Wednesday 19 November 2008

2:25 - 3:30

I am nothing but a "LOST" fun...

Saturday 8 November 2008

No comments

Get informed...

Get despaired...

Get angry...

Get active...

Friday 7 November 2008

MyBook

Well, the title seems to refer to a new "web" thingie, that follows the "My" onomatology...but actually is my book :) I dare to say "the 1st one of those I will write during my life"...

In cooperation with Miki, here is the fruit of our work.

Another step towards recognition of non-formal learning? Time will show... For the time being, we are proud to have it finished...without a single penny of support...And this is not an allusion of complain towards those institutions that for years have been supporting our ideas-turn into-projects, but a statement and a belief about achieving a lot without money being necessarily a precondition.

My gratitude and respect to all those that supported and still support our work and its promotion.

Enjoy reading and feed us with comments and stories! Let's breath life into it!

S.

Online consultation

Politicians ask for our opinion and input....................................................................................................................

Yes, they do!

Well, what do they do with it is the case...

But still, without contributing to the online consultation you miss the one opportunity that those politicians might actually do something with it.

Let action take over skepticism, let commitment take over complains.

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/youth-policies/doc1220_en.htm

S.

European information goes on TV!

I greatly support (and I am deeply surprised by)
http://www.eurodesk.tv

"European information" for young people gets more accessible than ever...and most of all, nicely illustrated and expressed!

Thousands of thumbs up!

S.

Thursday 30 October 2008

European Youth Week

Visit:

http://youthweek.magusine.net/

and take a glimpse on what happened during the "WebLab" of the European Youth Week 2008, Brussels event.

S.

Monday 22 September 2008

True or not???

Now that's really interesting!

Taken from http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/008-37657-266-09-39-901-20080919IPR37656-22-09-2008-2008-false/default_en.htm

Questions over the funding of the No campaign in Ireland on the Lisbon Treaty referendum

Raising a point of order, Co-President Daniel Cohn Bendit (Greens/EFA , DE) said: "Last weekend, the Irish press revealed that there possibly exists a link between the financers of the no-campaign in Ireland and the Pentagon as well as the CIA. This was a very interesting story and the explanation given was that Europe should not become too strong. I would ask the President to please clarify this matter and suggest that we also ask the Council as well as the Commission to inform us next time, because if this story turns out to be true it would be an interesting fact indeed, confirming what lies behind the €1.2 million which was used to finance the no-campaign in Ireland. I therefore would like to ask the President to please look into the matter so that we receive information and achieve transparency."

In response, EP President Hans-Gert Pöttering said: "I have been following this whole matter very attentively for some time. We do indeed need absolute transparency on this (matter) because this is exactly what those who are attacking us demand. However, they must of course comply with these standards themselves, i.e. they must provide total transparency on what funds this organisation.

We have learned from the Irish media - and I am quoting what we read in Ireland during the past week - that in the past Mr Ganley claimed that the donations come from ordinary citizens, and that they are small donations. According to the reports, he now has admitted that he himself has donated €200 000 of his personal assets to his organisation, and it has also been confirmed in the meantime that Mr Ganley has signed contracts with the Pentagon over the execution of military orders amounting to about 200 million - I believe - dollars. Other estimates are much higher. We must continue to follow this affair very closely. The facts must be put on the table. We cannot allow Europe to be harmed by people who demand transparency but do not provide it themselves.

I would like to emphasise my high regard for the Irish Minister of European Affairs, Dick Roche, who has made it his personal cause to shed light on this issue and I explicitly support him in his uncompromising approach. Ladies and gentlemen, I deduce from your applause that we stand on the side of those who strive for absolute transparency in all of these questions in order to keep Europe from suffering harm. "


Let's wait and see...

I didn't plan to bring this previously blogged issue forward, at least not before any update in the Irish referendum. Well, the update has arrived so here we are.

It's very interesting, for the world in general but for this blog as well, to see who has raised this issue within the European Parliament! If you look some articles before you'll see what I mean!

On hold.

S.

Tuesday 26 August 2008

In between 2 posts

I have just noticed that in between my two latest posts... there has been a war.

I didn't write anything about it...Maybe because I found it difficult to believe it happened. Maybe because I just wanted it finishes faster than my blogging reflexiveness can grasp. Maybe because I had nothing to say.

And still, I have nothing to say... I am kind of speechless when thinking wars still happen nowadays. Actually, it was the first time that something like that is so close to me; I had to cancel/postpone a training course in Georgia because of the post-war situation. But that's the least in my line of thinking and most of all, in the overall situation during and after the war.

What fears me the most is that I don't personally see an easy, fast and effective healing in the wound made in the body of the Caucasian mountains...

But I wish.

S.

I have a dream...team

I have never imagined my self waking up so early on a Sunday morning to watch a basketball game. But it happened. Actually, I woke up much earlier than the game once I had to drive 2 and a 1/2 hours back home from a seaside place where a party took place the previous night. But this is another story.

The final of the Olympics. USA against Spain. The end of the game found me locked in my thoughts and emotions. It was far beyond a sports activity. It was dramatically more than just athletics. It had all these elements of an act that you see one and imagine thousands. Some (I repeat, just some) of the ingredients were: the ever changing leadership in the score, the come-backs of Spain (the moment you were thinking the match is lost they were finding the courage to come back), the fact that a 17 year old boy was playing against multi-millionaires (and multi - musclers!), the fear of losing the match in the faces of the US players, the way US players were celebrating each and every point (Spanish players were doing it as well, but it's not worth mentioning it in the flow of my unfolding thoughts...they do it anyway), the ever repeating proof and unfortunately, life principle, that the "strongs" always get the "extra little" support from related factors (the referees in this case)...and more.

The climax was at the end; a group of 11-12 black people, were celebrating the victory for a national team (most of them showing its flag in the crowd and kissing it) representing a country where their not so far in time ancestors have suffered some of the worst types of segregation and humiliation. Of course and fortunately for all humanity, this is history now and things have radically changed since then, but still this picture (added up to the fact that each of these players is paid in one year the same amount of money that all readers of this post will not get if they live 3 lifes working in hours as much as probably the grandparents of those players have been working daily) shook me a lot. And it came after all what happened and described in the previous paragraph.

I still haven't given an answer to my self to the question "why", but indeed it was a morning full of life; thoughts and emotions, images and words, love and hate, wondering and wandering, changing and evolving, eyes and ears stimulated... while not moving an inch away from my sofa! :)

Congratulations to both by the way. That's the basketball of the new millenium. I used to play basketball my self when I was young(er) so I am happy to see this sport evolving. Well done!

S.

Wednesday 30 July 2008

Future

Stopping my holidays temporarily for DJing in a place 2 hours driving away from my tent was not so desirable but it proved to be an interesting experience.

First of all, it was great fun. People dancing, lucid moon, iodine smell from the sea, cold beer, twisted beats and more.

Fortunately, the darkness of the night, covered the disgust that images like the one on the left was causing the moment you were letting your eyesight to enjoy the sea view (in the daylight).

Tones of garbage over tones of garbage
...on the beach of the camping site for university students of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.

In an age that action for the support of the environmental resuscitation is needed more than ever, the future doctors, mechanics, lawyers, teachers...(nothing against the professions and to those that possess and practice them with respect) have decided that an act of faith to this end (or maybe the best their brains can think) was to create a dump in a place that offers them invaluable relaxing moments and healthy living...and also hosts them the next day, amongst plastic bottles, cans, food left-overs...Quality in life.

Shitheads...

S.

Monday 23 June 2008

That's what sports is all about

Spain won over Italy last night in a match that didn't satisfy me but still I feel the "football bliss" of the Saturday night's match during which two of my favorite teams kept me away from the beach bar for 2 hours...which is anyway not the easiest thing in the world to be done!
But I am far from being a sports' reporter. I just know that the Italian guy being interviewed by a Greek channel, made me stop my lunch and try not to become so emotionally charged when he said "Italy lost and that sorrows me...but my girlfriend is happy - and he smoothly drugs her closer to him so the camera catches her - because she is Spanish...and I am happy she is happy!!!" Even the most distant dualities - like sorrow and happiness - collide creatively...and generate life...when people meet.

S.

What's next?

In the following web links you can find things very much related to the previous article.

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/ec/101346.pdf
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_245_en.pdf

The former is about the Presidency Conclusions of the recent Council and the latter regards a survey that was conducted in Ireland after the referendum for the Lisbon Treaty.

Although the Lisbon Treaty was on the top of the Agenda, the "real" discussion was actually postponed for the October Council. Logically, so to say. It was too early to act and EU's modest, gradual and meticulous approach to things is the prevalent operational attitude so far, although admittedly (and logically) people tend to condemn this approach. Call it not brave enough, for the time being, this is the way it is.

Results of the survey will make us all think and this is precisely the reason why I have included this web link here. Lack of information and protection of the Irish identity were the main reasons for voting "No". Reasonable reasons? I am still wondering.

S.

Thursday 19 June 2008

Treating a Treaty

Some say I am not a normal person. Maybe, they are right.
I spent the last weekend in an amazing seaside place. The picture on the right, although not so relevant in the first glimpse with the content of this post, was taken there. It was the "peak" moment; the one that I liked the most during those days. What I liked the least was to get to know (from the late arriving newspapers) that the Irish people - precisely, 53,1% of the population entitled to voting - voted "NO" for the Treaty of Lisbon. "Why do you care" was the question of many. Rightly wondered. Ireland is so far anyway.

It's been a while since I posted a link to the official web site of the Treaty of Lisbon. I can not not know. Especially for something that is going to affect my life so deeply in the years to come. The same I thought for the kind visitors of this blog. To be honest, I haven't read the 388 pages of the Consolidated Version of the Treaty. Very few have, even less understood. I am reading a comment by an Irish MEP "Of the three things that led to the NO result, one was that the Irish Prime Minister hasn't read the Treaty". At the same time, I consider my self quite informed: I have followed on TV the procedures of the Greek Parliament and the dedicated Commission about the Treaty, I have visited the web site and wandered and pondered for hours, read newspapers and more.

And I am wondering, what was the "NO" vote for?

  • Was it for the adherence of the EU to the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the explicit reference that it "shall have the same legal value as the Treaties" (9/5/2008, C 115/19)?
  • Was it for the so called European Citizens' Initiative "whereby one million citizens, from any number of member countries, will be able to ask the Commission to present a proposal in any of the EU's areas of responsibility"?
  • Was it for the reduction of the Commissioners' number to the 2/3 of the number of Member States, simply because there aren't tasks for everyone (something that at the same time means less money for the payments and more efficiency)?
  • Was it because the European Parliament, the only EU institution that is directly elected by the citizens will have advanced powers and a strengthened voice?
  • Was it because the National Parliaments will have an improved role with regards to European Law and decision making?
  • Was it because of the President of the European Council (falsely, mistakenly, impromptu and sometimes provocatively named by the media "The President of Europe")? Was it because of the High representative for foreign and security policy? The explicit reference to "promoting measures at international level to deal with regional or worldwide environmental problems, and in particular combating climate change" (9/5/2008, C 115/132).

What was it for?

I don't personally think that the NO vote was related to any of the key points above. Reading around I get to know that the people of Ireland voted what they vote having in mind issues such as abortion, European Army, taxation etc. Whatever they voted for, the mandate should be respected. A democratic society can not do otherwise, although it is disputable how much democracy exists without sufficient information and in the case of the Irish referendum (or the referendums wherever they would have taken place) information was insufficient, blurred, not pursued and sometimes (modestly), misleading.

To my belief, a big amount of information (with all the adjectives seen above) was transmitted by people, entities, institutions, collectivities and associations that have little or no faith to European integration, so "their problem" is not the Treaty of Lisbon but it would have been any kind of treaty, decision or act that aims at changing something that they don't favor anyway. As well, like anything new in the political life, it inevitably suffered opportunistic attitudes.

The Treaty of Lisbon is not a magic stick that will change the world at once. It is not the perfect treaty. There is space for improvement. There might be mistakes, omissions and unclarity. It won't be the device that all alone will respond to "hot" issues such as unemployment, oil prices, environmental catastrophe, high food prices etc. But certainly, the NO vote will not give, suggest, propose solutions to the problems that the Treaty was designed to deal with and resolve.

The European Council is now taking place in Brussels (19 - 20/06/2008) and the Treaty is on the top of the Agenda.

I personally stay tuned.

S.

Tuesday 3 June 2008

North does it better!


I couldn't but make a brief reference to the wonderful hosting of the Estonian National Agency of the Youth in Action programme during the works of the "NFL goes WWW" seminar (ideas evoked will be processed soon).
It has been such a fruitful experience that proved results do not take time; they take shape through commitment, insistence and vision.
The Agency resides in a country that is as much connected to the Internet as to the practice and promotion of non formal learning (only in Estonian so far). So much, that very few countries in the continent are.
Besides the above, it resides in a beautiful country that it's edge of attractiveness is sharped particularly during May! Go on, visit and, literally, forget what it means to sleep!
I've just noticed that in a month, it is the second time I refer to this "northy". I stop here or I am going to be accused for partiality!
Well done for everything!

Naqemiseni!

S.

Thursday 8 May 2008

A shift of mind

Chatting recently with my dearest friend Maris from Estonia, I discovered a very interesting action that took place last week in this lovely country. So interesting, that in my mind it was translated and accommodated as a "light of hope". BBC has a video reportage about it: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7382489.stm.
It's not only the collection of tones of garbage, which as indisputably a noble act. It's not only the overall coordination which included Google maps, photos uploading, GPS and more, which can not be imitated even from the most sophisticated management systems in large corporations. It's not only that more than 50000 people came together as one, which is a revolution in its own. It's a shift in the minds of the people; a realization of their power and of their responsibility; a deep comprehension that change is possible and an understanding that we, people, are the carriers and purveyors of it!
With the hope that more minds will shift.
A European/World spring cleaning day is what comes to my mind now; may the organizers have the strength, the will and the courage to go about it. I am with them.

Start from your self.

S.

"Societies will start to self organize themselves once nobody can do it better for them".

Wednesday 7 May 2008

Has something changed?

It was the best present for my birthday. A book, very delicate and carefully illustrated, highly readable and attractive. I made this present to my self, simply by buying the newspaper that included it!
In its pages I read about this incident dated back in January 1968: The Minister of Education of France was visiting a university. On his way out, he was stopped by a red haired student just to be said "I read the White Paper on Youth, Mr. Minister. In 300 pages there is not even a single word mentioned about the sexual problems of young people"...
This recurring thought in my mind pushed me to read our "generation's" White Paper on Youth. I did it long ago. Good time for refreshment. I am quite informed about its contents. Actually, it's part of my work. But I would read 100 pages simply to see if any of the words and phrases such as sexual, sex, sexuality, sexual health, sexual problems are anywhere mentioned; moreover if they are meaningfully mentioned.
100 pages read...
Yes, they are! Happily, they are!
The same guy, in his most recent book, mentions an anecdote: "As a vice mayor, I was promoting social integration for immigrants. A man, deeply religious, Catholic, right winked and very sympathetic turns back to me and tells me that I am excellent but I don't understand one thing: the problem is not migration, the problem is that some religions do not recognize equality between men and women and that's the basis for democracy". Something has changed; back in the sixties no person sharing characteristics such as his would even think about this value, the value of equality. Something has changed and yes, May '68 was successful...
Sexual and all its derivatives are included in "our" White Paper on Youth. In my humble opinion, this is another indicator that May '68 was successful. But the main success of those events with regards to this Paper is far beyond the inclusion of sexuality; it is that it was young people that shaped it; that young people was consulted, asked and questioned; that young people suggested, proposed and highlighted. A document that "leads" and informs youth policies around EU since 2001. Nothing is criticism - free, but its importance to our lives as young people is indisputable.
Something has changed, indeed.

S.

PS. The stories above and the translation is quite "free style" given. I was not interested in having a detailed reproduction but to give the essence of it. I hope I managed. I don't specify names and places, deliberately. Hint: the "student" is alive and kicking, member of the European Parliament nowadays. A weekend in my summer tent for free for those who guess!

Hiatus

It's been a long time since I last posted something. Well, I want to believe that this "silence" has helped me to clarify things about how I would like that my blog looks like, what it should contain and how I can make it more meaningful. It's for sure that from now on the posts will be more related to my "professional" rather than my "personal" one; although the former involves and includes a lot of the latter. Posts will be short, brief, concise, up-to-date and informative; longer posts, "deep" ideas unfolding and analysis, will have their place too, but not too often. The content will most usually be around the triptych Europe - Youth - Training. But whenever I feel that these or any other sort of restrictions, block me, I will break them! I am also working on techniques to improve readability and to have the blog enhanced with more media and interesting "web programming" stuff. Ideas, are more than welcome.
Thanks a million to some people whose wish to read my writings has been the main push to start blogging again. It is from those and beyond that their comments are expected!

Long live the alphabet!

S.