VOICES February 2023

VCS Director

Nikola Stankoski

Coordinators

Andrej Naumovski

Goran Adamovski

Goran Galabov

Selina Niemi

Ewelina Chańska

Jolanta Ciopcińska

David Stoilkovski

„February is the border between winter and spring.” – Terri Guillemets

The time has come to say goodbye to the cold winter and greet spring with open arms! Named after Februus, the ancient god of purification, February is the month for a refreshing spring cleanse. Use the last weeks of long nights to take a look at the stars – if you can see any! Read “a bright world” to find out, why you are looking at a seemingly empty sky.

With valentine’s day slowly approaching you might find yourself thinking about a valentine’s date. For choosing the right person your gut feeling is essential! If you want to learn more about your gut feeling read “Gut feeling”. Today many of us have some digital help when trying to find a date. Tinder or Bumble, heavily change our way of dating. If you want to learn more about them read “Tinder, good opportunity or risky for our future society ?”.

Let’s all enjoy the short time we have in February!

Tamina Schulze & Angelina Berndt

Едиторијал

Февруари е граница помеѓу зимата и пролетта. – Тери Гилеметс

Дојде време да се збогуваме со студената зима и да ја дочекаме

пролетта со раширени раце! Именуван по Фебруус, античкиот бог на прочистувањето, февруари е месец за освежувачко пролетно чистење. Искористете ги последните недели од долгите ноќи за да ги погледнете ѕвездите - ако можете да видите некоја! Прочитајте го „светлиот свет“ за

да дознаете зошто гледате на навидум празно небо.

Со наближувањето на Денот на вљубените, можеби ќе се најдете меѓу вљубените. За да ја изберете вистинската личност, вашето чувство во стомакот е од суштинско

значење! Денес, многумина од нас имаат некоја дигитална помош кога се обидуваат да договорат состанок. Тиндер или Бамбл, силно го сменија нашиот начин на запознавање. Ако сакате да дознаете повеќе за нив, прочитајте за: „Тиндер - добра можност или ризик за нашето идно општество?“.

Ајде сите да уживаме во краткото време што го имаме во февруари!

Тамина Шулце & Анџелина Бернд

Volunteers

Angelina Berndt

Marie Kiel

Hugo Lhomedet

Tamina Schulze

Camelia Sghayare

Katariina Weijo

Taika Soihtu

Aleksandra Kanasiuk

Translators

Goran Adamovski

Dimitar Drenkovski

Diola Sokoli

Cover

Taika Soihtu

Selina Niemi

Designers

Angelina Berndt

Marie Kiel

Tamina Schulze

Hugo Lhomedet

Camelia Sghayare

Katariina Weijo

Contact Volunteers Centre Skopje Emil Zola 3/3-1, 1000, Skopje +389 22 772 095

vcs_contact@yahoo.com

www.vcs.org.mk

topic of the month

4 Let's talk about the Sámi

Katariina Weijo

20 Ајде да збориме за Sámi народот

Katariina Weijo

reportage

6 Listen to your inner Voice

Marie Kiel

8 A bright World

Tamina Schulze

10 Beyond the Board: Benefits of Playing Chess

Angelina Berndt

12 Tinder, good opportunity or risky for our future society ?

Camélia Sghayare

14 Një botë e ndritshme

Tamina Schulze

culture

16 Meet the Kush Kingdom HUgo Lhomedet erasmus+

18 9 things which surprised me in Macedonia

Aleksandra Kanasiuk

If we think about the term indigenous people, usually the first thing that comes to our mind is North or Latin America. But did you know that you can find them in Europe as well? The Sámi, which are the only indigenous people in the European Union area, are living in North Europe with their interesting culture.

Most of the Sámi people are living in four countries, half part of Norway and Sweden, north part of Finland and part of Kola Peninsula in Russia. Together that area is called Sapmi and they have inhabited this area for thousands of years. Depending on the calculation method, the Sámi population is 60 000 to 100 000.

In history, Sámi people’s livelihoods were fishing, reindeer herding and handcrafts. These are important things for them nowadays as well, especially reindeer herding but these days Sámi people live also in cities and do different types of work as well. For example in Finland, most Sámi people are actually living in the capital, not in Lapland. It says that the Sámi people are integrating more and more into the Scandinavian lifestyle but that doesn’t mean that they would not be Sámi anymore. In general, it can not be said what kind of lifestyle or character a Sámi person has because they are individuals in the same way as anyone else.

Sámi peoples traditions and culture are still something that everyone should know at least a little bit.

Reindeer herding is hundreds of years old traditional livelihoods for them and main occupation.

You can easily see reindeer herding

areas if you are traveling in Lapland. In history, the Sámi people used to wander to other places with reindeer herds depending on what time of year it was. In winter time they wandered into the forest and in summertime they were at the coast. Nowadays reindeer herding is not that popular source of livelihood and some of the Sámi’s are focusing also on tourism. Every tourist still must remember to appreciate Sámi people’s privacy and not take photos without permission or go to their yard just because of curiosity.

Sámi people’s traditional costumes are also an important part of their identity. Every costume is unique and every Sámi can choose what they want to wear. Of course some similarities appear in the outfits depending on whether you are for example Skolt Sámi or Inari Sámi. In addition the colors of costumes also have meanings. Green means nature, blue water, red fire and yellow sun. Nowadays the Sámi people are using their traditional costumes usually only at celebration events. In this month, six of February is national Sámi day. On that day the Sámi people are celebrating their history and community. In 1917, the sixth of February was the first Sámi National Assembly so the 6th of February is also dedicated to the memory of the first meeting.

The National Assembly’s purpose is to develop and maintain culture and languages. Many people might think that Sámi’s has only one common language but there are actually nine of them. These are minority languages and the threat is that some of these languages might disappear. Nowadays also governments are trying to save languages as well and for example the government of Sweden provides financial resources to help minority languages to preserve.

However, in history it was quite the opposite way. For example in Finland, around 1940 to 1970 the Sámi went to school where they were forced to speak only Finnish, not their own languages because at that time the Finnish government wanted to unite the minority culture to the major culture. That same happened in other countries as well. That’s why nowadays many young Sámi don’t know how to speak their own languages because their parent’s never get educated about that. Luckily these days many people are more aware about Sámi’s positions and rights and there are for example many influencers which point out why it is important to save the Sámi culture and languages.

If you search for information about Sámi, a lot of Google searches show ads about tourist tours. Sámi people are still much more than just some tourist attractions, although tourism is a source of livelihood for some of them. They are very unique indigenous people and all of us should show some respect for them.

Katariina Weijo

Visit Inari - Saamelaiset ja poronhoito

Sweden.se - Sami in Sweden

Studeo.fi - Asuvatko

saamelaiset Lapissa

Photo: Anssi Kömi, EATNAMEAMET

- Our Silent Struggle

You’re on a date. He asks you if you want to come home with him –pause, there’s a knot in your stomach, not good. He paid for your drinks and dinner, has been so polite the whole afternoon, and made sure that you had a good time. You have seen his mum; you have seen his sister – in pictures. He’s a good man. Would you go home with him? Hopefully not, you probably should listen to your body.

In many different languages, there are phrases connected to a thing called your gut feeling, it may also be known as your inner voice, instinct, or even intuition. An Italian proverb states that “Intuition is Intelligence with excessive speed”, and even Albert Einstein himself

highlighted the importance of the gut feeling: "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant”.

So, what is this gut feeling? Some theories state that there are two parts of your brain responsible for decisions. The limbic system, responsible for fast and intuitive decisions, and the neocortex, the part that acts logically, carefully, and consciously. Many Psychologists locate your intuition in the limbic system but also add sensory perceptions such as seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, and tasting to

those initiate reactions.

US-Neurophysiologist Benjamin Libet found out that our brain is active seconds before we make a decision, this means – to put it in a very exaggerated wayyou have decided before you even know. Studies at Harvard University proved that 220 - 260 milliseconds after a stimulus we feel the urge: "I want that". But only from the 480th - 640th millisecond, the mind starts to process. To put it simply, the gut decision is about twice as fast as the mind. So, is this reason enough to base all your decisions on it?

That might not be the best idea as it doesn’t take complex and new situations into account. The information that you have received isn’t organized and your plans, your future, and strategic concepts are not taken into consideration. The information processed in this short period is based on past experiences.

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift."Albert Einstein

Another reason why you shouldn’t solely listen to your intuition is that every person has something they stand for, they intentionally portray themselves in a way they want to be perceived by themselves and others. This can, for example, be based on moral and ethical judgments or their environment’s expectations. There are many factors and facts a decision is based on. Just basing them on the underlying feeling you have will not take into consideration who you are and what you stand for.

On the other hand, it is basically impossible to make rational decisions. Your perception of our surroundings simply proves that. About 11 million Bit/sec are reaching us and go directly to our subconsciousness, then only 50 Bit/sec of those 11 million Bit/sec are processed in our minds. To put it in another way, some information that you receive through your senses will not be processed in your mind but is stored in the subconsciousness which is part of your gut feeling. Your gut feeling might identify aspects more quickly that are important for decision-making but also will focus on aspects that have been important in similar situations before. An example for this is when you meet new people, some people might seem

more friendly or less friendly to you at an instant. Sometimes you feel like something is off with a person. This is usually not based on facts or rationality but on your intuition telling you to keep a distance, probably from experience.

There are many ways to improve your gut feeling. One thing is to simply start watching your bodily sensors. Do you get goosebumps when something or someone touches you? Do you feel butterflies in your stomach? Or is the bare thought shaking you in disgust? These seem to be obvious indicators of how you feel but acknowledging the importance of those is necessary to understand yourself. Another thing is, to reflect on the situation consciously and to be aware of possible biases. Another thing is, to let the situation and feelings run through your mind to remove biases, and to let it rest a little, get “a night’s sleep on it”. This allows you to take a new perspective. You may also think about possible arguments as well as consequences at the same time. Question yourself. Is this what I really want? What is important to me in the future and what is important to me now? Weight up your options to get a good overlook of the situation.

All in all, it is important to listen to your own gut feeling. It speaks from experience. Though a gut feeling shouldn’t rule your life and the chances or possibilities you may get. What if a job opportunity that you really wanted didn’t work out the first time but now, they offer you a job? Your body knows this situation, there’s shame and rejection connected to this company. What if this is the best opportunity of your life? But the lingering bad feelings rob you of this chance. Your gut feeling is great, your intuition is a lot faster than your logical mind, you use experience which may protect you, and you can simplify complex structures and processes emotions. Rationality without feelings will lead you directly to arbitrary decisions. Don’t be afraid to listen to your body – though consider its flaws. Find the balance between gut and mind.

Marie Kiel

Karrierebibel - Bauchgefühl: Wann auf den Bauch hören – wie trainieren?

Carpe diem - Was ist das Bauchgefühl?

National Library of Medicine - The gut-brain axis: interactions between enteric microbiota, central and enteric nervous systems

LISTEN TO YOUR INNER VOICE

A BRIGHT WORLD

Light pollution describes the presence of unwanted or excessive artificial light, especially at night-time. It is a factor that unmistakably comes with the process of urbanization and industrialization. Even though the presence of artificial light is a sort of precaution to ensure safety in the dark night, especially in the city humans tend to overuse light. Light is used for decoration like the exterior and interior lighting of buildings, for advertising, commercial properties, offices, factories, and illuminated venues. According to estimations, more than 83 % of the world’s population live in a light polluted area.

The pollution can be defined into more specific acts of light disturbance. Skyglow is the phenomenon of a brightened night sky. Glare describes excessive brightness in lights, that may cause visual discomfort of limitation of vision to humans. Especially in heavily illuminated areas like cities, another component, light trespass can be found. This component characterizes light, brightening an area, that is not supposed to be illuminated. Sadly, this is a common problem in unsuitable types of lightning, which can be seen when useful sources of light, like streetlamps, illuminate other areas due to unfortunate design.

Artificial light imitates sunlight, which is one of the reasons why light pollution is harmful to humans. Said artificial light interrupts the circadian rhythm – our internal clock that guides our day and night activities as well as running physiological processes in our bodies. Furthermore, the “fake light” disturbs the natural melatonin production that is heavily linked to brightness and darkness. The resulting suppression of melatonin production and the interrupted circadian rhythm can not only lead to sleep disorders but to other problems regarding

one’s health. Common health problems like headaches, worker fatigue, medically defined stress, and even anxiety have been linked to artificial lightning.

Not only humans experience health-related problems because of artificial light. Many animals are nocturnal and therefore sleep during the day and are active at night. The artificial light interrupts their rhythm by altering the night-time environment.

a large waste of energy. While artificial light negatively influences the environment by interrupting the natural habits of wildlife, it furthermore damages the environment by heavily contributing to climate change.

At this stage of light pollution, it starts to threaten scientific research. Due to the phenomenon of “skyglow”, caused by artificial light, the night sky is brightened, which prevents us from getting a clear look at the starry night sky. The artificial light decreases the “signal-to-noise ratio”, meaning the synthetic light washes out objects in the night sky. Those objects, including galaxies, stars, or nebulae, are of high importance to scientists. Not being able to identify or locate them at any given time, makes the observation of our sky more difficult.

Luckily, there are people taking action. To help recover our dark sky several associations and organizations were founded. A main participant in those actions is the International Dark Sky Association (short IDA). Since 1988 the organization has been actively working on recovering our night sky. As for now, the IDA has designed more than 170 international dark sky places that protect an area of roughly 110 000 sq km of the globe. Furthermore, they support the design of new dark sky-friendly light fixtures.

Light pollution disturbs the natural hunting dynamic of prey and predator. While predators benefit from artificial light, prey animals struggle to hide when the night is unnaturally illuminated. Furthermore, research has proven that amphibians are influenced by light pollution. Certain species, such as the male green frog population show different behaviour during the breeding season, which might show negative outcomes on the number of offspring.

Moreover, the current use of artificial light is

Tamina Schulze

Sources:

B.J. Baker; J.M.L. Richardson: The effect of artificial light on male breeding-season behaviour in green frogs,

F. Falchi; R. Furgoni: Light pollution in USA and Europe: The good, the bad and the ugly cescos.fau.edu, globeatnight.org, darksky.org

It is common knowledge that humans influence our environment heavily. The anthropological impact is visible in many ways. Especially the topic of pollution is a symbol of anthropological impact for many. We can see the damage in air pollution, water pollution, or even in noise pollution. A type of disturbance we rarely think about is caused by one of humankind’s most precious inventions – electronic light. Light pollution is a widely unknown threat to human health and our environment.

Artificial lighting can disrupt the response of plants to the changes in seasons.

Beyond the Board

The Benefits of Playing Chess

Chess has been around for centuries being known for its strategic and intellectual challenges, but in recent times it has seen an incredible surge in popularity. The Netflix series “The Queen’s Gambit”, which was based on a novel by Walter Travis, has played a major role in this resurgence. The series tells the story of a young orphan, who becomes a chess prodigy and has increased the awareness of the game, making it seem more accessible and engaging and by that encouraged many people to learn chess.

But while The Queen’s Gambit for sure has been a major catalyst in the uprise of chess in recent years, it has not been the only factor. When being on lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic many people were stuck at home with nothing to do. With schools and universities closed, home office time, and a lack of social interaction everyone started to look for something to stimulate their mind and keep them entertained. With chess already being already all over the media thanks to The Queen’s Gambit it seemed like a good choice to start learning the game or to finally pick it back up after a break – especially because websites like chess.com make it easily accessible for everyone these days. Now that the lockdowns are over, the number of chess players is slowly dropping again. University and schools reopened, employees have to go to work again and everyone is back on track when it comes to their social lives. Many decide to cut back on chess or even stop playing at all because they have too little time. Isn’t chess worth making some time for it?

One of the most obvious ways that chess can improve our lives - everyone and their mother has probably told you at least once in their life – is by improving our cognitive abilities. Many studies have shown that practicing chess regularly even on a non-competitive level can enhance our problem-solving capabilities and also our ability for logical thinking. This can be useful in our everyday life as it can help to raise our performance in school, university, or at work. It can as well be used to exercise our memory, which is why it is also a great way to reduce the risk of cognitive decline as we are getting older. And if you sometimes have problems concentrating (which an increasing number of us do thanks to social media) worry not – chess has also been proven to increase the attention

span of a regular player. Nowadays they even use chess as an addition to psychotherapy for patients with ADHD or similar disorders and in comparison, to non-playing patients, the psychotherapy turned out to be more effective.

In general, chess has been shown to have positive impacts on mental health in several ways. Playing chess can be a form of relaxation and a way to distract ourselves from the stresses of daily life. By focusing on the game and strategy, we can take our minds off of other problems and feel more at ease. Chess can be a fun and stimulating activity that can boost our mood and improve our sense of well-being. It can also provide a sense of accomplishment when we win a game or improve our skills. Of course, chess is no magical cure, but as Siegbert Tarrasch once said: “Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make men happy.”

Chess also teaches us how to handle failures and setbacks. In chess, as in life, we will experience defeat and failure and that’s valid. Playing chess can teach us to learn from our mistakes, be a good sport, and move forward. It can make you more resilient and train you to keep a cool head when ending up in a difficult situation. These are valuable skills that can help us in many areas of our lives, including relationships, finances, and career decisions.

Simon Williams once said, “The beauty of chess is it can be whatever you want it to be. It transcends language, age, race, religion, politics, gender, and socioeconomic background. Whatever your circumstances, anyone can enjoy a good fight to the death over the chess board.” Nowadays chess is accessible to almost everyone as you can play it traditionally in person on the board, against chess computers, or even online. The basic rules are quite easy to learn, and you can find them almost everywhere for free. It is estimated that at least 10% of the world’s population plays chess. So, another beautiful impact of chess is its ability to connect people no matter their background.

Another way that chess can impact our lives is by teaching us valuable life lessons. The game of chess teaches you to think strategically, you have to think ahead and plan for the future and take the consequences of your doing into account, rather than just reacting to the present. It also teaches you to be patient and think through your decisions before making them. This might make chess sound boring, but while there is a lot of chess theory you could study (you can also just start playing) chess is also a game for outside-of-the-box-thinkers. The more novel and innovative your strategies are, the more you can surprise your opponent, which might give you a chance to win. Thinking creatively can help you with finding more opportunities to gain an advantage – not only on the board – but also in life.

In conclusion, chess is a game that offers numerous benefits to those who take the time to learn and play it. From improving cognitive function and decision-making skills to reducing stress and providing a sense of accomplishment, chess has something to offer everyone. It’s a game that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels and can be played online or in person. The game has been around for centuries and has stood the test of time, proving its value and relevance in today’s world. So, whether you’re looking to improve your mental health, pass the time, or simply have fun, chess is a game that should not be overlooked. It’s a game that can change your life for the better, and one that is truly worth your time and effort. To borrow the words from Hans Ree, “Chess is beautiful enough to waste your life for.”

Angelina Berndt

“Investigation the impact of chess play ondeveloping meta-cognitive ability and math problem-solving power of students at different levels of education”; “The architecture of the chess player’s brain”; “the benefits of chess” chess.com; “how popular is chess?” chess.com

good risky

tinder opportunity or for our future society?

In the run-up of Valentine’s day, have you found your soulmate ? If not yet, it’s still time to cast an eye over dating applications. Today, it’s one of the main ways for a lot of people to search for love. According to Statista’s Digital Market Outlook, online dating services had around 413 million active users worldwide by the end of 2022. Moreover, dating apps like tinder are more and more used to meet people when they are travelling around the world. But are dating apps the best way for that? Even if it’s the easiest and fastest way to meet new people, it’s also generating some sort of social break in our society.

Tinder is one of the most famous dating apps in the world. Created in 2012, this application was dowloaded more than 530 millions times since its creation. Used by a majority of people between 18 and 25 years old, this kind of app is becoming one of the most common ways to meet new people. The era of meeting and getting to know people in real life started to disappear because of this phenomena. Dating apps take advantage of this and are doing all their best to increase addiction to their apps. How are they doing it? First, the interface. They are trying to make a mobile app which is attractive to people. For example, Tinder and the system of swiping is one of the things that was created to make people addicted. They can swipe how much they want to in a really short time. They are also using the logics of games, like casino roulette which can be really addictive.

Moreover, the constant availability of potential matches can create a sense of endless possibilities and a feeling of constant stimulation. Then, the powerful algorithm. Indeed, when you are using dating apps, you are sharing in the application a lot of personal information. It allows Tinder to show users profiles that they are likely to be attracted to, to meet people who look like their ideal partner. It can create a sense of satisfaction and self-worth. Furthermore, it also increases chances of finding a match and then creating a feeling of social validation. So finally, people have the impression that it’s more easy to find people who are matching with us online than in the real life. Another famous option is, that a lot

of dating apps offer the possibility to change your localisation and to translate the content and the messages in different languages in order to meet people in and from different countries. It’s important to know that Tinder is available in 190 countries and in more than 45 languages. Today, dating apps like tinder are becoming a real tool of traveling for a lot of people. You can even find a part of Tinder’s website dedicated to this subject:

"You probably know by now that traveling without Tinder is like going out to eat without your wallet — you limit your experience and end up salivating over what could’ve been. Fortunately, the app allows you to meet up with locals in your destination — and who knows? They might give you a taste of the best coffee you ever had or take you to the best silent disco in town.".

This incitement to use Tinder during travels is followed by some tips to meet people abroad and to prevent mistakes or misunderstandings.

This can be especially useful for solo travelers who want to explore a new place with someone who shares similar interests or hobbies ; or to those who want to meet locals and gain insights into the culture and customs of the place they are visiting. Moreover, it can be risky to use dating apps while travelling if you are not aware of the culture, customs and social norms in the country because what is considered

appropriate or acceptable in one place may not be in another. You have to also be conscious that people who are using dating apps are usually there to find a relationship and not to be a guide for someone. Finally, when you are travelling, it can also be nice to let everybody know that you are travelling and to be clear about your intentions, to not break any hearts during your travels. And most importantly, even if you are using dating apps during your travels, try to enjoy the present moment and don’t be too focused on your phone !

Around 1.5 million of dates per week according to tinder app

Indeed, dating apps are building connections and relationships between people but it can also be a real cause of social division. Firstly, Tinder is becoming a real trend and creates a group phenomenon. Severals studies showed that a majority of people don’t download Tinder for the first time because they really want to but because they want to be included in their circle, be a part of discussions, share their experiences etc.. One of the other factors of using datings app for people is boredom. As explained previously, datings app are designed to generate entertainment, and it can become very addictive. It can generate virtual isolation in a real world. Some people can be afraid of being judged in reality, always looking for some kind of validation and attention that they can find online but can’t find in reality. It can become very hard in the future for the generation who

is used to be on datings apps to get to know new people. One other potential issue is that the ease and convenience of online dating can lead to a culture of superficiality, where people are more focused on physical appearance and shortterm relationships rather than deeper connections and long-term commitment. Finally, datings app can affect the overall social health negatively because of the vision of relationship that they are carrying. In some studies, they are talking about the culture of disposable relationships. Indeed, in Tinder for example, you have a multitude of possibilities to meet new people, so it’s like if it’s not working with someone you can "meet the next person" without even putting in effort to make things work. That point can be a real problem because it produces a kind of distrust between people and a constant instability in people’s love life.

Overall, while Tinder and other dating apps can be a convenient way for people to connect with potential partners around the world, it’s important to be aware of their potential downsides and use them in a healthy, balanced way.

Camélia Sghayare

Sources:

Tinder.com, Tinder’s policies

LeMonde.fr, article "La recette très secrète de Tinder", Michael Szadkowski Exploratory study, University of Quebec, "Pratiques et usages de Tinder, une étude exploratoire", Maude Lecompte, Simon Corneau and Dominic Beaulieu-Prévost

Një botë E

Është e njohur tashmë që njerëzit ndikojnë shumë në mjedisin tonë. Ndikimi antropologjik është i dukshëm në shumë mënyra. Veçanërisht tema e ndotjes është një simbol i ndikimit antropologjik për shumë njerëz. Ne mund të shohim dëmin në ndotjen e ajrit, ndotjen e ujit, apo edhe në ndotjen e zhurmës. Një lloj shqetësimi për të cilin ne e mendojmë shumë rrallë është shkaktohet nga një prej shpikjeve më të çmuara të njerëzimit - drita elektrike. Ndotja nga drita elektrike është një kërcënim gjerësisht i panjohur për shëndetin e njeriut dhe mjedisin tonë.

“Ndotja nga drita” përshkruan praninë e dritës artificiale të padëshiruar ose të tepërt, veçanërisht gjatë natës. Është një faktor që vjen padyshim me procesin e urbanizimit dhe industrializimit. Edhe pse prania e dritës artificiale është një lloj masë paraprake për të garantuar sigurinë në natën e errët, veçanërisht në qytet, njerëzit priren të përdorin shumë dritën. Drita përdoret për dekorim si ndriçimi i jashtëm dhe i brendshëm i ndërtesave, për reklama, prona komerciale, zyra, fabrika dhe ambiente të ndriçuara. Sipas vlerësimeve, më shumë se 83% e popullsisë së botës jeton në një zonë të ndotur nga drita. Ndotja mund të përkufizohet në veprime më specifike të shqetësimit të dritës. Skyglow është fenomeni i një qielli nate të ndriçuar. Glare përshkruan ndriçimin e tepërt të dritave, që mund të shkaktojë siklet vizual duke kufizuar shikimin tek njerëzit. Sidomos në zonat me ndriçim të madh si në qytetete, mund të gjendet një tjetër komponent, si që është një shkelje e lehtë.

Ky komponent karakterizon dritën, duke ndriçuar një zonë që nuk supozohet të ndriçohet. Mjerisht, ky është një problem

i zakonshëm te llojet e papërshtatshme të ndriçimit, të cilat mund të shihen kur burime të dobishme drite, si dritat e rrugëve, ndriçojnë zona të tjera për shkak të dizajnit të keq.

Drita artificiale imiton rrezet e diellit, e cila është një nga arsyet pse ndotja nga drita është e dëmshme për njerëzit. Drita artificiale e përmendur ndërpret ritmin cirkadian – orën tonë të brendshme

që drejton aktivitetet tona të ditës dhe natës, si dhe proceset fiziologjike në trupin tonë. Për më tepër, “drita e rreme” shqetëson prodhimin natyral të melatoninës që është tejet e lidhur me shkëlqimin dhe errësirën. Shtypja që rezulton e prodhimit të melatoninës dhe ritmi i ndërprerë cirkadian jo vetëm që mund të çojë në çrregullime të gjumit, por në probleme të tjera në lidhje me shëndetin e një personi. Problemet e zakonshme shëndetësore si dhimbja e kokës, lodhja e punëtorëve, stresi i përcaktuar nga ana mjekësore dhe madje edhe ankthi janë lidhur me ndriçimin artificial.

Nuk janë njerëzit të vetmit që përjetojnë probleme të lidhura me shëndetin për

ndritshme

shkak të dritës artificiale. Shumë kafshë janë të natës dhe për këtë arsye flenë gjatë ditës dhe janë aktiv gjatë natës. Drita artificiale ndërpret ritmin e tyre duke ndryshuar mjedisin e natës. Ndotja nga drita shqetëson dinamikën natyrore të gjuetisë së gjahut dhe grabitqarit. Ndërsa grabitqarët përfitojnë nga drita artificiale, kafshët grabitqare luftojnë të fshihen kur nata është e ndriçuar në mënyrë të panatyrshme. Për më tepër,

Për shkak të fenomenit të “shkëlqimit të qiellit”, të shkaktuar nga drita artificiale, qielli i natës ndriçohet, gjë që na pengon të shohim qartë qiellin e natës me yje. Drita artificiale ul “raportin sinjalzhurmë”, që do të thotë se drita sintetike fsheh objektet në qiellin e natës. Këto objekte, duke përfshirë galaktikat, yjet ose mjegullnajat, janë të një rëndësie të madhe për shkencëtarët. Duke mos qenë në gjendje t’i identifikojmë apo lokalizojmë në çdo moment, e bën më të vështirë vëzhgimin e qiellit tonë.

hulumtimet kanë vërtetuar se amfibët ndikohen nga ndotja nga drita. Disa lloje, si popullata mashkullore e bretkosave jeshile shfaqin sjellje të ndryshme gjatë sezonit të shumimit, gjë që mund të tregojë rezultate negative në numrin e pasardhësve.

Për më tepër, përdorimi aktual i dritës artificiale është një humbje e madhe e energjisë. Ndërsa drita artificiale ndikon negativisht në mjedis duke ndërprerë zakonet natyrore të jetës së egër, ajo për më tepër dëmton mjedisin duke kontribuar shumë në ndryshimet klimatike.

Në këtë fazë të ndotjes nga drita, ajo fillon të kërcënojë kërkimet shkencore.

Për fat të mirë, ka njerëz që marrin masa. Për të ndihmuar në rimëkëmbjen e qiellit tonë të errët u themeluan disa shoqata dhe organizata. Një pjesëmarrës kryesor në këto veprime është Shoqata Ndërkombëtare e Qiellit të Errët (IDA e shkurtër). Që nga viti 1988 organizata ka punuar në mënyrë aktive në rikuperimin e qiellit tonë të natës. Për momentin, IDA ka projektuar më shumë se 170 vende ndërkombëtare të qiellit të errët që mbrojnë një sipërfaqe prej rreth 110 000 km katror të globit. Për më tepër, ata mbështesin dizajnin e pajisjeve të reja të dritës që nuk ndikojnë në qiellin e errët.

Tamina Schulze

Translator: Dora Arifi

Burimet:

B.J. Baker; J.M.L. Richardson: Efekti i drites artificiale ne sjelljen e bretkosave mashkullore në periudhën e ciftëzimit

F. Falchi; R. Furgoni: Ndotja nga drita në SHBA dhe Evropë: E mira, e keqja dhe e shëmtuara. cescos.fau.edu, globeatnight.org, darksky.org

The Jewel of Sudan

The Kingdom of Kush, also known as Nubia, once thrived in the region that is now Sudan, a testament to its rich past. Established around 2500 BCE, the Kushite kingdom was known for its culture, sophisticated society, and advanced government, economy, and religion. The Kushites were skilled farmers, craftsmen, traders, and their kingdom was home to many important cultural and technological innovations. Despite its many accomplishments, the Kingdom of Kush has often been overshadowed by its more powerful neighbor, ancient Egypt. It’s possible that this is due, at least in part, to the fact that the Kushites were seen as racially different to the Egyptians, which elicited disinterest by the European archeologists. Nevertheless, the legacy of the Kingdom of Kush lives on today in the vibrant cultural traditions of the Sudanese people despite the fact that most of the archeological sites are threatened by water.

Home to one of the oldest languages in Africa, the Kushite Kingdom was

an advanced and complex society that was well-known for their raw materials such as gold, ivory or ebene. They had an economy based on trade and industry as they knew how to melt gold and bronze or work with wood and ceramics. The proud and glorious Egyptians always wanted to conquer and colonize this region. They entertained a weird relationship with their Egyptian neighbors as they traded with them, married together and fought at the same time. The border was open and everything showed that they could pass freely from one state to another. The Kushite Kingdom ruled over Egypt for one century between the VIII and the VII century BC and at its highest, it was twice as big as Egypt and their territory went from what is known now as Khartoum all the way to the mediterranean sea. They created an urban society with a uniquely high level of female participation. Progressively, women played a very prominent role, and as Claude Rilly (a CNRS expert) says: “In the Nubian society, women embodied prestige and passed it on.

The lineage is matrilineal, they occupy a central place and can even become pharaohs”. This shows the difference with Egypt, because even though Egypt had female leaders, they never had the same status or the same powers as in the Kushite society.

However, we were close to never appreciate this precious patrimony. When George Reisner discovered pyramids and temples in Sudan in 1907, he immediately thought it was made by the Egyptians, even though there were paintings inside of them showing black people. In his words: “The native negroïd race had never developed either its trade or any industry worthy of mention”, which is a completely false and racist statement. At the time of the discoveries, archeologists and western society in general believed in a system of ranked races and they couldn’t recognize the fact that the Kushites created a society that deserved as much attention and respect as the Egyptian one. Today, the complex political state of Sudan and the civil war restrained

I’ve always been fascinated by the ancient Egyptian civilization. Enormous pyramids, hieroglyphs, statues… So many incredible things were done and showed off to the world millennials after it happened. But did you know that Egypt doesn’t have the highest concentration of pyramids? Surprisingly, it’s Sudan, the southern neighbor of Egypt.

archeologists to do further studies of the different sites. But the war ended recently and they are now able to slowly get back to those monuments and study them.

Nowadays, the different sites are in danger as the creation of dams all along the Nile river caused its overflowing and some sites recorded a rise of +5 to +7 meters of water. Some even started to fall apart and crumble upon themselves. Even though they are people fighting for the preservation of those monuments, it is very unlikely that it will work as the dams constructions are still going, financed by foreign companies.

In conclusion, the Kushite society was a powerful and influential

civilization that played a significant role in ancient history. They were known for their complex urban system, metalworking skills, and their having their own writing system. Their society was unique in that it was matrilineal, with women occupying central roles and even becoming pharaohs. Despite the fact that today this society is not as well known as some of the others from the ancient world, their achievements and singularity made them a very important part of history and their treasures are still a subject of interest for researchers and historians around the world.

Hugo Lhomedet

Sources: “Le royaume perdu des pharaons noirs”, David Starkey. Arte - 2019

VIAF: George Andrew Reisner

Credit photo: Retlaw Snellac

Time is inevitably passing by, the same as my sweet volunteering period. After living for several months in Skopje, I can say that even though I didn’t experience a huge cultural shock, some facts left me in awe or puzzlement. Let’s start with my subjective list of nine things which surprised me in Macedonia (the best country in the world)!

Yes, I am Polish. Slavic blood from the north landed in Skopje, and then what? I needed to find something to eat. I remember my first time doing groceries in Stokomak. My flatmate told me that I could find some Polish products there. But I didn’t expect that many. It was hella convenient because, at first, even though I knew the Cyrillic alphabet, I didn’t need to struggle with reading. I could find anything I craved – Polish sweets, yoghurt, kabanosy or cleaning products. Unfortunately, except for instant beetroot soup (crying in Polish).

of homeless dogs and cats. As an animal lover, not once and not twice, I was nearly crying because of that. Thank God many people from our neighbourhood take care of stray animals. But it doesn’t change my mind that every animal deserves a warm, loving home and not to spend their lives on the streets.

I lived for 28 years in Poland, where people are sad, grumpy, constantly tired, and smiling on the street is considered weird. Then here –people are so welcoming, warm and smile a lot. I have a small anecdote –in spring, we went to a small village in the South of Macedonia for an event with a few other volunteers. We crossed the street and saw a police car coming in our direction. I got used to seeing a very serious and scary policeman, but no, no, not in this case. The police officer was… smiling at us. I found that creepy as hell, to be honest. But after a few more months, even I, the grumpiest person, learned how to smile a bit.

Relax, take it easy. Are you inviting your friends at 9 p.m.? Don’t worry. They will come after 10 or 11. The same is with organizing events –it will never start on time. People will come one or two hours after the planned starting hour. At first, it is disturbing, significantly, when you grew up in a culture where everything needed to be right on time, duh. It’s expected you to be a few minutes earlier. And then you have to get used to Balkan time if you don’t want to go mental.

Macedonia is a beautiful country with breathtaking views and wild nature. I am incredibly grateful that I could visit quite a few beautiful spots there because Macedonia is not limited to only Skopje, Matka Canyon and Ohrid. I had the opportunity to swim in Prespa and Dojran lakes and visit the Macedonian countryside and mountains. Those views will stay with me forever. Let us know what’s your favourite place in Macedonia! This point is, unfortunately, connected to the previous one. While walking in nature, you can spot not only waterfalls but also trash waterfalls. Once, I visited Matka Canyon; some dude drank water, closed the bottle and threw it out to the river. I cannot express what I wanted to do with him. Fortunately, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and mentality is slowly starting to change. We cannot change the whole world, but we can start with our neighbourhood or city as we did during the project Highschoolers for cleaner Skopje.

Ach Skopje. You can find statues everywhere, even in places you would never expect to. Honestly, there are thousands of various statues and monuments here. Maybe it would be fun to make a challenge and catch them all?

I don’t want to finish in a pompous way, but I don’t regret my time in Macedonia. It passed too quickly to discover every gem and do everything I wanted to do. But what I could observe from exvolunteers and what I feel inside of me, despite some minor inconvenience, the country and especially people here are why we want to come back. Macedonia, it’s not a goodbye, rather, see you soon.

That is one of the biggest secrets of the Macedonian people. Prices are going crazy; essential products cost more than even a few weeks ago. The minimum wage is around 300350 EUR. Dear people, how are you able to survive?

I come from a place where we don’t have a problem with stray animals. So what shocked me in the Balkans and Macedonia was the number

Before the summer holidays, as volunteers, we conducted workshops for elementary school students. At first, we were concerned – would they be able to understand us? We were in awe. Not only they understood us, but ups, their English level was better than ours. In general young people, I’ve met here speak excellent English. When it comes to older Macedonians – they are so helpful that even though they are not always able to talk, they will help you using body language.

Aleksandra Kanasiuk

АЈДЕ ДА

ЗБОРИМЕ ЗА

НАРОДОТ

луѓе”, обично првото

нешто што ни доаѓа на ум е

Северна

или Латинска Америка. Но дали знаеш дека можеш да ги најдеш и во Европа исто така? Sámi, кои се единствените домородни луѓе во зоната на Европската Унија, живеат во Северна Европа со нивната интересна култура.

од луѓето Sámi живеат во четири држави, половина од површините на Норвешка и Шведска, северниот дел на Финска и дел од полуостровот Кола во Русија. Заедно таа област се нарекува Sampi и тие ја населуваат оваа област илјадници години. Во зависност од методот на пресметка, Sámi популацијата е помеѓу 60,000 и 100,000 луѓе.

Повеќето

Во историјата, егзистенцијата

на народот Sámi беше риболов, сточарство на ирваси и ракотворби.

Овие се важни работи за нив исто така и во денешно време, особено

сточарство на ирваси, но овие денови Sámi луѓето живеат во градови и исто така вршат различни типови на работа. Како на пример во Финска, повеќето луѓе Sámi живеат во главниот град, а не во Lapland. Се вели дека народот Sámi се интегрира се повеќе и повеќе во Скандинавскиот начин на живот, но тоа не значи дека тие нема да бидат повеќе Sámi. Генерално, не може да биде кажано каков начин на живот или карактер една Sámi личност има бидејќи тие се поединци исто како и секој друг.

Традициите и културата на народот Sámi сеуште се нешто што секој би требало да го знае барем малку. Сточарство на ирваси е егзистенционална традиција за нив стара стотици години и нивно главно занимање. Можете лесно да ги видите областите за сточарство на

ирваси ако патувате во Lapland. Во историјата, народот Sámi патуваше до други места со стада ирваси во зависност од тоа кое време од годината беше. Во зима патуваа во

шумата а во летно време беа на брегот. Во денешно време сточарството на ирваси не е толку популарен извор на егзистенција и некои од Sámi-те се фокусираат исто така и на туризмот. Секој турист сепак мора да запомни да ја цени приватноста на Sámi народот и да не слика фотографии без дозвола или да оди во нивниот двор само поради љубопитност.

Традиционалните носии на народот Sámi се исто така важен дел од нивниот идентитет. Секоја костим е уникатен и секој Sámi може да одбере што сака да облече. Се разбира некои сличности се појавуваат на костимот во зависност од тоа дали сте на пример Skolt Sámi или Inari Sámi. Покрај тоа боите на костимите исто така имаат значења. Зелената значи природа, плавата вода, црвената оган и жолтата сонце. Во денешно време народот Sámi ги користат нивните традиционални костими обично само на прослави. Во овој месец, шести февруари е национален Sámi ден. На тој ден Sámi луѓето ја слават нивната историја и заедница. Во 1917-та година, на шести февруари беше првото Sámi Национално Собрание, така што 6ти февруари е исто така посветено на сеќавањето на првиот состанок.

Целта на Националното Собрание е да ги развива и одржува културата и јазиците. Многу луѓе можеби мислат дека Sámi народот има само еден заеднички јазик, но всушност имаат девет. Ова се јазици на малцинствата и опасноста е дека некои од овие јазици можат да исчезнат. Во денешно време, исто така, владите се обидуваат да ги зачуваат јазиците, а како пример владата на Шведска

обезбедува финансиски средства за да им помогне за зачувување на малцинските јазици.

Меѓутоа, во историјата тоа беше сосема спротивно. На пример во Финска, околу 1940-та до 1970та година Sámi народот оделе во училиште каде што биле принудени да зборуваат само Фински, но не и нивните јазици, бидејќи во тоа време Финската влада сакала да ја обедини малцинската култура со главната култура. Истото тоа се случувало и во други земји. Затоа во денешно време многу млади Sámi не знаат да ги зборуваат своите јазици бидејќи нивните родители никогаш не биле едуцирани за тоа. За среќа овие денови многу луѓе се повеќе свесни за позициите и правата на Sámi народот, и како за пример има многу инфлуенцери кои укажуваат зошто е важно да се спасат културата и јазиците на Sámi народот.

Ако барате информации за Sámi народот, многу пребарувања на Google прикажуваат реклами за туристички тури. Луѓето Sámi се сепак многу повеќе од само туристички атракции, иако туризмот е извор за егзистенција за некои од нив. Тие се многу уникатни домородни луѓе и сите ние треба да покажеме одредена почит за нив.

Katariina Weijo

Translation:Dimitar Drenkovski

Visit Inari - Saamelaiset ja poronhoito

Sweden.se - Sami in Sweden

Studeo.fi - Asuvatko saamelaiset Lapissa

Photo: Anssi Kömi, EATNAMEAMET - Our Silent Struggle

Ако се замислиме за терминот “домородни

NGO in the heart of Skopje Volunteers Centre Skopje

As one of the leading organizations for youth in Macedonia, VCS has existed for 17 years. We are the creators of VOICES magazine, which is the main project of our international volunteers.

2022 was a year full of activities. How did it look through our eyes? We hosted a total of 60 international volunteers who participated in different activities in Skopje. We were partners in multiple local and international projects throughout Europe and sent almost 300 locals abroad to exchanges, trainings, and volunteering projects. Our team organized 45 public events for the community, always open to everyone. A busy, eventful year where our team grew with new members and gained new memories and achievements.

You can get closer insights into our year from the Annual Report 2022. We’re excited to see what 2023 will bring to us! Remember that we are always open to new members, volunteers, friends, and cooperation with new projects. Your ideas are welcome! And we are more than excited to enter the 18th year of VOICES magazine, with new stories from all around the world.

Join VOICES team!

Contact us in our social media pages or write us an e-mail. What would you be interested in doing?

Writing articles

VOICES accepts articles about anything, except politics or hate speech. Brainstorm your ideas with us and write articles once, twice, or every month!

Translating articles

VOICES is published in three languages: English, Macedonian and Albanian. If you are a native speaker or fluent in these languages, join our translation team!

Featuring your work

If you are an artist, photographer, designer or other, your work can be presented in the magazine. Send us your method of art and a short bio of yourself!

how do we do that?

We encourage young people to take an active part in today’s society through journalism and designing by giving them a platform to express themselves. VOICES is produced in Skopje, Macedonia, and published online every month and four times per year as a printed edition.

voiceskopje

voiceskopje vcs.sending@gmail.com

Our monthly magazine has a very simple, yet powerful, mission - to be the voice of youth. And