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The Muner Chronicle 18th MUN Conference - October 2015 With the industrial revolution a new era dawned for mankind. An age of bold innovation and unprecedented prosperity seemed on the horizon. Harnessing through science and technology the untold powers of nature, opportunities and experiences that before were the subject of tales became a part of everyday life. Progress has, however, not always been an easy and peaceful deal. Wars became more common and deadly in the last centuries than ever before and they reached a climax in the 2 World Wars of the previous century. It was then that all the world’s people seemed to grasp
THE SPIRIT OF MUN
that ought to guide the actions of today’s people and nations. Its success has not been achieved through divine grace, but rather through the understanding between nations. As a result, the Model United Nations is nothing less than the simulation of the institution that dictates the course of the whole world. This all delegates and participants should always bear in mind, when they write their papers, when they read out their policy statements, when they deliver speeches. MUN is not about receiving a paper that confirms your participation nor
that progress is not to be achieved through bloodshed and about boasting that you take part in something alternative. conquest, but rather through cooperation and peaceful co- It’s about realising the values that will lead the world to a existence. better future and trying to assimilate them. But this peace, although being kept until now, is very del- And, of course, it’s about having a hell of a fun, meeting icate. The United Nations have been found with the aim new friends, forging new relationships and having unique of ensuring it. This institution embodies all the principles experiences, but this we all knew.
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Contents PRESS TEAM 2015
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Syrian Refugees: Foes or Friends?
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International Court of Justice
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Ensuring a Balance of Power in Asia-Pacific
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Under the MUNLight
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Violence against Women in War Time
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Get to know our Secretariat
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Why preserve Heritage Languages?
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Tax Havens used by MNCs
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Special Conference: Disabled People
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Editors in Chief Margarita Mitrakou Thodoris Iliadis Deputy Editors Maria Matzivi Myrto Klimi Journalists Despina Pavlidi Efthimia Maridaki Ersilia Mikrou Giorgos Tsoutsos Joanna Maina Katerina Tzouvala Konstantinos Billias Photographers Artemis Gavrili Evita Nazou Katerina Valsamidi Nikolas Petsalis
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+ Speeches & Quotes from great Movies and Actors!
Not even me. All right? “Don't ever let somebody tell you, you can't doYousomething. got a dream. You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you. you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period.
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e Pursuit of Happiness, 2006
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Syrian Refugees: Foes or Friends? By Thodoris Iliadis
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ince the 2nd World War there has not been as great a refugee wave as the one originating from Syria nowadays. War is ravaging the country, with the United Nations classifying it as one of the most unsafe regions on earth at the moment. The establishment of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has cast its shadow on the region ensuring the continuation of the ongoing civil war and foretelling that growing instability is to be expected.
primary burden falls to the European Union. Now more than ever are the principles and ideals of the EU, foremost among them solidarity, being tested. The overwhelming influx of refugees and asylum seekers in countries like Greece or Italy, which are countries at the crossroads of continents, cannot be handled by individual governments. On the contrary, the assistance and participation of individuals is of vital importance and everyone should acknowledge the severity of the issue.
Following these events, a significant number of Syrian citizens has abandoned their long-established homes
In an action where German humanism meets Greek generosity and solidarity, student representatives
times of crisis like the one we are experiencing now. It is of paramount importance that everyone understands that he is a part of the world and not only of an individual universe where only the clothing and style of celebrities matter. We are primarily responsible for change, not the government, not organisations, not institutions, but we. In this spirit let us remind ourselves of the frequently said but rarely understood quote by Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you want to see in the world” and the following one by Anonymous:
“Be the change you want to see in the world” and fled in search of safety. With the most neighboring countries turning a blind eye to them and the others already receiving a greater influx than they can absorb, Europe seems as the ultimate destination. Having given up all hope for a cessation of hostilities in the near future in their country, many Syrians embarked on a desperate journey to what now seems to be the Promised Land. Consequently, the European Union faces at the moment the biggest humanitarian crisis in its history. Although it is true that many countries worldwide have contributed financially or by other means, the
and teachers of the German School of Athens undertook the collecting of provisions and basic supplies, like blankets, clothes, sanitary articles among others. Everyone was able to contribute by any means he could and in the end the amount of gathered supplies was astounding. The action was crowned with success and the responsible persons brought them to the refugee camp in Elliniko, where they also had the chance to speak and get to know the devastated but optimistic people that we only read about in articles and on the internet. Actions such as this should act as a beacon of light and guidance in
“When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn't change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn't change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family. Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world”.
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International Court of Justice Obligations concerning Negotiations relating to Cessation of the Nuclear Arms Race and to Nuclear Disarmament (Marshall Islands vs India) By Myrto Klimi In the 25th of April 2014 the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands filed before the ICJ a separate application against India accusing it of non-fulfilling its obligations regarding the cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and nuclear disarmament. In other words, the government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands claimed a violation of an international law counterpart of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation (NPT) of nuclear weapons committed by India. To be more precise, the IV Article of the NPT includes an obligation to negotiate on the matter and declares that the parties intend “to achieve at an earliest possible date the cessation of the nuclear arms race and to undertake effective measures in the direction of nuclear disar-
mament”. It is vital to keep in mind that The Marshall Islands were the location of 67 atmospheric nuclear tests carried out by the United States of America from 1946 to 1958. On the contrary India, which has not signed the NPT, but remains nevertheless under the jurisdiction of international law, as its constitution calls upon, displays both a qualitative and a quantitative development of its nuclear program. Yet, although India has officially accepted the jurisdiction of the ICJ, it has excludes cases concerning “national defense”, which is quite a wide term indeed. Thus, the argument that India is not under the jurisdiction of the ICJ, which is not insubstantial, leaves two options for India: it can either escape court or participate in the procedures with the aim of formally elaborating on its legal
BAL ANCE OF POWER
It is common knowledge that a great amount of the “geopolitical energy” in terms of diplomatic and security potential- has been (to this day) progressively concentrated into the Northeast/Southeast Asia and the Pacific region since WWII and throughout Cold War Era. For the last decades, Afghanistan & Pakistan antiterrorists’ warfare operations, increasingly assertive N. Korea military activism, Sino-Japan/Taiwan areal disputes are but a few factors that By Despina Pavlidi contributed to increasing economic, political and diplomatic ten- cial, economic and political systems, sion in the region. national priorities and in quite few instances inherent hostile attitudes, Alongside these developments, quite combined with significant internafew states in the region, rapidly tional (third parties’) interference and evolved their economies taking ad- power games, have led nowadays to vantage either of their huge low cost an unbalanced state that will not be work-force capacity (e.g. China, In- easily contained. donesia, India among others) or their technological superiority (e.g. S. Since the disintegration of the Soviet Korea), claiming for a dominant posi- Union, mostly the US but also their tion in the world’s economic and po- Western allies’ administrations adlitical arena. hered to a “rebalance” policy, elevat-
IN ASIA-PACIFIC
Quite different cultures, religions, so
objection to the Court’s jurisdiction, a fact that the Marshall Islands do acknowledge. In conclusion, the enforcement of international law and the Court’s jurisdiction largely depends on the Countries’ purposes themselves, making progress regarding nuclear disarmament even more difficult to achieve. As a result, adopting effective measures in order to achieve the Cessation of the Nuclear Arms Race and Nuclear Disarmament is beyond the power of any individual state. Instead cooperation, good faith and strong will are required. Taking the aforementioned points into consideration, forecasting who will prevail in the trial is impossible. We expect a heated debate and that ultimately justice will predominate.
role (at least for the 1st half of 21st century). Though initially rolled out military initiatives (2010-2012) to demonstrate their capacity and will for a dominant role in the area, soon limited their policies to economic and diplomatic activities, in order to ensure a much needed balance of power in Asia-Pacific. These days we can see a greatly intensified level of diplomatic engagement of the Western powers in the region and strong economic initiatives to expand multinational economic cooperation in the region (Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement affecting 800 million people, announced in Oct. 4th 2015 been the most prominent of them but still not all major stake holders inclusive).
Under our inter-connected, inter-depended world, balancing power in Asia-Pacific is synonym to securing freedom, growth and prosperity not only for the billions of inhabitants of ing the region to high-priority level the region, but also for the whole while acknowledging its key global world.
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Under the MUNLight By Konstantinos Billias H istory is the study of the past and has the power to judge people and evaluate their actions. Who can deny that many wrongdoers -politicians, rulers, generals- had to face the consequences of their decisions. But there were also some personalities, who had their names written in golden letters. Two examples of people with such a contribution to humanity are Margaret Thatcher and Nelson Mandela. Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013) is undoubtedly one of the greatest personalities of the previous century in the field of politics. Her hailers were as many as her opponents. She was born and raised in a small town called Grantham, far away from London. The “Iron Lady” was the daughter of a grocer, but she managed to bear the title of the longestserving British Prime Minister of the 20th century (1979-1990). She is also the only woman who achieved to hold the leadership of the conservative
party, as well as the Prime Minister's office. She was the one who fought against hooliganism and beat it in a couple of days by threating with five years of football- exclusion for England. The following statement is hers and compacts all her strength and abilities: “In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man; if you want anything done, ask a woman”. Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) was a great figure of the fight against inequality, racism and discrimination. His full name was Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the forename Rolihlahla is a local dialect's term and means "troublemaker". He was really one if we consider the damage he had caused to the so called apartheid. He studied law and became an active member of the African National Congress. Mandela was the first black president of South Africa. But before this achievement he had to come through a lot of prosecutions and 27 years in prison. When he was released, many changes were made South
Africa, which led to the fall of the racist regime. Three years later (1993) he was awarded the Nobel peace prize. In 1994 he was democratically elected as president of South Africa. Black people were for the first time allowed to vote. “It always seems impossible until it's done”, as Mandela used to say. Both politicians were exceptional personalities because they really accomplished the “impossible”. But history never comes to an end and now it is our turn to be exemplified by such people. We have to let history teach us and realize that history is the study of future as well.
Violence against Women in War Time By Efthimia Maridaki Presently, we are witnessing sexual violence being carried out against women in several regions that are experiencing conflict around the world, spanning from Syria and Iraq to Nigeria and Sudan. One of the most common form of sexual violence as a weapon of war is rape. Its aim is not only to satisfy the sexual impulses of the perpetrator but also to hu-
“Women are thought to embody a Community’s Cultural and Spiritual Values” miliate and demoralize the society of the defeated as a whole, as in many countries women are thought to embody a community’s cultural and spiritual values. Sexual violation of women erodes the fabric of a community in a way that few weapons can, as it targets the spirit and hearts of their enemies. First and foremost, it is an efficient way for the winners to establish their supremacy and to subdue the vanquished people. In addition rape is a means of subduing foes and
civilians without having to engage in battle, since by demoralizing their enemies they have won the battle before it even begins. Confronted with such intimidating rumours that precede their enemies and with the prospect of being faced with such harsh treatment, civilians flee, leaving their land and property unprotected and there for the taking by their enemies. Wartime violence against women is so stigmatizing that the brutality of rape permanently scars the victim on a physical but mainly psychological level. Unfortunately, women are provided with hardly any medical help and due to the social stigma are ashamed to reach for psychological support. Rape leads to destructive consequences and it violates the rights of women. Therefore the fight against sexual violence must become a top policy and funding priority for the United Nations. UN member states and the worldwide community as a whole should abide strictly to international criminal laws related to wartime violence against women. Since coordination has always proved to be a problem in multilateral action, it should be ensured that UN response to incidents of intense violence will be prompt, adequate and effective.
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Get to know.. Ioannis Giavridis, Secretary General the others it was quite a laugh, I must 5. Do you have a role model? admit. I'm a huge fan of Friedrich Nietzsche. I really admire how far ahead of his 3. Have you done anything during time he was, a true Zarathustra. Furyour MUN career for which you are thermore I'm amazed by authors like particularly proud? Aldous Huxley that made amazing Well the things that made me most dystopian or utopian predictions proud about myself were the following about the future of humanity. three: That I dared to stand up with trem- 6. Which is your favorite quote? bling knees, a shaky voice, shivering "Give a man fire and he'll be warm for hands, and sweat running all over my a day. Set him on fire and he'll be face when I held my first speech in warm for the rest of his life". front of a committee of 60 people (which back then in my opinion al- 7. If you could have one wish, what ready was huuuuuge). would it be? My chairing last year in THIMUN 15 To spontaneously come up with a theGA1 ory of everything. And last but of course not least, the 1. Why did you decide to pursue a honor of being SG at my last 8. What advice would you give to DSAMUN conference (*cries*) newcomers? MUN career? I was curious. Ever since I was in first grade, I was wondering what all these 4. What do you define as your life DARE, DARE, DARE!! Stand up and people that met once a year, walking purpose? What dreams do you fight for what you believe! Convince others, use your logic and reasoning. around in suits were doing. And I have? never received an answer that was Now you're getting me into deep Stay calm, diplomatic, decisive, detersufficient for me, so I decided that the thoughts and discussions. And once I mined and most importantly of all conbest way would be to find out by my- start with them you can call yourself fident. Remember, Still waters run n
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"Give a man fire and he'll be warm for a day. Set him on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life" self. That's what I did and only then lucky if you experience the point at did I realize that it truly is quite difficult which I stop talking. I'll try to keep it to describe these amazing experi- short. As every other living organism, reproduction is objectively seen, the ences with words. only purpose we have. Apart from 2. What was your weirdest experi- that, the only thing we have left in this lonely universe, is to advance and no ence during a MUN conference? My weirdest experience was when I matter what, to keep striving! For me, was at Rome International MUN, my reaching the point at which I stop first conference and I was late with thriving, stop wishing and dreaming, some other fellow Greek and Cyprian this is THE absolute nightmare. A delegates (how ironic). What we didn't major dream (and I really am a big know until then was that latecomers dreamer) of mine would be to experiwere obliged to have a little perform- ence humanity's entire advancement. ance to entertain the entire commit- The colonization of Mars and the rest tee. So we spontaneously decided to of the solar system, the galaxy and dance a sirtaki to "έχε γειά Παναγιά" the universe. That's a quite amazing which we failed at miserably. But for purpose/dream, isn't it?
deep. Raising your voice does not improve the quality of your argument (you should however speak loud enough for the other ones to understand you). Include gestures in your speech, emphasize your point, and show everyone how passionate and deeply convinced you are by what you say. Look the crowd in the eye, let your words drill through their skulls right into their center of logic. Don't rush it and don't talk too slow. Speak with a normal paste, but include breaks especially after vital points of your speech in order for the crowd to have enough time to "digest" and think about the information you are giving them.
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..our Secretariat Ioannis Psilopoulos, President of the General Assembly 1. Why did you decide to pursue a MUN career? First of all, I think that it is worth mentioning that at first I didn’t want to go. My father almost begged me to go to the MUN Club for one time, and I agreed. After the first time, I have not missed more than 5 club’s meetings while having taken part in many conferences. So, the answer to your question is very simple: I decided to carry on with MUN because it played a significant role in my life. Because, together with my friend, we couldn’t wait for a conference to come and were enthusiastic about the club meeting every Friday. MUN has changed me as a person all these years, while giving me so many memories to reminisce in the future. In addition, MUN has given me the chance to meet and cooperate with thousands (literally) of students coming from all around the world. In other words, I decided to pursue an MUN career because it was the best thing I could do during my high school years. And if you ask me, it was totally worth it. 2. What was your weirdest experience during a MUN conference? Although I can remember quite a few, the weirdest was definitely during THIMUN 2014, when, at the end of the conference I was obliged to sing “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyprus, while having a sore throat. 3. Have you done anything during
your MUN career for which you are particularly proud? Out of many, I would choose an incident that happened during my first conference, PSMUN 2012.I held a speech in the GA seating representing Myanmar and after I finished it, the whole GA together with the members of the Secretariat applauded for a few seconds. I think that the overall success in that conference gave me the courage to carry on and take part in the next one, too. 4. Do you have a role model? That is a difficult question. Again, out of many I would choose Manu Chao and Grigoris Labrakis for their actions and beliefs. However Bendo Spinoza has also changed the way the philosophers thought during the 17th century and therefore, should be mentioned. 5. Which is your favorite quote? As I also mention in my speech in the handbook of our conference, my favourite quote was written by Karl Marx and is the following: “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it”. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that these words are also inscribed upon his grave. 6. If you could have one wish, what would it be? To have an unlimited amount of wishes
of course, as usual! 7. What advice would you give to newcomers? Simply to carry on with MUN, while not caring about what position they have been assigned, but working as hard as they can to fulfil the tasks this position has. That is the point when fun appears. And of course, to try to turn their dreams to reality the best way possible. 8. If you could have a superpower what would it be? Now that’s difficult…I think controlling your surroundings (objects, people, animals, plants) and their mind, if they have one, would be the best answer to your question.
Al Pacino
Inch By Inch Speech From Any Given Sunday (Partial) I don't know what to say really. Either we heal as a team or we are going to crumble. We are in hell right now, gentlemen believe me and we can stay here or we can fight our way back into the light. You know, when you get old in life, things get taken from you. That's part of life. But you only learn that when you start losing stuff. You find out that life is just a game of inches. Because in either game, in life the margin for error is so small. On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves and everyone around us to pieces for that inch. Cause we know when we add up all those inches that's going to make the
difference between winnng and losing, between living and dying. I'll tell you this: in any fight it is the guy who is willing to die, who is going to win that inch. And I know if I am going to have any life anymore, it is because I am still willing to fight and die for that inch, because that is what living is. You gotta look at the guy next to you. Look into his eyes. Now I think you are going to see a guy who will go that inch with you. You are going to see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team because he knows when it comes down to it, you are gonna do the same thing for him. That's a team, gentlemen and either we heal now, as a team or we will die as individuals.That's all it is.
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Get to know.. Ariella Besi, Deputy Secretary General filled, I realise that these were mostly associated with some difficulty that I overcame. I am proud of the first time I ever spoke in front of a public; I am proud of the times that I supported a country’s point of view, when the entire committee was against it; I am so proud of a particular speech in RCIMUN 2013, despite the fact that my resolution didn’t pass. In the end, I am mostly proud for the decisions I’ve made in tough times that were later proven right. My experience has leaded me to this conclusion: It’s the challenges that we’ve won, the struggles that we’ve survived and the moral dilemmas that we’ve faced that define the worth of our achievements. 1. Why did you decide to pursue a career in MUN? I don’t remember. Some things are just meant to happen… Just kidding! Few might know that my first contact with the MUN world was as a humble member of the Admin Staff in 2012. I took up this role in order to gain insight into MUN and decide whether I would join the Club. It was a love-atfirst-sight experience! Once the seed of MUN had been planted inside me, it wouldn’t stop growing. Today, this seed is blossoming and I am more than excited to be a member of the Secretariat and organise this conference. However, I always reflect back on my path and I feel an inner satisfaction knowing that I started from the bottom and reached what looked like the sky to me then.
4. Do you have a role-model and, if yes, who is he/she and why? Favourite historical figure? I admire Abraham Lincoln’s strength of character, Margaret Thatcher’s determination, Martin Luther King’s passion and Mahatma Gandhi’s courage. They were leaders who changed international politics, guided nations, became symbols and established their presence even in the most controversial periods of modern history. Therefore, they elicit my highest esteem!
5. Which is your favourite quote? Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter; tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther... So we beat on, boats against the 2. What was your weirdest experi- current, borne back ceaselessly into ence in an MUN-conference? the past. I’ll act, as if I hadn’t seen this one… The Great Gatsby - F. S. Fitzgerald n
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3. Have you done anything during your MUN career for which you are particularly proud? Saying that I am proud of specific positions I have acquired, or my personal achievements in the past years would definitely undermine the value of the entire concept of MUN. When I think of the moments I felt truly ful-
6. What advice would you give to new-comers? a. Always choose the hard way to do things. Find topics you’re passionate about and work hard. In order to enjoy the privileges of MUN, you have to earn your position. This means devotion, hard work and responsibility. b. Have the courage to be original and think differently. When the entire committee supports very specific points of view, it takes courage to voice a different opinion and improvise. However, this is the most important part of MUN. You have to take risks and develop your own argumentation on the topic. MUN is not about repeating a debate that has already taken place in the real UN, but rather about proposing innovative alternatives and introducing refreshing ideas. c. Don’t be a dictator, be a team player! People who have just discovered MUN tend to believe that they are Barack Obama or Vladimir Putin and may behave quite egotistically, individualistically, sometimes even in an authoritarian, dictator-like manner. However, this is a misconception of MUN and by no means will you succeed in life, if this is your style. True leaders are the ones who are willing to cooperate and find common ground; the ones who show humility in victory and pride in defeat. Remember that! 7. If you could have a superpower what would it be? Definitely mind reading!
“ I always thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself ” Dead Poets Society, 1989
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..our Secretariat Hamza Yaish, Deputy President of the General Assembly 1. Why did you decide to pursue a career in MUN? Honestly I didn't intend to pursue a MUN career at the start. My parents forced me to try out and then participate in my school's conference AMMUN. I got so captivated by MUN that I continued to participate in conference and it has become an unhealthy obsession; I'm even hoping to pursue a career in politics/law all thanks to MUN. 2. What was your weirdest experience in an MUN-conference? My weirdest experience was probably in the security council of a Jordanian conference; the delegates of Nigeria and Luxembourg formed a new nation, "Nigembourg", gained vito rights and somehow managed to annex the P5 from the security council.
At the moment, I don't have a purpose, so I’m currently looking for one. 5. Do you have a role-model and, if yes, who is he/she and why? My role model is Nelson Mandela because he was a man of principles; he would not acquiesce to those who told him to abandon such principles. The fact that he was willing to give up his life for what he believed in really made me adulate him. I wish I can be half the man he was. 6. Which is your favourite quote? “Artists use lies to tell the truth, while politicians use lies to cover the truth up”
6. What advice would you give to new-comers? 3. Have you done anything during First and foremost, enjoy the experiyour MUN career for which you are ence while it lasts. These moments particularly proud? are the ones that you will remember Definitely: I have been able to serve and cherish throughout your high as a student officer in THIMUN! That school lives so make them count. was pretty cool. Secondly, although it might seem intimidating, challenge yourselves to go 4. What do you define as your life up to the podium. The moment I gave purpose? my first speech was the same mo-
• Get your papers organized: It would be good for each delegate to have a folder containing a useful piece of information about the topics that are going to be the centre of discussion so that they don’t any of them gets lost. • Give your topic and your speech a good structure: The extent of the topic that you undertake is long. But don’t let this confuse you! The best thing you can do is to separate your topic into small parts. After that you structure your arguments pointing out the strongest one at the beginning. Each argument should be combined with your country and with a suitable solution.
ment I knew that I wanted to keep pursuing MUN for as long as I could. It instills you with an ineffable sensation that can only be matched by reliving the experience again. Finally, don't feel forced to listen to what the more experienced delegates say. Have the courage to challenge their ideas and even debate against them if you believe you should; stand up for what you believe in.
your audience. The tip is not to mix up all your ideas. Each of your speeches should focus on one idea at time. This helps you to be more understandable, accurate, precise and detailed. By structuring your ideas you avoid confusing your audience.
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• Get informed about what a committee looks like: The MUN world is a huge and complicated one but that’s no reason to stress out. Preparation is everything! Learn about the 5 stages of committee: Research before the conference begins, learn to give speeches by giving more attention to the opening speech, get informed about the candidate selection meeting, learn about how to write resolutions and improve your debating skills. When you manage to learn those 5 stages everything becomes clear and you will feel more confident.
tips for new delegates
• Prepare your first speech: It may seem difficult and unpleasant for you to give a speech in front of an unfamiliar audience. Don’t worry! The only thing you have to do is to prepare at home a well-structured speech which will affect your listener. After the first speech everything gets easier. You get used to this procedure and you get acquainted with it. • Structure your ideas: During the discussion you may come up with many new ideas, which you want certainly to share with
• Ask questions: Don’t be afraid of posing a question. The only thing you should do is to raise a Point of Information and ask your question. Any type of question can be asked, either an unknown word or about a misunderstanding. Only through asking can you become a better delegate!
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Why preser ve Heritage Languages? By Joanna Maina It is generally acceptable that land, language and culture are closely related and influence one another. This is however not a one-way procedure. In other words, people from a single background may differentiate themselves and subsequently their language, although from the same origins, may develop to being unique. For example, although the highest percentage of the population of Greece recognize Greek as their maternal language, there are also certain groups, living especially in the rural areas, with different linguistic heritage. For instance, villages where “Arvanitika” (Greek dialect) is spoken, are scattered all over the country. However, most of the young people of such origin tend to avoid using, or even learning their local dialect, mostly in an effort to be successfully integrated in the modern urban Greek society.
the world, because, when a language is lost, the knowledge and history accumulated through the years in it get lost, too. Languages are the vessels for the knowledge of the population using it, which is a treasure for the next generations. The means of expression of the maternal language are partly lost during the transition to the adopted one, which may enlarge the generation gap and distort according to the UN). Nevertheless, family ties. For instance, it will be hard social and political reasons lead to a for the newer generations to pass tracontinuous shift from minority to ma- ditional habits down to their descenjority languages, endangering the ex- dants. Also, from an aesthetic point of istence of the former and having view even the most impeccable transresulted in the extinction of over 400 lation is incapable of capturing the languages worldwide during the past essence of the original text and thus century. This could eventually lead to the ability to estimate a part of literaa world with a rather narrow linguistic ture will be lost. diversity. Even if enabling worldwide communication may sound conven- In conclusion, the minorities’ urge to ient, this perspective has severe draw- adapt to the communicational needs backs if it is advocated at the expense of globalization makes the preservaof local languages and diversity: tion of heritage languages challeng-
First and foremost, the absence of linguistic variations would give a disThis is only one out of hundreds of examples. Indeed- according to estima- torted image of the world. Imagining tions, there are over 6000 languages the structure of a world where only spoken worldwide at the moment, a English is spoken, would reveal the number exceeding that of the recog- significance of the existence of multinized nations by far (which are 206 ple languages and by extension of multiple points of view of perceiving
ing. Nonetheless, it is a fundamental necessity to maintain the linguistic variability now more than ever. After all, as the great Austrian philosopher of the 20th century pointed out: “The limits of my language means the limits of my world”.
Ta x H a v e n s u s e d b y M N C s By Katerina Tzouvala Tax havens have become an issue of controversial views and with multinational corporations (MNCs) being a key factor in today’s economy the issue should be further examined. Tax havens are more commonly known as nations or jurisdictions attractive to foreign investors such as MNCs due to the fact that in exchange for a fee they offer minimal or no taxation. Moreover, MNCs are actually corporations that have income-gathering assets and liabilities in one or more countries other than its home country. But here comes the big question. Why would anybody be interested in tax havens and how do they actually affect us? While it might be true that for “economy giants” such as the U.S., Russia and Japan and even for other developed states, obtaining the full amount of taxes that corresponds to the total profit of MNCs won’t cause fundamental
changes in society, this cannot be said for developing states. This money could be used by the governments of developing states for vital infrastructure, much-needed welfare programs and the improvement of the educational system. Massive funds being gathered on the hands of only a few “economy giants” around the globe is actually what makes small and local businesses to see their profits drop dramatically. Their income is slowly dropping while the profits of MNCs are continuously increasing due to low taxation. On the positive side though, they are able to improve their product quality by far in order to please the customer. A controlled use of a tax haven would be ideal both for the society and also the economy as it would promote the positive sides of a tax haven (providing customers with quality and quantity of products) without harming the society.
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Despite the fact that the word ''disabled'' is a common term nowadays, its definition is necessary for the better understanding of the notion. With an interdisciplinary, socially acceptable approach, disability can be defined as the physical and/or mental incapacity of an individual. This kind of physical flaw sits at the intersection of many disciplines in abeyance in the wider society. Today, there are programs which introduce a curriculum that allows students, activists, artists and researchers to delve deeper into the particular subject matter from disciplinary perspectives.
Special Conference: Disabled People By Ersilia Mikrou Only “experts” and other service providers can offer treatment to disabled persons via medical intervention or rehabilitation. Research about disabled persons should be conducted, aiming to explore new alternative models and theories. These theories should examine social, cultural, economic and political components, which define incapacity and help determine personal and collective responses to difference. Those studies should em-
I'm sorry, but I don't want to be an emperor. That's not my business. I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone, if possible -Jew, gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other's happiness, not by each other's misery. We don't want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide
phasise on the de-stigmatisation of diseases, including the ones that cannot be explained through biological science. Unfortunately, physically impaired persons are not only suffering from health issues but also from social ignorance or even marginalisation by the majority of the society. However, in the past, there have been campaigns and protests in order to alleviate their difficulties. Certain actions have been put forward. Most buildings, for example, are now equipped with elevators and ramps to facilitate their transport. They deserve at least to be treated as normal civilians and not as a minority, or -in the worst case- "a flaw of nature", taking also into consideration the fact that they have been through many health and psychological stages. Therefore, the promotion of the full enjoyment of all people's human rights and fundamental freedoms should be a high priority in the agendas of all nations. Respect for their inherent dignity is of paramount importance. After all, we can’t turn a blind eye if we want to boast that we live in a civilised society.
for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world millions of despairing men, women and little children- victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people. To those who can hear me, I say “Do not despair!”. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed -the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass and dictators die and the power they took from the people will return to the people and as
Charlie Chaplin's final Speech in the Great Dictator (1940) for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goosestepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.
long as men die, liberty will never perish.
The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men, cries out for universal brotherhood,
Soldiers! Don't fight for slavery! Fight for liberty! In the 17th Chapter of St. Luke it is written: "The Kingdom of God is within man" -not one man nor a group of men, but
Soldiers! Don't give yourselves to brutes, men who despise you, enslave you, who regiment your lives, tell you what to do, what to think or what to feel! Who drill you, diet you, treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder. Don't give yourselves to these unnatural men -machine men- with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts. You don't hate! Only the unloved hate -the unloved and the unnatural!
in all men! In you! You, the people have the power. The power to create machines. The power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure. Then, in the name of democracy, let us use that power! Let us all unite! Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work, that will give youth the future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power, but they lie! They do not fulfill their promise; they never will. Dictators free themselves, but they enslave the people! Now, let us fight to fulfill that promise! Let us fight to free the world, to do away with national barriers, to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men's happiness. Soldiers! In the name of democracy, let us all unite!
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