Blueprint - First 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, Almost one week after the session, we hereby present you the farewell issue of our Blueprint series. In this newspaper the journalists present you personal and EYP-related articles next to serious academic articles. You will learn about how to proceed in EYP after the session and what an importance the dress code has during General Assembly. As always I wish you will enjoy reading the issue. Furthermore I would like to thank all the participants for having made this session a unique experience, concerning both the quality and the fun level. Europe is small and I am sure that we will all meat each other at another hilarious session. Keep on being interested in Europe, because Europe is our future, Peyman Khaljani (DE) Editor of the Session
EYP Delegates: The Rookie versus the Veteran
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Great(er) Switzerland
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Clothes make the Man
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Opposite Perceptions: Vladimir Putin in the Media
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Shrinking the World Stay tuned! Dialogue in the Dark - The Unseen It is getting Better and Better
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EYP Delegates: The Rookie versus the Veteran
by Fania Christodoulides (CY)
M
arburg 2014 is different from other sessions. At most EYP conferences, delegates are still in secondary school, and most have no idea of what they would like to study and accomplish later in life. However, here it is not the case. Delegates are older, between the ages of 18-27 and many are in university, studying or already working in their respective field. This is what makes the session unique, and at a high level of academic standard. Moreover, having delegates who are of that age range, and allowed to apply individually to the session also leads to another phenomenon: first time delegates and EYP alumni together in committees. With nearly half the delegates first timers, and the rest having attended sessions in the past, it interesting to see how the delegates not only interact, but what they think of the session. Interviewing a first time EYP de-
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legate, Andre Neto-Bradley, from CULT, as well as veteran delegate Samuel FĂŠly, from EMPL, one can see the correlation in their responses, as well as the different perspectives one would expect from an experienced and inexperienced delegate. Although never attending EYP before, Andre started participating in Model UN sessions from the ninth grade, and is presently still involved. A German friend of his had a similar story, but was involved with EYP, so they both decided to try out the other style of conference. Andre explained that EYP has a different format, and where Model UN is very focus on debate, EYP has a lot more cooperation, and you can compromise more than at Model UN. He stated that it was refreshing, because you could form consensus, represent your own ideas and make the topic into something you care about, unlike Model UN where you represent, and role-
play a country’s stance. Although a bit suspicious about Teambuilding at first, as he had never experienced it before, and in the end thought it was brilliant, because by then end of the first day, he learnt a lot about his committee. Andre hopes to come back to EYP and stay up to date with the sessions, as well as maybe attend as an official one day. He believes that although MUN and EYP are not that comparable, they are both equally good experiences and he is glad to have experienced both. Contrary to Andre, Samuel from EMPL has been involved in EYP since he was 16 years old. He has attended 18 sessions, and surprisingly, he started EYP by chance when a student counselor recommended it. Applying to the French Nationals with his school, he fell in love with EYP. He then qualified for the International Session as well as organized the French Nationals. Apart from organizing, he has also chaired. Samuel believes that the delegates at the session are the most important people, as they continue the legacy of the organization. He enjoys being a delegate again and watches his chair, to learn from her and her
style of chairing. Notably, he thinks that it is essential to come back and be reminded of what it is to be a delegate, how they feel and their perspective, so he can become a better official in the future. He strongly believes that it is important to reverse the roles every once in a while so to improve. So far, his favorite aspect of the session was his committee, the fact that they are university students, and the spirit of the session as a whole. According to him, there calmness and sincerity to the relationships amongst delegates, and no competition or fakeness which sometimes occurs at National Sessions. It is interesting to see how an International Forum can bring people together who are EYP “rookies” as well as “veterans”, something that would not normally happen at a session. The amazing aspect of this though is that delegates are able to work together regardless of experience, producing resolutions which show how much the youth of Europe work and push for change in the future. ■
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Great(er) Switzerland
by Yannick Weber (CH)
Especially in Eastern European countries, acceding the EU is widely recognised as a desirable goal. But the EU is not the only political system looking for expansion.
left: Lombardy as the 27th Canton of the Swiss Confederation?
http://www.englishforum.ch/attachments/swiss-politicsnews/40876d1333391805-lombardy-our-27th-canton-27thcanton.png
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n 1919 Vorarlberg, the westernmost part of Austria, took a memorable vote: a majority of 82% of the population voted to join the Swiss confederation. Unfortunately, the Swiss didn’t let them, but an accession to the Confederatio Helvetica does not seem to have lost any of its appeal. Lower taxes, less unemployment, direct democracy and a strong currency were only some of the reasons that made 20.000 Italian citizens sign an online petition proposing to make Lombardy Switzerland’s 27th Canton, after a Federal Councillor had called it a viable and realistic option. In February, a group of Sardinians launched the project «Canton Maritimo» with the aim of joining – you guessed it – Swiss territory. And in October a «Global Forum» in Bozen will talk about South Tyrol as a Swiss Canton. These movements might not all be too serious about their demands and what most of them have in common is their initiators’ background in satire.
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The right-wing Swiss People’s Party though, major player in the political landscape, is dead serious in its call for expansion. In the spirit of author Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s statement that the world must either turn more Swiss or perish, the party pushed for an adoption of the necessary alterations to the constitution to allow neighbouring regions to join the Swiss Confederation. Seeking to export their homeland’s model of sovereignty and civic participation, the proposal wanted Switzerland to actively promote its expansion instead of joining the EU. The Federal government, however, strongly opposed the legislative project, calling it an unfriendly act towards the neighbouring EU Member States. Sadly, the proposal was never discussed in parliament because its author failed to be re-elected. But would it actually make sense for neighbouring regions to join the Swiss Confederation? According to the Nations Brands
Index, which evaluates a country’s image in the world, Switzerland ranks 8th out of 50 states. You must undoubtedly ask: why only the eight place? Scoring higher in most categories, Switzerland’s rank in the category «culture & sports» pretty much ruined the outcome. Still, the «Schwäbische Zeitung», a southern German local newspaper, claims to have found that 86% of its readers are in favour of acceding Switzerland. With Baden-Württemberg acceding, Switzerland might finally be able to beat Argentina in a World Cup. The core values of the Swiss political system are actually being busily exported: often delegations from other countries visit Switzerland to study its decentralized system of direct democracy, and in South Sudan experts of the Swiss Foreign Office are giving lectures on federalism. In the end however, the danger of the international community eventually being faced with a precedent of
a region wishing to accede Switzerland is a quite small one. In the past, religious or linguistic minorities have always successfully prevented expansionist plans from being carried out. The international community did actually have to deal with territorial issues concerning Switzerland though. In 2009, following diplomatic tensions with Libya caused by the arrest of Muammar al-Gaddafi’s son, the dictator submitted a formal proposal to the United Nations General Assembly, requesting that Switzerland be split up in three parts which would subsequently become territory of Germany, France, and Italy. Luckily though, Switzerland continues to exist until this day, and hope might not be fully lost for accession candidates just yet. ■
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Clothes make the Man
L
adies; imagine slipping into a stunning Alexander McQueen just before General Assembly, the dress matches your black high heels by Jimmy Choo. Gentlemen; imagine yourselves in a Lacoste shirt with a fitting suit by Dolce and fine leather shoes. You feel confident and you are aware of the fact of how superior you must look to others. This delightful feeling stimulates your spirit and you feel like you could take on the world. “Fine feathers make fine birds”, “Clothes Make People”. Inspired by Swiss born poet and writer Gottfried Keller’s novel “Kleider machen Leute – Clothes Make the Man” this term has been used throug-
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by Manon Schürch (CH)
hout the centuries. This quotation today is not just of great importance to the fashion industry. Even in private life this verse is more and more likely to be used such as for example by concerned parents before their offspring’s job interview. The times where clothing only had a solemnly sensible function to it, are long gone. We have left the times behind where clothing was only supposed to protect from the cold, rain or the sun. Today clothing plays a big part in defining your own personality and presenting you with a social status. In the course of centuries, clothing has become a social
matter for communication and determines our thinking and acting more that we notice. An example: If you stand in line at a supermarket you automatically sense the people around you, though short but in the glimpse of a moment. What your eye catches immediately is each individual’s clothing. The well-dressed gentleman is automatically assumed to embody a certain seriousness and trustfulness. He is associated with a healthy life style and money. Even a less fashionably dressed man or stylish and fancy woman seems cultivated and mannerly, providing they would not dissolve this image through weird behaviour. We automatically view less fashionably dressed people with a critical sense and such people will have it more difficult to prove themselves in life to others. Even of this scheme appears to be striking; many scientific studies and trials on the streets have determined exactly this tendency. Clothes are still serving people’s guidance in judgement of the opposite, even before we concern ourselves with the character of said person. To go even further: clothes can even determine whether or not two people will come to talk to each other or not. First impressions do count after all. It sounds shallow and mindless – it is. However, this behaviour derives back to human mechanism which should ease the choice of a partner dependant on external traits. With the cultivation of mankind those traits have become unobvious to people. This has led to the fact that humans today also tend to
be attracted to each individual’s social status, personality and attitude. As helpful this could be for a first impression, it can be equally dangerous to succumb to a deception of a human character because such first impressions are not always true. Prejudices and social stereotypes can result out of these problems if one focuses on traits, such as clothing too much. Clothes also serve self determination and everybody subconsciously creates a pattern for himself. Clothes send signals; they give hints on the identity of the carrier. Style, choice of colours, branches and combination says something about how we are and how we would like to be perceived. Clothes can also prove themselves useful in signalizing one’s affiliation to a certain group of people. It does not matter if it is of religious or political matter, clothes can decide one’s future. Despite all this, EYP is a place where everything – from the casual outfit to the fancy dress – is allowed and required. Nevertheless, we all know that General Assembly is considered to be a platform of dignity, grace and respect and this should certainly be reflected in your choice of clothing. But at the end of the day remember when you slip into those extremely uncomfortable but stunning Jimmy Choo’s, even with clothing the beauty lies in the eyes of the viewer. ■
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Opposite Perceptions: Vladimir Putin in the Media
by Aleksandra Gajewska (PL)
O
bjectivity in the media is practically an impossibility. All the journalists have certain views and beliefs, which are more or less consciously reflected in their work. Many articles, moreover, are written with a purpose, either to convince, present a certain perspective or persuade the reader of an opinion. In light of the current situation in Ukraine and controversial Russian foreign policy, it is worth comparing the coverage of these topics by Russian and Western media. The articles “Putin has stumbled in Ukraine”, from “The Moscow Times”, written by Fiodor Lukyanov and “What I Learned from Vladimir Putin” from the “European Voice”, written by Chris Patten, represent radically different perspectives of the same reality. In the one published by the “European Voice”, Chris Patten talks about his impression from his first meeting with Putin in October 1999 in Helsinki, when he “was attending a European Union-Russia summit as the EU’s external affairs commissioner”. Referring to his personal experience, he expresses a highly controversial opinion, saying that Putin’s “(…) behavior confirmed the wisdom of the observation that you can take the man out of the KGB, but you can’t take the KGB out of the man.” The same man at the beginning of his political career is portrayed in “The Moscow Times”, as “the kind of leader people wanted: not brilliant, but dependable, capable of finally bringing the endless chaos to a close and ensuring the return of hope for the future.” Moreover, the author points that “Putin arrived under the banner of stability at the same time that stability was coming
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to an end in the world at large“, which in the context of current Ukrainian crisis implies that he is not an aggressor, who actually destabilizes the country, but conversely, his actions are dictated by the need to adapt to external situation. The Russian journalist portrays Putin as a savior of the country, who puts every effort in stabilizing the internal situation, despite disturbing external factors. He emphasizes that: “The president sensed the vulnerability of his country in the ungovernable global chaos and the absence of an agenda that would support Russia‘s national development. That is why he strives to simply maintain the status quo and protect against new upheavals. But if the stability of the 2000s was a conscious plan, stability in the current decade is a game of retention and preservation.” Furthermore, saying that the escalating external turbulence had always worried Putin, the journalist induces the notion of a parental relation between the country and its president, portraying the latter as concerned parent who has to put every effort in protecting his child. On the other hand, in the article published in the “European Voice”, Chris Patten presents a radically different image of Putin. In order to make his argument more convincing and himself more reliable, he chose to show, rather than state what kind of a person Russian leader is. Therefore, he refers to his own memories, recalling the situation, when “the EU team heard that there had been an explosion in Grozny” and “it subsequently came to light that a wave of Russian ballistic missiles (…) had killed more than a hundred people.” Mentioning the victims, he dramatizes the event and creates
a ruthless image of Putin by juxtaposing this fatal happening, with his reaction on questions of western politicians. As Chris Patten reminisces “Putin had looked us in the eye and lied, almost certainly aware that we knew he was lying.” The journalist moreover, shows the hypocrisy and slyness of Russian politicians in general recalling that “The communiqué that day made no mention of Chechnya, but enunciated the usual “blah blah” about shared values, belief in democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, and the need for strategic cooperation.” Juxtaposition of dramatic real-life attack on Chechnya with the behavior of the Russian officials makes the reader reconsider his view on the way Russian foreign policy is conducted. The effect on the reader is strengthened by the use of the colloquial “blah-blah”, reflecting journalist’s personal approach to the topic. It therefore, makes the argument more approachable and less academic, with is to make contact with the reader in order to persuade him more easily. The technique is continued, when the author continues to say: “I can recall countless instances of – how can I best put it? – Putin and his colleagues economizing with the truth on a spectacular scale.” The question again directly addresses the reader and more importantly indicates the mocking tone of this extensive euphemism. Both articles present also radically different views on the annexation of Crimea. The article from “The Moscow Times” reads that it “was a risky, but calculated, move. Without a doubt, the main motives were to ensure the presence of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea and prevent Ukraine from joining NATO. This radical move to protect Russia‘s strategic interests and strengthen the country‘s position doesn‘t deviate far from the realistic spirit of all Putin‘s political actions.” The journalist uses inductive reasoning in order to justify the annexation
and make the reader agree with the view that the main aim was to “protect”, not attack. In fact the journalist cleverly manipulates the reader using the fallacy of defective induction, in which the correct reasoning is based on the weak premise. Consequently the reasoning itself seems logical, but, since the first statement is false, the whole argument is fallacious. On the other side, the article written by the EU commissioner reads that: “Crimea was annexed on the spurious grounds that it had once been part of Russia – a justification that, if applied elsewhere, could underwrite the violent redrawing of boundaries in much of Europe.” The argument is to reveal the fallacious reasoning of Putin, who treats Russia as an exception and himself as the one who does not have to abide with the law. Depending on the country we are from and the political views of the newspapers we read, we are fed with various opinions and different fallacies and strategies are used to persuade us. Most probably even this article, although it is saying about the unreliability of media, is also not entirely objective, for example because of its selectivity of passages and the choice of articles. Certainly it is crucial to think critically and draw from various articles and opinions, in order not to become a victim of manipulation. ■
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Shrinking the World
H
ow did you travel to Marburg? Most of us used some form of public transport and whether it be by bus, train or plane most likely it did not take over 24 hours to make the trip to and from the session. However, there was once a time where travelling to another country, let alone city and town, took days, weeks and even months. Even contacting loved ones abroad would take days via letters, unlike today’s 5 second Skype call. Innovation is bring the world together, making our global community even smaller, and more attainable to reach. In 1873 Jules Verne wrote the classic “Around the World in Eighty Days” where he described the tale of a rich Englishman’s journey around the world with his valet. The story at the time would have intrigued the reader with 19th century modernization in technology and transport . On the other hand, presently, the journey from the UK, to Egypt, to India, to the United States would be a matter of plane rides, and only a few days’ expedition. The classic novel now entices the reader with history, rather than novelty.
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by Fania Christodoules (CY)
Three years later, in 1876, Alexander Graham Bell was the first to obtain a patent for an „apparatus transmitting vocal or other sounds telegraphically“. Commonly known as, the first telephone. It took Bell years experimenting with transmitters and receivers before reaching the patent stage, and it was his initial work on the harmonic telegraph which led the way to the iPhone in your pocket now. Now, in the 138 years since the first telephone, take a look at your mobile device next to you. The internet access, the touch screen, the various application which we use to aid us in everyday life. Imagine going back in time and telling Alexander Graham Bell that this was the snowball effect he started. So then next time you press “Send” on an email, or message a fellow distant committee member via Facebook, take a moment and think, will one day these means of communication be outdated to younger generations? Telegrams and long distance travel for us lay in the past, and so might the internet in the years to come. It is now our turn to invent tomorrow. ■
Stay Tuned! Dear Delegate, by the time you are reading this, you will already have left #MarburgIF. Sincerely hoping that you enjoyed the event, this article aims at providing you with all you need to know to keep involved within the European Youth Parliament network. Firstly, there is no need to indulge into PED, post-EYP depression, or be inconsolable and heartbroken that the session indeed has ended. If you are willing to travel to and participate in another one, you will be welcome to do so! Depending on your interests, you are met with different options to continue your participation. If you want to stay a delegate for the time being, you should look out for further academic forums. But bear in mind, EYP work is mainly focussed on highschool students, which makes such sessions rare. Maybe the speeches during closing ceremony made you excited to join an officials team? For each of the around 370 sessions happening around Europe every year there are “Calls” for Officials (Organisers, Chairpersons and Journalists), open for any EYP alumni to apply to. You, dear delegate, are an EYP alumni and most welcome to prove Maximilian “Moobak” Kiehns thesis right, by improving future sessions with your personal EYP-experience. To receive said calls, as well as information about upcoming academic forums, you can sign up for your National Committee’s (NC) newsletter and join the “Sessions!” group on facebook. You can also browse the EYP alumni site, which is an immense source for both EYP related knowledge and upcoming sessions.
by Paul Sander (DE)
borate on your motivation, experience and skills as well as your expectations and vision. Under no circumstances should you feel rejected or insufficient if you do not get picked on your first attempts, just keep your enthusiasm up and try again. While experience is desirable, selection panels will value the quality of applications and not session histories. Nevertheless, if you want to improve your current (for instance, chairing) skills, there are also EYP trainings, which may then also prove a boost to your chances. You can also further deepen the bond between yourself and EYP by joining your respective national committee (NC). To sum-up: You can join EYP‘s international facebook page for calls here. Also, you can find your respective national committee on this overview! You can always visit their web-pages or write them an e-mail for further help. Furthermore, check out the EYP Alumni page to find other delegates, upcoming sessions and much more related to the EYP network. It has been a pleasure to meet all of you and it would be an even greater pleasure if we were to meet somewhere in Europe again. Truly Yours, Blueprint ■
In an application, you will be asked to ela10
Dialogue in the Dark - The Unseen
by Irmak Ekin Karel (TR)
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ne month ago, I went to an exhibition called “Dialogue in the Dark” in Istanbul. I was pretty excited because I heard from a lot of friends what a great experience it was. Dialogue in the Dark is basically “an exhibition and workshop to explore the unseen” and has been presented in more than 30 countries and 130 cities throughout the world since its opening in 1988. Turkey is the 30th country to host the exhibition.
Its concept is very simple: Dialogue in the Dark aims to raise awareness amongst societies about blindness and reach a mutual understanding and empathy between blind and sighted individuals. During the exhibition, visitors are in groups led by blind or visually impaired guides through specially constructed dark rooms in which scent, sound, wind, temperature and texture convey the characteristics of daily environ11
ments – for example a park, a city, a boat cruise or a bar. So that was all I knew before going to the exhibition. When I arrived and bought a ticket, an officer told me to wait for the next shift. When it was time to go, she told me that I was going to be the only visitor in that shift because no one else showed up. When I got inside, the room was barely lighted up so that I was still able to see. Another officer provided me with a white cane and showed me how to use it. Explaining that it has to touch the floor continuously, moving in half a circle, he assured me that there was absolutely nothing to be afraid of inside. Even though it could feel a bit inconvenient at first, he told me to trust my tour guide, who was going to lead me through the dark rooms for approximately an hour and a half. The officer led me into the dark and told me to wait for the tour guide. There was abso-
lutely nothing to see (Robbed of my sense of sight, I had to wait for him a couple of seconds.) So I waited for some seconds which felt like 5 minutes to me, probably because I had lost my sight and I felt like I was standing alone in the middle of nowhere. Then I heard a man’s voice saying hi. It was the tour guide and his name was Yusuf. In order to guide me, Yusuf had to hold my hand from time to time; other times he told me to come to his voice. If I stepped forward and there were some obstacles in my direction, I would feel it with the cane and try to go to another direction. Although without the tour guide, I am sure it would not have been easy for me to find my way. During the whole tour we basically took a sightseeing tour through Istanbul; we got on to the famous tram of the Istiklal Street, took the ferry on the Bosporus, went to a Bazaar, crossed a busy street with cars, watched TV and went to a café. I also learned the Braille alphabet, which I was very curious about. The tour guide, Yusuf, knew all the rooms by heart; he knew where to find the trees and flowers in a garden and he could instantly say where the remote control for the TV was. This blind man could sense it all. I felt so disabled that I asked him if he felt insecure in the light. The answer was obvious. I needed his guidance in the dark as much as he, as a visually impaired person, would need my guidance in the light. I got to know Yusuf’s personality without actually knowing how he looked like. So I actually did not have a “first impression” when I met him. All I could tell about his physical appearance was that he was tall, since the voice came from above. Spending an hour and a half alone with Yusuf, I could tell that he was a very self-confident person. He even made me sing a ridiculous Turkish song, out loud. When I asked the logic behind, he told me on every tour he
makes everyone sing to see how brave and self-confident they are. At the end of the exhibition there was a café, still in the dark. The waiter said hello and asked me if I wanted to buy something. I bought chocolate and handed him some money. Since I could not tell how much money I gave to him, I had to trust that he would not lie to me about the change. After the exhibition was over, it felt weird to be able to see again. The tour guide Yusuf was a pretty tall, thin and good looking man. After telling him goodbye, I left the exhibition and went down to the subway to go home. At that particular moment, I realized how nice it was not being able to see. How nice it was that I had the opportunity to get to know a person without unconsciously judging them by their physical appearance at the first place. Everyone heading to the subway station was staring at each other. I suddenly saw speech bubbles above people’s heads, thinking about other people’s lives, in their heads saying “Oh, that girl is so hot and pretty.” “Oh, this one looks like a hipster, how disgusting” etc. But being blind, you do not have the ability to judge a person by their outer appearance. You cannot just say if someone is pretty or ugly, poor or rich, hipster or popular, cool or loser. And I thought: Blind people actually see other people much better than we do. Maybe if we would close our eyes and never open them again, we could live in a better world where people do not judge, but love. ■
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It is getting Better and Better
by Gustaf
Westin (SE)
Humanity has long been prone to believing that the world is constantly becoming a worse and worse place to live in. When seeing the discussion about globalisation in the world today, the words of Wulftstan, the Archbishop of York comes to mind. In a sermon in 1014, he proclaimed that “The world is rushing onward, and it is nearing the end”. Much in the discussion is being said from the outset that globalisation is making the world spin out of control. They could not be further from the truth. Firstly, something that has been especially emphasised is how unequal the world is becoming. “The rich are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer”, has become somewhat of a natural state of things instead of a statement that you need to prove. If you actually look at the developments in the world, you would realise that the statement is a half-truth. The rich have gotten richer. Not everywhere nor everyone, but generally. Both rich in the third world and us that have the fortune to live in a rich country have enjoyed an increase in wealth over the past decades. But the second part of the statement is simply not true. The world’s poor have not seen a decline in living conditions, quite the opposite. The amount of people living in absolute poverty decreased from 33 to 18% between 1981 and 2001, and the average person in the world have almost doubled their income since 1965. In Asia, hundreds of millions of people, who a few decades ago had to struggle to survive, have seen their lives improved immensely and can start to enjoy some measure of wealth and security. Only someone who sees wealth as a problem can think it problematic that some millionaires have become billionaires while the poor is turned into middle class. The world of today is also less hungry than before. In the beginning of the 1970’s, around 37% of the world’s population suf13
fered from malnutrition, and 2001 the same number had gone down to 17%. Naturally that number is still too high, but it is declining fast. The fastest improvement is that of East and Southeast Asia, where the amount of people starving went down from 43% to 10% between 1970 and 2001. The global food production was doubled between 1980 and 2005, and tripled in the third world. The amount of children with the possibility to go to school has also increased; the percentage of children partaking in lower level education worldwide is nearing 100% and illiteracy is on a steady decline. The world is also getting more democratic; in 2000, over 60% of the world’s population lived in a democracy, compared to 14% in 1950. The aforementioned increase in wealth has led to old structures in society being loosened up, and women are today more free than ever before. No one in the world today would say that it is free of problems. Millions of people suffer from diseases like aids, military conflicts, although decreasing, are still costing the lives of thousands of people every year and poverty remains a massive problem, especially in Africa. But the problems that remain naturally seem like less of a challenge when we can see that we can actually do something about them. There is, after all, cause for optimism. ■