april june 2022
voices MAGAZINE FOR ALL YOUNG PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD
Editorial
Едиторијал
“In the summertime, when the weather is hot, you can reach right up and touch the sky” - Mungo Jerry
“In the summertime, when the weather is hot, you can reach right up and touch the sky” - Мунго Џери
Ahh summertime at last! Nice to see y’all again for this June edition. I can already see you all looking forward to take a dip in the pool or the sea, enjoying an ice cream on the terrace while leafing through the pages of this new issue of VOICES. Be careful with sunburns and drink a lot of water because global warming will not be kind to us these next days... Bad joke sorry, relaxing the atmosphere (haha) is not my specialty.
Ахх конечно лето! Мило ми е што се гледаме повторно за ова јунско издание. Веќе ве гледам како со нетрпение очекувате да се капете во базен или vo море, како уживате во сладолед на балконот додека ги прелистувате страниците на новиот „Воисес“. Внимавајте да не изгорите на сонцето и пијте многу вода, бидејќи глобалното затоплување нема да биде на наша страна денови... Лоша шега - извинете, релаксирање на атмосферата (хаха) не е моја специјалност.
Besides being the first month of summer, let’s not forget that June is also Pride Month! It has been 3 years now since Skopje organized its first pride. Lesbians, gays, bi, trans, ace and many other identities will honour this month through many social and cultural events like cinema festivals, art exhibitions and concert celebrating diversity in all over Europe ! All of us should fight for equal society. And to think how we are living, because nothing it’s not permanent. With that in mind, why do we always feel the urge to attach ourselves to others, to our possessions, to our quiet and safe home even though we know that it will end one day? What do we have to do to get rid of attachment ? The solution is non-attachment, but it can be mistaken for detachment. You can read more about this in our June’s edition. To be honest, we have a lot of interesting articles on different topics. Enjoy in VOICES and live the summer !
Покрај тоа што е прв месец во летото, да не заборавиме дека јуни е и месец на гордоста! Поминаа 3 години откако Скопје го организираше својот прв „Pride“. За ЛГБТ – заедницата ќе бидат организирани разни настани како фиулсмки фестивал, изложни и концерти преку кои се промовира еднаквоста. Сите нбие треба да размислиме како живееме, бидејќи ништо не е трајно. Имајќи го тоа на ум, зошто секогаш чувствуваме потреба да се приврземе за некој друг, за својот имот, за нашиот тивок и безбеден дом иако знаеме дека еден ден сето тоа ќе заврши? Што треба да направиме за да се ослободиме од приврзаноста? Решението е во неприврзаноста, но може да се помеша со деповрзаност. Можете да прочитате повеќе за ова во нашето најново издание. Да бидеме искрени, имаме многу интересни натписи на различни теми. Уживајте во „Воисес“ и живејте го летото! Карол Алиберт
Carole Alibert
VCS DIRECTOR: Nikola Stankoski
VOLUNTEERS: Jolanta Ciopcińska Lucile Guéguen COORDINATORS: José Rodrigues Andrej Naumovski Aleksandra Kanasiuk Goran Adamovski Carole Alibert Goran Galabov Jasse Heikkilä Selina Niemi Nourada Chaffai Ewelina Chańska Joaquim Renaud Hugo Lhomedet
EXTERNAL WRITERS: Laura Camps Munoz Marija Marinkovikj Elena Taskova Marija Prastova Simona Paskoska TRANSLATORS: David Stoilkovski Dora Arifi PROOFREADERS: Elen Wright-Stead Edward Stead
DESIGNERS: Selina Niemi Laura Camps Munoz José Rodrigues Aleksandra Kanasiuk Carole Alibert Jasse Heikkilä Nourada Chaffai Joaquim Renaud Hugo Lhomedet Jolanta Ciopcińska
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 June 2022 - issue 6
topic of the month 4
Living in a virtual world
16
Живеејќи во виртуелен свет
Jasse Heikkila
Јасе Хеикила
music 6
Would you know my name?: The story behind Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton
Hugo Lhomedet
sport 8
From boxing world champion to mayor of Kiev
Joaquim Renaud
culture 10
Not only blood
31
Liminal spaces A journey to the edges of reality
Jose Rodrigues
10
Carole Alibert
reportages 12
We are all equal in the fact that we are all different Elena Taskova, Maria Prastova
14
Тоа што сме сите различни еден од друг, нè прави да сме сите еднакви Елена Ташкова, Марија Прастова
18
Tunisian marriage
20
A taboo topic - Magic
Nourada Chaffai
Laura Camps Munoz
opinion 22
Attachement and Impermanence
24
Tërheqja and Përkohësia
Hugo Lhomedet
18
Hugo Lhomedet
erasmus+ 26
Agres : the best place to ride a bike!
28
Open your eyes - Erasmus Edition
Marija Marinkovikj
Aleksandra Kanasiuk
poetry 30
Недокажани зборови Симона Паскоска
COVER: Carole Alibert (ft. Markus Spikes, GDJ content)
20
VOICES - 3
topic of the month
Living in a virtual world
4 - VOICES
тема на месецот
News, images, videos, information, games, working remotely, meeting doctors remotely, ordering products and clothes, and speaking with your friends on another side of the world. You have access to that all if you have Internet and a smartphone or other device, which can be used to get you online. Nowadays, over 10 billion devices are connected to the Internet in the world. It is a considerable number, especially when you think how young the Internet is and how rapidly it has been getting new users. In 2012 there were 2 billion Internet users. In 2022, the number of Internet users has risen to over 5 billion.
T
here is a substantial contribution between Internet access and GDP growth. This creates vast opportunities and chances because it’s worldwide. It gives freedom, a way to spend time, meet new people, and get answers effectively. In most countries, you can do and get most things done through the Internet, like in Estonia. Estonia has declared Internet access a human right and has an unprecedented number of public services for citizens and businesses digitally. They have even electronic in national elections! Most countries are following that pattern in the future and adapting to the Internet is not going anywhere. Nowadays, most youths start to use electronic devices at a young age, and in 10 years, the time that youth spend with electronic devices daily has doubled to 7 hours online per day by an average Internet user aged 16 to 64 years old. That is a vast number, which increases the whole time. It’s a two-sided thing. It has its pros and cons. One of the best parts is that you can reach someone almost instantly if you want to. You don’t need to be in one place at the right time for that because most people in Europe have a smartphone. Another big thing is that you have so much information
and answers to your questions on your smartphone. And then those cons. Much research has revealed how social media usage affects our mental health and increases loneliness. Social media usage has been linked to lower self-esteem, poorer sleep quality, depression, anxiety, etc.
countries like Eritrea and North Korea mostly don’t have Internet access. Even though some have access, they have “their internet,” which is heavily regulated and censored.
But we can’t get rid of it, so we should try to adapt to that because we use more and more Internet and social media daily, number of people and devices using the internet is growing every There is much propaganda day. Overall, the Internet on the Internet, cyber and smartphones attacks happening are fantastic, but every day, and Social media usage everything has personal information has been linked to downsides. from people
“
lower self-esteem, being collected Jasse Heikkilä and sold, not to poorer sleep mention how muchquality, depression, Sources: unregulated content Bbvaopenmind: Internet anxiety, etc. changed evereday life is on some platforms or Forbes: Global online content disinformation. At the same consumption doubled in 2020 time, there are problems with the Healthline: Social media use increases Internet overall. Citizens of some depression and loneliness
VOICES - 5
music
“Would you know my name?” The tragical story behind the song “Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton
Credit photo : Majvdl, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
6 - VOICES
музика
market internationally and started the wave of reggae in Europe and North America. Let’s talk about the hit and beautiful song “Tears in Heaven” with that in mind. The story starts in 1991. Eric Clapton has a four-year-old boy with the Italian actress Lory del Santo named Conor. He describes his son as “the one thing in my life that good could come from.” The impossible happened while Conor was playing in her mother’s friend’s apartment on the 53rd floor of a New-York building.
E
ric Clapton was born in 1945 in Ripley, England. He is one of the most influential guitarists of all time as Rolling Stone put him 2nd in their ranking of “the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All-Time”, right after Jimi Hendrix. His music style is Blues Rock, inspired by many great legends like B.B King, Muddy Waters, and Freddy King…He had a lot of bands throughout his career and decided in 1970 to pursue a solo career. But his influence is a lot bigger than you think: In 1974, he went to Jamaica and met the young and not yet famous Bob Marley. He recorded a cover of his song “I Shot The Sheriff” that helped reggae reach a mass
“
The janitor was cleaning the floor and windows, and one window was still open. Conor was so excited to see his father, who was coming to see him, that he ran everywhere in the apartment, escaped the nurse’s supervision, slipped on the freshly-washed floor, and fell to his death through the open window he used to look at every day. Eric Clapton was one of the first who came to the traumatizing scene and locked himself up for plenty of months before reappearing publicly.
The impossible happened
And when he did in 1992, he performed “Tears in Heaven” on British television for the first time, and everyone
was shocked. This song is part of the soundtrack of the movie “Rush.” He later released it, and it went crazy, reaching the top 2 on the Billboard charts in the US and top 1 in many countries. He won many prizes for this song, like the Grammy Awards for the best song and best recording of 1993. This story teaches us that whatever you’re going through, no matter the circumstances, the pain, or the overall situation, there is always a way to let it go and gain relief. Either by creating something artistic (music, drawing, dancing…) or by doing something that touches your heart, something tangible that will take the pain away. To conclude this story, I encourage you to look up Eric Clapton’s musical career, as it is one of the most amazing yet inspiring music that you can hear.
Hugo Lhomedet Sources: OverSixty: What really happened when Eric Clapton’s 4-year-old son died in 1991 ? EricClapton.co.uk: The truth about Clapton and the death of our son Wikipedia: Eric Clapton
VOICES - 7
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sport
From boxing world champion to mayor of Kiev Reorientention of professional sportsmen through the example of the Klitschko brothers
8 - VOICES
cпорт
B
eing a professional sportsman is a not common lifestyle. Your body is your work instrument and you can not use it indefinitely. For most sports, athletes have to retire between 35 and 45 and it can be even before if get injured. According to the popularity of the sport and the level in which the athlete is playing, the salary can be really different. Some players can not leave the rest of their life without finding a reorientation after their retirement. But most of the best sportsmen, even if they are really well payed, do not want to just lay on their couch for the rest of their life. In most cases they keep working in the same sporting environment, either as coaches, like Zinedine Zidane or Steve Kerr, or working in medias as consultant, like Shaquille O’neal or Samir Nasri. If they are worldwide known they can also use their name to create consumption products like Michael Jordan did. But there are also rare case of sportsmen reorienting in really different professions. The brothers Klitschko are one of the best example of this kind of reorientation. Vitali and Wladimir were born in Ukraine during the 70s, sons of a Soviet Air Force major general. Their father started teaching them how to fight to defend themselves from other kids. Even if school was the most important thing for the Klitschko’s family, boxing took a big place in the brother’s childhood. Vitali, being the older brother, had to take care of his brother really early and all the time, given that their parents were working a lot. In addition to their innate impressive silhouette, their father taught them severity and discipline. Starting in life with these tools, they could have
been great in barely every sport, 2007 and recovered his title on but their education and mindset his first fight. From this time, the directed them to fighting sports. Klitshko brothers lead the heavyThey started kick boxing weight division until 2013, training even if it was not before Vitali definitely legal in USSR at this retires at the age of time. 42. they could have
been great in barely The main difference Each of the between the two every sport, but their brothers have a brothers is that PhD, that is why education and mindset they Vitali was a born are called boxer and Wladimir Dr Ironfist and Dr directed them to became one. They they fighting sports canSteelhammer, were used to say that also speak at least they were special boxers, 4 different languages. The even if there was only one of Klitschko brothers have always the two brothers in the ring been really concerned about they were two fighters against their country and Ukrainian the opponent. Vitali, already citizens. When Wladimir decided known as “Dr Ironfist”, began to focus on teaching and working his professional heavy-weight on his NGO after his retirement career in 1996 after an amateur’s from boxing, Vitali become a record of 195 wins, 15 losses deputy in 2012 to fight injustice and 80 knockouts. He won and corruption. Then he won the his first 24 professional fights Kiev mayoral elections in 2014. by either early knockouts or His professional boxing career technical knockouts. He become help him to stay calm in every world champion in 1999 by situation. In a country where knocking out his opponent in people care a lot about strong the second round of his 25th men, he is really respected fight. His brother, Wladimir because of his silhouette and “Dr Steelhammer” Klitschko, boxing records. That helped him followed him and won two a lot to be respected by most world titles almost in the same of Kiev citizens. Vitali Klitschko time lapse. Vitali won is now really implicated in the an other title before defense of Kiev since the war retiring in 2005 against Russia as started. because of injuries. He The Klitschko brothers didn’t made his choose the easiest lifestyle comeback in but their choices can be an inspiration. Actually especially for teenagers who are stressing about their adult life, the problem of finding a job for their whole life. Vitali and Wladimir showed us that you can have many different lives even with nothing in common. So their life and their chooses can be seen as an example for all sportsmen but also for all people in general. Joaquim Renaud
VOICES - 9
culture
Not only Blood blood WriTTen WritTen BY Jose jose Rodrigues rodrigues
The movie industry, wasn´t the same after the Cannes Film Festival of ´94, when one the best movies ever made has instructed to the public: Pulp Fiction by the best movie director of all times Quentin Tarantino. Everyone that was in that premier knew it that changes in the movie industry will start happening, and that movie wasn´t just one more movie in the middle of many other´s.
10 - VOICES
I
култура
f we talk of Tarantino, we should go back a few years, when he launched his debut film “Reservoir Dogs,” a classic in the independent movie industry. At the time, graphic violence was at another level with the combination of music in the perfect way. But it was Pulp Fiction that changed the game of the movie industry. It helped break a lot of taboo topics shown on the big screen at the time. There are substantial graphic scenes that still shock people nowadays, like a man being raped, someone getting an overdose, or realistic dead scenes that don’t care about the critics’ opinions. That was very important in his career to define the style of movies he made and created. Still, the non-linear structure is another thing that is always present in his films. This has the viewer glued to the screen from the first minutes, if not seconds. The presence of chapters like a novel is another thing that is always present in his movies and helps us follow the history even though they happen in a non-linear timeline (Future – Past – Present).
a lot of reference to other films. Some are easy to get; others are very light that you almost need to be a movie buff to get all of them. In other words, he does the same thing that rappers do. They take samples of other music that already exists to create something new. Like in Django, where we can see that movie is quite similar and have some reference from spaghetti westerns.
Many people can say that they don’t like his movies for many reasons, but it isn’t impossible to deny that they are masterpieces. All of them are a classic and a must-watch before you die. You can say that he always steals from other movies. It’s true, as he has already stated – “I steal from every single movie ever made. Great artists steal. They don’t do homages”. That’s why he doesn’t simply steal and put in the movies. He makes an art of that and puts
Fun facts about Tarantino movies
If you still think that Tarantino movies are only about blood and graphic violence, take a deep breath, sit on the couch, read this article one more time and see one of his movies one more time (Kill Bill Vol.1 & Kill Bill Vol.2 are only one movie split in two).
4) 4. S o m e characters may have a connection (relatives) to others in the movie (can be just a name written on a grave, for example). And to the end, in the best way, I will give you my Top3 of Tarantino movies that everyone needs to watch before they die: •Kill Bill •Pulp Fiction •Once upon a time in Hollywood
José Rodrigues
Sources:
1) Do you know that some of his films are connected/ happen in the same timeline? One example of that is Uma Thurman (Mia) in Pulp Fiction, describing a TV show called Fox Force 5; then, later, fans realized that it was Kill Bill. 2) He “created” a cigar brand used in all his movies – Red Apple. 3) In every movie, you can see him as one of the characters or ear on the voice-off.
Youtube:HowTheTarantinoMoviesAre Connected Youtube: How Quentin Tarantino Steals From Other Movies | The Art Of Film Mr Porter: How Mr Quentin Tarantino Changed Cinema Screenrant: What Is The Tarantino Effect? How We Changed Hollywood Movies Flickr: Steven Polunsky
VOICES - 11
reportage
We are all equal in the fact that we are all different
The young people in Radovis are happy to be living in a small and peaceful town, which also offers us opportunities to fill our free time with activities that help us learn many things and help people in need. One of those opportuvnities is to be part of the Red Cross Branch in Radovis. 12 - VOICES
E
xactly 70 years ago, in May 1952, this branch organization was formed. Many happy returns of the day! On this occasion, I want to tell you what it means to be a volunteer and to tell you about our activities.
About Radovis Radovis is a small place located about 100 km southeast of Skopje. According to the latest census from 2022, slightly less than 29,000 people live in Radovis. The traditional dish is the famous “Radovishki Samun”,
made from dough and several types of meat (pork, chicken, beef, etc.). Under the name Pastrmajlija, this specialty has its copy in other cities of our country and is always a reason for discussing where the actual original derives. In the autumn days, Radovis is also known for the manifestation “Samun em Tatlija” (Tatlija is a dessert made from young cheese). When we are not part of this event, we organize other activities with the Youth Club, which operates as part of the Branch organization of the Red Cross in Radovis.
репортажа -Takıng thıs topıc as a title, the projects can be done in two fıelds: COMMUNITY ACTION and INTERCULTURAL ACTION. - COMMUNITY ACTION includes humanitarian projects to help people at risk, support and assistance to daycare centers and institutions, as well as environmental projects. - The fıeld of INTERCULTURAL ACTION covers all projects for education, promotion of coexistence, peace, tolerance, and mutual understanding between different ethnic groups and groups different on any other basis.
What does RCA-PHV mean? -RCA-PHV is an abbreviation of the Red Cross in action, promoting human values, and for more than 20 years, is a national tool for recruiting and retaining new volunteers aged 13 to 17 years in the Red Cross.
What is the aim of the RCA-PHV program? Young people receive training on Red Cross values, culture as a value system, and how to develop small community aid projects. The young volunteers change their daily routine, spend time in research, activities, promotions, conversations with target groups, and teamwork to create small projects and help people in need.
As part of the small project ın the fıeld of intercultural action, one of the RCA-PHV teams on 03.05.2022 invited volunteers from France, Poland, Finland, and Portugal, who are part of the projects of the Volunteer Center Skopje, to present their language and something of their own culture. The volunteers from the Youth Club, together with the PHV team, representatives of Turkish nationality, and the users of the Daycare Center Poraka, who are part of the project, including participants with disabilities, visited the monastery in the village of Oraovica -St. George.
What projects are being developed?
After this journey, we organized games to get to know each other and socialize. Afterward, our guests, the international volunteers, had the opportunity to taste local food. Further, in the hall of the Red Cross, the team from PHV for the intercultural project prepared several activities to get better acquainted with different types of cultures, such as: Presenting traditional food and music. - Learning some familiar words. - Recognizing the language in which the text is written depending on the alphabet used.
- The field and the topic of the projects are different every year. The topıc in 2022, for instance, is RECOGNITION OF DIFFERENCES.
We all together wrote sentences in different languages related to the equality of people from different
What are the contributions from RCA-PHV? - About 130 small projects are developed during a single year - More than 25,000 volunteer hours are invested in the community - Volunteers help more than 2500 people - More than 25,000 euros are collected from the district and returned to the community
cultures on a big piece of paper. The volunteers from Skopje also visited the church of St. Trinity in Radovish with the help of the Red Cross orienteer. The church was consecrated in 2003, making it one of the few relatively new churches and considered one of the most beautiful and most affluent Orthodox churches in the Balkans. Many tourists visit it throughout the year.
We are different, every one of us! As a volunteer and part of the Youth Club, I saw what it is like to be part of a team in which everyone speaks a different language. In Radovis, young people speak mostly Macedonian or Turkish. Although we all grew up in the same city and went to the same school, I realize that we all have different knowledge of other cultures. Being only 14 years old, I still have a lot to learn about different cultures worldwide. However, I think this was a good start for me. And as we wrote on that piece of paper, the man who has many friends is rich. With the help of our old and new friends, we realized that we are all different in one way or another. And that makes us equal. Elena Taskova Marija Prastova
VOICES - 13
reportage
Тоа што сме сите различни еден од друг, нè прави да сме сите еднакви
Ние, младите во Радовиш, среќни сме, што живееме во еден мал и мирен град, кој исто така ни нуди и можности да го исполниме нашето слободно време со активности кои ни помагаат да научиме многу нешта и во исто време да им помогнеме на сите кои имаат потреба од помош. Една од тие можности е да се биде дел од Општинската организација на Црвениот крст (ООЦК Радовиш). 14 - VOICES
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ред точно 70 години, во Мај 1952, беше формирана оваа општинска организација. Нека ни е честит јубилејот! Во оваа прилика сакам да ви раскажам што значи да се биде волонтер и да ви раскажам за некои активности во кои јас бев дел оваа година.
За Радовиш Радовиш е мало место кое се наоѓа на околу 100 км југоисточно од Скопје. Според последниот попис од 2022 во Радовиш живеат нешто помалку од 29 000 луѓе. Традиционало јадење е познатиот
„Радовишки самун“, кое се прави од тесто и од повеќе видови на месо (свинско, пилешко, телешко итн). Под името пастрмаjлија овој специјалитет има своја копија во други градови од нашата земја и е секогаш причина за дискусија, од каде потекнува оригиналот. Во есенските денови Радовиш е исто така познат по манифестацијата „Самун ем татлија“ (татлија е десерт, кој се прави од младо сирење). Кога не сме дел од оваа манисфестација, организираме други активности со Клубот на
млади, кој функционира како дел од ООЦК Радовиш.
репортажа
РАЗЛИЧНОСТИ. - Во рамките на оваа тема, проектите може да се прават во две области: АКЦИЈА ВО ЗАЕДНИЦАТА и ИНТЕРКУЛТУРНА АКЦИЈА. - АКЦИЈА ВО ЗАЕДНИЦАТА опфаќа хуманитарни проекти за помош на лица во ризик, поддршка и помош на Дневни центри и институции како и еколошки проекти. - областа ИНТЕРКУЛТУРНА АКЦИЈА ги опфаќа сите проекти за едукација промоција на соживот, мир, толеранција и меѓусебно разбирање помеѓу различни етнички групи и меѓу групи различни по било која друга основа.
Што значи ЦКА-ПХВ? -ЦКА ПХВ е скратеница од Црвен Крст во акција, промоција на хумани вредности и повеќе од 20 години претставува национална алатка за регрутирање и задржување на нови волонтери на возраст од 13 до 17 години во Црвениот Крст. Која е целта на програмата ЦКА-ПХВ? Младите добиваат обука за вредностите на Црвениот Крст, за културата како систем од вредности и како да изработуваат мали проекти за помош во заедницата. Тие ја менуваат својата дневна рутина, поминуваат време во истражување, активности, промоции, разговори со целните групи, тимска работа со цел изработка на мали проекти и помош на лицата на кои им е потребна помош и се дел од претходно утврдената целна група..
Какви се придонесите од ЦКА-ПХВ? - Во текот на една година се изработуваат околу 130 мали проекти - Се вложуваат повеќе од 25 000 волонтерски часови во заедницата - Се помага на околу 2500 лица - Се собираат повеќе од 25 000 евра од заедницата кои се враќаат во заедницата
Какви проекти се изработуваат? - Темата на проектите секоја година е различна, па така темата во 2022 година е ПРЕПОЗНАВАЊЕ НА
Во склоп на областа интеркултурна акција, еден од ЦКА-ПХВ тимовите на ден 03.05.2022 поканија волонтери од Франција, Полска, Финска и Португалија, кои се дел од проектите на Волонтерски Центар Скопје да го претстават сопствениот јазик и нешто од културата од каде што доаѓаат. Волонтерите од Клубот на Млади, заедно со тимот на ПХВ, претставници од турска националност како и корисниците на Дневниот центар Порака преку проектот Волонтерска порака 2022 го посетија манастирот во Ораовица- Св. Ѓорѓи. Имавме игри за запознавање и дружење, а исто така, меѓународните волонтери имаа можност да вкусат локална храна. Понатаму во салата на Црвениот Крст тимот од ПХВ за интеркултурен проект, подготви неколку активности со цел подобро запознавање на различните видови култури како што беше: претставување на традиционална храна и музика, учење на некои познати зборови, како и препознавање на кој јазик е напишан текстот во зависност од користената азбука. На крај сите заедно испишаа хамер со реченици на различни јазици поврзани со еднаквоста на луѓето од различни култури.
една од најубавите и најбогатите православни храмови на Балканот. Многу туристи ја посетуват во текот на годината.
Различни сме…сите ние! Како волонтер и дел од Клуб на млади имав можност да видам како е да се биде дел од тим, во кој сите зборуваат на друг јазик. Во Радовиш младите зборуваат претежно на македонски или турски јазик. Иако сите израснавме во ист град и одевме во исто училиште, денес сфатив дека сите имаме различни познавања за другите култури. Со моите 14 години имам уште многу што да научам за различните култури ширум светот. Меѓутоа, мислам дека ова беше добар почеток за мене. И како што напишавме на хамерот, богат е човекот кој има многу пријатели. Со помош на нашите стари и нови пријатели сфативме дека сите ние сме различни на еден или друг начин. И тоа нè прави да бидеме еднакви.
Елена Ташкова Марија Прастова
Волонтерите од Скопје ја посетија и црквата Св. Троица во Радовиш со помош на ориентерот на Црвен Крст. Црквата е осветена во 2003, што ја прави да биде една од малкуте релативно нови цркви и важи за
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topic of the month
Живеејќи во виртуелен свет Вести, слики, видеа, информации, игри, работа од далечина, средба со лекар преку интернет, нарачување производи и облека, разговор со вашите пријатели од друга страна на светот. Имате пристап до сето тоа ако имате интернет и паметен телефон или друг уред што може да се користи за да ве доведе на интернет. Во денешно време има преку 10 милијарди уреди поврзани на интернет во светот. Тоа е огромна бројка, особено кога се размислува колку е млад интернетот и колку брзо добива нови корисници. Во 2012 година на интернет имаше 2 милијарди корисници, сега во 2022 година бројот на интернет корисници се искачи на над 5 милијарди. 16 - VOICES
тема на месецот
О
ва создава огромни можности и шанси поради тоа што е светски распростането. Дава слобода, начин за трошење време, запознавање нови луѓе и добивање одговори на многу ефикасен начин. Постои силен придонес помеѓу пристапот до интернет и растот на БДП. Во повеќето земји, повеќето работи можете да ги правите и да ги завршите преку интернет, како во Естонија. Естонија го прогласи пристапот до интернет како човеково право и има дигитално невиден број јавни услуги за граѓаните и бизнисите. Имаат дури и електронски начин за гласање на национални избори! Повеќето земји ја следат таа шема во иднина и го прилагодуваат тој интернет не оди никаде. Во денешно време најголемиот дел од младите почнуваат да користат електронски уреди на млада возраст, а во последните 10 години, времето што младите секојдневно го поминуваат со електронски уреди е двојно зголемено. Тоа е двострана работа, има свои добри и лоши страни. Еден од најдобрите делови е што можете да дојдете до некого речиси веднаш ако сакате, не треба да бидете на вистинскиото место во вистинско време за тоа бидејќи поголемиот број на луѓе во Европа имаат паметен телефон. Друга огромна работа е што имате
толку многу информации и одговори на вашите прашања во вашиот паметен телефон. Но има и лоши страни. Многу истражувања откриваат како користењето на социјалните мрежи влијае на нашето ментално здравје и ја зголемува осаменоста. Користењето на социјалните мрежи е поврзано со пониска самодоверба, послаб квалитет на сон, депресија, анксиозност и листата продолжува.
некои платформи дезинформации.
или
Но, не можеме да се ослободиме од него, затоа треба да се обидеме да се прилагодиме на тоа бидејќи секојдневно користиме се повеќе интернет и социјални медиуми, бројот на луѓе и уреди кои користат интернет се зголемува секој ден. Генерално, интернетот и паметните телефони се одлични, но сè има свои Освен тоа, просечен негативни страни. интернет корисник Користењето на на возраст од социјалните мрежи е „Она што го 16 до 64 години поврзано со пониска откривме во поминува речиси самодоверба, целина е дека ако 7 часа онлајн послаб квалитет користите помалку дневно. Тоа е на сон, депресија, социјални медиуми, огромна бројка која анксиозност и листата всушност сте помалку се зголемува цело продолжува. депресивни и помалку време. осамени, што значи дека намалената употреба Во исто време постојат на социјалните мрежи е она што проблеми со интернетот во ја предизвикува таа квалитативна целина. Граѓаните на некои промена во вашата благосостојба“, земји како Еритреја и рече Џордин Јанг, соработник. Северна Кореја, главно автор на трудот и апсолвент на немаат пристап до Универзитетот во Пенсилванија. интернет. Иако некои од нив имаат пристап, тие имаат „свој интернет“ Јасе Хеикила кој е силно регулиран и Превод: Давид Стоилковски цензуриран. Има многу пропаганда на интернет, Извори: Bbvaopenmind: Internet changed evereday сајбер напади кои се life случуваат секојдневно, Forbes: Global online content consumption се собираат и продаваат doubled in 2020 лични информации од луѓе, Healthline: Social media use increases depression and loneliness а да не зборуваме за тоа колку има нерегулирана содржина во
“
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reportage
Tunisian Marriage Tunisia is a very rich country culturally, because of its strategic position between the eastern world and the occidental world represented by the European countries that are located very close to the country. However, some of the country’s cultural traditions have stayed until today and this is what gives even more charm to this country that gives so much in terms of culture and art. The main tradition that the Tunisians keep and give a rather important interest to it, is the tradition of marriage.
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репортажа
T
he Tunisian marriage is done according to a set of traditions that we have previously inherited from our ancestors. The wedding party must be perfect at all levels. The families of the bride and groom must live this event as the most beautiful and prestigious. This is why Tunisian families opt for a seven days and seven nights wedding, where all family members are invited to spend seven days and seven nights celebrating. The young bride is covered with gifts during this week of celebration. Traditions before the wedding day Each day before the wedding day is a very significant celebration and has a special name. The First day named “saboun” Where the bride’s trousseau is prepared between aunts and cousins by packing it in pretty boxes surrounded by silk ribbon. What is the « bridal trousseau » ? Historically, the bride’s trousseau consisted of lingerie, bedding and cosmetic product. The wedding trousseau was displayed at the wedding as a symbol of wealth. Once the trousseau was completed, all the people in the neighborhood were invited to come and admire it.
Second day “hazzén el farch” Is the continuation of saboun, we unpack all the trousseau of the bride in her future house and this in front of the family which helps to arrange it. Third day “hammam” is day This entirely reserved for the bride, she goes there by surrounded women of her family in an atmosphere of traditional songs. All the women present are dressed in traditional clothes and take care of her. Scrubbing with the glove of kessa, mask with clay and chickpea flour... Everything is done to make her shine ! Fourth day “henna” The bride is applied a paste of henna and rose water on her hands and feet. This is done to bring luck to the bride in her marital life. Fifth day “harkous” This day is somewhat similar to the previous day. A second layer of drawing is applied on the hands and feet of the bride. Then, a complete hair removal session is organized with sugar to allow her to have a radiant skin. At the end of the session, a white stone and rose water are passed over the bride’s body to make it soft and silky.
Sixth day “the outéya” The future separately.
spouses
celebrate
The bride celebrates in the presence of women only. It is also known as the “bride’s party”. All the guests, as well as the bride, are dressed in oriental and traditional dresses according to their region of origin. Seventh day “dokhla” The D-day when both bride and groom gather in a common party where the whole family, friends and neighbors are invited. The groom usually wears a traditional Tunisian suit made of silk or another luxurious fabric. The bride also dresses in a traditional way with a dress that can vary depending on the region. According to Tunisian tradition, the bride and groom must be seated at the beginning of the ceremony. They must be seated in a seat decorated with white silk. A hearty meal is then served to several hundred guests, they then party all night on Tunisian music. To finish, the groom offers to his wife a bouquet of flower as a sign of fertility in addition to all the other gifts she receives from the family-inlaw, friends, neighbors and family. Nourada Chaffai
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reportage
A TABOO TOPIC: Magic ~Those who believe in the magic will be destined to find it~
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репортажа
W
Charm, spell or attraction of someone or something. But for me, none of this is magic.
hat is magic? When we think about this topic, several things come to mind: Harry Potter, the wizard with his dove, evil people casting spells to make people’s lives miserable, mermaids, goblins, dragons... things that may or may not be real... But really, what is magic?
Society has more and more integrated into its mind the earthly ideology: If I see it, I believe it, if not, it does not exist. They cannot open their hearts and minds to new experiences or other points of view.
Magic has many definitions: occult art or science with which it is intended to produce, using certain acts or words, or with the intervention of imaginable beings, results contrary to natural laws.
There are many different types of magic but I am going to talk about color magic.
White Magic: This type of magic is used to ward off evil and attract positive things. It can be used through rituals,invocations and intuition. But it is exclusively used to do good.
Black magic: This magic is used to do evil, it is the most known magic in the world because it is what is used in movies. It is very negative to use this magic because I don’t know if you have heard about Karma (all your acts, whether positive or negative, will come back to you sooner or later), but when you use this magic, it will be returned to you x2.
Blue magic: This magic is related to water, it is usually practiced in nature: rivers, lakes, sea ... and is usually combined with other types of magic
Gray magic: This type of magic is a little strange because it is neutral magic. It can not be considered white because you do not have the consent of the person to perform it. It is done with good intentions and it does not affect Karma, but it is not recommended to use magic for someone without their consent or permission.
Why do I explain this? Because I believe that it is necessary to have a different vision of what is magic, to know more than the evil eye, the moorings, Ouija... and always have positive intentions to make all our day to day happier and free
Red magic: This type of magic is characterized by two types of rituals: Ceremonial and sexual magic. An interesting fact about this magic is that you can use it for both good and evil because when you cast a spell with this type of magic, the effects are irreversible.
Green magic: This specialty is usually connected with nature, it is one of the first forms of magic in the world as it serves to heal, prevent, clean and attract abundance.
Pink magic: This specialty is an evolution of red magic, it is only used for good and usually helps people to love each other more. It always works from love for love.
Laura Camps Source: Cenews | Tipos de magia que existen y sus caracteristicas
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opinion
Attachment, noun: a feeling of love or a strong connection to someone or something. Impermanence, noun: the state of not lasting forever or not lasting for a long time.
Attachment and Impermanence. In essence, nothing is permanent. Think of it: what is permanent? You can try to search repeatedly; you will always get the same answer: nothing. Our parents aren’t going to be here forever. Our lovers, dogs, homes, cars, and even our Earth is not permanent. Everything has a beginning and an end. Why? Because it is what it is. Everything, every situation, every feeling, and every thought are temporary.
Sources: “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying”, Sogyal Rinpoché, 1992 Jackkornfield.com : Love vs. attachment zenthinking.net : Understanding the difference between nonattachment vs. detachment
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мислење
“To get over attachment, we need to realize the nature of impermanence in everything”
W
ith that in mind, why do we always feel the urge to attach ourselves to others, our possessions, and our quiet and safe home even though we know that it will end one day? The answer to that question is our education. We are born and raised so that we are attached to our family and friends. Please don’t assume that it is our fault because we grew up in this. We did not choose it. Our conditioning is powerful! We desire, grasp, and attach ourselves to experiences that will soon be past us. At first sight, it’s not a bad thing to be attached. It shows that we love our people, possessions, and a safe and chill life. But here is the biggest mistake we make in our everyday lives: we often confuse love and attachment, but they are opposites. True love allows honor and appreciate. It is a universal heartfelt feeling of caring and connectedness. On the other hand, attachment grasps, demands, needs, and aims to possess. It is conditioned to our needs. It is fearbased and only gives love to certain people in a particular way: it’s exclusive. What do we have to do to get rid of attachment? The solution is nonattachment, but it can be mistaken for detachment. Let me explain: Non-attachment means that you already know everything is impermanent and that you will suffer from it, so you choose not to expect anything from anyone and still love
and laugh with the people you care about. You live in the present moment, in this world. Detachment means that you choose not to care about anyone or anything. You’re in a permanent state of negligence and disinterest. You separate yourself from the rest of the world. Essentially, this is escapism (which is a form of suffering). However, a practice of non-attachment doesn’t affect how you appreciate, love, admire and enjoy life. It simply means that your happiness is no longer defined by anything outside you. In other words, you remain free. You must understand that your wellbeing is influenced by the things you allow yourself to be attached to. If you allow yourself to be controlled by everything that appears to you (people, places, events, thoughts), your life will be an endless rollercoaster of ups and downs. You will be a pendulum, constantly swinging between joy and disaster. If you practice nonattachment in your everyday life, you’ll see that your relationships will improve significantly. Just because yourself and your ego, in general, will not be the center of your relationship anymore: you will not expect anything in return, and your love will not be conditioned! I want to use a simple example of how you could picture this: Take a coin and imagine that it is the object or person you want to keep with you. Keep it well tight in your closed hand and extend your arm, the
palm of your hand facing down. What will happen if you release your hand? You will lose what you were clinging to before. Hence, the reason you keep grasping - is not to lose anything. But there is another possibility. You can let go without losing anything: the arm still extended, face your hand to the sky, and release it. Open your fist: the coin is still in your hand. You let go, and the coin is still yours! So there is a way to accept impermanence while living great and without attaching yourself to anything. Let’s take a look at what happens regularly in relationships. Often, we realize that we love our partners only when we lose them. So we grasp them much stronger, but the more fragile the relationship gets, the more we do this. We desire happiness. But the way we are searching for it is so clumsy and improper that we get more disappointment than happiness. We suppose that to get satisfaction, we have to grasp the object that will give it to us. We wonder how is it possible to enjoy something we don’t possess: see how much we mistake love and attachment? In a healthy relationship, love is tainted with bad feelings: insecurity, jealousy, and pride. And then, when love is gone, the only things left are memories of love and attachment scars. To get over attachment, we need to realize the nature of impermanence in everything. After this, we will start to see the clouds disappear slowly, and love will rule our world. Hugo Lhomedet
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opinion
Tërheqja, emër : një ndjenjë dashurie ose lidhje e fortë me dikë apo diçka. Përkohësia, emër : gjendja për të mos zgjatur përgjithmonë ose për të mos zgjatur për një kohë të gjatë.
Tërheqja dhe Përkohësia. Në thelb, asgjë nuk është e përhershme. Mendoni për këtë: çfarë është e përhershme? Mund të përpiqeni të kërkoni pa pushim, gjithmonë do të merrni të njëjtën përgjigje: asgjë. Prindërit tanë nuk do të jenë këtu përgjithmonë, partnerët tanë, qentë tanë, shtëpitë tona, makinat tona, madje edhe Toka jonë nuk është e përhershme. Çdo gjë ka një fillim dhe një fund. Pse ? Sepse është ajo që është. Çdo gjë, çdo situatë, çdo ndjenjë, çdo mendim janë të përkohshme.
Sources : “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying”, Sogyal Rinpoché, 1992 Jackkornfield.com : Love vs. attachment zenthinking.net : Understanding the difference between non-attachment vs. detachment
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“Për të tejkaluar lidhjen, duhet të kuptojmë natyrën e të përkohshmes në çdo gjë.”
M
e këtë në mendje, pse ne gjithmonë ndiejmë dëshirën për t’u lidhur me të tjerët, me pasuritë tona, me shtëpinë tonë të qetë dhe të sigurt edhe pse e dimë se gjithçka do të përfundojë një ditë? Përgjigja për këtë pyetje është edukimi ynë. Ne kemi lindur dhe jemi rritur në një mënyrë që jemi të lidhur me familjen dhe miqtë tanë, nuk është faji ynë sepse jemi rritur në këtë frymë, nuk e kemi zgjedhur ne. Kushtëzimi ynë është vërtet i fortë! Ne dëshirojmë, kuptojmë dhe lidhemi me përvojat që do të na kalojnë së shpejti. Në pamje të parë nuk është gjë e keqe të jemi të lidhur me njëri-tjetrin, kjo tregon se ne i duam njerëzit tanë, pasuritë tona dhe jetën tonë të sigurt dhe të ftohtë. Por këtu është gabimi më i madh që bëjmë në jetën tonë të përditshme: shpesh ngatërrojmë dashurinë dhe lidhjen, por në fakt, ato janë të kundërta. Dashuria e vërtetë lejon, nderon dhe vlerëson: Është një ndjenjë universale e përzemërt e kujdesit dhe lidhjes. Nga ana tjetër, lidhja kap, kërkon, ka nevojë dhe synon të zotërojë. Ajo kushtëzohet nga nevojat tona, është e bazuar në frikë dhe u jep dashuri vetëm njerëzve të caktuar në një mënyrë të caktuar: është ekskluzive. Çfarë duhet të bëjmë për të hequr qafe lidhjen? Zgjidhja është moslidhja, por mund të ngatërrohet me shkëputjen. Më lejoni të shpjegohem : Moslidhja do të thotë që ju tashmë e dini se gjithçka është e përkohshme dhe se do të vuani prej saj, kështu që
zgjidhni të mos prisni asgjë nga askush dhe përsëri të dashuroni dhe të qeshni me njerëzit që e afërt . Ju jetoni në momentin e tanishëm, në këtë botë. Shkëputja do të thotë që ju zgjidhni të mos kujdeseni për askënd ose për asgjë, jeni në një gjendje të përhershme neglizhence dhe mosinteresimi. Ju e ndani veten nga pjesa tjetër e botës. Në thelb, ky është arratisje (që është një formë vuajtjeje). Megjithatë, praktika e moslidhjes nuk ndikon në mënyrën se si e vlerësoni, e doni, admironi dhe shijoni jetën. Thjesht do të thotë që lumturia juaj nuk përcaktohet më nga asgjë jashtë jush. Me fjalë të tjera, ju mbeteni të lirë. Nëse e lejoni veten të kontrolloheni nga gjithçka që ju shfaqet (njerëz, vende, ngjarje, mendime), atëherë jeta juaj do të jetë një slitë e pafund me ulje-ngritje. Ju do të jeni një lavjerrës, gjithmonë duke u lëkundur mes gëzimit dhe fatkeqësisë. Ju duhet të kuptoni se mirëqenia juaj ndikohet nga gjërat me të cilat i lejoni vetes të lidheni. Nëse praktikoni moslidhjen në jetën tuaj të përditshme, do të shihni se marrëdhëniet tuaja do të përmirësohen shumë. Vetëm sepse vetja dhe egoja juaj në përgjithësi nuk do të jenë më qendra e marrëdhënies suaj: nuk do të prisni asgjë në këmbim, dashuria juaj nuk do të kushtëzohet! Do të doja të përdorja një shembull të thjeshtë se si mund ta imagjinoni këtë : Merrni një monedhë dhe imagjinoni se është objekti ose personi që dëshironi
të mbani me vete. Mbajeni atë mirë në dorën tuaj të mbyllur dhe shtrini krahun, me pëllëmbën e dorës nga poshtë. Çfarë do të ndodhë nëse e lëshoni dorën? Do të humbisni atë për të cilën jeni kapur më parë. Kjo është arsyeja që ju vazhdoni të kapni - për të mos humbur asgjë. Por ka një mundësi tjetër. Mund të lësh të shkojë pa humbur asgjë: krahu është ende i zgjatur, ktheje dorën drejt qiellit dhe lëshoje. Hape grushtin: monedha është ende në dorën tënde. E lëshove… dhe monedha është ende e jotja! Pra, ekziston një mënyrë për të pranuar përhershmërinë duke jetuar mirë dhe pa u lidhur me asgjë. Le të hedhim një vështrim se çfarë ndodh rregullisht në marrëdhënie. Shpesh, ne e kuptojmë se e duam partnerin tonë vetëm kur jemi duke e humbur atë. Kështu që ne i kapim ato gjithnjë e më të fortë; por sa më shumë ta bëjmë këtë, aq më e brishtë bëhet marrëdhënia. Ne dëshirojmë lumturi. Por mënyra se si po e kërkojmë është kaq e ngathët dhe e pahijshme, saqë kemi më shumë zhgënjim sesa lumturi. Supozojmë se për të marrë lumturinë, duhet të kapim objektin që do të na japë atë. Pyesim veten se si është e mundur të shijojmë diçka që nuk e posedojmë: shikoni sa e gabojmë dashurinë dhe lidhjen? Edhe në një marrëdhënie të shëndetshme, dashuria korruptohet me ngarkesën e saj të ndjenjave të këqija : pasiguri, xhelozi, krenari… Dhe më pas, kur dashuria është zhdukur, të vetmet gjëra që mbeten janë kujtimet e dashurisë dhe plagët e lidhjes. Për të tejkaluar lidhjen, duhet të kuptojmë natyrën e të përkohshmes në çdo gjë. Pasi ta bëjmë këtë, ne do të fillojmë të shohim ngadalë se si retë do zhduken dhe se si dashuria do të sundojë botën tonë.
Hugo Lhomedet VOICES - 25
to ride
T
b e h est
i k b e! a
place
r e g A s:
erasmus+
(Only if you ask me and no one else!)
With the rainy season finally coming to an end, we can finally go outside and enjoy the beautiful nature of Agres to its fullest. And what better way to immerse oneself in the lush, heavenly greenery than exploring it with a bike.
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N
ow, many people might say that the almost vertical streets of Agres and its surroundings aren’t the BEST places for this kind of activity. But I most definitely CANNOT resist! And can you blame me? On sunny days, a warm breeze and peaceful nature surround you wherever you go. Far from being in the best physical shape that I can be, I find myself joining the brave souls that pedal to our little village and try to conquer its mountains. Bit by bit, inch by inch, I push through, and when the going gets tough, I visualize my goal the top of the hill! And when I reach my goal… Ah, there is no better feeling. The feeling that you did this crazy and challenging thing that many would consider equal to torture. But if you ask me, there is no better way to enjoy life than testing your limits and, better yet, surpassing them. I guess that’s just the hyperactive athlete in me talking. But you
know what they say: What doesn’t kill you makes you wonder what the hell is wrong with you. My bike was given to me by an organization called “Velorecicla,” and I am happy that I found people who share my love of mountain biking in this small village. By volunteering in their organization, I was shown how much I don’t know about bicycles, and I am happy to learn it all with the help of the kids that, compared to me, are pros at these things!
I would say that just being part of this event only made me want to go mountain biking even more! So, here I am in this situation where I set out into the mountain almost every day and go crazy with my bike. Ah, Agres, you have hypnotized me with your nature and nice weather! I wonder what the result of all of this will be? Well, I guess that I will find out soon enough! Marija Marinkovikj
On the 8th of May, we celebrated the one-year birthday of Velorecicla, and, of course, the event was centered on riding our bikes. I loved it! We gathered at one of my favorite places in Agres – the train station and set out on a mini joy ride outside Agres. Our first stop was a lovely house with a giant beautiful yard where we had breakfast and some coffee. After our short break, we headed back to our village, where we had a lovely party joined with tasty paella and cold beer that brought us back to life on that sunny day. I can’t say that I wished for more that day.
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erasmus+
Open your eyes – Erasmus edition What to do after finishing school? You feel it, huh? I was asking myself this question hundreds of times. There isn’t one solution. But, as I am older, I will give you guys some free advice.
I
was trying to suit the pattern that I HAD TO go to university after finishing high school. No gap year, no work, nothing. University. Prestige. But how to choose a university? I had no idea who was I, what I liked and what would be the best for me. So I made possibly the worst mistake and chose randomly. No joke. And now, few years after graduation… I am still trying to figure things out. This is why I am on Erasmus. I wish I had known about Erasmus programs earlier. It could completely change my life. Actually, it’s changing right now. In one of my favourite Polish movies, there is a quote: “what a gloomy absurdity to decide about life when you are a young moron.” I partially
agree. Mainly because we are not aware of possibilities. But what are the options? Non-formal education is the best, and Erasmus has a lot of different programmes for everybody. If I had known earlier, I would start to go to Youth Exchanges to meet people from all around Europe and practice languages. I cannot turn back time, but you can start now. Youth Exchanges are meetings for youth (mainly from 16-30 years old, the group leader has to be 18+ with no upper age limit) from European Union and partner countries. Usually, one youth exchange takes up to two weeks. This project aims to empower you to be a more active citizen and develop skills that can help you in the
future. Social skills are also necessary for life, am I right? At Youth Exchanges, you will have the opportunity to learn a lot about different cultures. You’ll have a chance to break the prejudices and stereotypes. Through various activities (workshops, debates, simulations or outdoor activities), you can learn new things and have a great time with other participants. Psst! Remember that it is not a boring school education, there’s a lot of fun – often in lovely places all around Europe. Where can you go on Erasmus? To all EU member countries, plus partner countries: Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Macedonia, Turkey and Serbia. So in your free time, you can go sightseeing, chill in nature or spend quality time with other participants.
Designed by pikisuperstar | Freepik
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You can try European Solidarity Corps volunteering when you are more than 18 but less than 30 years old. You can go to different country and help the local community. The topics and the length of the projects are various. You can find yourself assisting tiny turtles to go to the sea in Turkey for a few months or taking care of children with disabilities in Estonia for a year. You just have to be open-minded, prepare a cover letter and start applying for projects the most suitable for you. European Solidarity Corps will cover the cost of your travel to the destination place and accommodation costs. You will also receive pocket and food money. If you know which field of study you want to choose and are sure you want to go to the university, you can still attend many programmes. You have to choose the partner university which has a similar programme to the field of your study, fill out the papers and go. Live your best life and study abroad. You’ll thank yourself later when you start working. Erasmus programmes and studying in the English language will raise your chance of being visible in the labour market. Remember that you can also use Erasmus to find an
internship abroad after graduation. But what if you already missed that part? You are already working, but still you can find a lot of exciting Training Courses to develop your skills. Yup, training courses are more for professionals, but not only. Training courses are opportunities for adults (18+), mainly youth workers or activists. It supports their professional development. How to apply to Erasmus projects? In case when you want to study abroad – contact your university and ask about possible options. Only higher education institutions with Erasmus card (ECHE) can send and host students. The same with sending students and alumni abroad traineeships. OK, but what about other Erasmus possibilities? If you want to start going on short term projects like Youth Exchanges or Training Courses – find a sending organization from your country or city. Most of the big European cities have NGOs that are sending people on projects funded by Erasmus Plus. Suppose you are not able to find a local NGO. In that case, you can add yourself to Facebook groups about Erasmus projects (f.e. Youth Opportunities, European Solidarity
Corps Opportunities or Erasmus Plus Projects) and search for a suitable opportunity. And just for fun, statistics about finding a long-term partner on Erasmus. Since 1987 over one million babies have been born, and above 33% of former Erasmus, people found their long-time partner on the Erasmus. Do you want me to convince you more? Aleksandra Kanasiuk images source: Freepik.com
How Erasmus changed your life? Student exchange within the Erasmus + Programme was not only about learning for me, although there was a lot to learn. During my exchange, I met fantastic people and made friendships for life. I travelled in the country and abroad, and discovered new cultures and traditions. I learned more about myself and realised that the sky is the limit and I have the appetite for more. - Jola, Poland
Going alone on an Erasmus, was the best decision that I could do, even if it was a little hard at the beginning. I needed to step out of my comfort zone and start talk with strangers- that was the only way to make friends. Erasmus changed me as a person, and the way I see others. I learned how to respect other cultures. Somethings that in my culture is normal, for others can be rude and offensive. Right now I feel like a world citizen and want to explore more and more. - José, Portugal
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поезија
Недокажани зборови Недокажани зборови, неиспишани стихови, не сонувани сонови, неискористени мигови.. Неостварени мечти, недогледни небесни зраци, незаборавни ѕвездени краци... Посакувам, се да ти кажев сите стихови на светот да ти ги подарев, сите сонови да ги споделев сите мигови да ги доживеев. Сите мечти да ги дофатев сите сончеви зраци да ги осетев сите ѕвездени краци да ги украдев.
Посакувам да можевме да побегнеме од целиот универзум да заминеме, да исчезнеме во времето, да се вратиме назад во минатото. Тогаш, сите зборови ќе ти ги кажев сите стихови на овој свет ќе ти ги напишев, сите сонови ќе ги сонував сите мигови ќе ги доживеев. Тогаш сите мечти ќе ги дофатев сите сончеви зраци ќе ги осетев, и сите ѕвездени зраци ќе ги украдев. Она што не заврши, сега душата ми ја кине, длабоко ме прободува и болка ми нанесува, многу недокажани зборови се враќаат како река длабоко во мене наидуваат, се обидуваат да излетаат да пристигнат онаму каде што припаѓаат.
Симона Паскоска Pictures: rawpixel.com | Freepik stories | Freepik 30 - VOICES
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The place where you find yourself now is so vast, completely empty of any presence... as if everything there was set there just for you. You might feel free to do as you please or finally find serenity outside the constant hubbub of modern life. Take a dip in this huge body of water, after all why not? You could do all that, but something is wrong and you can’t put your finger on it. A strange longing feeling comes over you. Everything seems so familiar but you have no recollections and memories of being there. Something about this place also reminds you of beautiful things you experienced in your past, good memories that make you smile slightly. However, these beautiful things are no more, the laughter and voices of loved ones give way to silence. The muffled sound of a breeze, the hum of a sizzling neon sign, only loneliness remains. You are totally alone. The shadows of the few objects left in this space draw cold silhouettes, like mute spectators staring intently at you in your growing anguish. The light is clear, too pure, you are not supposed to feel fear but you feel its symptoms. Your throat is tight, your chest constricted, your breathing is heavy, it resonates within you. The same question has been running through your mind ever since you got here.
“ Where Am I ?”
Liminal Spaces A journey to the edges of reality 31 - VOICES
culture
Liminal spaces are those weird, atmospheric, and sometimes eerie places, that look like the gateway to another realm.
L
iminalspaces. Are you familiar with this word? You probably All the photos and videos you haven’t heard of it in your life will find on the subject ultimately because the term, both obscure hold the same codes. Vast places, and contemplative, only appeared completely empty, not a single on the internet for the first time in human or animal is present in 2019. On May 12, 2019 to be exact. these images. They represent In the deep end of the 4chan urban places (you won’t find forum topics in the /x/ paranormal a liminal space without any category, an anonymous user element related to the presence shares his post disquieting of humans, a wild forest is not images that just feel ‘off’. The a liminal space for example), post, far from going unnoticed insalubrious places (abandoned by other users of the platform, car park, old degraded hotel is then relayed on the reddit r/ room, ...) or sometimes much LiminalSpace page. It is from this too neat and tidy (empty airport, moment that the phenomenon hospital corridors, ...). And notably gains in popularity and interest. A incoherent environments: light series of strangely familiar videos that is not natural in places where with unnerving music appear in it is not supposed to be, repeated the youtube recommendations architecture, too identical, that of enthusiasts of doesn’t make sense. bizarre happenings. The photographs A hashtag are generally very #LiminalSpaces is grainy and of born on Twitter questionable and Tiktok. quality, as if Liminal space is the Publications were moment between “what they with this taken with a was” and “what is to hashtag have film camera accumulated or even an come” more than 16 old telephone. million views in Hence the fact May 2021. They now that one can imagine have over 35 million views. these images being taken with a very raw, badly regulated But first of all, it would be wise flash. This makes us think that the to know what a liminal space is. photo was taken in the dark. The How to define these very special flash takes away the depth of the places, which manage to fascinate place, emphasizing the unreal and an audience of this scale. The basic destabilizing effect of the place. principle is not as complicated This artificial light in the photos is as it seems. A simple Google similar to the photos people take search will give you hundreds in everyday life, which explains of results which will lead you to the feeling of familiarity one the Latin root of the word; limen can feel when observing them. which translates as ‘threshold’. A liminal space is thus the moment The fascination of Internet between “what was” and “what users with the concept can be is to come”. It is the “crossing explained in different ways. over” space – a space where you Indeed, there are several reasons have left something behind, yet why liminal spaces have become you are not yet fully in something so popular. First of all, one of else. It’s a transition space. the most important elements 32 - VOICES
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to highlight when talking about liminal places is the aesthetics of the memory. What captivated so many people about these places, apart from the nostalgia and melancholy, was above all the fact that (almost) everyone had this strange feeling of déjà vu. How is it possible that someone I don’t know from Adam, or even several people, and myself, feel the same emotions when looking at these images? Rooted in the past, the whole aesthetic of these images is created to resemble memories, or at least the visual idea that one might have of a memory. As we all know, a memory decays, the liminal aesthetic also borrows from this effect. Thus, most of these images/ videos use codes from childhood (nurseries, theme parks, swimming pools) linked to childhood traumas (being alone in the city at night or in the supermarket, ...) and connects with another important element that constitutes the essence of liminal spaces: the aesthetics of dreams.
The aesthetics of the dream, or nightmare, revives the sense of incoherence I mentioned earlier. In relation to our nightmares too, it is in trying to reproduce what we see in our dreams that distressing and troubling emotions resurface. Moreover, the total absence of a person allows us to better identify with the image. It is much easier to remember a repetitive and simple place than a face. With a person, the aspect of loneliness disappears. The photo is thus taken from a first person point of view as if we had wandered into the wrong place. As if we were in a dream. And finally, in a more pragmatic way, the discomfort felt when we look at these images can be explained by science. Indeed, our brain is a context machine (thesis from Danko Nikolic). By taking away this context, the why of those things that are as they are, a huge dissonance between what we see and what is supposed to be is created. A dissonance which, therefore, animates a sense of confusion, of unease. However, I should point out that these images do not necessarily work every time for an obvious reason: for a European, most of these images are made by Americans. So there is also a cultural factor to take into account (e.g. deserted gas stations that look like American gas stations, diners, old roadside motels or other typically American places that don’t resonate with our European memories, hence the ineffectiveness of some images. Yet, if you are from Eastern European countries, you will be able to find this same type of content adapted to the architectural and cultural characteristics of your country!
It is important to consider that the concept of liminal space is more an aesthetic than a truly terrifying feature. To caricature it could even be said that it is only about empty places. Empty places that are not necessarily frightening, but rather calm or even peaceful. However, it is entirely possible to see the concept used as such in horror content. So to close this article, I highly recommend watching the short film The Backrooms Found Footage by Kane Pixels which perfectly captures the feeling of infinity and anguish that liminal places bring. And which will also lead you to the world of backrooms, an urban legend created by thrill-seeking internet users.
So what do you think ? What feelings do you get from Liminal Spaces ? Carole Alibert Sources: sabukaru.online Solar Sands Liminal Spaces Feldup
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Our monthly magazine has a very simple, yet powerful, mission to be the voice of youth. And 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.
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