Money!
July 2011
_editorial
Money. Even if you dislike it and think you’re above it, you still need it to carry on with your life. Also, it’s probably the cause of a lot of the problems we see around, or if not the cause, it’s the reason behind it. In this issue, though, you’re not going to find anything too revolutionary. The articles reflect the need we have to rethink how to use our resources and how to go on living. Have you ever thought about how much money you need to live on a different country? Well, we have! And in the upcoming pages you’ll know what we found out. Another important thing we could not miss are the revolutions happening right now. We know it’s a very important happening for all of us who are young, because this will shape the world of the future, the one we will live and work on, and grow our children in, so we’re giving you an insight on what ideas are coming to shape the future of Egypt, what role Turkey is taking in the Arab Spring and how our Spanish friends are on the streets and in the squares asking for better working conditions and much more. So if you’re really living in the world of today, then you won’t be able to stop reading once the first article appears on your screen; and if you haven’t been following the changes that are going on, this is the time to catch up! Daniel Nunes
_content
s
04 The end of monecracy 06 Chocolate for thought 09 Spanish Spinach and Chickpea soup 10 Petty avowal of feebleness 12 Egypt’s uncertain but bright future
13 South of the border, west of the sun book review
14 How much money do we spend? 16 Moldovans abroad breaking the stereotype
17 Spanish revolution in istanbul 18 Spanish winds of change 20 Money! 22 Unity Express 25 pigs in maputo 26 Turkey, as europe in arab uprisings
28 Jessie J - Price Tag music Review 29 Events
Libertas 22 money published July 2011
The end of monecracy text: Charlotte Großkopf
photo: Alexandre Fonseca
Money doesn’t buy happiness.
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article.
Sure. This is a commonly accepted maxim. It helps you to appease your jealousy of the rich and to find satisfaction about your own lifestyle. It is a saying that probably everyone has been told by one’s mother, grandmother or teacher. It is the key to content, the key to a fulfilled life for those without piles of money. It is what you believe in your private life, not with business. Business is different, as well as politics. Only sums count, as far as annual profit or the GDP is concerned. Executives and economists juggle with figures to find the most lucrative option. Here in Germany, the four main goals of our “social market economy”, our economic system, are low unemployment, a balance of imports and exports, the stability of prices and economic growth. But it seems that economic expansion is the most important to the government. Money rules the economic world. But not all of it. There is a small but emerging scientific field with the exceptional title “happiness research”. And what is so striking is the fact that not only psychologists or philosophers get involved. There are also economists claiming that our western economic system is obsolete. And they are backing the “Money doesn’t make you happy” maxim with statistics. For example, there is the term “hedonic treadmill” which was coined by Brickman and Campbell in their essay “Hedonic Relativism and Planning the Good Society” in the year 1971 and is referred to by many happiness researchers today. Being controversially discussed ever since, it describes that human desires and expectations rise in tandem with higher income. Therefore, when the basic needs of a human being are met, more money does not bring more happiness. A clever discovery. There are several indices that measure happiness in different countries. For instance, the Satisfaction with Life In-
dex tries to show life satisfaction all around world. It was produced by Adrien White, Analytic Social Psychologist at the University of Lancaster and it is the attempt to directly measure happiness. According to this ranking, happiness is mostly correlated with health, wealth and access to basic education. However, there are some countries that get out of line. Germany, for example, ranks 35 although it is a relatively affluent country while Bhutan, a relatively undeveloped country, ranks 9. The Happy Planet Index is an index of human well-being and environmental impact which was introduced by the New Economics Foundation in 2006 to contradict wellestablished indices of countries’ development, such as the GDP and the Human Development Index. The GDP is seen as inappropriate, because the usual ultimate aim of most people is not to be rich, but to be happy and healthy. To put it simply, the Happy Planet Index measures human well-being is as Happy Life Years. This amount of years is multiplied with the level of life satisfaction and divided by the ecological footprint per capita. Consequently, the HPI is not a gauge of the happiest countries in the world. Countries with relatively high levels of life satisfaction, as measured in surveys, are found from the very top to the very bottom of the rank order. The HPI is best considered a better gauge of the environmental efficiency of supporting well-being in a country. There are many other statistical approaches to happiness left. Experts from all over the world are trying to find what happiness means to society and economy. According to Bruno Frey, professor at the University of Zürich and one of the world’s leading welfare economists, happiness research “is not a futile or eccentric activity, but is able to provide relevant new insights and can serve as an inspiration for future research in economics” (working paper “What can economists learn from happiness research?”, 2001). Happiness researchers are not dogooders. In the first place, they are scientists who have
Happy Planet Map from the site http://www.viewsoftheworld.net/?p=1236
recognized that humankind has always aspired after money although it is actually desirous of happiness and health. And they are working hard on establishing happiness research as an accepted scientific discipline. One of them is Karlheinz Ruckriegel, lecturer at the Georg Simon Ohm University of Applied Sciences in Nuremberg. Being one of the few German economists who also works with happiness research, he sees it as a renunciation of materialism. Isn’t it incredible? Our down-to-earth maxim mentioned at the beginning of the text has made its way to the curriculum. It is being discussed in symposiums as well as in public forums. It is a new way of evaluating a country’s economic policies. Their aim should no longer be economic growth and expanding GDP but increasing individual and collective happiness. Therefore, every country has to invent new strategies to restrain the factors that prevent people from being happy: Unemployment, a yawning rich-and-poor divide, environmental pollution and a deficient health and educational system. In Germany, Ruckriegel demands several changes in public policies. “The people always believe that they’re unhappier when paying higher taxes”, he says by way of example, “but that’s not true. In Denmark, for an instance, tax rates are much higher than in Germany. But statistics show that the Danish are the happiest Europeans, they are more content than we are.” Indeed, Denmark is to be found at the very top of the Satisfaction with Life ranking 2006.
But higher taxes and therefore better health and education is just one possible aspect. Some welfare economists also expect the government to prevent people from spending too much time on making money by changing income taxes. Others want restrictions for the ad industry to prevent materialistic advertisements from awakening desires and creating unhappiness. Many economists and politicians remain unimpressed by the findings of happiness research. Hundreds of years of classic economic theory oriented towards money are to be overcome. This takes time, a lot of persuading and profound arguments. I hope happiness research will gain more influence on business and politics. I share the vision of a balanced and beneficial state where the well-being of its people is the center stage. Maybe we will achieve it one day. It seems like there is a lot of rethinking at the moment. People from all over the world question authorities as well as their fixed habits. The time is now to replace money with happiness on an aggregate level. For decades, it has been every individual’s decision to go without a wellpaid job in order to enjoy the time with one’s family and hobbies. Today, it’s up to the state to provide the right circumstances.
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Chocolate for thought Bláthnaid Deeny
“With the majority of modern slaves in agriculture and mining around the world – and forced labor prevalent in cotton, chocolate, steel, rubber, tin, tungsten, coltan, sugar, and seafood – it is impossible to get dressed, drive to work, talk on the phone, or eat a meal without touching products tainted by forced labor. Even reputable companies can profit from abuse when they do not protect their supply chain – whether at the level of raw materials, parts, or final products – from modern slavery.” – “Trafficking in Persons Report 2010”, US Department of State
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Chocolate is a big business. In 2010, it was worth US$83.2 billion, with consumption doubled since 2007. 46% of US citizens say they can’t live without chocolate. And the top consumers are the markets with most disposable income: Europe and North America. On the other hand, the main suppliers of its most important ingredient, cocoa beans, are Côte d’Ivoire (around 43%) and Ghana (14%), both in West Africa. 14 million people are directly involved in cocoa production. In Côte d’Ivoire in particular, the economy is highly dependent on it. This allows for some serious power abuse.
Top confectionery manufacturers 2010 Company
Net Sales 2010 (US$ millions)
Cadbury/Kraft Mars Inc Nestlé SA
16,825 15,000 11,265
Candy Industry, January 2011
article.
Production of cocoa beans 2008/2009 Country
Production (% and thousand tonnes)
Côte d'Ivoire Ghana Indonesia
35% (1222) 19% (662) 13% (475)
ICCO Annual Report 2008/2009
Studies from multiple sources ranging from individuals through the media to international bodies have linked the cocoa/chocolate industry to child slavery, or “worst forms of child labour” as defined by the International Labour Organization. Here are two for your tasting pleasure:
What’s going on? In 2002, the International Labour Organization oversaw a report by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture on Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria. The IITA estimated 284,000 cocoa industry child labourers in these four countries. In Côte d’Ivoire, there were 200,000. Almost 12,000 had no local relatives, indicating they had been trafficked, mostly from other impoverished countries like Burkina Faso, Mali and Togo. The report also found: ~Most children used machetes to clear fields; ~153,000 applied pesticides without protective equipment; ~Others had the dangerous job of picking cocoa pods and slicing them open to remove the cocoa beans; ~64% of children on cocoa farms were under the age of 14 and 40% of child labourers in cocoa farming were girls; ~Conditions involve 12-hours plus per day from 6:00am, regular beatings and a 30% lower education rate. All this, and many of them never saw or tasted chocolate. During BBC Panorama’s “Chocolate: The Bitter Truth” in 2010, reporter Paul Kenyon met 12-yearold Ouare Fatao Kwakou from Burkina Faso who had been sold by his uncle and trafficked to Ghana to pick cocoa. After one year, his entire salary still went to his uncle and traffickers. At an Côte d’Ivoire port, Kenyo, acting as a trader, managed to sell on cocoa beans produced by child slavery. There are many other reports, including Sudarsan Raghavan and Sumana Chatterjee’s award-winning “A Taste of Slavery: How Your Chocolate May be Tainted” and a documentary at thedarksideofchoc-
olate.org. Research “cocoa child slavery” and take your pick. So what’s being done? Some people are tackling the issue. US Congressman Eliot Engel has been pushing for slavery-free chocolate for years. In 2001, he gave the US industry five years to make sure child slavery was eradicated or face legislation. The Fairtrade movement was established in 1988 to guarantee producers, especially smaller ones, adequate working conditions and pay. A Fairtrade seller must obey guidelines on salaries and working condition and sustainability standards, and can then put the Fairtrade mark on its products. The Rainforest Alliance, set up in 1987 works similarly to Fairtrade but salaries are not guaranteed and only 30% of the product needs to be Rainforest Alliance-certified to use the mark. It has a broader focus on social, environmental and sustainable factors. This is proving a more popular option with larger companies who don’t want to pay the extra involved in Fairtrade.
And how’s it going? Results are mixed. The US chocolate industry met neither its 2005 deadline nor the 2008 extension. When legislation was threatened, it offered instead to take over the regulation themselves, leading to the International Cocoa Initiative. Small (perhaps tokenistic) initiatives have been taken. The excuse is that it is impossible to determine the source of cocoa beans, never mind whether child slavery was involved. For one, I find this claim of helplessness from such a powerful group hard to believe. Even with Fairtrade, progress is slow and not without hiccups. Fairtrade’s global chocolate success so far is limited, with only 1% of the market. The 2010 BBC documentary revealed a Fairtrade cocoa cooperative in Ghana discovered child slavery in a small number of cocoa farming communities last year. It also found an Côte d’Ivoire case where two young boys, while not slaves, were helping their father harvest Fairtrade chocolate for Nestlé KitKat instead of enrolling for school.
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Progress is coming though, at least. The Ghanaian Fairtrade co-operative suspended the seven communities, hopefully setting a precedent. The two children working with their father are at least not child slaves away from home. And at the other end of the process, higher demand for Fairtrade in the UK has already pushed major chocolate companies to act. Cadbury’s flagship Dairy Milk bar is Fairtrade and Mars announced all its chocolate will be Rainforest Alliance-certified by 2020. And the Rainforest Alliance may be an easy compromise for some companies, but 30% is better than nothing for now.
What can I do?
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“Dominique Kramo, ‘a young Ivorian who coordinates Red Cross help for kids in trouble,’ said, “The answer is to attack the overall economic conditions so that everyone can live a better life. I get crazy when I see outsiders who don’t understand anything use a simplified approach. What happens then is that people don’t buy Ivorian cacao, and the whole situation is worse for everyone, especially kids in a fragile position. We have enough problems as it is.”” – “Blood Chocolate”, January 2011, www. shcpemerald.org/news/2011/01/13/bloodchocolate This is an optional area. It’s difficult to know what to do sometimes. But getting informed and doing something small is better than doing nothing. You could find out you pick up more good habits, then your friends take on your small good habits, then their friends... You could: ~Switch to Fairtrade chocolate like
Equal Exchange, Divine Chocolate or Green and Black’s (look for the Fairtrade mark). It tastes much better too; ~Buy Fairtrade chocolate as presents for people to introduce them; ~Read reports and watch documentaries about the cocoa and chocolate trade; ~Visit the online survey of Hershey (one of the least ethical manufacturers) and ask them to work toward Fairtrade certification of their chocolate products; ~Sign up for Dubble.co.uk (aimed at children, so simpler to understand!); ~Find the Fairtrade organisation for your country and get involved. At a deeper level, you might need to decide if you’re willing to pay that bit extra for your chocolate. In 2001, Côte d’Ivoire Prime Minister, Pascal Affi N’Guessan estimated cocoa beans would have to increase in price 10-fold to ensure child slavery would be rooted out. Are you willing to pay the difference?
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article.
d n a h c a n i p s h s i n a p p u S o s a chickpe
Sophie Yeoman
This recipe is from Javier, who I lived with for a couple of months last summer. There were nine of us from four different countries staying in the house, and one small kitchen, which became crowded as we all returned home in the evenings from work. On some evenings Javier would make calimochos, with coke, lots of ice and the cheap cask wine from the supermarket, and we’d sit around with those talking. Javier had been trained as an engineer, but there was no work for him in Spain, so instead he was traveling the world and finding work where he could. The effects of the financial crisis in Spain have led to an unemployment rate of 20%, which rises to 44% for under-25-year-olds. When there is work available, it’s mostly temporary and low-paid- as my flatmate said, if the only work you can find is as a waiter, you might as well be seeing the world at the same time! The situation in Spain for young people is grim, but I think my flatmate had the right idea to leave and make the most of the time out from his career. Now he’s gone back to Spain for a while to see family and try his luck finding a job again, and I miss him! This recipe reminds me of him every time I cook it.
chickpeas spinach egg(s) (one for two people, more if a greater number) a little garlic one or two onions (depending on how much of the other ingredients you're using) salt black pepper parmesan cheese, if you want
Put the chickpeas in a large saucepan, cover with water, and leave for at least six hours if dried, one hour if from a can.
When you’re ready to start cooking, drain the chickpeas, and place the egg in the saucepan. Cover with fresh water, season with salt, and place saucepan over high heat. Once the water has come to a rolling boil (lots of big bubbles), reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook at a low boil for ten minutes. Turn the heat down again to low, and leave the chickpeas to simmer, while you remove the egg from the saucepan and place in a bowl of very cold water to rest until cool. Chop onions, garlic (not too much of this!) and spinach finely, and cook the onions gently in a pan with olive oil until they start to turn golden. Then add the garlic, mix in well with the onions, and add the spinach. Cook until the spinach and onions are soft and everything smells of garlic, making sure that the mixture doesn’t burn. Peel the hard-boiled egg and separate the white and the yolk. Mash the yolk with a little of the chickpea water to make a smooth paste, and add to the saucepan. Stir this in well, and it should help to thicken the liquid. Chop the white of the egg finely, and stir this into the soup with the spinach mixture. The soup should be ready. Check that the chickpeas are soft, although still holding their shape. Serve in bowls with freshly ground black pepper and some grated parmesan and olive oil over the top if you want.
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recipe.
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‘Petty avowal of feebleness’ Daniel Said Monteiro Unearthed lights of fleeting joys greet you – Oh violent Thunder! The tempest comes closer and one can scent the smell of little flowers dragged away from their native soil. Oh silent Thunder! There is a heathen deity looking down upon us. Icy eyes and a firm grasp holding tight the briny spear that strikes our shores.
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I shan’t hold you any longer my dear your thorny body hurts my skin Keep us safe inside your bosom until we collapse at last from our ongoing blissfulness. Whence comes this sailor gone astray on our briny shores? You shan’t tell him which way to go, shall you? Deep down the lonely seas, one finds a deserted land of silver – come to our land of silver hidden under foreign tongues.
There comes the mariner – he stops by the silvery lake. He has a stern countenance, one knows his grim intentions. This old fellow sees the bottom of that small soul lurking under his blurry image. The world around him fills his breast with tunes once known and sung on other ports – not this one.
poetry.
A moth circles the candlelight, swooping over the flickering flame, awaiting your sweet impressions. It shall burn itself. Its wings ignite and flare up. What we see is winged fire flying above our muddled heads. Bewail the flickering flame that has been lost, we no longer see our scorching desires. The sore carbuncle of our lives spreads across our faces, darkening the unspoiled visage we inherited from our forefathers. Bewail the pearly tears gone by, salty drops of grief dried by those relentless suns. Glimmering gems turned into hard crystal, penetrating the soft skin of sorrow. There comes the steamer – closer, closer She stops by the menacing gorge. Your throat has dried my dear friend have some more port.
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There is hardly anything drinkable, but I can’t keep my thirsty fingers from grazing your thorny skin. Our gleaming morning comes to greet us. One hears the violin sound an octave higher at dawn. Old birds are still going eastward, flapping their shadowy wings, scattering their ashy flight over the ubiquitous roundness of our senses.
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Egypt’s Uncertain but Bright Future Deena Adel
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article.
After three decades of oppression under a tyrant’s rule,
the Egyptian people stood up to reclaim what was rightfully theirs: their country, their freedom, and more importantly, their dignity. It took 18 days to put an end to the rule of the former President Hosni Mubarak – 18 days of massive street demonstrations, death of hundreds of people, thousands injured, the plunge of Egypt’s economy, and the destruction of its massive tourism, but the perseverance of peaceful protests finally prevailed. Egyptians danced and celebrated Mubarak’s ouster, but after the festivities had died down, they realized that overthrowing the regime was the easy part. Now they have to deal with the mess they have inherited. Not only do they have to form a new government, draft a new constitution, and fix the economy, they also have to work on integral issues that still plague the country such as education, social justice, and women’s rights. In Egypt’s current transitional phase led by the military, Egyptians are looking to overhaul the nation. They are looking to overcome decades of repression that led to a lack of political experience, and avoid electing a new regime with different leaders but the same old tactics. A possible outcome to the Egyptian revolution that worries the world is one that is similar to the Iranian revolution, where the people overthrew a corrupt dictator only to have him replaced by a strict, religious fundamentalist
regime. People fear that a post-Mubarak Egypt would give rise to an Islamic fundamentalist force that will undermine the democracy of Egypt. That, however, is very unlikely. The “Islamist threat” is a myth that was created by Mubarak’s regime. It was meant to send out the message to the world that it is either them, or a radical, anti-U.S. Islamist group. As a society, Egyptians are moderate and far from extremism, and in a Gallup poll released in June, almost 70 per cent of respondents said religious leaders should be limited to an advisory role regarding legislation. ‘Egyptians expect a bright political and economic future and they envision a representative government where religious principles guide the democratic process, but with clerics limited to an advisory role,’ said the report by Gallup-Abu Dhabi. Despite their positive outlook, the revolution did have its tolls on Egyptians who, according to the Gallup poll, are currently less satisfied with their standard of living and the availability of necessities, and they feel their communities have become less safe and less tolerant. Still, hope, as opposed to the air of despair that had haunted pre-revolution Egypt, is enough to get the nation by for the time being. No one knows what the future holds for Egypt and with every new day comes a surprising revelation that once again changes the course of events. The outcome of the revolution is anything but certain. The whole world is watching Egypt’s struggle for democracy, just laws, respect for human rights, and freedom. One thing, however, is certain: the Egypt of the last 30 years is no more.
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book.
'South of the Border, West of the Sun' by Haruki Murakami Júlia Tessler
Haruki Murakami is one of the most well
known Japanese writer of these days. Each of his novels get great ratings and recommendations. With this novel, it can’t be different: if you have never read a book by Murakami, this is a good way to start. If you have, then you won’t be disappointed. The story is narrated by Hajime, who starts by talking about his lonely childhood, until he meets Shimamoto: another lonely girl who has her own issues with life. Shimamoto suffers frim polio, which causes her a walking problem. She’s also an only child, which made them both different from the other kids they knew. They become great friends and spend a lot of time enjoying each other (by talking about their interests in life and listening to jazz and classical music records), but they end up growing apart and life goes on... Hajime tells us about some other girls he met. He grows up, creates a family and has his own business. He believes he has a comforting and happy life, but that’s when Shimamoto comes back to drag him from this blissful state and makes him wonder if that’s the way he wanted things to be. The novel is about a different kind of love story. Hajime and Shimamoto teach us there are many ways of loving, that people can complete each other in different ways and still feel empty. They also make us wonder about life and the choices we make and the things we say, about the people we meet and the impressions we have. How much impact can one have upon another? Is this the way we wanted it to be?
review.
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HOW MUCH MONEY DO WE
SPEND? Anita Kalmane
Name
Julia
14
Location
Occupation
Income
Accomodation
23
Moscow, Russia
Studying and working in a business travel sector
800 EUR (30.000 RUB)
Shared apartment with boyfriend - 600 EUR for both
Ieva
23
Riga, Latvia
Studying
0 EUR/LVL
Shared apartment with boyfriend - 310 EUR for both
Luiz
25
S達o Paulo, Brazil
Studying and working in an educational project
1.100 EUR (2.400 BRL)
Parents house - 0 EUR
1.000 EUR
Shared apartment with a friend - 390 EUR for both
1.300 EUR (1.200 GBP)
Rented room - 560 EUR
Marit
25
Alice
24
Jan
article.
Age
27
Birkenfeld, Germany
Working as an intern at a veterinary clinic
London, The United Kingdom
Studying and working part-time as a waitress
Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Studying and working part-time
800 EUR
Rented room with a girlfriend 490 EUR for both
This month I decided to ask several young people about their monthly income and the way they spend money. Some of them did not feel comfortable sharing this information even with me, others did not know how much money and for what they spend, some wanted to change their personal details and some were fine with revealing information. Take a look, make conclusions and compare – how much do you spend per month?
Food
Eating at home and at work - 475 EUR for both
Other budget lines
End of the month
Are you on average youth?
What is the average salary in your country?
Public transport (48EUR), social life (0-50 EUR), travelling (100EUR), shopping
No money left
Yes, as most students also work part-time or full-time
540 EUR (Russia), 900 EUR (Moscow)
No money left
No, because I spend a lot, but I don’t work. An average youth in Latvia does not have so large apartment, has a small income and cannot afford a lot.
Eating at home and out - 500 EUR
Clothes (150 EUR), Fuel for the car (150 EUR)
Eating at home or at the unersity -200 EUR
Public transport (120 EUR), social life, debts
Eating at home - 180 EUR
Social life (180 EUR), internet and mobile phone (70 EUR)
Eating out - 225 EUR
Public transport (90EUR)
Eating at home - 350 EUR for both
Social life, travelling, insurance, education
Can start to have savings
Depends, my friends in the industry earn 2-4 times more, but people without studies earn 3-5 times less
Some money left
Yes, but only for a young person
Can start to have savings
Yes, but I do not get money from parents and I do not have a student loan as most of the British youth.
No money left
No, because I am travelling more and spending more money more efficiently
400 EUR
450 EUR (São Paulo)
4.000 EUR
No idea
No idea
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Moldovans abroad breaking the stereotype Irina Corbuly
“Oh, you are from Moldova? I heard that
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article.
you have good wine there!” This is the usual way people meet Moldovans that live abroad. People’s cognition is created in such a way that we often associate a country with certain things, images and ideas. But what can these images and associations become some day? Stereotypes and biased attitudes is exactly the thing that all immigrants (including students, workers and tourists) usually face while being in a foreign country. Aiming at pointing the existing stereotypes and prejudices, the Congress of Moldovan Diasporas has made a survey among the Russian citizens in the framework of the project «Breaking Stereotypes: Moldovans Abroad». The Russian citizens and former citizens of Moldova have answered the questions about their feelings and associations that appear at hearing the word “Moldovan” and described the attitudes of Russians towards Moldovans that live at the territory of the Russian federation. The results of the survey have shown that 40% of respondents associate Moldovans with wine, brinza cheese and hominy, and also feel proud of knowing it or being related to Moldova to some extent. Only 13% of respondents feel nostalgic when hearing about Moldovans. The question about the frequency of mentioning Moldova in the Russian mass-media, 70% of respondents have said that the information about Moldovan citizens rarely appear in all kinds of mass-media, and when released both in Russian and in the international media it is usually related to the political developments. The attitudes of the Russian citizens towards Moldovans and Moldova have been evaluated as
generally positive by 45% of respondents, 20% are indifferent towards Moldova and its inhabitants, 19% of respondents have expressed the opinion that the general attitude is biased. The most common stereotype about Moldovans that Russian citizens and other nationalities face is the association of Moldovans with work immigrants. 37% of the respondents think so, 29% consider that the main reason of such stereotype is the difficult socio-economic situation of Moldova. 37.8 % still think that Moldovans are the most hospitable nation linking people with delicious wine, huge fests and dances. The results of the survey suggest that regardless of the free access to various mass-media, which should provide for the possibility to judge objectively and to critically analyze information, people who took part in the survey are biased by many prejudices. Though many of the respondents admitted that their opinion is imposed by society, and it is obvious that many of them do not have a reasonable basis. Also some respondents said that after filling out the questionnaire they have slightly changed their attitudes towards Moldovans who live abroad, because the questions have made people think and analyze themselves critically, and as a result come to an objective reasoning.
But one question is still open: how is it possible to change the image of an average Moldovan so that the citizens of other states get an objective opinion?
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From here you can make a screen print with all the strikes around the world: http://www.thetechnoant.info/campmap/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8-ub-04QeQ&feature=youtu.be http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUUi5ndec7s&feature=related photo:Amaya Rodrigo (http://www.flickr.com/photos/amayita)
Spanish revolution in Istanbul Ángeles Lucas
From Sol to Istanbul, through the whole world
“Nobody expects the Spanish Revolution” This has been one of the main slogans for the 15th March Movement in Sol Square in Madrid, but instead an inconceivable event, has become an International mass affair. From Madrid to Istanbul, through London, New York and many other cities around Europe, Asia, and Latin America, the people have spoke with the same voice demanding a Real Democracy and against bankers, politicians, and business men who have caused the economical crisis. Again, social networks have been the best tool to develop common ideas, actions, and activities around the world. Young people know perfectly well how to organise events and join them. The Spanish to the Arab follow, and they are the
movements Uprisings recognise reference
are grateful as a path to proudly that to follow.
A Facebook group created in Istanbul was the first step to arrange a protest
in front of the Consulate from Spain in the city. Then they celebrate and assembly on the street, where they decided to manage a manifestation on Istiklal Street, the main pedestrian avenue in the city. Almost 60 people supported the strike, mainly Spanish students, but also some people from Turkey and Italy. A Spanish student was interviewed on Turkish TV, and the news about the Spanish Revolution was covered in some Turkish newspapers with a double-page spread. Then, four days before the elections in Turkey, almost 20 young people from the country has camp in Taksim Square in Istanbul following the revolution’s examples. They have been there for two days demanding real democracy and a decrease in the high unemployment average for the youth. Tahrir was the seed in Arab countries; Spain has been the seed in democratic countries, now, let us see how the plants are growing up around the world.
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article.
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Spanish Winds of Change Maximo Plo
18
article.
S
ince 15th of May, Spain has been involved in a series of demonstrations all around the country. The central motto is demanding Real Democracy Now, but what does Real Democracy mean? The reason behind this is of a great depth. It has not been a coincidence. In Spain, as probably in most countries, any demand that needs political action is introduced in the political speech, either you are from the right wing or from the left. But do these two sides of the conflict really represent the society’s needs and aspirations? The fact is that politics have become (or continue to be) a bureaucratic profession in which the only concern is getting votes. And as the European Union, International Organizations and Lobbies hold the key to most of our economy, the political speech merely studies which insults of the opposite party are most effective in reaching the electorate. A wise man once said, “You can’t fool everyone all the time”. But seeing how inequalities keep growing, not just North-South, but also inside each country, I’ve had my doubts over the past years whether this saying was true. The Human Race has more means than ever before to guarantee everyone a decent life. However we still see how our governors and bankers make efforts to perpetuate a system that can no longer be maintained. More weapons are manufactured, more forests are trashed and more people have to face poverty and starvation every day. Sooner or later, all this old-fashioned way of ruling society has to end, and the 21st Century is the time when people get the power to change the world. As billions of people have access to the Internet, billions of people can inform the world about what they know or what happened to them, and all of them can also get informed in a way that no one could before. In this way, Federico Mayor Zaragoza (former Director General of the UNESCO, 1987-1999) said: “To change, it’s necessary to know reality deeply, and once you know the invisible, then you’ll be able to make the impossible”.
Images from the sites http://hostessuniversal.com/clients/triodos_bank/activate_campaign/ethical_banking and http://jetzt.sueddeutsche.de/texte/anzeigen/393064
This lack of confidence in national and international leaders has led civil society to understand its responsibility in building change, thus growing the number of activist people dramatically, people willing to give their free time for a common cause, rather than an individual cause. Over the past 10 years, countless ecologist organizations, alternative economics organizations such as Attac, or Ethic Banking such as Triodos Bank are fast growing in numbers. People feel this is the right way to go. So when we wonder why so many people are demonstrating lately, not just in Spain, but also in many other European and non-European countries, we shouldn’t think that people are only against the social cuts we are suffering nowadays. We totally oppose them, but we
oppose them since they belong to the way of doing things that has dominated the last 30 years. The human race has forgotten words such as solidarity, fraternity or honesty, and we want to bring them back. We think people are more important than markets. This particular movement started as a demonstration on the 15th of May, extended to camping on squares everywhere, taking advantage to debate about specific measures that should be taken, thus proposing rather than protesting. On the 19th of June hundreds of thousands took the streets again to protest against the Euro Pact. It is evident that the vast majority of the population wants things to take another path. They want Real Democracy. Will politicians be up to the task?
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Venice BIennale Held since 1895, the International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale attracts thousands to the romantic city. With works chosen by rigorous selection, it always features some of the best international artists at the Giardini di Castello and the Arsenale.
what where when website
Venice Biennale Venice, Italy From June 4th to November 27th http://www.labiennale.org/it/Home.html
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Money! text: Farah Anwar
photo: Alexandre Fonseca
They who are of the opinion that Money will do everything, may very well be suspected to do everything for Money. ~George Savile, Complete Works, 1912
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article.
W e are lacking what we really are: running behind money. Our lives, our actions, our behavior everything is measured in terms of monetary value, we are eventually transforming into machines and the rule of machines freezes Hearts. These robots have no concern with humanism, relationships and social values. They can give you luxurious but sophisticated life; show you the way but not the courage to move on. Life without social values, where there is no difference between right and wrong, respect or love, all are assembled behind single God, ‘The money’ which is the most harsh fact of this modern world. Everyone is behind the rising sun: ‘If I have money, I am always right, I can do any thing, I am the most loveable person, the best mannered and best educated’. This world only gathers for elegant riches and the poor who die struggling for life is notorious, discriminatory world and money is the widest discriminator. Have you ever seen the battle of truth and money, I won’t say truth wins the battle, ‘it wins the hearts’, but those hearts keep quiet and make money wins. Look around for the truth, and who would define truth when it has already been sold out. Those who give lesson of truth, those who claim to be followers of truth, those who are spreading truth, those who are supporting it, everyone has been bought by money makers. Ever since childhood we are trained to worship money. My mother used to warn me that if I happen to tell a lie I would not get money, if I get good grades I’ll get a gift, If I did a good deed I would be given extra money. Every time my mother was angry at me she would cut on my pocket money. So, it has been added in blood. Now when I am a grown up I only want money but now, whatever values given by my book lessons, my feelings all have been melted in ocean of money. Although my books taught me that truth always wins, I have learnt that book lessons are to give exam not to amplify and teachers are to convey lessons so that they would get paid ‘good money’. Whatever the so called truth is, it is by the will of rich people, they use this truth from time to time for their own benefits, and any thing that can make them well-off is TRUTH.
Earth gets its price for what Earth gives us, The beggar is taxed for a corner to die in, The priest hath his fee who comes and shrives us, We bargain for the graves we lie in; At the devil’s booth are all things sold, Each ounce of dross costs its ounce of gold; For a cap and bells our lives we pay. Bubbles we buy with a whole soul’s tasking, ‘Tis heaven alone that is given away, ‘Tis only God may be had for the asking, No price is set on the lavish summer; June may be had by the poorest comer. ~James Russell Lowell, The Vision of Sir Launfal, 1848
Whom would you believe? The truth according to the will of affluent: those who created money - the money makers, self-centered people, who even change laws, policies, rules and even religion if it goes against their will because their only religion is money. Then these masters claim their loving nature and sympathy with the poor people. They achieve power with money and play with the sentiments of the poor. They keep on spreading the blessings of money, enforcing people to accept money as their Godfather; they know one who earns Rs 5 for himself would give them profit of Rs 20. They call everyone to come out of home and work to get more money, while they keep on ruling them. They make people learn that their only goal is to get high money, money is their only relation, life is nothing without money, money is their only pride, and they are superior on the basis of money. In all this values disappears, feelings and emotions dim down, a competition of wealth starts, relationships breaks and truth is coated by fakeness and lies. Nobody cares, if a person would die because of a lie, what he want is money, nobody cares if his decision would make other suffer, what he want is money, nobody cares about his old parents, he can even sell them for money, nobody cares about killing their children if it would get them money. Nobody cares about ethics and social responsibility, only money, money, money. See the world and you’ll realize that rich are always safer. Rich nations have the power; these rich nations have made so called organizations to help the poor. But do they really help? Look at the IMF, UNO and World Bank; they are so called independent organizations which are run by top developed nations of the world. Without their approval it can’t grant assistance to those poor nations whom they claim to help. What sort of justice it is? If any thing goes against their benefit, these wealthy nations can veto it and what is left for the poor nations, except following rules set by highly developed nations for them. Where is the truth, even their mission is fake, they are only after making wealthy rule over the poor.
That money talk I’ll not deny, I heard it once: It said, “Goodbye.” SHAKSPEARE
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Let our diversity be our strength The Unity Express Staff
Europe is a place full of colourful people, histories
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and worldviews. We believe that this diversity is our greatest strength. We believe that every difference between people in Europe is a chance to learn from each other and to take a step forward. The Unity Express seeks to inspire people to seize this opportunity. That’s why we organize The Unity Express in cooperation with Generation Europe Foundation. We want to offer a platform for growing understanding, respect and action towards a more united society. Together with volunteers from all over Europe we are organizing one of the largest, most remarkable journeys by train ever made: 24 European countries, 14 cities, four weeks, one single train in the summer of 2012. The Unity Express will connect over 1000 pro-active passengers with many locals in the cities, creating a travelling festival of cultures and social innovation. The duration of The Unity Express journey is 28 days, divided in 4 ticket weeks. The journey will be from July 7th till August 5th 2012.
The route of the journey in 2012. The start is in Maastricht (The Netherlands), the end is in Maribor (Slovenia). We’ll travel clockwise through the 24 countries.
article.
What are we going to do?
The train provides enough space for a community of 400 people to sleep, eat, work and celebrate together while the train is moving. Together they become a diverse mini-society in which they experience each other’s cultures. As for what you can do on board: just about anything! We take 6 activity wagons with us, 4 of them being completely empty. 50% of the activities on board is done by participants themselves, through the projects that are submitted to the website (see “How to get on board”). So if you have a great idea for an activity, you can submit it and execute it during the journey. Games, sports, art projects, markets, dating shows, workshops, quiz shows, parties, dance events… Let your imagination go wild! We organize the other half, in cooperation with program partners. You can think of movie festivals, debates, conferences, art exhibitions and local bands performing in the bar wagon. In the cities we connect the two groups: passengers and locals. The visit of The Unity Express offers to the local communities the chance to present themselves and their region. They are invited to address local issues to an international audience to receive feedback and inspiration. Together both groups will collaborate on new ideas, solutions and initiatives.
How to get on board
There will be two types of tickets: the full ticket and one-week tickets. With the full ticket, you get the maximum unity experience. However, if you can’t go for the full four weeks, then we have week tickets for you. All tickets include a bed, food on board and during city events, and of course access to all activities. You can get one of these tickets by: 1. Submitting or joining a project through crowd funding Soon you can start investing in the project through something called “crowd funding” via a Virtual Train. This gives you a chance to get on board. When we have the website ready to accept projects to be submitted, you can use that project to increase your chance. The more support (votes) you get for the project, the better your chances of getting on board. 2. Participating in a lottery through crowd funding Like with the first possibility, you invest in the project through crowd funding via the Virtual Train. If you don’t want to start or join a project, you can just participate in a sort of lottery, in which all crowd funders get a chance to go on board, based on an asset you have. 3. Buying a ticket A small percentage of the total amount of available tickets will be sold at a premium price. Prices for these tickets will be at least €399 for a week and €1299 for 4 weeks.
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Think with us
This was just an introduction to The Unity Express. In the coming months a lot will happen. We would like to invite everybody to follow us on our website and social media such as Facebook en Twitter. We are eager to hear what thoughts you have. In the upcoming editions of Libertas you can read about our adventures, insights, struggles and important European topics we would like to share and discuss. www.unityexpress.eu www.facebook.com/unityexpress ] ! [ www.twitter.com/unityexpress
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_events
Denman Island Readers and Writers Festival
Canadian literati and local writers do solo and themed readings at the yearly Denman Island Readers and Writers Festival at the Arts Centre and other venues across the island. Budding writers can fine-tune their skills at workshops too.
what where when website
Denman Island Readers and Writers Festival Denman Island, Canada 14th to 17th of July http://www.denmanislandwritersfestival.com/Home.html
Pigs in Maputo Pig cartoons of life in Mozambique
by Iris Yan
How was visiting your family?
25 Why did you shave your hair?
for more, every day: pigsinmaputo.blogspot.com/
pigs in maputo.
Turkey, as Europe in Arab uprisings ﾃ］geles Lucas
26 Turkey is Europe. It is a member of the Coun-
cil of Europe, and of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO. Turkey is not an Arab Country. But sometimes, society confuses this reality, probably because the majority of the population is Muslim, within other historical reasons. During the Arab uprisings, quite often, we hear and read that Turkey could be an example or a model of democratization for the Arab Countries, but itﾂｴs not due to its ties to Arabian history but rather it could be one due to the beliefs of the population. Turkey, as a secular country, has negotiated almost eighty years between Islam and democracy and their laws are not based on Sharia law. The just re-elected party in Turkey, Justice and Development Party (AKP), is working hard to
article.
be a member of the European Union, although on the other hand, theyﾂｴre making decisions that alienate them from this aim, by banning more than 13.000 Internet sites and harassing journalists. Also lately, other measures have been made aliened with Muslim principles; for instance increasing the tax for alcohol beverages. Related with these issues and others like reclaiming rights for different sexual options, women, minorities, or freedom of expression. Young people in Turkey are very active, and probably, think that they should get it first in their own country. But in comparison to the Arab uprisings, their answer has been less massive than in the other countries around the world, there have not been special strikes or mobilizations apart from some people in front of certain Embassies.
ilustration: Heylts William (http://www.flickr.com/photos/heyitschili/)
Related to the Arab uprisings:
prize back, but he hasn’t done so.
Tunisia was a very fast affair, so Turkey didn´t have time to react.
After the society uprisings in Syria, Turkey has tried to convince Bashar al-Assad to implement political reforms in trying to abolish the Emergency Law from 1962 instead of new democratic policies. But, at the moment, Syria is not reacting to the request. In the last weeks, Turkey has opened their frontiers to Syrian refugees. At the moment there are more than 10,000, cared by the half red moon.
In connection with the case of Egypt, the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan supported the fall of Hosni Mubarak, with a very direct speech. It was an interesting message because it showed their support for democracy and the image of Turkey as a friend of the revolution. But also, some people criticized why he wants to restore democracy in Egypt, but not in Libya. As for Libya, after the attack from NATO, Turkey acted against the first bombings picking up their citizens and some other people by boat and planes,
to bring them back safe to Istanbul and to other cities. Turkey has a huge investment in construction in Libya, so this was a major operation which affected more than 21.000 people. Also the Turkish PM has has suggested the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to step down for the sake of the country’s future. As an issue, some months before the upraising in Libya, Erdogan received the Human Rights’ Prize of the year from Gaddafi. It was not well understood by activists and NGOs, and when the fights started in Libya, those groups tried to reclaim the prize from Erdogan, to give the
So, one analysis could be that on one side, Turkey, as a mediator of negotiations, is a door open for relations between Europe and the Arab Countries and vice versa. On the other side, Muslims are for revolutionary uprisings, so they are gauging how Turkey is reacting to them. In the future, probably, Turkey will have a good relationship with the next heads of States in Arab Countries. Right now, Turkey is in a strategic situation for foreign affairs on opening relations with European Union and Arab Countries. The only hope is that these countries with a privileged situation react as well as possible with the aim to establish peace, human rights and democracy as much as they can.
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music.
Jessie J – Price Tag Charlotte Großkopf “It’s not about the money money!” A delighting reassurance, isn’t it? But it’s quite uncommon to hear this from the mouth of a fancy dressed up pop princess such as Jessie J. in her song “Price Tag” featuring rapper B.o.B. the young British artist. The song points out that life’s not about the “Cha-Ching Cha-Ching” and the “Ba-Bling Ba-Bling” but about dancing and having fun. It was released in January 2011 and has climbed the Charts in the UK and all over the world. Her first single “Do It Like A Dude” peaked at number 2 in the UK and her debut album “Who You Are” was also very successful around the globe. “Price Tag” is a typical “feel good” track with a bit of reggae and hip-hop, a bawl-along chorus and a non-materialist message. “I’m embracing the whole idea of being a role model,” Jessie J told the British TOTP magazine. She tries to be some kind of ambassador to her generation. Having had a minor stroke at the age of 18 she does not drink alcohol or smoke – another unusual trait of a pop singer; a pop singer with showy outfits, uncommon lyrics and a healthy lifestyle? It is definitely a potpourri of pop. I personally don’t know whether to buy it or not. But I love driving in my car on sunny day and singing “Price Tag” along with my friends.
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_events
Tanabata Star Festival Wish upon a star and roam streets festooned with colourful decorations during the lively Tanabata Star Festival, inspired by a romantic Chinese legend. Carnival parades, beauty contests, stargazing and firework displays take place throughout Japan.
what where when
review.
Tanabata Star Festival Japan July
_events Cape Town Fashion Week Cape Town Fashion Week sees haute couture creations floating past a large audience at the city’s International Convention Centre. This is Africa’s largest gathering of fashion talent, showcasing what is set to turn heads in spring.
what Cape Town Fashion Week where Cape Town, South Africa when 13th to 16th of July website http://www.afisa.co.za/
Buenos Aires Children’s Book Fair The Buenos Aires Children’s Book Fair has little ones poring over books and entranced by storytelling in the Buenos Aires Exhibition Centre. There are also theatre and puppet shows, magic and circus acts to keep them entertained.
what where when website
Buenos Aires Children’s Book Fair Buenos Aires, Argentina From July 11th to July 30th http://www.el-libro.org.ar/infantil/
Kino Open Aiir The Kino Open Air cinema shows films on Königsplatz, Munich’s striking neo-Classical square. A selection of the year’s best movies are presented, along with classics and funny and eccentric shorts. Magicians, food and drink add to the entertainment.
what where when website
Kino Open Air Munich, Germany From July 11th to July 19th http://www.kinoopenair.de/detail.php?ort=1
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Libertas Team: Daniel Nunes Vladimíra Brávková Dragan Atanasov Kristijan Nikodinovski Scott Pinkster Christine Moore Ivana Galapceva Carolina Santana
All texts published in Libertas represent solely the opinions of their authors, not of the magazine or of its publishers. Libertas and creACTive are not responsible in any way for the contents of the articles, or for the photos published with them.
Front cover, editorial, these pages and back cover photos by alexandre fonseca.
Have you signed up? Send an empty message to hello@magazinelibertas.com and receive your personal copy of Libertas by e-mail every 5th in the month! Have something to say? Contact us at hello@magazinelibertas.com and read your article in the next edition!
Contributors for this issue: Alexandre Fonseca Ángeles lucas Anita kalmane Blathnaid Deeny Charlotte Großkopf Daniel Said Monteiro Deena Adel Farah Anwar Irina Gorbuli júlia tessler Maximo Plo Sophie Yeoman The Unity Express Staff
about us: Youth Magazine Libertas was founded in September 2009 as a project of Youth Association creACTive. Youth Magazine Libertas aims to be a place where young people from all over the world can share their thoughts and views on topics that matter for them, in this way starting discussions and working as a means of change for the future. Every month, Libertas is published on the 5th, featuring articles about a different main topic and other kinds of articles such as movie, book and music reviews, travel destination, interview and brainstorm.
designed by Carolina Santana
Youth Association Creactive