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COMING AND
SABINA CRISAN
GOING.
The Session is here and so are you. Question is…How did you get here?!
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ver 200 youths from across Europe descended on Doga Holiday Resort on Friday 23rd March. Suitcases, laptops and other luggage tumbled into reception where delegates were met by the session Orga team. Introductions, excitement and anxiety characterised the arrival of the delegations. It also sparked
to tell. It was also an opportunity to reflect on our journeys’ to the session. It was 2008, and I was headed for the 58th International Session of EYP in Liverpool. I learnt back then, that a wrong turn to the left can make you miss your flight. With no other possibility of travelling that day, I started hoping for the yellow submarine to emerge from its dark
Little did they know that the call to prayer could be so terrifying. curiosity amongst the journalists as to how the delegates arrived and whether they had any stories
waters and rescue me. One would think that lightening never strikes twice. Well it
did, as I arrived late to Istanbul 2012. One day after sending all my blessings to the “helpful” ladies at the check-in counter, I was on board with the most annoying children in the world and managed to stuck in a traffic jam. But all’s well that ends well, and late at night I was enjoying funny karaoke in Istanbul, while (re-re-re-re) telling my story to everyone. This whole experience got me thinking: How did you guys arrive here? My two day trip seems nothing compared to members of the Serbian delegation. Forced to 4
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TERESA STADLER
Syria Two car bombs struck intelligence and security buildings in the Syrian capital Damascus, killing at least 27 people and wounding about 140, according to state media. Explosions occurred as reports emerged that Saudi Arabia was preparing to deliver arms to travel by bus, they were on the road for forty hours, a couple of which were spent at the Bulgarian National Palace of Culture – a disappointing state fair showing random daily routine objects. With humour they did appreciate the presented automatic doors, showers and windows. Not as much as the Turkish cookies though… Feeling luckier than they do? Well, the Romanian delegation has some stories to tell! They arrived in Istanbul early in the morning, after a fourteen hour bus ride. Check-in was at the tourist agency, where some slept on their luggage, while others decided to explore outside. The courageous spirit was shattered at 4a.m. when they heard a loud voice on the dark streets of Istanbul. Little did they know the call to prayer could be so terrifying. As if this was not enough, on their subway ride back to the bus5
es, they lived through a real life mob-like story. How else can you describe a couple of suits entering the subway, leaving a suitcase in the middle of the compartment and then walking away? You can tell a lot about a person by the way they pack. The thing that comes in last is usually the last minute reminder. Dutch and Ukrainian delegations are pretty practical in that sense: cameras, passports, insurance, also some bread and a knife. But hey, they can always have a picnic, no matter what. Some pack last the towels, others national costumes... myself, I always pack last my favourite bag of sweets. Just in case my ride gets delayed at some point. Laughter and tears go handin-hand with departures and arrivals. I just cannot help but wonder: how is the Turkish delegation feeling? You know, being just one taxi ride away...
NEWS FLASH Syrian rebels. Kony 2012 Jason Russel, co-founder of the Invisible Children charity, was detained by police in San Diego on Thursday after being spotted apparently nude in the street, screaming and interfering with traffic. His wife claims that the global attention caused by the viral campaign video led to his break-down. Albany Black and Latino law-makers, fed up over the frequency with which New York City police officers are stopping and frisking minority men, are battling what they say is a racial divide as they push legislation to rein in the practice. Sports Football fans have united in support for Bolton Wanderers mid-fielder Fabrice Muamba, who was fighting for his life on Saturday night after collapsing on the pitch during an FA Cup quarter-final match. Art A painting dismissed for years as the work of an unknown artist has been identified as a piece by Vincent Van Gogh after x-rays revealed an image of two wrestlers fighting underneath the floral still life. Extinction In a report to the government, the RSPB warns 33 species of birds, including penguins, parrots and albatrosses, are now critically endangered across the remote shores of UK overseas territories. The RSPB warns that more money needs to be invested in protecting their habitat to save these birds.
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IT’S TOUGH
ALI MURAT GALI AND MONIKA GHOSH
AT THE TOP
Ezgi Teksoy and Oğulcan Torun, the Head Organisers, give us some insight to the build up towards the 69th International Session and their hopes and fears for the next ten days.
H
oşgeldiniz - A warm welcome from Ezgi and Oğulcan, which “you have to say with a big smile on your face, just like we did when you first arrived.” The excitement buzzed through the officials` team on arrivals day and the Head Organisers were no exception to this. One of their aims was to make everyone feel welcome from the moment they checked-in so as to confirm the famous Turkish hospitality. As delegates we tend to not fully value the time and effort spent organising an International Session. Head Organisers have to bid for a session almost two years before it actually happens, after
We, as the organising team, had the time of our lives which, not only do they carry on balancing studies with their
social life, but also have the mammoth task of putting together a session. “After an exhausting period of sixteen
lives.” Speaking of the organising team, before the session, three jam-packed organising weekends took place when the whole team met to discuss the plans for Istanbul2012. “Due to budgetary restrictions, a number of organisers had to be accommodated with a large number of spiders. This, coupled with arachnophobia, called for a lot of funny memories to be cherished.” From arachnophobia to rabid canines, Ezgi and Oğulcan’s biggest fear for the session is “the dog at the gas station” as opposed to difficult transfers or venue issues. Lastly, on behalf of the Head Organisers, here is a message of their hopes and good wishes for the session: months, it is finally happening “This is it. Now we are all here. and given the perfect weather and Our biggest expectation is that pleasant atmosphere we forgot everyone enjoys their time in every obstacle we had encounIstanbul and takes the most out tered. But of course it meant a lot of this experience. We are sure of time, energy and dedication. In Istanbul is going to be a blast.” the meantime we, as the organising team, had the time of our 6
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NOURA BERROUBA AND CHARIF VAN ZETTEN
Name: Country: Position:
PRESIDENTIAL WORDS OF ADVICE
Ruben Wagenaar The Netherlands President of the session
Some words of welcome from the man who runs it all.
S
ome welcoming words for the delegates... “First of all, welcome on behalf of the entire officials team. I am very excited to have everyone here. It feels like yesterday that I went to my first International Session while it was in fact about 7 or 8 years ago. Congratulations to all of you for making it to this session, for being here in Istanbul surrounded by people from more than 30 countries speaking different languages and all being so excited. Now is your moment to take the chance that has been offered, and, speaking from my own experience this is something you will never forget. The organising team has been working for two years to prepare this session and we are all incredibly happy to actually have you here. It is going to be an amazing twelve days and the adventure has only just begun!” And now some more practical advice... “In the beginning feel confident and go to your committees knowing that everyone is in the same position as you: excited, nervous and not knowing what to expect. Together it is this group of people who are going to shape the experience that is ahead of us. So take the effort to go up to
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Trust in yourself that you are going to be able to handle this challenge, forget about your worries and live every single moment of this session. people that you do not know yet, even if it might be a bit frightening, and take this chance to get to know who Europe is and who these people are because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.” Ruben’s feelings at his first International Session... “I basically went there without expectations, but at the welcoming night when hearing all the different people from different countries speaking in different languages I realised that this was actually real. At that moment I felt very lucky and privileged to know that there were ten days
coming which few people would be able to say they have had such an experience. I also felt a bit scared and had so many questions. As the days went along I discovered all the pieces of the puzzle eventually fit incredibly well together.” One last pearl of wisdom... “Do not be afraid. You have been selected to come here for a reason. Trust in yourself that you are going to be able to handle this challenge. Forget about your worries and live every single moment of this session.”
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EUROPE EN TOUR 35 European Associations and Organisations 27 Member States over 250 people 1 Session “Bridging cultural divides” is not only our motto but also our goal, and what better way to explore this than travelling between Europe’s landmarks within the lines of The Clash
HUNGARY:
THE SZIGET FESTIVAL
SARA RINALDI
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days, over 1000 performances, 400.000 people. The Chemical Brothers, MGMT, The Kooks, Justice, Radiohead, The Prodigy, The Crystal Castles, Goran Bregović. No, we are not talking about some fancy concert in London or Berlin. We are dealing with the not so popular, yet really charming Budapest. When you think about fun and multiethnic events Budapest is probably not the first city to pop into your head. Our first choice would most likely be London, New York or Barcelona.
ITALY
SARA RINALDI
V
enice Film Festival: The one good thing after 1321 Let’s face it: Italy has managed to somehow become the black sheep of Europe when it comes to role model nations. As an Italian, I can only imagine how the rest of the world sees us. I can picture in my head the average European thinking: “Oh, they
As unbelievable as it may sound, one of the most exciting festivals of the world, the Sziget music festival, is actually taking place in the very core of Hungary, Budapest. The Sziget is held every summer, usually in August, in the “Obudai-sziget” (Old Buda Island), a small island on the Danube. It was created in 1993 by Peter Muller Sziami, a Hungarian artist, and put together by Gerendai Karoly. At first it involved just young Hungarian artists but it quickly became an international event, and one of the most important European music festivals. Why is it so special? What makes the Sziget festival different from other similar
events is its variety; from electronic music, rock, punk or pop to reggae or hip hop you can basically listen to every kind of music you could possibly think of. But it is not just the music, it’s the atmosphere. Spending seven days at the Sziget festival means non-stop music, dancing performances, cinema, theatre, circus, street artists: it’s a bit like jumping into a parallel universe. What is really unique to this event is that people are not mere spectators; they actually contribute to the festival. Just walking around the island it is surprisingly common to bump into live improvised performances or photo exhibitions on trailers.
used to make such good movies thirty years ago”. Long pause. “Oh, I absolutely love Italian literature, Dante Alighieri is my favorite”. Just to be clear: Dante died in 1321. But despite the fact that Italy’s golden age seems to be way past us, we still have a few things to offer to the world apart from pizza and outrageous public scandals. Taking as an example the movie awards industry: the Os-
cars have always been in the spotlight, but can we honestly trust an award that nonchalantly gave the movie Avatar (yes, the upgraded version of Pocahontas, except for the fact the people are blue) nine Academy Award nominations? The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest and one the most prestigious international film festivals in the world. It was founded in 1932 by Count Giuseppe Volpi and it usually takes place in Venice, every year, at the 8
THECLASH beginning of September. Its most famous award is the Golden Lion. What is particularly uplifting about this Film Festival is the movies do not get snubbed just because George Clooney is not part of them. Independent and
visionary filmmakers like Kim Ki Duk, David Lynch, Ang Lee or Lars Von Trier have been nominated and received awards several times at the festival. The Venice Film Festival is basically one of the few events
left that actually has the courage to honour controversial and independent movies. After all, us Italians do something good every once in a while.
GERMANY
Berlin visiting two of the most interesting museums of the world for less than 15€. The Neues Museum was left in ruins for decades after World War II and is nowadays one of the greatest Egyptian museums in the world, filled with ancient Egypt`s plunder. Amongst the exhibits surely you would all recognize the famous bust of Queen Nefertiti. If you feel tired and hungry after observing all these Papyrus Collections and beautiful relics, you can grab a delicious Bratwurst whilst walking to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum. This will be our next stop, as it is one of the most iconic names and mental images of Cold War Berlin. This was a high security
checkpoint compared to others along the Wall and yet real spies and smugglers did pass it. The bad news is that by the time the Wall had come down, the wooden shed had been replaced by a metal one, so what you can see now is a replica. By taking a train to Munich we get to visit the Alte Pinakothek, an enormous neoclassical building housing one of the world’s most important collections of European paintings from the 14th to18th centuries. Just a quick warning: Rubens and Dürer fans may have to be subdued by the guards!
meat. In this region you can savour delectable Provençal cuisine including bouillabaisse made from the market’s fresh fish, visit a family’s goat farm to try their freshly made goat cheese, or an olive mill to taste newly pressed oil. As an alternative, you can decide just to sunbathe on a terrace drinking wine whilst overlooking the very vineyards that produce it. From Southern France you can continue your trip to Bordeaux and taste their famous paté, cassoulet and confit de canard. You can visit stunning medieval fortresses and walk in the forests. If you get tired you can
always have a break for a glass of wine and a piece of foie gras. The Rhône Alps region and its largest city Lyon boast an extraordinary number of worldfamous chefs and restaurants, making it an international Mecca for foodies. Lying between Paris and the Cote d’Azur, and sharing borders with Italy and Switzerland, this is a very fertile wine-growing region which offers picturesque villages with the traditional “Bouchons”, informal and local restaurants specialising in sausage and salami, the famous coq au vin, and its many cheese varieties.
ANNA BORRELL
T
op 3 museums of the country Germany is known for many things: efficiency, good beer and people with blonde hair and fair skin. But if we want to go deeper and discover the cultural side of this country there is one thing that we definitely cannot miss: museums. Financial prosperity, artistic flair and academic curiosity have helped the Germans develop some of the finest existing museums. We will now take you to the top 3 museums in Germany, so welcome on board! First of all, we will travel to
FRANCE ANNA BORRELL
B
e prepared for your mouth to water, because we are going on a culinary tour to France. Whether described as haute cuisine or hearty home-made dishes, gastronomy is serious business for the French. Around every corner of this country you will find patisseries, bakeries, and world class wine shops. Join us and discover three beautiful regions. Provence is known as the land of lavender, fine wines, flavourful produce, fresh fish and succulent
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EXPLORING THE RESORT ULRICH JOHANNES VÖLKER AND BRAM VAN MELDERT
1 Reception 2 Swimming Pool 3 Pool Bar 4 Mini Market 5 Waterfall 6 Lake 7 Restaurant 8 Committee Work Flats 9 Fitness Center 10 Dog‘s House 11 Sports Fields 12 Accommodations 13 Guard Tower 14 Amphitheatre 15 Aquaduct 16 Outer Wall 17 Inner Wall 10
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SESSION SURVIVAL GUIDE NOURA BERROUBA An introduction to make your stay at this session easier. Let us clear up all uncertainties. Will these suggestions be the difference between your death and survival?
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ou have arrived, and ahead of you are 10 days of fun and hard work. Having questions and concerns is absolutely natural considering the challenges you will face. This guide aims to quash those questions, allowing you to fully enjoy your
the next 10 days, which is both rude and quite lazy. Keep an open mind. This will create an understanding and cooperative atmosphere. Everything you see, eat, and touch at this session has been provided for by the organisers. Next time you see them, be sure to give them a huge smile. After bonding during Teambuilding, Committee Work and General Assembly are waiting: Prepare yourself academically. By having thorough research, your contributions to discussions will be more relevant. In other words, if you still are not prepared, enjoy your night studying! You do not have to agree with others’ opinions but always be sure to respect their standpoint. Not only are you expected to defend your resolution dur-
Taste as much as you can, explore as much as possible, and live and breathe Europe. stay and ensure you return home with the same happy expression with which you arrived. The session will begin like all EYP International Sessions -Teambuilding: Try to remember names. If you do not, you risk calling your committee members “you” for 11
ing GA, you should also dress to impress! After long days of discussions and bonding, you will want to relax and have a good time: Eurovillage will provide you with the opportunity to get a taste of Europe (literally). Taste as much as you can, explore as
much as possible, and live and breathe Europe. The evening activities will challenge you to show your best outfits and moves. Some of us are blessed with talents. Be it musicality, knowledge or sport. Take the opportunity to show those skills at Euroconcert and get your 15 minutes of session fame. Although you might want to spend your free morning in bed, a sightseeing tour of Istanbul will give you much more. You should at least visit Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Old Bazaar. This last piece of advice could be the most controversial. It even goes against our survival instincts: No matter how tired you are, you need to make the most of the session. Although sleeping is important, to truly experience the session, you must immerse yourself in all aspects as this will ultimately be more fulfilling. Everything that happens between your first and last moments of the 69th International Session is up to you. Make every moment worth remembering, express your opinions and listen to each other, but most of all: enjoy it to the fullest!
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WHEN WORDS ARE NOT ENOUGH
SAGA ERIKSSON
What to do when asked the inevitable question of “so what there is no room for politics. is EYP?” Here are some tips on having “the talk” with your However, as we all know EYP is about more than just politics, friends and family.
M
y girlfriend is way too impressed by the fact that I do EYP. She thinks it’s the coolest thing ever, yet I do not think she has a clue of what we actually do here. It just sounds impressive. Maybe I should make her take a quiz when I get back home, just like she made me take a quiz after giving a lecture on the differences between lip balm,
this daunting task, and let me tell you, even after over 15 sessions, explaining doesn’t get any easier. Au contraire, it gets harder as you start taking more of the session formalities for granted. There is no easy way to go about it. During my EYP career I have done a lot of tours of high schools trying to harvest delegations for the Finnish regional ses-
Don’t get bogged down by big technical terms such as Teambuilding, Committee Work, General Assembly and Opening Ceremony. lip gloss and lipstick. I didn’t pass the test. Back to my original point of trying to explain EYP to the ‘nonEYPers’, be they your friends, significant others or family members. We have all been faced with
sions. And it’s always an absolute train wreck. As soon as you utter the words ‘youth parliament’, you lose most of the class. They zone out and retreat into their own little worlds where everything is a scene out of a chick flick and
though merely stating that will not be enough. The most accurate, yet slightly inappropriate, metaphor I have found for trying to explain EYP compares it to that time your parents wanted to have “the talk”. They told you that sometimes when people fall in love they want to spend more time together and do more things together, but you should wait until you are ready. You should only do it with the person you love even though not everyone else will. You should never take it lightly and remember that it should always be meaningful. I guess the same would apply to trying to explain EYP. Don’t get bogged down by big technical terms such as Teambuilding, Committee Work, General Assembly and Opening Ceremony. They will just make your friends feel uncomfortable and confused. Instead try and tell them that sometimes people who love discussing current affairs, debating and attempting to solve the burning political questions of Europe get together and do EYP. It is not always with people you know before hand, and it can take different forms. Lastly remember to mention that we never take it lightly and each experience is always meaningful.
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CALEB MORELL
EUROPE’S IDENTITY CRISIS AND THE GREAT EUROPEAN EXPERIMENT In times of economic uncertainty our common European identity is at its most vulnerable. However, in the midst of the fiery debate on immigration, we often forget our not so distant past. Solving Europe’s identity crisis needs us to bear in mind our proximity to the immigrants, as we are only a few generations from being in their shoes.
What could better represent Europe’s cultural diversity than Istanbul, a city bridging the East and the West.
D
espite having come far in unifying legislatively and economically, Europe is currently facing a serious identity crisis. In the last few years Europe has been shaken to its core by an economic crisis so severe that it threatens the foundations of the EU. It is in these uncertain times that our common European identity is most vulnerable. We have seen rise of the far-right and nationalist parties across much of the EU, causing the shrill and often hysterical debate on immigration to intensify. However, in the midst of this fiery debate we often forget our
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own not so distant past. Just one hundred years ago, instead of flocking to Europe people were fleeing it. Between 1836 and 1914, over 30 million Europeans left Europe to travel to North America. They fled from famine, poverty, and political and religious oppression in the hope that, in return for hard work and honest living, they could begin a new life. Sound familiar? It certainly does to me and the other 48 million people living in the EU that were born outside its borders. The growth of emigration to Europe began after World War II and further increased since the 1980s as a result of people from developing countries wanting to escape war, oppression, natural disasters or poverty. Not so dissimilar from our forefathers who left Europe in the 19th century. Opposition to these new Europeans didn’t take long to form and today there are growing Nationalist movements in every European country calling for a cease on immigration. Solving Europe’s identity crisis will involve digging through the murky past of wars, suspicion
and betrayals, to reach the set of common values which developed through the Renaissance, Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution to where we find ourselves today. Imagination is necessary to remember Europeans are only a few generations from being in the same shoes as the immigrants we are now discussing. But we need to do more than just remember history – we need action. It is in this vain that the 69th International Session of EYP in Istanbul will make a difference by providing a forum for many of these important issues to be discussed. The European identity builds both on the diversity and common bonds of individual countries, much like an individual countries builds on the diversity of a multicultural population. The result is the great European experiment – a blend of cultures, languages and traditions, of which we are all a part. What could represent said diversity better than EYP? Furthermore, what more fitting place could there be than Istanbul, a city bridging the East and the West. A city bridging the cultural divides of Europe.
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I READ IT IN THE TABLOIDS SO IT MUST BE TRUE TERESA STADLER Washington According to a Gallup poll released on Thursday, a majority of Americans believe the best and most satisfying aspect of the entire 2012 Presidential primary experience has been the opportunity to spend extended time in the company of four terrific guys. “I mean, how many opportunities do you get in life to spend quality time with even one smart, charming, likeable, sensitive, and downright lovely human being, let alone four at once!”, says poll respondent Marie Sedran. Facebook An alleged bigamist in the US was caught out after Facebook suggested that his two wives might become ‘friends’. Ellenora Fulk had recently split up with her husband Alan when she was ‘introduced’ to Terri Wyatt O’Neill by the social networking site. She didn’t recognise her from the photographs on the profile page – but she did recognise the man standing next to her, drinking champagne beside a wedding cake. Psychology A shop assistant from Leeds has fallen in love with the Statue of Liberty. Amanda Whittaker, 27, suffers from a psychiatric disorder that causes her to form romantic attachments to inanimate objects; previously she was in love with a drum kit. Whittaker says she visits the statue whenever she can, but most of the time ‘she is my long-distance lover and I am blown away by how stun15
ISTANBUL PROVERBS ALEX NOMPILAKIS
People have always been wise. A simple proof can be found in their witty sayings. Below are some examples to fit the 69th International Session of the EYP.
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he first step is the hardest. You’re telling me! So many things to write about! But it is already beginning to feel better. Variety is the spice of life. Then why bridge the cultural divides? OK, obviously, it’s a joke. JK! Three and the cuckoo! It means “way too few people”. Luckily, this is not the case in this session. Almost three hundred people from all over Europe have gathered in Istanbul for this über-cool EYP event. A friend to all is a friend to none. Be yourself, it’s the best and easiest way to be! You do not have to be likeable to everyone. A monkey in silk is a monkey no less and clothes don’t make the man. Keep in mind that good manners matter the most. Don’t stress too much about what you wear or how you look. Silence gives consent. Here’s a reason to speak up, especially in Committee Work. You don’t want to be responsible for a weak resolution by keeping it quite and letting the bad ideas in, do you? Do not put a sock in your mouth. This basically means you should not be silent but raise
your voice and express your opinion. GA will be your ultimate chance. Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. Does it make him/her happy though?! Working is good and leading a balanced life is essential when the programme is so intense. But hey! We’re here to have fun as well! The truth is in the wine. You’ve probably already realised that. If not, don’t worry, plenty of parties have been scheduled by the organisers. Just remember to act responsibly. Laughter is the best medicine. I hope you’ll get to smile and laugh a lot throughout the session. Out of sight, out of mind. This is definitely true. So, don’t forget there are people who love you back in your home country. Be sure to contact them every now and then during the session. On the other hand, time has wings. So, don’t neglect to find beauty and enjoy every single moment of the session. The greatest thing since sliced bread. This applies to what you’re holding in your hands right now! Enjoy!
ning she is’. US Marine A U.S. Marine sergeant who started a Facebook page called Armed Forces Tea Party may be dismissed from the corps. Ac-
cusations include the violation of Pentagon directives on political speech by active soldiers and anti-Obama posts.
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