Blueprint - Second Issue Members of Blueprint: Peyman Khaljani (DE) - Editor Kira Lange (DE) - Video-Editor Manon Lynn Sch端rch - (CH) - Journalist Gustaf Westin (SE) - Journalist Fania Christodoulides (CY) - Journalist Yannick Weber (CH) - Journalist Aleksandra Gajewska (PL) - Journalist Paul Sander (DE) - Journalist Irmak Ekin Karel (TR) - Journalist
Dear participants of the session, I am very happy to hereby present you the second issue of the Blueprint series. In this newspaper the Press Team provides you continuously with academic, but also with entertaining content. Take a further look on topics that effect Europe and read over narrative articles after having solved the crossword. Have fun while reading the issue and I hope that Blueprints will stay the platform to broaden your minds and keep putting smiles on your lightening faces.
Peyman Khaljani (DE) Editor of the Session
The Curse of good Intentions
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Exporting Peace
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Internet becoming the new “religion“?
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The Price of Free Water
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The EYP branching out
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Erdogan: A Curse for Turkey and Europe
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To be or not to be - a brave new world Cogged - The Importance of Logos for the EYP Towards new horizons The Blueprint Crossword
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Depression: The taboo illness
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The Blunder of the Occupy Movement
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The Curse of Good Intentions
by Gustaf
Westin (SE)
Albert Einstein once said: ”The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” The Western World’s attitude towards foreign aid money to poor countries in Africa certainly brings Einstein’s words to mind. Since the 1960’s, the African continent has received foreign aid worth around six times more than the American Marshall Help to Europe after World War II. In spite of this, however, Africa is still a continent in shambles, suffering from deep poverty, rampant diseases and long standing conflicts.
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nternational studies on the effects of foreign aid show disheartening results at best. In many cases it has even been destructive, and has led to decreased growth among recipient countries. The problem with aid is that it gives the wrong incentives. While trade and commerce creates incentives for countries to increase production and develop new ideas, foreign aid is given to the countries that show the worst results. This has made it more lucrative for leaders,which in Africa often means dictators, to drive their countries further into poverty than to actually develop them. The money, which for a large part of those sixty years, have gone almost exclusively to the state, has strengthened said government in the countries in question, and made it easier for them to exploit its people. In many cases it has helped corrupt dictators to hold on to power. Using the words of development economist Peter Thomas Bauer, foreign aid is often the same thing as “taking money from poor people in rich countries and giving it to rich people in poor countries”. Aid also causes governments to become lazy and removes incentives to build up functioning institutions. Politicians and Hollywood celebrities like Bono gather year after year and declare themselves the ”Voice of Africa”, arguing for Western governments to open their po-
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ckets even more to kleptocratic governments in Africa. They keep repeating the mantra of how Africa needs to be saved, while the obvious, yet for some reason radical, truth is that Africa can never be saved. Africa needs to rise out of poverty on its own. African economists and intellectuals call for a completely different course of action: stop flooding Africa with aid. Instead of maintaining the endless cycle of dependency and need, we need to create an environment that attracts foreign capital and investment. Since 1960, Zambia has received fifteen times more aid than South Korea, yet South Korea is today more than twenty times richer than Zambia. The difference between the two is that South Korea ended up a democracy with market economy and free trade, while the other remains a corrupt dictatorship with a centrally planned, socialist economy. Our governments are contributing to the poverty in Africa though our protectionist trade policies. High tariffs on African products makes trade impossible, and clothes and agricultural products are stopped on the borders. At the same time we’re generously subsidising our own producers, creating a huge surplus that is then dumped back onto African markets at a considerably lower price than products of local producers, making it impossible for them to compete.
A rain of gold from Western governments is not going to change that. Only when the poor world liberalises itself and both opens up for trade and is allowed to trade with richer countries without unfair tariffs and taxes will it be able to create lasting wealth. This is what turned East Asian countries into so called “Tiger economies�. Increased trade and specialisation was what turned countries like Taiwan and South Korea from poor, agriculturally based economies to modern industrialised societies. Increased wealth has also paved the way for political reforms, and a growing middle class with the time and education to partake in politics has started the journey from dictatorship to democracy. At the same time Africa remains the least free and least democratic continent, in spite of 60 years of countless aid shipments.
Even though many African countries seem to have started their rise up from poverty, good intentions continue to cloud the judgement of many in the Western world. The future could be bright for Africa, let us hope the world chooses the right path.â–
http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2011/03/24/1226027/745654-foreign-aid.jpg
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Exporting Peace
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he European Union rightfully understands itself as a peace promoter: its achievements in the last decades are truly notable, it is the first supranational organisation to bring a lasting period of peace to the countries in Europe. Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, even called the EU the «biggest peacemaker in history» after it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012. The Member States of this peacemaker, however, busily export armament to the world. In 2011, EU countries licensed weapons exports worth more than 37 billion Euros. Furthermore in 2011, seven of the ten largest weapons suppliers worldwide were EU countries. The 28 Member States combined being the world’s third largest arms exporter is not a problem by itself, however it is rather these exports’ destinations provide some food for thought. There are little possible objections to EU countries exporting arms to other Member States, but these sales amount to a mere 40% of total exports. Strikingly, the single biggest recipient of weaponry branded “made in Europe” is Saudi Arabia. The country, often accused of systematically violating human rights and known for the practice of publicly beheading criminals, purchased European Arms worth more than 4 billion Euros in 2011. Saudi Arabia did not only buy weapons though. German arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch sold a complete assembly line for its best-selling assault rifle G-36 to the state-owned arms company MIC. Guns from German blueprints are now assembled in Saudi Arabia and openly sold on the market, reaching also countries against which the EU has put arms embargoes are in place.
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by Yannick Weber (CH)
Because of the G-36 rifle’s low weight, it is feared that the weapon could be widely used to equip child soldiers. The EU has taken a variety of measures aimed at controlling the arms trade and harmonising export policies amongst Member States. A common position defines criteria to assess whether an arms deal is permitted, and the EU has been one of the driving forces behind the UN Arms Trade Treaty. But Member States’ cooperation with supranational policy is often marginal: no European country has ratified the treaty yet, and only 17 out of the 27 Member States have submitted a report on weapons exports in 2012, despite being legally obligated to do so. Defenders of EU arms exports argue with the sector’s economic importance, the jobs dependent on the industry, and above all the large tax revenues it generates. But should financial profit really serve as justification to equip regimes such as Gaddafi’s in Libya with modern defence technology? With the EU, an era of European peace has commenced. But it is time that the EU accepts its global responsibility for conflict prevention and implements an arms control framework worthy of a Nobel Prize winner. Peace is not a local goal, but a global one: consequently, banning weapons exports to non-EU countries would be the noble thing to do. ■
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Bxhvrry1dI/Tm-itupzJ5I/AAAAAAAAADI/a5IiMN-kdXA/s400/g36.jpg
Internet: Becoming the new “religion“?
by Aleksandra Gajewska (PL) & Irmak Ekin Karel (TR)
Since Internet has been a part of our daily lives, it is making our lives easier, faster and better, bringing mostly positive change. At the same time, it has been constantly criticised by the cliché that it has a negative impact on the social lives. However, it might actually be more accurate and correct to examine the effects of Internet from a social perspective. It would not be wrong to claim that Internet nowadays serves as a therapy, escape from the reality. It influences the society to such an extent that for some people it becomes a “new religion” – the highest entity, around which one’s life is centered. On the one hand, more and more people in Europe stop believing in established religions like Christianity, Islam and Judaism and about 13% of them define themselves as convinced atheists. Former dogmas and former traditions related to religions are being neglected. At this point, the question arises if it would be necessary to have a new religion to fulfill the emptiness that emerges due to a lack of avocation in society. It is very likely, especially taking into account the theory that it is not possible for us, humans, to live without having something allmighty to believe in. In order to survive, we need something to hold on to, while without it we will eventually start feeling useless as well as aimless. The legal definition of religion states that it refers to the ‘ultimate concern’, which in this case is meant by the present moment and any spiritual transitions become rejected. People strive for new information, new technologies, and new trends. Instead of religious leaders of old times, many people tend to treat the Internet like an oracle.
Instead of going to church or praying several times a day, they spend their free time surfing on the Internet, stalking people on Facebook, watching videos on YouTube or reading someone’s opinions posted on Twitter. On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that there is a remarkable difference between this new “religion” called Internet and the established ones. Instead of peace and harmony that these institutions offer, the Internet rather represents chaos and anarchy. Every day we get distracted by the thousands of, often, irrelevant information. Also, the virtual world of the Internet is so absorbing, dynamic and appealing that while coming back to reality, we are still caught in our own virtual world and our own matters, not being able to fully concentrate on our real lives. To conclude, religion fulfills two human needs at the same time, both the social and the spiritual one, whereas Internet covers only the social needs. It does not provide us with the knowledge about the meaning of life, ethics and values therefore, we might get to the situation in which the Internet as a product of technological progress will fail to satisfy us on the spiritual level, leading to a spread of depression in the 21st century. ■
www.denormalizereligion.com
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The Price of Free Water
by Gustaf
Westin (SE)
The story had everything. A multinational corporation, a supposedly greedy CEO of said corporation and the world’s most important resource. When the headlines of major newspapers read “Nestlé CEO Peter Brabeck Lehmat: Water should not be a human right”, articles were shared thousands of times and many people were, understandably, enraged.
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he only thing the story lacked was a connection to reality. Peter Brabeck Lehmat has repeatedly stressed how water for drinking and hygienic purposes should be “a human right, and must be made available for everyone, wherever they are, no matter if they can pay or not”. He did however say that water for industrial purposes, for irrigation or for filling up pools or cleaning cars, should be priced and people should have to pay for it. When a Swedish newspaper realised its mistake, it published another article titled “Nestlé CEO: Water should be a human right”, but because that did not fit our image of a greedy villain, it was only shared around a dozen times. Peter Brabeck Lehmat did not say we should privatise water, but he should have. The claim that public institutions are doing a good job with delivering water throughout the world is, according to British environmental activist Mark Lynas, not a claim supported by the empirical evidence. Water being free leads to waste and over-usage by people who do not need it, and the lack of investments leads to water not reaching the people who actually need it. More than three million people die annually from water transmitted diseases, and because of leaks in pipes and bad distribution in poor countries, millions of people have to walk miles and pay a high price for what the urban middle class calls free water. Putting a price on something is a way of
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economising a limited resource. Privatising water would create incentives to reduce waste, come up with new and innovative solutions and make water distribution more effective and extensive. If a farmer had to pay for the water he uses for his crops, he or she would be more prone to finding more effective methods of irrigation and recycle more spill water. It would also end the ecological sin of growing a crop that needs a lot of water in areas where water is scarce and droughts frequent. For every kilogram of maize that Egypt imports, the country saves half a cubic meter of water. It would also create an incentive to fix leaks in water pipes in poor countries, and to connect poor areas to the distribution network. As the world gets richer, more and more people globally are gaining access to clean and healthy drinking water. A few generations ago, around 90 percent of the world’s population lacked access to clean water, today that number is down to 20. The fastest improvement have been seen in countries where water distribution has been put in hands of private companies, and where the market ha been allowed to work freely. In the third of Argentina’s municipalities that decided to privatise water distribution in the beginning of the 1990’s, the access to water has increased so much that it was estimated to have saved more than 375 lives per year. Now there is a story for newspapers to publish next time there’s a news drought ■.
The EYP Branching Out
by Fania Christodoulides (CY)
The European Union consists of 28 Member States. Therefore, when at a European Youth Parliament session, one would normally assume that the delegates and officials partaking would come from these 28 countries. However, have you ever seen delegates from non-EU states? Countries such as Norway, Turkey, Azerbaijan not only send delegates to sessions abroad, but they also have their own National Committees and sessions. Even Switzerland, which has proven to be neutral on countless occasions has the “EYP-craze”. Apart from non- EU countries, you may have noticed that this year we also have two EU residents at the session, who are actually from China and the United States respectively. Delia Berner, our Chair from Switzerland, having heard of EYP five years ago, thought it sounded like a great organisation to be a part of. Furthermore, she explained that EYP is not just about the EU but Europe as a whole. EYP has 41 national committees, far more than the number of Member States in the EU. Therefore, EYP and EYP Switzerland is about discussing politics and promoting international thinking on the European level, rather than promoting the European Union. Based on her experience, Delia also added that having non-EU delegates in a committee can add to the quality of debate as these delegates tend to have a viewpoint that goes beyond the borders the European Union, so the topic is often viewed as a whole, and not just with regards to the EU.
dent studying architecture abroad in Italy, she found out about the European Youth Parliament from a friend, an EYPer, who sent her the link to the application form. She believed that it would be a great learning experience about Europe and a chance to make new friends. At first, she did not know what to expect, but now she genuinely likes the format of EYP. In the future she hopes to live in Europe, and attend more sessions, if she will be allowed to do so. EYP is not just for architects though. Many EYPers also study law. Enhui Shen, our Chinese delegate in JURI is currently a student at the Free University of Berlin. Similarly to C.J., she found out about the session, through a friend, who, in her case, surprisingly was not an EYPer. So far, discussions have proven to be interesting and Enhui finds it very fascinating to observe different perspectives delegates have to the same issue. She is learning a lot about the EU’s structure, and aspires to work for an international organization such as the UN or EU, and attend more session if possible. The European Youth Parliament is rapidly expanding. Gaining non-EU delegates, we can see how our organisation also reaches out to citizens from countries further away. It is a unique platform of ideas, innovation and political thinking. Who knows, maybe EYP will eventually even overcome the borders of Europe? ■
Next to Delia, C.J. Bellucci- Dilizia from TRAN, is also attending the session without being a citizen of the EU. An American stu6
ERDOGAN: A curse for Turkey and Europe
by Irmak Ekin Karel (TR)
carnegieurope.eu/2014/08/14/west-and-president-erdogan/Wez6
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xactly 11 days ago, on the 10th of August, Turkey had its first direct presidential election in its history. As predicted, Turkish former Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won the election and will become president on 28th August. Out of 73% of the Turkish population participating in the elections, 51.7% voted in favour of Erdoğan. Although almost 14 million Turkish citizens did not vote at the election at all, this still doesn’t change the fact that Erdoğan is the “winner” and has been enjoying his series of success since 2002. After being the Prime Minister (P.M.) of the Turkish Republic for eleven years, he has another victory to celebrate now. But will Turkey be able to survive with Erdoğan and his increasingly authoritarian government alone and in global politics?
powers. This constitution would basically mean that Erdoğan will guarantee his place in the government, whilst aspiring to a presidential system modelled after Russia under Putin.
The selected President is planning to bring Turkey a new constitution that would include granting the presidential office executive
Moreover, looking from a European perspective, Erdoğan does not seem to be helping with the country’s reputation. The
After the unexpected outbreak of Gezi Park Protests last summer, Erdoğan seems to be scared and angry enough to no longer hesitate when it comes to oppressing opinions. As a result of the nationwide protests, the image of Erdoğan, has suffered probably irreparable damage. Hence, it is not surprising that Erdoğan does not care what other countries have to say about the human rights violation in Turkey. Whether it’s random civilians getting killed or journalists going to jail, he destroys anything that crosses his road, because he cannot lose.
foreign policies of Erdoğan‘s party (AKP) point this out as well: Sharp differences between Ankara and its Western allies have occurred on a number of subjects, such as Israel, Syria, Egypt, Armenia and NATO’s defence architecture. Since Turkey has been trying to join the EU for 55 years and official negotiations have run for nine now, it is highly discussable how Erdoğan’s “dictatorship” will further influence the relations between Turkey and the European Union. Especially regarding, that a lot of German politicians from different political parties repeatedly stress their opinion about how Turkey does not have a place in the EU and that Germany should urgently end the negotiations for Turkey to enter into the EU.
flict in Israel and Palestine, a stable Turkey might be solemnly necessary to European safety. That’s why Turkey’s Western allies might be interested in keeping its profile stable, at least for a limited time. To conclude, as a Turkish citizen, I do not have the hope or the belief that Erdoğan will manage to win back voters and improve his relationship with the neighbours. I believe that he is neither good for Europe, nor for Turkey. And even if his aim is to still be in the Cankaya palace, which is the presidents‘ residence, in 2023 and to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic, I will do my best to motivate people to be “active” citizens. Protesters, who are not afraid of his actions and who fight for freedoms in Turkey. ■.
On the other hand, given current instabilities in Iraq and Syria as well as the con-
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To Be, or Not to Be – A Brave New World
by Manon Schürch (CH) & Paul Sander (DE)
One rocket. One planet in ruins. Four heroes. Four escape pods. One Chance. Fear in the dusty air. In this fight for the survival of the human race, will our protagonists make the right calls and give us a new hope, or will they be the last of us?
From left to right: Paul Ertl (CH), Alexandra Sundmark (SE), Lucy Murphy (IE), Maria Lamazhapova (RS)
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he world is coming to its end. Bloodthirsty journalists are occupying the University of Marburg and forcing the other organisers to hand over the session’s whole cookie and coffee supply. After arriving at the orga base an accident occurs through the misuse of the University’s telescope in which they accidentally throw a meteorite off course. It falls down onto the Earth and everything dissolves into acoustic and smoke. Even the University of Marburg is smitten by destiny. In this very moment destiny predestines four heroes who have not yet been affected
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by this mass destruction of mankind as they were having lunch in the cellar of the building and are now the only four survivors of this planet. They are Paul Ertl from ITRE, Alexandra Sundmark from AFET, Lucy Murphy from TRAN and Maria Lamazhapova from CULT. Everything seemed to be doomed but then, out of nothing, an American rocket emerged. Immediately, their heroic courage returned to them and they all entered. A voice, of which Liam Neeson could only dream of, revealed to them that they now were mandated to the power and responsibility to keep mankind
alive. According to their individual choices, four remarkable personalities in human history would be able to fly off with the rocket onto a whole different planet to secure the continuation of mankind. Paul decided to go for none other than Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the great Prince of Denmark and apparently not a good bud of Paul’s, nevertheless, a character whose apparent genius of writing monologues would be enough to secure him a spot on the rocket. Alexandra, on the other hand, chose to go for an inspiring female in present history, namely Hillary Clinton. She would bring both a good sense of fashion to the new world and embody a good role model for every woman. After brief reflection, Lucy decided on Irish born female politician Constance Markievicz. Her massive gun collection and the fact that she was the first woman being voted into the British House of Commons made her eligible for the great responsibility of creating a new civilization. Last but not least, Maria presented her perfect candidate to the group, Martin Luther King, an inspiring and historical figure who ensured civil rights for all people regardless of race. While their four chosen people were entering the rocket to fly off into the unknown, our four heroes moved into a control centre and waved goodbye to the rocket that would take their fosterlings away from Earth. The journey had passed well until, one morning the voice of Hamlet broke the silence: “That it should come to this! I‘ll speak to it though Hell itself should gape.” American aeronautical engineering had failed the four chosen ones miserably as an engine had broken down. Quickly it was decided that the total extinction of mankind could only be repelled if two of the four protégés would cease to be, as vital supplies were dwindling. Fifteen minutes were left for our four heroes
to together decide on who would be the two unfortunate souls leaving the rocket ship. Lucy started off defending her candidate, Constance Markievicz, arguing that she possesses all the qualities necessary to ensure a bright future for mankind, as she had saved Ireland and had avoided execution. If it had to do with her massive gun collection, Lucy would not reveal. Paul was quick to oppose to that argument, mentioning how every Irish person is equipped with a massive gun collection. Soon enough the reproduction aspect was quickly to be recognized by the group when Lucy mentioned that there should be one man and woman surviving in order to ensure mankind’s future existence. Alexandra whose protégé Hillary Clinton was trembling of fear aboard the rocket ship quickly went on attacking some of the other candidates, saying that Hamlet is crazy. Paul was not about to let his charge down and highlighted his expertise in holding monologues and that he would be able to teach mankind a lot about dignity and even fashion. Hamlet’s apparently good looks were underlined by Paul in a very high-spirited manner, who argued that Hamlet was blessed with good looks just like Paul himself. Maria bid defiance to her counterparts by arguing that her candidate Martin Luther King is a person who could understand all the difficulties and obstacles that get thrown towards him in life and that he would fight for the right thing to do until death. He would be a strong supporter of youth organisations and this is why mankind would be in good hands. Alexandra tried once more to emphasise that Hillary Clinton would always know people needed and she would make sure the people would get it. Paul was inclined to favour Hillary as a potential survivor as he argued that he did not want all the new women 10
to look like her. The response came quick from Alexandra and Lucy who argued Hillary being a strong woman and Constance Markievicz possessed a bad ass hat collection. Paul seemed to be convinced by the latter argument and agreed in Constance’s favor by saying that Hamlet would not even be needed on the new planet as his monologues could also be delivered by aliens. Humanity would go out with a bang, which is fine. The deadline passed, our heroes had intensely debated this very tough issue and after democratic voting it was decided that the world would not need another Hamlet or Hillary Clinton, even though Paul at the very last minute decided to vote in favour of his protégé.
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The remaining two who were to secure mankind were therefore to be Martin Luther King and Constance Markievicz. We wish this unusual couple all the best for the future.■
PRETTY MEANINGFUL OR JUST PRETTY?
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session’s claim to uniqueness can take on many different forms. Enlarging our organisation’s target group or seeking to improve academic quality through the adoption of new session elements, EYP has seen a lot of innovation in the recent past. With the popularisation of digitally created imagery, this strive for individualism started to be increasingly reflected in a session’s logo. Fancy fonts and pictograms do not only stare at you from every publication, but bracelets and t-shirts: without anyone noticing, sessions have started adopting the principles of corporate design. So let us take a closer look at «Marburg 2014»: What is half the cog all about? It hardly being an emblematic depiction of internationalism or academics, I engaged on a spree of investigative journalism and activated my sources within the organisers team to find out more. Originally, the logo was drafted by a board member of EYP Germany1. It was not exactly forced onto the session, my source says, who wishes to stay anonymous. But although pressured by me, he doesn’t go on to elaborate on authoritarian aspects of the German National Committee’s governance. The concept behind the logo is quickly explained: in combination with the yellow bar at its centre, the light-blue cog draws the shape of a rising sun, illustrating the notion of the future reminiscent in the session theme. With cogs symbolising not only industry, but also industriousness, not only production, but also productivity, the logo could be perceived as the figurative depiction of the session’s values. It is probably less the importance of manual labour the designer of the logo wanted to allude to,
A LOOK AT THE SESSION LOGO by Yannick Weber (CH) and I consider the probability of it being a subtle critique of digitalised society highly unlikely. But the cog as a small but irreplaceable part of the whole does very nicely symbolise the session’s claim of making a big difference by a punctuated effort. Although liking the message, the aesthetics of the logo are a very different question; says my source. But even he must admit that it’s significantly better than the standard reindeer or abstractions of flags. And he hastily explains that his animosity roots in him not really being a «colour person». A session logo is way more than just a session’s profile picture. In the micro-cosmos that a session is, logos add to the building of a common identity. At an event where teams are forged, this aspect’s importance should not be underestimated. This finding can easily be empirically proven: 18.2% of CULT delegates were wearing their session t-shirts already for Teambuilding. As much as other motivations should be the main focus, one must bear in mind that the session logo is also the first thing sponsors get to see. Logos don’t only have to seem professional, but also sympathetic. Additionally, according to a member of the Press Team, a nice logo can motivate people to apply to a session. In light of the (in-) voluntary outsourcing of logo-creation, it remains questionable how valid of a reason that is. During coffee break I take a closer look at the session’s plastic cups, and a subtle smile appears on my face: after all, the slightly anachronistic EYP Germany logo’s nineties retro-chic is a nice change to the omnipresence of the cog cut in half.■ 12
Towards New Horizons
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imitris Zacharias, session president of «Marburg 2014», is a person to look up to: recently measured 193 cm (without shoes), he towers over most of the session participants. There is absolutely no reason to be afraid of the man though, as I was assured beforehand, regardless of his dimensions. When we sit down in the courtyard, Dimitris’ brown eyes fixate me through his reflective sunglasses, currently the most often used pair of the seven he owns. As the Greek EYPer very openly admits, he is not a very wanted interview partner outside the EYP-context. Dimitris has had the pleasure of talking to session press a few times, however, he’s not enough of a narcissist to keep count.
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by Yannick Weber (CH)
Our session president started his EYP journey back in 2006 at a National Session in Athens. His most memorable experiences stem from the 2007 International Session in Bialowieza, though. Reminiscing about the past and glazing into the distance, he tells me about an attack speech he held, not because of its rhetoric quality, but the fact that his pants dropped due to his belt getting stuck to the podium. The incident still serves as a running joke, especially because of his reaction to the involuntary strip which was commented with a request to please refrain from using profanity by the session board, and his words of excuse, explaining the situation behind the lectern.
Commencing in 2008, Dimitris took a twoyear break from EYP and got very involved in British parliamentary style debating competitions, but soon his competitive gene was satisfied and he started to get more and more involved in EYP as an official. Dimitris, who will hold a Master’s degree in international public management and policy from the Erasmus University of Rotterdam from next week onwards, carefully picks the sessions he would like to preside: In Marburg, he hopes to see both the impact EYP can have on university students and the impact of university students on EYP, a youth organisation whose target group is normally somewhat younger. He greatly values the opportunity to learn about university students‘ perception of EYP and hopes to take home a lot of new input. Quite possibly, Marburg could be a milestone in the further development of the EYP-concept. Although not always sticking to the 2020 objectives when it comes to waste disposal, Dimitris strongly identifies with the notion of European citizenship. His experiences within the EYP network have helped him to redefine the sense of borders, he says. His commitment to openness does not qualify as a life motto though - Dimitris is very opposed to the concept of life mottos, as he has a habit of changing his attitudes towards life. Obviously one should live one’s days to the fullest, he says, but sometimes staying in bed and watching TV shows is also not too bad of an idea. His three alltime favourite series are «The West Wing», «House of Cards», and «Friends», the latter having aired so much on Greek TV over the last ten years that Dimitris has reached the point of being able to recite entire dialogues from memory. Wishing to leave a serious impression in my article, he refrains from ranking «Geordie Shore» in the list, apparently a guilty pleasure of his.
Looking sharp in his suit, I ask Dimitris about his relationship with clothes, and soon we are talking about the famed leather jacket; apparently not worn for exclusively aesthetic reasons, but mostly for its feel and smell. Surprisingly, he is not as much of a fashion freak as the number of sunglasses he owns might suggest. His fascination rather lies with EYP: its unique selling proposition, as the international business undergrad puts it, is the political participation and the chance for skills development the organisation offers, redundantising any extrinsic motivation for participation. Given the chance to choose a picture for this article, Dimitris’ first choice is «the one with the boat». Despite having become a true European in the last years, he seemingly can’t hide his Mediterranean origins after all. ■
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The Blueprint Crossword
by Fania Christodoulides (CY)
Down: 1) The Iranian-German official’s real first name. 2) The Conference is at…. (3 words) 3) The missing editor. 4) The location of the President’s first international session. 5) The fourth word of the unofficial EYP song. 6) The Editor’s nickname. 7)First issue. Page 17. Paragraph 1. Line 10. Word 5. 8) The piece of machinery iconic to the session. 15
Across: 9) Topic overview guide. Page 5. 3rd Paragraph. 2nd line. 5th and 6th word. (2 words) 10 ) EYP was created in a …….. (3 words) 11) This musician composed the melody of the European Union’s anthem. 12) The number of stars on EYP Germany’s logo. 13) This official wears glasses just to play it “cool”. He could be cooler. How many EYP sessions has he attended? 14)The organizer who is not currently in his/her home nation. 15) The official who was once on the board of EYP Germany.
Depression: The taboo illness
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ith the shocking suicide of actorcomedian Robin Williams, the dangers of depression are once again all over the news. Although it is a very common and serious disease, depression is still often underestimated and even contested in its status as an illness. We, between the age of 20 and 30, are statistically most likely to develop one of the following conditions. The term “depression” is derived from the Latin term “deprimere” meaning to “press down”. Now, in modern English there are a tons of synonyms for “depressed” like feeling blue, low or downhearted. Its antonyms are cheerful, comforted and happy. Obviously, feeling sad every once in a while is in no way related to the dangerous medical condition. A small or rather minor depression is characterised by relatively “mild” symptoms lasting for at least two weeks. With depression coming in an individually different shape, duration and symptoms may vary. Dysthymic disorder, for instance, is a very durable form of depression defined by severe but not disabling symptoms spanning at least two years. Sadly, a minor depression and dysthymia both are very likely to lead into a major depressive disorder. A major depressive disorder, also known as clinical or unipolar depression, will render a person unable to feel joy or appetite, while causing pains, anxieties and feelings of selfloathing peaking in suicide. Science believes mental illnesses, such as depression, to be most likely caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors. Nevertheless, some
by Paul Sander (DE)
illnesses as well as certain other mental disorders, e.g. Parkinsons disease, alcoholism, have also been proven to incite depressive disorders. Due to its seemingly private nature, many people are reluctant to seek help. They get too afraid of the social stigmata associated with mental illnesses and mood disorders to ever speak to their physician or a psychotherapist. Sadly it is exactly this, making an early decision to sign up for treatment, what is of the uttermost importance for a successful recovery. And once in therapy, there is still the sensitive issue of medication to deal with. Lacking insight to the detailed workings of failing neurotransmitters, it continues to rely on controversial anti-depressants to treat the dangerous symptoms of depressions. What makes those so controversial, is the fact that the dosage of antidepressants needs very close supervision by a professional, so that it will not cause severe side-effects like addictive behaviour for instance. To conclude, it is important to get professional help to those affected as soon as possible. Given enough time and psychotherapy, most depressive disorders can be cured, the most important factor being the start of their treatment. If you, or someone you know, is dealing with depression, check the internet, or simply a phone book, for your respective national services and local specialists. ■. 16
The Blunder of the Occupy Movement
by Gustaf
Westin (SE)
http://www.berfrois.com/uploads/2011/11/we-are-the-99-percent1.jpg
A
popular movement protesting against an economic system that takes from the poor and gives to the rich has rarely been as welcome as it is today. Europe is ravaged by mass unemployment while our governments are handing out money to everything from farms to troubled banks. Under the slogan “We are the 99%�, referring to the movement supposedly representing the large part of the people that they feel are disadvantaged by today’s system unlike the small elite they feel is favoured by it, the movement has been camping out outside of stock markets in major cities around the world since 2011. It is a shame they are occupying the wrong places.
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It is unfortunate that a movement that could have been a protest against how the state and big business sit in the same boat, has been more and more taken over by leftist rhetoric about the failure of capitalism. The movement is not directing its criticism towards companies receiving hand-outs and getting rescued by tax payer money from the government, but instead towards the richest in society. First of all, what we are witnessing in the world is not the failure of capitalism. Had we really had a truly capitalist society, banks in trouble would have been allowed to go bankrupt and die out to give room for another, better alternative. Saving banks by giving them a big scoop of tax payer money
is anything but capitalism. When making bank bailouts the custom, you are sending a message to banks telling them they can make as many bad deals and be as irresponsible as they want. If things go wrong, the tax payers will come to the rescue. When a bank cannot survive on its own on the market, it should not be saved, it should be allowed to go bankrupt. That way competitors, who can evidently provide a better service, can take its place. It is a process no more dangerous than removing weeds in your garden to make room something beautiful. There is a monumental difference between being pro-business and pro-market. A society where government interferes with regulations, taxes, tariffs and special rules that benefit big and influential business is the opposite of a free and open market, where the actor providing the best services gets to do so, instead of the ones with the most power and influence over easily swayed and convinced politicians. The reason for our economic situation and the financial crisis however, is not that a small elite in society has seen an improved standard of living at the expense of
the rest. The opposite, one reason of the somewhat dire situation today is the fact that we have seen a decline in rich entrepreneurs creating jobs and wealth. Since 2007 the number of American millionaires has declined by 39 percent. And those that happen to be millionaires often are because they created or offered something other people were willing to pay money for, be it iPhones, computers, heart surgery or Google, and in so doing, have created thousands of jobs. They also contribute in other ways. In America, the richest 1% earn 17% of the country’s combined incomes, and pay 37% of the taxes, as the Gini-Index shows. The “Occupy Movement” should not occupy Wall Street. It should not occupy the London Stock Exchange, or Euronext in Paris, or the Borsa Italiana in Milan. It should occupy the central banks who printed the money used to cover up for the failures of a handful of bankers. It should occupy the homes of the politicians who voted to give tax payer money – your money - to those who could not take the consequences of their bad actions. If you want to change the world, it is good if you know how it works first. ■
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