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.

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.

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.

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.

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.