WHERE DO WECOME IN?

Now that you’ve all arrived in Stockholm we would like to welcome you all to the city and to the Euro- Mediterranean Youth Parliament.

Who are we?

“We” are the Media team, but why is a Media Team necessary at a conference like this? Well, we’re glad we asked…

The Media Team are here for you. To tell your story, your journey, to give rise to your views, fears, ideas, dreams, opinions, concerns, hopes, worries and interests.

It is possible that you become so deeply involved in the issues which you are discussing, the new opinions and perspectives of others that you will encounter and the projects that you will want to take forward after the conference, that you forget to live in the moment a little, to remember where you are

and how far you have come to arrive at this point. That’s where we come in.

We plan to do that through three platforms: print, video and online. We’ll be producing a paper for you to read during the conference and to take home with you afterwards, online projects to liven up the conference, as well as an online blog so that all that we’ve written (and more) will be available to you after the conference. Our videos should give you a special flavour of all that occurs in the next

days.

However, we can’t do this without your input. After all, if you weren’t here, we wouldn’t be here either.So, we would like to encourage you to write something for us, to answer our polls, to be a star in

some of our videos or to simply just talk to us so that we can understand you better.We are not some sneaky investigative journalists looking to expose the colour of your underwear or

your strange fascination with cucumbers (although if it’s interesting, we’ll take what we can get…), we want to get to know you as a person and everything that you have done and want to do.

They say that money makes the world go round, but people created money, so it is our belief that people, therefore, make the world go round. If you agree, great, then help us show that. If you don’t, let us try to convince you. But that would require you to talk to us and share your stories and ideas.

Which is what we really want.

THE EMYP MEDIA TEAM

Nassos Stylianou - Media DirectorKalle Dramstad- Online EditorMark McDaid- Online EditorIrene Campmany Canes- Video EditorNancy Salem - Print Editor

A LITTLE BIT OFEYMP HISTORY

As the beginning of the second ever Euro-Mediterranean Youth Parliament (EMYP) Conference is upon us, have you been wondering who and what are behind its concept and imple-mentation? The Media Team’s Mark McDaid investigates.

The Euro-Mediterranean Youth Parliament (EMYP) first spread its wings six years ago. At the end of May 2007, some 100 young people from the Euro-Mediterranean region gathered in Berlin to discuss the most pertinent topics facing their generation. The six years in-be-tween, however, have left a po-litical landscape much different than that which went before.

It is in these tumultuous footsteps that the second EMYP follows, gracing the capital of Sweden this summer. With representa-tives of over 20 countries from a host of different European and Mediterranean nations, partici-pants will be able to meet, min-gle, connect, befriend, argue, disagree and compromise with their peers during a whole week

of engaging debate and much more. Participants will engage under the established work-ing procedures of the Euro-pean Youth Parliament, known as Teambuilding, Committee Work and General Assembly, as well as taking part in a host of cultural and other events.

The procedure for choosing participants was certainly not left to chance, with the panel look-ing for people with passion, ex-perience and a determination to take this opportunity as a base for further work and collabora-tions in the future. It is in respect of this that excitement and ex-pectations are running high as the session approaches.

Maria Chalhoub, the Project Manager of this EMYP Confer-ence, was raised in Sweden but is of Syrian descent and, as such, becomes an appro-priate embodiment of the ses-sion itself. Her participation in the first EMYP session left her with an indelible impression of the power of such pan-re-gional engagements and the

events of the Arab Spring propelled her to apply to the board of EYP Sweden to put this session into motion.

With a team of committed session coordinators behind her, she has been able to make this dream a reality. She hopes that the connections made, challenges confront-ed and inspiration garnered will lay the foundations for not only more regular EMYP events in the future, but also a platform for the voice of a generation of young peo-ple from the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region to cooperate and be heard.

The success of this now, however, lies in the hands of the participants them-selves. With the effects of political upheaval and pro-test still being felt across the EMEA region and beyond, there can be no better time in which to face the issues that will define this generation.

Q&A WITH PRESIDENT JOANNA (ASIA) DREGER

For some of the partici-pants this is their first in-ternational conference like this: what is your one advice as an experienced member of the European Youth Parliament? (EYP)It might sound gimmicky but I have three words: Debate, Connect, Act. Take the chance to tell us your opinion. Profit from this unique possibility to network with people from the most diverse backgrounds. And lastly, take the chance to engage in Follow-up Projects to really make sure to give this conference a lasting impact. Have you been to Stock-holm before and what was your impression of it?I’ve been here four times – all of them with EYP. First of all, the city is scarily clean – at least compared to where I live. Sec-ondly, during summer, all the light together with the atmos-phere, really makes you feel like living. But even during winter, when it gets dark, I’d say it’s magical in a very cosy way. It just becomes the perfect scene

for any thriller or crime novel. Could you describe your role as a president of the session?It’s quite complicated, but in short I’m responsible for the overall running of the conference: rep-resentation as well as coordina-tion of content and moderators. I also work in close cooperation with Maria [Project manager] and Nassos [Media Director].What is unique about the EMYP?I’ll say one thing: it’s going to be a conference like never be-fore. The concept has been fine-tuned for more than two months. The main difference between EMYP and EYP, and there are many, is the focus on Follow-up Projects. As a side note, I’m also very excited for the Euro-Med village – the diverse range of food will be one of the many pleasurable things that will make this conference unique. What will be the most diffi-cult and the most fun thing for you during the confer-ence?The most difficult thing will cer-

tainly be speaking. I got too excited during the preparations so my voice just forgot how to work. For the fun part – It will sound a bit cliché I know – but I would definitely say meeting the people. All the interest-ing participants are really the treasures of this conference.How did the process of coming up with the topics work?The overall aim was to have as diverse and as relevant topics as we could. Together with the suggestions and feed-back from the participants, the moderators, the organisers and the Media Team we have tried to make a nice range of topics where everyone can find something they like. If you were a participant, what topic would you pre-fer and why?[Laughing] As the president I have to be impartial. But as I’m interested in economics, my solution would probably be to create an unofficial topic about the economic crisis and discuss it during the breaks.

Name: Joanna Dreger, but everyone calls me Asia. Born: Poland.

Lives: Bruges, Belgium. Job: Academic Assistant at the College of Europe.

Recent discovery: Culinary experiments. Favourite film: Amélie by Jean-Pierre Jeunet.

Latest book that made a lasting impression: Snow by Orhan Pamuk. It completely changed my perception of the discussions that are going on in

Turkey at the moment. Happy about right now: I got married a month and a half ago so I have just got back from the honeymonth, as we call it in Poland. It was wonderfully beautifully

delightful.

Q&A WITHPROJECT MANAGERMARIA CHALHOUB

What is your role in this conference?MC: My official title is the pro-ject manager, but my most significant role at the moment is to make sure everything we have prepared is carried out, evaluate how things were car-ried out and keeping the teams working together. My main re-sponsibility is to organise my own committee, the organis-ing committee. We’re twelve people running around making sure you have food on your plate, are able to print, that the classrooms are set up - all the organisational details. Every-one is doing their part, so you could say I am trying to be the glue, to make sure everything moves forward together.Why did you choose to get involved in this con-ference?MC: In the first EMYP in 2007 I was a part of the media team and it was an irreplaceable part of my life. On a personal lev-el, as a Syrian-Swede, it was challenging, interesting and rewarding to observe meet-ings between participants from Europe and the Middle East. I wanted to see if I could cre-ate a platform like that again but the question was how be-cause I know that there are a

lot of opportunities for such an event to happen in Sweden, whereas it is maybe harder to do elsewhere where these op-portunities don’t exist. So, with opportunities and will power propelling me, in the end I found a way to contribute.Have there been any ma-jor problems in organis-ing the conference?MC: Yes [laughs]. I’m not ex-aggerating when I tell you that my project team is outstanding, they are so good in that when you ask them to do some-thing, they figure out a way to do it without wasting time. That is one thing that keeps you go-ing when you hit the wall. You realise that things are not al-ways going to turn out perfect-ly because you cannot control everything or predict the future. All you can do is to make sure all details are planned, and then be flexible, adjusted and open=minded. Were there any specific moments that made it all worth it?MC: All the time. The same day I have a bad moment, for example if the school calls and says that you can’t use it as as venue, you get a really a nice email from your team member saying we got that

sponsorship. Though you face so many organisational difficulties, when you get to the good parts you’re overwhelmed with happiness. Even if you get ten negative replies from sponsors, when you get a positive one you are super happy about it. I also take pleasure in the small things, like when we talk to participants and notice how happy and grateful they are for this opportunity, this motivates you further and keeps you going and makes it worth it. I hope this is a feel-ing we will have every day at the con-ference.What are some highlights we can expect from the confer-ence?MC: The small moments. Not spe-cifically what happens in the confer-ence but the interaction it creates and the foundation it lays for future events.Do you have any advice for participants?MC: Use the opportunity to discover yourself, challenge yourself and en-counter your fears on several levels. It’s an opportunity to push yourself to the limit and communicte with people you in the worst case scenario are notable to communicate with back home. Also, challenge yourself when it comes to your prejudices, your past experiences and your knowledge. Be open-minded, courageous and have fun.

Salim @Salim_SYR

#EMYP2013 And we are coming Yohoooo @EuroMed2013 #Stockholm #Sweden with the hope of making it a productive stay

Simon McKeagney @SiMcKeag20

Can young people help fix the big issues in the EU, North Africa, the Middle East? I hope to find out @Eu-roMed2013 in less than 24 hrs!

Sabrine Hamdi

Hello guys :) ,I was wondering is anyone of you going to wear a traditional outfit during the Euro Med-Village ??That would be really cool :D !!

Anace Heddan

Dear All,

I wonder if you are as excited as I am, I look forward meeting you, talking to you, laughing with you, to take unforgettable pictures together , and especially to get the maximum benefit from your experiences and your particpation.Greetings from MOROCCO.

Raksit Leila -Mashrou Leila

I samma bil - Bo Kaspers Orkester

THE ONLINE BUZZ

You can find us at:

emyp2013.wordpress.com

& @EuroMed2013

#EMYP2013

THOUGHTS...

Zied Touzani, TunisiaQu’est-ce que tu penses de Stockholm?

J’étais surprise de voir que c’est une ville composée de beaucoup d’île. C’est vrai-ment très beau et ça me fait penser à Venice.

Osman Arda Sezer, TurkeyWhat was your first impression of Stockholm?

“My first impression was, like every other European country, it’s very different looking from my country. I think its very nice…I’m looking forward to it.”

Salim Salameh, Syria Why did you apply to the Euro- Mediterranean Youth Parliament?

“I applied for the Euro- Mediterranean Youth Parliament basically because I do believe in dialogue, dialogue as a tool to transform this al-ready collapsing world into a slightly better place to really live and exercise our active citizenship.”

“

“

“

”

”

”

Sabrine Hamdi, a Tunisian par-ticipant in the EMPL Committee, has taken to the time to share the story of the environmental hazards currently plaguing the coastal city of Gabès, an issue particularly close to her heart. As you are aware,my country Tu-nisia went through an monumen-tal change that had a significant impact on the lives of its citizens following more than half a century of dictatorship and authoritarian rule.After weeks of intensive civil resistence campaiging On 14 January 2011, the young and the elderly, women and men, the employed and the unemployed, and many others, gathered in the main square of the capital city, Tunis, fighting against the Government security forces and managing to topple the country’s the dictatorship. They had one demand, and that was for “free-dom and democracy”. Since that day, a new era has begun, but not for all the regions.A city in the south east that lies on the coast of the Mediterra-nean sea, ‘Gabès’, known for its

henna, pomegranates, marvellous oasis and traditional underground Tamazigh buildings in Matmata, is one of the largest industrial cities in Tunisia. The real problem is that most of its industries are chemical, which creates a number of issues.The rapid increase in the number of factories in the region has caused considerable harm to the environ-ment and to the people. There is a noticeable sharp rise in respira-tory diseases, cases of cancer or immunity deficiency, mainly among children. The drying of the oasis and the overall decline in the quality of marine life has led to the death of many marine animals. A few years ago, while walking on the beach, I personally witnessed some of those heartbreaking effects: dead fish, turtles and seagulls that the waves brought to the coast.While these factories support thousands of families, and one of the main demands of the Tunisian Revolution, the ‘Jasmine Revolution’, was for increased employment,is this the price to pay ? Having these chemicals cause water pollution and air pollution, and using up water that dries the soil is unacceptable.

The residents of Gabès have desperately tried to draw the attention of officials to this hazard that they have been suffering from for years. They have sought to raise awareness by going on strikes, writing petitions and conducting a campaign against pollution.The government promised that crucial measures to address the problem would be taken, but nothing concrete has been done.Ultimately, we should remember that the world is a system, which means that all the policies we endorse in places today will have an impact on the lives of the citizens of other places, and also future generations. We should stop being ego-centric. We should think about the current and future genera-tions and build a bright future for them, without environmental hazards. Human activities should be molded to fit into nature’s rhythms, in harmony with it and not against it.

The slow death of Gabes

Represent, think and speak for yourself

As just around one hundred participants gather in Stockholm to experience the unique nature of a Euro- Mediterranean Youth Parliament conference, Nassos Stylianou talks to former partici-pant Yael Rothschild who shares her impressions of the previous conference, which took place in Berlin in 2012.

For someone who has amassed a host of international experience, worked with the UN and was involved in a major international trial at The Hague, you would not think that attending a conference involving 100 young people from Europe and the Mediterranean represented such an important milestone in her life. For Yael Rothschild, a lawyer from Israel, attending the Euro-Mediterranean Youth Parliament in Berlin six years ago was one of the most inspirational experiences of her life. “Although I’ve lived in different countries for several years, never did I meet such a diverse and interesting group of young people from across different regions and disciplines, who are adamant to find and advance solutions for complicated political, social, eco-nomic and cultural issues across different regions,” Yael says. “EMYP was an exceptional con-ference, which encouraged and

welcomed an open dialogue. It broad-ened my personal understanding of cultural, political and social matters.”Those 10 days in Berlin succeeded in changing Yael’s outlook on many things in life which she had previously taken for granted.“EMYP enabled me to view things from a different perspective, ponder what and whether misconceptions have impacted my basic beliefs, and try to convince others to do the same.”On paper, the Euro-Mediterranean Youth Parliament is just another youth conference, bringing young peo-ple from different parts of the world together to debate political, social and cultural issues which affect their regions. However, it was a few partic-ularities, nuances and the atmosphere she came across that made it such a special experience. “The conference combined youthful activities during `teambuilding´ sessions, and at the same time promoted meaningful and thought-provoking discussions on urgent matters, meeting with experts from different fields, and coming up with new and creative ideas that the participants could use in the future in order to bring them to certain realisa-tions on their respective countries,” she says. There is one memory that particularly stands out for Yael, which really does signal the significance that EMYP has for her. “For me personally, being the grand-

daughter of four grandparents who have suffered the atrocities of the Holocaust, my most mem-orable moment was speaking on behalf of my committee at the concluding Parliament that was held at the Parliament building in Berlin, introducing our resolution on how to fight for justice and against corruption,” she says. So what advice does she have for the participants here in Stock-holm, who are just embarking on a similar journey that she began back in 2007? “Be willing to listen, engage, agree and come to a compromise. Represent, think and speak for yourself and not on behalf of oth-ers.”

EMYP enabled me to view things from a different perspective, ponder what and whether misconceptions have impacted my basic beliefs, and try to convince others to do the same.

“

”

SPONSORS