f ir st Issu e
CONTENT Editorial - 2 How To Deliver The Perfect Speech - 3 Upholding European Values - 4-5 EU's Anatomy - 6-7 Internships In The European Union - 8-9 The Lisbon Treaty For Dummies - 10-11 A Trial Article About a Third World Country, That Does Not Concern You 12-13 The Three Musketeers - 14-15 City of Dreams - Barcelona - 16-17 The Sixth Sense - 18-19 Do's and Don'ts of the General Assembly - 20
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EDITORIAL "Pillar - a tall vertical structure of stone, wood, or metal, used as a support for a building, or as an ornament or monument."
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In 1967 French radical theoretician, Regis Debray, proposed three temporal strata of transmission technologies: the logosphere (the age of writing), the graphosphere (the age of print) and the videospehere (the age of multimedia broadcasting). Even though Debray?s theory was not widely accepted, it still outlines significance of the media that has been shaping public opinion for centuries. Indeed, in modern-day society media?s power is truly vertiginous as it has become as necessary as food and clothing. Media, whether print or social, gets credit not only for the information we consume but the way we perceive and digest reality. Thus, its role in nation building, connected with an inherent ability to reach large number of public, cannot be neglected. Similarly, the main goal of the Media Team of the GRSC?15 is to assist, inform, educate, and develop you, young adults taking up different positions during the session, through depicting, reflecting and capturing those precise moments that will make you see this organisation from diverse angles and perspectives. Though, we are called The Pillars not only because we aim to contribute to the academic quality of the session, but capture EYP spirit by supporting connections stretched beyond a shared sense of identity. While wandering through the pages of the issue, we do hope that you will embrace those connections and make them even stronger! Love, The Pillars Media Team
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How To Deliver a Perfect Speech by I va Kurua
The late Steve Jobs 2005 commencement address at Stanford University has been viewed close to 8 million times on YouTube. Eight years after he delivered it, a text version still flies around the Web. Future public speakers of the world, take note! However, the aforementioned information does not mean that you have to be a Silicon Valley billionaire to deliver a great speech. The best speeches include a clear, relevant message with a few great stories which support the main point. If you have ever attended an EYP session, then you should definitely know that speeches at the General Assembly are very important. When you feel that your resolution can actually fail, a strong speech will definitely save your day. So, how can you deliver a perfect speech? Here are some tips which will help you make a good oral presentation::
Practice beforehand. Speeches with words like ?um? and ?oh? makes look unprepared. Thus, practicing beforehand is essential. It would be better if you practice while taking a shower than in front of a mirror as it is distracting. Relaxation techniques. If you are nervous before approaching stage, take a deep breath. Picture yourself delivering a successful speech. Even experienced people, like Barrack Obama, are nervous for the first few seconds. Turn adrenaline into positive energy. Make sure that you are well presented. You will never have a second chance to make positive first impression so try your best to look good. Keep it simple. People do not remember much of what they hear, so focus and keep it simple. The best speeches include clear and relevant message. Keep it short. Remember you have time limit at GA and your speech should last for around two minutes. Speak clearly, so that everyone can hear you. It is obvious that if you speak too fast or in a low voice, no one will be able to hear you and your speech will probably be disastrous. Do not shout for the sake of being loud. Speaking in a very loud voice is sometimes hilarious and the audience cannot help but laughing. Use short, pithy quotes. Over centuries, clever people have said wise words that can be used in your speeches if it is relevant to the topic. Use body language that makes you look comfortable. You have to pretend that you are having a good time and are open to the audience. Make eye contact with your audience. Delegates respond to eye-contacts. Everyone enjoys attention, even if it lasts just for a second. 3
UPHOLDING
EUROPEAN VALUES
by T amuna Chipashvili
Relations between Georgia and The European Union date back to 1991, shortly after Georgia declared its sovereignty following the break-up of the Soviet Union. Since then the country strives to work in close cooperation with the Union by: implementing core values and principles of the EU such as -democracy, human rights and the rule of law, deepening political and economic ties, encouraging the effective work of pro-European organisations and a lot more.
The bilateral relations have further intensified in June 2014, when the EU and Georgia signed an unprecedented Association Agreement, which includes a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area.
Similarly, the desire of becoming a member of the European Union is immense in Georgian youth. This fact itself explains EYP Georgia assembles numerous socially active youngsters under the theme of: ?Upholding European Values? and helps them to define country?s cultural and political orientation. However, there is one question that appears when discussing this particular topic: Are we, Georgians, ready to except European fundamental principles and values without losing our own identity?
It is a well-known fact that Europe has historically had a high level of prosperity, social cohesion, environmental protection, and quality of life based on the common values of justice and solidarity. But how influential can they be in today?s reality? Do Europeans maintain them?
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The situation is worsened by EU citizans?negative attitude towards immigrants, who are often thought to be taking job opportunities away from the native locals. Moreover, people react differently to the cultural assmilation. For instance, those who live in Western Europe and Scandinavia generally feel that immigrants should adopt customs of their host countries. In contrast, in South-Eastern
European states people totally
disagree with this idea. As evident lack of common
a result, we face the understanding among
the Member States of
the European Union
that can cause more
serious social
problems in the
future. This fact
explains the position
of JosĂŠ Manuel
DurĂŁo Barroso, the
President of the
European Commission, Europe must uphold its change its habits. A Union like
who says: "While values, it must also ours can only operate if all
Member States honour their commitments. If the Member States do not in practice abide by the fundamental principles they have all agreed, then we are faced by a crisis of credibility." Within the current stress and the crisis that, as mentioned, is caused by the ineffective cooperation between the Member States, it is essential to know, how Georgia sees itself in the European Union and how Georgian people will be accepted in the European society. To conclude, the path we want to take is not simple at all. It is important to realise that the country will be facing various obstacles while joining the EU. However, it should also be noted that both historically and culturally Georgia has always been close to Europe and the truthfulness of this fact cannot be questioned. As famous Georgian politician, Zurab Zhvania, once said: ?We are Georgians, therefore we are Europeans! ?
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"WEARE GEORGIANS, THEREFORE, WEARE EUROPEANS"!
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT (EP) Shares legislative and budgetary power with the Council. In consists of 751 members (MEPs), who are elected in every five years by universal suffrage and sit according to the political allegiance. These members represent 500 billion Union?s citizens, second largest electorate in the world.
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION THE COUNCIL OF MINISTER OF THE COUNCIL is composed with 28 national ministers (one per state). It is separate from the European Council, which consists national leaders. Council meets in 10 different configurations, bringing together the competent Member State ministers. The presidency rotates between states every six months. The Council with the European Parliament, acts in a legislative and budgetary capacity. It is also the lead institution for decision-making on the common foreign and security policy (CFSP), and on the coordination of economic policies (intergovernmental approach), as well as being the holder of executive power.
THE COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU includes the whole judiciary and consists of two main and one specialized court: The Court of Justice (highest court in EU), The General Court (EGC, also known as the Court of First Instance) and The Civil Service Tribunal. One judge from each member state for six years. It settles disputes between Member States, EU institutions, EU and between individuals.
THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL Defines general political guidelines of the EI/ Ot does not exercise any legislative functions, but can be consulted on criminal or social security matters, when stet opposes legislative proposal. The European Council includes Heads of Governments of the Members States and the President of the European Commission as a full member.
THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK is a bank for Euro zone, controlling monetary policy in the area. In additions, it follows an agenda in order to maintain price stability. The ECB compromises all EU national banks and is governed by a President and board of national bank governors.
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION (EC) Each commissioner is chosen by a member state and is in charge of EU policy. They serve for 5 years. It is executive body of the Union. Propose legislation to the Parliament and the Council. Administers and implements EU policies. Provides enforcement of EU laws. Manages EU budget and represents EU at international negotiations.
THE COURT OF AUDITORS composed of one member from each state named by the Council every six year. Every three year one of them is elected as a President. It has no juridical powers. Court provides audit report each year to the council and the parliament. Also gives opinions and proposals on financial legislation.
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EU'SANATOMY by T ato Garuchava
Brain / The European Council Eyes / The Court of Justice
Defines general political guidelines of the EU as brain guides human body.
Settles disputes between Member States, EU institutions, and individuals.
Lungs / The European Parliament The Council and the Parliament shares legislative and budgetary power with the council, as the breathing system behaves in order to have peaceful settlement of EU problems
Lungs / The Council of The European Union it is similar to human breathing element, because of its meaningful role in EU, acts in legislative and budgetary capacity along with the EP.
Arms / European Commission It proposes legislation to the parliament and the council, administers and implements EU policies as hands of human body make actions completed.
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Internships in Europe Beneficial Programmes or "Modern Slavery"?
by I va K urua
G
aining experience is a crucial factor for a person to enter a labourmarket. Students and graduates are recommended to use internship programs. So what is an internship, it is a temporary work experience offered by an employer to provide students and graduates with the opportunity to adjust to the working environment, often within a specific industry, which relates to their field of study. Interns work for a fixed period of time. M ost internships last between one week and twelve months. An internship provides a great opportunity for prospective employees to gain experience in a particular field or industry, determine if they have an interest in a particular career, create a network of contacts, or gain university module credits. Interns may also have a possibility of putting themselves forward to the potential
opportunities for paid work, during their internship. An internship can give you a an objective insight into the working world, allowing you to build on top of the theory you learned at a university and helping you gain practical skills that will strengthen your Curricular Vitae and boost your employment potential. Internships offer you the chance to test your skills in real-life situations, explore your career options and gain an insight into an organisation or a chosen career path. Internships may have both long and short term benefits. T he obvious advantage of a short-term internship is quite self-explanatory ? it is short. N ot everyone has time as long as six months or even a year to get the work experience, required to obtain a job after college, thus gaining absolutely essential knowledge and filling up
the blank space of your resume in less time can be just the right opportunity. Apart from time, it is also more cost-effective since the whole process requires less expenses. Going abroad will still cost you a plane ticket, but it takes less preparation from the supporting company - like ImmerQ i, reducing the program cost dramatically. Because of the short time frame, the internship will most likely be intense, leaving little to no room for boredom from too much free time. Concerning long term benefits, there are some characteristics that cannot be discovered within a shorted period of time. For instance, some employers might see an individual with a six month or a year internship experience to be of bigger commitment than interns with short-term experience.
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Taking the time to gain valuable and in-depth experience can give your resume the push it needs to make its way straight to the top of the pile. T he type of undertaken tasks will also have the potential of standing out. Being outside of your comfort zone and away from all familiarity, will give you a glimpse of what it is be like to juggle work and life in the real world. It does change one?s perspective when the harsh reality of life is brought forward; experience that can only be gained through time. Lastly, if you paid to go all the way to China, a long-term internship will provide more time you could spend on travelling and merging into the local culture. U ndertaking the challenges of an internship for a few weeks or a year will undoubtedly provide an experience you can reap the benefits of for the rest of your life.
An unpaid internship of poor quality is a big issue across our continent. ?It is a modern day slave labour in all too many cases, rather than a valuable learning experience and a stepping stone in one?s career? - writes Giuseppe Porcaro, the secretary general of the European Youth Forum.
Because of non-flexible legislation, firms and companies are able to use their trainees as a cheap or even free labour force. Interns are given tasks which have nothing in common with their future career. Surveys conducted last year have shown that 59% of interns questioned in the survey are not paid for their work. O ver half of the 40% that are paid, said the refund was not sufficient to cover their living costs. 40% of interns also work without any written contract to guarantee their social rights. Before some steps are taken by European U nion and Q uality Framework is implemented in M ember states, the future looks dark for interns in Europe. As for now, Internship programmes supply companies with free labour to use them for menial tasks. It has to be changed fast, otherwise the rise of youth unemployment might not stop.
?It is a moder n day slave labour in all too many cases, r ather than a valuable lear ning exper ience and a stepping stone in one?s car eer ? Giuseppe Porcaro
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Lisb on Treat y For Dum m ies by Nia Chigogidze The Treaty of Lisbon is an international agreement that was signed in 2007 and went into action in 2009. Its main aim was to supplement the previously exiting EU treaties and create one unifying and comprehensive legal framework. There was a clear need for this, since for years EU had been operating all its twenty-seven member states (now twenty-eight) with a system designed for just fifteen. The aim of the treaty was to modernise and reform and help EU realise its full potential. As such, many changes were put in place, and here we will try to highlight the most important amendments.
NEW AREAS OF COMPETENCES Though there were no new areas created in the Lisbon treaty over which EU has exclusive competence, new shared competences are established in the fields of space an energy, as a part of its environmental policy, and several more areas of supportive competencies concerning with health, education and tourism.
NEW TERMS AND NUMBERS Before the implementation of the Lisbon Treat, the presidency of the European Council rotated between Member States every six months. Currently, however, one politician is chosen to preside over the Council for two and a half years, which greatly increased the council?s influence. The Lisbon Treaty also saw the increase in competence of the European Parliament, while it previously shared power with the Council over only seventy-five percent of legislative areas, with the new treaty the co-decision was extended to all areas of EU policy. However, the Parliament also saw a decrease in numbers, with a permanent reduction from 785 MEPs to 751.
LEGAL ACTS The Lisbon Treaty made several changes to types of legal acts with which EU executes its decisions. Firstly, it reduced the number on legal acts from fourteen types to five and introduced a new classification. This new classification comprises mainly of binding acts, including directives, regulation and decisions, and non-binding acts, such as recommendations.
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NEW POSITIONS HUMAN RIGHTS VOTING One of the most important changes had to do with the voting system. The Lisbon treaty saw a large increase in the number of policy areas that from now on would be decided by majority vote rather than unanimity, which aimed to make the legislative process more efficient. However, notable exceptions that require unanimity, such as taxation and defence, still remain. Another amendment that went into effect in 2014 decreased the necessary amount of support from Member States order for a law to be passed from seventy-two percent to fifty-five percent in cases where the Member States comprising this fifty-five percent represent at least sixty-five percent of EU?s entire population. This change made it not only easier to pass legislation but also decreased the power of smaller MSs.
With the goal of insuring better protection of its citizens, the Lisbon Treaty gave the Fundamental Charter of Human Rights legally binding status. The Charter is a document that brings together all the rights and freedoms of every individual in the EU. The Lisbon Treaty also created what is known as the ?Citizens Initiative?. This is an act that obliges the European Commission to consider a new initiative if it has been proposed and supported by at least one million citizens from across Member States.
A new post to be created was the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, which combined the already existing positions of EU freight policy chef and external affair commissioner. The role of the representative is wide-ranging and involves everything from building consensus among twenty-eight Member States to stirring foreign policy on behalf of the EU.
It is difficult to talk about the exact impact the Lisbon treaty had. Overall, the biggest winners are clearly the Parliament, with its dramatic increase in power and the Council that saw an unarguable shift in influence from the Commission. Even though there is some controversy around the treaty not being fully implemented the way it was originally drafted to, the overall consensus still remains that it did indeed manage to give Europe more democracy, more capacity to act and more international prominence, just the way it had set out to do. 11
ATRIVIALARTICLE ABOUTATHIRDWORLD PROBLEM, THAT DOESN'TCONCERNYOU! by Nia Chigogidze "This incident is just another example among many that shows that even thirteen years after the Taliban?s loss of power the country still faces fundamental issues, the inability to protect its citizens lives. "
For a brief moment the world was outraged, but then the story quickly became just another fading headline, to only get lost in the sea of similar news. And sadly for all of us, Farkhunda?s story was exceptional only due to the fact that it was the most vivid example of the brutality Afghan women face on a daily bases. For those of you who are not familiar with the story. On March 19, twenty seven year old Farkhunda Naderi, (who in most sources is simply mentioned as ?a woman?), was viscously beaten to death by a mob following an alleged and false accusation of burning the pages of the Quran. According to the reports she had been overheard criticizing a mullah for selling good luck amulets , a practice that is un-Islamic. As a result, an enraged crowd of mostly young men set upon her, beating her, stoning her and in the end setting her body on fire.
" IFTHEREISANYSILVERLININGTOBE FOUND, ITISTHEWORLDWIDERESPONSE ANDATTENTION" What is even more alarming is that police were there to witness it. Footage of the incident, that went viral on the social media, shows police officers standing by and calmly observing this atrocity. For the past few years both United States and NATO have continuously been aiding Afghanistan in its development, with one of the main aims being the defense of womens' rights. Many legislative acts, promising important reforms in this field were adopted. But low levels of law enforcement and slow pace in the change of public perception have been greatly hindering this progress. This incident is just another example among many that shows that even thirteen years after the Taliban?s loss of power the country still faces fundamental issues, the inability to protect its citizens lives.
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STORY If there is any silver lining to be found, it is that the world wide response and attention the story got forced the state to take action. After several state officials openly condemned the killing a formal investigation was launched with nine suspects already arrested and most importantly twenty police officers sacked for professional misconduct. The crackdown went to the extent of dismissing Culture Minister Simeen Hasanzada for endorsing the murder. Something that was unlikely to happen in a different scenario, as Afghanistan has a long history of overlooking police quality. These events were followed by an overwhelming social response, with hundreds of Afghan women marching to the nation's Supreme Court demanding justice for not only Farkhunda but all Afghan women. The protest culminated as a group of activist women, all ceremoniously dressed in black, carrying Farkhunda?s coffin, as the whole city gathered for her funeral. This act is what may give us hope, that though progress is slow, women are defiantly regaining their footing in the society. Women are breaking out of their boundaries of their traditionally set roles. Still too many questions remain lingering. Would the social response have been the same, if Farkhunda had indeed burned the pages of the Quran? Would the state have reacted as actively if the incident had not taken place in the capital, during broad daylight and had not been so well documented? Or will this incident do anything to facilitate any long term change in the police system and help the eight five present of Afghan women that experience violence on regular bases? Nobody has the answers to these questions yet, so all that we can do is hope that Afghanistan will continue to steadily walk the path towards gender equality, otherwise we are going to continue having many more reasons to be outraged.
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"Will this incident do anything to facilitate any long term change in the police system and help the eight five present of Afghan women that experience violence on regular bases?"
Th e Th r ee Mus k et eer s TITLE
by Elene Ambidze ?It is only the dead who do not return.?
?Never fear quarrels, but seek hazardous adventures.?
?I do not cling to life sufficiently to fear death.?
Koka Kapanadze Vice-President
What is it like to be a president of EYP Georgia? I would consider that as one of the biggest achievements in my life, so far. This is an amazing leadership experience for me and the fact that have been in this organisation for more than three and a half years makes me more and more dedicated to the development of EYP Georgia. Of course there are times when I feel a bit tense, but the whole process is very enjoyable, especially because of the board members, without their effort we would not be this strong and I?m so grateful to have such a team.
"always be open and ready for the challenges " Can you describe EYP in just three words? A life-changing and thought-provoking opportunity, technically it is three words (laughs)
In what ways did EYP change your personality? Throughout my EYP career, I think I have become more self-confident and more sociable in regards of personality, but it is also important to mention that I have become more competent in European politics and discovered that the eagerness to learn more and more has definitely been in me all this time.
What is the piece of advice you would give to the future officials at the Gori regional session? To absorb as much as they can from this session, always be open and ready for the challenges and not to forget to enjoy the entire process.
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Mariam Chaduneli President
How Does it feel to preside Gori Regional Session? This is my first experience being a president and after you have been a chairperson and vice president so many times you start to think how you would proceed a session and you establish your standards, you have specific requirements for the chairs and for yourself. So when I started chairing at the same time I started thinking what kind of president I would like to be. Right now I feel like I had a lot time to analyse, I think I am experienced enough, I have mastered creating individual approaches to people which is very important for a president. The most important part is that I have a desire and motivation to do it, because if you want it, you can do it. "Find what you love and let it kill you." What is your EYP life motto? I keep saying this: ?Find what you love and let it kill you?, at some points I feel like EYP killed me, you have to sacrifice so much for it and my family sometimes goes nuts (laughs) because I travel so much. It takes a lot from me and I am always both mentally and physically prepared for it. As I say I love EYP and I would not mind if it killed me. What would you do if there was no EYP? My life would have included just doing things that are not as valuable as the things I am doing right now.
Can you describe EYP in just three words? Giorgi Gugenishvili Vice-President
Happiness, opportunity, diversity.
What is the motto of your EYP life? The weirdest question of all: what does your family think of EYP? Oh, yeah that is hilarious. I actually told my mom that the resolutions we come up with are actually sent to the European Parliament (laughs) and they play a major role in the legislative decision making. And now she really thinks that we potentially have an impact on the world (laughs) and our reslolutions are accepted and voted on in the European Parliament. I had to do that, otherwise I do not think she would understand why we bother so much.
Find your comfort zone and then completely clash it! What is the best quality or habit that you acquired in EYP? I am an introvert and I always will be. Sometimes being around the people constantly is very exhausting for me. But obviously that is exactly what EYP and especially chairing requires ? to be with the same group of people all day long. That is the habit EYP helped me to gain. I am still an introvert and it is still tiring for me to always be around the people. Never getting any sleep and spending the entire session just being around them is a challenge for me and I think that is where EYP helped me the most.
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City of Dreams- Barcelona by I va K urua
Do you like traveling? Do you like places with magnificent sightseeing and splendid beaches? Then this article is for you. I am going to talk about one of the most fascinating cities the world ? Barcelona ? Spain?s second largest and most cosmopolitan city. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, which is a region of Spain that has its own language ? Catalan, its own culture and character. Barcelona offers the best of both worlds, situated on the Costa Brava by the Spanish Mediterranean coast, the city gently rises up from the coastline through the valley and up into a range of wooded hills. Famous for breaking ground art, architecture and avant-garde chefs, the city eclipses many others for its creativity and forward thinking. So what makes this city so special? As already mentioned, Barcelona has fascinating beaches and a range of wooden hills. Unlike many other European cities, it also has a quite unique way of life. In my opinion the city is the best destination for both
experienced tourists and ordinary teenagers, who seeks entertainment and unforgettable nightlife. It would be appropriate to state that Barcelona offers much more to the eye of the tourist than one could possibly imagine, it nearly feels surreal. No wonder Salvador Dali discovered a lot of inspiration for his work in this city while passing the building designed by the famous Spanish Catalan architect - Antoni Gaudí. Stepping into Gaudí?s Basilica of the Sacred Family is a bit like falling through the looking glass - a journey that you can continue with a visit to Park Güell. Sip sangria (typical beverage from Spain) at a sidewalk café in Las Ramblas while watching flamboyant street performers, and then create your own moveable feast by floating from tapas bar (wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine) to tapas bar.
colors, tiled mosaic patterns, and nature-inspired forms, Gaudi?s architecture was dramatically different than that of his contemporaries. Gaudi not only designed breathtaking work, but also the pioneer of Modernism as we know it now, he is a true founder of the Catalan modernism movement in Barcelona. This movement sought to elevate the status of Catalan thought, art, literature and philosophy to the same level of European ideas and art. In Gaudi?s work, this meant predominance of curves over straight lines, heavy decoration and detail, shapes and asymmetry, and experimentation with new materials like iron, stained glass, and stone.
Any visitor of Barcelona cannot miss the spectacular work and influence of the architect Antoni Gaudi. With its bright
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La Sagrada Familia La Sagrada Familia is one of Gaudí's most famous works in Barcelona. It is a giant Basilica that has been under construction since 1882 and it is not expected to be completed for some time yet. When you visit the building you will see the contrast in the stone colour between the front and the back of the building. Also the actual style of construction appears somewhat different between the new and old parts of the building. Gaudí played an active role in directing the construction of the Sagrada Familia until his death in 1926. He would often request that work was modified and adjusted until it was exactly what he had in mind. However today, because of the nature of the existing designs, his work is only partly open to interpretation. Interpretation of the ordinary designs by present day architects is particularly challenging because the actual construction stones are irregularly shaped. The building is still under construction, so be prepared to see a lot of ongoing work upon your visit. However even this fact is found appealing by the majority of the visitors, especially if you visit the museum inside the building. Sagrada Familia is a truly magnificent building and an absolute must-seewhen you visit Barcelona.
Park Güell The park contains amazing stone structures, stunning tiling and fascinating buildings. At the entrance there is Gaudi dragon fountain. This dragon is adorned in beautiful coloured tiling and there is something rather hypnotic and magical about it. Here you can see a walkway supported by twisting rock pillars that seem to be growing out of the ground like tree trunks. Although these structures are rather irregular in shape they do feel strangely natural too. Gaudí was strongly influenced by natural shapes and used them in his work. At the top of Güell park there is a terraced area where you get a wonderful view of the park and Barcelona City. Here you will find multi-coloured tiled mosaic seats, as shown in this picture. The vibrant colours of the tiles are truly breathtaking. Park Güell also has a small house in the park which Gaudí lived in at a certain stage of his life. The house has now been converted into a museum and contains interesting furniture also designed by Gaudí.
F .C. Barcelona To be honest, I got interested in the city of Barcelona after I started supporting its local team. There is no point in starting a whole new article dedicated to football, which I could do with ease, thus I just want to explain how important this club is for Catalan people. FC Barcelona is more than a club for Catalans. After General Francisco Franco invaded Catalonia, the first thing he did was prohibit the Catalan language. The only place people could speak Catalan was Camp Nou (Barcelona - the biggest one in entire Europe) and the only way to avenge Franco was beating his favorite team Real Madrid during the matches. Barcelona fans or more commonly, Cules, still celebrate every victory over Real Madrid in El Classico on Plaza Catalonia. FC Barcelona or Barca is the true pride for native people. The club also adds up to the enormous list of national attractions.
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The sixth sense If only it were that simple - simply defining what we mean by ?sense? leads us further into the fields of philosophy. As we know Aristotle classified only five sense organs: sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing. The definition of human sense in modern world is simply a unique way for the brain to receive information about the world and surrounding in general. Well, if that is the case, we can claim with confidence that there are certainly more than five basic human senses.
The Sixth Sense by Elene Ambidze
What would our lives be like if we were never able to see what is surrounding us?
What is better than a chocolate ice-cream with cherry topping?
The eye is the organ of vision. It is connected to the brain with optic nerve. The brain combines the input of our two eyes into a single three-dimensional image.This is technically two senses given the two distinct types of receptors, one for distinguishing colours (cones) and one for brightness (rods). The human eye can distinguish about 10 million different colors. That is a lot, is it not? If it was a digital camera it would have 576 megapixels. Our eyes constantly need to blink, eyes blink 12 times in one minute and if you do the math we spend about 10% of our walking hours with our eyes closed.
Taste refers to the human?s capability to detect the taste of substances such as food, certain minerals, and poisons. The sense of taste is often confused with the "sense" of flavor, which is a combination of taste and smell perception. Flavor depends on odor, texture, and temperature as much as it depends on taste. The receptors for taste, called taste buds, are situated chiefly in the tongue, but they are also located in the roof of the mouth and near the pharynx. They are able to detect four basic tastes: salty, sweet, bitter, and sour.
Gossips are the best! XO XO
The smell of a new leather jacket or pair of shoes makes everyone happy. But a new car smells the best of all. Inability to smell is called anosmia. The smell receptors are sensitive to seven types of sensations that can be characterized as camphor, musk, flower, mint, ether, acrid, or putrid. The sense of smell combines with taste to produce flavors. Did you know that one of the most evocative smells from childhood is the smell of crayons? The sense of smell gets bored easily. When entering a bakery or florist you are very aware of the aroma but by the time you reach the check-out you will no longer be able to smell the different aromas around you.
The ear is the organ of hearing.The brain combines the input of our two ears to determine the direction and distance of sounds. Hearing is all about the vibration. The sound we hear itself is a vibration which is detected by our ears. The sound mediums like air and water, which actually carry the vibration is in contact with our ear drums. Our ears continue to hear sounds, even while we sleep, but our brain just shuts them off. Possibly that is why we at times unexpectedly wake up when we hear something optimistic, but without processing the reasoning behind this.
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If you closed your eyes and I surprised you with an ice cube down your back, you would experience a shock of cold, wouldn?t you not? The sense of touch is distributed throughout the body. Nerve endings in the skin and other parts of the body transmit sensations to the brain. One can identify four different kinds of touch sensations: cold, heat, contact and pain. The loss or impairment of the ability to feel anything touched is called tactile anesthesia. It seems as though we all lose touch receptors over the course of our lives. It is not that we have them until a certain age and then they suddenly disappear ? we lose them very, very slowly. They reach their peak around age 16 or 18, then start slowly fading away. We also lose pain and temperature receptors ? which might actually be a good thing.
The odd thing about human senses is that by using a certain sense we develop certain skills. And that is what I would call the sixth sense. For example through the sense of touch we have discovered a lot of things about our body language. We have learned how to interact with people through our experiences and feelings. Now we know that too much eye contact is instinctively perceived to be rude ,too little eye contact, on the other hand, can make you appear uneasy, unprepared, and insincere. Scientifically there are some facts on eye contact when the humans are the victims of their own body language: We reduce eye contact when we are talking about something shameful or embarrassing, when we are sad or depressed, and when we are accessing internal thoughts or emotions. We increase eye contact when dealing with people we like, admire, or who have power over us. In more intense or intimate conversations we naturally look
Then there is the emotional touch system. It is mediated by special sensors called C tactile fibers. It identifies where the touch is happening but at the same time it sends information to a part of the brain called the posterior insula which is essential for socially-bonding touch. This includes things like a hug from a friend, a caring touch you got from your mother as a child. It turns out, the hormones that are released during kissing change over the course of your relationship. Kissing a new partner stimulates the release of dopamine, which creates that ?new love? sense of excitement and desire (ignorance to outer influences, at times). On the other hand, your brain releases oxytocin when you have been kissing the same partner over a period of time, and this encourages attachment and bonding in long-term relationships.
at each another more often and hold that gaze for longer periods of time. We avoid eye contact in elevators, subways, crowded buses or trains ? in elevators we face the door, in the rest of the cases we stare at our Smartphones ? because it helps us manage the insecurities of having our personal space invaded. Employees often keep their eyes down when the boss comes up with a tricky question or looks like he is going to ask for volunteers for some tough job. The body of human being is a mysterious substance, where every nerve and every cell is responsible for building up a huge organism which experiences life through the five senses .The senses which give us the ability to perceive our surroundings on five different levels and beyond is unfortunately something that people tend to take for granted.
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Do's and Don'ts of The General Assembly After endless hours of diligent work and sleepless nights full of dizzy anticipation, the General Assembly finally arrives. Media team encourages you to keep in mind following advices:
Do not start your attack speech with ?I really liked\ enjoyed your resolution, but? ? ; Do still be respectful; Do not be startled and lose your composure when you hear an indication that time is running out; Do try to wrap up as adequately and punctually as you can; Do not clap after the European anthem (really, do not!); Do clap after the speeches ; Do not disturb others by talking loudly with other members of your committee; Do communicate actively using sticky notes; Do not come wearing ripped jeans or snickers (seriously though, do not!);
Do try to speak clearly and listen to others carefully; Do not ask a question for the sake of asking a question; Do raise points if you genuinely have an opinion; Do not waste time on any abstractions such as social media; Do take selfies during breaks; Do not abstain from voting if possible; Do formulate a personal opinion on each resolution; Do not use mainstream and typical phrases during your summation speech (Honorable mention: ?Close your eyes and imagine? ?); Do start with an attention grabbing sentence; Do not let nervousness get in the way of you being active; Do have fun; Do not mix up defense and sum up speeches; Do feel free to clarify any structural details with your chairperson the night before the GA.
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