APRIL2019 1 st
Editors: Rebecca Bertoli Julien Debusschere
Designer: Ivan Doer
s e i l f o h t u tr
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Content Contact About us Youth Center program
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THANKS FOR HONESTY What is the Biggest Lie What is the Greatest Truth Is it Easier to Lie or Tell Truth
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TRUTH OR LIES Agnes Durda Anna Klghatyan Catarine Silva Enzo Petit Ivan Doer Julien Debusschere Marie Damond Marine Kafer Neda Mijovic Niek Den Boer Ozgur Yuksel Rebecca Bertoli
22 Lying by Telling the Truth 24 Easier to do 10 press up than a lie 25 Prank Ideas for April Fool's Day 27 Untitled... 28 Fool's Gold 30 Truth or Lies 31 Big Fish 32 Is all Truth Good to Say? 35 April Fool's Day Ads 37 Straightforwardness in Dutch Society 39 Why We Lie? 41 The Evolution of the First April
FIND OUT MORE My EVS Experience My Sending Organisation Past Events Future Events Interview with an EVS Volunteer Vol. I Interview with an EVS Volunteer Vol. II
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K.a.ne. Our Volunteers: Agnes Durda Alexandra Morin Anna Khighatyan Catarina Silva Enzo Petit Ivan Doer Julien Debusschere Marie Damond Marine Kafer Neda Mijovic Niek Den Boer Ozgur Yuksel Rebecca Bertoli
Staff members of K.A.NE.: Filaretos Vourkos Jelena Scepanovic Nancy Kanellopoulou Nantiana Koutiva Antonia Vrioni Georgia Griva
@kane.kalamata
volunteers
maiwenenzo
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catarina
niek
My name is Enzo, I’m 24 years old and I come from a little town named La Chapelle d’Armentières in the very North of France. I will stay in Kalamata for 2 months, doing an EVS at the Kefiab Center. It is a therapeutic center that works to improve the quality of life of adolescents and adults with mental and physical disabilities.
Olá! My name is Catarina and I'm from Porto, Portugal. My background is in International Relations, so being a volunteer for a NGO is a useful way of gaining experience and developing valuable skills! I left my 5 cats and dog in order to embrace this project for 11 months. In my project I’m assisting in the day care center for the kids with autism.
I am Niek, I'm 30 years old. From a small town in the Netherlands called Lunteren. I will be a volunteer for 12 months here, in Kalamata. In my freetime, I like to create, read good book or scientific article (psychology, philosophy, history etc), or watch good art-house movie. Sometimes I like to make photographs.
neda
julien
MARIE
Hi, I’m Neda and I come from Montenegro. Activism has been my passion since high school days so I’m thrilled because of the idea of working at the K.A.NE’s office and help to create more opportunities for young people. Some of my other passions are traveling, dancing and good music and I hope I’ll get the chance to nurture all of them in the following 9 months. Can’t wait to discover the Greek way of life and get to know the country!
My name is Julien, I am from France near to Lille. I am 24 years old. I love the nature and the permaculture that’s why i have a garden in my city in permaculture since 2 years already. I stay in Kalamata for 10 months and i’m working in the farm. It’s my second mission of volunteering after Armenia. I love meet a new peoples and learn a new languages. I hope after my mission i will speak greek well and I will have like a second family.
Hello! My name is Marie, I’m 23 years old and coming from France. After one year of study arts, I realized a civic service in Romania in a school with children and I traveled. I will now stay in Kalamata for 7 month, I working at the urban farm, I chose this project to discover the permaculture. During my free times I like to be outside walk discover places reading, sewing.
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ivan
anna
marine
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Who am I? A human being, or, an evolved animal? It's really hard to give an explanation by using only words. So, I'll prefer to let my actions speak louder than my words. But you know what? I'm Passionate about Life and Nature. I spend a lot of time studying human behavior, what is a sort of a hobby for me. My biggest motivation is to learn from life and make my eyes see wider. I decided to quit my full-time job, so I could catch the opportunity to experience something unique in Greece.
Barev! I am Anna from Armenia. Honestly, in 28 years of life, this is my first time abroad in Europe. I am going to stay 8 months here in Kalamata and it is a long time for me to discover everything in Greece: live, love, experience new emotions, meet new people, create new stories, explore new streets. This is a great way and opportunity to get to know me, myself, to discover something new in and outside. After this project, I am going to make a short movie or a video about my story, my EVS, my vision, dreams and goals. Bonjour! My name is Marine, I’m 28 years old and coming from France. After studying Business Administration, working in Marketing and travelling the world, I will now stay in Kalamata for 10 months, working at the office of K.A.NE. I decided to volunteer here to get to know the functioning of an non-profit organisation and to set up my own European Projects! During my free time I like to play volleyball, go diving or read fiction books. This year, you also gonna find me at the German language workshop.
rebecca
ozgur
Agnes
My name is Rébecca. I’m 28 years old. I come from France. I will stay in Kalamata for 10 months to work at the dog shelter. I like to discover new things, life is beautiful and quite short, I enjoy every moment. I have a bit of a crazy personality in a good way, you just have to get to know me. We can learn a lot from people around us, everyone has something to bring to earth and to others!
My name is Ozgur Yuksel. I'm 26 years old. I'm from Turkey where I've been studying Master Degree in Sociology at the Abant Izzet Baysal University. Currently I'm working on my thesis. At the same time I'm doing my EVS project where I'm working in Youth Center. I like reading history, philosophy and literature books. My favorite sport is basketball and I have been playing it for 18 years. For the rest of my free time, I enjoy to spend on nature and going for a hike.
Hi, my name is Agnes and I’m 25 years old. I am originally from Poland but I lived in Liverpool for 6 years, that’s where I have chosen to apply for the short-term dog shelter project. I expect this project to be both rewarding and challenging at the same time, also a good way for me to see if I will like to continue a career path of working with dogs. I am a sport enthusiast - I mostly enjoy winter sports such as ice skating and skiing. I also enjoy reading crime and fiction books before bed. 9
K.A.NE.
FILARETOS
jelena
NANTIANA
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Hello, I am Filaretos Vourkos. For the last 15 years I am working in the field of Non-formal education as a volunteer, youth worker and youth trainer. 10 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 K.A.NE. does, so I decided to stay and be part of it.
My name is Nantiana Koutiva and I am working in KANE as project manager. I have studied greek philology and I am teacher of greek language as well. I love travelling and organizing festivals.
Nancy
antonia
georgia
Hello World! I’m Nancy and I’m working in K.A.NE since 2017 as a Project Manager and EVS/ESC coordinator. I’m passionate about meeting new people and exchange knowledge, experiences and ideas. I love the fact that many young people visit every year my hometown Kalamata and contribute to our society.
Hello! I’m Antonia and I’m 23 years old. I studied business administration in Athens and now I’ve been working in K.A.NE. as administrative officer. 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 hearts to new adventures!
Hello, my name is Georgia Griva. For the past 5 years I am a youth worker and project manager. This journey in youth field started in 2014 with my first youth exchange and my EVS in Istanbul. I am proud to be member of K.A.NE. which represents my vision and my values as human and as active citizen.
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what is your biggest lie AGNES Most of my lies are told out of kindness rather than to deceive or to be malicious. ANNA 1st of April. My mom all day was wondering to see her mother : my grandmother. I was too close to the window and I started screamed that she is coming and when my mom came near to the window and realized I lied , I saw her sadness. For seconds her nice smile was changed. This was lesson for me do not lie because they believe you and after that disappointments will be bigger. I understood, I was reason for her happiness and sadness at the same time, so I decided to make them happy without sad ! ENZO Telling to myself that I will go for a diet tomorrow, and still eat junkfood everyday. CATARINA Saying “I Love You” when I didn’t really mean it.
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IVAN My biggest lie would be to say that an eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind. But no, it doesn’t! There'll be one guy left with one eye. How the last blind guy gonna take out the eye of the last guy left, who's still got one eye ?! JULIEN One day I was totally drunk and I vomit close to my bed and then I slept. The next day I didn’t go in school and I said at my mom I was sick and she clean my bedroom. MARIE I waited 5 months before telling my parents that I had stopped the university. MARINE I think the biggest lie I ever did was about Santa Claus. As I grew up, I had to lie to my little brother so that he continues to believes in Santa Claus. Now I had to lie to my nieces for months before Christmas, to come up with a whole story about the old red man, to hide the presents… It’s a very demanding lie. NEDA I never lie. Hehe NIEK If you bike fast enough you will not be wet from the rain. OZGUR I don’t have my big lie but if I collect my small lies maybe I can find a big lie. REBECCA I never lie. True or false ?
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What is the greatest truth you would like to know AGNES Historical events. Historians and scientists still haven’t got an answer to everything that took place in the past. ANNA The Universe and human brain! I believe that the Universe can read our thoughts, dreams, brain and realized in the future. Connection our mind with Universe the greatest truth for me, but I would like to know how is it working ? CATARINA I would like to know if there is a higher power in the universe that controls everything. ENZO Nothing, I like to dream and think about the question of the universe, or about what happens next when you die… There’s some questions that needs to stay unraveled.
IVAN Can the truth be measured by sizes or importance ? I don’t think so. Besides, I strongly believe that there are no truths, there are only opinions. Why so ? My point is, before becoming a truth, it begins as somebody's opinion. 16
JULIEN I would like to know what happens after the life.
MARIE If the coincidences are really coincidences. MARINE I would like to know if there are other life forms on the galaxy than human being ? There probably are some aliens somewhere, on a planet far far away. NEDA Why did the chicken actually cross the road ? NIEK I would like to know if time travel is going to be open source ? OZGUR I would like to know a lot of things but one of most do you have any life after death. REBECCA I would like to know the truth about all the lies that have been made to me so far. 17
is it easier to lie or tell the truth AGNES Telling the truth can sometimes be harder, for one main reason; you don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. ANNA Nothing easier tell the truth for me. I always try to be honest with people and one of the important characteristics I would like to see in other people. But now in Greece it is type of challenge, because no everyone knows you and sometimes people can be offend, even you want to help. On this way I try be or honest or answer on diplomatic way. In any case I think if someone will appreciate your truth, that person the first don't like lie himself and the rest others ! CATARINA I prefer and I think it’s easier to tell the truth, but sometimes lying is a right thing when you don’t want to hurt someone. ENZO Truth is easier than lie. When you lie you have to prepare an imaginary answer, and sometimes, being under pressure ‘cause you have to hide something by not telling the truth. IVAN As a wise guy once said, if you stop telling lies, you will have no problems with memory. What does it means ? Well, telling the truth is easier, because you don’t need to use the imagination for creating the answer. However, there are moments in life when it’s better to tell a little lie in order not to shake the boat you are in. JULIEN We can convince everyone that we have changed but never ourselves. MARIE I think it is easier to say the truth even if sometimes I need a little time and anyway the true it always knows !
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MARINE I usually prefer to tell the truth. Or if I lie it’s to protect someone, and I would try to lie by omission, which is less dishonest. Generally, lies are not a good issue, for noone. NEDA For a lot of people, it’s easier to lie. In short term it might be ok, but I cannot recall many situations where it turned out to be a good thing in the long term. NIEK Depends on the situation! And sometimes I just don't want to share my opinion if bought answers don't work! The truth is the best on the long term. OZGUR It's easier to lie however Henry David Thoreau says “Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth”. REBECCA Saying the truth has fewer negative consequences than telling a lie, but it's easier, it depends on the people.
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LYING BY TELLING THE TRUTH There are three types of lies : Omission, where someone holds out on the facts; commission, where someone states facts that are untrue; and paltering, where someone uses true facts to mislead you. That it’s so widespread in society now gives us more insight into the grey area between truth and lies, and perhaps even why we lie at all. We lie all the time, despite the fact that it costs us considerably more mental effort to lie than to tell the truth. US president Abraham Lincoln once said that "no man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar".
But researchers say there is a lot we get wrong about deception, truth-telling and trust—and that, if mastered, lying the right way can actually help build connections, trust and businesses. “I believe that we should be teaching our kids, students and employees when and how to lie,” says Maurice 22
Schweitzer, a professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, who studies deception and trust. Here are the five most common ways that people lie by (technically) telling the truth: 1) Cherry picking facts 2) Misusing averages 3) Highlighting insignificant differences 4) Citing anecdotes as evidence 5) Pawning off the lie Lying by telling the truth is, unfortunately, highly effective and we’re all pretty used to it by now, so detecting it will take some practice. Remember, just because what you’re hearing is true doesn’t mean they’re not talking around the issue. Don’t just seek the truth; seek the right truth. So next time you hear a fact that sounds odd, or someone to be deflecting a question, be aware that what you think is the truth may very well be deceptive.
AGNES DURDA
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EASIER TO DO 10 PRESS UPS THAN TO LIE
"The greatest advantage don’t lie, you don't need remember what did you say." - Mark Twain
You know the feeling, when you attend the gym and do exercises and you see result, you want work harder and harder. You see how changed your body, for you more easier do 10 press up than the first time, day by day you do this with pleasure and don’t kill yourself like the first time. Yes, lie and true are also like this. If you choose one of this you are going to try, continue and developed. What do you want improve - It is up to you. I really don’t like lie not for me , not for people. Why lie when there is true ? I have a lot of friends that really appreciate this in me and they know that I am not going lie just because they want heard this nice sentence. But imagine you are in another country, nobody knows you and try be honest , not everyone will understand you. What I did ? "Siga siga" I am telling the truth, if someone don’t ready heard than I try just don’t speak but don’t lie. But don’t speak is also not for me. This means you need be just person who you are. If they understand that you say everything on their face you don't need speak by back. Also if you said true to the person, it means you taking care and try to help. Don’t lie is easy thing that you can do. Just keep your and the others’ secrets, don’t split what you heard next to “Neighbor” and what you see? And remember, just for your eyes.
ANNA KHLGHATYAN 24
PRANK IDEAS FOR APRIL FOOL'S DAY It’s that time of year again. April Fool’s Day — A time to trick your family and friends with funny fakeouts ! It’s unclear exactly where the April Fool tradition originated, but some people are more than happy to have the opportunity to play personal pranks on their friends, family members or coworkers. We definitely don’t advocate hurting anyone or destroying or damaging anyone’s property, but if you want to prank someone – Here are good ways to do it ! • Put a note on someone's car that says "Sorry about the damage, had to leave" and watch them look all over for the nonexistent damage.
• Text random stuff to your friends to make them think they subscribed something. • Screenshot someone’s desktop, remove all of the icons, then set the screenshot as the background. Really simple ! • Block a mouse sensor with a piece of paper and some tape. • Hide a toy snake around the house. I would have a heart attack ! • Use your friend’s autocorrect for evil. Basically you can write a shortcut that will automatically expand in the word or phrase as they type. Been there, done that. 25
• Or, Borrow your friend's phone, change yours contact name to "Mom", and start sending hilarious un-mom-like messages. • Make your roommate believe that your apartment has suddenly become infested with giant bugs. You can totally freak him/her out by doing something a little bit more realistic than a fake rubber bug. Print images of insects, then cut them out and tape them onto the inside of a lamp shade. When the lamp turns on, it will look like a huge bug is inside. • It's almost Easter, so it’s cool to do something with candy ! Swap out those mini chocolate eggs for something different. Before you see everyone, dip grapes in chocolate, then freeze. Take the chocolate eggs out of the wrappers, save the wrappers. When the grapes are frozen, wrap them in the foil wrappers, then serve as if they were candy. • Last but not least, my favorite : If you are a student… When you’re all settled in your classroom, start talking about how much you studied for the big test later today, so all your other classmates can hear. When they start to panic about the upcoming test they knew nothing about, let them in on the joke. This one always works !
CATARINA SILVA
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UNTITLED... There are the big lies very badly seen, and then there are the small lies, nice, that everybody practices with more or less talent of actor, and which are of common agreement accepted of all. Besides, can we really speak of a lie ? Isn’t just simple politeness ? When you say "No thanks" when someone propose you food but you want to eat the entire plate. "Tomorrow I will take care of myself for my body summer" but you are still eating pita with EXTRA fries. When you say "Tomorrow I get up earlier" and you are still on your bed at 12:00. “It’s not what you think !” Yes it is. When someone that you don't like come to you and say "Hey ! How are you" and you answer, politely "I'm fine." "Okay guys this is my last drink and then I'm going home"... still ordering something at 4:15 A.M. "Are you alright ? Yeah I'm fine"... No you are not. When your girlfriend asks you "Did I get fat ?" And you answer "No", but she actually got fat. "It's payday today, I should save it in case this month" but you have spend everything the second day. Sorry babe I have my periods = I don't want to have sex tonight. "I'm ready, I'm coming in a minute !" No, you are still on your bed and you are about to take a shower. When you say you are busy just to not to go somewhere. "Do you have some smoke please ? "Oh sorry it's my last one" haha of course it's not your last one. When you eat friends food and you say "Oh yeah it's great you are a chef !" And then you go to the trash to spit all of it. No, you boss never trust you when you say "Sorry I'm late, alarm clock problem". When you say "Yeah I'm listening keep going" but you are absolutely not listening. When a homeless ask you for some money and you say "Sorry I don't have anything" with a 20 euros ticket in your pocket. I've read and accept the terms and conditions *Insert random website*. It's not you, it's me.
ENZO PETIT
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FOOL'S GOLD Actually, you can find plenty of bright sides on lying to others. The person lying doesn’t know or have the answers. It may be easier to go along with what is being implied or being made explicit and verbal than to face the unknown, unsaid, or unarticulated. The person lying is trying to save face or look good. Sometimes it’s easier to make things up than to risk disappointing people. The person lying is disorganized. He/she may have planted so many lies or has so much confusion about keeping people away from the truth that the lying has become a habitual form of avoiding what’s really going on. As a way of life, there is a great deal of confusion about what is “real”, what is accurate and what is factual. Fear. It is just plain scary to dig inside, look at the truth, face the facts, and confront reality. The person doing the confronting has a low tolerance for ambiguity, thus there is a high insistence or demand for concrete answers. If the person being confronted doesn’t have a clear way to paint the picture more accurately, he/she may not know how to correct what is being implied. If the person doing the lying doesn’t have an accurate way to look inside, sort of speak, and come up with a description of self-experience, lying can be feasible. This may be the case of the person simply doesn’t have words for what they feel, notice, experience, etc. So they don’t bother. If a person has a history of going along with the flow, or doing what the environment is prompting him/her to do, lying will be a behavior that is extremely difficult to change. “Automatic pilot” behavior is behavior that is not always conscious- and although it may result in painful consequences later (being confronted about lying)- It can be the easy thing to do in the moment. Putting words on experience is one of the “what” skills of mindfulness. Paying attention to experiences within the skin encourages clients to accurately “look inside” (sort of speak) and to get better at 28
describing what (exactly !) is going on. Looking “inside” can be rather aversive (and sometimes even painful). Mindfulness is a conscious effort to be aware. It may mean paying attention to and interrupting a history of automatic pilot behavior. Over time, being able to accurately put words on experience, be assertive, and have a legitimate “voice” can be rewarding. Not only can it give persons a sense of confidence, but it can empower them with adequate words for their pieces of truth. They can also share observations and perspectives that may have been previously silenced. Hard ? Of course... Worth it ? Absolutely !
IVAN DOER
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TRUTH OR LIES The truth and the lie is omnipresent in our life, it allows us to dream, to invent a life, to please people. There are two stories : the official, lying story, which is taught to us; and the Secret History, where are the true causes of events, a shameful History - Balzac The greatest lies or truths are the simplest to learn or to swallow. History interests me enormously but lies and the truth even more. As soon as I explain the story I try to check the information. But how to be sure of the story. Can it be certified that it is authentic ? There is a story but several truths and several lies - Julien Debusschere I would like to know the truth about a lot of history : The man walking on the moon, September 11, the assassination of Kadhafi and Kennedy. My travels aren’t just about taking pictures and drinking, but meeting people to talk to them and knowing the truth if it exists. To finish on a beautiful note here is a poem by Jean-Léon Gérôme - 1896 named 'The truth coming out of the well' "Legend has it that one day the truth and the lie met. - Hello, said the Lie. - Hello, said the truth. - Nice day, continued the Lie. Then the truth went to see if it was true. It was. - Nice day, then answered the truth. - The lake is even more beautiful, said the lie with a nice smile. Then the Truth looked towards the lake and saw that the lie was telling the truth and nodded. The Lie ran to the water and launched... - The water is even more beautiful and warm. Let's go swimming ! The truth touched the water with her fingers and she was really beautiful and lukewarm. Then Truth trusted in lying. Both took off their clothes and swam quietly. A little later, the lie came out, he dressed with the clothes of the truth and he left. The truth, unable to wear the clothes of the lie began walking without clothes and everyone went away seeing her naked. Saddened, abandoned, Truth fled to the bottom of a well. Since then people have preferred to accept the lie disguised as truth naked truth."
JULIEN DEBUSSCHERE
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BIG FISH Big fish is an American fantasy film by Tim Burton, written by John August and released in 2003. Freely inspired by Daniel Wallace Big Fish's novel : A Novel of Mythic Proportions. Albert Finney plays Edward Bloom, a business representative from the southern United States who has a gift for telling extraordinary stories and who is nearing the end of his life. Bloom's son Billy Crudup, a journalist, has quarreled with his father and is trying to improve his relationship with him now that he is dying and telling him about the hectic story of his young adult life. Each new story that the father (Edward Bloom) recounts usually always begins and the more the character sinks into his memories the more the facts are invincible. All of these memories become extraordinary, real life is about fantasies. Thus comes the retribution of the son who would like to know the truth about the life of his parents as their first meeting or his own birth: (While celebrating the marriage of his son William, Edward Bloom tells, for the umpteenth time, but with talent, how, the day of the birth of Will, he caught a huge fish using his own alliance as bait. Will is embarrassed and explains to his wife, Josephine, that because of the lies his father tells on all subjects, he can not trust him). Throughout the movie we want to believe in the beautiful stories of the father to tell himself that all these fantastic and endearing people are real. For me this movie is a moment of reflection because we can continue to believe stories that we are told even if they are impossible but just a moment forget what is real and unreal just dreaming and thinking for a moment that everything is possible. "Big Fish deals with what is real and what is imaginary, what is true and what is not, what is partly true and how, in the end, everything becomes true." - Tim Burton
MARIE DAMOND 31
IS ALL TRUTH GOOD TO SAY? The truth is a value, the fact of saying it is a virtue, it is at least virtuous to say what is believed to be true, what is called truth. But the question may arise, should not there be discernment in the statement of a truth that one possesses ? Is all truth good to say ? The question is in itself ambiguous : do we speak of what is good for the one who speaks the truth, or what is good for the one who hears it ? To this is added another question : when we speak of a good truth to say, is it what is good for us, what is profitable to us, or what is good absolutely, of what would have moral value ? We will see at first that when we consider what is in our interest, we must be careful not to state a truth that could harm us or be used against us, which seems quite obvious. But we will ask later, to what extent, even when it is the interest of the other who guides us, or the duty that we have as our goal, any truth may or may not be good to say. As for the one who speaks, and who wonders if telling the truth is, or not always profitable, it is clear that the truth is not always good to say. This can be verified in a familiar context: indeed the truth is neutral, it does not consider my interest or my disadvantage. If what I consider is my advantage, which is of the order of my interest, it is obvious that the telling of the truth must be subordinated to the examination of what is advantageous to me or not. It would take a strange leap of honesty for example in a fraudster, motivated by his only greed, for him to come himself to denounce the taxes. In everyday life, telling the truth is obviously not always good for us. But this discernment is even more obvious as soon as one is in a search for power. This research is necessarily competitive, so we must use all weapons against each other, and of course not give it to him so that he can use it against us. It is for this reason that the truth is rarely good to say politically. It is in this spirit that Machiavelli advises the politician, the prince of his time, not to keep his promise : "A wise prince should not fulfill his promise when this accomplishment would be harmful to him and the reasons that one determined to promise no longer exist "The Prince, Ch.18 Unfortunately, sincerity is a moral luxury that the man in power can not always afford. There is, however, a deeper reason why a truth is not politically correct for the person who states it: in the democratic context, to govern properly one must first govern, and for that to be elected. We must please the people and for that reason unfortunately it seems that we can not afford to say what is true, but that we must say what people want to hear. Plato compares the democrat who wants to be elected to "someone who, in charge of raising a big and strong animal, would have informed himself in detail of his instincts and appetites." Republic VI 493a. If a politician knows that he will have to carry out an austerity policy because he has no leeway and is bound by international agreements, he will nevertheless promise a bright future to his constituents, or he will will not be elected. Participating in the democratic game implies giving up sincerity in part. Here again, all truth 32
is not profitable to the one who states it. But the question is not settled so far. The truth, whose profitable character is not always good for the one who utters it, could always be good for him who hears it. And, perhaps another question, one must still consider to what extent it would be good in itself to tell the truth. In the fact of knowing whether it would be good for the other to tell him the truth it would be necessary, here again perhaps, discernment. Any truth would not necessarily be good to say whatever the context. Truth is a virtue, certainly, but generosity is one too, and sometimes saying a truth could be detrimental to the hearer, could cause him unnecessary pain and lead to acts that could only harm him. To say a truth that can serve no purpose to the one to whom it is said, and which could only sadden it, would seem contrary to the generosity which should guide us in our relationship to the other.
It may not be good, for example, to tell someone that their spouse has been unfaithful to them in the past. The information would be of no use to the one who hears it. There are contexts in which discernment is more difficult : a doctor, for example, often has the sad duty of announcing a painful truth, but his duty of honesty towards a patient outweighs generosity. For a journalist, the question is more difficult: should it for example reveal the connection of a politician, the details of his love life? It seems that his duty to inform should not prevent him from practicing a virtue: discretion, on pain of confusing information with voyeurism. If, then, we even consider the interest of the one to whom the truth is destined, it is certain that all truth is not good to say. But not to tell the truth may mean two things : not to state it, which may be limited to discretion, or to say the opposite of the truth, to lie. And here it seems that, morally, there is no ambiguity, that the lie could never have a moral value. However, we must examine the question. There are indeed political situations where it seems that there is a need to utter lies in the very interest of those to whom they are told. This presupposes, of course, that one considers that individuals to 33
whom one is lying are unable to bear the truth. This is unfortunately sometimes the case. A politician, for example, can lie when he knows that a disaster is going to happen, that he does not have the material time to protect the entire population, but that the announcement of this disaster would lead to reactions to more serious consequences. serious as the disaster. The responsibility seems to lead to a very paradoxical "Duty to lie by humanity". "For the sake of men, they often have to be piped" says Pascal Thoughts 294. Not only would not all truth be good to say, but it would even be necessary to say the opposite. There confront two ethical, two moral, the morality of conviction and that of responsibility according to Max Weber. It is true that it is difficult to defend the lie, Kant even speaks, about the truth, "of a sacred duty of reason" in a pamphlet entitled On a pretended right to lie by humanity. Indeed, if everyone began to lie, the word would no longer have any meaning. Benjamin Constant replies that it would be absurd and criminal to tell the truth to murderers who came to ask us where their victim would hide "To tell the truth is a duty only to those who have the right to the truth". It seems, for example, that a Nazi seeking a Jew during the war was not entitled to much, and especially not to the truth. It remains that the question can not be settled. It can not be said that it may be morally good not to tell the truth, but perhaps it would be morally worse to hold on to our moral purity than to the safety of another human being. It is therefore clear that all truth is not good to say if we have in view our interest, which is profitable to us. Whether in the daily context of our individual existence or in the political context, all truth is not good for us. As for whether it is good for the one who hears it the answer is more difficult. It depends on the context, and perhaps especially on the ability of the other to accept this truth. As far as the individuals are concerned, this is always difficult, it is even more so with regard to the peoples, since the politicians often tend to find the people too immature to tell them the truth. Still, even saying the opposite of the truth is not always easily decidable, it can not be moral to lie, but it may be sometimes necessary.
MARINE KAFER 34
APRIL FOOL'S DAY ADS To commemorate April Fool’s Day, companies around the world are competing to make the funniest fake commercial, make their customers laugh and at the same time go viral and increase their popularity. Here are some of the funniest from the previous years : Honda’s “Sixth Sense” App For this product, Honda adapted the anti-collision technology found in cars for the distracted walkers. It but repurposed as an app for distracted walkers.The “Sixth Sense” app detects when pedestrians who are texting while walking are about to walk into another person, car, or other obstacle. Even though it’s an imaginary product, it’s actually a good idea to keep people from crashing into each other or falling into fountains. Condom flavors by Durex Durex having different flavored condoms is not a new thing. The brand is well known for this fact actually. But this time they announced that they will start producing three new flavors: “Fish & Chips”, “Sunday Roast” and “Chicken Tikka Masala”.
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Acquisition of Seth Rogen by Netflix Netflix announced its acquisition of social networks - OF SETH ROGEN. The company has released a statement announcing that it had acquired the “World-renowned Canadian person, prolific marijuana-doer, and winner of the 2015 MTV Movie Award for ‘Best Kiss,'” Seth Rogen.The contract would apparently see Rogen transfer full ownership of his personal autonomy over to Netflix Inc., even in the event of his “Mysterious and untimely death.” Burger “Chocolate Whopper” by Burger King Burger King has produced an ad showing a brand new product - “Chocolate Whopper”. The Whopper is complete with a grilled chocolate patty, topped with raspberry syrup,chocolate pickles and white chocolate onions on a chocolate cake bun.
Avocado flavoured Coke by Coca-Cola Haven’t you always wondered what avocado-flavoured Coke would taste like ? Um, neither has anyone else. Coca-Cola announced the release of three new flavours this April Fools’ Day, including avocado, sourdough and charcoal. The flavours were said to launch under the company’s “Zero Sugar” brand, in order to be appealing to the modern generation.. Heinz chocolate mayonnaise In another Easter-themed April Fool’s Day prank, Heinz mixes chocolate with mayonnaise to create an exciting new combination : Chocolate mayonnaise. I wouldn’t like to try it, ever.
NEDA MIJOVIC
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STRAIGHTFORWARDNESS IN DUTCH SOCIETY
“I think we in the Netherlands are a place where… No-one is going to pretend. For example, when you say something in a business meeting that is not a very smart suggestion, people will always point it out,” “You don’t talk too loudly on the train because it’s not nice for the people in your compartment; you don’t play your music too loud in your apartment because it’s not nice for your neighbours; there is this constant calibrating of your own behaviour,” But in the Netherlands, there is “the sense that people have the right to say whatever they want and be as direct as they want. And if other people don’t like that, it’s their fault for getting offended”. “Others may think that we don’t have empathy. And maybe that is so because we think truthfulness goes before empathy,” In the end, it all comes down to differences in communication patterns, I think the Dutch tendency to be very direct has to do with straightforwardness, which in turn is connected to the historical prevalence of Calvinism in the Netherlands (even though, according to the dutch news, the vast majority of Dutch people don’t associate with any religion today). This straightforwardness is so intrinsic in Dutch society that there’s even a Dutch word for it : Bespreekbaarheid (speakability) !!
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That everything can and should be talked about! there are no taboo topics. In fact, directness and the idea of transparency that goes with it is a highly desirable trait to the Dutch. For example many of the older houses in the Netherlands have big windows, allowing visitors – if they so wish – to peep inside. “There is a totally different concept of privacy”, “You sit in a restaurant with a friend and they will happily, in a room full of strangers, talk quite loudly about their medical problems or their parents’ divorce or their love life. They see no reason to keep it a secret.” In fact, from an outside point of view, it seems that every topic, no matter how difficult, should be up for debate. The Netherlands is unique in the way it treats topics such as prostitution, drugs and euthanasia. The latter is legalised but highly controlled. Well the Dutch do have taboo topics. “We don’t discuss salaries, we don’t discuss pensions. Anything to do with luxury. We don’t talk about how beautiful our house is. We don’t discuss how big our car is” “We have an egalitarian culture. And in that egalitarian culture, we don’t want to make a difference between the boss and the employee.” In other words, there are rules of behaviour that everyone has to follow, and that, again, is visible in language. Proverbs such as ‘Doe maar normaal, dan ben je al gek genoeg’ (just be normal, that’s already crazy enough) or ‘Steek je hoofd niet boven het maaiveld uit’ (don’t put your head above the ground) are there to remind us that we are all the same.
NIEK DEN BOER
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WHY WE LIE...!? It uncovers the facts and science behind lying. Author Yudhijit Bhattacharjee reports that most of us are adept at lying, and many of us can easily make up both small and large lies. He writes that lying is considered a developmental milestone, like walking or talking, and that kids get better at lying as they get older. Bhattacharjee suggests that the ability to lie is often connected to a sense of sophistication and the ability to put oneself into someone else’s shoes. However, interesting enough, in our more senior years, we tend to lie less because we care less about what others think. There are many reasons people lie : to inflate their images, to cover up bad behavior, to gain financially, to humor people, to hurt or help others, to be socially correct, or to avoid punishment or censure. In some cases, lying becomes pathological. According to a study by Serota, Levine, and Boster (2010), prolific liars are most likely those who have an honest demeanor; similarly, “Unusually transparent liars avoid lying”. One of the first quantitative studies of lying was conducted by social psychologist Bella DePaulo. She studied 147 people between the ages of 18 and 71 who kept a diary of all the lies they told over the course of a week. The results showed that those who lied did so an average of one or two times a day, and most of the lies were told to hide inadequacies or protect someone else’s feelings. DePaulo found that those most likely to lie were extroverted individuals who cared about what others 39
thought; also, they were sociable, self-confident, and physically attractive. According to her findings, these people lied because they wanted to make a good impression on others and flatter them. Her studies showed that those who lie more often are more manipulative and irresponsible than others. She also believes that “everyday lies are really a part of the fabric of social life”.
In her research, DePaulo (2011) identified two main types of lies-self-serving and kind-hearted. Self-serving lies spare liars embarrassment and make them feel better. Kind-hearted lies are told to make others look or feel better; they are told from the heart. There’s no doubt that some people are better liars than others, and that most of us know our capacity for being “good” liars. I am generally an unskilled liar because my face is expressive, giving immediate clues to my dishonesty, and I also have an unreliable memory. In ordinary life, we can’t give polygraph tests to the people we meet, but we can be aware of certain behaviors and characteristics that tell us that others may be lying, such as : Changes in vocal pitch. Unusual blinking or fidgeting. The use of fewer first-person words such as “I.” A decreased tendency to use emotional words, such as hurt or angry. Difficulty making eye contact when speaking, or shifty eyes. The use of self-soothing techniques such as ear tugging, neck touching, collar pulling, or mouth covering. Inconsistent gestures or facial expressions that contrast with message content.
OZGUR YUKSEL
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THE EVOLUTION OF THE FIRST APRIL ‘A fool's joke’ is a joke that is made on April 1 to his acquaintances, his friends and his family. At a time when first April was the famous paper fish that was sticking with tape on the back of everyone to make a joke. “April Fool !” Is also the exclamation that one pushes once one of the jokes is discovered. It is also customary to make hoaxes in the media, as well as print media, radio, television and the Internet. Today, everyone can make a joke too without needing to stick fish in the back. It can come from the simple joke message : "I'm pregnant", "I saw you on TV this morning," or "Sorry, I damaged your car on leaving" to the joke that can go much further and last as much time as the day : 'The photo a little file shown on the internet, the key the hidden house, joke with several friends to turn their head to one of their good friends. Sometimes more the joke is, the better it works. On this famous day everyone wonders if what the person tells him is true or false. Is it a joke or the reality ? This is the day when we must unravel the truth from the false. The truth or the lie is something that we deal with every day and on this day lying is not frowned upon because it is to make a joke! During this day, to everyone's imagination. Besides, sorry but I have to leave you, I have a big fish to fish, DiCaprio is swimming right now in Kalamata from what I heard he did a lot of kilometers since the Titanic…
REBECCA BERTOLI 41
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MY EVS EXPERIENCE MY EVS EXPERIENCE AT DASH In this short piece of written text, I would like to write about my EVS experience in the dog shelter. My project was only 2 months long, yet in this short time I was able to learn a vast range of new skills and gain a great sense of achievement. During my 2 months I volunteered at the dog shelter in Kalamata, Greece. I worked alongside dog rescuers at Dream of A Safe Haven (DASH) and other volunteers to help in the still pressing issue of stray and abandoned dogs in Greece. It can be emotional and difficult at times to work with animals in need, as I experienced myself after hearing many horrible stories of the dogs I was looking after. Stories of dogs that been abused, starved and inflicted with disease.
I would now like to share my story of one of these dogs that I looked after, a dog that was aggressive
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to most of the volunteers and did not let everyone near. It took me around 3 days, with a small step each time to let myself near him and show him that I mean no harm. When one day I saw him happy and wagging his tail for the first time after seeing me. This transformation was my greatest reward during my stay. Shelter dogs have gone through many hardships, but they are still great animals. I like to think that all the hardships that these dogs have faced leave them that much more susceptible to falling in love with a new owner. By adopting rather than shopping dogs at pet stores, you help making a change, and having a loving sweet animal that will beam with gratitude. If you think adopting a dog is not a good idea for you right now, you can also help by sponsoring a dog, donating or fundraising. Alternatively, DASH is constantly low on staff and by becoming a volunteer you help around the shelter directly. Through that you are rewarded by gaining new skills and developing existing ones, as well as accomplishing something useful for the local community.
AGNES DURDA 45
MY SENDING ORGANISATION My sending organisation is the Portuguese Red Cross in the city of Braga, which is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. This organisation aims to meet the needs of those in crisis and to guarantee respect for human dignity, promote peace, mitigate the negative impact of conflicts and protect the lives and healthcare of the Population. It also seeks to promote
humanitarian values, such as that of solidarity towards those in suffering. The Red Cross in Braga was created in 1870 and its mission has since then relied on the work of volunteers. It carries out its mission in compliance with the Statutes of the Portuguese Red Cross. Accordingly, our mission is to improve the conditions of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity, while respecting our fundamental principles: Humanity, Impartiality, Independence, Neutrality, Volunteering, Unity and Universality. We aspire to a voluntary commitment from a world of communities that will flourish and become more capable in fighting all the human suffering with the strength of hope, dignity and concern for equity. Always framed in the values and fundamental principles of the organisation, Red Cross Youth develop several interventions with children and youth. The projects are always divided into four distinct areas of intervention : • Promotion and Health Education • Intervention for Inclusion and Gender Equality • Education for Development and International Cooperation • Employability, Entrepreneurship and Active Citizenship.
CATARINA SILVA 46
PAST EVENTS BURKINABÉ RISING On Wednesday, March 20, we saw the screening of a documentary called 'Burkinabe Rising' at the Youth Center in Kalamata. This French documentary subtitled in English speaks of the nonviolent resistance of the Burkinabe people in Burkina Faso. We have seen through his visual arts such as graffiti, sculptures, ecology, music including slam and rap, cinema, dance and all the other arts represented by all the African people gathered to perpetuate the the revolutionary spirit of Thomas Sankara, the former president who remains forever in the memory of his people. The BurkinabÊ United show us that unity is strength and that with the arts there is a real quest for peace for women's equality, against injustice and corporate agriculture. This documentary shows a cultural and fraternal revolution. A need to speak and act together to move forward. A superb inspiration in everyday life and a great example for everyone !
REBECCA BERTOLI
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FUTURE EVENTS 10 YEARS OF YOUTH CENTER
On Friday, April 12th, the Youth Center will celebrate its 10th anniversary. 10 years of collaborations, projects, exchanges, creativity, mutual aid. Youth Center actually have more than 10 workshops for all people (languages, ukulélé, yoga, guitar, salsa, kickboxing, taï chi, capoeira, etc.) They have more than 50 local people and EVS volunteers of the word. This place help a lot and we feel well. We are going to celebrate together his birthday with drinks, cakes, dance, music if you want to join us for enjoy !
REBECCA BERTOLI 48
INTERVIEW WITH AN EVS VOLUNTEER VOL. I
1. Tell us something about yourself : My name is Agnes, I am originally from Poland. For the last 6 years I lived in Liverpool, England where I studied and worked in Health and Social Care field. 2. Why did you choose to do EVS ? It was a chance for me to do the project of my interest abroad. It is also a great way to meet new people from different cultures. 3. Why Greece ? I am interested in the history and philosophy of Greece, that is why I was always very excited when I was visiting museums and historical landmarks. I also wanted to try some of the local cuisine. 4. Describe your experience so far : My experience is short, 2 months. During this time, I volunteered in the dog rescue centre where I carried out various duties to ensure dog’s wellbeing. 5. How is it like to live with people from all over Europe ? I found it to be positive and fun, I enjoyed learning about different cultures/cuisines. We spent a lot of time together cooking, watching films, travelling and simply enjoying our company. 6. Are there any important things you have learned ? During the skills sharing sessions, I refreshed my memory on digital skills and I also learned more practical things such as how to make a soap. 7. What is your most precious memory from this EVS ? Participating in the carnival that is celebrated every year from ancient times. It was very interesting to follow the ceremonial procession and to see the performance. 8. What do you think about Greek people ? I think they are friendly and like to socialise. You can meet them for a coffee and enjoy the weather 49
with the siga-siga attitude. 9. Do you have a message for people who would like to do EVS and are maybe hesitating ? You would have a wonderful time ! EVS is not only the project, it is a way to meet new people, learn new language and travel whenever and wherever possible. 10. Any other thoughts : I recommend my project to anyone who loves dogs/animals. At the end you will feel like you have achieved something meaningful so don’t hesitate and apply for this incredible adventure. Good luck !
NEDA MIJOVIC
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INTERVIEW WITH AN EVS VOLUNTEER VOL. II
Tell us something about yourself My name is Özgür Yüksel and I am 26 years old. I have finished Bachelor of Science in Sociology at Abant Izzet Baysal University in Bolu, Turkey in 2016 and I have been studying Master Degree in Sociology at the same university since September 2017. Currently I am working on my thesis project and I expect to finish it by January 2020. 1. Why did you choose do to EVS? Since I haven’t experienced volunteering yet, I felt the lack of having such experience. I thought that volunteering in EVS program would be an excellent way to fill in this gap. The reason I have chosen EVS is that while gaining volunteering experience, I want to meet different cultures and people and I want to improve my skills in English language at the same time. I would also like to use my social abilities in benefiting people, improving their situations and making their lives better. 2. Why Greece? I have never been in Greece, in fact I have never been abroad. I wanted to get to to know Greece, our neighboring country very much. I made some research on Greece and the city of Kalamata where the KANE, Social Youth Development is located and really, I found it very attractive. In addition, I wanted to experience living in abroad for a while because I believed this would be personally beneficial for me. Moreover, I wanted to get to know both Kalamata and some other beautiful places around Kalamata. I am aware that living in a country where a different language from my native language is spoken may be challenging for me, but I am eager to overcome the challenges and to find ways to improve myself. Finally, I am ready to share my knowledge and abilities with people and also to learn from them. 3. Describe your experience so far I will share something very significant for me - I have managed to create an event in the Youth Centre that was financially successful. It has triggered me to think more about making similar kind of events 51
after my EVS. 4. How is it like to live with people from all over Europe? It was a pleasure to meet and communicate people who belong to different ethnicities and cultures. I have widened my knowledge regarding some of the traditions and mental aspects of each culture I have met. I was truly enjoying the time spent with every person who surrounded me.
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Are there any important things you have learned?
One of my goals was to improve my English. Fortunately, it worked out. My goal was successfully reached. At the same time, for me it was a challenge to change the routine of living, what I believe was accomplished well. After the project I will keep on working on them. 6. What is your most precious memory from this EVS? I have a lot of good memories. Choosing one is difficult for me. We visited so many different place. Nafplion was amazing. 7. What do you think about Greek people ? If you have a funny story feel free to share. đ&#x;˜Š They are kind and welcoming. It's easy to communicate them. 8. Do you have a message for people who would like to do EVS and are maybe hesitating? Everyone should experience this. This is amazing opportunity for everybody.
NEDA MIJOVIC 52
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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.
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