LINK #118

LINK

J u ly 1 5 t h 2 0 1 8

N°118

July Editor: Alice Jeavons

Designer: Ola Kaczurba

Cover picture: OphĂŠlie Cottier

LINK

#LINKEXPLORE

CONTENT Contact About us Your favourite game Longest game you played Most boring game played Maria Schädler Majka Dokudowicz Ophelie Cottier

5 6 14 18 22 26 28 31

Antía Fernández Martínez Maïlén Malengreaux Rachael Worthen and Alice Jeavons Alice Jeavons Nicolas Jaouen Rachael Worthen Lê Hồng Đức Angelina Kaysina

34 37 40 45 48 50 51 53

EVS, K.A.NE. Games Games Games Games facts The queue Video games and psychology Backgammon Children and migration Trauma in the refugee population My project Interview with ACT volunteer Sending organization Past Event: DREAM project Future Event: Kalamata International Dance Festival

K.A.NE. EVS: Angelina Kaysina Antía Fernández Martínez Majka Dokudowicz Maria Nadja Schädler Mina Duma Ola Kaczurba Ophélie Cottier Paquita Couppey Sandra Queirós Sheila Gómez

Staff members of K.A.NE.: Afrodite Katsichtis Antonia Vrioni Filaretos Vourkos Jelena Scepanovic Nancy Kanellopoulou Nantiana Koutiva

Interns:

Lê Hồng Đức

ACT Volunteers: Alice Jeavons Nella Bey Nicolas Jaouen Maïlén Malengreaux Jack Aklam Rachael Worthen Shukri Jama

@kane.kalamata

WHO ARE WE?

OLA

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PAQUITA

Angelina

Hello there! My fool name is Aleksandra but everyone calls me Ola. I’m 19 and I just finished high school. I come from capital of Poland – Warsaw. I love chocolate, amazing harmonies, good guitar riffs, totally crazy hairstyles and classic rock. I’m a dancer therefore I will be teaching contemporary dance in the Youth Centre but my primary job will be in therapeutic horse riding centre. See you around!

Hi ! My name is Paquita, I'm 26 years old and I'm from Marseille in France.

I will stay here for 11 months. My mission will be working in therapeutic horse-riding centre and in KEFIAP Center assisting people with disabilities. I just finished my studies in Art-therapy and I'm very enthusiastic to begin my EVS. This will be a great experience for me :)

Hello! I’m Angelina and I’m 26 years old. I decided to come to Kalamata as a volunteer because I already knew about this kind of opportunities and it was time for drastic changes in my life.

You can find me at the Youth Center where I’ll be leading Russian language and fitness + stretching workshop.

Can’t wait to meet you at Kentro Neon.

Mailen

OPHELIE

AntIa

Hello there ! My name is Maïlén I'm 25 years old. I come from Brussels in Belgium and I've graduated a few months ago as a social worker. This year is my volunteery year : before Greece I was in Bénin for 2 months where I worked with abused young girls, now I came to Kalamata for 6 months to work on the ACT Project helping refugees. In my spare time, I'm a musician (singer and violinist), I love to read, art, watch series and movies and have a drink with friends.

Bonjour! My name is Ophélie, I come from France.

I am in Kalamata for 11 months and will volunteer at the Day Care Center for children with autism.

Living abroad is a wonderful opportunity to meet fascinating people and learn about cultures. It allows to become independent, open-minded and avoid ethnocentrism. I can’t wait to discover the greek way of life and visit the country. I’m also excited about tasting the food (of course!). I like to exchange and discover so… see you soon around Kalamata!

Καλημέρα! My name is Antía and I come from Galicia, in the northwest of Spain. I have arrived in this city because some years ago I made the “mistake” –but, who chooses these things? - of falling in love with Greece and with the Greek language. So, after finishing my university studies in Humanities and Literature, I decided to start my Greek periplus, periplus that, after Thessaloniki and Crete, has found its new stage here in Kalamata. Να μας δούμε στο ταξίδι!

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MINA

NICOLAS

I’m Mina and I’m a 28 years old free spirit. I don’t like routine and I think that everything that seems interesting is worth trying. I’m fascinated about human interaction and being part of K.A.NE. gives me opportunity to meet and work with many beautiful people. I'm into si-fi and superheroes and I guess that shaped me into an idealist who believes that there is beauty and courage in everything, no matter how small. Therefore, our duty as human beings is to highlight it.

Hello, my name is Nicolas, I'm 25 years old, and I come from Lille in north of France. Last years, I worked as a volunteer in an association in Lille for a civic service. There, I worked with families in precarious situations, help them save money and, at the same time, raise their awareness of sustainable development. I am in Kalamata for 6 months to work on the ACT project to help migrants and refugees.

I also hope to improve my english. In my life, I like music, reading books, watching series and having good times with friends.

MAJKA Hello! I’m Majka, I’m 27 and I’m coming from Poland. I grew up in Warsaw, but the last 8 years I was living in Poznan, Wrocław and Thessaloniki. I’m a printmaker and a graphic designer, I’ve finish Academy of Fine Arts and I’ve participated in more than 50 exhibitions worldwide. In Kalamata, I will work in the office and I will also create my own projects.

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SANDRA

My name is Sandra, I have 23 and come from the North of Portugal. I will be volunteering in Daycare Center for Autistic children. I’m very excited about this change in my life. I’m passionate about travelling, science, books and a TV series addicted. I decided do EVS for a new challenge in my life and I think that Kalamata will be a great place for it.

Sheila Kalimera, I am Sheila from Spain, I love Kalamata and sharing moments with amazing people. I am a volunteer in Kefiap - center helping people with dissabilities. I studied environmental sciences.

I like nature, animals, travellig, dance salsa, capoeira and to have fun!

MARIA

Hallo! I’m Maria from Liechtenstein and I’m 19. I finished high school this summer and now I’m doing EVS to take a break before attending university and, hopefully, studying social education. Working at my parent’s restaurant and now at the dog-rescue-center is going to be a nice experience before my "normal life" begins. Because it might be interesting, I’ll answer some often-asked questions about Liechtenstein.

Yes, we are a very small country (37000 people in 167km2) and we do speak German. It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Lots of Love, Maria.

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RACHAEL

ALICE

JACK

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Hello my name’s Rachael, I’m 21 and I’ve just finished my degree in Psychology at the University of Liverpool. I love Art and History and in my spare time you could find me doing anything from SFX makeup to portraiture, or simply reading a history book. I’m excited for the opportunity to meet other volunteers from different cultures and engage in a project that I’m extremely passionate about.

My name is Alice, I come from Birmingham in England and I am 21 years old. I have just finished studying Law in Liverpool, where I volunteered with refugees providing support for women who were victims of abuse, human rights abuse or if they just needed a space to talk. Now I am here for 6 months working with ACT to raise awareness of the current refugee crisis in Greece. In my spare time I love to read and socialise with my friends.

Hello my name is Jack, I am 24 years of age, from England living in Liverpool, I am in Kalamata working in the ACT group (youth on the move) for 2 months to help refugees and migrants in Europe.

I like to meet new people and having a fun time, I like hiking, traveling experience anything new an open minded person and loving.

SHUKRI

duc

nella

Hello I am Shukri, I am from Liverpool, I am 25 year old. I will be in Kalamata for 2 months Act project, I am working in Liverpool, I have done several l youth exchanges but being in Kalamata will be my longest exchange.

Hello everyone! My name is Duc and I’m originally from Vietnam but have been residing in a small but beautiful city of Fredericton in the province of New Brunswick, Canada for the last 2 years. I’m currently studying Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Leadership at the University of New Brunswick and will be in Kalamata for 10 weeks for my international internship with K.A.N.E. as a requisite of my degree. I chose K.A.N.E. because its objective aligns with what I’m passionate about such as youth development, civic engagement, social inclusion and volunteerism.

Hello! My name is Nella and I am 20 years old. I just finished studying Inter national Trade in France. I am here, in Kalamata, for 2 months, to work with refugees for the Act Project.

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K.A.NE.

FILARETOS

jelena

NANTIANA

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Hello, I am Filaretos Vourkos. For the last 10 years I am working in the field of Non-formal education as a volunteer, youth worker and youth trainer. 6 years ago, I decided to create the Youth Centre of Kalamata, in order to initiate youth work in Kalamata and promote active citizenship as factor for change.

Hi, I’m Jelena Scepanovic, an EVS coordinator in K.A.NE. and a volunteer of the Youth center.

I came from Montenegro in 2012 as an EVS volunteer. I really liked the idea of the Youth center and the work that KANE does, so I decided to stay and be part of it.

My name is Nantiana! I’m 25 years old. I live in Kalamata! I was living for 5 years in Patras! I was studying there greek philology and now I’m teaching greek to the Youth Center in Kalamata.

Nancy

ANTONIA

AFRODITE

Hello World! I’m Nancy and I’m doing my internship in K.A.NE as a Project Manager. I am really excited to be here because I was always admiring their work especially the Youth Center and Street Festival. I’m passionate about meeting people and exchange knowledge, experiences and ideas. I love the fact that many young people visit every year my hometown Kalamata and contribute in our society.

Hello, I'm Antonia and l'm 23 years old. I studied business administration in Athens and now I'm doing my internship in K.A.NE. as an office manager. I'm really enthusiastic to be a part of this team and work together so that young people have more opportunities to meet different people and cultures, exchange ideas, travel the world and OPEN their minds!!!

Hello, I am Afrodite. I studied Psychology and Human Resources Management and I have been working with volunteers for the last few years. I just arrived in Kalamata and started working in K.A.NE as an EVS Coordinator. I am really excited to be here and work with you!

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games oNE LEGEND Your favourite FROMgame YOUR COUNTRY OPHÉLIE Clued o is m y favor ite b oard gam e. Being in to a detective shoes, find ing y our own way to le a d th e in vestigation, hav ing to keep a lot of infor m a tion in y our m ind ... ever ything is exciting! I’v e got ma ny good m em or ies p lay ing C lued o wi th m y s ister, cousins or m y p arents fr iend s' ch ildre n o n Sund ay s after noons. By the way d on’t wor r y, myster y solv ed : it is C olonel M ustard in the rose g ard en with the wrench!

ANTIA Actually, I don’t think I have a favourite game… I am not really a big fan of that, but I love the traditional image of the Backgammon players in the Greek “kafenios” (like in the scene of the videoclip of the song

by Leonidas Balafas and Giorgos Nikiforou Zerbakis, “Να σταθώ στα πόδια μου”) or in the universities… and when I am in Galicia, back at home, it is also really nice in the winter and nights playing card with the family around the fire.

OLA I com e from fam ily where ever y week we find on e eve ning just to p lay som e b oard , card , str a te gic o r ad v enture gam es. I p lay ed a lot and know a lot o f gam es of those kind s. I b elieve that one of ou r u lt im ate fav our ites would b e M unchkin - a hila r iou s role p lay card gam e which goal is to be c om e t h e strongest and m ost p ower ful char acte r, sla y monster s, m ake allies... and , of cour se, it’s a ll based on ly ing and conning.

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MARIA My favourite game is League of Legends, but since I assume card and board games are more interesting to other people here I’ll add Phase 10 to the list. It is a card game that consists of a bit of smartness but mostly of luck, and w h i l e i t w i l l m a k e y o u r a g e a l o t i t ’s s t i l l f u n .

I also love the “Game of Life” but I haven’t played it in years.

MAJKA L O S E Y O U R M I N D . E AT Y O U R C R E W. D I E . M y favourite game is a computer game Sunless Sea. It was created with help of a successful K i c k s t a r t e r c r o w d f u n d c a m p a i g n . I t ’s a game based on survival and exploration with amazing black humor and very interesting graphics.

SHEILA I like m ultip lay er gam es, tr ivial p ur suit, “ju e gos d e m esa” in gener al, UN O card s. When I wa s sm all I loved to p lay with elastic game a n d jum p ing “com b a”and funny sp or tiv e gam e s.

MAÏLÉN My fav our ite gam e is a gam e invented by m y great gr and father called “Le taq uineur ” (“Th e teaser ”). I use to p lay this gam e with m y moth e r for hour s and I taught it to m y b est fr iend s... we c an p lay it like a d r inking gam e…

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ALICE My favourite game is a game invented by my great great father called “Le taquineur” (“The teaser”). I use to play this game with my mother for hours and I taught it to my best friends …. we can play it like a drinking game …

JACK My favourite game is hard to think of I like to play any type of game. But i would probably say a good game of snooker or pool would be my favourite.

RACHAEL I d on’t really p lay gam es now, however ‘Bu zz’ b r ings b ack eup hor ic m em or ies of b ig f a m ily C hr istm as’ sp ent in Br istol. M y self and m y m a n y cousins would scr am b le over who would g e t th e next tur n - it would m ake for hilar ious p re-din n e r enter tainm ent, which in retrosp ect, was a win win for the ad ults too who would get som e pe a c e and q uiet for an hour or so!

SHUKRI My favourite game is blackjack and 21 which is another card game and you have to try and get 21 or close to 21, football.

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ANGELINA Since my childhood was very active, i couldn't stand aside when someone was playing tags, later basketball and relay races. Russian reality show "The Last Hero" (analogue of American "Survivor"), screened in 2003, was my dream to participate in.

Living in extreme inhabitant-island conditions and fighting for 1 million prizes... It is compelling even now!

NICOLAS I don't know if it's my favorite game, but when I was a teenager I loved playing werewolf. It's the classic holiday camp game. This French game is played with several players (up to 50), and the more players you have, the more interesting and difficult it becomes.

Players are divided in 2 groups: villagers and werewolves. The goal of the villagers is to discover and eliminate werewolves, and the goal of the werewolves is to stay unmasked and eliminate all villagers.

NELLA Well I used to play a lot of video games, and I will say that my favourite is Black Ops II, especially when played on the Yemen map.

MINA It’s hard to pick a game as my favourite, but I think I will go offline with this and choose KILLER. Each player is randomly assigned a role (killer, cop, civilian, taliban) and one player is picked as a narrator. The narrator tells when it’s night, who wakes up and does his “job” and, when day comes, the “surviving” players wake up and have to find the killer by common agreement. The purpose is to catch killers before they kill everyone.

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games the longest game you played OPHÉLIE Apart from Monopoly, I would say “The Sims 2”. I was always amazed by the numbers of hours I could play without noticing passing time! I remember starting to play in the beginning of the afternoon, when my mother left to work, and suddenly hearing her coming back 4 hours later, whilst I just finished building the house and finally started playing. This is also the only game I played during the years before I decided not to play anymore because of its negative side: time consuming

ANTIA I guess this is the traditional answer… the Monopoly.

Probably like the majority of people, I never managed to finish it even once. It is something that is still on my agenda.

OLA Dur ing one long, stor m y sum m er d ay, with a ll 3 o f m y sister s we d ecid ed “let’s p lay M onopoly!!!”

Wor st id ea ever ! We p lay ed for 4 d ay s str a igh t…

I ’m not kid d ing… After this I star ted to ha te th is g am e so m uch that I haven’t even looked a t it f or s ever al y ear s until m y fr iend s forced m e to pla y a t o n e N ew Year 's Ev e p ar ty

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MARIA Next to computer games (especially Sims 4) that can consume my time for hours, the l o n g e s t g a m e I e v e r p l a y e d w a s P h a s e 1 0 . To be fair it was only about 3.5 hours but to be f a i r, I n e v e r e v e r p l a y e d M o n o p o l y i n m y l i f e s o t h a t ’s w h y i t ’s n o t l i s t e d h e r e .

MAJKA N o t s u r e , b u t I w o u l d s a y Ta l i s m a n : T h e Magical Quest Game. Sometimes it was a very fast game, but sometimes it took a lot for someone to win. I wouldn't put here Monopoly as at some point it's always ending with a fight ;)

SHEILA M onop oly...

MAÏLÉN The longest gam es I’ve p lay ed (and some tim e s I still p lay ) is Z eld a saga (on N intend o). Bu t I lov e to p lay it and I never get b ored … on th e c ontr ar y I d on’t feel the tim e fly. That’s wh y I don’t p lay a lot of these gam es (I won’t ha ve a n y social life any m ore).

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ALICE The longest game I ever played was obviously M o n o p o l y. I t h i n k m e a n d m y f a m i l y p l a y e d f o r 6 hours one Christmas before we gave up.

Everyone in my house has refused to play it after that but I still like it.

JACK Hard to say what game has been the longest because so many of them go on for so long especially board games. But i think poker could possibly be the longest game i have sat and played.

RACHAEL Second to monopoly, the longest game I’ve played is probably last year in the Airport waiting for a flight from Barcelona.

Lacking materials, myself and my friend decided on a game of eye-spy on the premise that whoever lost would buy the next drink. I schemingly picked reflection knowing she wouldn’t get it, her clue being: ‘it appears on some objects of a certain finish.’ The longest, yet the most rewarding game I’ve ever played, as I came out with a lovely cold Estrella.

SHUKRI Blackjack, i enjoy it and don't find it boring, even though i lose most of the time but it’s addictive.

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ANGELINA Word chain games, surely longest ones! Cities, people names, products related to the chosen topic, sports, food, flora and fauna-the list is endless, as the game itself! If you have enough patience or want a challenge - name the first word.

NICOLAS I think the Final Fantasy franchise games are some of the longest games I played as a kid. The games are pretty linear and it takes hundreds of hours to make the characters evolve to the end. However, it's quite addictive and I've rarely been disappointed.

NELLA Longest game at school was when we talked too much, the teacher forced us to play to “The King of Silence.” Rules are really simple, the first who talk loses, so the game can be very very very long.

MINA I won’t count video games here either by the simple reason that you can stop anytime and continue some other time. I will go with over 1000 pieces puzzles. I know it’s barely qualifiable as a game, but I enjoyed it every time when I was a kid.

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games the most boring game you played OPHÉLIE To b e honest the m ajor ity of b oard and c a rds g am es m ake m e b ored . Just b y listening to th e n am e “b elote”, which is a p op ular card s ga m e am ong eld er ly p eop le in Fr ance (or at least in m y relatives) I want to r un away. Fifty tim es a t le a st my gr and p arents taught m e the r ules, I still don ’t remem b er them b ecause, let’s b e honest, I don ’t care! For tunately, we found other gam es we a ll liked to p lay together !

ANTIA I cannot remember the most boring game I have e v e r p l a y e d . N o r m a l l y, i f I d o n ’ t l i k e a g a m e , I try to spend the least time possible playing it. Can I count in boring games like the “made square” games that we were used to play in school during the classes? We were not really interested in them, and we would not play if it not for killing the time. Nowadays you can even play online...

OLA R isk… But not b ecause I d id n’t like it... I h a d a very b ad fir st gam e and m y d islike or b oredom f or it star ted to grow and grow. Dur ing fir st cou ple of minutes I lost and had to wait an hour or so f or o t her s to finish. I’m not going to say that I sta ye d awake or focused d ur ing that tim e… Unfor tun a te ly fo r m e, it's one on m y b est fr iend 's "fav ou r ite g am e in the whole wor ld " so it's hard to e sc a pe t h is b eautiful p leasure of p lay ing it.

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MARIA I don’t have a specific game in mind that I don’t like, just in general I know that if a game is too challenging I will probably not like it too much and I ironically think the game is boring even t h o u g h i t ’s t e c h n i c a l l y t h e o p p o s i t e ?

MAJKA Although I’m a task-oriented person so I s h o u l d l i k e m o s t o f t h e g a m e s i t ’s t o t a l l y opposite. I usually first ask my friends what they think about new games before I play them myself to avoid the boring games. xD When I was younger I used to play bubbles just to kill the time.

SHEILA M onop oly...

MAÏLÉN The m ost b or ing gam e I’v e p lay ed is c a lle d “C arcassonne”. This gam e consists of bu ildin g our city and d oing ev er ything we can to re str a in the other s to b uild their own cities. It’s lon g a n d ver y b or ing to p lay it!

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ALICE The most boring game I've played is Chess.

The only person I'll play it with is my grandad since he loves it, but I would rather play a board game or a card game. We had a chess board in our University house last year but I stayed far away from it.

JACK Probably the board game Scrabble is most boring for me because I am not best at spelling and I will always lose I be quite competitive and this game does help me in any way to win.

the the can not

RACHAEL I’m not a very competitive person therefore I find a lot of games boring, most of the time disengaging and I'm forgetting the rules a l m o s t i n s t a n t l y.

SHUKRI I find lot of gam es b or ing b ecause I am n ot a com p etitive p er son. The only gam e I don ’t find b or ing and can p lay for ages is Blac k ja c k , footb all.

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ANGELINA Computer and video games make me slip into a boredom coma instantly. Unlike my classmates and friends, I never had this popular "90s entertainment", and truth to be told,Ii didn't lose anything. Instead, I enjoyed outdoor activities and real hide-and-sick and jump rope games.

NICOLAS M o n o p o l y. . . ! I k n o w t h a t a l o t o f p e o p l e l o v e this game, especially amongst members of my f a m i l y, b u t p e r s o n a l l y, t h i s g a m e h a s a l w a y s bothered me a lot. I don't like (and have never liked) the finance side, so I was always one step behind the other players because it always took me a long time to decide what I would do in the next round.

NELLA The most boring is the King of Silence as well because it was too long without aim.

MINA D e f i n i t e l y, M o n o p o l y ! T h e d i c e d o e s n ’ t r e a l l y help me in the first few rounds and I get bored very fast during this game. Besides, I don’t see a storyline in this game, so that makes it not interesting for me at all. There were more than a few times when I had advantages or even chances to win, but I played in “whatever” mode just to get it over with

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games g a m i n g fa c t s

While not everyone is a fan of videogames and some people think it’s a complete waste of time, we still can’t deny that they are still a big Part of the topic games. In this article I’ll tell you some (hopefully) interesting facts about Video Games.

• Playing action video games trains you to make the right decisions faster.

It also helps you to develop a heightened sensitivity to what is going on around you, which helps with multitasking, driving, keeping track of friends in a crowd, and navigating around town. Video gamer also have a higher chance to master lucid dreaming.

• Sometimes, videogames are so popular, like Dragon Quest in Japan that it is unlawful to release an update during weekdays because it will make the children take days of school to play it.

• The biggest map in an open-world game is in No Man’s Sky with 264 Planets.

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• The biggest prize pool in the history of e-sports is $24,687,919.00 which is 21,243,333 Euros and was paid at “The international 2017” of the Game Dota 2.

• All of prizes ever paid in e-sports are a scaring amount of 381,688,246 Euro!

• The average age of a gamer is 35 and the average number of years played is 13 years.

• The most popular video games of 2018 are: Fortnite, GTA V, Overwatch, Rainbow’s Six Siege, PlayerUnknown’s Battleground, Minecraft, League of Legends, Rocket League and Call of Duty: WWII • The most popular video games ever are: Pac-Man, Donkey Kong Country, Need for Speed, Brain Age, Sid Meier’s Civilisation, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Street Fighter II, Metal Gear Solid, Super Metroid and Doom.

• The first videogame was Pong in 1972!

MARIA SCHÄDLER

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games the queue - serious game

Imagine this - it’s around 1980s, you are in Poland trying to do some basic shopping. Let’s say: meat, sugar, butter, chocolate, soap, shoes. What are you doing now? Collect your money and go to the store to buy it? Well it wasn’t so easy.

During PRL time (Polish People Republic - Poland under the Communists regime) we had few times the ration cards (Kartki) for both luxury products and the very basic once. Already in 1976, the Communists introduced ration cards for sugar. As a result of the ever-increasing economic difficulties, the ration card system has been gradually expanded. On 28 February 1981, cards for meat were introduced, and on April 30 of the same year - also for all processed meats and butter, flour, rice and groats. September also included soap, washing powder and toilet paper. After martial law was introduced, 28

you could buy chocolate, alcohol, gasoline and shoes among others. What’s more the fact you have the ration card doesn't mean that you will find this products in the store. Most often you had to stand in long queues. And yes, I mean very long one - I remember my family member was saying that the longest one he was in was about 30 hours! As a result, the line stander ‘job’ was widespread, which stood in the queue for certain pay and bought goods or services for other people. Queuing committees often appeared in front of the shops which, according to the social list, tried to organize the purchase of scarce products efficiently and fairly.

It doesn't sounds funny at all, I know. So now you are probably thinking, after reading this little too long introduction, what it has in common with this LINK issue titled ‘Games’. Well, more than you thought. In February 2011 the Polish Institute of Remembrance published a game titled “Kolejka”, (eng. Queue). The game has sold 20,000 copies of the Polish edition within a year, and was released in multiple language versions: Russian, English, German, Spanish and even Japanese.

It’s even called a “communist monopoly” just instead of buying streets and building hotels you are trying to buy everyday products. So, let’s take a look at the rules.

At first glance, the task of the 2 to 5 players appears quite simple: they have to send out their family, which consists of 5 pawns (family members), to various stores on the game board to buy all the items on their randomly drawn shopping list.

The problem is, however, that the shelves in the five neighborhood shops are empty. Firstly, each player gets their own shopping list. It shows how many items from which stores they need 29

to collect to win. So at the beginning of each round you are placing one by one your pawns in the queue - first come first served. But as in PRL nothing was as easy as it may sound, you never know where the next delivery will be (to what store) neither how big the delivery will be (will it be enough for you or not?). People start shoving ahead, as everyone wants to be first. Then it’s the delivery time, but before the stores open players can use queuing cards. What’s that you may ask? Well they are all based on reality.

Some of them you may use to push through the queue, like: "Mother carrying small child" - you move your pawn at the beginning of the queue, "This was not your place, sir" - you move other player pawn 2 places back, "Under-thecounter merchandise" - if you are first in the line you can take the product before the store open! Other cards you can use to don’t let other people to shop like "Closed for stocktaking" or "Delivery error" - you move one product to the other store. In each round each player can use 3 of them (there are 15 different in total) - imagine the chaos it creates. The winning person it’s the one who manage to collect all the necessary products as a first one.

What is extremely interesting about this game it’s the fact that it's like a history lesson in the box - it’s even used in some schools in this way. It’s also a unique tool for provoking the intergenerational dialogue when played in the family it’s inviting the older members to share their stories - sometimes extremely funny and almost surreal - and the younger ones to ask questions.

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MAJKA DOKUDOWICZ

games v i d eo g a m e s a n d psyc h o l o gy

"Video games are bad for your health!”, “Video games are making players violent”. On the occasion of this LINK about video games and continuation of exploring the relation of psychology with various topics, D.Ewoldsen, media psychologist, P.Gray Ph.D psychologist and D.Bavelier cognitive researcher will help us to reveal the other side of video games: the positive one.

Does video games makes gamers more violent and more anti-social than non-gamers?

D.Ewolden and colleagues’ research in 1990, as well as numerous studies since, show playing violent video games increases aggressive behavior, but the researcher stresses that they do not make gamers necessarily aggressive. What is matter is the orientation that you take while playing: “It is not the content to the game what matters is 31

how you choose to play that game” (extract of TEDtalk 14.2.15). A study from Ferguson (2010) on 165 young people, summed by Gray, highlighted no link between exposure to violent video games and realworld violence committed by those young people.

The participants’ real-world violent behaviors were, on the other hand, strongly predicted by the violence they are experienced in the reality.

Nowadays, video games might be played as multiplayers and as cooperative competition. The authors’ own studies show that when people cooperate, just for 15 minutes, they are more trusting and pro-social with the other players than when they play competitively. From that statement, it has been highlighted playing cooperative games is “making gamers more pro-social and cooperative” (extract of TED-talk 14.2.15) and is increasing helping behaviors during and after the game.

Does video games are bad for health?

Bavelier’s comparison between alcohol and video games will help us to start stepping back from that cliché: “Effects of video games on the brain are similar to effects of alcohol on the health: when consumed in reasonable doses, at the right age it can be good for health” (extract of TEDtalk 06/12).

Psychologists as well as cognitive researchers and many others scientists have been studying the effects of video games on the brain. It has been shown, as Gray sums it up, that gaming helps children to develop logical, literary, executive and social skills. The author is showing that success in video games, as in chess for instance, is due to perseverance, practice and learning, not on chance as with gambling games. The more gamers are playing the more skills they develop to reach mastery.

Eichenbaum and colleagues’ research (2014) summarized the research about the long-lasting positive effects of video games on the brain. Improvement of basic visual processes and in executive functions (perception, attention, memory, mental flexibility…) has been highlighted.

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Bavelier and colleagues’ specific work on action video games broke some of the strongest clichés. As it is often heard “too much screen time decreases eye sight” however they have found action gamers have better vision than non-gamers. Gamers were able to resolve small details in the context of clutter, to resolve different levels of grey (useful when driving in the fog). “Games are responsive of attention problems and distractibility” is not relevant neither in light of their results. Action games have shown a better ability for gamers in tracking objects around (useful when driving for example). Positive changes in the brain have been spotted: the parietal, frontal and anterior lobes, that control attention, are more efficient for action game players than non-players.

All of these findings about the positive impacts of video game are giving scientists trails for better education and rehabilitation therapies through video games, on the condition of cooperation with entertainment software industries to develop both attractive and braindeveloper games! Should the suggestion be made for them to play cooperative games to increase and fasten their collaboration?

Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSGIZBmGOsU https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/freedom-learn/201502/cognitivebenefits-playing-video-games https://www.ted.com/talks/daphne_bavelier_your_brain_on_video_games#t-10387 OPHELIE COTTIER

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games Backgammon - "the Greek addiction"

The backgammon, called tavli in Greek, is almost an “institution” in Greece, where you can find people (especially old people, but not only) playing it at any time of the year or any hour of the day. However, the traditional coffee shops, the “kafenios”, are their favourite place to play a game. Do you want to know a bit more about the game and its history?

The backgammon is the oldest known recorded board and, so far we know, it seems that has its origins in Mesopotamia at some point between 2900 and 1800 B.C. At least, the oldest board found until now dates from this period 34

of the history. We can also follow it's Ancient tracks through Egyptians, Sumerians and Romans. During these first steps on the evolution of the games they typically used wood, stones, bones or pottery in order to play. In Rome, the addiction to the game was so big, that it was declared illegal during the Republic. It was only allowed to play it during the Saturnalia, however the prohibition law was always weak and rarely came into effect.

Referring to the Ancient Greece, the Homer’s Iliad mentions the Greek habit of playing a game with dice, also used to play backgammon, and from the 6th Century B.C. Illustrations of this game can be found drawn over pottery pieces.

On the other hand, in Contemporary Greece, three games are played in this famous board surface: plakoto, portes y fevga.

The design of the board has been inspired by the annual cycle of time: its 24 peaks symbolize the 24 hours of the day, situated 12 on each side of the board, representing the 12 months of the year. Moreover, the markers are 30, like the average days of the month, divided in two colours; black and white, night and day.

The backgammon or “tavli” is a part of the unmistakable image of the Greek society and their spare time. But, eventually, it can also become a symbol of the economical crisis and unemployment that the country lives with, axactly like in this extract of the poem 35

“Days of 1908”, written by Cavafis in the beginning of the 20th century, but that, unfortunately, keeps all its currently: That was the year when he stayed Without work, for a living played Cards, or backgammon; or borrowed and never paid.

He was offered a place at a small Stationer’s, three pounds a month. It didn’t suit him.

It was not decent pay at all.

He refused it without hesitation; He was twenty-five, and of good education.

Two or three shillings he made, more or less.

From cards and backgammon what could a boy skim; At the common places, the cafés of his grade, Although he played sharply, and picked stupid players.

As for borrowing, that didn’t always come off.

He seldom struck a dollar, oftener he’d fall To half, and sometimes as low as a shilling.

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ANTIA FERNANDEZ MARTINEZ

act youth i n m ovem ent C h i l d r en a n d i m m i g r at i o n

In 2016, approximately 50 million children were uprooted worldwide.

Immigration for children today is a major problem: unlike adults, their development is not complete; this implies more trauma and long-term consequences than for adults. Very little research has been done on the issue but, for example, American researchers have noted that children of Latin origin are more likely to have a difficult adolescence (early pregnancies, drugs, school dropouts, etc). However, researchers have noted one important detail: the causes of immigration have a major influence on a child's development and therefore on his or her future.

The question is therefore whether immigration, literally speaking, really changes child development.

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The risks of the journey Like women, children are the favourite targets of human traffickers : slavery, sexual violence, etc. They also cost more: smugglers charge more money for children than for adults because they risk heavier penalties if they are caught with children; for example, in Mexico, smugglers (also called "coyotes") charge around â‚Ź3200 per child.

There is no need to elaborate further on the risks of migrants' journeys for children: they are just as important for them as for adults.

Confinements For some time now, the USA has been causing scandals throughout the world with the imprisonment of South American children in Texas, on the Mexican border.

Unfortunately, it is not only the USA that has adopted this option to "regulate" migratory flows. In March 2017, Europe adopted a policy of rapid return of immigrants to their countries of origin and whilst waiting for their return, they are placed in detention centres (men, women and children combined). This implies limiting the protection measures that should normally be guaranteed to persons in migration situations as a basic Human Right. In France, for example, there are socalled "closed" centres for unaccompanied minors; whereas in Belgium, centres of the same nature exist but are called "open" (in other words, children are free in their movements).

What are the repercussions of confinement on children? Most children who are locked up suffer physical and mental consequences: weight loss, refusal to eat, loss of sleep, anxiety, etc.

Attention: these locked children are often children who have travelled alone. According to UNICEF, between 2015 and 2016 about 300,000 migrant children were unaccompanied; ten times more than between 2010 and 2011. However, when children have the chance to travel with their parents, they are separated from them in some host countries.

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Scholarship Whatever the cause of immigration, immigrant children are often devalued from an educational point of view: they are often immediately placed in less efficient institutions and rarely speak the language of the host country. It should also be noted that, depending on the host country, the educational care of immigrant children varies: for example, in Canada and Australia, the results of immigrant children are more or less similar to those of indigenous children; whereas in Denmark or Germany, the results are very different from those of indigenous children (most often negative).

Many children fall behind in school by more than two years because no equivalence of diplomas is in place in many OECD countries.

It is therefore important to review the educational policy of immigrants in each host country to optimise the integration of immigrants and to give them the best possible vocational training. Moreover, this political improvement would have positive repercussions on the economies of the countries: most of the unemployed are immigrants and if we offer them proper training, they will find work more easily and the unemployment rate would decrease considerably.

Immigrant children remain children!

Immigrant children must be considered like all other children: they must be protected and remain in their families if they are lucky enough to still have one. Fundamentally, in all receiving countries the priority is the well-being of children. Unfortunately, it is obvious that our governments do not always consider that immigrant children are entitled to the same rights as indigenous children whereas this public is particularly fragile and requires additional protections (especially children travelling alone)!

According to the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (ratified by 195 states worldwide...), ALL children must be treated in the same way and must be guaranteed the fundamental rights of this convention: education, health and protection.

MAĂ?LEN MALENGREAUX

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ACT youth i n m ovem ent v

T r au m a i n t h e r efu g ee po p u lat i o n

Just as the physical remnants of torture do not instantaneously heal once a refugee crosses a border, nor do their psychological scars. For refugees who have escaped conflict zones, their subsequent experience in their host country is not one of simplicity; they face re-traumatization, persecution, imprisonment and a prolonged period awaiting resettlement.

The terminology used for refugees can be slightly muddy, however simply, once the individual reaches a host country they apply for asylum, there after being classified as an asylum seeker. The process can take from months to years. Consequently, refugees remain in “protracted situations” defined by the UNHCR (2004) as “one in which refugees find themselves in a long- standing and intractable state of limbo.”

These situations can range from the inadequate conditions of refugee camps, to being 40

stripped of their right to work whilst anxiously awaiting a letter confirming their asylum interview, or worse, a letter of detainment. Refugees therefore have not only suffered a loss in terms of home and property, but also independence and security.

Amidst all of this upheaval, refugees may be experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Perhaps one of the most prevalent, PTSD is triggered by a terrifying event – either experiencing it or witnessing it.

Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. PTSD effects thinking, mood, emotional reactions and can result in suicidal ideation. Getting effective treatment for PTSD is critical in reducing these symptoms and improving individual functioning. In a review

by Steel et al (2009) which included 81,866 refugees, prevalence rates of PTSD and depression totalled a similar 30%. Exposure to torture and total number of traumatic events were the strongest predictors of PTSD and depression.

Although, this is not to say that all refugees should be regarded as ‘traumatized.’ A review by Porter and Haslam (2005) noted that factors associated with poor mental health of refugees included socio-demographic factors (being older, a woman, from rural background, well educated, and coming from a higher socioeconomic status) and stressors in the post-displacement environment (living in institutions, restrictions in economic opportunities, being internally displaced or involuntarily repatriated and coming from a country that remained in conflict). It may be no surprise therefore, that numerous studies have found that recipient counties imposing conditions of adversity may exacerbate the symptoms of PTSD and depression.

Unlike socio-demographic factors, the post-displacement environment is somewhat malleable to the wishes of policy makers. Ideally, a comprehensive range of mental health programmes, psychotherapeutic interventions and specialised programs for vulnerable groups would be provided. However, millions of refugees currently reside in camps where resources are of the shortest supply and heavily rely on the work of overrun organisations such as; the World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations High Commissioner for refugees (UNHCR), government and nonprofit organisations 41

(NGO’s). Lacking such vital infrastructure means that refugees experiencing mental health difficulties are going unsupported. Policy solutions and strategies are therefore of vital importance to improve the mental health of the global refugee population.

Sources: Porter M, Haslam N. Predisplacement and postdisplacement factors associated with mental health of refugees and internally displaced persons: a metal analysis. JAMA 2005; 294:602-12.

Steel, Z., Che, T., Silove, D., Marnane, C., Bryant, R. A., & Van Ommeren, M. (2009).

Association of torture and other potentially traumatic events with mental health outcomes among populations exposed to mass conflict and displacement: A systematic review and metal analysis. JAMA, 302(5), 537–549.

Mental Health and the Asylum Process During the asylum process, a credibility assessment is undertaken by the decision maker to examine whether the applicant is being truthful. Baillot, Cowan and 42

Munro understand that his area, “is the crux of every application” and a, “large point at which applicants are refused” due to the lack of evidence a refugee may be able to present, or a distrust from the decision-maker that they are being dishonest.

Refugees may flee their country of origin due to traumatic events that may affect their mental health. These issues could hinder the way they come across during the asylum process and therefore hinder their credibility. Mental health can also be affected during the asylum process, as claims may go on for years, and refugees may feel lost, displaced and have a fear of not knowing what their future contains.

Chase and Rousseau conducted a study containing interviews and visitations to refugees, and found that 60% felt distressed and anxious due to social isolation and being far away from loved ones. The UNCHR recognises these issues, and specifically gives the example of applicants suffering with PTSD. It suggests that the decision-maker looks out for avoidance symptoms and dissociation as this can affect the applicants memory, making their story seem vague or dishonest.

Refugees may also display emotional numbing or have unusual coping mechanisms such as laughing, grinning or deep silence, and adjudicators are warned that this is not an indicator of credibility. They must still maintain the principle to give applicants the benefit of the doubt..

A study in Norway concluded that out of 106 participants who claimed to have experienced traumatising events, 45% suffered from PTSD and 33% struggled with depression. With almost half these applicants undergoing at least one mental health disorder, the system needs to support asylum seekers both during and after their claim. Despite these guidelines being produced in 2013, in 2014 it was discovered the Home Office was deliberately deporting people without giving them the required psychiatric examinations. Even if credibility assessments are taking regard of applicants mental health disorders, the system after they are housed in the UK seems to be failing. In Germany, counselling programmes are offered to refugees that are 43

led to help tackle anxiety, depression and PTSD side effects. The UNCHR should perhaps introduce guidelines to support applicants and counselling programmes after their claim as well as during the credibility assessments.

Sources: Baillot H, Cowan S and Munro V, 'Reason to disbelieve: evaluating the rape claims of women seeking asylum in the UK' 10 (1) International Journal of Law in Context 105 – 139 at 106.

Chase L and Rosseau C, 'Ethnographic Case Study of a Community Day Center for Asylum Seekers as Early Stage Mental Health Intervention.' [2017] American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi. org/10.1037/ort0000266 page 9, accessed on 27th December 2017 Jakobsen M and Thoreson S, 'The Validity of Screening for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Other Mental Health Problems among Asylum Seekers from Different Countries' [2011] Journal of Refugee Studies Vol 24, No 1 Oxford University Press, at page 178.

Andrew Curry, 'Germany turns refugees into mental health counsellors for their peers' [31st August 2017] The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/ world/2017/aug/31/germany-turns-refugees-into-mental-health-counsellorsfor-their-peers accessed on 27th December 2017.

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RACHAEL WORTHEN AND ALICE JEAVONS

MY project changing greek attitude towards refugees and migrants

Regarding the current refugee crisis, there is a growing need for volunteers to move abroad and raise awareness of the reality of what being a refugee involves. The media spends it's time writing stories about how immigrants disadvantage a country economically, socially and culturally through entry. My project involves raising awareness in order to remove these stigmas against refugees and encourage people to aid them in any way they can.

Who am I? My name is Alice and I am 21 years old. I am from Birmingham in the UK but I just finished studying law at the University of Liverpool. During my studies I chose 45

to do the module 'Asylum and Immigration Law' as a last option, I had no idea how interested in it I would become! After learning about some of the law, I started volunteering at MRANG, an organisation in Liverpool that runs drop ins for refugee women every week.

I went every week to help women in any way I could. It was through this that I discovered my sending organisation Merseyside Expanding Horizons and I became a volunteer in Kalamata for 6 months.

Why raising awareness is important?

Generally in Greece, refugees are met with unwelcoming hostility. The economic state of the country is still in crisis, and people may assume that hosting hundreds of refugees may damage it further. The locals have a different idea as to who and what refugees are compared to the reality. This was confirmed when we held a stall at the Dream Project show on the 23rd June. We asked locals a number of questions including how many refugees they thought were in Greece and where they mainly go to. Despite there actually only being around 50,000 refugees in Greece some people actually estimated around a million.

Most people also guessed that refugees mainly travel to Europe when in reality Europe only hosts around 17% of the refugee population. These statistics prove that people need more education as to the actuality of the refugee crisis which is why raising awareness is so important.

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Our work so far.

As well as the stall at the Dream Project, we also organised a minute silence on World Refugee Day to pay our respect to all the refugees who passed away trying to cross the Mediterranean. Although it was a short moment it was refreshing to see so many people standing together for the same cause.

We even managed to get a couple of locals to join us. Now we are focusing on raising awareness through activities in the Kalamata Street Festival. We are planning educational games and videos for both children and adults to learn about the reality of refugee's in a more engaging way. Hopefully this will be start of a growing acceptance of migration within the community.

I hope during the next 6 months we will be able to make a lot of progress within the Greek community and their attitude towards refugees and migration!

ALICE JEAVONS

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interview with an act volunteer jack acklam

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Hello Jack! Thank you for accepting this interview. I want to ask you a few questions about you and your volunteering here.

So, to begin with, can you tell me how did you find out about KANE and what made you want to become a volunteer here?

I heard about KANE from a friend who had been a volunteer and I thought this was a really interesting opportunity for me to experience in volunteering.

What were you doing before you became a volunteer ?

I was working as a heavy goods driver, self employed.

How long are you staying in Kalamata?

I am staying in Kalamata for 2 months volunteering although I hope to stay longer after the time being a voluntary worker has finished.

Are you enjoying your experience here? What is your best memory (or memories) so far?

I have really enjoyed my time so far here. I'm looking forward to spend more time here. My best memory so far would be camping in the open cave on permaculture farm nearby.

What do you do during your free time?

During my free time, I like to explore. There is nothing better than visiting new places and sight-seeing. Also, I like to relax by the beach, listen to music and watch documentaries.

What is your favourite place in Kalamata?

My favourite place so far has to be the cave in Stoupa where we went camping but there are still many more places to visit, so maybe soon I will find another place that I would love.

What do you intend to do after your volunteering here?

I intend to stay in Kalamata for the rest of the summer and visit more places around Greece.

Ok, I think that’s all, thank you for this interview and have a good day!

NICOLAS JAOUEN

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MY SENDING ORGANIZATION M ers eys i d e Ex pa n d i n g H o r i zo n s

My sending organisation is Merseyside Expanding Horizons (MEH), an NGO located in Liverpool. MEH share a vision of a socially inclusive society in which all individuals can achieve their potential. Four core values underpin MEH: inclusion, integrity, inspiration and collaboration. MEH do this through a range of collaborative projects both locally and throughout the EU. Local projects include the access enterprise projects which trains individuals to become volunteer mentors, these projects aim to create a supportive communal context.

Past EU projects have aimed to bridge generational gaps such as the ‘Connecting Generations’ whilst others such as ‘Bridge the Gap’ have aimed to increase the flow of communication and advice between new and experienced entrepreneurs. Thus, fostering a supportive context both formally and informally.

MEH provided myself and several others with a full day of pre-departure training. This day was a testament to their core values, the training was interactive and interesting.

Involving multiple collaborative activities regarding migration and the refugee crisis.

During my time in Kalamata I will be regularly in contact with MEH during monthly follow up’s. These will be completed through skype meetings and log books. During my time in Kalamata MEH expect me to complete a personal project alongside my volunteer work, which we are expected to build upon once we arrive back in England.

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RACHAEL WORTHEN

Past event

D.R.E.A . M p r oj e c t f i n a l p r es e n tat i o n

v

The previous event that I was recently involved in was the Presentation for the D.R.E.A.M. project which took place on the beautiful Saturday evening on June 23rd at Nautical Club of Kalamata.

D.R.E.A.M. is the acronym for Design and Recycling for Environmental Awareness and Motivation. The project was initiated ensuing the common interests and desire of two organization: K.A.N.E. Social Youth Development and R.A.D.I.Kal.A. The project started off as a collaboration with European Volunteer Service (EVS) Erasmus+ involving 15 short-term volunteers from 7 different countries around Europe: Croatia, Latvia, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

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The main focus of the project was to enhance people’s awareness of environmental issues as well as it's impacts using pedagogical methods and processes of innovative design to promote recycling and upcycling. The goal of the project was to build “optimist” sailing boats out of recyclable materials, specifically plastic bottles. These boats would, then, be served as a means to educate the locals, children, and students which, hence, encourages them to take initiatives in the community.

On the presentation day of the Project, the event comprised the whole process of making the boat from scratch with four stations depicting 5 innovative stages.

After collecting plastic bottles stage, the second stage involved an invented bicycle to shred used plastic bottles into tiny flakes along with a specific stringing mechanism to produce the plastic cords. This will, thus, be served to weave a net using a handcrafted loom. Subsequently, the net will be stabilized and elasticized by polyester and attached as a layer of the boat. Last but not least, the final outcome, our first complete boat made out of recycled plastic, has successfully been set to sail into the sea by a young captain – Dino.

The future outcome of this project would significantly help to enhance the locals and students’ comprehension regarding environmental friendly initiatives as well as increasing their capacity to create the lasting effects upon environmental advancement and conservation.

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LÊ HONG ĐUC

future event 24 th kalamata international dance festival

For the 24th time Kalamata will host the International Dance Festival - an outstanding event in the world-art-factory. Between 13.07.2018 and 22.07.2018, the citizens and Kalamata guests will have an extraordinary chance to witness remarkable dance works, participate in intense workshops and possibility to enlarge the common idea about stage performances.

The KDF was founded in 1995 with the main idea to support and promote all forms of moving art. Since then, the Festival has become traditional and important event amongst global dance experts.

Major Greek performers, dance masters, a world premiere, multidisciplinary dance performances – from contemporary and circus to street dance – and an intensive workshop programme comprises the identity of this year's

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Festival. Seminars and lectures for students and professionals are always an integral part of the Festival as well.

Artists from France, U.S.A., Spain, Belgium, Mozambique, Switzerland, Slovakia, Italy, Israel, Sweeden, and Ireland are going to make the heart of Kalamata beat to the rhythm of DANCE. Everybody is welcome to KDF! Free admission to all outdoor performances (including photo exhibition) on Kalamata Main Square and to all side events.

The precise information about prices is available at the official website: http://kalamatadancefestival.gr.

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ANGELINA KAYSINA

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LINK j u n e 1 5 th 2 0 1 8

The volunteers responsible for this publication are hosted in Greece in the framework of the European Erasmus+ programme, KA1/youth - European Voluntary Service.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.