The AlphaWelcome Issue

71st InternatIonal sessIon of the european Youth parlIament In amsterdam

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At the core of deliberative democracy is political

conversation. It is in conversation that people can

bridge the meaning of their personal experience

with the meaning of political worlds. To flourish,

democracy demands continuous conversation,

open argumentation, information in context and

debate. The 71st International Session perfectly fits

into Habermas‘ concept of deliberative democra-

cy and the regeneration of a public sphere. It will

above all provide an educational adventure for all

of you by allowing you to experience democratic

values, the importance of being informed, having

on opinion that is based on facts rather than feel-

ings, and not being afraid to stand up for it. It is

the Amsterdam Media Team’s hope to contribute

to intensifying the experience described above.

By whole-heartedly engaging with all participants

through interviews, conversations, articles etc. the

media team aims to encourage all participants to

think about and explore a great variety of different

topics and arguments, by no means limited to the

committee topics.

However, this vision can only bloom and flourish

if you, the delegates, join forces with us. Read the

articles and tell us what you liked and did not like

about them, take part in the speaker’s corner and

above all: do not be afraid to share your opnion.

In the poll that we asked you to take part in pri-

or to your arrival in Amsterdam, one of you left

the following comment: “I think that the choice

of the crisis as the theme of the IS, while being

extremelly relevant and important, is going to be

hard for the delegates to deal with. It requires ma-

turity and knowledge which very few of us will

have, to face it effectively, thus leading to the un-

derdevelopment of the topic.”

This is a common and wide-spread fear among

many, not just young adults, and maybe partly

also encouraged by politicans. Don’t allow them

to make you believe that you don’t have what it

takes to debate anything you like. Enjoy the Wel-

come Issue of THE ALPHA and I am looking for-

ward to seeing you engage in many conversations

– serious and silly – during the upcoming days!

Kerstin

EDITORIAL

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CONTENTS

4 Travel Stories

6 Delegates, Be Aware!

7 Ending Misconceptions

8 Meet Gillian

10 Go Dutch in Amsterdam

11 Dutch for Dummies

12 Imagine All the Clichés

14 The Venues Avenue

16 Please Raise for His Royal Highness

17 The Hague Tribunal

18 Where It All Begins...

20 EYP - Exclusive, Expensive and Elitist

22 Future, Imagined: Where Do We Go From Here?

24 Debate in Democracy

26 Swimming Costumes Mandatory

27 Amsterpoem

Welcome

While waiting for her plane after already having gone

through the check-in control, one of the members of

the Spanish delegation realised that she had lost her

boarding pass. This moment of panic caused her to start

unpacking, until she decided to run up to the treadmill,

and indeed, she found her boarding pass there.

Delegates aren’t the only ones to face experience prob-

lems while travelling. A member of our Media Team from

the UK tried to withdraw Euros once she landed in Am-

sterdam. Unfortunately, for some obscure reason, she

didn’t succeed. As a matter of fact, her card was reject-

ed and blocked when she tried to use it one more time.

Furthermore, she discovered that 300 pounds had been

taken from her bank account for no apparent reason.

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TRAVEL STORIESCélia PonCelin has gathered the most interesting travel stories for you to enjoy.

A bad surprise awaited a member of the Russian dele-

gation once she had landed in Amsterdam: her suitcase

had broken during the flight. The delegate had pushed

the suitcase to its limits, having stuffed it with clothes

for the cold weather of the Netherlands. Fortunately,

none of her belongings got lost.

Catching a bus could prove to be harder than expected.

In fact, one of the members of the Czech delegation

had such an experience. While being in class, he found

out that his bus would leave thirty minutes earlier than

expected, which gave him one hour to go back home,

pack, and catch his bus – which he did.

Arriving before a session starts isn’t always a good idea – the Ukrainian

delegation experienced this when they arrived on Thursday. On their way

from Munich to Amsterdam, the cabin crew noticed that the visa of one of

the delegates was going to expire one day before the session ends. Once they

landed, they looked for a place to sleep and went to the centre of Amsterdam.

Unfortunately, they ended up falling asleep in the Burger King and were

awaken by a rat. Thus, they decided to go back to the airport in order to lay

down there.

A travel story can also involve love. The Latvian dele-

gation was killing time in a coffee shop, before board-

ing the plane. One of the members started to cry due

to an allergic reaction, something that the couple next

to them probably didn’t realise. Nevertheless, they did

notice the quite serious conversation that our two Lat-

vian men had moments before and thought that they

had just broken up.

Nevertheless, one should always look at the bright

side – the Swiss delegation had an experience of that

sort. The train on the way to Amsterdam was very

crowded with their huge suitcases further worsening

the situation. Suddenly, the wagon started to shake

so much that a member of the Swiss delegation was

about to fall, when a Dutch gentleman caught her.

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DELEGATES,BE AWAREattending an international session of the euroPean youth Parliament is an extraordinary exPerienCe. sílvia susaCh and tuna dökmeCi tell you what to exPeCt from these ten days in the netherlands.

Coming in Amsterdam to participate in the 71st

International Session of the European Youth

Parliament is probably the most exciting thing for

you at the moment. However, we are also aware

that the unknown can be scary sometimes, and

taking into account that this is your first Interna-

tional Session (IS) experience, we feel the duty to

shed some light on the IS mystery.

You might have already understood that this session stands out in many ways. The venues are jaw-drop-ping, the organisation and the programme are so one of a kind and Amsterdam is said to lift standards to a whole new level. At an International Session, you are no longer competing to get selected, or to prove your-self; you are here to experience what EYP is all about and contribute to the success of the event in your own way. Everything, from the prestigious venues to the emphasis put on the academic quality, is here to make your Amsterdam experience worthwhile. We realise that the buzz around an IS can be over-whelming. The discussions will be much more lively

and heated compared to other sessions you have been to. The unique multicultural character of the IS in Am-sterdam will also challenge you to put all your differ-ences aside in order to reach agreements in the end.Taking part in an IS has turned out to be a life-chang-ing experience for all of us going from session to ses-sion for several years; if you want to, it can be the same for you. In the end, one realises that it is not only about the interesting debates, the great people and different cultures, but it is also about the new person you might become. The International Session in Amsterdam will exceed certainly your expectations, provide a plat-form for interesting debates and help bridge cultural divides. It will bring you lasting friendships, and per-haps even love.So make the best out of this exceptional opportunity – you are one out 220 delegagtes after all – challenge yourselves, step out of your comfort zone and do not be afraid to let the session affect you in all its different ways. In the end you certainly will have gone further than you would have ever imagined.

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ENDING MISCONCEPTIONS

Camille dugay ComenCini exPlains the im-PortanCe of engaging in a disCussion about the Challenging toPiC of the finanCial Cri-sis.

Ending the crisis. Quite an ambitious task, isn’t

it? You have been asked to come up with inno-

vative solutions to something that has now been

going on for five years and that politicians and

governments have been struggling with. Are the

organisers out of their minds? No. They simply

believe that this group of young people truly has

the potential to bring a new point of view on the

matter, they trust in the clash of bright minds and

are convinced that you will be able to get a bet-

ter understanding of the historical importance of

what we are going through.

Mark Brakel – Head Organiser of the Session –

explains the reasons behind the choice of this

theme. He says: “If you think about it, the topic is

not that hard. It is complicated of course but some

solutions that can be proposed are not so diffi-

cult to understand. It seems to me that politicians

try to make it sound more difficult than it really

is, and this clearly works to their advantage. Let’s

face it, the crisis is a political problem.”

Not only do we trust in your ability to bring a

fresh, genuine point of view on the topic, but we

also understand the importance of having solid

background knowledge basis in order to critically

examine the information you are provided with.

If coming here you felt like you did not understand

anything about economics and you never will, it

does not matter. The point is more to raise your

awareness and to awaken a certain curiosity. “I do

not pretend to believe that everyone is going to go

home thinking ‘oh my god, the crisis theme!’”,

says Mark, “I want everyone to go back home be-

ing curious to research things about the financial

crisis and not think that because they are only

seventeen they cannot understand it.”

However, the theme is not only meant to stimulate

your interest in an issue affecting our everyday

life; it is also an element that links different mo-

ments of the session. It should also stimulate you

to interact with all of the participants on different

levels than just committee work. Why not use it as

a stimulus to start a conversation with your fellow

delegates during coffee break or with the organis-

er sitting next to you at lunch?

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MEET GILLIAN

PRESIDENT OF THE 71ST INTERNATIONAL SES-SION OF THE EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT

osCar stenbom Chats to ms. gillian o’halloran about her first eyP ex-PerienCe, the extraordinary PeoPle and bidding farewell.

To transmit via words the electric enthusiasm

and positive energy of our President, Gillian

O’Halloran, would be a task befit of any great writ-

er. Such is the zeal of the instantly recognisable,

Irish-born and London-based helmswoman that my

spluttering adjectives will probably only be under-

stood once you get to meet her in person.

I first met Gillian as a delegate when she was pre-

siding the Iberian Forum last summer and unrelated

Pres ident ia l I n terv iew

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to lifting her up, quite literally, on the dance floor

late in the Spanish night to sing “Happy Birthday”.

I distinctly remember leaving Spain knowing for

the first time how a session should be presided.

Therefore it is quite hard to imagine Gillian as an

Irish schoolgirl attending her first IS in Paris, 2006,

when compared to the well-travelled, hard-work-

ing woman who loves to sail, ski and cook.

Aside from her unnatural habit of unavoidable

single hiccups at specific times of day our num-

ber one lady, who dreams of sailing the Atlantic

Ocean one day, admits that only her family has

had a greater impact on her personal develop-

ment. The friends, opportunities and inspiration

have changed O’Halloran’s view on life; from be-

ing focused on staying in Dublin, studying Law,

becoming a Barrister and living a ‘comfortable

Celtic Tiger life’ to moving around Europe, work-

ing internationally and thinking globally. The way

that the general norm is exponentially raised at

EYP sessions through its exceptional people has

made President O’Halloran think bigger, develop

a hunger for working with different cultures and

fostered a genuine interest in EU and national pol-

itics.

When you ask almost any EYPer what it is that

makes our organisation special the answer as you

will discover, or rediscover during the next seven

days is inevitably the people. Our main woman

believes it comes down to the setting; when you

take people out of that special environment they

become quite ordinary. We all struggle to explain

exactly what we do when we travel with EYP and

Gillian is no stranger to going from researching

and learning at work to presiding over 300 partic-

ipants in a foreign country; a complete change in

atmosphere. Ms. President elaborates that it is an

expectation of everything being in its right place;

the best people, locations, leaders and key pol-

iticians that combines to create “one of the first

times you don’t see a glass ceiling but instead a

physical energy you can truly feel”.

Moving on to the session Gillian is full of praise

for her friend Mark, the Head Organiser. His re-

laxed and competent style of management in giv-

ing his sub-human team freedom and ownership

over their respective domains has led to fresh ide-

as such as no wake-up calls or late bus departures

thereby giving the delegates freedom and respon-

sibility, too. More broadly speaking the fact that

the vibrant city of Amsterdam and the power-

house that is EYP the Netherlands has been given

the opportunity to show what it can do with an

International Session clearly puts a gleam in our

Celtic Superwoman’s eye.

The unparalleled experience that awaits delegates

is what excites Gillian the most as she leans for-

ward after reminiscing over her first times as a del-

egate as she recalls how the gradual excitement,

hope and suspense builds until you are sudden-

ly there and barely realise that a whirlwind week

has begun. But for our President it will be the last

time she gets to witness that moment after team-

building where people start going back to their

committees instead of delegations and she gets

emotional when she thinks of the moment that she

has thought about several times over the years;

the closing ceremony after presiding an IS – tra-

ditionally your last session. She feels sadness but

utter relief as she prepares to bid farewell to an

organisation that she has left a permanent mark

on, and which has forever changed her. More than

anything I feel her genuine delight at knowing how

people will open up, “their brains will go ‘pop’ ”,

and how different they might be in 5 years’ time

because of it. There is even a slight hint of envy as

Gillian O’Halloran slightly wishes she could do it

all again. So enjoy it whilst it lasts.

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GO DUTCH IN AMSTERDAMtuna dökmeCi elaborates on the netherlands’ image in the PoP-ular Culture with the valuable helP of willem koelewijn, a reak

dutChman, and shows how ‘eyP-ish’ it aCtually is.

The world tends to see the Dutch as overly lib-

eral, sex-crazed people who simply cannot get

through a day without marijuana. However, this is

not the case and it’s an overly exaggerated form of

the truth, the Dutch are certainly unique and we,

the participants of Amsterdam 2012, have much to

learn from them.

On the top of the list of what gives the Dutch the

image of liberals and free-thinkers is evidently the

tolerant policy on soft drugs. Yet it is not true that

they are all addicts, or that the coffee shops are

filled with Dutch people getting high. On the con-

trary, the places where the consumption of drugs

are legal are mostly frequented by the tourists

and the number of Dutch people who have serious

problems with drugs form 0.56% of the society; a

percentage that is way below other countries. The

Dutch certainly understand that bans and restric-

tions only makes people curious about it.

Tolerance and openness towards other cultures

have been important aspects of their way of life

throughout Dutch history. However, we should

emphasise that today, this does not fully corre-

spond to the political reality in the Netherlands.

Nonetheless, we can still say that the Netherlands

have a unique position when it comes to the ac-

cepting differences – being home to over 190 na-

tionalities. It was also the first country to recog-

nise same-sex marriage.

As you can see, not everything we attribute to the

Dutch people holds true. Yet, it is also correct to

say that we can all learn from them as we gather

here in Amsterdam. In the coming days, you will

be discussing issues, such as a women’s place in

the job market, European integration, the concept

of democracy in different states, and embryonic

stem cell research with more than 200 delegates

from 36 different countries. Be free-minded, liber-

al and tolerant. Go Dutch in Amsterdam.

Your Host Country : The Nether lands

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When roaming across the city of Amster-

dam, the people might be adressing you

in Dutch, a language that is often perceived as

containing an insane amount of glutturals and be-

ing spoken with a verry funny accent. But there’s

more to the language.

Dutch, or Nederlands, is the official language in

the Netherlands; but also in Belgium, Curaçao,

Aruba, Suriname and Sint Maarten. With over 23

million native speakers it is ranked 37th language

worldwide and 8th in the EU, next to that it is

being spoken by considerable minorities in Indo-

nesia, the US and Canada. Dutch is being consid-

ered by some as the language possesing the rich-

est vocabulary in the world because words can be

combined infinitely. Ask a native to translate this:

kindercarnavalsoptochtvoorbereidingswerkzaam-

hedencomitéleden. The language also donated

words to a wide array of other languages e.g.

the English ‘boss’ and ‘sleigh’ or the Norwegian

‘klappskøyte’.

Finally here are some useful phrases and words

that might prove to be useful:

To the organisers

Thank you Dankjewel

Please Alstublieft

Good morning Goede morgen

Good job Goed zo

See you later Tot ziens / Doei

When on the streets

Do you know the way to the youth hostel / bar

/ toilet / …?

Kunt u me zeggen waar de jeugdherberg / het

dichtste café / het toilet / … is?

Can I have a coke / coffee / beer / … please?

Mag ik een cola / koffie / biertje / … alstublieft?

I don’t understand, do you speak English?

Ik begrijp u niet, spreekt u Engels?

What time is it?

Hoe laat is het?

Some tongue twisters

‘De kat krabt de krollen van de trap’

‘De poppenmaker propt zijn pop proppensvol

met proppen’

‘De koetsier poetst de postkoets met postkoet-

spoets’

DUTCH FOR DUMMIES jonathan PiePers Provides an insight into the strange rambling lan-guage you will hear in the streets of amsterdam

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IMAGINE ALL THE CLICHÉSPanaghiotis P. kalaïdhoPoulos and maximilian kiehn ex-

amine what it takes for a stereotyPe to be eyP-estab-lished and shortlist the most refined amsterdam 2012

eyP CliChés.

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“Working for EYP”It may not be you, though this rarely is the case,

but there are many first-time delegates out there

Facebook-listed as “working for the European

Youth Parliament” right after getting back home

from their very first session. Really, what do we

need the Governing Body, Board ofNC and NCs

for? Beware!

What about your studies?Law, International Relations, Humanities, at least.

Perhaps you take a gap year and organise a ses-

sion or two, you maverick you.

Another media campaign!From banking crisis to women’s rights, we only

need the public informed and the issues are au-

to-solved. One TV ad and the world’s all right.

What is Euroscepticism?You must be another rose tinted cheerful pro-Eu-

ropean youngster. We may not know what a DG is,

but we love the Commission, n’est-ce pas?

EurocirclesNo other geometric shape could be more EYP.

Ovals barely work. Squares – you need to be out

of your mind!

EYPers talk strictly serious issuesWhile this is not a complete lie and despite the

common EYP grandparents’ misbelief that EYP is

such a fundamentally institutional entity that ac-

tually seats either in Strasbourg or Brussels, we

do occasionally happen to engage in small talks.

(“Did they really hook up in Tallinn?”)

Beyond any academic categorisation, a stereo-

type, never mind how unfair, erroneous, ma-

levolent or just random it is, will finally rear its

ugly head in EYP. It usually does not take more

than a group of EYPers, a keen observer and a

punch line surviving more than two sessions for

an EYP cliché to be born.

Even though it may most likely be nothing more

than an innocent misconception, it always dis-

torts reality and it is therefore some good food for

thought and worth recording. Let’s have a look at

what is being written down here, in de Eemhof.

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THE VENUES AVENUEFOR PLACES HAVE ALWAYS SOMETHING TO SAYPanaghiotis P. kalaïdhoPoulos and laura Peréz-galdós take you on a quiCk, yet re-warding, walk around the three session loCalities and seven venues, in zeewolde, den haag and amsterdam, before getting baCk to de eemhof for the last time.

After the Seven Sages of Greece, the Seven Roman Emperors, the Seven Deadly Sins, even Snow

White and the Seven Dwarfs, or the Seven Samurai, Amsterdam 2012 high standards could cer-

tainly not be contained in fewer than exactly seven venues. They are out there waiting for us. Shall we?

De Eemhof | Zeewolde

Inaugurated in 1980 literally in the middle of nowhere – for some peculiar rea-son, public buses

perform suspicious circles before approaching it – De Eemhof is a recreational facility owned by

Center Parks Europe and home to the unofficial launch and the Teambuilding of the Session. Within

its 65 acres, it features nearly everything, from subtropical swimming facilities to externally-hum-

ble-great-in-the-inside cottages that can accommodate up to 3515 guests. Its Mediterranean-styled

Market Square opened in 2002, after its pre-decessor burnt down in 2000, whereas the new slide

to its Aqua Mundo ‘Tur-bo Twister’ is the longest slide in the Benelux States. Make sure to leave the

place in a civilised state and pack everything before marching out to The Hague and Amsterdam.

Ridderzaal | The Hague

A morning bus is going to get us to the heart of the Netherlands and the Bin-nenhof, where

the bicameral national parliament is headquartered. The earli-est version of this complex

was built in the 13th century as a hunting lodge – which might partially also account for

the bloodthirsty nature of politics. Rid-derzaal, the “Knights’ Hall”, our Opening Ceremony

venue, is the place where every third Tuesday of September the Sovereign officially opens

the Parlia-ment in joint session and deliver their speech from the Throne. Monarchs, carpets,

wool and leather. It is not a common’s place at all.

ZOMIXED | Southeast Amsterdam

Once in Amsterdam, Committee Work will not be a theoretical exercise any-more. The proper venue for this,

ZOMIXED, is really so mixed. This is its actual English interpretation: “so mixed” or “mixed in the South-East”,

with a good-humoured reference to the venue’s location. When this former HEMA headquarters’ site, where a mix

of enterprises, institutions and residents are housed today, became vacant, a new set of people and entities were

willing to settle in. It is CW’s turn this time.

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Rijksmuseum | Amsterdam

A first impression is often the most telling one. You start every journey with a

first step and you never forget your first kiss. Every year, the Rijksmuseum creates

first impressions for hundreds and hundreds of people offering its visi-tors famous

masterpieces. Future plans for the venue also include adding ed-ucational pro-

grammes to their range of services.

The Rijksmuseum’s building, designed by Pierre Cuypers, has been open for 125

years. It is currently undergoing renovation, and it is going to open exclu-sively for

our EYP Gala Dinner, so we must all realise what an honour this is!

Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen | Amsterdam

In its contemporary state, the Royal Tropical Institute has been founded in 1910, with

the designated scope of studying the tropics and promoting trade and industry in the

then colonial territories of the Netherlands. Founded with government support on a

primarily private initiative, it is a quite interesting ex-ample of an early public-private

partnership. Since 1926, it has been housed in a historic building by the Oosterpark,

richly adorned with decorative fea-tures and symbols referring to various cultures of the

world and the colonial history of the Netherlands, even with the assistance of a special

Committee on Decoration. Expanded and restored till today, the KIT nowadays aims at

promoting science and culture and honours the session by accommodating Euroconcert.

Podium Mozaiek | Western Amsterdam

Setting each day of the General Assembly in a different venue has not really been the case

before, at least not until this very 71st International Session. Podium Mozaiek is hosting the

first day of the General Assembly, followed by the Amsterdam Conservatory for the next

one. This cultural multiplex, pre-senting the public with a theatre, a number of offices, studi-

os and workshop spaces is said to have given Western Amsterdam its very own new cultural

heart. It only remains to be seen whether it will bear an equally enlivening ef-fect for the first

day of the General Assembly as well.

Conservatorium van Amsterdam | Amsterdam, apparently

Being privileged enough to have the benefit of such a setting, we are actually conclud-

ing the work of the General Assembly in the brand new building of the Conservatorium

van Amsterdam. In use only since 2008, it could not give ‘brand new’ a more accurate

context. Even more, it now is once again stand-ing up to its lively spirit by offering one

of its four full equipped amphitheatres for the purpose of the General Assembly and

the Closing Ceremony.

By Zeewolde, The Hague and Amsterdam, there still is much time until that moment. As for now, have

a nice time while still in De Eemhof, make the most out of your stay here, there and everywhere. The

experience will otherwise not be worth it.

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PLEASE RISE FOR HIS ROYAL HIGHNESSdmitry vyskrebentsev exPlores the intriCaCies of the dutCh royal house

Here we are in the Netherlands, home to Eu-

rope’s most orange monarchy. While it might

not be the oldest one since it was only established

in 1815, it certainly has developed rather curious

traditions. Such as the abdication of the throne

for example, which has become a de facto practice

in the Dutch monarchy. Queen Wilhelmina and

Queen Juliana both abdicated in favour of their

daughters and William I abdicated in favor of his

eldest son. Other curious facts include how the

constitution refers to the monarch of the Kingdom

of the Netherlands. “The King” is an indication of

the role and refers equally to a man or a woman.

But how is all of this related to us? As some of you

might know already, we will have the honour to

see in person His Royal Highness Prince Constan-

tijn Christof Frederik Aschwin of the Netherlands,

Prince of Orange-Nassau, Jonkheer van Amsberg

who will hold a speech at the Ridderzaal during

Opening Ceremony. He is Prince Claus and Queen

Beatrix’s youngest son out of the three they have.

There are also the heir to the throne, Prince Wil-

lem-Alexander, and Prince Friso. The country is a

perfect example of the coexistence of monarchy

and democracy, which is not that common nowa-

days. The fact that Prince Constatijn will be partic-

ipating in the session in his capacity as a member

of staff of EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes only

proves this.

When speaking of the Queen, it would be inter-

esting to also learn more about the coronation

ceremony: as a matter of fact, Dutch monarchs

are not crowned but instead invested as heads of

state. A new monarch assumes the royal preroga-

tive as soon as his or her predecessor dies or ab-

dicates. The Constitution stipulates that the new

monarch must be sworn in and invested as soon

as possible.

As it appears the Dutch monarchy has a lot to of-

fer and that is why the Amsterdam Media Team

encourages everyone to make the most of the op-

portunities they are presented at this session be it

the speech of Prince Constantijn or the chance to

visit the Ridderzaal. Discoveries await..!

More on the Nether lands

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Yugoslavia was a country of peace up until the

death of Tito, former Yugoslavian President,

in 1980. After which everything was questioned

and started falling apart; peace and stability as

well as the economy, the result of which was one

of the worst civil wars. A multinational, -cultural,

-religious country in total chaos; a dark episode

for all ex-Yugoslavian nations. All war criminals ac-

cused of atrocities of all kinds were of court held

responsible at the International War Tribunal in

The Hague.

The International Criminal Court is a permanent

tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide,

crimes against humanity, war and aggression.

The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of

Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of In-

ternational Humanitarian Law Committed in the

Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991 -

more commonly referred to as the International

Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)

- is a body of the UN established to prosecute

serious crimes committed during the Yugoslavian

civil war.

Ever since 1993, when the Tribunal for the former

Yugoslavian War Crimes was founded, it has ful-

filled the daunting task of bringing justice to the

peoples of former Yugoslavia. By combining the

Tribunals mandate to bring war criminals to the

Hague and the national government’s of every

ex-Yugoslavian country co-operation with the tri-

bunal, it has been rather successful in its mission.

Looking more specifically at the Republic of Ser-

bia, its government started arresting war criminals

back in 2003, getting hold of the last war criminal

on July 20th 2011. The Serbian government made

it very clear that it had acted as expected and re-

quests and prosecuted all war criminals.

However, it is nearly impossible to tell if their ac-

tions were motivated by the wish of the nation-

al governments to do so, or the European Union

making it a conditionality for further progress in

accession negotiations with the Union. The transi-

tion from a socialistic to a capitalistic regime was

a hard and daunting task for all citizens to whom

war had brought nothing but pain, instability and

division.

However, things are moving forward. The EU has

played a major role in establishing stability and

maintaining peace in the Balkans. It is the EU, the

UN and the ICTY that we should be grateful to,

and we does not only refer to the former Yugo-

slavian nations, but also Europe in general, since

the Balkans will play a big role in Europe’s future.

THE HAGUE TRIBUNALthe yugoslavian federal state started falling aPart in summer of 1991 lead-ing to a civil war. Stefan Zoričić, aS Someone coming from a former Yugo-slavian Country, tells us how the international Criminal tribunal for the former yugoslavia dealt with war Criminals and helPed those Countries to Come to terms with the Past.

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WHERE IT ALL BEGINS…as these lines are being written, it is only a matter of days be-

fore the PartiCiPants of amsterdam 2012 gather at the knights hall for the oPening Ceremony of the session.

Since 1904, the Knights’ Hall has been the set-

ting for the reading of the Queen’s speech at

the annual opening of the Parliament. Very much

like during this formal event, the Opening Cere-

mony is expected to feature a series of prominent

speakers and guests that have come to provide us

with interesting insight on the session theme and

share their own experiences and opinions on how

to end the crisis.

The greatest misconception about democracy is

that it is a force for the majority. This perspective

is founded in the fact that we make democratic

decisions by numbers. This ignores the continu-

ous and essential need for debate in shaping our

democratic decisions. Democracy is only a force

for the majority when we are not willing to engage

in debate. It is incredible to think that a word as

simple as ’why’ can change democracy. Yet it does.

Every time we argue about policy, or criticise an

action, we expand our minds and those of others.

We imply that there are alternatives, we force our-

selves to consider other options. This expanded

thinking is what changes minds. Debate has the

potential to turn the opinion of one into a shared

goal of the majority.

Chris Buijink is the Secretary General of the Ministry of Economic Af-

fairs, Agriculture and Innovation, and also an active user of Twitter; un-

fortunately, he does not follow Amsterdamedia yet. The Ministry’s policy

efforts concern the pursuit of economic prosperity in a sustainable way.

The speech will most likely provide us with ideas on development and

investments in times of crisis.

Rainer Wieland serves as Vice-President of the European Parliament. As

a member of the only directly elected EU institution, Mr. Wieland will

address us to his insight on the work of the European Parliament that will

inspire the work of you throughout the course of the session.

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For those of you not living in a monarchy, the Opening Ceremony offers

a chance to encounter a real blue-blooded. Even though his descent, His

Royal Highness Prince Constantijn of Orange-Nassau will not attend this

event in his capacity as a member of the Dutch royal family, but as Deputy

Head of Cabinet of the Vice-President of the European Commission, Neel-

ie Kroes, his prestige and his experience in European politics will make

for a very interesting speech about the crisis and the role of the European

Commission.

Snežana Samardžić-Marković is a former Minister of Youth and Sports

of the Government of Serbia and resigned her post in order to serve as

Director General of the Directorate General Democracy at the Council of

Europe. She has declared that she will use this new position to help her

country to quickly and successfully participate in the European integra-

tion process. She will probably deliver a speech inspired by her ties to

Eastern Europe.

Before Connie Hedegaard, Ville Vasaramäk, the

Executive Director of the European Youth Par-

liament and the delegate ambassadors of Estonia

and the Netherlands, host countries of the previ-

ous and current international sessions, will refer to

their experiences as delegates at an IS and inform

the participants about the difference the sessions

made or are expected to make in the world of EYP.

After the official guests will have adressed the par-

ticipants the stage will be taken by Mark Brakel,

Head Organiser of Amsterdam 2012, and Gillian

O’Halloran, Session President. These two do not

need as detailed an introduction as the person-

alities above. Their speeches will highlight key

points concerning the preparation of the session

and their hard work and devotion to its realisa-

tion, and willinspire respect for the values of EYP

in every participant.

Opening Ceremonies tend to become lenghty and

boring for everyone – this one will be an excep-

tion. Pay attention to every speaker’s words and

memorise a quote from their speech. Wise words

have the power to change the world.

Connie Hedegaard was the youngest Danish MP to be elected when she

first entered parliament. As the EU’s first Climate Action Commissioner,

her areas of responsibility encompass a strategy on a sustainable future

and solutions that benefit the climate whilst strengthening the economy

and not risking energy security, matters directly linked with the economic

and geostrategic interests of Europe.

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EYP – EXCLUSIVE, EXPEN-SIVE AND ELITIST

drawing on the results of amsterdam media team Poll answered by 150 delegates max kiehn and sílvia susaCh analyse how oPen eyP really is.

Giving the European youth a voice is what EYP

aims to do. Nevertheless, this poll revealed

that the delegates of the International Session in

Amsterdam are far away from representing Eu-

rope’s youth or diverse social backgrounds. Is EYP

at all inclusive, or are we all part of an elitist or-

ganisation?

Educational background

The apple does not fall far from the tree, this is

true as the level of education of one’s parents de-

termines the likelihood of students joining EYP.

While in 2011, 34.6% of the EU population be-

tween 30 and 34 years old held a university de-

gree, the results of our poll show a shockingly dif-

ferent picture. 80% of the delegates’ parents have

obtained at least a university degree. While Eu-

rope’s society is characterised by people of from

diverse backgrounds with different levels of edu-

cation, the huge majority of the session’s partici-

pants come from a particular background. Just by

taking a look at the numbers, it seems very unlike-

ly that this session reflects the European Youth in

its full diversity.

Financial issues

Money makes the world go round? In EYP one

needs to travel around to participate in this event

like the International Session in Amsterdam as a

representative of your country. Roughly 60% of

the delegates have not received any kind of finan-

cial help apart from support from relatives. In fact,

30% see the financial burden as the biggest obsta-

cle for future participation in EYP events, which is

be a gross.

On the other hand, more than 50% of the respon-

under  250  €  

250  -­‐  350  €  

350  -­‐  500  €  

500  -­‐  600  €  

more  than  600  €  

under  250  €  

250  -­‐  350  €  

350  -­‐  500  €  

500  -­‐  600  €  

more  than  600  €  

TOTAL COST OF PARTICIPATION (TRAVEL EXPENSES, PARTICIPATION FEE, ETC.)

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dants live in a household with an average income

of more than 3000€ per month, while only 30%

have less than 1500€ during the same period of

time.

But there is a contradiction to be found here; you

might not know that the whole session, from

every night in the hostel to every dish we eat is

completely paid for by external sponsors. 20% of

the participants also received additional external

funding to cover their travel expenses. Different

social and economic situations in all European

country make it impossible to generalise these

answers, but it is clear that the future of EYP de-

pends on fundraising to be more inclusive.

It is striking how much money participants have

paid to attend Amsterdam 2012. A quarter of them

needed more than €500 including fees, travel

costs and other expenses. Furthermore, 35% of

the delegates answered that they paid between

€350 and €500.

While some National Committees, schools, or in-

stitutions offer travel reimbursements to EYPers,

many of them are left without any kind of financial

support. In short, only a small part of the Europe-

an youth is capable of paying such an amount.

To sum it up, one might claim that this is a lot of

fuss about nothing, as we are all aware that EYP

cannot represent every segment of society and we

certainly are quite privileged to be able to travel

around Europe. Nonetheless it is important not to

whitewash the present situation. Frankly, we, in

EYP, have to admit that we are not the European

Youth!

0  

10  

20  

30  

40  

50  

60  

70  

80  

lack  fo  1me   it  is  too  expensive  

none   lack  of  support   high  academic  level    

WHY WOULD YOU HESITATE TO TAKE PART IN ANOTHER EYP EVENT AFTER THE IS?

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At this session, we stand at a crossroads. Am-

sterdam looks set to offer up one of the great-

est EYP sessions of all-time, maybe even the best.

If all goes superbly well at this session – and there

are many hopes that it will – EYP will have outdone

itself in many areas, not least in academic quality

and the prestige of events on offer. We will even

have a new Imagine to sing to. Which leads us to

the question: what next? What can we possibly

achieve; what exactly should we aim for?

Opinions are voiced that EYP should become fur-

ther linked with Brussels and our adult counter-

parts. It is a reasonable wish that our resolutions

just a few short weeks ago, the eyP that we all know and love reaChed the grand old age of 25. in light of this, kieran mCnulty looks at what the organisation, at its first international session sinCe the milestone, Could Possibly aChieve next.

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should attract more attention than they do. At an

IS level, they represent the ideas of some extreme-

ly bright minds. Let the resolutions be discussed

in the European Parliament, why not? Can’t the or-

ganisation be recognised as a major youth voice in

European politics? The counter-argument to this

is that if EYP becomes more of an official organ

of the EU, if what we do has direct consequences,

then the ‘magic’ of EYP as being a world where

we are free to experiment and ask any question

is lost. The unique blend of work and play would

definitely be altered, if not scrapped altogether.

EYP could lose its soul. In this regard, EYP may not

need changing in the future.

There is another key question. Should EYP be-

come more political? By this we mean: do we be-

come an organisation that stands for more than

encouraging political debate, do we take a po-

litical stance? This, while hardly ever discussed,

is an issue that needs a closer look. We are all

aware of how controversial European integration

has become over the last year or so. As the Eu-

ropean Youth Parliament, we encourage debate

about European affairs. With questions on soli-

darity between Member States and the transfer of

ever more rights to the European level, becoming

more prevalent, it is time we defined our position

on this. This journalist believes that EYP should

avoid political activism like the proverbial plague.

EYP, for me, is a safe haven; a place in which polit-

ical ideologies hardly touch. It is a debate platform

where any opinion is welcome. There is no agen-

da. In terms of politics, it seems as if you need to

take a side on everything, your ideas need to be

fully formed. For someone interested in politics

but who has not yet developed a firm answer to

the world’s many divisive issues, EYP is perfect. It

would be a very different and a much less special

organisation if we were to focus on being politi-

cally active, one that I would not take part in. I am

sure that I would not be alone.

If indeed EYP needs changing at all! Ask anyone

returning from a session about the session and

they will always reply with an overload of superla-

tives to deafen your ears. EYP is an experience that

for many of us is unparalleled. For much of the last

twenty-five years, it has been steadily improving

on what has come before. There are only bene-

fits to gain from progressing in the same man-

ner. Amsterdam will surely set a gold standard;

attempts should be made to beat it. We can access

more countries, we can make as big of a name for

ourselves as we can, but we should not lose what

makes EYP the organisation that it is. EYP only has

a future if that spirit remains. In moving on from

Amsterdam to a dazzling future, to fifty years of

EYP, this must be kept in mind.

FUTURE, IMAGINED: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

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DEBATE IN

DEMOCRACYrónán o’Connor investigates the role of debate at amsterdam 2012.

Debate. What a grand and wonderful word. A

word that is the pride of the modern West, an

essential aspect of modern democracy. But do we

really understand it? We have forgotten the value

of a stirring speech and what it can achieve. De-

mocracy is about a collection of individuals, val-

uing the sum of our parts. Is that really how our

democracy works? For most people, voting in an

election is the limit of their democratic responsi-

bility. I see this as a disparaging attempt to fulfill

an ideal that is so much more valuable than ticking

a box in an election.

The greatest misconception about democracy is

that it is a force for the majority. This perspective

is founded in the fact that we make democratic

decisions by numbers. This ignores the continu-

ous and essential need for debate in shaping our

democratic decisions. Democracy is only a force

for the majority when we are not willing to engage

in debate. It is incredible to think that a word as

simple as ’why’ can change democracy. Yet it does.

Every time we argue about policy, or criticise an

action, we expand our minds and those of others.

We imply that there are alternatives, we force our-

selves to consider other options. This expanded

thinking is what changes minds. Debate has the

potential to turn the opinion of one into a shared

goal of the majority.

Debate is key to EYP. We will spend two whole

days of our time here in Amsterdam debating

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your work. The organisers have planned for GA

preparation to include expert debate training. Zah-

ra Runderkamp, one of the organisers, and Pres-

ident of EYP the Netherlands, is working to have

your resolutions published in the national media.

So why are they doing this? The endeavour is to

ground our work in reality. This serves to teach us

that our work is not just a discussion of idealised

concepts. Through true debate we can find orig-

inal answers to long-standing questions, such as

how to end the crisis. But it’s not necessarily about

the particular issues that you are discussing. The

importance of debate in EYP is to demonstrate the

skills that are fundamental to our democracy, to

display and exercise the skills of argumentation

and analysis. There is no shame in realising you are

wrong. There is only shame in your silence. Stand

up and be counted. The best arguments are often

the ones that no one agrees with, because they

make us question that which we assume to be true.

We may know something to be true, but we may

not know why. Without analysis and justification,

all we have is trust in our policies, and this is sim-

ply not enough.

Never rely on trust when you can rely on logic. Be

the dissenter who asks the questions that no one

can answer. Argue the point that everyone else is

happy to agree on. Debate is not only essential to

EYP, but it is essential to a functioning democracy.

In a time of crisis when real change is imminent,

democracy may be our way forward, but it is noth-

ing without debate.

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If the idea of a pool party didn’t float your boat

then you won’t enjoy this tidal wave of news; if

the rain carries on at this rate Amsterdam will be

flooding but this time, unlike Friday night’s activ-

ities, there won’t be an opt-out clause.

While the crisis may be the theme of the session,

no one expected this waterway to be taking the

starring role. Economics seems like a relatively

minor problem when you realise that you could

be spending the next week living on a boat – The

Lonely Island and Flo Rida not included.

So what happens to the International Session tak-

ing place in new Atlantis? Will we all be forced to

start our swims home or is there a way to salvage

this submerging situation?

Well, let’s just say that our dedicated group of

organisers had a contingency plan from day 0 –

to put it bluntly, the dikes caving in was always

an unfortunate possibility. Of course the ‘Plan B’

kept in line with their creative range of ideas - why

draw the shore at cow costumes? Somewhere in

Centre Parks there lives a large, red tent. While

this is commonly used by circus performers – al-

though it’s quite impossible to claim that team-

building doesn’t turn you into a clown – it would

have become the host of teambuilding during

Atlantis2012. Imagine an Aqua Mundo 2.0 if you

will, but without the twister slides and the gener-

al public. What’s not to like?

Imagine a session where swimming costumes

become formal wear; Gill swans around in her

gondola steered by the senior Vice-President of

course; and the under-the-weather Head-Organ-

iser will end up having to invest in life vests for

220 delegates.

If the prospect of this doesn’t open your water-

ways with happiness then quite frankly you’re just

sinking our ship.

S W I M M I N G C O S T U M E S MANDATORY

with the netherlands exPerienCe weath-er to rival sandy Currently and lying below sea level, dunja tanoviC investi-gates what would haPPen to this is if the host Country turned into a Pool?

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Arrived at the airport, a peculiar crowd

Foreigners, feeling like screaming out loud

Making our way to the distant hotel

Proving to be tricky, we ask for some help

The bus window gives us a glimpse of the city

The canals and bikes, they all look so pretty

Amsterdam is such a colourful town

If only we could stay forever around

So then when we finally get to the place

The delegates look with an anxious face

They’re reading the paper of our media team

Exchanging ideas on the session theme

Ten days go by, the session ends

A painful goodbye to all our new friends

What is it that makes an IS unique?

Multicultural values reaching their peak!

AMSTERPOEMevanthia kasiora & laura Pérez-galdós

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M.A.O.C. Gravin van Bylandt

Stichting

The European Youth Parliament receives support from the European Commission’s Youth in Action Program-me for its continuous activities and specifically for Am-sterdam2012

The activities of the European Youth Par-liament are under the patronage of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe

The European Youth Parliament is a pro-gramme of the Schwarzkopf Foundation

Amsterdam 2012, the 71st International Session of the European Youth Parliament is supported by:

Key Partners

the European Youth Parliament is supported by

Partners

Sponsors

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