Thessaurus - Issue #3

thessaurus Publication of the 26th National Session of EYP Greece

ISSUE #3

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ONE FINAL NOTE.

It’s rather strange having to write an editorial which will be delivered after the session is over. It feels like

there’s not much to say anymore.

We just hope that this issue will not only meet but even exceed your

expectations. We hope that it will be both an educational and pleasant

reading. Above all though, we hope that it’s going to serve as a great

reminder of the good times you had during this 26th NSC of EYP Greece

in Thessaloniki.

So, the 3rd issue of Thessaurus is our final present for you, the ones who made the 26th NSC of EYP Greece

truly remarkable! Browse it on Issuu or make a small Christmas gift to

yourselves by printing it in colors.

One last piece of advice: keep the fire burning…

With lots of love from Albania, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey,

The Media Team of Thess2012

Thessaurus

Sunday 16th December, Museum of Byzantine Culture, Thessaloniki: here we are. Once again, after a wonderful opening by our amazing president, every single team started working altogether: smart delegates debating, journos taking pictures, chairs supporting their young parliamentarians and – more importantly – raising the placards, jury members taking notes. Everybody was ready to do the best. Everybody was ready to share views on a variety of topics, such as the economic crisis and the combination of professional and personal life.

The previous days set the basis for a very fruitful and interactive debate: delegates had to work hard and go through the difficult process of committee work in order to produce their

resolution in the most effective way. It then came the time to demonstrate their knowledge and their rhetoric skills. Although GA started early in the morning and everybody was tired after two exhausting days, they still managed to be extremely active and enthusiastic. During the assembly, we witnessed many memorable moments and situations. Delegates promoted their resolution in any possible way, even if that had to include rare flowers, such as in the case of ENVI I. The resolution of DROI was a tie of 61 votes in favour, 61 against and 10 abstentions. In the second round it succeeded in passing! Let’s get to know what our young participants think about this experience:Nikos: “It has been the first time

I attended a general assembly. It was a great experience because it is really good to share so many different opinions and views on issues that are so important”.Eva: “I had never been part of a GA before and I liked it. Although I was a little bit anxious, I was looking forward to my committee’s debate so that I could intervene.”Georgios: “It was amazing, just a little too hot though”. Any suggestion? “Turn the air conditioning on.”Foteini: “I was so excited! I met so many interesting people!” It seems that our honourable members indulged in this process of debating and sharing freely their own ideas. We can briefly say that they’re really into EYP! Hence, we cannot wait to see you all again!

Atmosphere during

General AssemblyGiorgina Giani & Francesca Puricelli share the way they experienced the General Assembly.

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Volunteering in Europe

Dennis Patriarcheas & Christos Papadogeorgopoulos explore the dimensions of volunteering in today’s Europe.

“I’ve said I’m going to get buried in my uniform when the time comes” says a volunteer at the Olympic Games, as mentioned in a BBC article by Claire Heald. This is one of many examples of volunteering throughout Europe and it reminds us once more that people work not to earn something but for personal satisfaction and to contribute to society instead.There are many ways and fields one can contribute and volunteer, and what is intriguing is that in Europe there are many programmes that push young people towards volunteering. For instance, the European Union organised an enormous

campaign in 2011 (World Year of Volunteering) and funded many environmental, humanitarian and archeological projects. It has also been supporting the Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organisations, a group that represents national bodies that run international voluntary projects. (More information about how you can volunteer on: http://europa.eu/volunteering/).Volunteering projects are much more common than we actually think they are. If you think about it, the Olympic Games were almost completely run by volunteers and so was the restoration of the Acropolis,

in Athens, along with many other projects. After all, in case you haven’t noticed so far, that session (and all European Youth Parliament sessions) would not have happened without all those officials volunteering. What is also true is the fact that people who work as volunteers can really get many things out of it apart from the personal satisfaction that was already mentioned. Getting to know people that would not be possible otherwise and getting valuable experiences for their lives are things that should not be ignored. Do not miss the chance, embrace it!


EYP A FT ER TH E N S C

Now that the doors close behind us, the 26th NSC of EYP Greece definitely leaves us with a sore throat, aching feet but, most of all, with a heavy heart. All the sweet memories we had, the friends we made and the amazing EYP spirit we experienced will stay forever indelible inside us. However, with the last words echoing in our ears, this is not really “goodbye”. There is more than just one open door after a National Selection Conference and they all lead to something magnificent. From now on, we are not the same we were before the session. Every delegate now possesses a new identity; that of the EYP Alumni. Being such, all are able to continue on with taking part in more EYP sessions. If someone

belongs to the lucky 30, they retain a passport to international sessions and forums all over Europe but even if that is not the case there is still the option to apply to national, regional and international sessions in the future and keep the EYP dream alive. And do not forget that everybody can now participate actively to their own national committee! Everybody can now apply to be a delegate, an organiser, a journalist or a chair in various EYP sessions. After having gained the needed experience, they can even someday organise their own session and transmit all the fun and positive energy, knowledge and cooperation they have themselves felt when they were delegates. And it doesn’t

stop here. EYP is an idea, a feeling and it passes from one to another, it flows and it explodes! Arguably, by participating in more and more sessions, we grow not only mentally but also emotionally. We learn to cooperate, to trust, to hear as well as be heard. But most of all, we learn that we are important and are capable to make a stand and have a say about our future, have an opinion about all the issues tormenting this world. So, don’t say “goodbye”. Say “we were here and we will keep taking part in the EYP world”. Say “we were here, we are here and we will be here for a long time to come”. Let’s materialise our vision for a better world through the process that can make it all true; E Y P.

Despina and Eleni introduce us with the ways everyone can stay involved with EYP after the first Selection Conference.

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Presidential interviewStamos Tahas, President of the 26th NSC of EYP Greece, shares with us his thoughts about EYP and the session. An interview by Dionysius Theodoropoulos.

Dionysius: Which is in your opinion the most important thing for a successful session?

Stamos: Successful head organising. For this session one could ask “Can I speak to the man in charge?” and I would say “Yes, but maybe you also want to speak to the woman who actually knows what is going on”.

D: How can someone become a president in a session?

S: Grow a moustache.

D: Describe EYP in a few words.

S: Excited Young People.

D: Would you like to address a word to the participants?

S: Read a good book during the Christmas holidays.

D: Which are the duties of a president?

S: Ensuring the academic quality of the conference, phrasing the committee topics, supervising of the topics’ overviews, keeping an eye on the General Assembly’s procedures, helping and giving advice on organisational matters.

D: Which traits make a delegate stand out from the crowd?

S: Authenticity.

D: It is often argued that participation in EYP boosts one’s personal development and that it is a means for one to acquire a wide range of skills that one will find useful in life in and out of EYP. Do you share this belief and if yes would you be kind enough to give us a personal example that confirms it?

S: I think it is a rhetorical question. If not for EYP, I would not have traveled to more than fifteen European states, have been able to call Spaniards and Cypriots my best friends, have eaten a reindeer, have grown to love ties and my eyes would not have been as open.


民主？ One may not know his name, but Liu Xiaobo is a global icon for freedom. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights, today, this hero remains in jail, as China’s most famous political prisoner. Xiaobo is serving a term for his activism demanding the Chinese government to make the country more democratic and its courts more independent, in a peaceful way. He was formally arrested on 23 June 2009 on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power”. After being tried on the same charges on 23 December 2009, the verdict stated that Xiaobo was to be incarcerated for eleven

years’ and subsequently another verdict reading deprivation of political rights followed on 25 December 2009. In addition to this, his wife, who has never been convicted of any crime, was placed under house arrest.China is ruled by the Communist Party whose power finds its justification in China’s constitution. Moreover, the Chinese electoral system is hierarchical in which local People’s Congresses are directly elected and all higher levels of People’s Congresses up to the National People’s Congress are indirectly elected by the People’s Congress of the level immediately below. Every 10 years, the Chinese

government hands over power to a new generation. Since the 10 years have passed, a crucial era has found its dawn on the People’s Republic of China. Until now, Xi Jinping has succeeded his predecessor, Hu Jintao, as Secretary-General of the Party, and hopes have arisen China will be opened up to reforms on a unprecedented scale.

• Greek ‘experts’ have been inter-viewed about this issue:a. What do you think about the current political system in China? b. Is the new government going to change the political system in China, or at least liberate some of their policies?

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民主？Thanasis, 15: 1.The government in China should grow more open-minded as the world would benefit from China as a strong nation.2. It is a well-known fact that power corrupts, therefore change is hardly likely.

Garyfallenia, 16: Not informed

Anna, 16:a) A basic level of democracy is lacking and, apart from that, pro-paganda is still used on a large scale to influence public opinion. b) Government officials (pol-icy makers) benefit highly from the current situation, therefore change is unlikely

Leandros, 16: a) Not democratic at all. They are the strongest economy in the world but, as a human being, I consid-er economy as a secondary issue comparing to the human rights.b) Government is not the only one responsible for decisions.

Panagiotis, 16: a) Very strict and their policies are limiting people’s liberties.b) Not at all.

Ifastion, 17: a) Dictatorship is never good.b) Nothing will change with their policies and people need to demand democracy.

Gio, 22:a) I’ve been in China last sum-mer. People there seem satis-fied and quite happy. They have trust for the government and they truly believe what the gov-ernment has in mind. I think they’re really into the values of honesty, decency, family and mostly honor. On the other hand, their mentality is quite flat, maybe that’s why they’re so confident with the government.b) It’s quite difficult to say. It’s very hard to change, especially if most of them convey the idea that they’re happy the way they are.


Democracy, originally deriving from the Greek words “δήμος” and “κρατώ”, has many definitions. In the perspective of the delegates, it is a fundamental right which means equality, freedom of expression, liberty. In official terms, it is a state of society characterised by formal equality of rights and privileges. Democracy has underpinned the political, social, cultural and economic development of the European Union and from its collective experience the EU is convinced that it represents the best form of governance. The development and consolidation of democracy worldwide has therefore become a key objective of its Common Foreign and Security Policy as well as its Development Cooperation Policy. However, is there pure democracy in every single European country? Unfortunately, that is not the case. Belarus, Ukraine and

other European countries are (politically) falling in the shadows. What with the ongoing economic crisis, all eyes have been diverted from the current situation in the region. Nevertheless, although democracy in theory, things tend to change when it comes to practice. Belarus has sadly been described as “the last remaining true dictatorship in the heart of Europe” by former US Secretary State, Condoleezza Rice. The Council of Europe has banned Belarus from membership of 1997 and Lukashenko is seen by the vast majority as a dictator. He has been ruling the country autocratically from 1994 and has cracked down on opposition leaders and movements and abused civil rights of freedom to assembly and association. The severity can be clearly seen by the enforcement of the “Belarus Democracy Act of 2004” by the USA which aims to the

promotion of human rights and democratic procedures in the country. However, not much has been achieved by now. The situation in Ukraine is not very different. Referring to last year’s jailing of Yulia Timoshenko, it has been observed that in order to find a leading political figure in the whole country, you have to visit a prison(!). There have also been consecutive incidents of serious abuse of power, while the excessive role of money for the elections outcome and the “falsification” of the poll has become a common phenomenon. Bottom-line, Europe’s Achilles heel is the lack of democracy in the aforementioned nations, with the subject becoming more and more urgent by the moment. Will we continue to connive to this? Will we turn a deaf ear to their crisis because it’s not happening in our “yard”?

CREST FALLING DEMOCRACIESHard times for freedom and democracy in some European countries. Ukraine and Belarus struggle between autocracy and diminishing human rights.

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Christmas BiscuitsChristmas time is coming and the session has come to an end: you surely need some sweets for partying on one hand and for cheering up yourselves on the other. What’s better than an Italian recipe?

First of all, take a colourful bowl and put the brown sugar, the molasses and the butter in it. Then, while you’re singing a Christmas song, let’s say Jingle Bells, put the bowl in the microwave and wait till everything melts. Meanwhile, with your Santa Claus-hat, turn on the oven to 180° and take another bigger colourful (possibly with some smiling-deer painted on it) bowl. When the mixture with butter is melt, leave it at room temperature and pour the flour, the cinnamon and the ginger in

the new bowl, sieving them. Add the egg and then the butter bowl and mix all together. When the paste is ready, start making the X-mas shapes (trees, snowmen, ginger-men, deer, stars) and finally put everything in the oven for 10 minutes. Once they’re baked, leave them on a shelf; take then the albumen and whip it, adding slowly the icing sugar; mix the food colouring at the end and decorate your fabulous biscuits!

From Italy, with love.

Ingredients:

• 450g of white flour• 125g of butter• 75g of brown sugar• 175g of molasses• 1 beaten egg • 3 spoons of cinnamon• 2 spoons of ginger

For the decoration:

• 130g di icing sugar • 1 albumen • food colouring


MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON DREAMS, SLEEP AND POWER NAPS (ZZZZ)

Keeping the level of energy of EYP officials as high as possible; with regard to the growing deprivation and consequent lack of interest, what steps should the Euro-pean Union (EU) take to guide its youngsters into an era of toddle?

Proposed by: Francesca Puricelli (IT), Giorgina Giani (GR), Rafaella Koumpari (CY), Christos Papadogeorgopoulos (GR), Eleni Gianoulli (GR), Anja Kadiu (AL), Dennis Pa-triarcheas (GR), Despina Dimitrakopoulou (GR), Bas van Leeuwen (Chairperson, NL), Ijon Muca (Chairperson, AL)

The European Youth Parliament ,

A. Keeping in mind that the human mind grows less peculiar after a few days of sleep depriva-tion,

B. Fullyawareofthefactthatinordertoremainproductiveasofficialsteam,powernapsshould be introduced,

C. Alarmed by the growing lack of interest during the day of General Assembly (GA) and subse-quently the decline of the academic level,

D. Recognising that in order for energizers to be effective, a basic level of actual energy is needed,

E. Having heard that an aura of toddle can be described as heaven on earth,

1. Forces National Committees (NC’s) to introduce power-naps at least once a day for every of-ficialbasedonshifts;

2. Authorises the still-to-be-established Supervisory Legal Establishment of Yawning Provoca-tion (SLEYP) to impose sanctions on NC’s violating these new regulations,

3. Proposes the creation of a basic number of power-napping spots in every venue to assure a gooddistributionoftheofficialsusingthem,

4. Discourages the consumption of coffee pills, as they may disrupt the natural sleeping cycle,

5. Solemnly proclaims Snorlax an example to all EYPers and gives every alumni a Gameboy Color in order to learn more about this fantastic character,

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EYP’s streetstylingFashion in EYP does not only imply the way of thinking, but has also become a respresentative mark of creativity and the desire of being outstanding. Words and pictures from Anja and Giorgina.

EYP’s educative. EYP’s also fashionable.The previous days EYP has been magical because of the beautiful city and the amazing moments. Although the weather has been disappointing us lately (no, we didn’t want the cold), we have noticed that the EYP ladies and lads manage to always stay fashionable as well as comfortable. You must also have already noticed that EYP does

indeed have style. It is not only about knowl-edgeable and capable of building up a session but also about people who never forget their sense of fashion, even when working hard! No matter how tired, anxious or frustrated they are, they always look at their best! So, EYPers, enjoy and let us know what you think!


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January 1977. Intellectuals, people with various occupations and civic activists prepared a text criti-cising the communist government of Czhechoslo-vakia for failing constant violation of human rights. In less than a week, the 246 petitioners were la-beled as traitors, anti-socialists and moreover, they were imprisoned and publicly humiliated. Vaclav Havel, a prominent activist of the Prague Spring in 1968 and dissident since that time, was also one of the signatories of the manifesto. Since the time he delivered his unforgettable speech from Radio Free Czechoslovakia during the revolts of 1968 until the moment he signed the manifesto, he was forced to work in a brewery near Pardubice. He never stopped writing about love and freedom, something that cost him 4 years spent in jail. On 29 December 1989, while he was leader of the Civic Forum, Havel became President of Czechoslovakia. Vaclav Havel famously accompanied his signature

with a heart in the decades he played an instru-

mental role in removing one-party rule in Central and Eastern Europe. He strongly believed that Eu-rope needs to overpass historic divisions and burn to ashes the iron curtains that kept millions op-pressed under the most cruel and bizarre regimes. But, with his outstanding virtues and no signs of epistemic aggresivity, Havel led Czech Republic to-wards a more prosperous future in EU and NATO. On top of everything, Havel will be always admired for his long struggle against communist repression. “Truth and love must win over lies and hatred!” His motto evokes the same inspiration for struggling against totalitarianism, in a Europe kneeled by dark shadows of political and economic crisis, outburst-ing nationalism and absence of confidence among nations and people. To commemorate his contri-bution to freedom on the first anniversary of his death, a neon heart was lit above the entrance of the main EP building in Brussels on 17 December.

CHARTA 77December and Christmas holidays are the best time to browse magazines and your favor-ite historical books. Havel and the footprints he left behind were inspiring enough to make Kristi write a few words on this extraordinary man.


Με την ευγενική χορηγία:

Κάβα Θεοδωρίδης

Με την φιλοξενία:

Με την υποστήριξη:

Γραφείο Δημάρχου

ΑΝΤΙΔΗΜΑΡΧΙΑ ΝΕΟΤΗΤΑΣ, ΑΘΛΗΤΙΣΜΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΕΘΕΛΟΝΤΩΝ Αντιδημαρχία Πολιτισμού

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Thessaurus - Issue #3

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