VOICES December 2020

voices

Magazine for all young people around the world december 2020

Editorial

Едиторијал

F

З

or the 15th anniversary of the creation of Volunteers Centre Skopje, let’s go back to the future!

Nikola Stankoski (Director and Founder of VCS) provides us with a unique insight into the origins of this pioneering NGO. He shares with us the spark that ignited his willingness to initiate this adventure with communicative good vibes.

This month, we take you once again far away for a journey to the ends of our world! Are you ready to take off to Brazil, then to beautiful Brittany, the only far west without cow-boys?

But maybe you just got sick and tired of traveling by aircraft. No worries, as they say in Australia, we have a tailormade solution for you. You could just decide to board a sailing boat and travel the seven seas with your partner instead. Being ashore may well be a most welcome relief for our minds.

Then, let’s widen our perspectives and understand how therapy can take on different forms and methods. For instance, have you ever imagined that art could be helpful for some people?

Alternatively, you could also try even horror movies and face your fears (should you be a daredevil).

Despite this is a quite spoken topic, empowering women is definitely a constant work in progress, present in theater plays and contraception issues. Last but not least, have you ever wondered what is the connection between banking and cheese?

VCS DIRECTOR: Nikola Stankoski

EYE: Ewelina Chańska

COORDINATORS: Andrej Naumovski Goran Adamovski Goran Galabov Selina Niemi

INTERN: Rute Cardoso VOLUNTEERS: Jules Striffler Dogukan Sever Lucile Guéguen Paul Janiszewski Deniz Kotancı

а 15-годишнината од формирањето на Волонтерски Центар Скопје да се навратиме на иднината! Никола Станкоски (директор и основач на ВЦС) ни дава увид во почетоците од организацијата. Тој ја споделува со нас искрата која ја иницирала оваа авантура на добри вибрации и меѓусебни комуникации. Овој месец, повторно одиме на патувања до краевите на нашиот свет! Дали сте спремни да заминете за Бразил, потоа во прекрасната Бретања, единствениот краен запад без каубои? Можеби се уморивте од патувања со авиони. Без грижа, како што велат во Австралија, ви скроивме решение само за вас. Може и да се одлучите да се качите на едреник и да патувате преку седумте мориња со вашиот партнер. И да останете на брегот може да биде многу олеснително за нашиот разум. Тогаш, ајде да ги прошириме нашите погледи и да сфатиме како терапијата може да има различни форми и методи. Да речеме, дали некогаш сте помислиле дека уметноста може да биде делотворна за некои луѓе? За промена, можете и да погледнете дури и некој хорор-филм и да се соочите со своите стравови (барем да се осмелите). И покрај сé, ова се прилично дискутирани теми, на еманципацијата на жената се работи постојано, присуство во театарските претстави и контрацептивните средства. И за крај, но секако не помалку важно, дали сте се запрашале која е врската помеѓу банкарството и сирењето?

We hope you will enjoy this ultimate 2020 edition as much as we enjoyed shaping it, Arrivederci!

Се надеваме дека ќе уживате во последното издание за 2020 година колку што и ние уживавме во неговото создавање. До наредниот пат!

Voices team

Тимот на „Воисес“

WRITERS: Dafina Veselinoska Elena Glogovac Vitória Acerbi Translators: Ejona Limanaj

DESIGNERS: Selina Niemi Ewelina Chańska Rute Cardoso Jules Striffler Lucile Guéguen Paul Janiszewski

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 December 2020 - issue 12

topic of the month

4 Happy 15 th Birthday, VCS: Home of Volunteering

Goran Adamovski

28

Среќен 15 роденден, ВЦС: Домот на волонтерството Горан Адамовски

culture

6 A journey to the far west of France

Lucile Guéguen 10 Why do we like horror movies?

Rute Cardoso

opinion

8 The analysis of social pressure on women

and women’s struggle for existence...

Deniz Kotancı 16

“Mr. Vice-President, I’m speaking” - on speaking and being listened to in a gender imbalanced world

6

Vitória dos Santos Acerbi

reportage

12 Deutsche Bank, Parmigiano-Reggiano

Jules Striffler 14 Travel the love and the 7 seas (ЕNG & ALB)

Jules Striffler

18 The lively soul of Rio de Janeiro

Lucile Guéguen

20 Love is sharing

Paul Janiszewski 23 Art as therapy Paul Janiszewski

erasmus+ 22 Turkey, the land of hospitality Elena Glogovac

23

interview

24

Интервју со режисерката Сара Јазаџиска Горан Адамовски

poetry 26

sport 28

Живот без маски - враќање во иднината Дафина Веселиноска

Si yo fuera Maradona...

Ewelina Chańska

24

VOICES - 3

topic of the month

Happy 15 th Birthday, VCS

Home of Volunteering

Interview with Nikola Stankoski,

director of Volunteers Centre Skopje

W

hen he left for a one-year stay in Lithuania in the summer of 2004 through the European Voluntary Service (EVS) program, 19-year-old Nikola Stankoski probably could not have imagined that it would change his life forever. The desire to discover something new, the inspiration to enable participation in European Programs for nonformal learning of young people from Macedonia, as well as the availability of opportunities to expand personal horizons, lead to the establishment of Volunteers Centre Skopje immediately after his return to the country in 2005. Fifteen years later, VCS is one of the leading NGO’s in Macedonia when it comes to youth exchange, volunteerism, activism, a recognizable brand and a trusted partner, through which over 10,000 domestic and foreign volunteers and youth activists have passed.

5th of December International Volunteer Day, marks the 15th anniversary of VCS. That is the date when the idea of VCS was born, although it was formally registered on March 15, 2006.

4 - VOICES

“Probably crucial for the formation of VCS was my volunteering stay at the Center of Youth Voluntary Activities Deineta on various projects, but the emphasis was on the Red Cross Center for Emigration and resocialization of refugees in the Lithuanian village of Rukla, where there was people of different ages, mostly from Chechnya, Iraq and Iran. I was leaded by the desire to move forward, to break the frustrations of living in a ‘third world’ country. It was 2004, the European borders for the Macedonian citizens were not open yet, and Lithuania had just become part of the European Union. I expected to see a different world than the one I knew. And I saw, but also a double effect happened to me, because in the center I met people who came from much worse places, with more difficult destinies and sadder stories, who put their lives in a bag and set off in the hope of a better tomorrow. What I saw every day helped me mature as a person and realize that I want to help young people in Macedonia to progress, to get out of the apathy they feel, to go abroad, to strengthen their sense of belonging, to return and “to change things around them,” says Stankoski.

тема на месецот He was one of the few Macedonians who experienced the “EVS” program of the European Commission which in the coming years will become one of the most recognizable and favorite tool of young people around the world.

“That first generation of volunteers who went abroad, even today is active in youth life. With some of them we founded VCS. At the beginning, few people knew what “EVS” was, and many did not understand how it paid for your trip and stay in a European country, you also receive compensation, and in return you only ‘have to’ help. We worked hard and dedicated, so the interest in sending volunteers abroad, as well as receiving foreign volunteers in Macedonia was huge. In the first year, ten volunteers from abroad came to us (mostly from Lithuania, France and the Netherlands), and in the opposite direction we sent thirty young Macedonians. It was a huge promotion of our idea of building the capacity of young people on the principle of local and international experience through the principle of ‘learning by doing’,” said the head of VCS. The first major activities of the organization were promotion through various local activities, environmental actions, humanitarian events (in 2007 the first big event was held with a concert at the ARM Home to help the children from the Home ‘October 11’), and the VCS volunteers from the very beginning assisted daily in the Daycare Centre for street children in Suto Orizari, as well as in various projects with the local self-governments, thus establishing themselves as an active actor in creating youth policies.

But the young people needed a project through which their voice would be heard, and at the same time it would unite the young people

in an intercultural and multiethnic environment. This is how the idea for the creation of the youth magazine “Voices” was born in 2006.

“With the career center at the high school ‘Dr. Pance Karagjozov’ we were thinking about how to create the first project on the basis of which we will be accredited to accept volunteers from abroad or as it is called: ‘Host expression of interests’ - Hey. We wanted young journalists, activists and volunteers to quickly spread the word about breaking the stereotypes, prejudices and ethnic tensions that were active among young people at the time. That’s how we got to Voices. The magazine was briefly supported by the National Agency for Youth and Sports, and then became and is the full responsibility, obligation and satisfaction of VCS. Over the past 14 years, the magazine has grown into an extremely high quality product, in which hundreds and hundreds of young volunteers have learned to write and think like journalists, to design, to improve their language skills, to learn team work in an intercultural environment and to create public opinion.”

As Volunteers Centre Skopje developed, so did It’s influence on the creation of youth policies and processes in society to participate in the drafting of laws on volunteering, youth work, youth and youth policies...

“Unfortunately, the non-governmental sector is still not receiving the necessary support from the local and central government. There are project ideas and legal solutions, but there is no realization. As an example I will mention the Law on Youth where I was personally part of the working group where it is prescribed that

each municipality is obliged to open a Youth Center which would give NGOs space where they can work with young people thus contributing to the development of local community.

But the year is coming to an end, and hardly any municipality has started its task. Let’s hope that the authorities will soon realize the importance of youth activism,” said the director of VCS. The year that is coming to the end sent the society facing serious challenges, many sectors and branches were affected, many succumbed. But, thanks to the experience and reputation gained, VCS is successfully dealing with the consequences of the crisis.

“Covid-19 has given us a chance to look back and strategically organize and orient ourselves for even greater struggle for the involvement of young people in the policies that affect them, as well as in working with European projects. Specifically in VCS, and at the time of corona – volunteers came and went, the projects did not stop, on the contrary, even in such conditions we managed to complete the KA3 project: ‘European Youth at the frontlines of active citizenship: A Roadmap towards a collective South-NorthEast-West Momentum’, in which five young people from Macedonia, Spain, Romania, Denmark and Cyprus each received 1,000 euros to implement their idea to change society into a better community. To work in VCS and to be part of our family means to work in a team that dedicates time to quality work with young people by building their capacity and bringing closer the European programs that are available to young people in Macedonia”, concludes Stankoski.

Goran Adamovski

VOICES - 5

culture

A journey B

retons will tell you that heaven exists, in the far west of France.

Brittany is a unique region due to its strong cultural identity. Even though it became part of France in the 16th century, the duchy remained very much different from the rest of the country as it kept its own identity through several centuries. Sitting in the northwest corner of France, the region is steeped in myths and legends and is home to the legendary cartoon characters of Asterix and Obelix, two inseparable Gaulish warriors battling to protect their village from the Roman invaders.

Brittany is also famous for its damp weather; proud locals typically reply to those who complain about the climate, “En Bretagne, il ne pleut que sur les cons” (“In Brittany, it only rains on the idiots”).

Brittany is an essentially rural region where agriculture is predominant, whereas Rennes, the capital, is a vibrant city and an emerging hub for Information and communications technology. The Breton culture is inextricably tied to the sea, typically represented by sailors and fishermen dressed in blue-and-white striped marinière. Brittany has the longest coastline in France stretching to more than 1 200 km, which changes amazingly twice daily with the tide’s movement.

The scenery varies from jagged cliffs and sandy coves in the north and expansive beaches in the south.

Brittany’s most renowned specialties illustrate the convivial folklore and popular traditions of this lively region. Due to its extensive coastline, Brittany’s gastronomy is mainly based on quality fresh seafood, from the delicious oysters from Cancale to the fine scallops from Erquy but also mussels, cockles, lobsters, clams, and crabs. France’s largest peninsula is also best known for crêpes, delicious thin pancakes with assorted sweet fillings, and galettes, made from buckwheat flour and typically eaten savory,

6 - VOICES

култура

to the far west of France

“

Bretons are everywhere, it’s the French mafia!

accompanied with a bowl of apple cider. Kouign-amann, one of Brittany’s sweet specialties, is made from a buttery dough that is repeatedly folded with a generous amount of sugar. The Breton cake was dubbed by the New York Times as “the fattiest pastry in all of Europe”. To compete with its American cousin and state its cultural identity, Brittany has also created its own local brand of coke. In a few years, thanks to its salted caramel flavor and its authentic Breton identity, Breizh Cola (literally meaning “Brittany Cola” in Breton) has managed to become France’s first regional cola brand.

The culture and traditions of Brittany stand out from the rest of the country, as it is made up of Breton culture and Celtic culture. The Celtic roots of Brittany and local folklore are more in line with the other Celtic nations, rather than the rest of France. Celtic nations are made up of Brittany (France), Cornwall (England), Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Galicia and Asturias (Spain). Commonly referred to as the “Celtic fringe”, this region shares cultural traits and Celtic languages as a common bond. Each year in August, the city of Lorient in Brittany hosts the Festival Interceltique, one of the largest festivals in Europe in terms of attendance. The festival brings together artists from all the Celtic nations for ten days to showcase their traditional costumes, instruments, and dances. Bagads, composed of biniou (bagpipes), bombards, and drums, play traditional Breton music and offer a delightful musical passage into the ancestral Celtic traditions of Brittany.

The Breton language is a very important part of the Breton identity.

Although the main language of the region is French, Breton is still spoken and understood by more than 200 000 people, mostly the elderly. Breton belongs to the family of Brythonic Celtic languages, along with Welsh and Cornish. The regional language is classified as “severely endangered”

by UNESCO due to its sharp decline since the beginning of the 21st century.

It is said that the French government prohibited the speaking of Breton in schools and daily activities, gradually reducing its use to near extinction. To save the language from oblivion, the region has encouraged the growth of Breton language learning and teaching, particularly since the creation of the Diwan schools in 1977. These cooperative schools offer Breton schooling in immersion until the last year of high school. In five years, the 54 Diwan schools have witnessed a rise in enrollment of 20%, accounting for 4 318 pupils in 2017-2018. Further, the Public Office for the Breton Language (Ofis ar Brezhoneg in Breton) initiated a campaign called “Ya d’ar brezhoneg” aiming at promoting the use of the Breton language in daily life. For instance, the organization succeeded in introducing bilingual road signs, in both Breton and French, throughout Brittany. Even some software is now available in Breton, including Skype, Microsoft Office and some research browsers such as Google and Firefox. Despite all the efforts made so far, the Breton language remains endangered as the number of speakers continues to diminish every year.

Brittany is so proud of its cultural identity that the region has been struggling for several years to turn the Breton flag

- Emmanuel Macron into an emoji. The regional flag, also called Gwenn Ha Du (literally meaning “black and white” in Breton), is famous for being waved at almost every major cultural event or sport in the world.

At the beginning of 2020, Brittany has created a buzz by mobilizing all Bretons and unconditional lovers of Brittany to tweet the hashtag #emojiBZH on Twitter, which automatically displayed the black-and-white striped Brittany flag for 28 days. Barely a few hours after its appearance, the Breton flag has become one of the most used emojis in France. The campaign aimed at convincing the Unicode consortium, a global tech-backed body that approves new emojis, to adopt the icon permanently on all social platforms. In total, the digital icon was generated more than 400 000 times in four weeks; it has exceeded the monthly averages of some European countries, such as Greece, Finland, and Scotland. The final decision of the Unicode consortium is expected by the end of 2021 to make Brittany shine on all smartphones across the globe.

Lucile Guéguen Sources: http://www.fr.brezhoneg.bzh https://www.economist.com/ europe/2020/02/15/the-struggle-to-givebrittany-its-own-emoji Photo: Jean-Jacques Abalain from Melgven (près de Concarneau), CC BY 2.0 <https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

VOICES - 7

opinion

THE ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL PRESSURE ON WOMEN AND WOMEN’S STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE THROUGH HENRIK IBSEN’S NORA IN A DOLL’S HOUSE AND BERNARD SHAW’S LIZA IN PYGMALION women’s struggle in Modern English Literature (Legois, 1990).

This study examines that the social pressure on women and women’s struggle for existence through Henrik Ibsen’s Nora in A Doll’s House (1999) and Bernard Shaw’s Liza in Pygmalion (1988).

The analysis of social pressure on Nora and Eliza

T

he roles of men and women in society are generally related to the value system and structure of society.

In traditional societies, it is known that man is a sanctioning power that limits all actions and thoughts, and women are overwhelmed by this power.

The Enlightenment movement, the Industrial Revolution and the French Revolution played an important role in the displacement of the patriarchal system and dogmatic idea that has lasted for centuries (Şener, 1982). With the development of human rights and freedoms, gaining women’s own rights, reached a better level in the last few years.

on women is psychological pressure.

Controlling women, supervising, punishing, humiliating, accusing, accepting as the patient, not respecting the physical structure or thought structure, is a reflection of the forms of psychological pressure on women.

In societies, where radical changes cannot be achieved, instead of eliminating traditional gender values, it is obvious that they emerged again by giving them new forms and discourses.

Individuals have to live with these impositions by accepting the roles imposed on them. Society is forced women to act according to gender roles.

Women are forced to take their education in this direction because they should not face any problems in business life or family life (Donovan, 2012). In addition to these, one of the social pressures

After the first wave of Feminism, social pressure on women became one of the essential subjects in literature. As notable writers of the 20th century, Henrik Ibsen and George Bernard Shaw had frequently used women’s figures, who are constantly supervising by the patriarchal society, in their plays and they forced their audiences to think and understand this social pressure and gender inequality. Ibsen’s A Doll’s House as a revolution and Shaw’s Pygmalion as a ground-breaking play are the most significant play samples which include

8 - VOICES

From past to present, the roles imposed and enforced by society have been rejected by many female characters. Every woman who stepped in the way of proving that she is an individual has to face the brutal cruelty of society. These impositions for some women can differently begin as soon as they open their eyes to the world. Society tries to instructing, change women, and make them welladjusted. Especially in traditional societies, this effort is much more common. However, there are women who have succeeded in exposing the struggle for existence within every woman. But these women generally are not accepted in society.

When we look at Ibsen and Shaw’s plays, we see a struggle for existence in both of their characters. First of all, if Nora is examined, it is clear that she is a child and represents a woman shaped by society. At the beginning of the play, Nora, who is not obstinacy by respecting her husband, is one of the finest examples of good women’s perceptions of society. Nora is actually a strong woman inside, but she doesn’t worry about having a passive

мислење character because of her upbringing and she talks the way her husband likes. The women in Ibsen’s play demonstrate their existence in accordance with social norms. Ibsen draws attention to the extent to which an economically progressive society can be dropped behind behaviourally and ideationally.

Actually, Nora is a re-created woman like Shaw’s Eliza and she has not any social role except for wifehood and motherhood.

In the character of Nora, the desire for freedom that exists within each individual is witnessed, first rasped by his father, and then almost completely forgotten because of society. We learn from the big secret that Nora is stubborn. This secret shows that Nora is not a child and in serious situations, she can exceed the limits of society. Unfortunately, this secret has been a source of shame not pride for Nora in the patriarchal society. The rebellion found in Nora’s essence embeds in deep, because of her father’s and husband’s impositions, which include love and compassion. However, when we look at the end of the play, Nora, realizing her own power, abandons her husband, because she does not feel belonging to her house and husband and tries to find her own essence. In this sense, Nora is a symbol of her desire to attain her freedom, which was taken from women. Nora, a good woman within the framework of social values since the beginning of the play, is defined as an immoral woman at the end of the play.

Sources: Bloom, H. (1988). George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion. New York: Chelsea House Publishers.

Donovan, J. (2012). Feminist theory: The intellectual traditions. New York: Continuum.

Ibsen, H., & Rudall, N. (1999). A doll’s house. Chicago: I. R. Dee. Legois, Emili, A Short History of English Literature, Hong Kong, Oxford at The Carenden Press, 1990.

Lyons, Charles R. Ed. Critical Essays on Henrik Ibsen. Boston: Hall. 1987. Şener, Sevda; Dünden Bugüne Tiyatro Düşüncesi, Adam Yayıncılık, İstanbul, 1982.

If Shaw’s Eliza is considered in this context, it is obvious that she is already an incompatible florist girl, at the beginning of the play. Higgins’ desire to educate her represents the desire of society to shape women. As Eliza represents an incompatible woman in the patriarchal society, Higgins represents a society that is educated but intellectually incomplete. Eliza is a woman who is not accepted in society and is aware of this situation, therefore, she accepts Higgins’ offer. Just as Nora obeys her father and husband, Eliza obeys Higgins as well and does what he says. Unlike Nora, Eliza’s education is carried out with condescending, not love. This difference is an indicator of the hypocrisy of society. A woman like Eliza should be educated with tyranny, not with love. Eliza, who became a woman respected by society over time, revolts against Higgins, by listening to the incompatible woman inside her, at the end of the play. The final scene of the play is one of the most beautiful examples of women’s upheaval to society. Eliza changes both physically and intellectually and she is neither the old florist girl nor belongs to that class, although she is accepted in the elite class. When she feels like a stranger on both sides of society, like Nora, she tries to find her own existence by rejecting everything she has.

The problem of proving the existence of women is an issue that has been questioned and worked on from the past to the present. This problem is not still solved in a common ground, in our contemporary period as well. In this context, Nora and Eliza are the two special characters who accept to be shaped within the impositions of society but eventually reach the consciousness of the individual and both of them are still symbols of a revolt in society.

Deniz Kotancı

VOICES - 9

culture

Why do we like horror Movies Sweaty hands, heart racing, stomach dancing in our belly. The adrenaline flows through our bodies. We crave symptoms that would usually let us petrified even though our entire body was screaming “RUN”.

But why? Why would we want to simulate a terrifying experience, on purpose? Why would we want to make our bodies believe that our lives are in danger and it seems we are going to die? Well, just for fun.

D

espite the existence of several theories related to the motivation behind why people like to watch horror movies, none of them fully explain this phenomenon. However, according to a 2004 paper in the Journal of Media Psychology, most of them involve at least one of these three factors: tension, relevance, and unrealism. Maybe you like it because of the unknown, maybe you like it because you can relate to something in the movie, or maybe you just like it because you know it’s not real.

Our physical reactions to horror movies

10 - VOICES

play a significant part in society’s love for the tension generated by the mystery and fear. “What happens for most people is that you have an arousal of your sympathetic nervous system and an activation [to produce] adrenaline”, explained Advanced Placement Psychology teacher Heidi Mathers to Zephyrus. When this happens, our brain goes into fightor-flight mode. Our heart rate and our respiration increase, our muscles tense and we can even scream or jump. But, if our bodies usually react

the same way, why do some people love horror movies while others think they are a nightmare? This can be attributed to the Emotion Theory.

“The Emotion Theory states that our interpretation of these same physiological cues can be different depending on the individual,” said Mathers. This means that while horror movie enthusiasts feel a thrill triggered by fear (sensation seekers), other people may feel distressed.

According to the online newspaper on science Sciencenorway.no,

култура personality tests reveal that easily bored individuals often score higher than others on this sensation-seeking trait and several studies can relate a high score in this characteristic with an increased liking of horror movies.

For Malcolm Turvey, director of the Movie and Media Studies program at Tufts University, this thrill may be especially pleasurable in a context where there’s no real threat. “What’s special about consuming horror is you can feel certain strong feelings without suffering the consequences, which allows you to enjoy the sensation,” said Turvey to TuftsNow about the genre that “appeals to our basest instincts”. The specialist in horror movies presents the “beast within” as the most popular theory behind the genre’s popularity. “It argues that an unconscious, repressed part of every human is actually savage; that the veneer of civility is very thin, and beneath that is essentially a monster,” explains. “According to this idea, although we consciously disapprove of what the monster is doing, deep down part of us enjoys seeing the murder and mayhem the monster unleashes— because if we could, we would do that.”

The psychologist Elizabeth Kaplunov also considers that horror movies were created to feed “the animalistic side of human beings” and believes the way we live today influences our need for frightening stimuli. “In the developed world, people live in such safe and cushioned environments, that a lot of them are very unlikely to experience strong emotions like fear or emotional pain in their daily lives.

However, people are evolutionarily programmed to deal with scary stimuli, such as predators, all the time”, wrote Kaplunov on Psychreg blog.

Yet, in this case, people can feel happy and relaxed after the adrenaline rush since they are in a safe environment and just enjoy the euphoria-inducing brain chemicals like endorphins and dopamine. Kaplunov even compares watching a scary movie with dealing with a simulated life threat and feel the simulated reward afterwards. “You feel like, ‘I dealt with something that was outside of my comfort zone, and I conquered it”, says Jeffrey Gardere, a clinical psychologist to Health. “That gives you confidence”. The same article points out that horror movies help us prepare for the worst by showing how life-threatening situations might play

out and making us feel more prepared for actual danger. Also, horror may teach us to cope. “I think people who watch them a lot are learning how to deal with uncertainty and suspense and anxiety,” says Coltan Scrivner, a candidate in the Department of Comparative Human Development at The University of Chicago to Health.

Scrivner recently co-authored a study that shows horror fans are more

“

What’s special about consuming horror is you can feel certain strong feelings without suffering the consequences, which allows you to enjoy the sensation.

Malcom Turvey Director of the Movie and Media Studies program at Tufts University

resilient and less psychologically anxious about the covid-19 pandemic than non-horror fans.

Horror movies also can be therapeutical due to the control we have over the experience – you can close your eyes, cover your ears, or just turn off the television if you want to. “I imagine that people who suffer from deeply unwelcome anxiety attacks may feel some comfort in voluntarily seeking out anxiety in controllable doses.

It’s like facing your enemy, but in a context where you have the upper hand”, says Mathias Clasen, a Denmarkbased researcher who studies horror entertainment, to Elemental.

Laura Turner is an example of this therapeutical power. “It Follows and The Thing provided a really great distraction from the reality of having just had a miscarriage; I could totally forget about my anxiety for a while because the movies were just so completely immersive”, said Turner to Elemental. The movies also helped her to be physically prepared. “I slow my breath down, especially during the scary parts, almost practicing a sort of

meditation so I can be prepared for whatever jump scare is about to hit”.

The psychologist Kaplunov agrees that horror movies “could suggest to a viewer, that some of our fears are not as real as we imagine them to be, or that threats in real life are not always as hard to deal with as we first thought”. “It makes us desensitised to scary things in our reality, teaches people to be less scared”, concludes.

Most specialists also agree that watching horror movies together develops ties between people, making them bond due to the scary and unreal experience they had just dealt with.

Whatever the theory, the fact is horror movies are a huge success.

But, even though they can be funny, therapeutical, or even relatable for our “beast within”, this movie genre can also have bad consequences for our mental health if we force ourselves to enjoy it. If watching a scary movie gives you insomnias or makes you scared of being alone, maybe you should consider changing for a more light type of entertainment.

Everybody deals with things differently and there is no shame in that.

Rute Cardoso Sources: https://elemental.medium.com/horrormovies-can-be-good-for-anxietyb542ac8dbed7 https://edinazephyrus.com/psychologicaleffects-of-horror-movies/ https://now.tufts.edu/articles/why-do-wehorror-movies https://partner.sciencenorway.no/movieforskningno-inland/why-do-we-likewatching-horror-movies/1451826 https://www.psychreg.org/why-peoplelove-horror-movies/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/ us/blog/in-excess/201510/why-do-wewatching-scary-movies https://www.health.com/mind-body/whypeople-like-horror-movies https://happiful.com/why-do-we-lovehorror-the-psychology-behind-scaryentertainment/ https://www.bustle.com/p/why-horrormovies-can-feel-comforting-according-toexperts-18814314

VOICES - 11

reportage

Deutsche Bank,

Parmigiano-Reggiano S

o once upon a time, there was ParmigianoReggiano. At this stage, I guess now you are wondering about the connection between banking and this allegedly fancy cheese. The magazine Courrier International translated in September 2020 a quite original article by the Handelsblatt newspaper from Düsseldorf: “The Deutsches Bank inaugurated on Monday a new practice in Germany: the banking counterpart in Parmesan cheese tells Handelsblatt (Düsseldorf). The bank “granted the Italian company Ambrosi a loan of 27.5 million euros and accepted in return a guarantee for 125,000 wheels of Parmesan and Grana Padano cheese. The loan should enable the head of the family business, Giuseppe Ambrosi, to “build a new fermentation cellar for the production of parmesan cheese and grana padano.” […]

“Although the parmesan loan is a German first, it has been practiced since 1953 by the regional Italian bank Credito Emiliano. It has even been the subject of a case study by the prestigious Harvard Business School entitled “Banking on Cheese”.”

So at the end of the day, what can we take away from this let say… unusual story? Possibly, you can keep in mind that going off the beaten track might bring a most-welcomed burst of innovation in existing practices. Most likely, seeing alternative ways of getting things done provides you with a new perspective on your own processes. Otherwise, I do think there may well be a risk of getting numbed without noticing by your daily routine. Reversely, nurturing your creativity and your ability to avoid thinking too much inside the box might make you more efficient in your daily missions.

Jules Striffler (Text & picture of squirell)

Sometimes, reality goes beyond the dream world. First and foremost, this is worth being highlighted that 100% of the content of this article relates to a true story. In these unusual times, some institutions find ways to think not one but perhaps two meters out of the box.

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Source : Courrier International (Handelsblatt, Düsseldorf La Repubblica, Rome) - Courrier international (Handelsblatt, Düsseldorf). 2020.

Insolite. La Deutsche Bank Accorde Un Prêt Bancaire Garanti En Parmesan. [online] Available at: <https://www. courrierinternational.com/article/insolite-la-deutschebank-accorde-un-pret-bancaire-garanti-en-parmesan>.

- Livini, E., 2009. Le Parmesan, C’Est Bon Pour Les Prêts Bancaires. [online] Courrier international (La Repubblica, Rome). Available at: <https://www.courrierinternational. com/article/2009/08/27/le-parmesan-c-est-bon-pour-lesprets-bancaires>.

reportazh

Deutsche Bank, Parmigiano-Reggiano Ndonjëherë, realiteti shkon përtej botës së ëndrrave. E para dhemë e rëndësishmja, javlentëtheksohet se 100% e përmbajtjessëkëtijartikulli ka tëbëjë me një histori të vërtetë. Në këto kohë të pazakonta, disa institucione gjejnë mënyra për të menduar jo një, por ndoshta dy metra jashtë kutisë.

P

ranjëherë e njëkohë, ekzistonte Parmigiano-Reggiano. Me këtë pikë, unë mendoj tani ju po pyesni veten për lidhjen midis bankave dhe këtij djathi gjoja të sofistikuar. Revista Courrier International përktheu në Shtator 2020 një artikull mjaft origjinal nga gazeta Handelsblatt nga Dyseldorf: “Banka Deutsches inaguroi të hënën një praktikë të re në Gjermani: homologun bankar në djathin Parmesan thotë Handelsblatt (Düsseldorf). Banka “idha kompanisë italiane Ambrosi një kredi prej 27.5 milion euro dhe pranoi në këmbim një garanci për 125,000 rrota djathë Parmixhano dhe Grana Padano.

Kredia duhett’i mundësojë kreuttë biznesit familjar, Giuseppe Ambrosi,” të ndërtojë një bodrum të ri fermentimi për prodhimin e djathit Parmixhano dhe Grana Padano. “ […]

“Megjithëse kredia për parmixhano nështë e parapër Gjermaninë, ajo është praktikuar që nga viti 1953 nga banka rajonale italiane Credito Emiliano. Ajo madje ka qenë objekt i një studimi rasti nga Shkolla e Biznesit prestigjioze e Harvardit e titulluar “Banking on Cheese”. “

Pra, në fund të ditës, çfarë mund të marrim nga kjo, le tëthemi…. histori e pazakontë? Ndoshta, mund të mbani në mend se largimi nga pista e rrahur mund të sjellë një shpërthim të mirëpritur inovacioni në praktika ekzistuese. Më shumë gjasa, duke parë mënyra alternative për të kryer gjërat ju siguron një perspektivët ë re mbi proceset tuaja. Përndryshe, unëmendoj se mund të ekzistojë rreziku impirjes pa e vënë re nga rutina juaj e përditshme.

Nga ana tjetër, ushqimi i krijimtarisë tuaj dhe aftësia juaj për të shmangu rmendimin shumë brenda kutisë mund t’ju bëjë më efikas në misionet tuaja të përditshme.

Burimi: - Courrier International (Handelsblatt, Dyseldorf - La Repubblica, Romë) Ndërlidhës ndërkombëtar (Handelsblatt, Düsseldorf). 2020. Tëpazgjidhura. La Deutsche Bank Accorde Un Prêt Bancaire Garanti En Parmesan. [në internet] Nëdispozicion në: https://www.courrierinternational.com/ article/insolite-la-deutsche-bank-accordeun-pret-bancaire-garanti-en-parmesan.

- Livini, E., 2009. Le Parmesan, C’Est Bon Pour Les Prêts Bancaires. [në internet] Courrier International (La Repubblica, Romë). Në dispozicion në: https:// www.courrierinternational.com/article/2009/08/27/le-parmesan-c-est-bon-pourles-prets-bancaires.

Jules Striffler Përkthyes: Ejona Limanaj Combination of 2 pictures from Pixabay

by Rute Cardoso

VOICES - 13

reportage

Travel the love and the seven seas Ahoy mates! Let me share with you a quite original story recently unveiled by the New York Times. As the beautifully inspired Black-Eyed Peas wrote: where is the Love? Actually, the answer may well hide offshore.

S

o once upon a time, there was a loving couple united by their fascination for the oceans, Sam Davies and RomainAttanasio. After a bit of time spent encouraging each other, they ended up being rivals and are currently engaged individually on two distinct ships in the frame of the ongoing edition of theVendée Globesailing race. This World tour competition has its dawn and sunset at Atlantic seaside city Les Sables-d’Olonne, France suddenly gained a unique slice of romanticism.

Who knows, they just might have launched a tradition for sailing couples to put their love and relationship to the test.

Chris Museler from The New York Times writes: “Splitting up their training over the past two years, each taking turns being with their son while the other is at sea, is distinct in the hyperfocused world of solo sailing. Once working on each other’s campaign in the past, they are now competitors, but they are not competitive with each other, mostly because Davies is probably going to be a front-runner in her more modern sailboat. […]

In France, Davies and Attanasio are considered a power couple. They met in 2003 during their first foray in the Solitaire du Figaro, a cutthroat solo racing circuit on the west coast of France that feeds the best skippers into events like the Vendée Globe.”

So in a nutshell, if you Juliette or Romeo and the pearl of your eyes say “Aye!” to such a challenge, cast off the lines and go ahead! You may well make some discoveries ashore, as the music band Tana & the Pocket Philharmonic sings with its ukulélé: “You’re showing off like that kinda girl, That knows she’s pretty.

But I know you are that kinda pearl, That hides deep in the sea.”

(Swankin’, a song from the album Springtime EP

by Tana & the Pocket Philharmonic)

Jules Striffler

Sources: Museler, C., 2020. This Couple Is Sailing Around The World — Against Each Other. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/sports/sailing/ sailing-vendee-globe-yachts.html?searchResultPosition=1> https://tanasunset.bandcamp.com/track/swankin Photo by BobaJovanovic on Unsplash (sailing boat)

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reportazh

Udhëtoni dashurinë dhe shtatë detet Ahoy miq, më lejoni të ndaj me ju një histori mjaftorigjinaletëzbuluarsëfundminga New-York Times. Ashtu siç shkruajtën BlackEyed Peas, të frymëzuar bukur: ku është Dashuria? Në të vërtetë, përgjigjja mund shumë mirë të fshihet në det të hapur.

K

ështu njëherë e një kohë, ishte një çift i dashuruar, i bashkuar nga magjepsja e tyre për oqeanet, Sam Davies dhe Romain Attanasio. Pas pak kohe të kaluar duke inkurajuar njëri-tjetrin, ata përfunduan duke qenë rivalë dhe aktualish tjanë të angazhua rindividualisht në dy anije të dalluara në kuadër të edicionit në vazhdim të garës së lundrimitVendée Globe. Ky konkurs turi Botëror ka agimin dhe perëndimin e tij në qytetin bregdetar të Atlantikut Les Sables-d’Olonne, Francë papritmas fitoi një fetë unike romantizmi.

Kush e di, ata thjesht mund të kenë fillua rnjë traditë për çiftet lundruese për të vënë në provë dashurinë dhe marrëdhënien e tyre.

Chris Muselernga The New York Times shkruan: “Ndarja e trajnimit të tyregjatë dy viteve të fundit, njëri duke u kujdesur për djalin e tyre ndërsa tjetri është në det, është e dallueshme në botën e hiper-fokusuar të lundrimit solo. Dikur në të kaluarën kanë punuar në fushatën e njëri-tjetrit, tani ata janë konkurrentë, por nuk janë konkurrues me njëri-tjetrin, kryesisht sepse Davies me shumëshanse do të jetë një kandidate kryesore me varkën e saj me vela mëmoderne. […]

Në Francë, Davies dhe Attanasio konsiderohen një çift i fuqishëm. Ata u takuan në vitin 2003 gjatë lundrimit të tyre të parë në Solitaire du Figaro, një qarkgarash solo të pamëshirshme në bregun perëndimor të Francës që ushqen kapitenët më të mirë në evente si Vendée Globe. “ Pra, me pakfjalë, nëse Juliette apo Romeo juaj dhe perla e syve tuaj thoni “Aye!” ndaj një sfide të atillë, hidhni litarët dhe vazhdoni! Ju mund të bëni disa zbulime në breg, teksa banda muzikore Tana & the Pocket Philharmonic këndon me ukulélé-në e saj: “Ju po mburreni si ajo lloj vajze, Që e di se është e bukur.

Por unë e di që ju jeni ajo lloj perle, Që fshihet thellë në det.”

(Swankin ‘, këngë nga albumi Springtime EP nga Tana & the Pocket Philharmonic)

Jules Striffler Përkthyes: Ejona Limanaj

Burimet: Museler, C., 2020. This Couple Is Sailing Around The World — Against Each Other. [online] Nytimes.com. E disponueshmetek: https://www.nytimes. com/2020/11/10/sports/sailing/sailing-vendee-globe-yachts.html?searchResultPosition=1 https://tanasunset.bandcamp.com/track/swankin Imazhi nga Gordon Johnson from Pixabay (spirancë)

VOICES - 15

opinion

“Mr. Vice-President, I’m speaking” - on speaking and being listened to in a gender imbalanced world In a family dinner, party, class debate, or work meeting. In political debates or judicial sessions. In any of these situations, you may have realized that gentlemen take the floor more naturally, more often, and for longer than ladies. Or you have seen a man interrupting a woman. Possibly repeatedly, to contradict, complement or simply anticipate what she was saying. Or maybe you have seen him explaining to her a topic of her own expertise. Or perhaps you have seen a man rephrase a woman’s arguments in his own words or to utter confirming expressions after she speaks.

I

f you have seen or lived any of this, you are not alone. The worldwide resonance of Kamala Harris’ “I’m speaking” to Mike Pence’s continued interruptions in the US vice-presidential debate reminded us how common these phenomena are and how we all relate to them, one way or another.

But why is there such a gender-based asymmetry when it comes to the simple human acts of speaking and listening? How can we fight it, rebalancing turns, legitimacy, and tradition of speech?

to determine what all thought and did, the running of the house, the firm, the government, the country. They have not been used to having their arguments challenged or speech hegemony disputed.

The stubbornly present and scientifically proven imbalances mentioned above 11come down to 1) the different ways in which boys and girls are socialized - or have been until now - and 2) the consequent distinct roles we have socially built for adult men and women in the Western world.

Meanwhile, women have traditionally played the supporting roles, acting behind the scenes and silently. They were expected to accommodate family disputes, to make sure everybody around them had all they needed to eat, drink, work. They studied what they needed to fulfill their assisting positions - as mothers, wives, secretaries, employees. Their act of speaking was often related to transmitting or executing messages emitted by men, their authority deriving from their relation to them. Expressing their own views or men’s was rather the (impertinent and unwelcome) exception than the rule. They have not been accustomed to speaking or to be listened to, in their own right.

Men have traditionally been the center of attention.

And the decision power. In the family circle, at the workplace, in socio-political structures. They were the breadwinners, studied the most, and had the top positions in companies and social hierarchies.

Consequently, they got to have their say. What they said mattered, symbolically and concretely,

All this is changing and we all must fight against these speech injustices for this to keep changing. First, for people to realize that a gender gap exists in how and how much we are expected and entitled to speak and listen, and that this is intolerable. Second for us to behave differently and get used to others doing the same. For men to hear women, until the end, without feeling the need 111to validate in any

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мислење

This is not enough time for (all) people to let go of conceptions and behaviors.

For the intergenerational transmission of values and practices to be entirely changed. So, each time a speech injustice happens, undermining a woman or girl’s right or legitimacy to speak, exempting a man or boy from his human obligation to respect and hear, it is very important to step in.

First, signaling what is happening, then resuming the conversation, making it a dialogue, fair, respectful, and equal.

All with firmness but without accusation. It is not in adopting belligerent rhetoric but a conciliating, clarifying, and justice abiding one that we get people with whom we disagree on equality matters to understand our viewpoint. It is not in canceling a whole person, or mindset, but in targeting constructive critique to one issue (at a time) that we get them to listen.

This being a structural, historical issue shaping people’s mentality and social relations, it is not in blaming or shaming any individual that we will solve it. It might actually be counterproductive.

People tend to be more attached to their views when they feel attacked. Not to mention the fact that, until someone opens their eyes, many people just act unconsciously, repeating patterns of behavior they have observed and learned from their elders or society around.

Rather, it is in empowering each woman and girl to be confident and assertive, and in raising awareness and generating equality driven behavior in each man and boy that we will make a change. This has the potential to spread and impact, as the widespread reactions to Kamala Harris’ attitude in the US vice presidential debate have shown us.

way what they said, without teaching, patronizing, or condescending towards them. For women to be confident to speak their minds, take the floor, be assertive concerning any, subtle or brutal, attack on their right to voice their thoughts without interruptions, further validations, condescendence, or preaching.

But let’s remember that the historical path to gender equality is yet a very recent one. It has not been 100 years since women in the West have gone massively to work, 50 years since they have in great numbers entered university, maybe not 30 years since we started they started getting top positions and people thinking they should rightfully be there, and not in a minority.

It is not always easy but is the right thing to do - a moral duty for us all.

And triggering, boosting, and pushing for this long term gradual change is the smart path forward also, should we wish our interactions - at home, at work, socially, online - to be more just and downright pleasant. To watch and to personally take part in.

Vitória dos Santos Acerbi VOICES - 17

reportage

THE LIVELY SOUL OF RIO DE JANEIRO Brazil is famous for its iconic carnival festival, its talented soccer players, and its favelas. Originally, favelas were illegal settlements built by former slaves that originated in Rio de Janeiro. Favelas have proliferated throughout all Brazilian major cities and form an integral part of Brazil’s landscape. Even some of the world’s biggest superstars, such as Michael Jackson and Beyonce, have chosen Rio de Janeiro’s hill-slope slums to film their music videos.

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t the beginning of the 20th century, Rio de Janeiro needed to undergo reforms to develop into a more modern city. The then-mayor of the city began to carry out extensive urban renovations in the city center, which included the expansion and opening of long avenues. During the renovations, several shantytowns were demolished leaving their residents homeless and forced to seek shelter in alternative locations. This resulted in the sudden and massive expansion of favelas on the hillsides of Rio de Janeiro. The word “favela” originally comes from the name of a tree found in the Northeast region of Brazil that is known to cause skin irritations after touching it.

There are currently an estimated 1 000 favelas in Rio. About one out of four Cariocas l i v e s in one of the hundreds of slums clinging

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to the hillsides of the Marvelous City.

Built between two of the city’s swankiest neighborhoods, Rocinha is Brazil’s largest slum with an estimated population of 200 000 squeezed into less than five square kilometers. Santa Marta, Mangueira, Vidigal, and Complexo do Alemão are some of the other most famous favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Located on the city’s outskirts and famously depicted in the Oscar-nominated movie “City of God”, Cidade de Deus is one of the only slums of the city sprawling on a flat land.

In 1996, Michael Jackson sang “they don’t care about us”, as a reference to the longstanding governmental neglect faced by these communities. Favelas are inhabited by impoverished people who tend to have darker skin, many of them being descendants of slaves.

Favela residents are often discriminated against for living in these communities.

Today, favelas are portrayed as lawless neighborhoods populated by violent criminals. The communities suffer from the stigma of being associated with numerous social problems, including extreme poverty, outbreaks of violence, high crime rates, drug trafficking, and

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unsightliness. Yet, most slum residents describe their lives as fulfilling. A survey conducted in 2014 in several slums throughout 35 Brazilian cities stated that 94 percent of favela residents say they are happy. In Rio de Janeiro, the benefits of living in a community environment are many and acknowledged by the favela dwellers themselves. According to the same study, more than two-thirds of favela residents would not leave the favela even if their salary doubled. What good might there be in living in a favela?

Besides, some of Rio’s favelas are set in a privileged location: they often offer jawdropping panoramic views of the city. For example, the Vidigal favela, overlooking Ipanema beach, has experienced a boom of tourism and the arrival of foreign residents due to its scenic sea views.

Housing in Vidigal became more expensive than in some other parts of the formal city, which is the irony of the slums in Rio.

Every year, millions of Brazilian and international tourists converge in the Marvelous city to celebrate the world’s In Rio de Janeiro, favelas are not only a biggest party. Carnival holds a central matter of poverty; they represent a way place in Brazil’s national culture. And of life. About eight out of ten yet! Those most discriminated slum residents are proud of against in everyday life, living in a favela. These the favela residents, communities have rule the city for four developed their own consecutive nights economic ecosystem to showcase the that makes money Afro-Brazilian more profitable. This intimacy, this value of being heritage of For instance, one the country. together, this affection for your The clusters of takes care of the other’s child; credit neighbor, this is something you makeshift housing cards pass from hand that run up the only find in the favela. to hand within the city’s hillsides neighborhood.

“This are the birthplace José Fernandes Junior Resident of Rocinha favela intimacy, this value of being of samba music and together, this affection for Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival your neighbor, this is something parade. The samba schools, you only find in the favela”, states José representing some of Rio’s ordinary Fernandes Junior, living in Rocinha. neighborhoods and favelas, parade through the Sambodrome. Their dancers, Many inhabitants of the favelas prefer to dressed in the colorful costumes they have be rich among the poor, than poor among carefully crafted over the past year, show the rich. Usually, utilities such as water, the incredible organizational and creative gas, electricity, telephone, and even talent that exist within the favelas. Rio de cable TV, are acquired through makeshift Janeiro’s Carnival would not be the same taps called gatos, set up by the residents. without the favelas’ joyful cultural influence.

Wi-fi credentials are also shared among neighbors. Contrary to what one might think, the youth living in these communities Lucile Guéguen are more technologically connected than their counterparts living in downtown Sources: neighborhoods: as of 2012, nine out of https://www.rioonwatch.org/ ten favela residents under 30 could access https://www.conversaafiada.com.br/ the Internet. So, leaving the favela also economia/2014/07/30/94-dos-favelados-saomeans giving up an economic ecosystem felizes that is beneficial and collaborative.

“

VOICES - 19

reportage

Love is Sharing

E

very year, 40 percent of pregnancies are unwanted and 25 million unsafe abortions are performed worldwide.

Also, 16 million teenagers aged 15 to 19 give birth. There are 13 different means of contraception, but there is only one, known and simply reversible, for men that also has the particularity of protecting against STDs: the condom, which also exists for women. One might think that the pill is the revolutionary means of contraception: one out of two women in France uses it but one out of five women forgets to take it.

For a long time, women have not been told about the risks of thrombosis, cancer, and heart attacks that hormonal treatments can cause. It was also finally noticed that the pill increased the probability of depression in teenagers by up to 80 percent.

But in the meantime, when you’re a

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woman who prefers to stop taking the pill and be better informed, you’re blamed, judged, and accused of betraying sexual emancipation. The male pill exists but no one sells it because there are risks of mood disorders, decreased libido, muscle pain. But if the pill is bad for women, should the same be given to men? On paper, 61 percent of people, both genders combined, are ready to switch to the new forms of male contraception... But the labs don’t want to invest in it because it would compete with female contraception, which pays them a lot. Women have been carrying the mental burden of contraception for 50 years now, so maybe it’s time to share a little on this subject?

A vasectomy is an easy surgery under local anesthesia that is performed in 15 minutes, which consists of blocking the canal, called the vas, which leads

the sperm to the exit. Compared to the sterilization of women, vasectomy has fewer serious complications and is less expensive than a tubal ligation. It is one of the most effective contraceptives with 99.8 percent effectiveness. The pill has a theoretical efficiency of 91 percent« due to forgetfulness ».

Otherwise, it is 99.7 percent. There is no harm to sexuality, libido is intact and erections are not affected. It is rare for a man to express regret afterward: 6 percent in the United States, 3 to 4 percent in Quebec. Canal reconstruction surgery exists under the name of vasovasostomy, but it only leads to pregnancy in 40 to 50 percent of cases. If you would like to know more, ask your attending physician who will refer you to a urologist.

The contraceptive method called the “thermal method” consists of slightly increasing the temperature of the testicles. A moderate increase in testicular temperature blocks the process of sperm production, maturation, and transport. This is what the body does naturally in normal

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times: the scrotum contracts when it’s cold to bring the testicles closer to the body and thus, warm them up, or on the contrary, slackens to move them away when it is warm. The principle of this contraception method is therefore to bring the testicles up close to the body with the help of underwear or a ring. It should be worn 15 hours a day during waking hours. If you forget, you will have to think about using another method of contraception, for about one month. A spermogram should be performed before using this method and after three months of use to check the contraceptive effect. It is thus necessary to wait three months before passing only to this contraception, or you can use it in a complement of another one. It is a very effective means if one respects the protocol. All the people who wanted to give birth after stopping contraception have succeeded. There are some contraindications: it is not recommended to use this contraception in men who have a « history of testicular descent abnormalities (cryptorchidism,

ectopy) treated or not, inguinal hernia treated or not, or testicular cancer. As a precautionary measure, severe obesity or the presence of grade 3 varicocele are currently contraindications to this method. » There are no side effects. It is easier to get used to wearing these underwear than glasses. A period of adaptation is necessary, but in a few days, it becomes hard to feel whether the testicles are in the high or low position. A cord is used to adjust the diameter of the hole through which the penis passes, it should not be too tight or not tight enough, after a few days you should be used to finding the right fit. The Androswitch ring uses the same principle.

Natural methods reduce the risk of unwanted pregnancy without being effective contraception. Their failure rate is estimated between 30 and 40 percent depending on the method. No specialist recommends the use of these techniques.

If we consider that mastering one’s fertility is a big step for women, there is no reason why it shouldn’t

also be progress for men, because getting involved in contraception means learning in one’s body that sexuality, in addition to being a pleasure, is a responsibility.

Paul Janiszewski Sources: http://www.contraceptionmasculine.fr/ la-methode-thermique/ http://www.contraceptionmasculine. fr/vasectomie/ http://www. contraceptionmasculine.fr/andro-switch/ https://www.planning-familial.org/fr/ contraception-101 https://biogaran.fr/ dossiers/contraception-orale/ https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=SYXxK_Ukd54&t=6s https://www.francetvinfo.fr/sante/ contraception/video-la-contraception-dansle-mxonde-en-six-chiffres-cles_2956117. html https://thoreme.org/

VOICES - 21

erasmus+

Turkey, the land of hospitality I believe a lot of you have heard about Turkey. I just don’t know if you can see it as I do. That is why now I will try to show it to you from my point of view. Just grab your favorite drink, and enjoy mine and my friends’ story about this beautiful piece of land.

W

henever I hear about Turkey, I feel like someone is talking about another place called ‘’home’’. That is the reason why I decided to spend two months volunteering there. I do not regret a thing about it. We started our project at the beginning of September.

The weather was so hot, but it didn’t stop us from giving our best when it comes to helping the environment but also enjoying our stay there. We were a group of 15 volunteers coming from different European countries, 4 of them were Macedonians (me, Elena, Stefan, and Mustaf). All I can say is that being a country-mixed group, only made us connect and even enjoy more.

Since our project was about the environment, a topic that really rings bells in my head, it made me even more motivated when it comes to contributing and giving my personal best. We had a lot of cleaning activities, raising awareness tasks, writing projects, having a lot of debates, conversation clubs, and webinars, to make sure the locals were also involved in these important topics. I can not say that Turkey is the ‘’best’’ country when it comes to a clean environment, but if everyone takes even the smallest action, we are one step closer to making the world a better place.

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As time was passing by, we were also included in a little bit different types of activities: helping the refugees.

What exactly were we doing? We were collecting and dividing clothes, according to their size, age, and gender. I am happy to say, that I witnessed an action of so many people helping and being part of this activity.

Now I would like to say something more about what I mentioned in the beginning, the hospitality of the Turkish people. Not only that they were so kind when you visit a store, a market or a restaurant, but they will for sure offer you a free cup of Turkish tea.

Isn’t that amazing? Even if you don’t have enough money to pay for some thing - it’s not a big problem for them.

You just enjoy what you had and continue with your day. I wish people were this generous everywhere I go.

In the end, all I can say is that Turkey and this volunteering project made me a better person. I would love it if everyone had a chance to do even the smallest positive change somewhere in the world.

Elena Glogovac

reportage

Art as therapy

You’ve probably already seen this scene in a movie, read it in a book, observed it in life. The scene of the guys at the back of the bar, alone, swallowing glass over beer and smoking cigarette over cigarette. He is heartbroken, he is desperate, and he hopes to be able to re-weld it with alcohol, but his grief is a bottomless pit. I’ve already tried it and it worked for me. But just for the first few weeks. Then afterward I was at a point where the drink was no longer enough. So, I opened my computer and started writing something that had no name, no meaning, no purpose.

L

ittle by little, I reduced the number of bottle corpses at my feet: vodka became wine, wine became beer, and then herbal tea. In several months, word by word, hour by hour, I replaced what I thought was irreplaceable. Have you ever felt a certain fullness when you wander in the forest, in a museum, or even 15-20 years ago with your friends where imagination replaced technology? There are many reasons to love art. Art encompasses many branches, from drawing to painting, dance to writing, music to theater, and more. It sharpens our sense of pleasure and our lives. It helps to heal our hearts and keep our brain healthy.

It helps increase memory; it has been shown that the brain experiences decline less as we age in relation to this disease. Many activities with seniors revolve around art: drawing, painting, music, reading, dancing.

For people with Alzheimer’s, as for others, these activities help to stimulate their memories.

Meditation, sports, yoga, can reduce the stress of daily life. The same is true when

creating art, as it provides distraction and allows the brain to disconnect from usual and often recurring thoughts.

If you are able to connect yourself in a creative art, you may well be able to make all those thoughts flying away. You will give your brain a break.

Art develops empathy and tolerance.

A study of more than 10,000 students showed that a one-hour field trip to an art museum changed the way they thought and felt. They made more observations in their work, noticing and describing more little details in a picture. On average, a school’s visit to an art institution increased students’ tolerance by 7 percent.

Art heals, physically or mentally.

People with chronic pain or illness may find it difficult to put words to thoughts, emotions, unless perhaps you are a famous writer, such as Bernard Werber. Writing has enabled him to escape, to get out of the normal world to succeed in creating imaginary worlds. The more he started writing, the more his Ankylosing Spondili Arthritis attacks became less frequent.

He wrote 23 novels at the age of 56 and has no more crises at all now. It’s as if writing books, finding his mode of expression, enabled his mind to go out and create an external playground that had cured him. Art gives you a chance to express what you feel. So, sing, play, create, invent, try, fail, and try again, again and again. You may have the opportunity to discover new worlds, new people, and why not a new insight into your inner self.

Paul Janiszewski Sources: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ what-the-wild-things-are/201109/love-desire-and-art https://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00198/full https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467020-17255-9 https://educationnext.org/the-educational-value-of-field-trips/ https://news.berkeley.edu/2015/02/02/anti-inflammatory/ https://www.newsweek.com/humans6000-thoughts-every-day-1517963

VOICES - 23

interview

Интервју со режисерката Сара Јазаџиска Колку и да сме апатични, секогаш постојат неколку луѓе што се грижат

Сара Јазаџиска (23) е млад филмски режисер, кој неодамна го сними дебитантскиот документарец насловен „Ридот на историјата“, посветен на Охрид и на неговите убавини. Самата вели дека градот, во кој живее од пролетва е непресушна инспирација, но предупредува дека непланираното градење е голем проблем не само за Охрид, туку и за целата држава, поради што се соочуваме со кич, загаден воздух, метеж и губење на автентичноста. Филмот, кој е дел од проектот: „European Youth at the frontlines of active citizenship: A Roadmap towards a collective South-North-East-West Momentum” организиран од Волонтерски центар Скопје, а поддржан од Европската комисија преку програмите „Ерасмус+“ и „Европските млади заедно“, беше повод да поразговараме со Јазаџиска.

24 - VOICES

интервју

С

ара, пред неколку дена го промовираше документарниот филм за Охрид, во кој ги опишуваш убавините на градот и ги објаснуваш причините поради кои е под заштита на УНЕСКО. Од каде ја доби инспирацијата или едноставно, Охрид е секогаш доволна приказна за себе?

- Охрид е секогаш извор на инспирација, верувам за сите филмаџии во Македонија. Но, конкретно овој проект беше посебен, со тоа што ми е прв откако пролетва се преселив да живеам во Охрид. Кога за проектот ми беше понуден избор од неколку теми, веднаш ми отскокна онаа за културното наследство и ми се укажа совршена шанса мојот нов град да го прикажам во мојот омилен медиум.

Сметам дека непланираното градење е голем проблем во цела Македонија. Скопје за неколку години се претвори во град-кич и резултатот е сѐ позагаден воздух, метежи и губење на духот и идентитетот на градот. Доколку ваквата опомена од светска организација биде сфатена сериозно, Охрид би можел да се тргне од истиот тој пат и да се шири и развива на организиран и правилен начин, а притоа да се заштити неговата автентичност.

Беше ли тешко да се снимат вистинските кадри и да се одбере наративот што ја следи 15-минутната приказна?

Филмот завршува со прашањето: „Доколку претстои битка за негово зачудување - дали ќе ни се придружиш?» Има ли енергија во општеството да се спротистави и да победи или, пак, станавме толку инертни што ни алармот од УНЕСКО не може да не разбуди?

- Во Охрид никогаш не е тешко да се снимат преубави кадри. Предизвик за мене беше да направам ваков тип на филм, бидејќи документарците никогаш не ми биле омилени. Се предизвикав себеси да создадам нешто некарактеристично на мојот стил, при што внимавав да ѝ дадам некаков тек на приказната, да не е нелогичен преодот од една локација на друга и пред сѐ да не биде здодевно - со доволно текст и детали за да е информативно, но да не се чувствува како предолго и пренатрупано. Една од пораките во филмот, можеби и клучната е дека Охрид и Охридското езеро имаат многу поголемо значење од било кој поединец или компанија. Веројатно алудираш на опасноста УНЕСКО да му ја одземе титулата на Охрид поради урбанистичката и градежната инвазија што го окупира градот и се заканува да му го смени ликот?

- Сакам секогаш да мислам оптимистички. Колку и да сме станати апатични, секогаш постојат барем неколку луѓе на кои се уште им е грижа, а многу често тоа е доволно се создаде домино ефект и таквите луѓе да послужат како катализатор за позитивни промени во нашето општество. Таквите луѓе се целна група на овој проект, преку нив може да се рашири таа енергија и се постигне нешто добро за сите. Студираше и дипломираше режија, а како што велиш самата „уште од мала си била внесена во светот на филмот”. Тоа, претпоставувам, значи дека себеси се гледаш во тој свет и во иднина. Можеш ли да ни кажеш подетално за твоите планови на професионално поле?

- Работењето на филмови не ми е само струка, туку и огромно задоволство. Професијата филмски работник на овие простори знае да биде многу предизвикувачка, но ја користам секоја прилика да работам и да се докажам. Со секој нов проект сретнувам позитивни луѓе и стекнувам нови искуства и познавања. Со тоа планирам да напредувам нагоре по скалилата, кон позицијата на главен режисер на македонски блокбастер долгометражен филм.

Горан Адамовски

VOICES - 25

poetry

Живот без маски Ж

ивотов со маски е една голема незгода, па кога би се вратиле во иднината, што посакувам во таа пригода?

Искрено, не знам од каде да почнам, што најпрво е најважно да се промени, не можам да воочам... Но, кога враќањето во иднината, би можело да биде идеално, замислете нешто вакво: (Можеби ќе мислите дека сум смешна, но зарем на секое дете не е желба, да си го живее животот со песна, зарем секое дете, кое мисли дека може да го смени светот и векот, не посакува да.....?)

26 - VOICES

Сите војни се далечни испади, а светот обединувачки политики води, тука е крајот на секаква изолација, и започната е долгата револуција! Сите гладни, жални деца, среќни се сега, имаат топол дом и постела мека А жените во општеството заробени не се веќе, дома весели лица ги чекаат, со насмевки и по некое цвеќе Сите народи слободни се сега, знаат дека нивната нација, треба да е заштитена, зашто е вредна!

поезија

- враќање во иднината Животинското царство во хармонија цвета, а зачуваната планета-Земја, задоволно се смешка

,,Радувајте се што сте живи! Зашто ова е нов свет! Па, ајде, Фрлете во облаци по некој цвет”

Сите индивидуи се засебна песна, сечиј живот злато вреди, а за секого само по внатрешната убавина се суди.

Епа, драги другари мои, што можам да кажам, освен дека за ова да се оствари, ќе направам с`е што можам, зашто да биде светот ваков, навистина сакам

Секој колку што му треба зема, и знае дека во љубовтасе крие вистинита и вечна среќа! ,,Мир, мир, мир!” ,,Војната заврши!”

сакам

Дафина ,,Даффне” Веселиноска

VOICES - 27

sport

Si yo fuera

M a r a d o n a 28 - VOICES

спорт

“Si yo fuera Maradona, viviria como él” (If I would be Maradona, I would live just like him) – “La Vida Tombola”, Manu Chao

T

here were many sport figures that shone once and disappeared, like a shooting star which existed just for a glimpse of a moment. There were those, who are now legends, and became such just after ending their sport careers or their mundane life too early. At last, there were those who became living legends, called genius from the first moment they entered the football pitch.

Who was Maradona?

A dreamer.

As a young boy he dreamt to play in the World Cup and to become a champion. In 1986 on FIFA World Cup in Mexico Maradona led Argentina to victory. Interestingly, not the final, but quarter-final against England did go down in history much stronger.

A Hand of God. The famous quarter-final match happened at the time of ongoing Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom. Maradona scored two goals, however the first was controversial. As the replays showed, the goal was scored by his left hand. And as Maradona described it himself: “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”. This is how the legend was created. The second goal from the same game, barely four minutes after the one scored by divine hand, was named later “The goal of the century”.

Sex Pistol of football.

Called by this nickname by Emir Kusturica, who created a movie about Maradona. Being also called El Pibe de Oro (The Golden Boy), El Diez (The No.10), El Pelusa (The Fuzz) or El Barrilete Cosmico (The Cosmis Kite).

A rebel.

As they say, Maradona was never wrong, even if he was. “If I were Maradona, I could never be blamed for any wrong” as Manu Chao sings in ”La Vida Tombola”.

He was a god and for gods all is forgiven. He always spoke what he felt. He could criticize the politics and politicians, the Americans, the British and he could sing “Quiero Cuba!” and show his admiration for Fidel Castro and Che Guevara.

“While everyone is defending USA, I defend Cuba” – he said. He wouldn’t care if people like what he says or not. Kusturica said in his documentary about Maradona, that if he wouldn’t become a footballer, he would become revolutionary.

A God. Compared to legends such as Pelé. Considered as one of the greatest players of all time of football. Having a status of God in Argentina, and not only. What is interesting, that there exists the Maradonian Church or Iglesia Maradoniana. Worship doesn’t have limits. D10S – Dios – God. A human.

And as every human being does – rise and fall, and rise again. He was a drug addict. He was thinking himself of what kind of player he would become if it wasn’t cocaine, that he would be a greater version of himself. His wife, Claudia, was his guardian angel, although after many years they divorced.

Diego got through all those years thanks to his family, and as he did deeply regret he missed a lot of moments from the growing of his two daughters. “La vida es una tómbola, de noche y de día” (Life is a raffle, by night and by day), Manu Chao.

What is going to be your best memory of Maradona? I can’t think of the best, it is way too hard to choose. But I thought of the last memory of El Diez, that I have. Four years ago I was watching the final of Davis Cup in tennis that was held in Zagreb.

Argentina won with Croatia to claim the title for the first time in the history. Maradona was among the audience jumping of joy. Of course, that all the cameras were showing football legend, cheering and getting crazy. Football, tennis, two worlds in one place. That moment was something else for Argentina, who loves football and worships Maradona. It was the moment when tennis was in the spotlight and Maradona paid tribute to the tennis players. He highlighted the role of Juan Martin Del Potro, who was the leader of Argentinian team. “For Argentinian people, Maradona is like another God” - said Del Potro. The day when Argentina won Davis Cup title, Maradona said that it was Del Potro who won the hearts of Argentinians. God knealed in front of the new god. I will keep this memory, of two different sport worlds coming together. The memory of Maradona celebrating the victory of Argentina on the tennis court. Also, the memory of little Maradona (165) happily practicing tennis with Juan Martin Del Potro, being called the tower of Tandil (198).

Diego Maradona (1960 - 2020) Ewelina Chańska Sources: “Maradona” (2008), documentary movie

by Emir Kusturica https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diego_ Maradona https://www.marca.com/en/football/ international-football/2020/11/26/5fc025d8 268e3ee4188b4597.html

Important note: This article is mentioning the documentary about Maradona by Emir Kusturica. This mention does not represent in any way an endorsement of any historical and political views or any other actions undertaken by Emir Kusturica, besides this single documentary.

VOICES - 29

topic of the month

Среќен 15 роденден, ВЦС: Домот на волонтерството

Разговор со Никола Станкоски, директор на Волонтерски Центар Скопје

К

ога во летото 2004 година замина на едногодишен престој во Литванија преку програмата „Европски волонтерски сервис“ (ЕВС), тогаш 19-годишниот Никола Станкоски веројатно не можел да претпостави дека тоа засекогаш ќе му го смени животот. Желбата да се открие нешто ново, инспирацијата да овозможи учество во Европски Програми за преку неформално учење на млади од Македонија, како и достапност на можности за проширување на личните хоризонти, води до основање на Волонтерски Центар Скопје веднаш по неговото враќање во земјава во 2005 година. Петнаесетина години подоцна, ВЦС е една од водечките невладини организации во Македонија кога е во прашање младинската размена, волонтеризмот, активизам, препознатлив бренд и доверлив партнер преку кој минале над 10.000 домашни и странски волонтери и младински активисти.

На 5 Декември – кога е меѓународниот ден на волонтерите, ВЦС одбележува 15 години постоење. Тоа е датумот кога се роди идејата за ВЦС, иако формално е регистриран на 15 март 2006 година.

30 - VOICES

„Веројатно пресудно за формирањето на ВЦС беше мојот волонтерски престој во ’Center of Youth Voluntary Activities Deineta’ на разни проекти, но акцентот беше во Центарот на Црвениот крст за емиграција и ресоцијализација на бегалците во литванското село Рукла, каде имаше лица на разна возраст, пред се од Чеченија, Ирак и од Иран. Ме водеше желбата да одам напред, да ги разбијам фрустрациите дека живееме во земја од ’третиот свет’. Тоа беше 2004 година, европските граници за македонските државјани се уште не беа отворени, а Литванија туку што стана дел од Европската унија. Очекував да видам поинаков свет од оној што го знаев. И видов, но исто така, ми се случи двоен ефект, бидејќи во центарот запознав и луѓе што доаѓаа од многу полоши места, со потешки судбини и потажни приказни, кои го ставиле својот живот во една торба и тргнале во надеж за подобро утре. Тоа што секојдневно го гледав, ми помогна да созреам како личност и да сфатам оти сакам да им помогнам на младите од Македонија да напредуваат, да излезат од апатијата што ја чувствуваат, да отидат надвор, да го засилат чувството на припадност, да се вратат и да ги променат нештата околу себе“, се присетува Станкоски.

тема на месецот Тој беше дел од неколкумината Македонци што ја искусија „ЕВС“ програмата на Европската комисија што во следните години ќе стане една од најпрепознатливите и омилена алатка на младите од целиот свет. „Таа прва генерација волонтери што замина во странство и ден-денеска е активна во младинскиот живот. Со дел од нив ја основавме ВЦС. На почетокот малкумина знаеја што е ’ЕВС’, а на многумина не им беше јасно како тоа ти е платен патот и престојот во некоја европска земја, добиваш и надоместок, а за возврат треба ’само’ да помагаш. Работевме силно и посветено, па интересот за испраќање волонтери во странство, како и за примање странски волонтери во Македонија беше огромен. Првата година ни дојдоа десетмина волонтери од странство (претежно од Литванија, Франција и од Холандија), а во обратен правец испративме триесет млади Македонци. Тоа беше огромна промоција на нашата идеја за градење на капацитетите на младите луѓе врз принципот на локално и меѓународно искуство преку принципот ’learning by doing’“, вели првиот човек на ВЦС. Првите поголеми активности на организацијата беа промоција преку разни локални активности, еколошки акции, хуманитарни настани (во 2007 година беше одржан првиот голем настан со концерт во Домот на АРМ за помош на децата од Домот ’11 Октомври’), а волонтерите од ВЦС уште од самиот почеток секојдневно помагаа во Дневниот центар за деца од улица во Шуто Оризари, како и во разни проекти со локалните самоуправи со што се етаблира како активен чинител во креирањето младински политики. Но, на младите им беше потребен еден проект преку кој нивниот глас најбргу ќе се чуе, а притоа ќе ги спои младите во една интеркултурна

и мултиетничка средина. Така се раѓа идејата за создавањето на младинскиот магазин „Воисес“ во 2006 година. „Со кариерниот центар во средното училиште ’Д-р Панче Караѓозов’ размислуваме како да го креираме првиот проект врз основа на кој ќе бидеме акредитирани да примаме волонтери од странство или како што се нарекува тоа: ’Host expression of interests’ – Хеи. Сакавме млади новинари, активисти и волонтери бргу да пренесат ’гласови’ за разбивање на стереотипите, предрасудите и тензиите на етничка основа што тогаш беа активни меѓу младите. Така дојдовме до ’Воисес“. Магазинот кратко време беше поддржан и од Агенцијата за млади и спорт, а потоа стана и е целосна одговорност, обврска и задоволство на ВЦС. Списанието во изминатите 14 години прерасна во исклучително квалитетен производ, во кој стотици и стотици млади волонтери научија да пишуваат и да размислуваат новинарски, да дизајнираат, да ги подобрат своите јазични способности, да научат тимска работа во интеркултурна средина и да креираат јавно мислење“, вели Станкоски. Како што се развиваше Волонтерски Центар Скопје, така растеше и неговото влијание врз креирањето младински политики и процесите во општеството до учество во изработката на законите за волонтерство, младинска работа, млади и младински политики... „За жал, невладиниот сектор се уште не ја добива потребната поддршка од локалната и од централната власт. Постојат проектни идеи и законски решенија, но нема реализација. Како пример ќе го споменам Законот за млади каде лично бев дел од работната група каде е пропишано оти секоја општина е должна да

отвори Младински центар со што и невладините организации би добиле простор каде ќе можат да работат со младите со тоа да допринесуваат за развојот на локалната заедница. Но, годината навршува, а ретко која општина ја започна својата задача. Да се надеваме оти надлежните набргу ќе ја сфатат важноста на младинскиот активизам“, напоменува директорот на ВЦС. Годината што е пред испраќање го исправи општеството пред сериозни предизвици, погодени беа многу сектори и гранки, потклекнаа многумина. Но, ВЦС, благодарејќи на стекнатото искуство и реноме засега успешно се справува со последиците од кризата. „’Ковид-19’ ни даде шанса да ги видиме работите наназад и стратешки да се организираме и ориентираме за уште поголема борба за вклученост на младите во политиките што ги засегаат, како и во работата со европските проекти. Конкретно во ВЦС, и во време на корона - волонтерите доаѓаа и заминуваа, проектите не запреа, напротив, и во вакви услови успеавме да го привршиме КА3 проектот: ’European Youth at the frontlines of active citizenship: A Roadmap towards a collective South-North-East-West Momentum’, во кој по петмина млади од Македонија, Шпанија, Романија, Данска и од Кипар добија по 1.000 евра за да ја спроведат својата идеа за да го променат општеството во подобра заедница. Да се работи во ВЦС и да се биде дел од нашето семејство значи да се работи во тим кој времето го посветува на квалитетна работа со млади преку градење на нивните капацитети и доближување на европските програми кои се достапни за младите од Македонија“, заклучува Станкоски.

Горан Адамовски

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