T H E C O R F U N I A N

This publication is an intellectual property of the “Ionian International Forum, Corfu 2012” organised by the European Youth Parliament.

Issue #2

CONTRIBUTORS

Wim van Doorn (NL; Editor)Konstantinos Kyranakis (GR; Editorial As.)Kostis Douligeris (GR)Emy Mylona (GR)Clara Bagüés Sampériz (ES)Annmarie Kiiskinen (FI)Jelena Petrovic (SR)Berkok Yüksel (TR)Célia Poncelin (FR)Izaura Mantsai (AL)Elena Louise King (UK)Panaghiotis Kalaïdhopoulos (GR)

“Talent wins games.Teamwork wins championships.”

- Michael Jordan

E D I T O R I A L

a daywith the Corfu press team.23 August, 07:10 – The first journalists arrive at the HQ. On this early Thursday morning, we will shoot one of the opening scenes for the upcoming episode of the video at the beach. Konstantinos and Celia are already there, they had some sleep from 04:00 until 06:00 and have begun to edit the video material for ‘Lost on Vidos’.

15:00 – The two members of the team who have been working on the videos for the whole night are asleep. In the meantime, the journalists are with their committees, finishing the final games.

16:48 – Several journalists and the editor are running back to the HQ. Filming the committee presentations has caused a problem: full memory cards. After impatiently waiting for the loading bar to hurry up with transferring the photos to a computer, they rush back, just in time to film the bucket race.

17:45 – The editorial assistant returns from an afternoon nap. The team quickly makes a decision on how to spend the extra time between dinner and the party: we will film your committee presentations and take committee pictures.

22:30 – Having started 40 minutes before, the party is over for half of the Media Team. They move to the Honorary Consulate of Spain, also the house of one of the Head Organisers, to

work on the video for the next morning and select their teambuilding pictures.

23:59 – Head Organiser Politis drives the journalists back to the boat. In the middle of the trip, a loud bang causes them to suddenly stop. Somehow, the Media Team’s microphone has landed on the pavement. Whether it had been on the roof for half the ride or somehow made its way flying through the open window will always remain a mystery. The microphone survives the fall almost without a scratch. When arriving at the harbour, the boat to Vidos can be seen as it sails away, we have to wait for another shift. The journalists and the editor discuss how to use the editorial for the upcoming issue. Should it be something philosophical? Well, nobody ever understands that. Should it be random and fun, or should it be a report on what the press team has been doing? You are reading the result. Afterwards, we enjoy the view on Corfu’s coast from the water when the boat finally returns.

02:00 – At Vidos island, the journalist and the editor are finishing their last work on the articles before getting a few hours of sleep. On Corfu, the editorial assistant and one of the journalists will work until 09:00 the next morning to finish the first edition of the video.

Wim Van Doorn, Editor / Konstantinos Kyranakis, Editorial Assistant

PAY

A R T I C L E

This gives a strong hint about the ongoing silent offence shown against women all around the world. It is not a popular message but it has its effect on each woman’s dignity. Despite all the progress made for gender equality, a gender pay gap still persists today. In 2010, figures showed an average gender pay gap of 16,4% in Europe and the situation has remained the same.

Let’s imagine that a woman, Lisa, gets a job from a company X. She works full-time, year-round but still gets paid only 78 percent of what her husband Tom earns. Both of them have an identical educational background and work experience. Then why does Lisa gets paid less for her work?

Additionally, men dominate the high-paying fields such as engineering whereas women get hired at lower-paying jobs like social services. The fact that Lisa is very likely to have children

at some point in her life lowers her possibilities to get hired or to get equal salary. Maternity leave decreases her working hours and it can also be seen as a period in which she loses skills and abilities that would be vital for her career. However, even if Lisa does not want children, all these factors are taken into account when she applies for a job.

The gender gap does not affect only individuals – whole families can be affected by the fact that women make less money than men. If a woman’s salary is the main income of the family, the gender gap worsens family’s economic situation significantly. While comparing two workers with different gender but exactly similar educational background, the male individual gets paid better on average. Because this cannot be fully explained by justifiable reasons, it is easily blamed on discriminative factors.

by Annmarie Kiiskiken

MIND THE GAP

President Kennedy promised two things: he would put a man on the moon and would stop

discrimination against women. Only one of these happened.

F E M M

The position of women in the world has improved over time through hard work and strong will. It is true that some of us see the pay gap as an insult towards our gender whereas others do not believe it to be caused by discriminatory reasons. Nevertheless, the gender gap doesn’t only create a gap in salary that men and women gets – it creates a gap in the way people are treated in the world. We should follow one very important statement

that every painting in London underground platform screams: MIND THE GAP. They definitely have a point there.

We should not let our gender, background, ability to give birth or any other factor determine us or prevent us from having the same rights as others. Equality is a principle to stand for. Let’s be proud of who we are, what we do and show Kennedy that WE CAN DO IT.

“Let’s imagine that a woman, Lisa, gets a job from that company. She works full-time, year-round but still gets paid only 78% of what her

husband Tom earns.”

L I B E I I

For centuries, migration streams between continents have existed. Concerns about negative effects of immigrants in European countries have risen in recent years. However, as citizens of our countries, their rights should be respected as much as those of anyone else.

1906, Manhattan, New York. While their ship entered the harbour they could perceive the shape of the Statue of Liberty in the distance, the symbol of a new beginning, a new life opportunity. Now, a century later, the grandsons and granddaughters of the immigrants that escaped from all the misery and poverty that had struck their home countries are the citizens of one of the most important nations that the world has ever seen, the United States of America.

History, as has been proven by experience, can be defined as a cycle that repeats itself over and over again. The immigration wave that Europe has been

experiencing over the last decade is proof of that. Migrant numbers have moved from an exodus out of Europe in the late 18th century to an influx of people in the last years. Because of this, when walking through the city centre of any big European city we can find little pieces of Asia, Africa or America in every “exotic” face that passes us by. Do these people not deserve to be considered citizens equal to everyone else on the streets?

When a country gives citizenship to a person, it gives him a legal and political status thanks to which that person will achieve rights and liabilities. Those rights are defended in the Declaration of Human Rights, and a person deserves them just by virtue of being a human being. Moreover, the fact itself that they are citizens means these people have moral and legal obligations to fulfil, and in turn deserve rights to protect their human integrity.We also have to keep in mind that being a citizen of a country

is more than just being able to say where you come from, it is like a footprint for that person, made out of the country´s history. That is why we need to consider the possibility that parents are the ones to decide if they want their child to preserve their nationality and therefore their family background or not.

It is true that each and every one of us should be proud of our national identities, but isn’t the fact that we are all humans more important that than the boundaries that we were born within?

As citizens of (potential) members of the European Union, two of the values that characterize us and bring us together are unity and tolerance. What better way to promote both by actually putting rights into action and accepting the younger generations of Europeans, with their mixed racial background, as true and equal citizens of our Union?

different.but the same.

by Clara Bagüés Sampériz

E U R O V I L L A G E

by Izaura Mantsai & Berkok Yüksel

can cultures be

delicious?After an exhausting day of teambuilding, the first day of the session

ended with the Eurovillage. Despite all the long hours of human knot, spider’s web and other activities under the hot Greek sun, delegates waited impatiently for the Eurovillage to be officially opened by our

president Federico Fasol. This gave us the opportunity to ask them why they think they are the most delicious culture in the place. So they

answered: “We are delicious because…

ITALYbecause we are Italian and, you

know, Italians do it better. Our country has always been famous for the food we are going to demonstrate once

again who we are.

THE NETHERLANDS because the Dutch culture has

one of the finest cuisines in Europe.

UK because we have the best

breakfast in the world. We enjoy food and drinking with

our friends and family.

BELGIUM because we are Belgian.

GREECE because we are Greeks for

God’s sake. We eat for a living.

TURKEYwe are sweet.

SLOVAKIA because we serve both tasty sweet and sour food. No one

could be compared to us.

CYPRUS because our passion is food. Cooking is considered to be one of the most important professions and skills to

master. Go souvlaki!

ALBANIAbecause you can taste some of the best food on our table and

of course enjoy traditional Albanian music, sung by us.

ROMANIAbecause we serve the

sweetest, for the sweetest EYPers.

SPAINto quote the Spanish proverb:

“Tapas y Macarena te aleqran la cena.” Which means ‘tapas

and Macarena make your dinner happier’.

AZERBAIJAN because we have unique food

that no one has experienced before.

GERMANYbecause our German culture

can be tasted in every piece of food that we prepare with love.

And of course because we wear ‘dirndls’ (traditional

German costume).

WORKFOR A FUTURE

A R T I C L E

Employment opportunities have dramatically dropped for young Europeans. Through training initiatives and by adapting to the needs of the labour market, part of this problem can be solved. However, it is not a solution to limit the amount of labour migration within the European Union.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Most likely you have heard this question many times before. Unfortunately, making your dream come true has become more difficult in recent years. Unemployment among Europe's young people has soared by 50% since the financial crisis of 2008. Mismatches between education and available jobs, as well as a general lack of available positions, are hampering economic recovery.

Solutions to that problem include boosting the amount of diplomas, enhancing the skills of workers, and increasing demand for less educated workers by providing public goods needed by

industries like manufacturing and the “green” economy. Do not forget that, as university does not suit everyone, it should not mean that any person who does not go to university is condemned to a life as an unskilled laborer. Apprenticeships and traineeships can "build bridges" to the labor market for those with no other qualifications, if they are made more appealing to companies and trainees.

High youth unemployment rates reflect the difficulties faced by young people in finding jobs especially in their own country. Because of that setback, they aim to emigrate and look for employment in a foreign country. In order to address this problem a range of policy initiatives can be taken at both a European and national level. Nevertheless, is it a mistake to stop people to go after their career and prevent them to search for a better future?

Free movement of people is one of the most fundamental

freedoms guaranteed by Community law. Freedom of movement includes the right for EU nationals to move to another Member State to take up employment and to establish themselves in the host country with their family members. The right to free movement should, in the long term, create a balance in the European employment system. After all, the most talented workers go where they are needed, while less educated workers move to the regions within the EU that demand large amounts of unskilled labour. The fact that a company now has the option of taking on a highly talented employee from a different country means that his employment needs can be fulfilled much more effectively than previously, when they could only take on a national citizen. Even if, in the short term, locals might lose jobs due to the migration stream coming into their country, such a system should benefit the long term growth of the economy.

by Jelena Petrovic

E M P L

50 %YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT

IS JUST TOO MUCH.

l’ anglais?cultissime.

A R T I C L E

by Célia Poncelin

Did you ever wonder why English is the most used language in European institutions whereas the European Union counts 23 official languages? Why has English become the standard?

I know what you are thinking: nowadays, everyone speaks English. But wait: only 38% of the European citizens can express themselves fluently in English! So, which reason is behind the hegemony of English in the EU? Most of us would say that it is due to history, that the USA is now a superpower, and that English is the simplest language out there. Wait. It hasn’t always been like that. But did you talk about power? Are languages about fad?

According to Gret Haller, ambassador and mediatory in Bosnia, “English is a language of power”. Maybe we’ve got our answer here – languages are about power. Unsurprisingly,

English monopolizes Brussels and Strasbourg since it is the language that the EU officials use to work in the European institutions – although most of them use their mother tongue back in their country. So far, has English become the new lingua franca of the European institutions?

Lingua Franca? Whatizit? Don’t panic. We are here to help you. As you have guessed, Lingua Franca comes from Latin (another language that used to be powerful), and it means the language of the Frank. From the Middle Age to the 19th century, the Greek and the Muslims used this adjective to talk about the Westerner that traded with them. Thus, Lingua Franca designates the Western language, the one and only, that everyone is suppose to speak, no matter where he comes from: finally, isn’t Lingua Franca the dominant language?

laughter.

O P I N I O N

“The most wasted of all days is that in which we have not laughed.” Nicolas Chamfort certainly knew what he was talking about. Just think about it, the happiest days of your life did include some moments of laughter, right? Well, laughter does not bring only happiness. You would be surprised to know that laughter can help you mentally, socially but also can benefit your health!

What if we told you that laughter is not only about “ha ha ha”? Yes, of course, you can say LOL or LMFAO (not the band, guys) but we mean that there are different kinds of

laughs, lots of them actually. You can distinguish a genuine “from the heart laugh” from a fake one, and you can recognise a person by his laugh. Furthermore, you can imply something while laughing, for example: “please, get me out of this situation”, “I don’t even know why I am laughing” or “ha ha my boss has just cracked a lousy joke and I have to look as if I am enjoying it”.

Apart from playing a large role in our lives, laughing is also an important part of EYP. Just think about the games you have been playing in Teambuilding for the last few days. How many of them made you laugh or at

least put a smile on your face? We dare to say that almost every single game did. People you meet during the forum may live very far away from you but thanks to the laughs and good moments you have shared, the distance is not an obstacle.

Having read this, the next time you see someone around, just smile and make his/her day! Victor Borge said that ‘Laughter is the shortest distance between two people’. Does anyone disagree? After all, laughing is free.

by Clara Bagüés Sampériz & Emy Mylona

:)

We are 30 more times likely to laugh ina social situation than when we arealone?

The speaker tends to laugh more thanthe audience.

Laughter usually does not interrupt asentence structure of speech. We reallyonly laugh during the pauses we makefor coughing or breathing.

In groups, women laugh more thanmen. Women also laugh more at menthan men laugh at women?

Most people cannot laugh oncommand? Laughter is not somethingwe produce consciously.

Laughter prevents heart diseases,relieves stress and strengthensrelationships while attracting peopleto us?

There are some really funny “LaughterYoga” exercises? If that’s the first timeyou hear about “Laughter Yoga”, justapproach us!

The universal language.

* DID YOU KNOW?

by Kostis Douligeris & Panaghiotis Kalaïdhopoulos

E Y P O L Y M P I C S

10 days, or 240 hours, or 14400 minutes, or 864000 seconds, after the actual closing of the London 2012 Summer Olympics, the baton is passed to Vido. Two days have passed, and we are nearly a hundred participants, four rather intense Challenges

and ten Medals further.

You played. We tasted, we saw, we timed, and even judged,

and here we report.

London is over.EYP takes over.

F U N B O X

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