traceability system for the wood that is sold. This way the EU could both prevent illegal commercialisation and only allow Europe’s trees into the market, boosting European exchanges. A forestry strategy can clearly meet the goals of the Treaty of Lisbon according to the economic gross profit, sustainable development and also competitive aims. I do believe it is indispensable that the European Union focuses on prevention, especially since the disastrous forest fires in Greece and Russia. I think that the European Union should try to settle a tariff barrier for the wood that is coming from other parts of the world like Brazil. It will, thus, boost exchanges within the EU and reduce import expenses.
Is land-grabbing necessary evil for the over-growing population, or a blessing for developing countries? Konstantina Goula.
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) estimates that 15-20 million hectares of land in developing countries is currently under negotiation, although exact figures for how much has already been leased or bought are not known. To this last point, grabbing has several dis-
tinctive consequences that cannot be ignored. Firstly, the possession of land has already disrupted the balance of nature as a chemical-intensive and also environmentally damaging model of agricultural production has been imposed. Also, in Africa, land is not only a resource of financial prosperity but also a symbol of the liberalisation from colonial powers, meaning that it is of sentimental and political value and should be respected. Another important concern arises from the lack of transparency during the process of dealing with international companies: The majority of the land is not entitled to an owner and if there is pressure from the investors, then literally millions of small-scale and farmers may lose their land. Consequently, not only their livelihoods are in danger but in many cases their identity, in their association with the land. In an ideal world, governments would be able to regulate business transactions through appropriate legislation and implementation in environmental protection laws, workers rights and safety, consumer rights, pensions, competition laws, financial rules, and auditing. However, in the real world, firms on their part have a number of
market-based tives.
incen-
Nevertheless, the current human rights legal framework does not adequately address the obligations of non state governmental actors and the effects of their policies abroad. Mechanisms to hold back TNCs illegal activity are “soft law” – non-binding and ultimately inadequate. Therefore, the European Union should act drastically in order to address the situation. A point to stress is that criminal fines for environmental or social misconduct should be implemented. Hence, there are grounds for urging governments in the investors’ home countries to set mandatory disclosure of information on environmental, labour rights, and human rights performance.
LAND GRABBING: TRICK OR TREAT?
One of the lingering effects of the food price crisis on the world system is the proliferating acquisition of farmland in developing countries by powerful western nations. Increased pressure on natural resources, water scarcity, export restrictions and growing distrust in the efficiency of regional and global markets have pushed countries which are in the need for land and water to find alternative means of producing food. These unexploited land regions, have the potential to inject muchneeded investment into agriculture and rural areas. However, concerns about the impact of the land overexploitation on local people are raised, who risk losing access and control over land on which they depend. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that when the land is sold, he contacts are designed in , so as to reduce the threats of the abuse of the agricultural region.
Taking all the above arguments into consideration, a code developed by international organisations with the support of the European Union could play a role model and trigger coalitions. Overall, addressing the issue of the land grabbing would have an impact on the lively-hood of the locals and through transparency in the land deals, the exploitation of the land will be avoided.
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YES/NO/CANCEL TO THE ORANGE REVOLUTION In a series of protests for democratic change, it is safe to say that Ukraine’s Orange Revolution was one of the very first and most promising. Until now. The possibility of Ukraine entering the EU borders in any way has been a paradox. This country has shown a great deal of eagerness to be recognized as an independent and liberal thinker. It has made it clear from its words that they want to forget all about taking part in the unfortunate 70-year experiment that took place on their territory. Its actions, on the other hand, mostly appear to do everything possible to sustaining a win-win relationship with its neighbors from the East.
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One of which – Russia – has shown great reluctance to except even the most basic rules of democracy such as universal uncensored voting.
ko. Her professional behavior has also been described as: “ Her abuse of power while in office, has turned Ukraine’s EU soup toxic.”
However, to trade a certain amount of compromise between two bargaining sides is necessary and more than natural. To elaborate on this, the question is whether the European Union, which has chosen stability as one of its purposes and goals would ever be able or willing to take the necessary risk.
For me, in such circumstances, a complete EU membership perspective is clearly off the table.
It would be unwise not to acknowledge the position this country has been put into and to neglect all the Ukraine and EU connections, even though the recent decision towards premier minister Yulia Tymoshen-
Anastasia Lvova expresses disappointment over the controversities of the possible new EU Member State Ukraine.
HEAVY Issues Chubby babies are always so lovely and tender. “Awe! Look at his cheeks! I could bite them!” or “I can’t stop pinching her softy tummy!” are the usual things one hears when babies are around. Plump children are really sweett when they are 3-4 years old. It is totally impossible to resist their round smiling faces and falling in love with them. One always feels the desire to hug and pinch their little bodies’ softness. Growing up and following a balanced diet, the exceeding fat should disappear. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. Bad eating habits and the incapability of parents to limit their children’s cravings by imposing on them a healthy diet could be fatal for these kids. The tender baby softness of few years before starts becoming a problem, an obstacle for their social life, but most of all, an obstacle for a good state of health. Society, of course, doesn’t help overweight children: mass media provides beauty stereotypes of thinness that make them an object of exclusion and discrimination. At school, they undergo ridiculous nicknames, stupid jokes, humiliation in front of everybody. Shame and sense of inadequacy influences and inhibits the development of their personality, of their character. As a consequence, food becomes their best/only friend, and it starts being more and more difficult to stop overeating.
Furthermore, we should not only focus on how this disease influences someone’s social life but we have to take into account the terrible consequences obesity can have to one’s health as well. Overweight people, in fact, might develop metabolic syndromes such as hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia. They become hospital haunters, spending exorbitant amounts of money. Also, they cannot practice any sport.
Valentina Moles gives you her point of view on the fight against childhood obesity.
Of course, it is difficult for a child to understand that he should bridle his joy of eating. The biggest problem is junk food, as it usually is the one that kids prefer to eat and, on the other hand, the most dangerous for their health. The issue should be tackled from its origins, which have their roots in parents and families, educating them in order to guarantee a safe and healthy future for their children. We know that parents always want their kids to be happy and quiet, but if they really love their little ‘creations’, it is necessary to make some sacrifices and do what is best for the lives of these kids in a long-term prospective. Most obese children remain overweight for the rest of their lives. Perhaps it is better to say “No!” a bit more now when children are little, rather than fight against their bad health and social exclusion later on?
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THE NEW OLD WORLD The story of how “old” Europe is finally rising from its colonial ashes, told by Andres Lestal Imagine the world as it was long ago, when the word ‘transatlantic’ was not invented yet. People used to dress in a beautiful array of colors and sparkles, using enough fabric to wrap up an elephant and a small dog. This can be referred to as the Golden Age of Europe. Back then, Europe had the power to change the world. Because Europe WAS the world.
When you look at Europe, you compare it to America and you don’t even notice. You say that Europeans are well read, only because Americans are not. You say that Europeans have good taste, only because Americans do not. In the mean time, while America was spreading its wings, Europe did not stagnate. The Old World was constantly evolving.
One day, a man came along and changed everything. He discovered America – the New World. Unfortunately, this made Europe the Old World, yesterdays news, useless. America became trendy.
This fact was overshadowed by the New World being ‘hip’ and ‘in’. America always had some sort of defined image: first came the cowboys and pioneers, then came the townsfolk and city slickers. Now, there are hipsters and fat people. Europe ever only had the image of a ‘well-mannered gentlemen’ in the old times and nothing distinctive up until now.
The New World was a prosperous land and developed quite quickly into the America we know today. To think that American culture consists of traits from nearly all of the worlds cultures and yet, it is America, telling the world what is cool and what is not.
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Now is the time when Europe is coming back. The European Union is larger than
ever. Europe’s influence on the global political climate has escalated to unseen sizes. Since we, Europeans can talk the talk, it is time for us to walk the walk as well. The new generation of active European citizens have the power to make a difference and change the way Europe is seen in the world. The time has come for Europe to step on stage, to strike a pose. It is time for a renovation.
CONFESSIONS INTIMES
Pauline Gueguen crée une proximité avec les délégués grâce à des questions parfois surprenantes.
Pour en savoir plus à propos de nos chers délégués, des questions s’imposent. Mais pas n’importe lesquelles. Laissons les questions formelles de côté et entrons dans l’intimité des délégués. Chacun des interrogés s’est trouvé dans une position inconfortable. L’envie d’essayer de rire de la question, la chaleur qui monte, la transpiration qui se fait sentir. En effet, les délégués ne sont pas à leur aise quand des questions personnelles sont évoquées. Et cela, même si il s’agit des faits et gestes de la vie de tous les jours. Commençons par la douche, simple endroit où l’on peut se laver, ce qui représente un moment très attendu au PEJ, surtout après une longue journée et après « les transpirants » jeux de teambuilding. Axelle, de la commission CULT, tout comme Anaïs et Candice de LIBE, après quelques secondes de réflexion, affirme que la toute première chose qu’elle fait lorsqu’elle prend une douche, est de se laver les cheveux. Surement la solution plus facile pour répondre à cette question. Aussi, nous avons un réel besoin de repos, même il ne sera satisfait pour personne lors de cette session. Navrée si cette annonce peut surprendre. Le plus souvent, le lit est l’objet qui doit nous supporter toutes les nuits. Mais regardons-nous dessous ? Peut-être pas assez. Comme
le dit si bien Nadhir, de la commission sur l’Environnement, les « moutons » s’accumulent. Et pour ceux qui répondent comme des personnes modèles, en disant qu’il n’y a rien du tout ou alors des livres, s’ils pensent que leur dessous de lit est comme le reste de leur chambre, ils seront surpris en revenant de la session de découvrir le chaos. Personnes sensibles, s’abstenir. Pour finir, n’oublions pas que nous aimons nous distraire. Personne ne va nier qu’il n’a jamais passé des heures à regarder des vidéos sur YouTube. Vous connaissez surement tous les « nouveaux de YouTube » tels que « Norman fait des vidéos » ou « Mister V ». Mais la personne que la plupart des délégués, comme Léa de la commission REGI, voudraient absolument voir est la star de « Bref », Kyan Khojandj, avec son humour basé sur le quotidien. Se trouver dans un endroit étrange, où l’on joue des jeux bizarres, et en plus être confrontés dès le premier jour à des questions inusuelles, n’aide certainement pas à ce mettre en confiance. Cependant, nous pouvons quand même affirmer que nos délégués ne se sont pas laissés intimider, et que ces réponses nous ont permis de se sentir plus proches de nos tendres et adorés délégués.
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