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Issue Two

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Dear delegates,

I trust that you had a wonderful first day in teambuilding, and are thoroughly enjoying being right in the thick of committee work.

Committee work is the perfect environment to share ideas and mix them with the ideas of the rest of your committee, moulding them into something truly wonderful and groundbreaking.

Don't worry if it feels like you are going in circles at first - your chair will stop you from going off the tracks and guide you towards a successful resolution.

With one more day of committee work ahead of you, I must remind you of the session theme - stability for unity. Think of the ways in which your resolution can aid the current European situation, for the true aim of this session is to examine your topics in such a way that you are also seeking pan-European stability.

As General Assembly looms closer, don't be nervous, but instead be excited. You have been given a wonderful opportunity here at this session to exchange thoughts and opinions with the brightest young Turkish minds, so I ask you to really make the most of it - have your say and make your voice heard.

And remember, you alone are one piece of Lego - but with your committee you work together to build the foundations of that lego tower we are reaching for - you must rely on each other for strength and stability.

All the best for the rest of the session!

- Beth Thayne (Editress)

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4 MIGRATION - MOVING FOR CHANGE

6 MOCK DEBATE: RESOLUTION

7 A POCKET GUIDE TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY

9 CHANGING CLIMATES

11 TURK-EU?!

15 DELEGATES IN ACTION

21 U.S. ELECTIONS MATTER TO US

23 INSPECTOR LEGO: GALLERY

25 IMPRESSIONS OF ISTANBUL

27 THE POWERS OF THE PURSE

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MOVING FOR CHANGEMigration is a social phenomenon that is particularly prevalent in countries of the European union. Particularly countries such as Turkey, Greece and Italy, because of their geographical position, host immigrants both from regions of the Balkan peninsula and Asia.

The causes of immigration lie in political, social and financial based issues faced by the migrating citizens in their home countries. The political instability in countries of origin, especially the imposition of dictatorship or even worse, the outbreak of civil war, causes large masses of people who are persecuted for their political beliefs to leave their homeland in search of political asylum in democratic countries- such countries are all European ones. Often, the imposing anachronistic, theocratic regimes approved decades ago which are ridden with ignorance, and destroy culture, can be the driving reason behind people leaving their countries and seeking a better social position and fate in a country that respects human rights, culture and achievements. The political and social crisis almost always leads to the destruction of estates, shortages, unemployment and poverty. Due to this, even members of the population that are not politicised citizens, are forced

to leave their homeland, due to poverty, deprivation and are driven by their willingness to search for a better life, a life, however, which proves to be elusive.

Migrants have to go through an uncertain adventure, a dangerous journey, believing that, in any case, the new place will guarantee, because of the political stability, first of all, their survival and better living conditions as well. However, they have to face various kinds of headwinds: Living in a social, cultural, religious place completely different from that in which they were born and raised in, is the harshest confrontation with their difficult fate. The foreign language is the first and most fundamental barrier to

MARILENA SARADAIRA

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communicate with the inhabitants of the country that hosts them. The different customs, lifestyles, values and beliefs of European societies make them feel lonely, and miserable.

The difficulty of finding a place to stay is followed by the difficulty of finding a job. At earlier times, finding job was easy for an immigrant; Most of them were working under harmful conditions, at jobs that native people refused to take. That was an unofficial law and still, there are many cases where legal immigrants are getting lower wages than the local workers and remained uninsured, simply because of their desire to work.

The situation described above in issues of labour was accepted a few years ago because of an important condition; there were plenty of jobs offered that immigrants undertook and got paid for. Today, however, that the financial crisis affects most European countries, the future looks hopeless for European workers. It is obvious what this means for the immigrants in these countries. The situation becomes worse, keeping in mind the uncontrollable numbers of immigrants from North African countries because of political crisis there.

Last but not least, an unfortunate consequence of moving for immigrants is that they become victims of racial racism and if not by the society as a whole, at least by a large number of citizens of their host country. Prejudices, phobias, the sense of threat and national fanaticism that are nowadays believed to be the causes of this social behavior, constantly increase because of the destitution of the native citizens and the degradation of their quality of life. And this impacts on both the perpetrators and the immigrants. Immigrants, indeed, are not only marginalized and socially excluded, but also, in many cases feel that their lives are in danger.The host countries themselves are now

suffering the consequences of racist behavior, since the xenophobia, insecurity and intolerance are increased within their region. As far as these countries are concerned, the impact of migration seems to be only negative, as nowadays the number of immigrants has grown rapidly and as a result, the host countries are now unable to physically induct the immigrants, let alone make them citizens of the local communities.

This, though, does not mean that immigration has no benefits for host countries. Recently, neglected countryside has been revived, fields have been cultivated and the construction sector has developed and become highly profitable because, as I have discussed, immigrants are willing to work in difficult and lower-paid jobs.

Furthermore, local communities have developed the principles of tolerance for diversity towards immigrants. They were asked to implement democracy and in many cases, the application of these policies were successful on a local and a national level. They realized that the prevalence of a dictator can only lead to social upheavals. More often than not these days, the international situation seems to be harder than ever before. European societies that once flourished have to coexist with immigrants. It is obvious that in order to accomplish this goal, the implementation of a credible immigration policy is required. A policy that will lay the foundations and limits in order to achieve the aim; relieved immigrants and reassured citizens of the host countries.

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1) Don't be extremely competitive. Everyone is aware that this is a NSConference and not everyone can be selected, but honestly, the jurors don't appreciate speeches and points aimed to humiliate other delegates.

2) Try not to read directly from the paper. It will be better to make a note of what you want to say and speak to the audience normally, as if you were in committee work. Post-its might help. This is an effective way to capture the audience's attention and establish credibility while speaking. It might be challenging at fist, especially if you are not used to speaking in public, but once you get used to it, it will make you feel more comfortable while delivering a point.

3) Your Direct Response is a really important placard! However, it can only be used once for every resolution so don't waste it. Use it carefully!

Distinguished members of the board, honorable judges, guests and delegates, GA you are recognised! Since this is a National Selection Conference, it is inevitable that some of you are newcomers to EYP. For that reason, the press team is delighted to present you a pocket guide to a successful General Assembly!

A POCKET GUIDE TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY

MARILENA SARADAIRA

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4) Try to avoid unnecessary vocabulary in your speeches – it is the argument that is interesting, not the fancy language. Furthermore, don't try to impress the jury by asking pointless questions to prove that you are participating, for they will not be impressed so easily.

5) Be confident your body language. Looking at the audience will make you more engaging, rather than standing still as if you were petrified and speaking to the wall.

6) You have probably heard this thousands of time, but DON'T PANIC! We have seen panicked delegates mispronouncing words, trembling, forgetting what they wanted to say (awkward silences) and even, fainting (yes, we have seen that as well) because of panic.

7) Have FUN! Isn’t it true that we all just want to have fun in the session? Take it seriously, of course, but enjoy it as well!

Good luck tomorrow in General Assembly!PICTURES BY

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GIZEM OKUMUŞ

CHANGING ENVIRONMENTAL CLIMATE, CHANGING POLITICAL CLIMATE

As the Kyoto Protocol, adopted on

11 December 1997, expires at the

end of this year, discussions to have

a common policy on fighting climate

change are more intense than ever.

Everyone is anticipating the efficient

solutions from their leaders by the

end of the 18th session of the

Conference of Parties (COP 18.)

If we first examine what has the EU

done so far, we see a positive

picture in terms of fighting climate

change. For example, EU leaders had

set 20-20-20 Targets in March 2007.

To explain briefly, those targets sets

3 key objectives for 2020:

A 20% reduction in EU greenhouse

gas emissions from 1990 levels,

raising the share of EU energy

consumption produced from

renewable forces to 20% and a 20%

improvement in the EU’s energy

efficiency.   

As a step to reach those aims, the

EU has adopted the EU Emissions

Trading Scheme (EU ETS) which

basically aims to reduce the

carbon emissions by creating a

free trade market for the

companies. By 2013, we will

continue with the 3rd and last

phase of the EU ETS, and we are

curious to see that this scheme

actually works.

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Until now, I have only discussed the

bright side of our plight, however there

are some serious problems which

cannot be ignored. The EU Member

States have already taken the

responsibility for this fight, but what

about the rest of the world? Even

though the EU and Australia will link

their carbon markets in 2015, the EU

could not reach its aim to urge other

countries to create a common carbon

market. It is true that some countries

have their own carbon markets to

reduce carbon emissions, but the

implementation of strict measures is

not Thus, this situation creates unfair

competition between the companies

which are located in EU countries and

in non-EU countries. Big emitters such

as the US and China have their own

carbon markets but this means

nothing if all those carbon markets

are not linked.

Last but not least we are hoping that

COP 18 which will be held in Doha,

Qatar next week won't be a failure

for all of us as we have experienced

before, in COP 15, COP 16, COP 17,

and that this success will lead us to

a victory against climate change.

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TURK-EU?!

In 1987, Turkey applied to become a member of the European Union (EU) and the country was officially recognised as a candidate for full membership at the Helsinki summit in 1999. However, entry negotiations are taking a long time and many doubt whether Turkey belongs in the EU. This is a session of the European Youth Parliament, an organisation that promotes European integration and identity, playing the EU anthem at Opening Ceremony. George Ross and David Meijers used the lunch break on Friday to find delegates willing to give up their free time to talk about this issue.

First, we talked to Kenan and Batuhan.

Could Turkey be part of the EU?Kenan: I think it is quite obvious why we are not in the EU.

Why?Kenan: You have only been to Istanbul in Turkey, right? You haven’t seen most of it. Turkey as a whole is not the same as this small part called Istanbul. We have a lot of bad places too. There is a large gap between different parts of society. We have very rich areas in Turkey but also very poor areas. We need to recognise how large this gap is.

So you think these less developed areas are keeping Turkey from joining the EU?Kenan: Well, first the country needs to improve for us to get into the EU. I don’t think we meet the standards of the EU right now.

But there are also impoverished areas in the EU, what is the big difference?Kenan: Do you know about all the problems Muslims face, how we are often perceived as terrorists? If your passport says that you are Muslim, people think badly of you. That has to stop. I’m not actually Muslim, but it says so on my passport and everyone outside my country thinks that is a bad thing.

I don’t think that everybody in Europe thinks that. Do you really think that is the reason that Turkey doesn’t join the EU?Kenan: It’s not because of the religion, I think it’s because our

DAVID MEIJERS AND GEORGE ROSS

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country is slightly less developed than the majority of the EU. I went to Italy last year for a community project and the public high school actually had the same standards as my private high school. The standards in Turkish schools need to improve.

Would you want Turkey to join the EU in the end?Sure. We wouldn’t have to get visas for everywhere, which would be good.

We turn to Batuhan.

Should Turkey join the EU?Batuhan : Yes, because of everything Kenan said. I come from Adana, this is my first time in Istanbul and everyone is so cool! If we were part of the EU we could meet more interesting new people.

But what do you think about the economic issues the EU is currently facing?

Batuhan: I think the EU is in an economic crisis at the moment but it can be overcome. I think all European people should be equal. If this principle of equality is followed across the EU, also between countries, they could solve some of the economic problems.

How stable do you think Turkey is and the EU is as whole? The session’s theme is Stability for Unity so we thought it would be interesting to find out how stable you think Turkey is as well as the EU.Batuhan: Turkey is stable, we are happy.

Then why do you need to join the EU?Batuhan: So we can improve our country and ourselves and meet new friends like you guys. I want to meet people from around the world, that’s why I’ve come here.

One last thing about human rights: How do you feel about the position of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) people in Turkey?Kenan: The laws that affect them are stupid. For example the new law in the army about them not being allowed to join is really stupid. They aren’t going to harm anyone. This law should be abolished

Do many people in Turkey feel the same as you about LGBT rights?Kenan : Well if there were a lot of people felt the same as me it wouldn’t be a law.

Batuhan: In general, Many Turkish people think Europeans hold prejudice towards us.

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After our interview with Kenan and Batuhan we looked for a second pair of delegates to discover if they shared the same views. After a little bit of searching we found Sinan and Irmak.

What do you think about Turkey possibly joining the EU? Sinan: It won’t be good for Turkey to join the EU. The economy of many EU countries is down at the moment: Spain, Italy, Greece. While Turkey’s economy is growing rapidly. The Turkish Lira is rising every day.

So Turkey should stay on its own? Yes. But the European Youth Parliament is very useful for me. Meeting other teenagers is fun.  

Irmak, Do you agree that Turkey is better off outside the EU? Irmak: Well, up until two months ago I talked like Sinan, but then my history teacher and I talked about this topic and it changed my view. He said that if Turkey joins the EU, then Turkey is going to have more power in the whole of Europe and Turkey will be able to use resources in Europe, so Turkey’s going

to be a bigger power in the world.

What do you think is the biggest barrier between Turkey and the EU? Irmak: well, the culture is very different.Sinan: It’s not culture, it is about religion.Irmak: Religion is a part of the culture, right?Sinan: Yeah but the main reason is I think that the EU is a Christian union. There aren’t any Muslim countries in the European Union. Turkey has a large population and would get many seats in the European Parliament. The Christian countries won’t want to see a Muslim country in the parliament.Irmak: The cultures are totally different. The religion and traditions are just too different to get closer. If Turkey joined the EU, I think it wouldn’t be easy to integrate our culture and religion. And really, European people already have prejudices against Muslims, so I think they’re not going to say ‘we accept Turkey, they’re now one of us’. I think they are going to be against Turkey in the EU because the cultures and the

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religions are totally different.Sinan: On this point I agree. Every religion is perfect for the ones who believe in it. Being in a union shouldn’t be about religion. It should be based on relationships, friendships.Irmak: If Turkey joins the EU, it is going to be the only Muslim country in the EU. Germany, France, and the other countries have a common citizenship together, but if Turkey joins the EU then I think it will not fit in.

One last question: The theme of the session is ‘stability for unity’. On a scale from 1 to 10, how stable do you think Turkey is? How stable do you think the EU is? Irmak: Turkey is 6. I’d give the EU a 5. Sinan: Turkey is 7. The EU is the most dominant union in this world, so I would say 9.

Talking to some of the delegates was very interesting for us as two West-Europeans. Many of the images of the EU we heard were new to us. For

instance, we had never really thought of the EU as a Christian union, because our societies are strongly secularised. After a bit of thought, however, we had to concede that all countries in the EU have cultures that are firmly founded on Christian principles, even if faith doesn’t have a large role in society nowadays. As to the perceived prejudice towards Muslims in Europe, we are afraid this is true for certain parts of

society. EYPers are often more open-minded though, and we strongly believe that more interaction between Europe and Turkey can overcome the problem of prejudice.

Now that you have heard the opinions of

some of your fellow delegates, we

encourage you to discuss this topic with

each other. It is important for the future of

Europe, and especially for Turkish

EYPers!

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DELEGATES IN ACTION!

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Ummm, I’m not so sure I’m comfortable with him ‘rum pum pumping’ my legs…!

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I"CAN…"But"can’t"you"feel"the"chemistry"between"us?!"

II"HAVE"ABSOLUTELY"

NO"IDEA"WHAT"IS"GOING"ON!"

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EYP…

FORCING YOUNG PEOPLE TO EXERCISE SINCE 1988…

Uh#oh...&

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THIS  IS  A  JELLYFISH...

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ARDA COŞAR

AFET

U.S. ELECTIONS MATTER TO US

The  presidential election of the United States of 2012 was the 57th quadrennial presidential election (quadrennial meaning that it takes place every four years.) It was held on November 6th, 2012. The Democratic nominee, President Barack Obama was elected to a second term. His major challenger was the Republican nominee and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

As usual there were 4 major debate topics in the election: the economy and jobs,the national deficit,social policy and immigration and foreign policy. It seemed that Obama was winning in the last moments of the elections. Most major channels and media corporations projected that Obama and his running mate would be the winners. Finally on November 6th, Obama and Biden were announced as the winners of the presidential election after Romney

conceded the elections just before the last polls closed.

The impact of Obama’s first term in Europe was like JFK’s ‘’Ich bin ein Berliner’’ some 50 years ago. When Obama was elected all Europeans took a fresh breath, it seemed like the turmoil George W Bush left to Europe as a legacy was dispersing. Europeans had such high hopes about Obama. They were stunned and charmed by the way Obama talked about how he was going to change the world. Even in Obama’s

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2009 visit to Germany there was a huge crowd cheering for him. Unfortunately now he’d be considered lucky if he was able to fill a bus.

But then, when the time came, it became apparent. Obama had done nothing more than create a mere illusion. Like most politicians around the world Obama could or did not keep his word. Closing down of Guantanamo was just a puff of smoke. The cessation of drone strikes did not happen and USA’s absurd interest in the MA did not go away as promised. USA kept pouring her resources into an endless war, ‘on terror’. Also the Palestenian question did not find its solution again as promised by the almight President.

But even then Europeans still had hope. The point of breaking came when they realised that Mr. Obama did not even care nor did he even

pretented to care.

Although Europe and America seem to be linked by their beliefs and their stance on a free community, there is a major problem between the westerners of Europe and Americans: the lack of a socialist party. Europeans believe that a left-wing party is essential for the balance of democracy.

The lack of interest of the American society for anything beyond its borders and its indifference to the rest of the world seems to irritate Europeans the most. This alone is a way to push away the Europeans, losing the connection between the

two communities. We can say that all this is the doing of Mr. Obama not simply caring. But is he really the only one to blame ?

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Inspector Lego

Meet Inspector Lego fellow delegates! He is a highly esteemed detective of artistic talent. He has taken his precious time and effort to select each committee’s finest artwork of some of the most stable and united structures around the world. Here you will find precision, accuracy and pure, raw talent like you’ve never seen before!

The$Galata$Tower!

T!h####T!e####o!

######w!

E####e!I#####r!F!F!E!l#!

The$Acropolis!

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Stonehenge! The$Colosseum!

B!

i!g$!$!B!

e!n!

The$!Leaning$!Tower$!of$!Pisa!

The$Pyramid(s)$of$Giza!

The$Statue$of$Liberty!

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IMPRESSIONS OF ISTANBUL

MADLAINA MICHELOTTI

Making your own way to Taksim from the

Sabiha Gökçen Airport is supposedly quite

a challenge and an impressive

achievement for a first-time Istanbul

visitor. I can proudly say that I managed

this myself when arriving, with no

problems at all! Despite not speaking a

word of Turkish, the çıkmak signs were

clear and the Havatas bus going to Taksim

was waiting right outside and could not

have been more convenient for a confused

stranger like myself. I was astonished by

how friendly and inviting everybody was,

from the bus driver who carried my

suitcase to the lady sitting next to me

who offered to share her mandarin with

me.

When stepping off the bus onto Taksim

square, you are greeted by a powerful

mixture of smells, noises and obscure

Turkish shouts. You look around and

the diverse combination of architecture,

stores and cafés is marvellously unique.

Dotting the streets are rickety carts

selling warm simit and poğaça for only

75 kurus, filling the air with the

comforting and familiar smell of

freshly baked goods. In one corner you

have a red Starbucks with all its

Christmas festivities and further down

the street you have a kafe with little

wicker stools strewn haphazardly about

the sidewalk, serving warm cups of

thick, grainy Turkish kahve or a glass

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cup of çay with abundant sugar cups.

Modern, glass buildings tower high above

us and ancient mosques stand proud with

their minarets defining the famous

Istanbul skyline.

Striking contrasts are only one of the many

aspects that make Istanbul the wonderfully

abstract city it is. It unites Asia and

Europe, Christians and Muslims, the

Western world and the Eastern world,

cultures and architecture. You wander

around streets and feel like you are

teleporting between different cities,

countries and continents as the names of

shops and the structure of buildings

transform around you – there’s even an

Algerian street, Cezayir Sokak!

Istanbul has become a key conversation

piece among the international officials as

we consistently discover something new,

unusual or surprising in this hot melting

pot of diversity. There is never a moment

of silence in the busy and bustling city of

Istanbul, where car horns are blaring and

the voice of the Muazzin leads and recites

the calls for prayer. Despite it being a

completely foreign city, you cannot help

but feel a part of the laidback, yet active

lives unfolding around you. Istanbul is an

incredible city, rich in history, and I cannot

wait to get the chance to explore it further!

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THE POWERS OF THE PURSE[Anything which] is a living and not a dying body will have to be an incarnate will to power, it will strive to grow, spread, seize, become predominant - not from any morality or immorality but because it is living and because life simply is will to power.-Nietzsche

The preva lent f raudulent and insidious tendency of bypassing established rules, deviating from morally and just practices through i l legit imate means depicts the deceitful portrait of our faltering societies, engulfed, crippled by a deeply ingrained, subtle and latent art of corrompo. The menacing grip of corruption looms, hovers over vulnerable realms and institutions privy to the nefarious influence of the power of the purse, where abundance o f m a t e r i a l w e a l t h g o v e r n s mercilessly. Assessment of the mounting misconduct in financial and f i s c a l d o m a i n s a s a r o u t i n e occurrence, innately rendered a widespread phenomenon due to our interconnected societies underpins the money-ridden mind set, profit-m a k i n g t h i r s t h a r n e s s e d b y civilisation, by Man. Corruption emerges as an incurable, intractable disease – a visceral force injecting its poison and seemingly infiltrating, ferreting its way towards the core of human activities and mentalities.

In times of woe, the unveiling and proliferation of innumerable fiscal scandals throughout the global arena lends an enhanced dramatic, tragic picture of the downfall of the once-unblemished figures of leading, towering figures and institutions. Ultimately, the sense of the erosion of national integrity entailed by the degrading portrayal of institutions regarded as the embodiment of a just society, blatantly sheds light on the pitfalls of capitalism has fallen into. The prevalence of corruption at stages of development underpins a inherently dysfunctional, defective system

MARIE POUPINEL

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failing to safeguard justice and equity- flawed to the marrow.The advent of this insatiable seek, hunger and salvation in amassing material acquisition, fuelled by ambition and greedy power stems from the wake of the civilization of modern society. Mirroring Rousseau laments on the concept of ownership , the machiavellian philosophy has become a b e n c h m a r k , a n e n g i n e b e h i n d bourgeoisie capitalism and unbridled q u e s t f o r p r o p e r t y i n a l l i t s exploitative, coercive and enslaving f o r m s . M a n i s i m b u e d w i t h a predominant and pernicious penchant for excess and a striking characteristic that follows suit – conceit. The influence and unlimited power of money entailing the neglect and disregard of ethnical practices disrupts the roots, the cohesive fabrics of our society that are confidence and trust in the governance we labour under. The arteries of our modern societies are hit by acts of sabotage of ethnical values – the nations are diseased, putrid bodies, echoing a Shakespearian saying. Yet, capitalism cannot function viably if want of trust. Unmis takab ly , more and more institutions vaunting the safeguard and insurance of justice, liberty and equality have lost their mask of credibility preciously stealthily conceal behind democracy’s flag and amid periods of prosperity. The flag has slackened and drooped – the nation stands no longer pra iseworthy

ornamented with the crown of graft and deceit amid a multidimensional crisis. People feel beguiled by a system claiming its holistic approach and readiness to eradicate inequalities as the bill appears stained by numerous grey areas. Politics, for one, falls prey to the talons of corruption, which hasn’t withered with Time and evolving eras, driven by an everlasting, tenacious desire for power, intent on the perspective of ga in ing ever more e l ec tora tes . Campaign investments are a booming, reaching record numbers- the $70 m i l l i o n f u e l l i n g t h e A m e r i c a n presidential race alone offers an accurate insight of the dark recesses of exorbitant polit ical expenses- a vulnerable field privy to the pit of corruption. Waves of dollars stream into promising candidates, endlessly competing for a scarce and increasingly disheartened, disinterested mass –embezzlement represents a secure r e s o r t , l o o p h o l e f o r f u l f i l l i n g incomplete aims amid the rush for the top emphasising the fostering of winner takes it all mind set.

Without the solid principles of morality have our societies partially degenerated into the Hobbesian state of nature where man becomes wolf unto his fellow man? The rest is silence.

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