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The Periphery Magazine of Joensuu 2013 19th National Selection Conference of European Youth Parliament Finland ISSUE 2

The Periphery - Issue 2

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Page 1: The Periphery - Issue 2

The PeripheryMagazine  of  Joensuu  2013

19th  National  Selection  Conference  of  European  Youth  Parliament  Finland

ISSUE 2

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TABLE OF CONTENTSEDITORIAL

CHAIRS’  TEAM

EU  NOBELPEACE  PRIZE

2012  TIMELINE

PICTURES

FISCAL  CLIFF

POLL

JOENSUU  SURVIVAL  GUIDE

RECENT  RISE  OF  EDM

EVENING  PROGRAMME

POST-­APOCALYPSE

SMALL  TALK  GUIDE

PERIPHERY  OF  THE  DAY

2

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Like  a  simple  truck  can  turn  out  to  

be  something  as  incredibly  powerful  as  Optimus  Prime,  we  the  Editors  have  the  privilage  of  seeing  ‘just  young  

people’  turn  into  the  people  of  the  future.  That  what  society  often  under-­mines,  turns  into  a  powerful  wave  of  actions  and  opinions  at  a  session.  EYP  ses-­

sions  show  that  youth  are  capable  of  and  eager  to  be  involved  and  be  active.  We  are  thought  of  as  an  under-­achieving  generation  without  necessary  motivation  to  be  the  cause  of  sufficient  

change.  But  here  in  Joensuu  we  yet  again  notice  that  when  given  the  chance,  we  transform  and  show  our  true  strength.

It  all  sounds  exaggerated  and  overly  highlighted,  but  that  is  caused  by  our  disability  to  believe  in  how  special  some-­thing  like  EYP  is.  How  would  a  PhD  specialist   be  impressed  by  young  people  playing  games  

and  sleeping  on  floors  if  they  did  not  see   something  great  in  what  we  are  doing?  How  could  we  be  sponsored  by  governments,   companies,  and  foundations  unless  they  

believed  in  the  importance  of  what  we   do?  Believe  it  or  not,  you  are  apart  of  something  that  is  important  and  you   are  doing  things  highly  valued  by  our  society.

Transformers  asked  help  from   young  citizens  of  Earth.  They  believed  that  we  would  be  able  to   understand  and  adopt  to  the  true  nature  of  the  cosmos  better  than  the   leaders  of  today.  Be  encouraged  to  prove  them  right,  to  break  through   the  barriers  brought  up  by  tradition  and  try  to  think  of  what  changes   need  to  be  done  in  order  for  us  to  adapt  to  the  new,  constantly  chang-­ ing  world.  Question  the  truths  of  the  past  in  order  to  base  your  ideals   on  the  actual  reality.  Form  your  own  opinions  but  never  stop  looking   for  better  ones.

There  are  two  more  days  left  of  the   session.  Make  them  count,  enjoy,  but  remember  that  it  does  not  end  here.   There  are  Decepticons  threatening  the  world  every  day,  you  can  help  Op-­ timus  in  any  way  you  see  fit.  Just  keep  in  mind;  if  Transformers  value  us,  we   should  value  ourselves  too.

Yours,

Robert  &  Alex

Idena,  nos  contia  ompraestemus  horatiae  ad  feciam  hemquonsus,  se,  faucia  dicae  ini  is  auci  conius  diurobultis  oc,  et,  fecesim  ilicae  con  Ita,  quem  patimis  consulario,  nu  viriust  

contia  diem  quonsce  rnius,  es  Maes  ad  dem.  Hum,  quium  hori  prat,  is  caesces  orum  laberce  peritant,  utem.  Ebefacenatum  aucidem  oruntium  de  

acit,  nox  molum  acia  mei  pereis.  Onsus  pulla  dum  et  L.  Sat  in  sen  Etraecr  ioctum,  se  quem  des.

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Petya  Koleva  (BG)

Karlis  Caune  (LT)

Lars  Melakoski  (FI)

Hanna  Ollinen  (FI)

Sofia  Westerlund  (FI)

THE CHAIRSby  Riikka  Nieminen

“Our   lovely   chairs   told   a  bit   about   themselves   and  revealed   what   animal   they  

would  like  to  be.”

“I  love  bacon  and  eggs!”  “I’d  be  a  fluffy  bear”

Remember   what   she   said   in  the  last  issue?

“My   feet   aren’t   as   smelly   as  Sofia’s!”   “A  Jesus  bug,  because   it   can  walk  on  water”

“When  I  was  a  kid  I  broke  a  bone  almost  once  in  a  month”   “A   cross-­bred   mongrel   of   a  lazy   sloth   and   a   cute   koala  bear”

“I’m   obsessed   with   people’s  scents”“Definitely  a  sloth”

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Randolf  Carr  (DE)

Lukas  Rosenkranz  (DE)

Hammu  Varjonen  (FI)

Marja  Pentikäinen  (FI)

Willem  Koelewijn  (NL)

Oona  Kiiskinen  (FI)

“I  watched  4  seasons  of  “How  I  met  your  mother”  in  2  week-­ends!”   “I   would   be   a   lion   because  it’’s  the  national  animal  of  my  home  country”

“I   do   these   little   movements  and  use  my  hands  a  lot  when  I  talk”  “I  would  be  a  baby  seal”

“I’ve   played   only   2   rugby  matches   in  my   life   and   both  in  the  Finnish  national  team”“I   would   be   a   soft   tiger   like  Hobbes”

“I   like   lunch   and   I   have  worked   in   a   greenhouse   in  Iceland”  “I  would  be  a  koala  bear”

“I   think   I   have   a   fetish   for  Finnish   people,   because   no  matter  how  cold   it   is,   they’re  smoking  hot!”“It’d  be  cool  to  be  a  lizard  be-­cause  they  can  be  lazy  but  also  superfast”

“I  have  a  small  statue  of  An-­gela  Merkel  in  my  room  and  I  look  at  it  every  night  before  I  go  to  bed”  “I  would  be  a  lobster”

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by  Philippe  Dehio

66

“I   can   only   hope   that   the  Nobel  Peace  Prize  will  make  us  all  take  a  minute  to  think  about   the   peaceful   unity   we  live  in  and  the  role  you  want  take   to   preserve   it.   I   did   so,  

and  here  we  stand.”

EU AWARDEDNOBEL PEACE PRIZE

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Following  the  announcement  by  the  Norwegian  Nobel  Committee  on  the  12th  October  2012  that  the  European  Union  (EU)  would  be  awarded  with  the  Nobel  Peace  Prize,  the  decision  was  met  with  confusion.  Many  even  regarded  it  as  an  absurd  joke  and  a  sign  that  the  Norwe-­gian  Nobel  Committee  lost  the  last  of  their  accountability  after  Obama  had  received  it.  Living  in  a  post-­apocalyptic  era,  my  opinion  has  become  the  opposite.War  and  conflicts  in  which  tens  of  

millions  have  died  has  been  the  recur-­ring  theme  throughout  European  history.  With  the  end  of  the  2nd  World  War,  an  era  of  peace,  democracy  and  human  rights  began.  For  over  six  decades,  the  EU,  in  all  its  forms,  has  rebuilt  a  peace-­ful  Europe  out  of  the  war’s  ashes  and  brought  stability  never  witnessed  before,  making  Europe  akin  to  the  proverbial  phoenix.Several  voices  expressed  their  disagree-­

ment  with  the  Norwegian  Nobel  Commit-­tee  because  it  may  be  an  illogical  time  to  

be  awarded  the  prize.  For  example,  the  EU  has  stayed  questionably  inactive  to-­wards  the  civil  war  in  Syria  not  to  men-­tion  the  massive  arm  exports  of  Member  states.  Furthermore,  while  Europe  is  suffering  from  major  social  unrest  due  to  the  financial  crisis.  The  shared  Euro-­pean  idea  becomes  weaker  with  every  un-­employed  young  adult  in  Spain  and  every  aid  package  for  Greece.  It  is  obvious  that  the  EU  received  the  Nobel  Peace  Prize  for  its  past  achievements.  My  great-­grandmother  lived  through  

two  world  wars.  What  her  generation  experienced  is  beyond  our  imagination.  The  citizens  of  contemporary  Europe  mis-­evaluate  their  situation.  A  grievous  lack  of  gratitude  and  appreciation  is  a  tendency  sadly  prominent  in  our  society.  Surely  the  1.2  million  euros  of  prize  money  will  not  be  able  to  solve  the  euro  crisis.  Nevertheless,  it  sends  a  message  to  the  European  population  to  remem-­ber  the  past  and  draw  lessons  from  it.  Above  all,  what  is  crucial  is  the  mental  

fortitude  and  social  stability  necessary  for  effective  co-­operation.  In  this  time  of  crisis  and  doubt,  we  must  emphasise  the  European  model  and  EU  philosophy.On  the  10th  of  December,  three  EU  

representatives  received  the  prize.  Her-­man  Van  Rompuy,  the  President  of  the  European  Council,  José  Manuel  Barroso,  the  11th  President  of  the  European  Com-­mission  and  Martin  Schulz,  President  of  the  European  Parliament.  These  three  men  are  the  leaders  at  the  forefront  of  Europe.  In  his  acceptance  speech,  Van  Rompuy  expressed  that,  in  a  time  of  insecurity,  it  is  important  to  remember  the  primary  aim  of  the  EU:  to  push  the  solidarity  between  European  nations  now  and  in  the  future.  I  can  only  hope  that  the  Nobel  Peace  Prize  will  make  us  all  take  a  minute  to  think  about  the  peaceful  unity  we  live  in  and  the  role  you  want  take  to  preserve  it.  I  did  so,  and  here  we  stand.

7

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by  Erasmus  Häggblom

88

There  were  several  overriding  themes  in  the  events  of  the  year  2012  around  the  world.  Essentially,  2012  was  the  year  of  techno-­logical  advancement,  with  the  possible  discovery  of  the  Higgs  boson  the  key  event;  the  aftermath  of  the  Arab  Spring  as  well  as  a  continuation  of  it  in  nations  such  as  Syria.  The  Summer  Olympics  were  also  a  notable  event,  along  with  the  strain  between  Iran  and  Western  nations,  particularly  European  ones.  A  similar  rise  in  tension  occurred  between  North  Korea  and  the  United  States.  Still  continuing  with  escalation,  the  conflict  between  Israel  and  Palestine  became  more  pronounced  while  the  civil  war  in  Syria  was  increasingly  polarized.

2012 IN HISTORY

Januar

y  23

The  Eu

ropean

 Union

 (EU)  

adopts  

an  emb

argo  ag

ainst  I

ran

Februa

ry  1

At  lea

st  79  ar

e  kille

d  and  

more  t

han  100

0  injur

ed  follo

wing  

a  riot  a

t  a  foo

tball  m

atch  in

 Egypt

Februa

ry  19

Iran  su

spends

 oil  exp

orts  to  

Britain

 and  F

rance

Februa

ry  21

Euroz

one  fin

ancial  

ministe

rs  agre

e  to  pro

vide  G

reece  w

ith  a  

new  130

-­billion

 bailou

t

Februa

ry  27

Preside

nt  Ali  A

bdullah

 Saleh

 of  Yem

en  step

s  down

 in  

favour

 of  Vic

e  Presi

dent  A

bd  Rab

buh  Mans

ur  Al-­H

adi

March  1

2

The  Un

ited  Sta

tes  Cen

sus  Bu

reau  (U

SCB)  es

timate

s  that  t

he  

popula

tion  of  

the  wo

rld  ha

s  excee

ded  7  b

illion  

people

April  

13

A  North

 Korea

n  Earth

 observ

ation  sa

tellite  

explod

es  shor

tly  

after  la

unch,  f

ollowin

g  intern

ational

 critici

sm  of  i

ts  laun

ch

June  24

Shenzh

ou  9  d

ocks  m

anually

 with  t

he  orb

iting  m

odule  

Tiango

ng  1 Jul

y  4

The  Eu

ropean

 Organ

isation

 for  Nu

clear  R

esearch

 (known

 

as  CER

N)  ann

ounces  

the  dis

covery

 of  a  n

ew  par

ticle  w

ith  

proper

ties  con

sistent

 with  t

he  Higg

s  boson

.

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9

Augus

t  6

The  Mars

 rover  C

uriosit

y  succe

ssfully  

lands  o

n  Mars

July  27

 –  Augu

st  12

The  201

2  Sum

mer  Ol

ympic

s  are  h

eld  in  

London

Augus

t  31

Resear

chers  s

uccessf

ully  per

form  t

he  firs

t  impla

ntation

 of  a  

bionic

 eye  wi

th  24  el

ectrode

s

Septem

ber  7

Canada

 officia

lly  cut

s  diplo

matic  

ties  wi

th  Iran

Septem

ber  11  

–  27

A  serie

s  of  ter

rorist  

attacks

 are  dir

ected  a

gainst

 the  em

bas-­

sies  of  

the  Un

ited  Sta

tes,  Ge

rmany,

 Switze

rland  

and  the

 

United

 Kingd

om Octobe

r  24  –  3

0

Hurrica

ne  san

dy  kill

s  at  lea

st  209  p

eople  i

n  the  C

arribe

an,  

Baham

as,  Un

ited  Sta

tes  and

 Canad

a

Octobe

r  14

Felix  B

aumgar

tner  be

comes  t

he  firs

t  perso

n  to  bre

ak  the

 

sound  

barrier

 witho

ut  any  

machi

ne  assi

stance

Novemb

er  14  –

 21

Israel  l

aunche

s  Oper

ation  P

illar  of

 Defen

ce  agai

nst  the

 

Palesti

nian  –

 govern

ed  Gaza

 Strip

Novemb

er  25  –

 Decem

ber  9

Typhoo

n  Bobp

ha  kill

s  at  lea

st  1067

 on  the

 Philip

pines

Novemb

er  29

The  Un

ited  Na

tions  G

eneral

 assemb

ly  appr

oves  a  

motion

 

grantin

g  Pale

stine  n

on-­mem

ber  obs

erver  s

tate  sta

tus

Decemb

er  8

The  UN

 Clima

te  Chan

ge  Conf

erence

 agrees  

to  exte

nd  the

 

Kyoto

 Proto

col  unt

il  2020

Missing  from  the  timeline  (list  not  exhaustive):Re-­election  of  Barack  ObamaStrauss-­Kahn  goes  New  YorkDiamond  Jubilee  of  Elisabeth  IIEnd  of  Osama  Bin  LadenThe  ApocalypseThe  Hobbit  premiereGangnam  Style  viewed  over  1  billion  timesWindows  8  is  released

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The  American  political  process  is  complex  and  infa-­mous  for  many  reasons.  Fisher  Ames,  a  US  congressman  in  the  late  18th  century,  once  described  the  US  House  of  Rep-­resentatives  with  the  statement:  “The  House  will  rise  on  the  1st  of  June,  and  as  long  as  it  finds  the  world  with  the  right  side  up,  it  will  be  content.  Do  not  ask  what  good  we  do;  that  is  not  a  fair  ques-­tion  in  these  times  of  faction.”More  than  two  centuries  later,  little  has  

changed.  During  the  

last  couple  of  years  the  American  political  debate  has  

become  more  and  more  polarised  and  once  again  Fisher  Ames’s  words  become  relevant.  The  House  of  Representatives  controlled  by  the  Republicans  and  the  Senate  controlled  by  the  Democrats  struggle  repeatedly  to  reach  any  agree-­ments.  When  tax  cuts  were  expiring  and  

spending  reaching  historic  highs,  Con-­gress  stood  paralysed  by  the  polarisation.  While  the  Republicans  wanted  more  

spend-­ing   cuts  than  tax  hikes,  

the  Democrats  preferred  raised  taxes  for  some  in  exchange  in  favour  of  spending  cuts.  As  no  decisions  could  be  made,  all  temporary  tax  rates  were  simply  extended  until  January  1.  In  an  effort  to  encour-­age  discussions  (or  discourage  inaction),  automatic  spending  cuts,  or  so-­called  sequestration,  were  added  to  the  tax  cuts.Combined,  they  amounted  to  the  so-­

called  “fiscal  cliff”,  which  might  as  well  have  been  called  “austerity  crisis”.  Going  off  the  cliff  would  mean  raising  taxes  on  all  working  Americans  while  cut-­ting  1000  government  programmes.  The  combination  would  result  in  another  recession,  which  could  have  cataclysmic  

TIMES OF FACTION

March 2001Total national debt$5.8 trillion

by  Fredrik  Hultman

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con-­se-­

quences  on  the  world  

economy.As  January  1st  would  be  after  the  

Congressional  and  presidential  elec-­tions,  Republicans  and  Democrats  alike  believed  that  they  had  good  chances  at  being  in  better  position  once  the  peo-­ple  had  spoken.  Unfortunately,  status  quo  was  preserved,  with  the  Democrats  retaining  control  of  the  Senate  and  the  Presidency  and  the  Republicans  keep-­ing  their  majority  in  the  House  of  Representatives.  So  when  January  1  was  approaching,  little  had  changed  since  the  time  when  Congress  was  forced  to  postpone  all  major  decisions,  apart  from  the  fact  that  the  fiscal  cliff  was  not  that  far  away  anymore.The  Republican  speaker  of  the  house,  

John  Boehner,  faced  a  real  challenge.  He  

had  to  con-­

vince  the  most  extreme  members  of  

his  party  in  the  House  that  a  deal  would  be  benefi-­

cial.  As  he  knew  that  any  deal  with  President  Obama  and  the  Democratic  

majority  in  the  Senate  would  include  tax  hikes,  it  would  be  a  hard  sell  to  the  far  right.  Without  the  support  from  the  ultraconservative,  Boehner’s  speakership  would  be  untenable.  Naturally,  Boehner  still  entered  negotiations  with  Obama  and  Senate  Democrats,  to  no  avail,  as  the  talks  soon  broke  down.  Come  Christmas,  no  deal  had  been  made,  and  another  re-­cession  was  looming.  The  salvation  would  come  from  an  unexpected  place.Vice  president  Joe  Biden  had  been  a  

member  of  the  Senate  since  the  sixties,  until  he  became  Vice  president.  Dur-­ing  his  long  tenure,  he  had  made  many  friends,  both  among  Democrats  and  Republicans.  One  of  those  happened  to  be  the  Republican  minority  leader  in  the  Senate,  Mitch  McConnell.  Together,  the  two  friends  managed  to  reach  an  agreement  that  eventually  lead  to  a  bill  being  presented  in  the  Senate.  Once  it  was  voted  on,  only  eight  out  of  100  sena-­tors  voted  against  it.When  the  bill  had  been  passed  in  the  

dying  hours  of  2012,  the  House  came  under  pressure.  As  a  solution  had  been  

found  that  had  bipar-­

tisan  support,  everything  depended  on  Boehner’s  Republican  

majority  in  the  House.  Eventually  the  bill  was  passed,  but  with  nearly  half  of  the  Republicans  voting  against  it.Finally,  the  fiscal  cliff  had  finally  been  

averted,  but  in  the  war  of  wills  there  had  been  no  winners.  Boehner  was  re-­elected  speaker  last  week,  but  with  a  tainted  reputation  and  with  a  record  low  support  from  his  own  party.  Obama  had  failed  to  lead  and  get  a  definite  deal.  The  final  deal  raised  some  taxes  and  stopped  some  detrimental  spending  cuts,  but  it  did  not  address  any  of  the  big  issues.  The  US  still  has  colossal  budget  deficits  and  parts  of  the  fiscal  cliff  were  merely  postponed.  Thanks  to  Joe  Biden’s  connections,  

there  will  not  be  another  crisis  for  some  time,  but  the  future  remains  uncertain.  One  might  wonder  whether  this  polari-­sation  is  helping  anyone.  Although,  it  might  be  best  to  follow  Fisher  Ames’s  advice,  and  simply  refrain  from  asking  what  good  such  bickering  does,  in  these  times  of  faction.  

“The   House   will   rise   on   the  1st  of  June,  and  as  long  as  it  finds  the  world  with  the  right  side  up,  it  will  be  content.  Do  not  ask  what  good  we  do;  that  is  not  a  fair  question  in  these  

times  of  faction.”

May 2011Total national debt$14.3 trillion

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Janne  Töykkälä  (FI)

Nina  Huovinen  (FI)

I SOLEMNLY SWEAR...by  Riikka  Koskinen

“We   usually   don’t   keep   them,   but  we  sure  do  like  making  them…yes,  I’m   talking   about   the  New  Year’s  resolutions!  We  always  promise  to  eat  healthier,   go   to   the  gym  every  week,  quit  smoking  or  get  rid  of  our  stuffed  toys  because  we  are  too  old  for  them,  but  we  rarely  fulfil  these  resolutions.  Nonetheless,  the  Press  team  was  eager  to  get  to  know  what  you,   dear   delegates   and   officials,  have  sworn  to  do  this  year.”  

“I’ll  try  and  stick  to  my  posi-­tion   as   the   president   of   the  student  union  and  do  my  best  with  the  job.”

“I’m  going  to  get  a  girlfriend.”

Ian  Perring  (FI)

“I’m   going   to   make   a   New  Year’s  resolution  next  year!”

Anton  Mattsson  (FI)

“I’ll   do  my   very   best   to   com-­plete  my  military  service  in  6  months.”

Malviina  Heinä  (FI)

“I   try  not   to   stress   too  much,  I  just  want  to  live  in  the  mo-­ment  and  do  something  new.”

Marja  Pentikäinen  (FI)

“I  will  not  make  a  New  Year’s  resolution  next  year.”

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by  Sofia  Rostén

THE FINNISH WAY IN A WINTER WONDERLAND

1)  Never  complain.  The  Finnish  mentality  does  not  accept  whining.  One  is  not  allowed  to  complain  about  such  as  the  weather,  the  cold  or  the  lack  of  food  and  coffee.  If  there’s  a  lot  of  snow  you  just  need  to  deal  with  it  and  it  doesn’t  matter  if  there’s  a  zombie  epidemic:  it’s  not  like  crying  your  brains  out  will  make  the  hungry  hounds  or  the  walking  dead  disappear.

2)  Moderation.  Although  our  neigh-­bour  countries  might  be  on  their  way  to  doom  by  increased  usage  of  ethanol,  the  intelligent  people  of  Finland  have  always  been  fond  of  moderation.  Moderation  in  the  traditional  Finnish  culture  is  a  superiority:  to  keep  ourselves  warm  we  prefer  hugging  and  touching  each  other.  In  order  to  survive  winter  or,  let’s  say  a  nuclear  disaster,  you  should  try  keep  your  mind  open  and  the  bottle  closed.

3)  Bad  mouth,  bad  luck.  Cursing  is  something  Finns  find  intolerable.  Believing  that  swearing  is  a  courier  of  bad  spirits  it  is  extremely  rare  to  find  a  Finn  going  potty  mouth.  Therefore,  unless  you’re  willing  to  drown  in  snow  or  die  out  of  famine,  do  not  use  naughty  language.  

4)  The  sauna.  While  winter  is  cold,  the  Finnish  sauna  will  be  warm  for  eternity.  It’s  clear  that  nudity  in  strange  company  is  not  a  big  deal  for  Finns.  Just  to  keep  in  mind  the  rule  two,  moderation  is  needed  here  as  well:  not  to  be  too  hot  it  is  essential  for  you  to  go  out  running  in  the  snow.  Naked.  During  an  apocalypse  this  is  the  place  to  be  -­  since  the  sauna  is  a  holy  shrine,  no  evil  thing  will  be  able  to  penetrate  its  walls.

I

K

“We  know  it’s  winter,  we  know  it’s  dark  and  we  definitely  know  it’s  freez-­ing  cold.  Because  we  are  a  bunch  of  super-­positive  people,  Finns  have  always  looked  life  on  bright  side  and  due  to  that  survived  these  extreme  conditions  for  ages.  As  an  open,  helpful  and  extroverted  country,  we,  of  course,  want  to  welcome  everyone  by  sharing  a  couple  of  our  magic  tricks  for  the  winter.  This  is  briefly  how  and  where  we  make  it  through  hard  times  –  follow  these  instructions  and  you  will  make  it  through  anything  from  winter  to  even  an  apocalypse.”

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by  Tom  Molenaar

1818

In  June  of  2012  Swedish  House  Mafia  announced  they  were  going  to  stop  work-­ing  together.  The  last  reward  for  their  In  June  of  2012  Swedish  House  Mafia  announced  they  were  going  to  stop  work-­ing  together.  The  last  reward  for  their  devoted  fans  was  One  Last  Tour.  As  soon  as  the  tickets  went  on  sale,  many  of  the  servers  crashed.  When  the  smoke  finally  cleared,  it  became  apparent  that  they  had  sold  over  a  million  tickets  in  ten  min-­utes.  The  three  boys  from  Stockholm  did  the  unimaginable.  The  electronic  dance  music  (EDM)  scene  had  its  big  break  in  2012.  They  will  transform  music  in  the  same  manner  the  Beatles  did  in  the  60s.  DJ’s  represent  a  new  generation  and  were  raised  very  differently  compared  to  their  predecessors.  Instead  of  using  instru-­ments,  they  are  using  their  computers  to  create  the  tunes  so  many  adore.  Young  

musicians  are  taking  over  the  world  and  the  pace  at  which  they  are  doing  it  is  enviable.Music  is  one  of  the  means  by  which  

people  can  express  their  feelings.  However,  in  contrast  to  news,  films  and  speeches,  everybody  can  produce  music.  The  accessibility  is  what  makes  it  special.  Moreover,  the  response  music  evokes  is  one  of  the  main  forces  behind  its  power.  In  EDM,  the  crowd  –    the  people  who  truly  appreciate  it  –  is  right  in  front  of  the  DJ  booth.  This  creates  a  very  cosy  and  familiar  atmosphere.  Club  nights  in  particular  evoke  this  feeling.  The  critics  will  never  be  able  to  take  that  feeling  away.  Their  voices  might  be  harsh,  but  they  will  have  to  change  their  opinions  once  they  see  the  reactions.  New  genera-­tions  are  always  criticised.  Elvis  and  Michael  Jackson  survived  it  and  so  will  

Tiësto  and  Alesso.Developing  EDM  up  to  where  we  are  

today  has  not  been  easy.  The  process  has  been  long  and  must  be  continued.  It  started  in  the  late  90s,  when  continental  Europe  was  hit  by  the  raves.  The  large  parties  and  festivals  started  gaining  in  popularity  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  countries  were  eager  to  take  part.  The  Netherlands  has  been  on  the  forefront  of  EDM  since  its  origin.  Five  Dutch  heroes  are  featured  in  the  DJ  Mag  top  ten.  Furthermore,  many  Dutch  companies  have  used  their  experience  in  Holland  to  create  an  amazing  export.  Consequently,  the  playing  field  was  changed  for  EDM;  its  rise  had  begun.  All  across  the  world  people  started  partying  to  128  beats  per  minute.  Ibiza  has  been  known  for  its  amazing  clubs,  one  of  them  being  the  largest  club  on  earth.  The  number  of  peo-­

RECENT RISEOF ELECTRONICDANCE MUSIC

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ple  visiting  the  island  has  risen  substan-­tially  over  the  past  years.  Even  though  many  other  parts  of  the  Spanish  coasts  suffer  from  the  Sovereign  Debt  Crisis,  Ibiza  remains  unharmed.  The  popularity  of  EDM  saves  the  island  from  poverty  and  unemployment.The  musical  heroes  of  tomorrow  grew  

up  in  a  world  filled  with  technology  and  computers.  This  allowed  them  to  ex-­periment  more  freely.  Programs  such  as  Fruity  Loops  allow  them  to  use  every  in-­strument.  Thus,  DJ’s  are  able  to  surprise  their  fans  in  many  manners.  What  is  even  more  surprising  is  their  generosity.  While  Hollywood  is  lobbying  for  stricter  anti-­piracy  laws  in  order  to  protect  their  astronomical  profits,  DJ’s  are  encourag-­ing  our  generation  to  mix,  edit  or  bootleg  their  songs.  The  results  are  generally  quite  good.  This  not  only  does  allows  new  

talents  to  make  a  name  for  themselves  but  also  creates  a  community  of  young  people  interested  in  the  same  topics.  Social  media  have  contributed  to  the  rise  of  EDM  as  well.  The  success  of  Hardwell  and  Avicii  would  not  have  been  possible  without  Facebook  and  Youtube.  Both  used  these  platforms  to  reach  their  in-­tended  audience.  The  popularity  of  EDM  has  slowly  but  steadily  also  transformed  other  genres  of  music.  The  collaboration  between  David  Guetta  and  many  rappers  and  singers  is  the  perfect  example  of  this  phenomenon.  Together,  the  artists  were  able  to  reach  new  highs.However,  music  remains  a  form  of  

art.  In  the  past,  lyrics  were  able  to  tell  a  story;  Freddy  Mercury  was  a  master  at  this.  Predominantly,  EDM  tunes  do  not  have  many  lyrics.  In  spite  of  this,  the  songs  are  able  to  tell  a  story;  grand  DJ’s  

are  able  to  create  a  symphony.  Beethoven  and  Mozart  did  not  use  lyrics  and  their  world  remount  compositions  tell  a  tale  as  well.  The  expression  of  music  has  more  to  it  than  mere  lyrics.Tomorrow  is  a  mystery,  but  it  is  cer-­

tain  that  EDM  will  become  even  more  prominent  within  the  music  industry.  With  sixteen  year  olds  performing  before  crowds  of  1500,  talents  are  being  uncov-­ered  everywhere.  Until  now  house  has  dominated  the  charts.  It  seems  likely  that  techno  and  maybe  even  dubstep  will  become  more  commonly  accepted.  The  unlimited  freedom  provided  by  EDM  gives  every  teenager  the  chance  to  become  a  hero.  The  nerds  of  the  past  are  the  heroes  of  today.  

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by  Fredrik  Hultman

The  session  had  started  well  with  the  Opening  Ceremony  and  some  entertain-­ing  hours  of  teambuilding.  After  a  well  needed  snack  break,  the  evening  pro-­gramme  started.  Each  committee  had  prepared  a  song  that  included  the  four  magic  words:  zombies,  cucumber,  lamp  and  bow  tie.  Naturally,  it  was  challening.However,  the  evening  began  as  quite  

a  thriller,  courtesy  of  EMPL  I’s  ren-­dition  of  a  famous  Michael  Jackson  song.  EMPL  II  continued  by  posing  the  question:  “Zombie,  why  don’t  you  have  a  lamp?”  to  the  tune  of  YMCA.Following  this,  ECON  performed  their  

song  despite  the  fact  that  they  didn’t  have  much  monaay.  They  vividly  described  their  process  of  getting  up,  putting  on  their  bow-­tie  and  then  discovering  the  zombies  outside.  Apparently,  the  song  was  filled  with  esoteric  metaphors,  which  

is  a  shame,  considering  that  such  songs  are  only  understood  by  a  limited  group  of  people  (like  the  word  esoteric).  ITRE  then  demonstrated  their  astound-­

ing  rhyming  abilities,  finding  surpris-­ingly  many  uses  for  the  word  “bacon”,  and  were  the  only  committee  that  didn’t  do  a  cover.  They  also  claimed  that  they  could  extract  green  energy  from  cucum-­bers.  It  will  be  interesting  to  see  whether  that  makes  it  into  their  resolution.  DEVE  continued  by,  to  the  tune  of  “e-­i-­e-­i-­o”,  explaining  how  the  zombie  asked  the  lamp  man  for  a  bow-­tie.  Whatevaaaa  tha’  means!The  breath-­taking  SEDE  committee  

performed  their  own  phenomenal  version  of  the  infamous  web  song  “Severus  Snape”  .  They  were  the  only  ones  to  shout  out  their  name  in  the  end  as  well,  showing  their  already  awesome  team  spirit.

After  SEDE,  REGI  went  up  to  pro-­claim  who  they  are  to  the  tune  of  “We  Will  Rock  You”.  In  the  end,  they  also  showed  that  they  are  as  cool  as  a  cucum-­ber  and  ever  so  neat  and  original.  AGRI  then  continued  on  the  “We  Will  Rock  You”-­theme,  with  a  truly  valiant  effort  that  included  a  real  bow-­tie.  AFET  provided  the  second  thriller  of  the  night,  singing  about  the  bow-­tie-­wearing  zom-­bies,  and  even  used  both  of  EYP’s  official  languages  –  English  and  French.  INTA  rounded  off  the  night  with  a  great  rap,  telling  the  zombies:  “lamp  on  you”.  With  all  of  those  magnificent  perfor-­

mances,  as  well  as  the  very  entertaining  presentations  by  the  press  team’s  very  own  Christopher  Proctor  and  Riikka  Nieminen;  everyone  got  an  experience  that  was  exhaustiiin’,  but  that  they  will  rememba’  fo’  evaa’.

“BEST EVENING ACTIVITY EVAAAA’”

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AFTER THE END

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by  Christopher  Proctor

The  Apocalypse  occurred  on  21st  December.  Accounts  of  what  actually  happened  are  blurred,  mixed,  contra-­dictory  and  in  general  completely  and  utterly  insane.  None  of  the  survivors  seem  to  have  a  clear  memory  of  what  went  on  during  the  days  of  reckoning,  but  what  most  people  choose  to  believe  is  as  follows:  The  skies  were  aflame,  the  seas  boiled,  and  the  Four  Riders  of  the  Apocalypse;  War,  Famine,  Pollution  and  Death  rode,  bringing  glorious  devastation  and  destruction  with  them  and  leaving  behind  only  chaos.  Wars  broke  out,  nu-­clear  plants  exploded,  food  spoiled,  and  the  world  began  its  end.The  presence  and  influence  of  the  Four  

Riders  is  still  heatedly  debated,  but  the  rest  is  true.  In  only  a  few  days  most  of  the  world’s  nuclear  facilities  were  de-­stroyed,  setting  off  a  nuclear  war  which  ended  almost  as  quickly  as  it  began,  but  not  before  causing  total  eradication.  No  

one  is  sure  of  who  initiated  the  nuclear  strikes  because  they  all  seem  to  have  happened  simultaneously,  but  as  a  result  many  a  country  has  been  completely  wiped  off  the  map  along  with  most  of  hu-­manity  and  nature.  Soon  after  the  initial  wave  of  annihilation  the  sun  was  blocked  by  the  soot  and  ashes  of  obliteration  and  darkness  took  over.  Ice  and  snow  ensued,  and  so  the  cold  slowly  took  care  of  what  the  fire  could  not.  Frozen  desolation  and  radioactive  wasteland  is  all  there  is  now.  Whether  it  was  all  caused  by  higher  entities  or  humanity’s  own  stupidity  is  irrelevant,  what  matters  is  that  life  as  we  know  it  is  now  gone.It  is  estimated  that  approximately  8%  of  

the  population  of  the  world  has  survived  the  apocalypse,  but  with  no  reasonable  means  of  international  communication  there  can  be  no  certainty.  All  we  know  is  that  countries  in  the  north,  such  as  Finland,  Sweden,  Norway  and  Iceland,  

are  doing  relatively  well  compared  to  the  rest  of  the  world.  Radiation  is  spilling  in  from  Russia,  but  otherwise  the  Nordic  countries  seem  to  have  survived  nearly  unscathed  although  other  problems  are  beginning  to  arise.  The  surviving  coun-­tries  have  fallen  into  anarchy  and  many  parties  are  trying  to  make  themselves  the  top  of  the  food  chain  one  way  or  another  and  safety  is  no  longer  guaranteed  to  an-­yone.  Still  the  majority  of  survivors  have  begun  rebuilding  and  trying  to  make  the  best  of  the  worst.  The  next  six  months  will  be  critical  for  the  future  of  the  little  part  of  society  that  is  still  there,  and  will  ultimately  show  if  there  is  any  possibility  of  survival  in  this  new  world.  The  odds  are  not  in  favour,  but  then  again  when  are  they?  At  the  moment  life  continues  no  matter  how  much  its  definition  has  been  changed  within  the  last  month.

“The   skies   were   aflame,   the  seas  boiled,  and  the  Four  Rid-­ers   of   the   Apocalypse;   War,  Famine,  Pollution  and  Death  rode,   bringing   glorious   dev-­astation  and  destruction  with  them  and  leaving  behind  only  

chaos.”

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Entry no. 1612.01.2013 Saturday

It’s so cold. It has now been 22 days since the ‘world ended’ as they say. After days of trudging through the blasted snow, sleeping in whatever shelter I can find and only consuming stale bread and urine, I’ve finally found a settlement in Joensuu – an abandoned school I assume – with other peo-ple in it. I have to say that it’s not ex-actly what I’d hoped for... It’s clear that these people are a group of lunatics who dabble in the dark arts or something else, probably one of those Apocalypse cults that have started popping up everywhere since the world went to hell. When I arrived yesterday they very kindly took me in, fed me

with bananas and coffee – which seems to be the only thing these people consume – and performed a strange ritual in my honour, singing something about moose and juice. I just stood there with a plastered grin on my face trying to stay still and not act out on my urge to run out the door and take my chances with the snow and the creatures. Still, they’ve welcomed me and they don’t seem to have any hostile intentions, although I’ve only been here for a day, so we’ll see. Mostly they just sit in circles and blabber about economics or human rights, stopping only to do more weird rituals or to consume more coffee, I don’t even think they sleep. It’s strange how happy, excited and oblivious they can be when the rest of the world lies in ruins, but I guess happiness comes from insanity.The people of the cult – yes, let’s call it that – speak in

a very strange dialect of English. It seems to consist of very nasal enunciation and stretching out the last word of the sen-tence. I’ve asked them about it, but they seem to have no idea what I’m talking about. But I do have to admit: for crazy peo-ple, they are very well organised, not to mention that they seem to have an endless supply of bananas. I’m actually quite im-pressed with them as an ‘organisation’. They have divided them-selves into different task groups with each having a unique function. Some sit around and talk, some watch the people sit-ting around and talking, some supply the food, and some well I’m not sure what they do exactly. As far as I can see it just generally consists of running around, snapping pictures and then running around some more. I have to say that this cult is one of the strangest things I have ever come across, but one thing’s for sure: I intend to find out more as long as I stay here. It’s a better alternative to facing whatever horrors are outside.

“They  seem  to  have  an  endless  supply  of  bananas.”

DEAR APOCALYPTIC JOURNAL

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by  Victoria  Lampe

Finns  are  not  exactly  known  for  extend-­ing  the  frontiers  of  small  talk.  Often,  they  seem  to  not  socialise  unless  neces-­sary,  and  making  them  talk  can  be  more  difficult  than  beating  them  in  a  sauna  contest.  When  I  first  came  to  Finland,  upon  

arriving  at  the  airport,  I  was  greeted  by...nothing.  All  the  newly  arrived  had  positioned  themselves  tactically  around  the  room,  in  such  a  way  that  an  informal  conversation  was  out  of  the  question.  When  looking  for  the  nearest  toilet  at  the  airport  in  Helsinki,  it  occurred  to  me  that  no  one  else  but  the  stewardess  had  said  as  much  as  ‘hi,’  or  attempted  to  smile  at  me  since  I  left  Oslo  Airport  in  Norway.  I  had  the  impression  that  even  when  bumping  into  people,  they  would  avoid  uttering  a  word  unless  you  or  they  were  fatally  wounded  from  the  impact.  If  the  collision  was  particularly  hefty,  they  might  mutter  the  occasional  “oops”.  It  was  as  if  the  Finns  followed  some  un-­written  rule  to  not  speak  to  strangers.For  a  foreigner,  this  country  can  seem  

inhospitable  and  unwelcoming,  but  I  have  learned  that  emnity  is  not  what  you  are  experiencing.  You  are  simply  experiencing  Finns  in  their  primordial  

state,  introvert,  less  talkative  than  their  Scandinavian  neighbours.  If  you  take  the  time  to  get  to  know  them,  though,  you’ll  find  compassionate  people  that  are  more  than  willing  to  spill  their  guts.  It  is  there  all  the  time,  right  under  the  surface  of  the  seemingly  inhibited  Finns.When  asking  about  this  unusual  behav-­

iour,  I  heard  a  lot  of  different  theories  about  why  it  is  such  a  defining  trait  for  the  Finns.  In  attempting  to  explain,  someone  said:  “In  other  countries,  people  

usually  keep  a  distance  to  others  of  about  one  meter.  In  Finland,  they  keep  a  distance  of  one  meter  to  people  they  don’t  know,  and  a  distance  of  at  least  two  meters  to  their  friends”.  Another  story  I  heard  was  one  about  

a  mother  from  the  UK  who  moved  to  Finland.  At  work,  during  the  first  days,  no  one  talked  to  her.  Later,  a  welcoming  

party  was  arranged,  and  her  colleagues  had  quite  a  lot  of  champagne.  They  immediately  let  their  uninhibited  side  show  and  could  even  be  observed  having  a  normal,  informal  chat  with  someone  they  did  not  know.  Back  at  work  the  next  day,  none  of  the  colleagues  talked  to  her.  Using  public  transport  in  Finland  can  

also  be  complicated  for  foreigners.  When  taking  the  bus,  you  are  not  expected  to  make  conversation  with  anyone  and  Finns  will  let  you  keep  your  double  seat  for  yourself  for  fear  of  intruding  your  personal  bubble,  choosing  the  option  of  standing  on  the  bus.  If  you  are  the  one  entering  a  bus  where  all  the  double  seats  have  at  least  one  person  occupying  it,  do  not  consider  politely  asking  someone  if  you  can  have  the  seat  next  to  them.  Most  likely  the  result  will  be  that  they  nod  tensely,  bracing  themselves,  anxious  about  whether  you  want  to  start  a  conver-­sation.  Because  Finns  do  not  small  talk,  they  can  be  a  bit  shy.  And  because  they  are  shy,  they  do  not  small  talk.  Even  so,  the  Finns  do  not  appear  to  

sense  an  awkward  silence,  they  are  simply  quiet.  But  if  you  can  get  to  know  them  well  enough,  their  companionship  it  is  definitely  worth  it.

THE FOREIGNER’S GUIDE TO SMALL TALK IN FINLAND

“Because  Finns   do   not   small  talk,   they   can   be   a   bit   shy.  And   because   they   are   shy,  

they  do  not  small  talk.”

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As  is  evident  from  the  picture  accom-­panying  this  article,  the  talent  of  the  day  is  featured  for  his  amazing  physical  abilities.  Juho  Nikko  started  breakdanc-­ing  at  the  age  of  seven,  and  has  danced  ever  since  -­  even  ballet.  Today,  Juho  mostly  shows  off  his  talent  at  parties,  but  his  agility  is  useful  also  for  avoiding  get-­

ting  hurt  whenever  he  trips  over  or  falls.  A  fan  of  the  martial  arts  and  flexible  

enough  to  limbo  low,  Juho  will  dance  when  he  hears  music,  and  is  currently  studying  the  Russian  language.  He  is  always  the  first  person  to  hit  the  dance-­floor,  and  after  seeing  this,  it  comes  as  no  surprise.  

Juho’s  role  at  the  session  is  to  be  a  representative  of  the  Board  of  EYP  Finland,  a  role  that  allows  him  to  do  the  occasional  dance  and  show  off  a  few  tricks  when  the  rest  of  the  officials  are  busy  doing  other  things.    

by  Victoria  Lampe

PERIPHERY OF THE DAY

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Joensuu 2013 – the 19th National Sessionof European Youth Parliament Finland

is supported by

European Youth Parliament Finland has received funding from the Ministry of Education and Culture and

the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 2012.

European Youth Parliament Finland – EYP-Finland ry

Hämeenpuisto 17–19 A 10, 33210 Tampere

http://www.eypfinland.org

[email protected]