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Breakthrough Media Team of Lignano 2014 EDITRESS Sabrina Ariana Mellerowic (DE)
VIDEO-EDITRESS Carolina Comis (IT)
JOURNALISTS Amy Campo Mc Evoy (ES) Gianmarco Franchini (IT) Riccardo Passarella (CH)
Table of Contents. Session in numbers. 4 The match the Italian team won
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From Europe with Love: International Sessions
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EYP: Politics Only? 10 Keep calm and carry on. 12 Friendships without borders
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Illegally crossing borders 14
Siebe Geerts (BE)
Speaking through your body. 16
Fabrizio Zamparelli (IT)
Committee Messages. 18 Breaking News 21
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Editorial
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When you‘re gone.
One of the things I will remember from this session is sitting in the press room with my journalists and listening to Avril Lavigne. I actually stopped listening to her music when I was 13 but when one of us put on one of her songs it became a little media team habit. „When you‘re gone The pieces of my heart are missing you“ What will you remember from this session? When I came home from my first session I felt completely empty. I could not think straight anymore, not because I had barely slept throughout the session but because I was suddenly alone again. Nobody to chat with in the middle of the night, nobody to play silly games with anymore. I still feel this emptiness when I come home from a session but let me tell you one thing: if you are willing to stay involved in EYP there is always another session! Don‘t be too disappointed if you didn‘t get selected because there is always the opportunity to be part of another event! The media team encouraged you to challenge yourself during the session, to look beyond the rim of the teacup and step out of your comfort zone. Did you manage to overcome your personal fears and challenges? Can you agree with me that the feeling you have while sharing your opinion during committee work or General Assembly is much better than just sitting on your chair and keeping it to yourself? BREAKTHROUGH was not only a challenge for you. It was also a challenge for the media team. As well as for you, the delegates, this session was also a first time for me. I will always remember Lignano 2014 as the first time I was given the opportunity to lead a media team. In this last issue of BREAKTHROUGH we would like to provide you with a wider range of the world of the EYP as well as a collection of nostalgic memories of your first EYP experience . “And when you‘re gone The face I came to know is missing too“
Sabrina
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SESSION IN NUMBERS.
TOILET PAPER ROLLS USED: 4.96X1012
Hair remaining in the shower: 2792
BITTEN NAILS DURING COMMITTEE WORK: 291
OFFICIALS THAT COULD NOT MAKE IT TO BREAKFAST ON SUNDAY: 17 DELEGATES WEARING PYJAMAS AT THE PARTY: 125
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Litres of toothpaste used: 3.6
Remaining cookies from Eurovillage: 19.5 kg
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Kilos of pasta that were eaten during the session: 3 kg per participant
German officials: Sabrina (Editor) Belgian officials: do we care?
Times Marilou (Juror) visited the press room: once every 30 seconds
Amount of post-its that have been used: 68652
Yawns: 2 356 978 when we last counted
Times Siebe has been mistaken for Marius: 17 By S.G. & R.P. 5
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THE MATCH THE ITALIAN TEAM WON BY AMY CAMPO MCEVOY Football teams across the entire globe are preparing themselves for the World Cup in Brazil this summer, each trying to perform at their best ability, just like EYPers across Europe prepare sessions and events, succeeding day after day.
It could be said that members of an Organ- they worked towards making their dreams ising Team of an EYP session have, like any a reality. football team, two main functions: defense and offense. On Thursday, over one hundred delegates, from every corner of Italy, and over 30 offiIn the hassle of writing resolutions, the rush cials from all over Europe, came together in of getting to places and the stress caused the beautiful coast of Italy, Lignano. Once due to lack of sleep, we have not realised we stepped into the session, everything that there is a team playing around us. was done for us; not once have we had to buy our own food or get our own drinks, we This team does not have famous players, were always provided with everything, we and they do not earn fortunes when they always got whatever we needed, and that score a goal or play a game. This team is is because the organising team was playing formed of students, who, like you, are here the match of the year. because they love EYP. Some have been playing the offensive role. Nine organisers have been working hard They started months ago, preparing timetathis week, but not only during the match, bles, finding sponsors and sending e-mails. which is the 33rd National Session of EYP They are essential because they make Italy, but they have also followed a strict things happen; they score the goals. Howtraining timetable for the past months. The ever, every tactic they use, no matter how captain of the Italian football team has been well planned or practiced it is, can always training his team for months and the reward go wrong, and that is when the defensive is every match they win and will hopefully be players have acted. a good result in the World Cup. The H.Os, the architects of this session, Francesco and They have not stopped all throughout the Robin, had a vision for the session and then, session, preventing mistakes from happen-
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ing and allowing the session to succeed. These defensive players have run after delegates all over the venue, woken up before anyone to do the wake up call and skipped teambuilding to tidy venues, all to stop enemy teams from scoring goals against them.
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that the names of the football players are chanted in streets, they are praised on TV and hundreds of fans follow them on Facebook. However, most of us have never approached the organisers for anything but to ask them what time we have a coffee break. Most of us can probably not name more Footballers play football for their fans and than three or four of them. Most of us have the Italian team also plays well to maintain not appreciated their work yet. It is still not its reputation. The organisers have played too late. Say thanks to the orgas! their best game this week: for you, for EYP Italy and for their beliefs that through EYP we can make a better world. While every member of the Italian football team is treated as a star every time they win, the players of this team are often forgotten. The start of each match makes it to the headlines of big Italian newspapers every time. This week there have been nine stars, each organiser being one in their own way. The difference between these two teams is
“The organisers have played their best game this week: for you, for EYP Italy and for their beliefs that through EYP we can make a better world.�
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From Europe with love: International Sessions First off all, it is necessary to clarify that not all EYP events are National Selection Conferences (NSCs), like the one you are currently attending. There are Regional Sessions (RSs), forums, trainings, GA-days and, last but not least, International Sessions (ISs). An IS is a session organised by a National Committee that gathers participants from all over Europe. It is the most highly regarded, longest (10-12 days) and the most demanding EYP event. Since 1991, three International sessions are held every year. One in autumn, spring and summer. Summer ISs are the most exclusive ones, since it is only possible to participate if you have attended another IS beforehand, either an autumn or a spring one. Rumour has it that every time a call for a summer IS is opened the EYP alumni platform, the website where you register, crashes because so many EYPers want to participate. The Italian delegation for the 77th International Session in Kyiv, Ukraine has already been selected at the NSC in Volterra. In Lignano the delegation for the 78th IS which is going to be held in Izmir, Turkey, was selected. Gianmarco Franchini interviewed some of the officials about their IS experience. They shared personal comments and their view on the European Youth Parliament as well as the impact it had on them, the best way to live a session and the most valuable aspects of an EYP event.
Tbilisi 2013 – Ilir Kola (Vice-President) I attended Tbilisi 2013 as a journalist. Truth to be told, just before the session started there were some doubts about the quality of the session, but the organisers perfectly managed to set up a great session. Regarding myself, Tbilisi was special because of the exoticness of the country, magnificently embodied during the Georgian night, when Georgian participants performed typical dances. That really was a moment when you could touch the multicultural atmosphere we often talk about in EYP. Academically speaking, the level was – as it always is at ISs– very high, with politicians and experts being invited as guests.
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Tallinn 2012 – Joshua Giovanni Honeycutt (Chairperson) In Tallinn 2012, I was a delegate. If I had to point out what is special in an IS, it would be the academic level, the travelling abroad, the lack of competition with others – if any, the competition is with yourself. Taking part in an IS means getting closer to the actual European Parliament experience, as well as to the best EYPers in the business, because the best presidents and Vice Presidents are selected. ISs are probably the non plus ultra of EYP: they really do change your life.
Helsinki 2009 – Lorenzo Parrulli (Organiser)
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had been selected for Paris, which seemed a much more fancy location.
In Helsinki, my motto was “work hard and play harder”, meaning that my focus was on the amusing side of EYP. Back then, an IS meant to me 10 days of isolation from reality: I would just zoom out and felt like living in a different world. However, time has given me perspective, probably because the more sessions you attend the more acquainted you are to the EYP atmosphere. I now understand that it is counterproductive to take EYP events as a detached chapter of your life, since in doing so you transform them into an artificial experience and can’t make the most out of it. I think you must consider them an interconnected part of your life, either a major or a minor one. That way, you really are able to live them to the fullest.
When the session arrived though, I realised how lucky I had been. It was my first IS and I was there as a delegate. I was a very shy person and had been selected mainly due to my level of French. My English used to be quite bad: I could roughly understand 1/3 of what other people told me. That hadn’t been a problem during the NSC (back at the time resolutions were prepared at home and team building was held in Italian), but of course it became such when I had to prepare a resolution with foreigners. In Bari, I realised what EYP could do for me: open up my mind and help me to develop an independent and critical thought. Later, I realised what I could do for EYP: I started attending a lot of sessions, covering many different roles, strived for excellence in each event I took part in. At the Bari 2005 – Michela Candi (Juror) end of the day, the relation with EYP is a mutually beneficial one and you just never When I got selected for this session, I was stop learning from it. actually quite disappointed because the delegation that had been ranked second
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EYP
POLITICS O N L Y ? By Siebe Geerts
When telling someone about the EYP you often end up trying to answer the question whether it is all about politics. You would probably say that it is quite obvious since we are the European Youth Parliament; however, is it really that self-explanatory? Is the link between EYP and politics as strong as it seems or is it less significant?
parties our main vision is rather focusing on personal development, raising political interest amongst young people and cultural exchange through traveling, than actually trying to reach a certain purpose. Even the voting system during the GA is completely individual and consequently it is not tied to political parties or elections.
A first thought would be ‘yes, there is a strong connection between the two’. The evidence is surrounding us; we construct resolutions tackling European issues that are in some cases even send to the European Parliament (EP) if they pass the voting in GA. On some sessions we have panel debates with politicians and we maintain close ties with the EU. So after all this, the bond between politics and EYP is quite obvious.
As you can see there are arguments for both stances but maybe that is exactly why the EYP is so appealing for young European citizens. Maybe this undefined border between these two stances is what distinguishes our organisation from others. The evidence can be found within the wide range of development that EYP is offering us.
However, there are also several aspects which may claim the opposite. Firstly, in Europe’s political landscape there are several fractions with a different political point of view while there are none within the EYP. Furthermore, in contrast to (inter)national
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One common example is our members’ average age: since we, the young generation, are able to think differently than most politicians. We are frequently more open-minded and come up with innovative ideas they would find utopian and thus not even consider. Furthermore, due to our profession-
al approach towards specific issues we are taken more seriously than other organisations. Of course the fact that we involve youngsters from all over Europe only emphasizes this. Another advantage is the fact that we are not bound to political fractions or parties. This means that we do not represent anything but our own opinion. Accordingly, we are not restricted by others when trying to tackle Europe’s issues or when voting on resolutions. We do not have to care about a country’s opinion or a certain party’s in-
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terest. The only restriction we have to deal with is the boundary of our imagination. Isn’t that what democracy is about? We might not be able to give a definition of the EYP’s political status, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. In my opinion it is more a matter of how we see ourselves as an organisation and which purpose we want to accomplish. Everyone has his or her own personal definition of EYP. However, one of its main goals is to raise political awareness among the younger citizens, which means that it cannot be separated from politics.
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KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON. EYP can be a truly demanding experience. The participants of an EYP event are faced with challenges that force them to use every resource at their disposal. However, it is not always a matter of actual difficulty: most of the times, tiredness and anxiety trick us into thinking we have an impossible task to accomplish, whereas the solution is very easy. What would you do when this happens? According to Plato we are souls bound to a body we do not really belong to, in a material world we do not really fit in. That is a feeling you might have in your days of blue, something everyone sooner or later experiences. I must admit, being yourself is not always easy. You have deadlines, responsibilities; you forgot to buy food for your cat, again. The world does really seem to break apart and nothing seems to work anymore. Trust me, I know that feeling. I also have to deal with it in during an EYP session especially when the nights are too short and the
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discussions seem to be endless. I think that in those cases, it is the best to take a break. Just breathe deeply, take your mind off those troubles. Go outside to enjoy the sunshine on your skin and the breeze caressing your hair. When attending an EYP session, it may be nice to close your laptop, stop writing and just exploit the incredibly amusing opportunities the officials offer you. It happens that we dig too deep into a particular issue and therefore forget the bigger picture. What has been a minor problem may become an obstacle we cannot overcome. We enter a vicious cycle and the more we try, the more frustrated we get. In those moments, all we really need is a change of environment. After a while, it all works itself out. By Gianmarco Franchini
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Once the session is over and you go back home, you will experience one of the worst and, at the same time, best emotions you have ever come across: Post EYP Depression (PED). It is a sense of void and nostalgia that an EYPer gets after a session is over. It is normal and I am quite sure all participants, including officials, usually suffer from it.
ple of days with these people and you have the impression to know everything about them. However, this is most likely not the truth.
As soon as you come home you will miss everything about this session, from team building to your fellow delegates. What you will feel once you get back to your routine will genuinely demonstrate to you how impressive and important the experience you have just gone through is. You may even think that friendship outside of EYP is useless and these new people you have just met are better friends than those you spend most of your days with.
It happened to me more than once to establish lasting friendships with EYPers I met at sessions and I was more than glad to confirm the good impression I had when I first met them. In some cases, they became that kind of friends for whom you would do anything just to spend some time with. You would apply for any session in any country. This happens because EYP friendship has no boundaries, you can feel home anywhere in Europe for the simple fact that you are with someone that you care for.
Every time you attend a session, you bump into people from all over Europe. You spend a cou-
I am not saying EYP friendship does not exist; I assure you that the people you sometimes meet in EYP can actually become close friends and important figures in your life.
By Fabrizio Zamparelli
FRIENDSHIPS WITHOUT BORDERS. 13
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ILLEGALLY CROSSING BORDERS Sneaking in substances in pockets, acting innocent in front of the air hostesses and feeling relieved once the destination has been reached.
BY AMY CAMPO MCEVOY 14
The trouble some people go into to get to an EYP session is rarely acknowledged, but the truth is, for some people, the trip is probably the hardest challenge they have to overcome every time they go to an EYP event. Packing becomes the first of a series of challenges you are faced with before getting to your destination. As the stereotypical student you are, you travel hand luggage-only and even when you have booked a suitcase, fitting the formal attire for the GA, the costumes for the theme party and Eurovillage and all your comfortable clothes for teambuilding, is never easy. Unfortunately, you always have to make choices, and sacrifice vital things such as soap or your toothbrush. You would not want that to take up too much space. When you get to the airport, you start putting all the layers of clothes that did not fit into the hand luggage on without letting security see them, a practice you have gained expertise in since you began doing EYP. With 2 t-shirts, 3 jackets, 2 coats, a scarf and a hat on, all you hope for is for the security to not question your choice of clothes when it is 20º C outside. Hopefully they will believe that you are traveling to a Nordic country, and will ignore the fact that you are already sweating and puffing.
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When you approach the gate, you see the hostess weighing the bags, and your bag suddenly feels a lot heavier, definitely a few kilos above the 10 kilo weight limit. You rummage through your things and take out cheese and some ham, what you were going to take to Eurovillage. Bin it or and stick them into your coats’ pockets? As a loyal Eurovillage fan, you chose to take it. You feel like a drug-dealer trying to get your illegal substances from one country like another, like a rebel, but nothing will stop you from bringing some food to your favourite culinary event. You also take out that hat you were going to wear for Eurovillage, and put it on, wearing your country’s flag proudly whilst you wait in the queue, and ignore the judging looks you receive, the ones you get when you play ninja in public are worse. When you then get to the end of the queue and the air hostess looks at you, you play your well-rehearsed act: you hold the bag as if it was not heavy and smile as if all the layers you are wearing were not making you want to scream.
Getting through security is a cause of great satisfaction, the first challenge you encounter in EYP. Sometimes risky and always exhausting, whatever the means of transport you use, but then again, what would an EYOnce security has let you through and not Per not do for the sake of going to a sesconfiscated your small bottle of perfume, sion? you run to a corner and take the hundred layers you were wearing off. You then sit on the floor for about twenty minutes, feeling too tired and lazy to have a look around the shops or even read over your research, waiting for the gate to open. When you then stand up, you hopelessly look at the pile of clothes below you and realize that you cannot physically carry all the layers you were wearing, so you put them back on and then drag yourself to the gate, in style, because you are a member of the European Youth Parliament.
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Speaking through your body. By Gianmarco Franchini and Fabrizio Zamparelli
Arms folded. Arms folded across the chest can indicate that a person is defensive. It can also demonstrate that the individual with crossed arms disagrees with the opinions or actions of other individuals with whom they are communicating.
Stroking the chin. When one strokes his/her chin, he/she communicates while thinking. Such a motion is often used unintentionally and occurs when an individual is trying to make a decision.
Open palms, facing upward. An open palm may be a sign of openness, honesty and innocence. It can also be a show of submission – in older days when it was common to carry weapons, this gesture was used to show that they were not holding one. Some people open their palms during worship at church as a sign of submission and respect. 16
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Language plays a fundamental role in our lives. In EYP events delegates face situations in which they communicate in a language they are not familiar with. In this circumstance the social importance of the languages becomes obvious. We do not only communicate by words: our body reveals a lot about what we think, even when we do not want others to know. In this sense, our body can also betray us and turn out to be our worst enemy.
Looking sideways. When people look sideways, they are either looking away from what is in front of them or looking towards something that has caught their attention. Whereas looking to the left may reveal that the person is recalling a sound, looking to the right can indicate that they are imagining the sound.
Locked ankles. When the ankles are locked together, either while standing or seated, it can demonstrate nervousness or apprehension.
Leaning forward. Leaning forward is a sign of interest and honesty. Along with nodding and tilting one’s head, it is a nonverbal way to show engagement and attention. However, some suggest that leaning forward from a chair also implies readiness to action.
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Committee
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AFCO „Everything glows in Iperuranium, but let‘s stay with our feet on the ground. Take the GA with philosophy“
AFET “Everything that kills me makes me feel alive”
DROI “They might take our sleep but they will never take our resolution”
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Messages.
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JURI “Committee on legal affairs, illegalley amazing!”
ENVI “Addiction to jellyfish, abuse of post-its, mental insanity. Our spheres of personal freedom were united to reach a compromise”
LIBE II
“EYP has been an amazing experience for all of us and we really feel that strong friendships have been created. So dear officials and delegates, we want to thank you for making this session special. One day, we shall all meet again.”
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REGI “Be prepared for tomorrow, we’re going to rock in GA! It’s so amazing to be here! Everything is just so incredible! (and our chairs are soooo great!)”
LIBE I “We are LIBE I second to none. We are hungry, foolish, exclusive!”
LIBE III “Will you take a selfie with me?”
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Breaking News FUNNIEST MOMENTS OF THE SESSION
“When Marius introduced himself, said his surname, nobody got it and everyone laughed”- Marilou Pelmont (Juror) “When my delegate told me that I constantly wear glasses because my face is ugly. Another one said: ‘You can build up your muscles, but you cannot build up your brain’ (#FAT) . Another one told me that he knew why I was so stupid, because I am not from the EU” - Michael Rozhkov (Chair) “Yesterday night when we were going to the park and delegates mistook Siebe for Marius” - Riccardo Passarella (Journalist) “When we were playing street fighter because of all the funny words we had to say” - Matteo Gustin (LIBE 1) “Dancing the jellyfish. No doubt.” Giovanna Giacca (ENVI) “When Filippo Marchese tried to lick Davide Monticelli’s entire face as a challenge” - Edoardo Zaniboni (Organiser) “When we were tied up all together and had to do strange tests” - Francesco Lucchesi (REGI)
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Post EYP challenges
Add all the members of your committee on Facebook. Read all the issues of “Breakthrough”. Teach your school friends how to play Ninja and play it in the street at least once. By Amy Campo Mc Evoy 21
Lignano2014