Session Issue // 41st NSC of EYP Greece

Among Athen

Contents 4 / Athéna Mou 6 / Lets Go Spiralling Together 8 / Unfiltered Thoughts of a Previously Unsuspecting Mind 10 / Words from the President 12 / Comfort Zone: Exit 14 / Diversity in EYP 18 / Just for Fun Click here for Puns and Jokes

Credits Editors Afroditi Karatagli (GR) Stylianos Hadjiforados (CY)

Editorial Assistants Marilena Pavlidou (CY) Emma Barry (IE)

Journalists Natalia Tsoukali (GR) Inês Rodrigues (PT) Maria Deliporanidou (GR) Rhiannon Smith (IE) Spyridoula - Iris Vasilakopoulou (GR)

Eleni Papadopoulou (CY) Angeliki Fotopouloy (GR) Carolina Vieira (PT) Alex Bañón (ES)

Dear Reader, Now that the 41st NSC of EYP Greece is over, the Session’s Media Team decided to offer you a chance to retrieve the memories you created the past few days. Now, you have the oportunity to let the logo’s light bulb enter your life, just like we let it into our laptop cameras.

In your hands you are holding a collection of thoughts that we’d like to share with you. Thus, we hope you treat them well and we would like to believe that you will appreciate them; but, above all, we expect you to continue EYP - all around Europe.

It really doesn’t matter that the first Session you attended was not held physically. We would like to remind you that EYP cannot be experienced, it must be felt. You managed to feel it during the past few days and, in the future, you will be given the oportunity to feel it again. So, even if you are currently looking at the Session’s farewell issue, this is not a “goodbye”; it is a “see you again”, somewhere in Europe.

Enjoy.

Editorial

Athéna Mou / My Athen Article by Spyridoula Vasilakopoulou (GR)

Athens / A·the·nai / noun The city that never sleeps. From cosy, warm cafes to cute, little local cinemas to intense, bomb nightclubs, Athens has it all.

That is one reason why all Athenians (and not only) adore this city, that is also proud to hold centuries of great history as well as important political, scientific and a lot of remarkable events.

Here are some general fun facts you might not know about Athens, Greece!

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Athens is Europe’s oldest capital.

Records show the city’s origins go back to around 3,400 years ago, also making it one of the oldest cities in the world.

Athens has the most theatrical stages in the world.

It’s understandable that the Greeks take theater very seriously, as the tradition of theater dates back to the time of Athens’ first democracy – so much so that Athens is home to 148 theater stages, more than the West End and Broadway combined.

The Acropolis has a troubled past.

While the Parthenon is the central city landmark in the Acropolis, this sacred temple has known some hardship. During its lifetime, the temple has been used as storage for munitions, converted into a church then a mosque, and widely looted by former Ambassador to Constantinople Lord Elgin. It also served as army barracks and was bombed by the Venetians in 1687.

Athens was the first European Capital of Culture.

The idea of the title is credited to Melina Mercouri – former actress, activist, and Minister of Culture – and her French homologue, Jack Lang.

The marathon event was created for the modern Olympic Games held in Athens.

The marathon is a commemoration of the run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides (also known as Philippides), who ran from Marathon to Athens to report the Athenians’ victory against the Persians in 490 B.C. There is a ‘Greek Island' village below the Acropolis Just underneath the Acropolis of Athens is an unusual collection of houses in a neighbourhood known as Anafiotika. When you walk around this area, you can't help but feel you may be in a small island village in the Cyclades.

Ancient Ruins underneath your feet It seems no matter where you dig in Athens, something ancient is discovered!

That was certainly the case when the Athens Metro was being built.

The highest temperature to ever be recorded in Europe In July 1977 was recorded a temperature of 48.0 °C in Athens . It was the highest temperature ever being recorded in Europe.

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Lets Go Spiralling Together Article by Natalia Tsoukali (GR)

As the days of the session went one by one, a deadline was approaching, *goggles eyes*. “I HAVE TO WRITE SOMETHING FOR THE ISSUE OF THE SESSION!”. I sprung up from my bed, I decided to make a cup of tea, and while waiting for the water to get heated by the radioactive rays of my microwave (don’t come at me for microwaving it instead of boiling it, please), it hit me right there, right then...

DING! The water was ready, like I was ready to take the readers on a trip to my tumultuous thinking process; the after-midnight spiraling that can go on and on and on, until my brain is tired of its very own existence.

But where does the session have a play in this? How long has it been, since I last was on a session? Oh dear, it was a long time ago. I haven’t been on a session since December of 2019, because Covid-19 saw our plans and laughed out loud.

But, then again we did have digital sessions since April. Why did I not take part in those? Honestly, they reminded me of all the things I would but couldn’t experience in physical sessions, which were very much out of reach at the time. They literally made me miss something I did not have.

However, when the 41st NSC turned digital, I decided I would stay along in this journey. Like every other session it had the transcending characteristic of being able to break off your routine and warp you in another dimension, where people are kinder, warmer, and work toward common goals, whether this is a resolution, a media project, the successful management of a team, or setting up games for everyone to enjoy.

But, what comes after it? What could follow up to days full of work and fun times, filled with interactions in a day and age where the need for them can not be quenched? And there it is: the spiraling begins again. From a session to not being on one; from an epic high, to an epic low. And spiraling keeps returning, cause had it ever left, or did it just hide, while our brains were too busy to swirl around it?

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And sometimes we can feel trapped in our own obsessive thoughts that stretch too much and lead to scary conclusions, that then are also stretched. The thing about spiraling thoughts is that indeed they are like a spiral, and as John Green said in his book “Turtles all the way down”: “Spirals grow infinitely small the farther you follow them inward, but they also grow infinitely large the farther you follow them out.".

So after all, there could be more to that sensation of getting lost and consumed by your thoughts,, because indeed there is more, and there is also less, and that is absolutely fine. We don’t have to constantly be on a maximum or a minimum to feel the presence and joy of something. What matters is where we shift our focus and how often we stop, breathe in and smell the roses.

As Tony Soprano’s psychiatrist said on “the Sopranos” (phenomenal series by the way): “Anyway, some people take pleasure in the simple doing of things”.

And that can be a good reminder, when post EYP depression hits hard, or when we feel like something is missing, because we are programmed to think something is wrong, when we are not doing something. I hope quarantine has taught you that baking sourdough bread, chatting with friends and family, and taking care of yourselves is also meaningful, when you decide to see the meaning.

Lastly, before ending this piece of writing, I would like to attach this part of John Green’s book: Turtles All the Way Down. I hope you enjoy it... ““So he [a scientist] gives this whole presentation about the history of earth and life on it, and then at the end, he asks if there are any questions. An old woman in the back raises her hand, and says, ‘That’s all fine and good , Mr. Scientist, but the truth is, the earth is a flat plane resting on the back of a giant turtle.’ “The scientist decides to have a bit of fun with the woman and responds, ‘Well, but if that’s so, what is the giant turtle standing upon?’ “And the woman says, ‘It is standing upon the shell of another giant turtle.’ “And now the scientist is frustrated, and he says, ‘Well, then what is that turtle standing upon?’ “And the old woman says, ‘Sir, you don’t understand. It’s turtles all the way down.’” [...] You’re trying to find the turtle at the bottom of the pile, but that’s not how it works.”’

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Unfiltered Thoughts Of A Previously Unsuspecting Mind Article by Angeliki Fotopoulou (GR)

“The European Youth Parliament.”

Sounds like a big deal, right? Back in 2018, when I first heard about it, I had no idea as to what to expect. One thing I was sure of, though; its members must be “important people”, strict, demanding, setting the expectations high – too high sometimes, always looking polished in their suits and ties.

Fast forward two years later and if you can trust me on anything, you can trust me on this; I couldn’t have been more wrong. Titles can be misleading. And –don’t get mad– its members are important people, just not in the way my 16 (and a half)-year-old self initially thought.

EYP’s importance, and therefore its members’, isn’t measured in numbers. It’s not related to a social status or to political power. Its significance lies in the overwhelming effect that it can have to a single, yet unsuspecting, person. I like to think that once you fully let go of your restraints and boundaries, it can overpower you and you will never be the same. In that sense,

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its people can end up being some of the most important that you’ll ever meet. They are shaping you, giving you experiences and skills that will accompany you for a lifetime and, if you’re like me, you aren’t able to realise that until you reflect on who you were before and who you are after meeting them. They are friends, colleagues, partners in crime…family.

And that’s what makes it so mesmerising, what draws me to it like a moth that’s drawn to a flame.

EYP is a feeling, a state of mind. One can take from it what one craves more, each and every time. We all yearn for something different. Within EYP I feel safe, accepted, heard, respected…by strangers (!), to which four days later I can refer to as friends.

And it’s this exact same feeling which I’m receiving, that I crave to spread to the world, generally, and give back to EYP, specifically; Amor, Љубав, Rakkaus, Mīlestība, Liebe, Sevgi, Αγάπη, Love.

A universal language.

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Words From The President Interview by Rhiannon Smith (IE) What was your first impression of Digital Sessions? Has it changed?

To be truthful, I was not really into digital sessions when the Covid situation started. I thought it wouldn't be worth it in comparison to real life sessions, so I was just going to wait it out until I could actually go to a physical session again. Even when I realised that that was not going to happen anytime soon, I still wasn't attracted to applying to a digital session.

When I was invited to one, I was like, “Maybe I can reconsider and give it a try”, although I thought it might be boring, which I no longer think. I’m actually having such great fun and I think that just like any other session when you have good people around you, you can enjoy yourself, even through a zoom call. I’ve been having a lot of fun with the Chairs team and, also at all the activities that the officials can engage with thanks to the Head Organisers.

The only thing that I thought about, and was right about, is that I expected them to be very tiring in terms of screen time. When you are in the chairs team or when you are on the Board, you don’t really have the option of logging in and out, doing some work or sitting back because everything pressures you timewise and you spend the entire day in front of your laptop, which for me has been super draining both mentally and physically but, you realise that it is worth it eventually.

What is your favourite EYP memory?

I would say that there is one too many and I think that most EYPers would say the same.

I’ve had so much fun and met so many lovely people from all over the world. I have so many favourite sessions, but, a really wholesome moment for me was around two years ago, actually almost exactly two years ago now. I was Head Organising a National Selection Conference in Thessaloniki, the 38th.

It was a really stressful experience overall, you work on a project for nine months and you feel so much pressure from teachers, delegates, officials. All the expectations, all the management, all the difficulties of finding funding and everything. All of the work really did drain me mentally and it really stressed me out, but then it was General Assembly day and

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we went outside by the sea to take a session picture. Our GA venue was near the sea and the sunset was in the back and I saw two-hundred people gathered together and I thought: “Wow, this is beautiful. There are so many people here because of something I managed to do. I managed to bring all of them here, together.” I felt so much gratitude and happiness for what I was able to get out of all those people and so happy to have them all there with me to share that moment. It’s definitely one of my favourite moments in EYP I would say.

Do you think you have changed since your first EYP session and if so, how?

I think I feel way more confident. I would say that I always felt kind of confident because I always chose to do things that I knew I could. The difference is that at the beginning, I was very focussed on doing things in a way, as a chair for example, in a way that the Board would approve of or look favourably at. I would be really, lets say, stressed about my performance, but then in the process and up to now, I’ve found my own style, my own way of working where I feel comfortable and I don't really care as much about what others think if I know that what I'm doing is good for me and for my team.

If you could give the participants of Athens 2020 a piece of advice, what would it be?

I would tell them to look forward because I feel like it's a time that people are not really particularly enjoying right now. Aside from the small things that make them happy or that can make their day, what we are going through is rather restrictive so I would tell them to look forward to all the things that can come to them after this experience. This session was just a baby step into the world of EYP and there is so much more waiting for them outside if they decide to give the network a chance and to do more from now on.

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Comfort Zone: EXIT Article & Graphic by Inês Rodrigues (PT)

Why “Life begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone”, a guidebook.

Lets all face it: Life can be pretty scary. And pretty beautiful too.

Throughout our lives, we are constantly faced with uncomfortable situations that require us to take the leap. But what is preventing us from doing so? From taking a step ahead and grabbing all the opportunities we are presented with?

Take some minutes to think about that moment where you turned down that amazing opportunity to speak up and take the leap – were you really that tired and overwhelmed, or were you just making up excuses because you were terrified of what could go wrong?

In these moments of doubt, just take a deep breath, count to 5 and do it. There’s no other way around it: to step outside your comfort zone, you have to do it, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Finding mechanisms that will force you to dive in is the best long-term option, and it might lead you to discovering that what you initially feared isn’t as bad as you thought. It is never as scary as it looks. Here are some practical tips to overcome your fears and step out of your comfort zone: Make a list of the pros of cons of each situation. This way you can have an overview of all the good things you can take from that experience.

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Failure is inevitable, embrace it. When something doesn’t go your way, don’t be afraid to take a step down and start again.

Start with small steps and note them down, they are better than no steps. Know where to start and write that down, it will make you feel more motivated.

Try something new until you feel comfortable. Acting like you are comfortable (even when you are not) will set you to a better path in the future.

Start the day with positive thoughts. Even though this looks like a simple tip, it can be one of the most important ones, as the first minutes of your day can set the tone for the rest of it.

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Remind yourself why you started. When you do not feel motivated you can look at that to see what it is that you want to accomplish.

So go ahead, jump in. And enjoy the whole process that comes with it.

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Diversity In Eyp Article by Alex Bañón (ES)

The first European Youth Parliament session I attended was in January 2018.

That year there had been a push for more public schools to attend the regional and they made up about 40% of the schools participating. I was one of the only three people in my committee who could speak fluent English. The same three schools that had passed the last year won the selection that year as well. They were all private, expensive, international schools.

One could say that it is because of EYP’s English speaking nature that, at least in most European countries, only people from a certain economic background can actively participate in it. It is expensive to be bilingual in most countries, especially at the young age of 14 to 17. In my home country of Spain, only about 27.7% of people say they speak English to a certain level (not necessarily at debating level) - in Italy its 29%.

However, if you are to have an “EYP career”, the economic background really comes into play. Travelling is very expensive. Sessions are expensive. If you are to be a delegate, your school needs to be capable to pay it for you. Most public schools can’t afford that. If not, you have to pay for it by yourself and not many 15-year olds have the 85€ that International Sessions can cost laying around.

If you are to be an official (at least in pre-Covid times), you have to pay for the travelling and, in some sessions, the accommodation as well. That is without going into the equipment problem (ex. how most media team members are expected to bring a camera to sessions). Yes, there are travel reimbursements.

Yes, if you are invited to a session as president most times you won’t have to spend a dime on travel and accommodation. But it takes time. And it takes a lot of EYP experience, which we have said previously not everyone can afford, before that happens. This then repercusses as exclusivity in other fields. João Silva, former president of EYP Portugal and jury at the session explains it really well:

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“[This income level entry barrier] reflects itself in other uninclusive patterns, since lower income is correlated with belonging to an ethnic or sexual minority, or almost any other socially vulnerable group, as well as negatively correlated with your parents' education level (meaning that if your parents don't have a university education, you're less likely to be middle class or above).”

When asked about his opinion about the inclusivity of the organisation he states that: “I don’t think EYP is particularly uninclusive, especially when compared to some other organisations, and some of the efforts in this area are truly to be appreciated and lauded. But EYP faces structural problems in improving its accessibility to young people different from its current network membership, and fundamental reforms would likely be needed to change that on a signficant scale.” I definitely agree with this.

Although the majority of Europe’s population is Caucasian, it is definitely still surprising to see that 43 out of the 45 people I surveyed for this session identified as white.

EYP isn’t free from societal stigmatisation either. Racism, homophobia and discrimination are part of the world and, to put it Joao’s words, “we are not insulated from society, and its problems don't magically disappear once we're inside a session.” Nevertheless, it is still wonderful to see how accepting the majority of people in EYP are. Especially now that, with the inclusion of the Safe Person role, that diversity and freedom from harassment can be further protected. In my personal experience, EYP is one of the most inclusive platforms that I am in and, although somewhat elitist, it does strive for a broader community and takes steps towards it. Getting rid of the huge income barrier is, however, a much more difficult problem to solve.

Not all hope is lost, though. Athens 2020 has taught me that Digital Sessions (although not as immersive as physical sessions) are a way through. First of all, they are much more cost-effective - therefore delegate fees can be enormously reduced. There is also no need for travelling, just a decent internet connection (which 87.2% of European countries have). Is it the full EYP experience? In my opinion, it is not. Does it make the youth more politically aware? Yes. Does it help form long lasting bonds and friendships? Yes. Does it inspire and empower young Europeans? I really do think it does. And if it makes a difference in this chaotic beautifully diverse little world that we live in, then it is definitely worth a shot.

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These are some of the best replies I got in the form, maybe you can do a little page on “What do other eypers think?�

I love the fact we all speak one language regardless of where we are from but we celebrate and encourage other languages and cultures - Emma Barry I recently took part in the Summer Academy, and had a lot of wonderful discussions with a lot of NC members from around the network. What really standed out to me was that a lot of NCs did not have any plans or programmes to mentor/guide new or potential alumni around the network. EYP can be really frightening when you first start out, and I was really glad to see some NCs (EYP Greece being alongside them) to take initiative and introduce mentorship programmes.

- Vasilis Varsos EYP can in some countries become a bit of an upper middle class debating competition and it's not always super accessible to less privileged delegates and schools.

- Aidan Mamo It could be more inclusive in terms of giving incentives and opportunities to people of lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Racially and culturally speaking I think we are doing our absolute best. It's just that due to the cost of the EYP life, the less fortunate do not get as much in comparison - it's kind of an expensive and almost elite hobby to travel all around Europe. Digital sessions are definitely a way through this though.

- Elisavet Sidiropoulou

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EYP is trying really hard to become more inclusive and I definitely acknowledge this - on the other hand, it still has things to improve in terms of ethnicity, economic background, and regional inclusion.

- Rafael Tsiamis It fails to include people from lower financial classes in their journeys as officials. Especially when sessions were still face to face, not many national committees provided travel reimbursements and no united effort from the centre of the network has been made to create a fund for this. Hence people who continue their "career" in EYP and do so by also having the freedom to select any session and not limit their choices in accordance to their financial status, come from a financially privileged or at least middle class background.

- Natalia Tsoukali Although I think that EYP as an institution tries to be as welcoming and inclusive as possible, I still think that there isn't that much variety both ethnicity-wise and class-wise. I think it is still difficult for people of lower income to have as much of a presence in EYP as someone with a bit more economical freedom. It is understandable, but I think further efforts could be made in that aspect.

- Matilde Lopes I believe EYP is one of the most inclusive networks in Europe, and it seems to never stop taking steps towards being even more inclusive.

- Danai Varna

Click here for more:

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Just For Fun Graphics by Carolina Vieira (PT)

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4.

3.

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HORIZONTAL 1. The Committee on Contitutional Affairs.

2. The Session’s President.

3. The ginger Head Organiser.

4. The _______ of Change.

5. Our Organisation.

VERTICAL 1. The center of our solar system.

2. On Saturday night, we were trying to solve a _______ .

3. The capital city of Greece and our Session’s core.

4. The tip of the _______ .

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