X·ist 1 by Harm van Leeuwen

Welcome

Editorial Dear delegates This first issue of X-ist is our welcome gift to you. There are many new things that we would like to welcome you to today: to our wonderful organisation, the European Youth Parliament; to the 14th National Selection Conference; to Istanbul (for those of you who are not from here) and to İSTEK Semiha Şakir Okulları, our host. It is easy to be intimidated by all these new people, weighty discussions and formalities, but I hope you will soon discover that the EYP is the friendliest organisation you will ever know. The journos are here to show you that: although they are part of the session, they can provide you with an ‘outside’ look since they don’t take part in your discussions. They can cheer you up with a great video or a game when you feel overwhelmed or tired. They are here, all volunteers, for you. This welcome issue introduces you to the topics you will be discussing — but don’t be afraid of yet another academic preparation. These articles aim provide you with an interesting angle, to inspire conversations both formal and in the coffee breaks. Enjoy! Harm

Editor Harm van Leeuwen (NL) Video editor Louise van Benschop (NL) Journalists Clémence Rérolle (FR) Ege Yücel (TR) Eirini Daliani (GR) Genco Çakır (TR) Gülşah Özdemir (TR) Konstantinos Andronikidis (GR) Levent Aslan (TR) Martha Saunders (UK) Nina Selmer (NO) Yaprak Yıldırım (TR)

14th National Selection Conference

Contents AFCO 4 AFET 5 CULT 6 ECON 7 EMPL 8 FEMM 9 ITRE 10 LIBE I 11 LIBE II 12 SEDE 13

ITRE (see page 10)

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Unisex decision-making, unifying democracy

THE EU has damaged the European citizens’ and national governments’ faith on a unified Europe. They have neglected the participation of citizens in the decision-making process due to the Eurozone crisis, yet EU used to aim enhancing the democratic process by balancing the participation of both genders. Comparing the efforts of EU and related NGOs in 90s to current state shall give some hints about the solution of the democratic deficit. by Levent Aslan (TR)

he European Council argues that “Balanced participation of women and men in the decision-making process is likely to give rise to different ideas, values and behaviour which will result in more justice and equality in the world for both men and women.” in its “Council Recommendation of December 1996”. Through this argument EU gives a clear definition of their objective of gender equality in political sense. To execute this objective, they facilitated the establishments of non-governmental organizations sharing

O C F A

EU’s values like the European Women’s Lobby (EWL), which represents women’s groups and their interest at the European level. Their former secretary-general Barbara Hellferich claims that crave for gender equality on political and social bases both counteracts the negativity of national, individual, ideological differences of European citizens and urges them to negotiate their common interests. Another organization that EU had cooperated with was the European Expert Network (EEN) on “Women in Decision-Making”, which aimed to analyse the reasons of low rate of women attaining decision-making positions, find strategies to enlarge the participation of men and women in decision-making and increase the knowledge of European society on this issue. Yet this network last only between 1992 and 1996. Though current EU hasn’t set the initiation of women into its decision-making as a primary aim, the women participation might reconstruct the damaged faith of Europeans on EU institutions and instruments by assembling all them for a common goal. Best way to achieve this would be removing the boundaries and affiliating citizens, national governments and EU which would keep the idea of a unifying democracy in Europe alive. •

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Uncertain times for EU–US relations THE LAST two weeks have revealed huge amounts of information about the scandal of the US spying on European leaders. Not only does it undermine the diplomatic relations between the two continents, but also puts the negotiations of the transatlantic free-trade agreement under threat. Only time can tell if this vision is going to be fulfilled or not. by Konstantinos Andronikidis (GR)

ven though the German government showed a neutral reaction on the spying allegations, German politicians’–even Chancellor’s collaborators- statements have shown that the issue is a boiling cauldron and there is no easy way to overcome it. But the concern is also obvious throughout the EU with the president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz suggesting a break from negotiations of the Free Trade Agreement. Being one of the top-priorities, the abeyance of the negotiations show the scale of the issue and the obstacles that have been put. The debate is mostly on whether the EU should trust the US over a complex issue like the FTA after the revelations or if it should keep a more temperate attitude. On the one hand Angela Merkel and the US government state that the FTA negotiations should go ahead despite the NSA affair. That’s a view that is shared among the other European leaders as well but there is much concern over the possible new data that might come to light. On the other hand there are those who call the negotiations to freeze, at least temporarily, until the NSA’s case is closed for good.

AFE

The FTA –if ever fulfilled- will be the largest free trade zone contributing to the growth of the US, the EU and other regional economies. One of these economies is Turkey, an upcoming power which wants to be directly affected by the agreement. That is why the pursuing of the negotiations is very much promoted by the media in both continents. What analysts and European officials though claim is that such an agreement should be based on mutual trust and with the current situation that might be impossible. Also the way regional economies would be affected is not yet clearly determined and a mistreatment of the issue could cause serious imbalances in the region. After having been postponed for more than two times and the current negotiations being at risk, the FTA is certainly one of the main issues on the agenda for both the European Union and the United States. However it seems that it needs more time and effort so as to put words into action. Stronger bonds should be built and prejudices should be eradicated if both sides want to reach consensus. •

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Let’s talk about sex — seriously

IN an era where young people consume 7 hours of media per day – more time than they spend in education – it is safe to say they are learning their most valuable lessons from the mainstream media. This has brought benefits; but for some subjects we have to admit that the media is actually a seriously bad teacher. And if the media were a sex education teacher it would be fired, instantly, from any self-respecting institution.

by Martha Saunders (UK)

provocatively, spend disproportionate time, pain and money on makeup, hair removal and a dramatic increase in eating disorders and cosmetic surgery in the hope that conforming to the sexualised ideal will give them value; the boys who are taught to adhere to this image and are mocked for failure to do so. But a more interesting impact could be the effect this content may have on relationships. Healthy sexual encounters can happen without the need for romantic feelings. But the complete disassociation of intimacy from sex in the media is likely to damage the ability of young people to develop healthy relationships and inhibit the way they perceive value in the opposite gender – prioritising how conventionally sexy they are over traits of personality. To achieve equality it is necessary to cross the boundary of gender and view each other simply as fellow human beings. The media’s promotion of entirely sex-separated stereotypes, where the only thing we stand to gain from one another is sexual gratification, contradicts this. The message young we are receiving is skewed but the question remains; how can we get young people to redress these imbalances when their world is dominated by the very media which perpetrates them?•

he influence of pornography is dramatic enough, with 93% of boys and 62% of girls having watched before the age of 18. But sex is no longer limited to porn. Almost all media is utterly obsessed by it. As something every human is biologically programmed to desire, it is a fantastic mechanism for consumerism. There is nothing advertisers cannot make sexy – sexy cars, sexy deodorant, sexy ice cream. It has also infiltrated pop culture – Robin Thicke, Miley Cyrus and Rihanna have all topped the 2013 charts with videos that would not be out of place on Pornhub. There is nothing inherently wrong with sexual content, but its constant presence, total homogeneity and the specific messages it broadcasts to young people about sexuality are deeply unhealthy. So what exactly do these industries teach young people about sex? The gender roles it presents are a momentous cultural regression which we see the impact of in the behaviours of young people – the girls who dress

14th National Selection Conference

Unemployed youth: a generation down the drain

WE, the young, are unemployed more often than not and that’s an issue needing solving. Presumably an in depth look might help you figure out your thoughts? Be my guest. by Genco Çakır (TR)

can’t really remember a time in the past when men were more unemployed than women, sadly. I also personally never seem to have witnessed the unemployment rates for men and women being even. Actually, since the year 2000, the unemployment rates in all of the EU states were 8% for men and 10% for women. This gap then satisfyingly fell to around 1.5% between 2002 and 2007, only to remain at this position for a while, discounting minor fluctuations. The good news is this: also to my pleasant surprise, women actually did catch up to the men in 2012, reaching an almost identical rate, thanks to a steady decline in men’s unemployment stats and a heart-warming drop in the women’s. So you could say that this is something to be happy about. However, don’t let the pretty wording fool you. Although the numbers do reflect a of balance between the two sexes in terms of unemployment and you could probably call that a good thing, unemployment did not exactly go down since it skyrocketed a few years back and roughly every 1 out of 2 young men or women is out for a job.

As you probably all know, the unemployment rate can give you a pretty complete outlook on the social and economical structure of a country or union. The increasing amount of unemployed people will cause a desperate demand for work, causing work force to be much too cheap, the working conditions to be less desirable because of a massive competition, a crippling effect to the affected economy due to an increase in welfare payments which are common practice in a majority of the EU states... These are just few clauses from a massive list of ways unemployment can mess up your economic and social structure in a scarily quick way. The list goes on and on and on and you’d better be scared about it, because it is scary. As the university students and graduates of the very near future, you could probably imagine that eradicating this issue is of utmost importance to the well-being of our generation. I will be honest with you people here. I myself might be counting on your work only a few years from now, just like the millions of your young brethren. The fate of a generation is in your heads — don’t let us down. •

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Redefining happiness ONE goal for Europe: 75% of its 20-64 year-olds employed by 2020. One condition: this high level of employment going hand in hand with gender equity. Realistic target or hopeless ideal? by Clémence Rérolle (FR)

h, sweet, sweet Utopia! Reconciling equity with effectiveness in the labour market could indeed be the product of an ideal society. Should we venture into imagining such a piece of fiction? After all, why not? As Stephen King once put it, “there is no harm in hoping for the best as long as you are prepared for the worst.” Maybe his words could be as great as his name? Indeed, his words could not have been more accurate in depicting our situation. Surely we can “hope for the best” because we are already more than “prepared for the worst”. Let us think back. Before the 1980s, who would have thought of granting women maternal leave and childcare benefits? Had anyone ever come up with the idea of ‘remote’ working? And fifteen years ago, would a ‘paternity leave’ even have been conceivable? In terms of employment policies, history thus reveals a work of progress. We have lived through worse times: times when women’s main role was to stay at home or times when the workforce was limited by extremely rigid working conditions. What more can we expect from the labour market?

An even greater work-life balance. Today’s generation not only cries out for gender equity, but also for more flexible forms of employment, such as suitable working time arrangements, teleworking and specific leave. Our generation is calling for new European working practices that suit our changing lifestyles. Questioning these demands in terms of their economic viability is to misunderstand the virtues of an improved work-life balance. I believe it is possible to be fair and efficient at the same time, especially when fairness comes by addressing the needs of the workforce. In fact, raising employee satisfaction and empowering men and women at work eventually leads to higher employee engagement, maximized labour inputs and, in turn, improves business performance as a whole. Hence, the quality of employees’ working lives is vital to the effectiveness of any company, as most skilled employees and top performers are also the happiest at work. •

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Who runs the world? Hopefully you

WHO runs the world? Girls. We all know that, don’t we? Beyoncé might agree, but we know that the reality is far from Mrs Carter’s lyrics. However; today’s situation might make change harder than one first thought. Now it is up to FEMM to find a solution to this problem. by Nina Selmer (NO)

en have dominated society for a (very) long time, and even if changes are within the horizon, they might not be for the right reasons. With the decline in the economy, all groups in society are experiencing the consequences; and the male dominated sectors are more affected than other sectors. However, do we want a rise in the status of women in society because of the forced decline in the status of men? Or do we want it because everyone finally realizes that men and women are worth the same, and they should have the same rights and opportunities? I would vote for the latter. So how do we fix a problem that is deeply rooted in the economy, but still requires a big change in the mindsets of the common men and women? How do we make it ok for men to be nurses and women to be construction workers? Here are some tips to help you take a step in the right direction; (1) Realise your dream. If you’re a girl and you want to drive a truck; do it. You

are in control of your life, and no one can tell you otherwise. Beyoncé knows it; now you need to know it. (2) Be open-minded towards other people pursuing their dreams. If a guy wants to become a baker, don’t put the “women belong in the kitchen” jokes on repeat, instead, enjoy the fact that you now have a friend who can actually bake. And it might even inspire you to choose something original yourself. (3) Let yourself be inspired. Read an article about a female firefighter who saved three men, or about the male nurse who just delivered his 100th baby. Be inspired to be innovative, supportive, and to do what you do best. Feel a bit better now? Ready to pursue your dream? Not yet? Well, if not, here’s another Beyoncé quote to give you another push in the right direction; “I don’t like to gamble, but if there’s one thing I’m willing to bet on, it’s myself.” So: go be yourself! •

FEM

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Reproduction airlines ON hearing the word “tourism” every one of us would immediately start imagining different destinations around the world where we could have some fun. However, many people globally are not aiming for these destinations for recreation, but on a quest for medical assistance for various reasons. Medical tourism, which has increased in the last decade in a spectacular way, is a widespread phenomenon. by Eirini Daliani (GR)

nder the umbrella of medical tourism falls the reproductive tourism which is characterized as the fastest growing area. Reproductive tourism is defined by Guido Pennings (professor of ethics and bioethics at Ghent University) as travelling from one institution, jurisdiction, or country where treatment is not available to another where they can obtain the kind of medically assisted reproduction they desire. While many would agree that it is costing too much in terms of emotional, physical and financial stress, others support that fertility tourism really benefits everyone involved. From the one hand, couples expand their fertility options by going abroad. On the other hand, doctors, clinics, and the industry itself are able to help a greater number of people, expand their businesses, compile more research, and advance the technology. Also, the countries with greater fertility options benefit from an increased number of visitors and more money entering their economies. Reproductive tourism enables many couples to make their dreams of parenthood come true. The criteria they set is to find where top-of-the-line fertility treatments are accessible, along with the best medical and psychological advice to ensure the best outcome is achieved. This is the point where it is reasonable to wonder why is this happening. The first reason is the prohibition of certain procedures for ethical reasons. The Netherlands and England have prohibited sperm and egg donor anonymity to ensure the right to know the identity of genetic parents by offspring. Another example concerns preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), which can be used to reveal an embryo’s gender. This use of PGD is not permitted in the UK. However, if parents-to-be wish to choose

ITR

their offspring’s gender, one clinic in Spain provides sex selection by offering treatment. The second reason arises when a procedure is unavailable due to safety concerns. Some individuals may be willing to risk undergoing potentially unsafe treatments in countries with weaker regulation if they believe they can increase the chance of producing offspring. Regulation has also created incentives for providers to establish clinics in countries where laws are relatively permissive, causing concerns about quality, safety requirements and standards. Furthermore, eligibility criteria such as age, marital status or sexuality have lead many people to reproductive tourism. Some women are excluded from receiving services or coverage at public expense in their own country. In addition to this, some types of patients aren’t eligible for treatments by law of their home country, including gay people, single people and members of certain religions. The conclusion is that the most noticeable characteristic of the legal situation in Europe regarding medically assisted reproduction is the enormous variety of rules. It is hard to find two countries with the same rules regarding a topic like embryo research or donor insemination. Moreover, there has been a rapid evolution of the law and regulation of medically assisted reproduction in the last 15 years. This legal mosaic is the main obstacle to the adoption of a common EU policy. Last but not least, it is important to highlight that consensus and harmonization only has moral value when it is brought about by discussion and persuasion, not by force. •

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Grim to be gay

Being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered (LGBT) is not easy in any society. But in Russia, the outlook is particularly grim.

LIBE I

by Gülşah Özdemir (TR)

he Russian government’s aggressive, hateful, non-democratic approach towards homosexuals is becoming more and more hazardous since 2006. Back then, the Ryazan region banned “propaganda of homosexuality among minors” and made “promoting homosexuality among juveniles” punishable. Those bans spread over many regions afterwards. In the following years they prevented gay pride parades in Moscow several times. Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, declared that it must be forbidden for same-sex couples to adopt an orphan in Russia. The movement against homosexuals continued and in 2013 the Duma passed a law against “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations”. Since 2006, a lot of Russian LGBT people have been arrested, fired, abused and even killed because they protested against their government about these recent events. But why do all these things happen in Russia? Action against homosexuals have gained popularity in Russia because homophobia is widespread, even among the educated classes of society. Homophobia means the hatred or fear of homosexuality and negative attitudes towards LGBT people. Although the causes behind the homophobia remain a puzzle, there are several psychoanalysts who believe that it is an “anxiety-based phenomenon”. It is more likely for older men, politically conservative people and supporters of old-fashioned gender roles to be homophobic. Research

also shows that homophobia is more common in very religious regions. There is no question that homosexuality exists in among people of all ethnicities and social backgrounds. Thus, there are bound to be at least a few members of the Russian political establishment that are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered, even if it remains wiser for them to hide this fact. Even though Mr Putin once stated that he was not against homosexuals and he respected them, his government’s actions have reflected the opposite. I think he should reflect on his acts to understand what many homosexuals in his country are going through. I sincerely hope that the Russian people and their politicians overcome the recent backlash against homosexuals. LGBT rights are equal to other fundamental human rights. After all, one does not have to be LGBT oneself to understand, respect, and live harmoniously together with others. •

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LIB

Journey of death HOW can the European Union’s Common European Asylum System cope with the fast influx of the asylum seeker? Can this be done without contradicting with its ethics and principles, and at the same time satisfy its member states’ demands for the homeland security reasons? It’s up to LIBE II to answer this question now... by Ege Yücel (TR)

he question of immigration and asylum has become a key feature of the European Union’s external policy in the recent years, mostly because of the member states’ demands to keep up with the increasing pace of the extra-EU immigrant influx into the Union. The number of foreign-born residents of the EU-27 surpassed 47 million in the late 2000s – this makes up almost 9.5% of the total EU populationand this number grows by an average of 1.6 million people each year, showing how deeply the demographics of the Europe are affected by this issue. Similarly, the number of new immigrants introduced to the EU rose to 1,74 million in 2011, more than the previous year’s figures by more than a hundred thousand, according to the Eurostat. Apart from the higher rate of prosperity in Europe, these numbers also reflect the increasing instability in the neighbouring Middle East. At this point, it is possible to say that the Syrian civil war has become the main pushing force behind the recent waves of illegal immigration: a record of over 2.2 million people were internationally dislocated by the conflict. Most of these refugees tried to reach Europe

via Turkey, or in extreme cases, from further away locations on the shore of the Mediterranean. Considering these points, it becomes clear why the European Union spends over 210 million euros annually on its border security, in addition to the 69 million spent on processing the immigration and asylum-related problems. As the European Commission states clearly, the Common European Asylum System promises that all those fleeing persecution or conflict are allowed to seek asylum in Europe as long as they can substantiate their claim. However, the recent influx of refugees has gathered a large negative public reaction. This is particularly seen in Greece as many of the institutions working on the issue of refugees were rendered almost useless because of being over-capacitated by the fast-growing number of refugees, leaving a more attractive environment for the smugglers to further grow their multi-million-Euro business. What makes the situation even more complicated is that this rapid influx made it harder for the authorities to track the latest figures about illegal immigration. The EU can only estimate that the total number of illegal immigrants is in the broad range of 1.9 to 3.8 million. The issue is also worsened by the fact that some groups suggest a possibility of mistreatment of the immigrants in the many camps or institutions within the Union. Now it is up to LIBE II to decide how to amend the current asylum and immigration policy of the EU, while considering both the concerned governments’ and the immigrants’ demands. However, there is only one thing certain: the home affairs departments of the EU will be working overtime until these problems are solved. •

14th National Selection Conference

Game of drones

WHEN we think of “killer robots”, the first images to come to our minds would probably be the ones that we have seen in sci-fi films up until now. What many of us do not know is in fact the very existence of real killer robots: drones. by Yaprak Yıldırım (TR)

nmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones, are autonomous robotic weapons that make lethal decisions about human beings all by themselves. They have been used by the US for military purposes in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which raised the question of whether or not they should be adopted and developed by the EU. But the question to be asked is “Should a robot be given the right to make the decision of death?” A robot is an emotionless electro-mechanical machine, unable to indicate any sign of human feelings such as mercy, love, care, affection or guilt. Due to its lack of humanistic features, a robot cannot be a conscious being. So, when it comes to making a decision, all a robot could do is to weight the options by scientific calculations and choose the rationally better one. The word “better” in this sense refers to an automatic evaluation, including no emotional judgment at all. On the other hand, putting an end to someone’s life is not something that could be decided simply by using

a computer application, because death is an ultimate end that couldn’t possibly be compensated. Such a decision requires both a conscious assessment and a sentimental perspective. What if one accidentally kills an innocent person? What if one decides to order a massacre when not needed? More importantly, how can one declare that death is needed? A wrong decision made on one’s life would result in a complete tragedy which would lead individuals to point fingers at the responsible ones. Yet, how can a robot be punished? Arguably the most crucial notion in the world – death – sets an important and necessary obstacle to the usage of drones. So, despite the claimed benefits of them, drones shouldn’t be encouraged or used within EU. A robot cannot feel. And without feelings, no efficient judgment can be formed. As a result, EU should abandon the opinion that supports the unmanned aerial vehicles in warfare unless what we want is to start the game of drones. •

SED

European Youth Parliament Turkey 13

Prefabricated Houses & Moduler Containers