VOICES April 2021

april 2021

voices

Magazine for all young people around the world

Editorial

Едиторијал

Ah, Spring!

Aх, таа пролет!

I

t finally feels like Spring. We hear the birds, feel the sun warming our faces, start to ditch the scarfs and boots…

So much more daylight, so much more energy. Parks become the place to be – nobody wants to stay inside on days like these. Camping starts to sound good after months of not being able to sleep outdoors. We begin thinking about all the lakes there are to explore, all the mountains to hike and how tanned we are going to get this year while concerns about the ‘summer body’ start to kick in.

Ah, Spring, time for jumping hormones and allergies.

With the flowers saying a shy ‘hello’ and the animals all going mad with the mating season, it’s almost impossible to not remember the ‘birds and bees’ talk. Yes, the ‘sex talk’. It probably makes sense with all the hormones and happiness on the air. Who hasn’t had that conversation with their parents or at school? Well, as hard as it is to imagine it, there are a lot of people that never had that talk - that crucial and a lot of time underrated talk.

In Macedonia, this is a debated matter.

When should sexual education start?

What should be taught? How should we approach these subjects? Should culture and religion affect it? Answers differ but the main goal should always be ‘stay informed, healthy (both physically and mentally) and protected’ as SimonaGeorgievska, junior comprehensive sex educator explained to VOICES. Enjoy April’s edition and stay safe!

Rute Cardoso

К

онечно се чувствува пролетта. Ги слушаме птиците, го чувствуваме сонцето како ни ги загрева лицата, почнуваме да ги исфрламе шамиите и чизмите… Многу повеќе дневна светлина, многу повеќе енергија. Парковите стануваат омилена места, никој не сака да остане дома во вакви денови. Кампувањето почнува да звучи добро по неколку месеци без опција да спиете на отворено. Почнуваме да размислуваме за сите езера што треба да ги истражуваме, за сите планини за пешачење и за тоа како ќе се „пржиме“ летово. Ах, пролет, време за скокање на хормони и алергии . Со тоа што цвеќињата кажуваат срамежливо „здраво“ и животните лудуваат од сезоната на парење, скоро е невозможно да не се сеќавате на разговорите за „птиците и пчелите“. Да, „разговорот за секс“. Веројатно има слисла покрај сите хормони и среќа во воздухот. Кој го немал тој разговор со своите родители или на училиште? Па, колку и да е тешко да се замисли, има многу луѓе кои никогаш не го имале тој говор - тој клучен и многу потценет говор. Во Македонија, ова е прашање за дебата. Кога треба да започне сексуалното образование? Што треба да се учи? Како треба да им пристапиме на овие теми? Дали културата и религијата треба да влијаат на тоа? Одговорите се разликуваат, но главната цел секогаш треба да биде ‘бидете информирани, здрави (и физички и психички) и заштитени’ како што објасни Симона Георгиевска, помлада сеопфатна сексуална едукаторка за VOICES. Уживајте во априлското издание и останете безбедни! Руте Кардосо

VCS DIRECTOR: Nikola Stankoski COORDINATORS: Andrej Naumovski Goran Adamovski Goran Galabov Selina Niemi

VOLUNTEERS: Christopher Machold Clarissa Leute Yvan Barbeau Emmi Rissanen INTERN: Rute Cardoso

WRITERS: Jules Striffler Cláudia Cardoso Dzaner Shengjuler Ana-Marija Pejchinovska Goran Galabov David Veselinoski Damjan Veselinoski Dafina Veselinoska

Translators: Goran Galabov Ejona Limanaj DESIGNERS: Selina Niemi Rute Cardoso Ewelina Chańska

CONTACT: Volunteers Centre Skopje Emil Zola 3/3-1, 1000, Skopje +389 22 772 095 vcs_contact@yahoo.com www.vcs.org.mk

Voices magazine is coordinated, designed and created by ESC and local volunteers with support of Erasmus+ program.

content

VOICES April 2021 - issue 4

topic of the month 4 Why is there still a Royal Family in Great Britain?

Clarissa Leute

30

Зошто сеуште постои Кралско Семејство во Велика Британија?

Клариса Лојте

reportage 6

Christopher Machold

8

Кирил Марковски: Силниот дух на две тркала

10

Sexual Education: “The system is broken because we are not educated on these things”

Kiril Markovski: A Strong Spirit on Two Wheels

Кристофер Махолд

Rute Cardoso

14 The´Green Feeling´: Envy, a Friend, or a Foe?

6

Emmi Rissanen

16 “Ndjenja e gjelbër”: Zilia, ështëshok, apo armik?

Emmi Rissanen

18

Being a volunteer during the pandemic

20

Covid-19 crisis in France: the day after

Cláudia Cardoso Yvan Barbeau

22 Why did the chicken cross the road?

Dzaner Shengjuler

opinion 24

The flicker of hapiness

Ana-Marija Pejchinovska

32 Life and other businesses Jules Striffler

10

poetry 26

Wind

27

Дафина ,,Даффне” Веселиноска

28

Песна за езерото

29

Мојата езерска визија

Goran Galabov

Точка на кршење

Дамјан Веселиноски Давид Веселиноски

26

VOICES - 3

topic of the month

Why is there still a Royal Family in Great Britain?

The British royal family looks back at tumultuous last years – from Prince Andrew’s involvement with the convicted sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein to Meghan Markle’s claims about the racism and lack of support within the family.

4 - VOICES

тема на месецот

O

nly in the year 2020 around 69 million pounds of taxes were used for the royalfamily – more than ever before, according to Statista.

Meanwhile, the UK homeless charity “Shelter” estimated the number of homeless people to be around 280.000.

In the UK, there is a rising republican movement. The political movement seeks to replace the monarchy with a republic that has an elected head of state. “Because we can’t hold the Queen and her family to account at the ballot box, there’s nothing to stop them abusing their privilege, misusing their influence or simply wasting our money”, states Republic.org on their official webpage.

At the same time, they believe the monarchy harms the monarchs. In Johann Hari’s book “God save the Queen?” he argues that every member of the royal family has suffered psychologically from the system they were born into. Meghan Markle, former American actress and wife of Prince Harry revealed that the trauma of being part of the Royal Family seriously damaged her mental health, leaving her on the brink of suicide.”My father and my brother, they are all trapped. They don’t get to leave. And I have huge compassion for that”, states Prince Harry inhis interview with American talk show host Oprah Winfrey.

But why does the monarchy still have such a high approval in Great Britain and worldwide?

In Great Britain, the Prime Minister is the head of the government while the Queen is the head of the state. The Queen keeps in close contact with the PM – yet no final decisions are up to her. Little is known about her

political standpoints – if they were publically known that might divide the nation. In weekly audiences at Buckingham Palace, she is available as an experienced and unbiased voice.

“

Because we can’t hold the Queen and her family to account at the ballot box, there’s nothing to stop them abusing their privilege, misusing their influence or simply wasting our money.

Republic.org Having served during the term of 14 prime ministers and 12 US presidents she gained plenty of expertise.

More than that, the royal family provides a point for unity and tradition.

They have nostalgic value.Politicians come and go - but a successful royal family creates a sense of comfort and belonging. People get to know their royals – the ones they look up to and the ones they do not.

The networks they built up gives them power in diplomacy. Forbes put Queen Elizabeth at number 46 of the most powerful women in 2020. Even though the costs for the taxpayers are enormous, there are estimates that tourists spent more than a billion dollars while visiting London for Harry and Meghan’s wedding.

A major part of their work is their contribution to charities. Members of the Royal Family hold around 3000 patronages to charitable organizations, with the Queen showing her support for more than 600.

Diana, Princess of Wales used charities to break stigmas during her lifetime.

“HIV does not make people dangerous to know, so you can shake their hands and give them a hug: Heaven knows they need it.”

If we take a look at the foreseeable future, a lower approval rating for the royal family can be expected though.

Queen Elizabeth is now 94 years. After her death, her son Prince Charles will become the next King of Great Britain.

Despite theimprovement seen,in the last decades, of the public perception of him, he will likely continue facing disapproval for his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles in the 1990s. In an interview with Oprah, Prince Harry revealed that his father Charles stopped taking his calls in 2020 and that he cut him off financially.According to the website yougov.com.uk, the Queen has an approval rating of 72%, while Charles has only 47%.

Only the future can tell if the monarchy survives – for now, they are still pretty powerful and it is difficult to imagine Great Britain without a royal family.

Clarissa Leute Sources: https://www.statista.com/chart/18569/total-costof-the-uks-royal-family-by-year/ https://www.republic.org.uk/what_we_want https://www.cbs.com/shows/oprah-withmeghan-and-harry-a-cbs-primetime-special/ https://www.statista.com/chart/18569/total-costof-the-uks-royal-family-by-year/ https://www.crisis.org.uk/ending-homelessness/ about-homelessness/ https://www.forbes.com/powerwomen/#9b617985e252 https://yougov.co.uk/topics/arts/explore/title/ British_Royal_Family https://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/14/themonarchys-royal-gift-to-britains-economy.html https://www.royal.uk/role-royalfamily#:~:text=Members%20of%20the%20 Royal%20Family,strengthen%20national%20 unity%20and%20stability.

VOICES - 5

reportage

Kiril Markovski A Strong Spirit on Two Wheels

The 22-year-old Macedonian cyclist Kiril Markovski became the national champion of Macedonia in Cyclo-Cross. He is one of the promising talents of the cyclist sport in Macedonia.

W

hile sports like handball, basketball and – especially since the Macedonian national team qualified itself for the European Championship 2021 – football are widely established and followed by people in Macedonia, others yet don’t enjoy such popularity. The sport of cycling is one of them. However, there are still talents to watch and success stories to find. That’s why in this months’ VOICES edition, we take the chance to portray Kiril Markovski, one of Macedonia’s promising cycling talents.

With his 22 years, he already won several competitions in different forms of bicycle races including national championships.

But let’s have a look at how everything began.

His passion for bicycles already started earlier, but things were taking shape in 2015 when an initial event took place: “I came back from training, I turned on the TV and the cycling race was on it. As I recall, there was the streaming of Tour de France, and I remember Mark Cavendish winning that dramatic finish. At that same moment, I said to myself, ‘tomorrow I will enter the cycling club and start racing’. Just like that”.

That’s when Kiril joined the cycling club EBTS and things started to get serious.

From that point, it took him only one year to win the title of the junior state champion of Macedonia in Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) cycling at the age of 18. XCO is a mountain biking discipline, where riders are required to complete a certain number

6 - VOICES

репортажа

of laps on a short circuit. This victory also allowed Markovski to participate in the Balkan Championship 2016 in Montenegro in mountain biking where he was able to finish at 6th place out of 30 participants.

But Kiril didn’t commit himself to mountain biking only. As early as 2017, he started to try out another type of cycling, namely road cycling, which soon became his second passion. He became the leader of the club Velo-M and participated in many races.

Besides national ones he also took part in international road cycling races in Cyprus, Serbia, Bulgaria and Albania.

Eventually, on February 28th this year, Kiril won the Macedonian championship in Cyclo-Cross, a form of bicycle race that consists of many laps of a short course, includes different grounds and even requires carrying the bike on some points. After this success, Kiril will focus on his next professional goal - becoming the national champion in mountain biking.

But even though Markovski’s achievements sound like the perfect foundation for a bright professional

future, the cyclist also admits that he sees limits related to his country: “Investments in sport here in Macedonia are not enough and races abroad are very rare, which confirms the fact that we are far from success on an international basis”. When asked to compare the conditions for a cyclist to other countries, he said that “there is no comparison, neither in terms of organizing events, races, conditions, nor in club support. We as cyclists try to do our best but we do not have any benefit from it”.

But this doesn’t discourage Markovski to always try his best, because after all, cycling is his passion. Besides competitions and professional Goals, Kiril also creates his personal challenges.

One of his biggest achievements was covering 600km within 24 hours. And he already has his next challenge in mind, namely cycling a hill up and down on a single activity as many times until he reaches the distance of 8848m – it’s called Everesting.

The presence of people like Kiril is important to promote underrepresented sports like cycling and to become examples for young people to look at and get inspired by.

Christopher Machold VOICES - 7

reportage

Кирил Марковски Силниот дух на две тркала

Македонскиот велосипедист Кирил Марковски (22) стана национален шампион на Македонија во Цикло-Крос. Тој е еден од надежите на велосипедизмот во земјава.

Д

одека спортовите како ракомет, кошарка и, особено, фудбалототкако македонскиот национален тим се квалификува за Европското првенство, се широко прифатени и следени од луѓето во Македонија, другите спортови сеуште не уживаат таква популарност. И велосипедскиот спорт е еден од тие. Сепак, сеуште има таленти и успешни приказни да се пронајдат. Затоа во ова месечно издание на „ВОИСЕС“ даваме можност да го претставиме Кирил Марковски, еден од македонските надежни таленти. Со своите 22 години, тој веќе има освоено неколку натпреварувања, во различни дисциплини на велосипедски трки, вклучувајќи го и националното првенство. Неговата страст за велосипед започнала многу порано, но работите се искристализирале во 2015 година, кога се одржал првичниот настан: „Се вратив од тренинг, го вклучив телевизорот и се појави велосипедска трка. Колку што се сеќавам, се прикажуваше ’Тур де Франс’, и колку што паметам, Марк Кевендиш победи на тој драматичен финиш. Во истиот

8 - VOICES

момент си помислив: ’утре ќе се зачленам во велосипедски клуб и ќе почнам да возам’“. Тогаш Кирил се зачлени во велосипедскиот клуб ЕБТС и работите тргнаа сериозно. Од тој момент, му требаше само една година да ја стекне титулата јуниорски првак на Македонија во Крос-Кантри олимписки велосипедизам (ККО) на возраст од 18 години. ККО е дисциплина на планински велосипедизам, каде возачите треба да извозат одреден број кругови на кратка стаза. Победата му овозможи на Марковски да учествува на Балканското првенство 2016 година во Црна Гора во планински велосипедизам, каде го освои 6-то место од 30 учесници. Но, Кирил не се посвети само на планинскиот велосипедизм. Веќе од 2017 година тој се испроба и во друг тип на велосипедизам, воглавном роуд велосипедизам, кој наскоро стана негова втора пасија. Тој стана лидер во клубот Вело-М и учествуваше на многу трки. Покрај националните, тој учествувал и на меѓународните

репортажа

роуд велосипедски трки во Кипар, Србија, Бугарија и Албанија.

ниту пак во клубскиот спорт. Ние како велосипедисти се трудиме да дадеме максимум но немаме некои придобивки од тоа“.

Исто така, на 28-ми февруари, оваа година, Кирил го освои Македонското првенство во Цикло-Крос, форма на Сепак, ова не го обесхрабрува велосипедска трка која се состои од Марковски секогаш да го даде повеќе кругови на кратко растојание, најдоброто од себе, на крајот на која вклучува различен терен, дури краиштата, велосипедизмот е има и носење на раце на велоспедот неговата страст. Покрај натпреварите на одредени места. После ова и професионалните цели, Кирил, исто остварување, Кирил ќе се така, си поставува и сопствени посвети на следната предизвици. Едно од професионална целнеговите најголеми Утре ќе да биде национален достигнувања е се зачленам во првак во планински поминувањето на 600 велосипедизам. велосипедски клуб и км за 24 часа. И веќе го има на ум следниот ќе почнам да возам. предизвик, Иако остварувањата воглавно на Марковски звучат ридско возење велосипед како совршена основа за нагоре и надолу, во еден здив одлична професионална иднина, повеќе пати додека не ја достигне велосипедистот признава дека гледа должината од 8848 метри-тоа се ограничувања поврзани со матичната нарекува Еверестинг. земја: „Инвестирањата во спортот, Присуството на луѓе како Кирил е овде во Македонија, едноставно важно за промовирање на спортови не се доволно големи, а трките во кои се малку застапени како странство се ретки, што го потврдува велосипедизмот и да стане пример за фактот дека сме далеку од успесите младите луѓе да се инспирираат. на меѓународна сцена“. Кога го запрашале да ги спореди условите за велосипедизам со другите држави вели дека „не може да се спореди, ниту според начинот на организирање настани, трки, услови,

Кристофер Махолд Превод: Горан Галабов

VOICES - 9

reportage

Sexual education is a very frequent taboo. With the implementation of a pilot program to implement sexual education in schools as an optional class, the Macedonian government is taking the next step on this battle of disinformation. VOICES was on the field to understand how can the lack of a proper sexual education impact youngsters in the country.

Sexual Educati n:

“The system is broken because we are not educated on these things” 10 - VOICES

I

n a time when sexual education is up for discussion again, Macedonia is starting to walk in the right direction towards sexual rights awareness, contraceptive information, diversity and inclusion. This is due to a pilot program for implementing sexual education in school curricula, starting from the 9th grade and as an optional class – after several attempts to be approved, the program is already on the first stage. VOICES spoke to a comprehensive sex educator and two high schoolers to understand how this “touchy subject” is being perceived in the field and to answer the question: why is sexual education so important?

Sexual education is more than having the tools to avoid unwanted pregnancies or Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).

Proper sexual education teaches

репортажа more than reproductive sexual health - it also teaches youngsters “how to make the right decisions based on what they want and like and not want society wants of them, to feel comfortable in their own skin and to be healthy”, explains Simona Georgievska to VOICES, in a video call.

The 21-year-old junior comprehensive sex educator in the Health Education and Research Association (HERA), in Skopje, has been engaged in teaching high schoolers since the beginning of the academic year. “As a Pedagogy student, I’m very glad to be part of this organization because all the things we teach should also be in formal education”, she says.

After a specializing training last summer, Georgievska joined the around 50 accredited volunteer peer educators who are fighting

against disinformation and implementing Comprehensive Sexual Education (CSE) around Macedonian schools through HERA. Then, she became equipped to start teaching about the seven components of CSE: gender and gender equality, relationships, STDs (including HIV) and contraception, sexual violence, pleasure, civil aspects and sexual diversity. “We teach all these topics and that’s why it’s comprehensive - when we say ‘sexual’, people have a centered way of thinking about it but there are a lot of sexual aspects in many things we experience”, describes Georgievska, pointing out “sexual and reproductive rights” and “every situation a young person can be involved in and how to handle it”.

Why is it important for teenagers to know more about CSE? For Georgievska there is a full list of things that can happen if sexual education is not correctly implemented: not making decisions for themselves but for society or someone else, not being informed of one’s rights, not recognizing harassment, bullying or violence, not recognizing situations where they have to act and defend themselves, not having healthy relationships, not being able to express themselves or their sexuality the way they want… and the list continues because sexual education also involves one’s selfimage and relationships. And curiosity plays a big part for teenagers.

“We are on those ages when we are very curious about our bodies so I think we should know a lot of those things at this age because, sooner or later, we will start doing them”, says

Jana Oltovska, a 16-year old youngster from Skopje. “I know a lot of people that are sexually active and don’t know what they are doing, so a lot of accidents can happen. But it could easily be avoided – a couple of classes is all we need. We can know more about that and we can be more careful”, she concludes.

Oltovska never had a sexual education class. The only brief mention of genitals was during a biology class – “she didn’t educate us in that, she just told us the parts, what they do and stuff like that and she was talking more about animals”. And that’s the general situation except for a couple of friends who had a half an hour sexual education session with the Red

Cross.

According to the “Report from the study on the possibilities for access to reproductive health prevention information in schools” from HERA and the Center for Vocational Training in 2014, only 7% of the teachers in the capital have talked about sexual orientation, 8% have addressed oral contraception, 15% condom use and 35% HIV prevention.

“Luckily, my parents are very chill so I can openly talk to them about these things and they can educate me”, shares Oltovska, mentioning also the amount of “internet searches that were happening” in her free time, which many times may not be VOICES - 11

reportage

the best source of information. “I know some things but it’s different when someone who’s specialized in that part can tell you”, admits the high schooler. “The system is broken because we are not educated on these things. It’s a touchy subject in Macedonia, so people don’t really like to talk about it even though it’s very normal and natural”.

Marija Ristova is one of the lucky Macedonians – she had two presentations about sexual education, during her studies. “It needs to be taught everywhere and not just twice but a lot more because we need to know and if you are sexually active you need to be educated about that”, shares the 18-year-old from Kavardaci. It’s needed, useful and it should be improved. “A lot of people are not educated enough and they just go with the flow. From my generation, I knew teenagers that got pregnant”, she admits.

As Oltovska, Ristova had to rely on her parents for sexual education.

“They are very open about that but it’s not the same with other kids and their parents. That’s why we need to have that education - not everyone is close to their parents”, explains Ristova, who yet doesn’t see sex as a taboo in the country.

12 - VOICES

Georgievska admits that not having had sexual education was something that really negatively impacted her, as well, and that’s also why she decided to get involved with CSE. “There are a lot of things I didn’t know about STDs, contraception, how to properly

“

The system is broken because we are not educated on these things. It’s a touchy subject in Macedonia, so people don’t really like to talk about it even though it’s very normal and natural Jana Oltovska Student

put a condom, my right to say ‘no’.

These things are really important during the growth of a youngster”, admits the junior educator. Since the information didn’t find its way to her in the school curricula, Georgievska had to learn things by herself and through experience, while facing a lot of challenges. “HERA opened my eyes and made me realize I’m not alone at all, a lot of things I experienced are very common in young people”, she concludes.

репортажа

Is CSE a sensitive subject?

“Sex is a taboo”, confirms Georgievska.

“I think our society has a lot of traditional values and views on women and on sexuality - that also contributes to young people having misleading information”, she exposes. “Culture and religion try to get involved in the education and I don’t think it has its place there because we are teaching about facts, about rights so there is no space to discuss these things”, explains Georgievska. Nevertheless, the junior educator sees hope. “We are moving forward, more than before, but we still have a lot of work to do”.

Regarding the students themselves, the subject is not that much of a taboo but the lack of information and the influence of the society they live in is deeply felt.

“Sometimes, they are afraid to express their opinion because they think the others wouldn’t agree and they will be bullied”, tells Georgievska. “There are topics like violence, for example, where they have to recognize the victim and the one who is violent and sometimes we have situations where they think the victim is guilty and there’s where we see that the system already taught us to think like that”, she completes. Another example is the ‘Diversity’ topic since it

has happened that some youngsters didn’t believe there are different sexual orientations. Even though every topic that has a discussion involved can be hard, the educators’ job isn’t to force someone to change their opinion but “to give information and let them decide what to do with it”.

“

Culture and religion try to get involved in the education and I don’t think it has its place there because we are teaching about facts.

Simona Georgievska

Junior comprehensive sex educator in HERA

That’s also why it should start to be taught in primary school - as soon as 9th grade as the pilot program encourages.

“A lot of younger people from lower grades can also learn about these things but in a more adjusted way for them as kids”, the junior educator defends

while explaining that the terms and workshops wouldn’t be the same but the knowledge would. “The topics are not shameful at all”, she states.

Meanwhile, HERA has been working to improve sexual education in the scholar curricula as well, since it has been directly involved in the pilot plan approved by the government in 2019.

Now, the first stage is in practice with the training and preparation of teachers for the subject and the second stage will be implemented in the autumn of this year when there will be a sexual education optional class available for 4 schools. Also, the school books that can still contribute to stereotypes will be adjusted – “we are locating them, trying to improve them, to remove all the parts that are contributing to different stereotypes. They are not acceptable anymore”, concludes Georgievska.

Rute Cardoso Sources: https://hera.org.mk/izveshtaj-istrazhuvaneza-informirano/?lang=en

VOICES - 13

reportage

“The Green Feeling” Envy, is it Friend, or Foe?

“Then the queen was shocked and turned yellow and green with envy.

From that hour, whenever she looked at Snow White, her heart heaved in her breast, she hated the girl so much. And envy and pride grew higher and higher in her heart like a weed, so that she had no peace day or night.”

W

e all probably remember the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs from our childhood. In the story, the evil stepmother becomes so envious of Snow White's beauty, that she is ready to kill her to be the most beautiful of the kingdom again. At the end of the story the evil, envious stepmother gets what she deserves, and suffers a painful death.

But if we take a closer look at this highly unpleasant feeling, envy, we can all recognize having felt it in our hearts on occasions of our lives. In her column published in Helsingin Sanomat, psychotherapist Maaret Kallio eases our minds by explaining, “each one of us feels envy from time to time”. “Envy is just a feeling, it comes and goes, but we have to carry the responsibility for it”, she concludes. Envy is a common negative emotion that arises from an individual's experience of lacking something in comparison to others. When someone has something we don't have - a material thing, a quality, a skill, or for example a relationship - we might feel inexplicably upset by it and wish for loss of such things for them. This green feeling can simply hinder our ability to feel happy for other people, but it can also lead to bad deeds or sabotaging others' success.

We tend to disguise our envy as talking badly about the target of our envy behind their backs.

Despite the fact that envy is a common and perfectly human feeling that all of us have faced at some point in our lives, it is often kept hidden.

Growing up as members of our surrounding society and communities, we have learned to repress our green feelings or at least avoid speaking about them openly. As kids, our parents and other people taking part in our upbringing discouraged us to take action caused by envy. Religion and its weight in shaping our social reality may also have taken a part in defining envy as ´bad´ since it's one of the seven deadly sins defined by the Catholic Church.

Why do we feel envious?

Image: Tom Simpson Flickr | https://www.flickr. com/photos/randar/10785667776/ 14 - VOICES

According to professionals, envy often arises from low self-esteem and feeling of inferiority. People who feel strongly envious on a daily basis might have also experienced neglect and underestimation in their childhood. We often mix up envy with its

репортажа equally inconvenient sibling, jealousy, but these two are not the same: jealousy is caused by the experience of threat of loss of something one already has, whilst envy arises from the experience of lacking possession of something. Researchers have also distinguished envy's nature into malicious and benign kinds. While malicious envy focuses on the ill will towards the envied, benign envy is a motivator for the pursuit of the envied quality or thing.

Why should we embrace it?

So could we actually harness feelings of envy to teach us an important lesson about ourselves? Yes, since envy can expose us to some of our deepest desires that we didn't even realize having, and drive us towards such things. Kallio explains, “Envy shouldn't be avoided and resented, but rather looked towards with warmth”. “The feeling of envy and actions motivated by it should be taken a closer look at. The bravest dares to stop to observe the pain when envy occurs”, wrote the expert. Kallio also invites us to reflect and ask ourselves “what does the envy tell about what I am lacking myself?

How could I move towards it better?”

There is no denying that envy can feel intoxicating and unbearable. Once the envious feelings occur, it is vital to recognize and allow them to come. It is not easy to face our unwanted, dark feelings.

Fortunately, there is an antidote that can help to overcome envy. It is gratitude for the things that we already have. Another powerful way to relieve envy is compassion towards both the target of our envy and ourselves.

So whenever we find ourselves in the evil stepmother's place, the weed of envy growing in our hearts, let's choose to face the one staring back at the mirror and do it with kindness, understanding, and self-reflection.

Emmi Rissanen Sources: https://www.hs.fi/blogi/lujastilempea/art-2000005823571. html https://www.win.tue.nl/~marko/latex/exercises/day2/ snowwhite2.pdf https://mieli.fi/fi/mielenterveys/itsetuntemus/tunteet/ kateus https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-9320003 https://kotiliesi.fi/terveys/hyvinvointi/kateus-sisarkateusvoi-pahimmillaan-tuhota-ihmissuhteen/ http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.jyu.fi/ehost/ pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=ebb1f800-cb25-40cc-bca337e0981451c2%40pdc-v-sessmgr02 https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.jyu.fi/ docview/213130743/fulltextPDF/6BEFADAD0BCB4AF0PQ/1?a ccountid=11774 http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.jyu.fi/ehost/ pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=496c3d30-3382-450d-b0319610a23d1c7f%40sessionmgr101

VOICES - 15

reportage

“Ndjenja e gjelbër” Zilia, është shok, apo armik?

“Atëherë mbretëresha u trondit dhe u bë e verdhë dhe e gjelbër nga zilia.

Që nga ajo orë, sa herë që shikonte Borëbardhën, zemra i gulçonte në gji, aq shumë e urrente vajzën. Dhe zilia dhe krenaria rriteshin gjithnjë e më shumë në zemrën e saj si një bar i keq, kështu që ajo nuk kishte paqe ditë e natë”

T

ë gjithë me siguri e kujtojmë historinë e Borëbardhës dhe Shtatë xhuxhave nga fëmijëria jonë. Në këtë histori, njerka e keqe bëhet aq ziliqare ndaj bukurisë së Borëbardhës, saqë është gati ta vrasë atë për të qenë përsëri më e bukura e mbretërisë. Në fund të historisë njerka e ligë, ziliqare merr atë që meriton dhe pëson një vdekje të dhimbshme.

Por nëse e vështrojmë më nga afër këtë ndjenjë shumë të pakëndshme, zilinë, të gjithë njohim se e kemi ndjerë atë në zemrat tona në raste të jetës sonë.

Në kolonën e saj të botuar në Helsingin Sanomat, psikoterapistja Maaret Kallio na lehtëson mendjen duke shpjeguar, “secili prej nesh ndjen zili herë pas here”. “Zilia është thjesht një ndjenjë, ajo vjen dhe shkon, por ne duhet të mbajmë përgjegjësinë për të”, përfundon ajo. Zilia është një emocion i zakonshëm negativ që lind nga përvoja e një individi të cilit i mungon diçka në krahasim me të tjerët. Kur dikush ka diçka që ne nuk e kemi - një gjë materiale, një cilësi, një aftësi ose për shembull një marrëdhënie - ne mund të ndjehemi të mërzitur në mënyrë të pashpjegueshme nga ajo dhe të dëshirojmë humbjen e këtyre gjërave për ta. Kjo ndjenjë e gjelbër thjesht mund të pengojë aftësinë tonë për t’u ndjerë të lumtur për njerëzit e tjerë, por gjithashtu mund të çojë në vepra të këqija ose në sabotimin e suksesit të të tjerëve. Ne priremi ta maskojmë zilinë tonë duke folur keq për shënjestrën e zilisë sonë pas shpine.

Përkundër faktit se zilia është një ndjenjë e zakonshme dhe plotësiht njerëzore të cilën të gjithë ne e kemi përballur në një moment të jetës sonë, ajo shpesh mbahet e fshehur. Duke u rritur si anëtarë të shoqërisë dhe komuniteteve tona përreth, ne kemi mësuar të shtypim ndjenjat tona të gjelbra ose të paktën të shmangim të flasim hapur për to. Si fëmijë, prindërit tanë dhe njerëzit e tjerë që merrnin pjesë në edukimin tonë na diskurajonin të ndërmerrnim veprime të shkaktuara nga zilia. Feja dhe pesha e saj në formimin e realitetit tonë shoqëror gjithashtu mund të kenë bërë pjesë në përcaktimin e zilisë si ´të keqe´ pasi është një nga shtatë mëkatet vdekjeprurëse të përcaktuara nga Kisha Katolike.

Pse ndihemi ziliqar?

Image: Tom Simpson Flickr | https://www.flickr. com/photos/randar/10785667776/ 16 - VOICES

Sipas profesionistëve, zilia shpesh lind nga vetëvlerësimi i ulët dhe ndjenja e inferioritetit.

Njerëzit të cilët ndihen fort ziliqarë çdo ditë mund

të kenë përjetuar neglizhencë dhe nënvlerësim në fëmijërinë e tyre. Ne shpesh e përziejmë zilinë me motrën e saj po aq të papërshtatshme, xhelozinë, por këto të dyja nuk janë të njëjta: xhelozia shkaktohet nga përvoja e kërcënimit të humbjes së diçkaje që dikush tashmë ka, ndërsa zilia lind nga përvoja e mungesës së posedimit të diçkaje. Studiuesit gjithashtu kanë klasifikuar natyrën e zilisë në lloje dashakeqe dhe dashamirëse. Teksa zilia dashakeqe përqendrohet në vullnetin e keq ndaj personit që kemi zili, zilia dashamirëse është një motivues për të ndjekur cilësinë ose sendin që ka shkaktuar këtë zili.

репортажа

Pse duhet ta përqafojmë këtë ndjesi?

Pra, a mund të përdorim në të vërtetë ndjenjat e zilisë për të na dhënë një mësim të rëndësishëm për veten tonë? Po, pasi zilia mund të na ekspozojë ndaj disa prej dëshirave tona më të thella që as nuk i kishim kuptuar që i kishim, dhe të na shtyjë drejt gjërave të tilla. Kallio shpjegon, “Zilia nuk duhet të shmanget dhe të urrehet, por përkundrazi të shikohet me ngrohtësi”. “Ndjenja e zilisë dhe veprimet e motivuara nga ajo duhet të shikohen më nga afër. Më i guximshmi guxon të ndalet për të vëzhguar dhimbjen kur ndodh zilia “, shkroi ekspertja. Kallio gjithashtu na fton të reflektojmë dhe të pyesim veten “çfarë tregon zilia për ato që më mungojnë vetë? Si mund të lëvizja drejt saj më mirë? “ Nuk mund të mohohet që zilia mund të ndjehet dehëse dhe e padurueshme. Sapo të ndodhin ndjenjat ziliqare, është me rëndësi jetike t’i njohim dhe t’i lejojmë të vijnë. Nuk është e lehtë të përballemi me ndjenjat tona të padëshiruara dhe të errëta. Për fat të mirë, ekziston një antidot që mund të ndihmojë për të kapërcyer zilinë. Është mirënjohja për gjërat që tashmë i kemi. Një mënyrë tjetër e fuqishme për të lehtësuar zilinë është dhembshuria si ndaj personit kundrejt të cilit jemi ziliqar, ashtu edhe ndaj vetvetes.

Kështu që sa herë që gjendemi në vendin e njerkës së keqe, me barërat e këqija të zilisë që rriten në zemrat tona, le të zgjedhim të përballemi me atë që na sheh në pasqyrë dhe ta bëjmë atë me mirësjellje, mirëkuptim dhe vetë-reflektim.

Emmi Rissanen Përkthim: Ejona Limanaj Sources: https://www.hs.fi/blogi/lujastilempea/art-2000005823571.html https://www.win.tue.nl/~marko/latex/exercises/day2/snowwhite2. pdf https://mieli.fi/fi/mielenterveys/itsetuntemus/tunteet/kateus https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-9320003 https://kotiliesi.fi/terveys/hyvinvointi/kateus-sisarkateus-voipahimmillaan-tuhota-ihmissuhteen/ http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.jyu.fi/ehost/ pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=ebb1f800-cb25-40cc-bca337e0981451c2%40pdc-v-sessmgr02 https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.jyu.fi/docview/213130743/full textPDF/6BEFADAD0BCB4AF0PQ/1?accountid=11774 http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.jyu.fi/ehost/ pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=496c3d30-3382-450d-b0319610a23d1c7f%40sessionmgr101

VOICES - 17

reportage

Being a volunteer during the pandemic The situation we live in has been changing the way we are used to communicating, learn, and even how to behave outdoors. It has also worsened social inequalities. Due to the outbreak of the pandemic, all sectors were affected globally and were forced to take measures. Volunteering was no different. This sector was also heavily impacted and had to adapt differently according to the type of volunteer work.

T

he pandemic and its restrictions brought difficulties to help others considering that in-person volunteering activities can no longer be held, where the volunteer had to move around places and be in close contact with people to accomplish their assignment.

To maintain the volunteer work, some organizations that couldn’t keep the activities that needed to be in person, adapted them to the digital form. This strategy was crucial for the continuity of some volunteering projects. Maria, a 19-year-old volunteer, says that the pandemic won’t discourage her from

continuing to do what she enjoys: volunteering with animals. Andreia is new to volunteering, but she believes that all assistance is needed, especially now.

How volunteer work changed With the elderly

The Portuguese organization V.O.U., which assists isolated elders in Porto, had to suspend the regular visits.

Instead, the volunteers work digitally. Weekly calls are now the only way to combat the elder’s isolation since they are a highrisk group.

Andreia is an 18-year-old Portuguese volunteer who joined an initiative between several Viseu colleges. She is an environment volunteer and she also assists the isolated elderly by a phone call or a video call.

This initiative organizes volunteering walks, while they also pick up garbage.

18 - VOICES

There are also donations of books, toys, clothes, and more. It is mandatory to use masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer.

Andreia says, “There are a lot more isolated people who need basic assets, due to the economic decline”. She feels that, probably, the environment has improved because of a major disinfection concern. “Every honest and humble help that we provide is already gratifying”, shares the youngster.

Since the pandemic started, she has felt the obstacles of it every day: “It is harder to help, with all the rules and obstacles that we have, but carefully we can reach to someone who needs our help”.

When it comes to donations, they are made in every college and, after that, they are taken to the Catholic University of Viseu to disinfect everything.

репортажа A Portuguese foundation, “Fundação Eugénio de Almeida”, released a guide to be a volunteer during the pandemic, where it gives advice, several precautions to take when doing volunteer work, and steps to follow to be a volunteer:

With animals

1. Remember to sign a contract with the volunteer organization and clarify your tasks and schedules.

2. Meet the coordinator (the person that supports your volunteer work) of the volunteer program. You must go to him/her in case something goes wrong.

3.

Do the training suggested. It can only be a meeting with the coordinator to get to know better, the organization and the project’s rules. The training depends on each project of volunteering.

4.

You must always use equipment of individual protection, such as masks and gloves. Remember to practice social distancing and to comply with the rules.

Do not share personal objects like a cellphone, or a water bottle. If you have any symptoms during the volunteer work, you must contact your coordinator and follow his or her instructions.

5. Try to give feedback to the organization about your performance, how it is going, the agonies and the needs, but also your achievements.

6. Take care of yourself. Adopt measures for your self-care, to be able to help the ones who need it the most. Talk with others, do physical exercise, and plan your daily routines.

Volunteering at shelters also had to adapt. However, this kind of volunteer work didn’t have much of an impact. A mask and social distancing were the only rules for the project to go on. And there aren’t excuses when it comes to working and helping animals. Cleaning their shelter, feeding them, and keeping them company are some of the tasks volunteers do when helping animals.

“

I do what I like, which is being with animals and there’s not a pandemic that will prevent that.

Maria Cerqueira

Portuguese volunteer

Maria Cerqueira is a 19-year-old Portuguese volunteer. She and her mother do volunteer work at an animal-friendly organization in Chaves for two years. Maria says, “When the pandemic came, I had to stop going to the shelter for at least three weeks”.

She thought that volunteering would be heavily affected by the situation.

She was not wrong. “The girl in charge of the organization gave us a certificate that allowed us to circulate since it was necessary to feed the dogs and clean their shelters”, says the youngster. Maria and her mother feel the impact of the pandemic every weekend when they do volunteer work. “It is hard to wear the mask for three hours or more, not to be able to kiss and hug the dogs as we used to”. She thought it would be worst, but at the shelter, volunteering continues

with a mask and social distancing.

Maria claims, “I do what I like, which is being with animals and there’s not a pandemic that will prevent that”.

Cláudia Cardoso Sources: https://www.publico.pt/2020/12/05/ p3/noticia/voluntario-tempospandemia-1941639 https://www.fea.pt/images/ voluntariado/6991/Guia%20Ser%20 Volunt%C3%A1rio%20em%20tempos%20 de%20Covid.pdf

VOICES - 19

reportage

Covid-19 crisis in France: the day after Macron’s government policy has evolved a lot over the past year since the covid-19 outbreak and its disastrous effects on the French economy – with an overall 8.3 GDP slump throughout the year. From hasty decisions to measures aimed at preserving a fragile but improving economy, there is still one element that has not changed much yet: French people have not recovered their freedoms.

T

he covid-19 crisis, that reared its ugly head in Europe in the month of March 2020, is now celebrating its birthday: we all remember that time when, for the first time in mankind’s history, lockdown measures were enacted a bit everywhere around the globe, in a climate of intense fear due to the outbreak of a new unknown virus which was yet more or less endemic to China at that moment.

Since then, the virus has been studied by many scientists and the knowledge about it has considerably improved, as bespeak the `creation of new «vaccines». European governments’ measures gradually took into account these advances, and France did not escape the rule.

At the very beginning of the covid-19 crisis, the French government was overwhelmed and - like other European countries - took drastic measures that resulted, for the first quarter of the year 2020, in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) shrinking by 5.9 % from January

20 - VOICES

репортажа

to March 2020. These first measures to combat Covid-19, which were enacted in March 2020, consisted among others in the mandatory home lockdown until the 11th of May and other strict general restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of the virus, such as the closure of all shops and trades, resulting in a brutal stop in economic activity and long-term damages to the economy.

The second quarter was, therefore, worse, its GDP falling to 13.5 %, from April to June. The third quarter (July to September 2020) saw, on the contrary, a spectacular rise of 18.5 % in GDP, with the relaxation of measures after the fall of cases and deaths due to Covid-19 in the country. It was the time when consumer confidence bounced back and when cinemas, pubs, restaurants, theatres and gyms reopened a bit after everyone did. But the second national lockdown destroyed these hopes and the GDP fell again by another 1.4 % from October to December 2020, “helped” by governmental measures

aiming at taking more into account the economy in their policy. During this period, the economy has bounced back but it remains fragile: people remain still reluctant to invest in a better off economy as household consumption slumped 5.4 percent (vs 18.1 percent in quarter three), fixed investment only grew 1.1 percent (vs 24.1 percent in quarter three) while public spending also fell 0.3 percent (vs 14.6 percent in quarter three).

Overall, according to estimations by the national statistics bureau INSEE, French GDP slumped 8.3 percent in 2020. Some sectors have not been affected by the crisis the same way: the chemical and construction industries, for example, operated at normal levels but others have yet to recover from their Covid plunge: this is the case for the aeronautics industry, which has been affected by travel restrictions throughout the year.

Cinemas, restaurants, pubs, theatres or gyms have not reopened yet since the beginning of the second lockdown (end of October 2020), not to mention ski resorts or nightclubs which are facing big financial difficulties, for those which have not gone bankrupt.

No announcement by the government has been made to improve these lives, and some people, who have grown impatient, have decided not to respect the Law anymore: this is the case of

Photo: Reuters

the restaurateur Stéphane Turillon who called people who share the same profession to open their restaurants: « I have nothing to lose right now, he said during a support event that gathered around 500 people. But he finally renounced his project, being threatened by financial sanctions, the closure of his restaurant and a jail sentence. His losses amount to 400 000 euros.

Predictions for the future are rather optimistic yet: for François Villeroy de Galhau, Governor of the Bank of France, growth in the country will reach at least five percent in 2021, while Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the French economy should quickly recover once curbs to limit the spread of coronavirus are lifted. For the moment, there is still a national curfew at 6 pm which is implemented and no one really knows when the restrictions will be completely lifted.

Yvan Barbeau Sources : French Economy To Rebound With 5% Growth: Central Bank | Barron's Covid-19 pandemic pushes French economy into deep recession (france24.com) France’s Economy Contracts Slightly More Than Estimated in 4Q | Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide French economy should recover quickly once COVID curbs ease -Le Maire | Reuters France GDP Growth Rate | 1949-2020 Data | 2021-2023 Forecast | Calendar | Historical (tradingeconomics.com) Économie : quels sont les secteurs qui se portent bien et ceux en difficulté ? - YouTube Après six mois de crise sanitaire, quelle est l’état de l'économie française ? - YouTube Comprendre la crise économique liée au COVID-19 - YouTube Covid-19 en France : la reprise économique menacée - YouTube

VOICES - 21

reportage

n e k c i h c e h t d i d y h W ? d a o r e h t s cros The presence of humor can be traced back to thousands, or possibly millions of years. Even though humor and laughter are related, they are not synonymous. Therefore, humor is a cognitive process, which (not always) leads to laughter, whereas laughter is an activity that is experienced through a humorous stimulus. Thus, in this article, I would like to share the history of humor and share a few laughterstimulating jokes.

22 - VOICES

репортажа

T

hroughout the years, many attempts were made to understand the nature of humor, however not a single theory provided desired results, thus did not gain a universal acceptance. According to these theories, it was observed that three main topics were incorporated in all humor theories: a) humor reflects not so commonly accepted concepts, b) oppressed sexual and/or aggressive feelings, c) social status, reflecting a superiority.

A while before, researchers in the University of Wolverhampton, surfaced some of the oldest jokes, some of them are as follows: At the Barber’s (Greece, 4th – 5th century AD, Philogelos) “Asked by the court barber how he wanted his hair cut, the king replied: In silence.”

Teaching an Old Donkey New Tricks (Greece, 4th – 5th AD, Philogelos) “Wishing to teach his donkey not to eat, a pedant did not offer him any food. When the donkey died of hunger, he said: I have had a great loss, just when he had learned not to eat, he died.”

Augustus’ Resemblance (Ancient Rome, 63 BC – 29 AD, Emperor Augustus) “Augustus was touring his Empire and noticed a man in the crowd who bore a striking resemblance to himself. Intrigued he asked: Was your mother at one time in service at the Palace? No, your Highness, he replied: but my father was.”

How Odysseus Defeated Cyclops (Ancient Greece, 800 BC, Homer’s The Odyssey) “Odysseus tells the Cyclops that his real name is nobody. When Odysseus instructs his men to attack the Cyclops, the Cyclops should: Help, nobody is attacking me! Thus, no one comes to help.”

The Three Ox Drivers (likely Mesopotamia, 1200 BC, Unknown) “The ox drivers from Adab were thirsty: one owned the ox, the other owned the cow, and the other owned the wagon’s load.

The owner of the ox refused to get water because he feared his ox would be eaten by a lion; the owner of the cow refused because he thought his cow might wander off into the desert; the owner of the wagon refused because he feared his load would be stolen.

So, they all went. In their absence, the ox made love to the cow which gave birth to a calf that ate the wagon’s load. Problem: Who owns the calf?”

Humor acts as a bridge in connecting people and enables us to endure the harsh times. Are there any interesting jokes that you might know? Maybe it would be a good idea to brighten up the day of the people around you with a joke. Remember, laughter a day, keeps the sadness away.

Dzaner Shengjuler Sources: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/ pdf/10.1177/147470490600400129 https://www.oldest.org/ entertainment/jokes/

VOICES - 23

opinion

The flicker of happiness We often make the mistake of dividing the world into small and big moments. We look at everything that happens and we place it in a box. A box of moments that we view as insignificant and a box of moments, we are taught are going to determine our future.

But what about the moments that make us happy? What about that second when time stops and life is happening just in the present? What about now?

24 - VOICES

мислење

H

ave you ever felt the cold, yet refreshing drops of rain on a warm, humid summer day? How about the first winter snow? Have you ever stayed up all night watching your favorite movie or reading your favorite book, have you experienced the silence of a sleepless night, the sky painted in ethereal colors at the exact moment the sun rises or the reflection of a sunset in the deep blue water of the sea.

How about hearing the song you absolutely adored three years ago but suddenly forgot about it, reading a quote from the book you read so long ago and loved with every inch of your body, the flood of memories triggered by a smell, taste or a place. The sound of waves meeting the sand, the sound of a familiar voice. Do you recall the moment your loved ones told you they loved you, receiving a message from someone you care deeply about?

A four-hour phone call where you are silent together, a birthday call at midnight or a spontaneous walk in the neighborhood. The gratitude spreading through every vein when you realize you were blessed with beautiful people in your surrounding.

How does looking at your favorite painting make you feel, all the colors known to men blending and creating a masterpiece? A random but heartwarming greeting from a total stranger. Tears of sadness mixing with those of joy as you cry yourself to sleep. Visiting the place you always dreamed of. Seeing a picture that perfectly sums up that period of your life or the relationship with a certain person. Family walks. Finding the “memory” box you made where you keep every little thing your friends gave you or a piece of your adventure with them. Those sleepovers, nights spent talking for hours about anything and

everything in total darkness except for the moonlight coming from the window, parties filled with music, laughter and carelessness.

The message you get wishing you a good night, a hug from your dearest friend, the one glance you exchange, reassuring each other that you are here through thick and thin. The alone time with your thoughts. The cheers between drinks and the comfort food at three in the morning. A split second where the adrenaline or fear turns to happiness and relief.

Let’s not forget about those memories which decide to pop up in the most random of times but never fail to put a big smile on your face.

A kiss that tells a whole story and a touch that holds an unexplainable amount of love. Lastly, the exact moment you realize you are alive.

To each their own, but we can all agree that these are the moments worth fighting and living for. Life is so much more than a routine, nine to five job and rules placed upon us. It would be an incomprehensible tragedy for one soul to never encounter the true joys life offers. It’s the little things, it will always be the little things that will sprinkle bliss in the darkest of situations. And when you are finally ninety and sitting in your rocking chair next to the fireplace, you will think of each and every one of these moments and a flicker of happiness will appear just as strong and warm as the flames in the burning fire.

Ana-Marija Pejchinovska

VOICES - 25

poetry

I

W I N D

s there anybody could tell Where the wind comes from, Getting quickly among the trees Turning up the back side Of the trembling leaves.

Free like the wind From the sky till the ground He loved wandering around, The eyes of a boy Exploring the shapes Of his new toys.

Restless and impatient He was always on the run Looking for something true Among the peoplae he knew, So much like the wind He cannot be seen The secret is what you feel.

One day he was gone.

No need to chase the wind, Those days are over…

Little angel, she stood there The wind stopped in her hair !

Goran Galaboff taken from: “TAO of LOVE”

26 - VOICES

Т

оч ка на кршење

поезија

Како се доаѓа до оваа состојба? Дали има враќање назад? Како да се залепиме? Прво, претпоставувам, треба да расчистиме со себе... Дали ова вреди? Дали било што вреди колку моето здравје? Колку мене? Колку мојот мир? Колку мојот дух? Потоа, уште колку? До кога? Уште колку чаши кафе ќе го надоместуваат изгубениот сон? Уште колку езера солзи ќе бидат привремено гасење на гневот кон системот кој крши? Уште колку апчиња ќе бидат привремен ублажувач на болката што се лечи само со внимание и љубов. Љубов, каков зборЈа раздаваме на секому, а за нас? За нас ништо не останува... Па, тогаш што воопшто раздаваме? И најпосле, за што? За бројка на лист хартија... За просек на лист хартија... За плата? Каков концепт Зар со здравје ќе плаќаме за здравје? Класичен пример за еднострано давање.... И попосле, можеби квалитет наместо квантитет е добра филозофија? И за крај, ајде да се вратиме на основата. Да, токму тоа ни треба Светот е брз, јас побрза Побрза да направам добра одлука Добра одлука како оваа, товарот на хартијава да го префрлам Дишењето да си го смирам, секаде на време ќе стигнам Светот е брз, јас побрза Побрза на сонцето да излезам Побрза духот секојдневно да го негувам Побрза болести и истоштеност да престанам да романтизирам Да, романтичарка сум, но романтичарка на ова? Не, го романтизирам секој здрав оброк Секоја чаша какао И с`е што не е кул Кул? Каков концепт Ќе не убие тоа кул Прекул за да спиеме сме За здраво да јадеме За да се смееме За со себе да се соочиме Бре, колку сме кул. Светот е брз, а јас бавна И тоа НЕ ме прави помалку забавна Дафина ,,Даффне” Веселиноска

*The Cottage Fairy на youtube

VOICES - 27

poetry Правилна

Песна за

По езерскиот брег се шетам И бели галеби гледам Планинските врвови како се обледуваат И неколку патки од трските излегуваат Големи чунови како ловат Малечки бродови како пловат Сонцето полека зад планината се спушта Езерската свежина мене ме гушка Одам на песокот и си мислам: Крај ова езеро вечно да сум сакам... Неправилна Кога ја слушам таа песна И кога ја гледам таа вода Си мислам дали таа готвачка беше чесна И ја здогледувам водата и гледам фока

ез ер

Се чувствувам свежо И јадам риби Гледам во небото и ми паѓа лесно И ги гледам облаците и ми изгледаат убави

от

Потоа се присеќавам: врнеше вечерва... И потоа си помислувам: сега е време за вечера

о

Гледам убаво патче И добивам ужасна мисла Потоа погледнувам во моето тавче И мислата ме погаѓа: паткава личи на риба... Дамјан Веселиноски

* I am the walrus - The Beatles

28 - VOICES

поезија

Мојата

езерска

визија

Секоја ноќ имам езерска визија, а да пронајдам од каде доаѓа е мојата мисија

Таа ме заобиколува со пријатна свежина, таа ми дава да чувствувам духовна леснина Кога ќе го слушнам нејзиниот ѕвонлив глас, тогаш знам дека убавина ме чека в час.

* Нина Спирова - Езеро мое

Давид Веселиноски

VOICES - 29

topic of the month

Зошто се уште постои Кралско семејство во Велика Британија? Британскотокралско семејство доживува бурни времиња последниве години: од вмешаноста на принцот Ендрју со осудениот Џефри Епштајн за секс-трговија до изјавите на Меган Меркл за расизам и недоволна поддршка од семејството.

30 - VOICES

тема на месецот

С

амо во 2020 година, околу 69 милиони фунти од даноци беа искористени за кралското семејство, повеќе отколку било кога претходно, според „Статиста“. Истовремено добротворното здружение од ОК „Засолниште“ направи проценка на бројот на бездомници дека е некаде околу 280.000. Во Обединетото Кралство e во подем движењето на „републиканците“. Ова политичко движење бара да се замени монархијата со република со избран шеф на државата. „Бидејќи не можеме да ја задржиме Кралицата и нејзиното семејство на гласачка кутија, не постои нешто што може да ги спречи да ја злоупотребат таа привилегија, како и нивното влијание или едноставно да ги трошат нашите пари“, наведува „Republic.org“. Истовремено, тие веруваат дека монархијата ги повредува монарсите. Во својата книга „Господ ја спаси Кралицата“, Јохан Харл расправа дека секој член од кралското семејство страдал психолошки од системот во кој се родени. Меган Меркл, поранешна американска актерка и сопруга на принцот Хари откри дека има траумакако дел од Кралското Семејство и тоа сериозно го нарушило нејзиното ментално здравје, доведувајќи ја на раб на самоубиство.„Татко ми и брат ми се заглавени, не можат да заминат. И јас сум многу чувствителен на тоа“, изјавува принцот Хари во интервјуто за американското шоу кај Опра Винфри.

ќе ја подели нацијата. На редовната неделна посета на Бакингемската Палата, таа е на располагање како искусен и непристрасен глас. Со своето служење на 14 премиери и на 12 американски претседатели, таа се стекнала со огромно искуство.

Велс ги користеше добротворните цели за разбивање на стигмата за време на нејзиниот животен век. „ХИВ не ги прави луѓето опасни за запознавање па затоа можете да се ракувате и да ги прегрнете: Небото знае дека тоа им е потребно“.

Бидејќи не можеме да ја задржиме Кралицата и нејзиното семејство на гласачка кутија, не постои нешто што може да ги спречи да ја злоупотребат таа привилегија, како и нивното влијание или едноставно да ги трошат нашите пари.

Ако погледнеме кон блиската иднина, понизок рејтинг на кралското семејство е за очекување. Кралицата Елизабета сега има 94 години. По нејзината смрт, нејзиниот син принцот Чарлс ќе биде следниот Крал на Велика Британија. И покрај напредокот направен во последните декади, на неговата јавна појавност, најверојатно е дека ќе се соочи со несогласување поради неговата афера со Камила Паркер Боулс во 90-те. Во интервју кај Опра, принцот Хари откри дека неговиот татко Чарлс престанал да му се јавува во 2020 година и дека финансиски го изолирал. Според сајтот yougov. com.uk, Кралицата има рејтинг од 72%, додека Чарлс има само 47%.

“

Republic.org

И покрај тоа, Кралското семејство обезбедува единство и традиција. Тие имаат носталгична вредност. Политичарите доаѓаат и си одат, но успешно Кралско Семејство создава чувство на олеснување и припадност. Народот ги запознава нивните монарсионие кои се грижат и оние кои не го прават тоа.

Но зошто монархијата сеуште има толку голема поддршка во Велика Британија и во целиот Свет?

Мрежата која ја создаваат им обезбедува влијание во дипломатијата. Форбес ја става Кралицата Елизабета на 46. место од највлијателните жени во 2020 година. И покрај тоа, трошоците на даночните обврзници се огромни, се проценува дека туристите потрошиле повеќе од милијарда долари при посетата на Лондон за свадбата на Хари и на Меган.

Во Велика Британија, премиерот е шеф на владата додека кралицата е шеф на државата. Кралицата е во постојан контакт со премиерот, иако ниедна конечна одлука не зависи од неа. Многу малку се знае за нејзините политички гледишта. Ако тие се знаат јавно тоа

Голем дел од нивната работа е нивниот придонес за хуманитарни цели. Членовите на Кралското семејство имаат околу 3000 покровители во добротворните организации, а само кралицата ја изразува својата поддршка на околу 600. Дијана, принцезата од

Само иднината ќе покаже дали монархијата ќе преживее. Сега за сега, сеуште се многу влијателни и тешко е да се замисли Велика Британија без кралско семејство.

Клариса Лојте Превод: Горан Галабов Линкови: https://www.statista.com/chart/18569/total-costof-the-uks-royal-family-by-year/ https://www.republic.org.uk/what_we_want https://www.cbs.com/shows/oprah-with-meghanand-harry-a-cbs-primetime-special/ https://www.statista.com/chart/18569/total-costof-the-uks-royal-family-by-year/ https://www.crisis.org.uk/ending-homelessness/ about-homelessness/ https://www.forbes.com/powerwomen/#9b617985e252 https://yougov.co.uk/topics/arts/explore/title/ British_Royal_Family https://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/14/the-monarchysroyal-gift-to-britains-economy.html https://www.royal.uk/role-royalfamily#:~:text=Members%20of%20the%20Royal%20 Family,strengthen%20national%20unity%20and%20 stability.

VOICES - 31

opinion

Life & other businesses The countless possible ways events can turn out in terms of scenarios, shifts and outcomes are wonderfully fascinating. I remember when I was at school, the probability chapter was my favorite one in my mathematic books.

I

find it actually quite inspiring to try understanding the diverse ins and out which could explain why you or someone else end up making a choice instead of another one. Also, this is pretty interesting that sometimes you might eventually gain a better understanding of some past situations over time.

By the way, another point for thinking lies in the following question: how would you assess the relevance of singling out in one set of decisions the impact of your background and education on the one hand and the consequence resulting from your own personality, beyond the environment in which you have been born and raised on the other hand?

When you look back at your life path, it is quite interesting to look behind you and try to look for one or several guiding threads, some explanations encompassing most of what you have been through in terms of decisions so far.

32 - VOICES

That being said, I do think it makes much sense to balance such a way of looking at things. I some facts taking place around you or some choices you made precisely have no justification, no backstages as they might be considered as being spontaneous.

Independently of your personal and tailor-made way of understanding our world, I firmly support the idea that it is of the utmost importance to keep in mind there are countless options to try to understand our lives and the directions we want to go for the times to come. Looking for in-depth diversity in this area enables also enables you to gladly gain in polyvalence and adaptability. Tackling these questions and as a conclusion to this brief opinion, I definitely encourage you to watch the movie The Tree of Life, a true masterpiece in my opinion. Blaze your own path, and may you be happy!

Jules Striffler Photo by Fernando Paredes Murillo on Unsplash

What you are reading right now, is a magazine created by local and international volunteers. VOICES team is constantly expanding, and welcoming new writers and translators. You can work with us online, from anywhere in the world! Contact us via e-mail: vcs.sending@gmail.com

Write

We are publishing articles and poetry from several writers around the world. You can write about anything - except politics. We will help you to widen your skills and create interesting content!

Translate

VOICES magazine is located in Skopje, Macedonia, so our goal is to provide content in English, Macedonian and Albanian. Volunteer translators between these languages are more than welcome!

Share Art

Are you a photographer or an artist? We want to share the work of young people and encourage others with their art. Share your photos, paintings, graphic designs etc. with us and we can publish them in the magazine.

Read

Read inspiring stories and reportages from our volunteer writers, learn something new, widen your horizon of opinions and travel the world with us!

www

voiceskopje

www.voiceskopje.org VOICESmkd

vcs.sending@gmail.com issuu.com/vcsvoices

contact_vcs

34 - VOICES