Balkan Beats 31

Balkan Beats

Beyond the margins

#31

FREE PRESS

A BIMONTHLY MAGAZINE BY THE VOLUNTEERS OF THE UNITED SOCIETIES OF BALKANS

Editorial

The 31st Edition Being free from profit motives and having to be advertiser-friendly has always given our magazine great freedom when it comes to choosing our topics. In this edition, we decided to take this advantage to its fullest and talk about issues that aren’t getting the attention they deserve.

The shape of the media landscape is often controlled by entities that share many interests among them but few with us. While we are still free to manifest our opinions, it is crucial to recognize the asymmetry in power between media outlets and us ordinary citizens. If the discourse around social issues is to be representative of the opinion

Beyond the margins

by Luís Lowden da Silva and Amanda Miteniece

of the people, as should be strived for in a society with democratic ideals, we must make an active effort for our voices to be heard over the carefully curated daily programmes we’re expected to consume.

In this issue, you will find topics such as colonialism, abortion, mental health, masturbation, disabilities, and many others. We want to motivate a well-informed discussion about themes that we typically ignore because of the discomfort they bring or the controversy they spark. There are many sides to every story and our authors want to bring one or more of them to your attention.

Balkan Beats, a part of Balkan Hotspot

Balkan Hotspot is the EVS (European Voluntary

changes in the Balkan and Eastern European Service) project of “United Societies of Balkans”, region and under the need for the creation of a a NGO founded in Thessaloniki in 2008 by a team better social environment. of active young people.

Key areas of the organization’s activities concern The Balkans and Eastern Europe are geograph- the defense of human rights, the organization of ical regions with many cultural features which youth exchanges and training courses, which will offer a broad spectrum of actions and youth in- bring young people from Balkans and Europe tovolvement initiatives. The organization was cre- gether, the organization of local educational semated as a response to the pressure of constant inars and multimedia production.

United Societies of Balkans is a Non Governmental Organization, founded in Thessaloniki in 2008, by a team of active young people. The organization was created as a response to the pressure of constant changes in the Balkan and Eastern European region and under the need for the creation of a better social environment. Key areas of the organization’s activities concern the defense of human rights, the organization of youth exchanges and training courses, which will bring young people from Balkans and Europe together, the organization of local educational seminars and multimedia pro- duction(webradio, videos, documentaries).

Main goals of the organization • To promote the values of non formal le- aring,volunteering, active citizenship and democracy for the creation of a better future for European youth.

• To promote human rights, solidarity and respect for diversity.

• To build healthy cooperation bridges between countries of the Balkan area and that of Eastern Europe with the rest of Europe.

• To locate and multiply the special cultural attributes of our societies.

• The break down of prejudices and stereo- types between Balkan countries.

UNITED SOCIETIES OF BALKANS, NGO

9, Alamanas str., Agios Pavlos, Thessaloniki

Property of Balkan Beats The United Societies of Balkans, NGO, does not necessarily share the opinions expressed in Balkan Beats. It is illegal to reproduce any part of this publication without referring to the source.

www.balkanhotspot.org

This magazine is distributed free of charge.

Tel./Fax: +30 2310 215 629 | www.usbngo.gr Cover © Alessandro Pantorno

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Contents

Contents Volunteer Life VOLUNTEER LIFE

04

SOCIAL ISSUES

Quarantine and Distance STORY OF LUCK

06

Life beyond Volunteering

Local Life SPORTS

09

A Ball for All – a ball for blind kids TRADITIONS

12

18

BUSINESS

CBD shop in Thessaloniki

Mix Fix ART

34

Facial Tattoo

The Legacy of Colonialism

21

It’s just a disease.

24

A new kind of discrimination

26

Politics and abortion MEDIA

29 32

ECOLOGY

36

The Pangolin, victim of humans; humans, victims of themselves.

LIFESTYLE

Circus TV

Myths and Legends of Thessaloniki

16

Out Of The Borders

Roman Polanski, an awardwinning rapist

39

Everything is fine SEXUALITY

41

Nothing to hide

44

Let’s talk about porn.

49

Be a Transgender

03

Volunteer Life Volunteer life

Quarantine and Distance

by Chiara Lai

How many times have we heard complaints about the fact that technology is leading our so-

cial relationships? About how human interaction is losing its “realness” and that social networks and platforms are to blame? Here is a reflection from Italy about quarantine and distance.

I can already imagine the History e-books of fu- But what it influences more is our way to stay ture generations: 2020, the year of the pandemic.

2020, when, after decades of constantly moving, we had to stop. 2020, when something changed.

Yes, I do think something will change after this historical period. What is being imposed on us right now is something we are definitely not used to, and it will probably influence the way we perceive loneliness, friendship, family and work.

It is the first time we face a sanitary emergen-

cy with a smartphone in our hands. What does that change? First of all, the media plays an important role in the spread of information. In a couple of minutes, a single article can reach so many people and create either hope, anger or fear, and the click market often favours the latter. In the case of Covid-19, we are even able to watch a live stream of the number of cases per country. News flow from a social network to another non-stop. The internationality of the English language also plays a role in this, massively boosting news reach.

in contact. How many times have we heard complaints about the fact that technology is leading our social relationships? About how human interaction is losing its “realness” and that social networks and platforms are to blame? This isolation forces us to stay connected in only one manner: digitally. People are taking video calls as real dates, trying to react to the current situation and standardizing a new social routine. Moreover, even if some types of jobs do not allow this option, many do offer the opportunity to work from home through online meetings, shared documents and other tools. Even though in normal contexts this happens only in particular situations, now it is the only way to continue our working activities, and it functions smoothly for the most part. So, I found myself wondering: could the world keep going like that? Is a digital life, in which all social interactions and working assignments can easily find a substitute online, possible?

Source: https://www.leggo.it/italia/cronache/coronavirus_flash_mob_napoli_canti_balconi-5109418.html

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Volunteer life

I think the answer can be easily found for peo-

ple that have to deal with the quarantine: No. The aspect that is perceived as the most unpleasant is this forced physical distance from our relatives, friends and our loved ones. In a world where it feels like we have the globe in our pocket, where communication always is expected to be immediate, we are facing the limits of this type of “connection”, reclaiming the importance of the real presence of the other. I think it is not something to be taken for granted, as many times the generations that came after the digital revolution have been depicted as individualist and self-centred. This emergency and the overall extraordinary situation are somehow raising up our sense of community.

I for one was lucky enough to come back home

to my family right before the critical point of the pandemic in Italy. At first, I felt like it was a disturbing coincidence, as I could not keep working,

Volunteer Life

and then after a while, all of Europe started to suffer the consequences, and now I feel blessed.

But I wonder how the quarantine can be when one is far from home and from the people one loves. I wonder how that loneliness can feel. For sure it also is an opportunity to spend more time far away from the usual frenzy of modern life, maybe using the opportunity to learn something new, or just to reflect on what we miss the most and what we will do with a new spirit of thankfulness when all of this is over.

I think it’s peculiar that only in emergency situ-

ations one can realize the value of basic things.

For sure in this tragic situation, where the quarantine is far from the worst of all this, we will be able to know a new side of ourselves and (why not?) use it in the future to be more conscious about our own limits. But, more than everything else, we will be aware of the fact that we all need each other.

Source: https://www.google.com/search?q=italia+balconi&sxsrf=ALeKk03cKeCdWKvfkx_RlSNXruVFmcO4vQ:1585305453518&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwigi6uDu7roAhUSM8AKHf3aC2EQ_AUoAXoECAwQAw&biw=1366&bih=657#imgrc=VegtLzhpDN1NcM

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Volunteer Life Story of luck

Life beyond Volunteering

by Mario Urminsky

Anna Katnovska came to Greece from Poland as a volunteer

9 years ago. By the time her project ended, she was in love with the country and decided to stay there.

What was your EVS project?

My project was focused on tourism and work-

nized a different workshop for kids, not just about drawing but about creativity in general.

During my EVS I met one of the trainers, Elias, who had a lot of ideas for creating one book about chess and the environment, and we started to cooperate.

ing with kids. Everything started in village called Prespa in the northern part of Greece. Kids there don’t have lot of activities, just primary school.

We were working in the library and organizing different educational activities for them as well as going to other villages during the week to Can you tell us more about the book work with other children.

Why did you decide to participate in a project in Greece?

In Poland, I studied classical philosophy, Latin, and ancient Greek. I wanted to understand greek culture and art better, so I decided to learn more of the language and see how life is in Greece.

What was your next step after EVS?

that you cooperated on?

The idea was to make a short story for kids about playing chess. A story about a panda that recognized that on Earth people don’t care about the environment and the world. She is thinking about what she is supposed to do. So she went to space where there is another panda and they are travelling between the planets to collect the chessboard. Every chess piece has some stories. It encourages kids to learn how to play chess and also to understand and take care of the environment and the things that we have from Earth. From the other end of the book, you can learn how to play chess, with different movements and strategies.

After my EVS I was travelling a lot, and then I decided to participate in other programs. Comenius Assistantship that is now part of the Erasmus Plus program. This program gave me the possibility to come to Thessaloniki and work one year in a primary school as an assistant to the teacher, teaching art and organizing programs and activities for kids. What is your current job?

There I started again my adventure with the greek language. I was already speaking at a B1 level, so I My current work is as a Destination Manager, taking care of Polish tourists that are coming was able to communicate with kids. here for vacation on the islands and organizing excursions for them. I have my team (represenWe know that you like drawing and tatives, animators, guides) and I am responsible you use this skill in your life often, for them, and also for the tourists that want to how it started? spend a great vacation here. I didn’t plan to stay Until I remember i was always drawing, es- here, just to learn the language and come back, pecially drawing for kids like cartoons. I orga- but you never know what can happen during life.

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Story of luck

What do you like about Greece the most?

I learned to smile, people here smile more than

in my country. People are more friendly, more connected with each other. Going for a coffee without an appointment. People speak with each other more. I feel freer.

Great experience of EVS

Up until now, I still believe It was the best year

of my life. The best opportunity to meet people from different countries. When I started my EVS, my English was on a basic level. When I arrived I understood that if I wanted to communicate I needed to learn English fast. At the same time, I started to learn the Greek language. It was an incredible experience. I was living in one house

Volunteer Life

with five people. My project was in a small village with around 150 people, a small community. The nearest supermarket was 50 km away. We were friends with everybody from the village. You could develop your point of view. I learned cooking from different countries. During that time in Presba, we had the coldest winter with around -20ºC and a lot of snow. We had to chop firewood, and for me, a girl from a big city, learning how to live independently was a great experience. You have to organize everything by yourself (laundry, cooking). When you are living with other people from different countries you are getting more open-minded, you learn to communicate with people. Before EVS, I was shy and afraid to speak publicly. During EVS, I developed a lot of skills. I was really lucky that I had a great team. My coordinator supported me a lot

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Volunteer Life Story of luck

What will be your message for people thinking about EVS

If you don’t have time for a long term project

don’t go, but find a short term one. The EU is giving a lot of opportunities for young people, even programs for just a few days. You don’t need to have lot of money to go, the EU is helping a lot. There are so many programs that you can learn different things about sport or social media that every person can choose something that will help them also in future. You can find perfect friendships that will stay with you all your life. If you have an opportunity to go do it.

It can help you lot in future, in things you want to do in your life.

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Sports

Local Life

A Ball for All – a ball for blind kids

BLIND FOOTBALL CAMPAIGN helping to empower blind children’s dreams through sport and education

by Renata Diurczak

In 2016 on the 20th of July somewhere in a small place on earth called Greece an idea was

born in a man’s mind: To create the world’s first mini football for blind children and find a way to donate it to children with visual impairment and schools all over the world. Since December 3rd, 2017 an International Campaign has launched “A Ball for All”. This year we have reached 100 countries around the world.

Blind football is a Paralympic sport. It has been

featured at the Paralympics since 2004 and is held every four years. The game is similar to the football that is played by sighted teams, although the speed is different. There are 5 players in one team, including the keeper, who

Mali

demonstrate the set of many skills: commitment to their fitness, concentration which is the key and the ability to locate each other. Furthermore, they need to know how to run, stop and start again with or without the ball. Also, the ball is different. It contains loose ball-bearings

© A Ball for All

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Local Life Sports

schools with the use of unique blind footballs for children. This is the goal of Inclusion.

Blind children can’t see the ball, but they can hear it!

Most importantly the lightweight football, which has bells inside, cannot be bought in a store. It can only be donated to blind or visually impaired children or young people and their schools. The average cost of one ball is 45 euro.

The project covers all expenses: production of the ball, delivery and tax. Since 2017 more than 3 000 balls have been donated to 100 counLogo of A Ball for All © A Ball for All tries. The main goal for 2020 is to send 3500 so it rattles when it moves. The players locate more mini balls, that is why the new campaign the ball purely by the sound, thus, it means that has been started. the audience is quiet during the game. Balls for blind adults are available for sale and weigh Let’s talk about A Ball for All! more than half a kilogram.

In 2016 Elias Mastoras, founder of Youthora-

ma NGO, created the world’s first mini ball for blind children. He said that “actually, it took me 21 years to realize that there was no such a ball for blind children to play. There was only a ball for adults, a very heavy one”. After meeting a 3 years old boy, he got inspired to create a ball which would be lighter, thus the game would be easier for blind kids. The first promo was held in Doha Qatar, during National Sports Day 2017 with the presence of Xavi Hernandez, ex-football player of Barcelona. The primary purpose of the project is a free distribution of the innovative ball for all visually impaired and blind pupils around the world. In 2019, implementation of A Ball for All educational program was approved by the Hellenic Ministry of Education for all schools in Greece. The NGO is focused on empathy and providing inclusive educational programs to

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Argentina

© A Ball for All

Sports

Local Life

project, which should be recognized throughout the globe. Deeply believing that the mini ball has a huge power – it is able to change someone’s life. A Ball for All needs your support.

We would like to ask you to follow and share the

Sierra Leone

© A Ball for All

Every team member working for A Ball for All is

passionately committed to a single goal - donating the balls to blind kids around the world. Playing together blind football and teaching pupils about the project. A Ball for All is an amazing

Armenia

project through social media. The fundraising website has will be launched to raise money online as together we can spread happiness, fun and awareness. More information regarding the GoGetFunding Website is available on Facebook or Instagram:

Facebook: A Ball for All Instagram: aballforall.eu #aballforall - hashtag on Instagram YouTube: A Ball for All

© A Ball for All

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Local Life Traditions

Myths and Legends of Thessaloniki

A side of the city that nobody knows, talks about or sees.

by Yana Pogosyan

Thessaloniki is not what it seems. It’s not just a town with history, beautiful old buildings

and colourful sunsets. This city has secret sights, street names that hide mystical stories, weird symbols, underground networks and secrets paths, abandoned buildings that no one renovates or demolishes, haunted houses and so much more.

The haunted building

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Traditions

Local Life

Mauricio Santos-Lobos in his book The Spider Beginning

Glyph in Time compares the way cities are built with the structure of the human brain. “The city is nothing more than the three-dimensional architecture of the brain.” he believes. As he describes “The labyrinths of the city form an architectural hieroglyph, an invisible symbol used in a variety of ways, unconsciously by the tenants, consciously by their secret supervisors and by the pirates connected to the system.”1 I am considering myself as a part of the tenants since I never attempted to discover any of the following mysteries but what I am going to attempt with this article is to unfold some of the most known secrets of the city.

1 https://www.e-telescope.gr/mystery/secret-salonica

with Vasilissis Olgas 261-263, there is one thing everyone can be sure about. Nobody would like to declare it as a place of their residence.

It is the address of an old eclectic building that has a mystery wrapped around it. It was built in 1919 and the first years of its existence it functioned as a casino which attracted a large amount of Jews.

After that, during the occupation, this building was used by Germans as a place of torture for Jews.

Thus, people believe it was dominated by negative energy. There are some incidents that come to reinforce that belief. In the 1980s a contractor undertook to demolish it. But after a few days, he died under uncertain circumstances. It is said that ever since then every time someone wants to re-

© unknown

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Local Life Traditions

© unknown

The gate that leads nowhere

build it, the person gets hurt. These events have led the public opinion arguing firmly that the building is haunted. Many stories come to add to the timeline of this building. Until today, stories continue to come to light with strange noises and screams being heard from its empty rooms and flashing lights seen from its broken windows.2

that there were the borders of the catacombs of Thessaloniki that ended up there. Also, the stone constructions have strange symbols as well as animals and plants figures. And there is a gate that leads nowhere. This site, on the whole, is believed to have a strong “geomagnetic field”. Some people believe that occult ceremonies and human scarifiOur second mystical destination is the Pasa Gar- cation took place there on occasions. But the fact dens or Drakospita (Dragonhouses). It’s an open-air that it was built on old cemeteries is enough to 3 garden located nearby St. Paul’s church and Agios make you feel weird when you are there.

Dimitrios hospital. The name probably came due to Next stop Mavris Petras (Black Stone) street, in locals’ stories that it was used as a hideout from Ano Poli. In 1917, when the city was burned, a the Seifullah Pasha, a Turkish mercenary. As you black stone was found in the bottom of a crater enter and walk through the area you can observe a nearby. The stone was made of iron and probably strange and enchanting architecture that strongly came from the space. This is why this road is beresembles Antoni Gaudi’s architecture in Barcelieved to be on a magnetic field and therefore to lona. There are many things that have been said have a time-space gate. Even though there were about this place. For example, it is believed that it was a meeting place for the Ottoman Masons and 3 https://www.womantoc.gr/life/article/oi-kipoi-tou-pasasti-thessaloniki-kai-oi-astikoi-mythoi-pou-mas-kanoun-na2 https://paranormap.net/article/10742

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anatrixiazoume

Traditions

Local Life

and catacombs beneath the city, whose exits exist in almost all the early Christian churches of the city.4 By using these exits the Byzantine emperors were able to impress the crowd. While attending a church ceremony, with no one to see them leave, they appeared in another. Thus, they created legends around their name that they might be double-headed.5 It is unknown how many and what pieces of this underground city have managed to avoid the devastation of the uncontrolled construction of the ’50s ’60s. Some interesting findings that have come Last but definitely not least, is the city under the and to light show that there is still a large part of the netcity, a whole world that remains in the dark. From work of galleries beneath the city. the Hellenistic era, a network of galleries was created under Thessaloniki, mostly for military purpos- Concluding, as this short journey of the mysties. A large arcade started from Eptapirgio (Kastra), cal places and stories of Thessaloniki, the urban was passing through the area near the Church of myths and legends, is coming to an end I would the Twelve Apostles and ended at the port. Another like to remind you that a city is a living organism started from the northwestern part of the city walls, that has its own shadows and bright sides, just passed through today’s Administration of Mace- like human beings. Both of them are equally imdonia and Thrace and ended up in the sea. The portant. I hope everything you read about ThesRomans expanded these two arcades and created saloniki in this article will not scare you but on parallel networks. Later, the Christians, who used the opposite make you love it even more. these galleries as a meeting place for secret wor4 St. Demetrius, St. Sophia, St. David, ect. ship, created even more complex networks. This re- 5 http://www.pass2greece.gr/afieroma_det.asp?afieroma_ sulted in the creation of a huge network of arcades id=123&nid=8 no houses in the neighbourhood when that happened, as they were built, the narrow street was called Mavris Petras because of the incident. The myth says, that this street is a dead-end and that every 3 or 15 days, at midnight, for 15 minutes a gate opens and you can pass through it. If you pass it without realizing it you will be trapped in its streets without having a clue where you are and no longer be able to find a way out of it.

Mavri Petra street

© Kia Tzimou

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Local Life Business

CBD shop in Thessaloniki

by Arnaud BIEZ

Cannabidiol (CBD) is starting to spread all around the world, but it is still a controversial

topic, so I wanted to know what it is exactly, and why it is so « trendy ». To do so, I went to a CBD store in Kamara, in Thessaloniki.

When I entered the store, I found the decoration

to be very « natural ». All kind of products were disposed to my right and my left, such as smoking herbs, lotions and creams, oils, and even gums and tea. A lady welcomed me, from behind the counter. She allowed me to take some pictures of the place and kindly accepted to be interviewed.

First of all, I wanted to understand why CBD stores

are growing so quickly everywhere. She thought that it was helpful for people with illnesses or in pain. What kind of conditions is CBD useful for? It

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helps with a lot of illnesses, such as arthrosis and different cancers, and even with skin problems like acne, but also mental issues. It is very helpful for people with anxiety or depression. The thing that makes the CBD different from other drugs is the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) level. In fact, it is this substance, that you can find in other drugs, that makes you addicted and dangerous for yourself and others. In all CBD stores, the THC is capped to 2,9% in accord with European law, in contrast to the 6 to 18% found in pure cannabis. Consequently, you cannot become addicted to CBD.

Business

Local Life

But in the end, it still has cannabis inside, so I

people are buying the ones you smoke, while oldasked her if CBD can modify your behaviour. She er buy something to help you sleep, oil, or tea. explained to me that it only helps you relax, but it doesn’t change your behaviour. So, for example, So apparently, CBD is really useful for many if you drive after consuming CBD, you will not be things, yet it is still controversial, and not acceptdangerous for yourself or others, as the low dose ed by a lot of people. I asked her opinion about of THC will not affect your concentration or your this, and she believes that CBD is still new for a behaviour. And if the police arrest you and tests lot of people, and it’s not well known, so many you, you cannot be in trouble for consuming CBD think that it is just another drug that isn’t good Apparently, if you are tested positive for cannabis, for your health. another test must be made in order to know if it’s So, what would she say to people who think that? just CBD or another substance. And if you are under the legal level, you don’t have any trouble.

And who buys CBD products? Are the custom-

ers younger, older, or a bit of everything? There are many young people, but also older ones; they usually buy different types of products: young

“Just visit our shop, try our product, and you will see it is not dangerous at all, and that it can help a lot of persons!”

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Out Of The Borders Social Issues

The Legacy of Colonialism

Neocolonialism in the international realm, segregation in our cities.

by Inês Ribeiro

Colonialism. The geographical, civilizational and epistemic hierarchization of societies. The

profound dichotomy between “I”, the civilized, and the “other”, barbaric and irrational. In our current times, colonialism changed its shape and its logic is reproduced in so many other ways.

International Law itself, which gave equality on

the sovereignty realm to the New States, continued to legitimize in practice the persistence of power relations dating back to the imperial era, considering that they were obligated to submit to the preexisting legal rules in the international sphere, regardless of whether or not they contributed to their creation.

“Here, most European countries, when they decolonized, from the 1950s on, replaced it with a neocolonial pact. They realized that it is easier to exploit, expropriate, through trade relations with “free countries” than to keep them as expensive colonies.”

The concept of colonialism emerged in the 18th century, representing a continuous action of domination of certain territories, predominately the Western hegemonic power over the Asian — Boaventura de Sousa Santos and African Continents. Some think that imperialism ended with the processes of decolonization, while others argue that imperial power Since the begging of their independence, we can relations are still manifesting themselves in an identify diverse ways of neocolonialism. Oftentimes, informal shape, through political domination and these practices emerge associated with economieconomic exploitation. cal exploitation by western multinationals, economical pacts or loans. However, the biggest symbol We can state that, despite the New States, of this neocolonial influence today is international those that were formed after the decolonization corporations, mainly in the oil industry and mining process, achieved independence, an informal sector, and international organizations such as the relationship of dependence remained in the fol- International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank. lowing decades. “Western” states exercised eco- This doctrine also manifests itself in the political donomic and political influence, thus continuing a main of the New States, through the interference in process of colonization, that is now manifesting their international affair by “Western” interests. itself in the form of neocolonialism.

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Social Issues

On the picture, we can read “The Same Effort for Everyone?”. This recognizes that many minority groups might be at disadvantaged and have a harder time to access certain opportunities and goals.

Out Of The Borders

© Jeanne Rimbert

In addition to the economic and political power

access to justice, education, health, housing and relations, identities, mentalities, and language, on a bigger scale of police brutality. there is also maintained continuous colonial hierarchical structure. Terms and expressions of In Lisbon, for example, media hypervisibility has “Western” origin acquire a normative character, consolidated the image of its peripheral neighimposing themselves on other geographies. bourhoods as spaces of tensions and disorder.

Usually, these areas are described as “problemNotwithstanding this persisting legacy of colo- atic” and “dangerous” by the media and political nialism is present in the international politics or institutions. This type of statement is the major economic sphere. In European cities, particularly legitimizer of repressive state action. those with an imperial and colonialist background, we can observe the remaining impact and preva- Black youth in so-called “challenging” districts, lence of this historical period and its suppositions. more than any others, are subjected to stop and frisk procedures, in a racial profiling logic, which Racism is oftentimes framed as a sporadic and associates black people with illegality and crime. exceptional phenomenon. This can hinder the Police brutality has resulted in beatings, assaults very necessary debate about institutional racism and even death of too many young blacks, often and its implications on people’s lives. Today, this without any effective convictions. type of racism is more difficult to identify but no less destructive. We can see it in political and By allying with the political and mediatic agensocial practices, displayed as inequalities in the das, that black youth is the one to blame for the

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Out Of The Borders Social Issues

supposed increase of urban violence, this equalized peripheric neighbourhoods to blackness, On the other hand, this stigma serves also to maintain an unequal power relation through the poverty, and delinquency. disqualification of the claims of these vulnerable Hereafter, a narrative in which these territories and marginalized groups for better living conwere seen occupations on the fringes of the law, in- ditions. Thus, as a result, legitimating the state habited by traffickers and criminals, most of them regulation practices that assume a more authorblack and immigrants, was manufactured. As a re- itarian nature. sult of this framework, these racialized neighbourhoods were turned into spaces of exception, where The educational system is also infected by restrictions on the rights of these citizens were institutional practices that block the access manifested through precarious public facilities, ar- of black people to diverse opportunities from a very young age. This is promoting the perbitrary evictions, and hostile police operations. petuation of the low social status amidst this The construction of social housing quarters was community. Schools are paradigmatic in these the solution to remove from the urban centre stratification processes. By living in these unwanted populations, the ones that the Portu- peripherical territories, you are practically guese state considers to be the “other”: black, condemned to attend deeply marginalized immigrants and Roma people. By pushing them schools. towards segregated urbanizations, with scarce transport networks and little access to goods The fundamental rights such as security, work, and services, the ethno-racial segregation and justice, and education are crucial and fundamenthe precariousness of the living of these com- tal rights. Yet, they are far from being accessed on equal terms by black people. munities have expanded.

© Miguel Feraso Cabral, O Público

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Social Issues

Out Of The Borders

It’s just a disease.

The erasure of systemic socioeconomic problems in the mental health and suicide discourse. by Luís Lowden da Silva

“mental illness: any of a broad range of medical conditions (such as major depression,

schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or panic disorder) that are marked primarily by sufficient disorganization of personality, mind, or emotions to impair normal psychological functioning and cause marked distress or disability and that are typically associated with a disruption in normal thinking, feeling, mood, behaviour, interpersonal interactions, or daily functioning.”

The Merriam-Webster dictionary.

Warning: this article discusses themes of men-

tal health and suicide that might be disturbing or upsetting for some.

concerns about their mental health. While most certainly understandable in many cases in which people pose a risk to themselves or others, it results in the de facto criminalization of certain kinds of neurodivergence. It is no longer possible to pretend that these definitions are purely medical ones; the psychiatrists that write them must, in the process of doing so, define what is a normal thinking and functioning process, things that are informed by whichever ideologies they sympathize with.

In 1968, the second edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders was released. Among its collection of 182 alleged disorders, one can find homosexuality. Although it has been removed in the subsequent editions, room for questioning remains: who can determine what is “normal thinking” and “daily functioning”? How much does the ruling ideology determine what we consider unhealthy behaviour, The expression “disruption in daily functioning” and how much is psychology helping in uphold- is too quite loaded. Is it not healthy to have daily functioning disrupted by the death of a loved ing the status quo? one? Is despair in hopeless circumstances not The right to decline treatment is typically re- a rational response? By describing humans as served to anyone who is suffering from any ill- merely broken parts in a machine that needs to ness of the body. However, during the process be fixed, we rarely ever have to question if the of diagnosing mental conditions, we sometimes machine is suitable for a fulfilling human life. By also rule people to be unfit to decide whether or diagnosing someone with depression, anxiety, not to receive treatment. The line between med- or some other imbalance of brain chemistry, it ical attention and imprisonment becomes then becomes unnecessary to ever think about how blurred. Sectioning is the practice of keeping this imbalance actually came to be. Through people in a hospital regardless of their will due to masking every mental health issue as a purely

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The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, first edition.

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Source: https://www.psychologymania.com

Social Issues

biochemical condition in a particular individual we avoid ever having to face the ways in which our current world is unsuitable for human life. It is fundamental to repoliticize mental illness if we wish to rid ourselves of conditions that favour its development.

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“The term isn’t meant to sound dismissive. People with SLS really do have mental or physical health problems, doctors say. But they believe the causes are a tangled mix of economic, social and emotional problems that they — with 10- to 15-minute slots per patient — feel powerless to fix.”

It is also patronizing, even, to determine that certain options can never be the choice of a person of sound mind. The question of suicide is certainly controversial. In many cases people who attempted suicide come to later appreciate the fact that they didn’t succeed. But is forcing someone to live against their will not a gross violation of their bodily autonomy? It can be argued that in Sara O’Connor, Financial Times, https://w w w.ft .com/ every occasion where a previously suicidal per- — blackpool son overcomes these urges to have helped them end their own life would have been to cause the death of someone who is in the present content What is the fundamental difference between with life. However, this possibility rests on a fun- someone who is miserable because of their damental assumption: that whatever is causing socioeconomic situation and one who is so bethe distress in this person’s life can be changed. cause of a medical condition, if both are equally unable to change what ails them? Is there anyThe recognition of the necessity of this condi- thing besides the guilt that comes from building tion is why we are typically more receptive to the a society that creates the conditions in which concept of euthanasia than that of suicide. Peo- the rational choice for some people is to end ple with terminal and painful physical conditions their own lives? are an undeniable example of that situation. But what about people with what some doctors call The question of mental health is intimately in“Shit Life Syndrome”? SLS is the condition that tertwined with the socioeconomic conditions of plagues people left behind by the economy with a population. By pretending that suicide can only no real hope to ever change their material condi- be the choice of a madman and that madmen tions. This is a serious problem, as Sarah O’Con- come to be only through isolated issues of neunor describes it in her Financial Times article rological pathologies, we wash our hands of the regarding the degradation of the quality of life of responsibility to build a world in which everyone the inhabitants of Blackpool: actually wants to live in.

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A new kind of discrimination

How the spread of the COVID-19 virus changed the perception of my nationality

by Valerio Vagnoni

“So, where are you from?”

It is a simple question, and probably one of the most common. Your name, your age, the place you are from. It is a small part of what actually defines us, of what makes us who we are. However, it is one of the easiest and most superficial notion to find out.

Personally, I had never thought too much about

it. I have never felt a strong attachment to my home country or my hometown. I have spent half of my life living abroad, and my biggest display of patriotism has always been my iron defence of the correct way to cook pasta.

“I am an Italian from Rome”. End of the story.

And the main reason is, probably, that up until recently my answer had always caused positive reaction: “Rome is so beautiful”, “Oh, the food is amazing”, “I have been there, I loved it”.

Of course, we are all familiar with the concept of

discrimination, of being treated differently or in some cases in a negative way based on personal attributes. An example is your place of birth.

We may condemn or feel distant from it, thus we feel like it does not concern us. We cannot truly understand the full meaning of this notion until it happens to us personally, as I sadly noticed since the COVID-19 started spreading rapidly throughout Italy.

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“I am Italian, from Rome”. Suddenly, people’s re-

actions changed. It was not pizza, pasta or the Coliseum anymore. It was fear, fear that I could be sick and infect them. Sometimes pity and concern. For the first time in my life, I felt like the place I was from did make a difference. Suddenly, it was a big deal, something to be ashamed of, something wrong.

It would be pretty hard to say which episode

made me feel the worst. Maybe when I was denied the entrance in a club in Bulgaria once I showed them my passport. Maybe here in Thessaloniki, when a random girl on the bus covered her face, disgusted, once she heard me talking to my friends about Rome. Maybe the repeated jokes about it everywhere I went. After a while, I started feeling very uncomfortable when people

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asked about my nationality. Sometimes I start- bravery of my people while facing such a terried lying, saying that I was Spanish, but not any- fying moment together. Physically they might more. be apart, separated by the quarantine, some very far away from their hometown. But Whoever knows a little bit about Italian histo- trapped they are connected, they are together, now more ry knows how divided my country is. We are a than ever. They are giving each other strength nation of contradictions and huge differences, and hope. and we never seem to understand or even fully accept each other. We have been separated for And yes, for the first time in my life, my nationcenturies and we have different traditions, hab- ality is important to me. However, I am not afraid its, languages, so much that sometimes it is hard or ashamed anymore, and there is not anybody to determine what actually brings us together. nor anything that can make me feel otherwise.

However, now, for the first time since I can re- “I am Italian, from Romeâ€?. member, we are indeed united. Even if right now I am far away, living here in Greece, I can see the AndrĂ tutto bene.

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Out Of The Borders Social Issues

Politics and abortion Can there be a middle ground?

by Amanda Miteniece

A medical procedure has never been as politicised as abortion has been in the last de-

cades. It is a controversial topic on both sides of the political spectrum, often disregarding the medical reality. This complicated politicised issue conceals the fact that abortion is a safe and simple procedure that rather rarely requires a surgical interference. Pro-life or pro-choice, these polarising sides of the political debate are urging people to choose. Is there a middle ground?

Can you be neutral towards this topic?

Let us take a step back into the past. Abortion is not a new medical procedure, but rather an ancient one. The first records date back as far as ancient Egypt. No doubt that back then abortion was highly dangerous. Eventually, the procedure

Abortion pills

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was banned in the ancient civilisations. However, even Aristotle acknowledged that abortion was ethical if performed during the first trimester. No matter if it was legal or not, abortions were very common. Fast forward to the 19th century, with

Š https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-11/abortion-medication-california-college-health-centers-legislation

Social Issues

pro-choice march

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© https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/poll-pro-choice-support-increases-840698/

the advances of western medicine abortion be- tors who wanted to “push out” their competition, comes easily accessible and legal. However, that namely the physicians that were carrying out the did not last for long and this is why. procedures. They succeeded as legal abortion drugs and the proceedings were banned. This One concept shifted the social perspective that took place in various moments around the world, turned abortion into a controversial issue. Quick- however, by the year 1880 most countries crimening is the term that describes when a mother inalised abortions either completely or partially. can feel the baby move during her pregnancy.

Before anyone acknowledged this notion, the As expected the situation extensively depended medical procedure was not connected either on the country. However, the whole world bewith politics, morals or religion. It is uncommon came divided. People had various opinions about to see it that way now, knowing the social and the unborn foetus, and with the rise of women’s political situation. After that, it was not long until liberation movement in the 1960s, the advocacountries started to ban abortions again. Howev- tion for legal abortion began to attract attention. er, the reason why a sudden shift took place was Thus, the two polarising ends of the spectrum not connected to religion or politics. It was profit. that came to be pro-choice and pro-life could not Yes, abortion was criminalised based on the doc- be more different. Today your stance most likely

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Out Of The Borders Social Issues

is based on your background and political views.

Is it the woman’s right to choose or the government’s job to interfere?

Because these opinions in the contemporary

world contribute to the legislative process, people feel the need to advocate for their opinion on this matter. Political views have become louder than facts and, in this battle, there are more casualties than expected. I am lucky enough to live in Europe where abortion is legal in almost every country and accessible to anyone that seeks it in the first trimester. However, there are many countries where abortion is still a criminal offence.

The fact of the matter is that abortion proce-

dures will not stop even if they are forbidden by law. =Statistics show that many women die from unsafe abortions chiefly because they don’t have access to safer alternatives. Moreover, if history has taught us anything is that women will not stop seeking a way through which to carry out an abortion. Therefore, the political opinion of prolife highlighting the safety of the woman is not encompassing the facts and possible repercussions. Sadly, the number of people dying or getting harmed by receiving “back alley” procedures remains staggeringly high. Moreover, statistically, women die more often from other simple medical procedures and even from labour itself.

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A caricature of the current political situation © https://usreligion.wordpress.com/2014/12/03/religion-orpolitics-which-is-to-blame-for-the-ongoing-issue-of-abortionin-the-united-states/

Now you have to ask yourself: what is your opinion about abortion? What is your opinion based on? It does not matter whether you are on the left or right. In the end, it is not your life and not your choice, so why do you feel politically inclined to shout louder than the person next to you? I urge you to learn these facts and not take a person’s opinion as a fact only because they are yelling at the top of their lungs. Knowledge is vital, and ignorance is dangerous. Therefore, to answer the question that I stated at the beginning – being neutral would mean stepping back from this issue completely. Everyone’s opinion is valid, however, it seems almost impossible to have a neutral discussion about abortion. This procedure is the last resort and no one should take this decision lightly, however, to take this decision away only will lead us to repeat the same mistakes.

If divided in politics, we should at least see the common sense and give the right to choose as it should not have a political agenda, merely a human one. That is the middle ground we should strive for.

Media

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Circus TV or the art of doing fear as a spectacle by Pablo Rubio

A reflection on the power of the mass media over its audience, exploiting instinctual reactions to content such as morbidity in unpleasant events.

Harry Gruyaert. TV shot of a couple in soap opera. 1972

One afternoon in September 2001, the 5-year-

old boy that I was was returning home after a bike ride. School had not yet started and the remains of a hot summer were still in the air. When I arrived at the dining room I found my family gathered around the television. Two immense towers were spitting out puffs of fire, collapsing like a stack of cards. The streets of that city, which I had seen before in many movies, were now a turmoil of blood, dust and tears. How can I keep this memory so vivid and not others?

© Magnum Photos

Fear is one of the most powerful and primitive emotions humans possess. It helps us stay alert and avoid danger. Being 5 years old and seeing violent images, in a western setting, having as protagonists people with a familiar look, induces an irrational fear and, at the same time, a certain curiosity. We are mortal creatures and we know it, but when we are only indirect witnesses, mere spectators, we find a certain happiness in being spared; “the dead one is not me”.

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Out Of The Borders Media

Harry Gruyaert. Television Broadcast. Great Britain and France. 1972

The Twin Towers catastrophe in New York is a

good example of one of the other sides of the coin of fear: morbidity. Apart from the colossal dimensions that this event represented, at a social, political and economic level, every September 11, when the media remind us of these images, we relive the fear and at the same time indulge in the curiosity, morbidity’s foundation.

Throughout history, man has wilfully witnessed violent death: rituals, the Roman circus, public executions in squares and, with the arrival of journalism, double-page images of mass murders. But it is with the arrival of the cinema that the seed of morbidity blossoms. Seeing images in movement, explicit and concise, as if we were looking through a peephole, like Hitchcock’s Norman Bates, gave us exceptional power, which had its culmination with the arrival of television.

Over the years I continued looking at the screen

© Magnum Photos

cause, minorities are pointed out as the culprits and their actions are trivialised. Live broadcasts of funerals after sordid murders, working with what is supposed to be private, spectacularization of the pain of others in Prime Time. Events are oversized to compete with other media and generate audiences. And this is why morbidity is used. To convince the viewer that it’s an image they need to see. So, between pauses, there will be advertising to ensure the monetization.

Television, like any other capitalist element, uses sophisticated strategies to do business. News shows or any other programs with such content play a double role. They disguise the show as serious and truthful information delivered in a way that will influence the opinion of the public.

In other words, lurid facts with attractive hosts, who will not make us feel guilty; the act of watching television is private, no one will see us doing it.

with curiosity and at the same time a critical eye.

Reports about crime in slums, where instead of Every day we watch from our homes events denouncing a social problem, showing a realistic that should not interest us and should not be

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shown. If there is no violence, tears will be added to the final product. The suffering of others is very newsworthy, and therefore voraciously consumed. All this relegates truthful, honest and critical journalism to the background. To the five W’s of journalism (who, what, when, where and why) are added others like: why didn’t the mother of the murdered man cry enough at the funeral?

Who is the uncle of the mother of the murderer’s brother? Do you want to see, after the advertisements, how the child was assassinated? The code of ethics is set aside, and the role of social justice is assumed, “speculating” with prestige.

If on the one hand the root of morbidity is death,

under the form of violence, on the other hand we have sex. Paraphilias, perversions and sexual crimes generate an impudent interest, as they

Harry Gruyaert. Paris, France.

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remain a taboo subject, something “forbidden”.

It is women who are the most affected by this.

The media does not hesitate to appeal to objectification, knowing that this will generate interest.

The fact that rape and torture can be trivialized and generate profits really does show us how far our society has progressed regarding the role of women in it.

The media pretends that it is the viewer who

demands this information. They actively engage in attracting attention, manipulating our perception and appealing to our basest instincts. Until society actively demands healthy, verified information that isn’t there to keep you in front of the TV for 24 hours, throwing blood in your face to generate profit, they will continue giving us our daily ration of bread and circus.

© Magnum Photos

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Roman Polanski, an award-winning rapist

by Mandhora Anim

Roman Polanski, born on the 18th of August of 1933 in Paris, is a Franco-Polish cinema director, producer, scriptwriter and actor, as well as a theatre and opera director.

The profile of Polanski

Writer and director of some forty films, includ- But today we’re not interested in that. We’re going ing more than twenty feature films, such as Re- to talk about problems with the justice system. pulsion, Cul-de-Sac, The Dance of the Vampires, Rosemary’s Baby, Chinatown, Le Locataire, Tess, The Polanski case is a court case involving the The Pianist, Oliver Twist, The Ghost Writer, Car- French-Polish director Roman Polanski, arrested and charged in Los Angeles in March 1977 nage and J’accuse. in a case of sexual abuse of a minor against For these and others he has received numerous Samantha Geimer, at the time 13 years old, awards. drugged and raped.

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He was charged with six counts: rape of a minor,

sodomy, supplying a prohibited substance to mi- months before being placed under house arnor, licentious acts and debauchery, illicit sexual rest in Gstaad. intercourse and perversion.

In 2015 Poland refused an extradition request In exchange for dropping the other charges, Po- from the United States. lanski pleaded guilty to illegal sex with a minor.

He was sentenced to 90 days in prison and then But how is it that we allow a paedophile to win released for exemplary conduct after serving 40 a César award, in this case for Best Director with days. His psychiatric evaluation was favourable, the movie J’accuse? but the judge, sensitive to the criticisms of the 12 nominations, 12 rapes. press and the pubic, reverses his decision and wishes to convict Polanski again. Polanski fled It’s a disgrace, like spitting in the face of victims the United States and settled in France, a coun- of rape and sexual assault. try that refuses to extradite its citizens and of Polanski will most likely remain free and never which he is a national. pay for these acts, as with 86 years of age we In 2009, Roman Polanski was arrested in Zu- can no longer expect justice to be served within rich as part of a treaty on mutual legal assis- his lifetime. tance in criminal matters between Switzerland and the United States and imprisoned for two THE CESARS OF SHAME 2020

Protest against Polanski

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Mix Fix Art

Facial Tattoo

by Alessandro Pantorno

Words the rising of a new trend: facial tattoo, passing through convicts symbols, trapper and Maori.

Facial tattoo nowadays is becoming more pop- the face and which through its different signs

ular among youngsters, used both as a sign of tells the story of those who wear it engraved on rebellion and an anti-conformist act towards so- the skin. The moko also has its female counterpart, a mark on the chin that was considered so ciety or just for a matter of style. important as to prevent the woman who did not Thanks to the colonizer James Cook tattoos be- wear it, from entering fully into the social life of came popular in the west, as during an expedi- the tribe. tion in Polynesia he found out about the tattooAmong convicts, we can find some interesting ing ritual and brought it in Europe in 1800. symbol, like the tear under the eye. It can indicate In the Maori tradition, perhaps the most import- a plethora of notions, like the loss of someone ant tattoo of all is the moko, a tattoo that is done special, when imprison has ended or it is a sign on of the crime of murder, even having witnessed

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Among trapper, we can find disparate symbols;

the most common tattoo is an inscription on the forehead above the eyebrows, where sometimes they express their alias, like the case of TEKASHI 6IX9INE. He is very obsessed with this number as you can also see in the neck, or in the Jigsaw forehead tattoo, under his eye.

the murder of a loved one. If the tear is empty it means that you have been a witness, if the tear is full it means that you have committed murder yourself.

Another interesting trapper is Young Signorino,

he only has tattoos on his face and they all seem to be related to his music. For example, the inscription “Mmhh� above the eyebrows recalls the title of one of his songs. The thing that I prefer is it’s provocative and amoral attitude both in his Moreover, we have also the three-point tattoo, music and his tattoos, and the annihilation of the often performed on the hand or under the eye symbols. and represents the crazy and unregulated life of the prisoner. This tattoo is famous among His- For example, he has a tear under the eye, but he panic prisoners and can also have a religious has not killed anyone. This tattoo has a personal meaning, such as alluding to the Holy Trinity. meaning or even is meaningless.

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Mix Fix Ecology

The Pangolin, victim of humans; humans, victims of themselves.

by Juliette Gadenne

The researchers Shen Yongyi and Xiao Lihua of South China Agricultural University in Guang-

zhou announced in a press conference that they might have identified the pangolin as the source of the virus (nothing is sure for the moment) the sequences are 99% similar the researchers reported at a press conference on 7 February 2020. ( Source: nature.com)

You probably already know that in their ef-

and wild animal market in Wuhan, China. forts to track down the source of the new Although officially, this market did not sell coronavirus, researchers have suggested pangolins, people may have sold the animals that the infection originated from a seafood there illegally.

chinese pangolin

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Š Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Gardens

Ecology

© national geographics

Myanmar Feeds China’s Pangolin Appetite

This animal is the most likely intermediate host

between bats and humans.

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wild animals, a practice believed responsible for the deadly coronavirus outbreak.

Previous temporary bans have been put in place, Pangolins — a relative of the anteaters — are such as after the SARS (Severe Acute Respira-

scaly mammals that feed on burrowing insects, tory Syndrome) virus, also traced to wild animal such as termites and ants. consumption, killed hundreds of people in China The pangolin is considered the most trafficked and Hong Kong in 2002-03. animal on the planet and more than one million have been snatched from Asian and African for“We won’t have a society if we ests in the past decade, according to the Internadestroy the environment.” tional Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

The country’s law attempts to protect the ani-

mals, as selling Pangolins can lead to a 10 years prison sentence.

The animal’s scales are used in Chinese tradition-

— Margaret Mead

« I applaud the ban, as we see that the Chinese

government is determined to change a thoual medicine, in which it is believed to treat arthritis, sands-year-old tradition which is so inapproprimenstrual pain and skin conditions. People also ate in today’s society,” said Jeff He, China direcsell the animal’s meat, considering it a delicacy. tor at the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

On Monday, February 24, China declared an im- Yes, but we always wait for it to affect humans, or mediate ban on the trade and consumption of to stop to destroy a whole species or ecosystem.

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“Environment is no one’s property to destroy; it’s everyone’s responsibility to protect”

We shouldn’t impose traditions or beliefs on animals, using that to justify animal exploitation.

We have to be aware of this period of the Anthro-

pocene: it defines Earth’s most recent geologic time period as being human-influenced, or anthro— Mohith Agadi pogenic, based on overwhelming global evidence that atmospheric, geologic, hydrologic, biospheric and other earth system processes are now altered Shall we consider this virus as punishment for by humans. (Source: anthropocene.info) all the violence, cruelty, and pain that humans are doing every second to nature?

If you want to fight against this kind of behaviours or for animals rights, to be involved, to What is happening reminds us that we kill protect the nature which gives us everything, you and consume too many animals, that we can follow, spread articles and videos, sign petidon’t even need, without thinking about any tions, participate in the strikes against climate consequences. change and in Greenpeace actions, or go to help a volunteer! Here are some important associNowadays, the new law of the jungle is to make as ations for animals in Greece that you can help: money and act blind, when we could all be fighthttps://www.arcturos.gr/ (wolfs and bears) ing against these kinds of profits.

We can see with this example of the pangolin

(and there are millions more) that it is difficult to stop a tradition even when it is a terrible one.

The harmless Pangolin walking in a blurry environment Drawing with black pen on paper, A4

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https://archelon.gr/index_eng.php (sea turtles) https://www.sawasantorini.com/ (dogs, donkeys, mules, horses, cats, pigs)

© Juliette Gadenne

Lifestyle

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Everything is fine

When you’re 25 and your life is at a crossroad

by Felicia Vigliotti

Feeling lost and accepting it. A circumstance that many young people in the world face and that can even help them find themselves.

Since I was born in the early nineties, I do be-

long to the category “Millennials”. Millennials should be the productive generation, the one who grows, travels and has fun. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Indeed, many of my peers and I might experience anxiety about failure, disappointment about unfinished work and a sense of emptiness that was never known before. The period between the ages of 25 and 35 is the hardest for many people, as they are feeling what has been defined as the quarter-life crisis.

That is the time when you feel lonely, lost and quite often unmotivated. This happens because rather than finding your place in the world, you are trapped in that phase of transition between being autonomous and being family dependent.

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”

— Marie Curie

The biggest problem for young people is that

they do not understand what exactly they are going through. They should take a deep breath and move on. Give up the haze for excellence and success, whether professional or personal, in order to live the life that they want. It is necessary to understand what they need, setting priorities, building a future without the need to succeed in everything. Well, there is a need to reconcile with failure, give it a space and take care of it.

What is the crisis? No more finding yourself

when you look in the mirror and having no prospects. It frequently manifests itself when you are looking for your first job, when you move out or when you end a relationship. It is something much more natural than we might have thought.

The depressive state that comes with change.

And it probably sounds bizarre, but this state of total abandonment is required - as it represents the first stage of the crisis - to be able to get back into the game again.

“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

— Steve Jobs

Finding out what you want can be painful. The

process of self-discovery, indeed, may require an extraordinary effort and even more time than one would have expected. Feeling lost and accepting it. A circumstance that many young people in the world face and that can even help them find themselves. Indeed, the second phase of the crisis reflects the awareness of what we are going through and the will to begin the change. In other words, the intention to give a form to negative thoughts and to be able to turn them into something positive.

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Quarter Life Crisis

The third and fourth phases of the quarter-life

crisis are about building the new and its implementation. But how could this be done? By stopping to please others and - on the contrary - firmly asserting their positions. Follow your ideas, support them, give them a voice. Discover yourself and do it accurately, finding the hidden talents and the most intimate desires.

If being Millennials has one advantage, it’s that you still have time to risk everything and challenge yourself.

Source: Pinterest

ing it again later pointing in a different direction.

Human nature is built to be tested and to be able to win its struggles. Going through a personal crisis, one in which everything is questioned, can only lead to a better, brighter and probably unexpected result.

That is why the quarter-life crisis is nothing more

than a result of life’s natural path. Having anxiety, worries and moments of discomfort make you understand what is important and what you They often say, “Don’t worry, everything’s fine.” want. A rediscovery of creativity and cleverness, And it’s true, everything is fine. There is no shame exploring new tools and new possibilities. You in losing the compass for a while and then find- should not be frightened, everything is fine.

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Sexuality

Mix Fix

Nothing to hide

Masturbation, from the most natural act to sin by Elena Mullor

As women, we have been educated to be formal, to smile and to always act properly. In the

past, many women were forced to show restraint in any situation, to endure any obscene behaviour of which they were the victims, to not show their feelings while always be presentable.

It’s a fact that women were always forced to be strong and good, but lately this behaviour is disappearing and becoming a woman’s claim.

Masturbation

Many topics of conversation have not been al-

The definition of masturbation is the stimulation

of one’s genital organs in order to obtain sexual pleasure. Sigmund Freud is credited with discovering that masturbation is common in childhood.

However, it was Havelock Ellis who provided us with more knowledge about it, as he noted that masturbation is a common practice in both sexes, and is carried out throughout most of one’s life.

lowed to women for years. We’ve been forbidden to talk about sport, economy, politics and business. Even today, some people consider our opinion invalid on certain issues. For some years now, this situation has been changing. Thanks to feminism, women can be free and can express themselves. Our position in society has changed incredibly, we can now talk about any topic that we like. Obviously, feminism means much more The act of masturbation was considered somethan just this; feminism means equality between thing normal in most societies; it was a common act, personal and private but never demeaning or men and women. forbidden. While the Spartans condemned this We can describe a ‘taboo’ as a topic not usually practice, other followers of the Ancient Greek rediscussed at a gathering of friends. Like many ligion considered it a gift from the gods, since the other topics of conversation, female masturba- god Hermes taught his son Pan (better known as Faun) how to masturbate in order to endure tion has been hidden for a long time. the disdain of the nymph Echo. Faun learned the lesson, overcame his pain and transmitted the teaching to the first shepherds of the Greek arcadia. The philosopher Diogenes, the famous doctor Galen as well as several playwrights and craftsmen represented the act in their works.

Masturbation fell out of favour in Europe with

Women were subjected to the norms of society that men have created

Source: Elena Mullor

the beginning of Christianity, even if the Bible makes no mention of it. The Church taught that masturbation and other forms of non-penetrative relations were worse sins than sex, rape, incest or adultery. For Christians, the ‘non-reproductive’

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sins, like masturbation, were ‘unnatural’ because they acted as contraceptives. Since rape, incest and adultery could lead to pregnancy, they were ‘natural’ and therefore much less serious than the firsts ones. Thus, since then, masturbation was considered a graver sin than rape or incest.

Fortunately, this taboo is currently disappearing, and more and more people understand that the act of masturbation is something natural that shouldn’t be looked at as something negative.

Furthermore, different studies have concluded that the act of pleasuring oneself is beneficial to one’s health, and, in the case of women, may even reduce menstrual pain. Nowadays, it’s easier to meet people who talk freely about sexuality, maintaining their privacy but not feeling ashamed or afraid; women included.

Female masturbation

The taboo shows itself when we talk about wom-

en practicing masturbation. But why is it different to talk about male and female masturbation?

From childhood, men are educated to speak freely on any subject, while women are restricted.

It’s common for boys to talk with their friends about how much they masturbate; meanwhile, among women, even in the most liberal countries, it’s still not a recurrent topic, even when we are adults. The fact is that for a boy it is ‘a necessity’ to touch his genitals, but any girl who does it is judged. Some studies indicate that women masturbate less, or at least that we find it harder to admit.

Still,

specialists recognize that the status of male and female masturbation is different in any society. Women worldwide have always had masturbation as a pending subject, and it’s because we are judged or criticized for admitting that we perform one of the most natural acts we can do as human beings. To the point where we are branded as ‘hustlers’ and even as “nymphomaniacs” in an incorrect usage of the term.

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The roles set by the church, and patriarchy, put enormous pressure on women; these cultural and religious norms don’t allow women to fully enjoy their sexuality. As a consequence, our sex education is inferior to the one men can. Even in a conversation with their parents, the boy will be welcomed into the world of sexuality, while the girl will be rebuked and required to behave like a ‘lady’. It’s an aspect of our lives that affects our happiness and our behaviour as women.

These days, thankfully, women have found a way of revolution: feminism. There are many voices calling for the normalization of the issue, citing the mental health and physical benefits of this practice. But the most important argument has to do with empowerment, something that feminism has been fighting for decades. The subject is overcoming the taboo because women are increasingly able to talk freely about masturbation, as well as other topics such as menstruation.

For women, it’s a time of liberation. For using

everything that feminism has to offer us and to get to be ourselves. To regain the right that we had, have, and will have to speak or do what we want. No barriers, no fear, nothing to hide.

Female masturbation

Source: Elena Mullor

Feminism Source: Elena Mullor 43

Mix Fix Sexuality

Let’s talk about porn.

From the dark side of pornography to a new feminine approach to porn industry

by Helena Vanesa Moreno Solano

Porn is becoming the main source of affective sexual education for our young people. Direc-

tors like Erika Lust are struggling to bring a non-misogynistic approach to the porn industry.

We are seeing how this new pornography, more The average age for the first contact with porn is “macho and vexatious, is being the main source

lowering thanks to the ease of access to mobile technology. According to a recent study of the “Network Youth and Social Inclusion” and the University of Balear Islands, the first viewing of pornography is now at the age of eight - for both boys and girls - this is because the porn sneaks from the Internet as soon as there is access to technology in a very aggressive fashion.

of affective sexual education for our young people: 80% of them say that they did not receive education or that it was insufficient,” said the president of the Network Youth and Social Inclusion, Carlos Rosón.

Pornography

reinforces very marked stereotypes: it tells us what it is to be a man and what it is to be a woman, reinforcing behaviour patterns; it tells us which are the ideal bodies and which is the correct sexuality. All of these aspects, among others, greatly influence the sexual behaviour patterns of today’s adolescents.

In porn, the typical preferences vary considerably between men and women. Men generally like strong porn, with scenes of anal sex, oral sex, group sex, of a man with many women, and lesbian sex. Women prefer soft pornography and group sex, of one woman with multiple men. Evolutionary psychologists explain it this way:

In the short term, the mating strategies between

Porn Flakes

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© Abidiel Vicente https://www.taglialatellagalleries.com/artists/ abidiel-vicente?view=slider#50

men and women differ substantially, since the goals that are sought are very different. Essentially, women are not interested in having shortterm matings, but men are. For women, pregnancy is very expensive in health, energy resources and future life. The female mind evolved for a

Sexuality

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situation that is no longer valid: mating led to pregnancy; and women continue to value situations with the biases that this situation, valid The following testimonies are taken from differin the past, imposed. So the woman is still inter- ent interviews that were carried out with ex-acested, in general, because there will always be tresses from the porn industry. exceptions, mating with strong, healthy mates, capable of protecting, capable of investing time “One movie had the most terrifying, and resources in them and in the offspring. depressing, and brutal scene I have Women are not interested in quantity but in ever made. I have tried to remove it quality. For the male, the investment is minimal: from my memory due to the severe some sperm. Men, speaking in a biological way, abuse I received during filming. The are interested in fathering as many descendants actor had a natural hatred against as possible. Pornographic films made by men women, in the sense that he has are in accordance with their biological strategy, always been more brutal than is satisfying the urges predicted by evolutionary required. I agreed to do the scene, psychology.

The dark side of pornography

As an actress myself, I have been curious to

learn about the point of view of the pornographic actresses working in porn movies directed by men. I have questions such as: How do they feel? What is behind what the cameras show?

Are they satisfied with the scenes they perform?

In the movies, the actresses smile and say they are having fun, but their testimonies affirm that behind the scenes there is humiliation and degradation everywhere.

Maybe pornography isn’t completely bad. How-

ever, with the way it has evolved in recent years it has turned into something completely sadistic and violent, especially for actresses who are tricked into entering the industry. Although there are more and more feminist works that care about the well-being of their actresses, the mainstream is increasingly more macho and brutal with their actresses, transforming the way people think about sex.

thinking I was going to hit my head only once. If you notice, he wore a solid gold ring the entire time and kept hitting me with it. I stopped the scene in half because it hurt too much” — Regan

“Like most pornstars, I told this lie; It was one of my favorite things to say when asked if I would like to do a particular scene. “I only do what I like! I wouldn’t do something if I didn’t like it!” (He said it with a false smile and I laughed) What a lie! I did what I had to do to “work” in porn. I did what I knew would help me gain “fame” in the industry” — Alexa

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“It was the most horrible, shameful and degrading thing. I had to film an interactive DVD, which takes hours and hours of filming, while I had a 104 degree fever (Fahrenheit).

I was crying and I wanted to leave but my agent wouldn’t let me. He said he couldn’t let me falter. I also did a scene where I was put in with an actor who was on my “no list.”

I wanted to please them, so I did.

He stepped on my head ... I was scared and started screaming. They stopped filming and sent me home with a reduced pay because they had only a little of the shot and not the whole scene.”

— Jessi

A look behind the scenes at the world of ethical porn

46

These women couldn’t leave the industry or

refuse to participate because they needed the money. It is a dark industry that, except for some few safe havens, takes advantage of women, using them as objects that can be brutalized, discarded and replaced without a second thought.

Women in the porn industry

The feminine taste in pornography has also been a matter of study, and curiosity, for academics, scientists and activists.

Famous

activist and director of porn for women, the Swedish Erika Lust made her career in Barcelona with a production company that sells her tapes through her website and by sending her films by mail. Even last year, she released her first erotic book “The Song of Nora”, and, according to her, despite the eco-

© Erika Lust https://www.ismorbo.com/erika-lust-una-mirada-tras-las-camaras-al-mundo-del-porno-etico-y-feminista/

Sexuality

Erika Lust on the set of one of her movies

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Š Erika Lust https://loveartnotpeople.org/2019/05/02/erika-lust-y-el-porno-feminista/

nomic crisis affecting Europe (especially Spain), its market continues to grow, to the point that she has not been able to shoot for more than a year as she is busy commercializing her feature and short films.

women want to watch soft porn, some want to see something stronger. In general, these directors have blogs and consultation pages where they constantly research what women want and hope to find in this world.

Lust was a pornstar, and, according to her, in her Erika Lust, Stormy Daniels, Jessica Drake, An-

movies, women truly enjoy themselves. Various men and women intervene, all voluntarily participating, both giving and receiving pleasure as sexual equals, where there is no domination. The camera not only focuses on the genitals, as is customary, because she thinks that pleasure is a matter of the whole body. In addition, Lust goes against the stereotypes of the films filmed by men, in which the actors are “superiorly� gifted in their sexual features: huge penises, muscular stomachs, huge breasts, round buttocks, beautiful and hairless bodies. In her films, on the other hand, there is pubic hair and bodies without surgeries, normal breasts, small buttocks, ordinary and pleasant people. For Jessica Drake, not all

gie Rowntree, and Anna Frolicme are trying to change the meaning of porn. They want it to stop being associated with the dirty, the sticky and the shameful, and to be associated with beauty, hedonism and the knowledge of sexuality. They do not want more stereotypes, and they reject the machismo and degrading treatment that is given to women in porn movies made by men.

Their proposals are more about a modelling of the erotic, where the woman is presented in another light, in greater intimacy, and in relationships of mutual pleasure. They want women to discover their sexual and sensual potential by watching movies. Between pornography and eroticism there is a void that they seek to fill.

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Pornography for women also has festivals that

porn considered ‘feminist’, made from the work highlight the best annual productions, especially in of directors sharing these concerns, is not availEurope, such as the Barcelona Erotic Film Festival. able for free.

Erika Lust declares herself a feminist and en- American feminist Catharine MacKinnon wrote sures that she wants to see porn where women are not treated as objects. She has been joined by other female directors such as Jennifer Lyon Bell, Anne Span or Annie Sprinkle, who was a prostitute and is now a sex educator. She has a famous phrase: “I do not say no to porn, I say yes to porn well done.”

in her book ‘Sexuality’ that: ‘Erotic dominance defines the imperatives of masculinity; eroticized submission defines femininity. Being the object of sexual use is an essential part of the content of sex for women.” The lack of great supply and the taboos with which women have grown with around their sexuality discourages this market.

Women are not being used to watching porn also has deeper reasons than is evident. There is an abundance of material that they consider offensive and misogynistic. While these productions are everywhere on the web for free, the

And that is precisely the fight, apparently incipi-

A day shooting erotic cinema with Erika Lust

48

ent according to the numbers, of women against conventional pornography, and the slow growth of a community that prefers eroticism and equality in sexual relations.

© Erika Lust https://www.yorokobu.es/horny-beasts-erika-lust/

Sexuality

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Be a Transgender

by Clémence Bouet

Abel is a 21 years old boy studying history in Paris. On the occasion of this edition about a controversial subject, he accepted to talk about his story and his feelings as a transgender.

“I like to play with clothes, I do it to express

myself and have fun” that’s what Abel answered when asking him about his style. For him, people have to be really careful when they talk about gender: it is really important to not

“I like to play”

confuse gender identity (the one you feel) and gender expression (how others perceive it) “I would define myself as transgender in the broadest sense, (…) I’m sure I’m not a cisgender man” he says.

Source: Abel Capelier

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A cisgender man (or cisgender woman) is a per-

son whose gender identity and biological sex are the same, that is to say, to be born in a woman’s body and feel like a woman (or to be born with a man’s body and feel like a man). However, in some cases, people feel that they weren’t born in the right body or just feel uncomfortable with it.

When identity and biological sex differs from one another, then we can talk about transgender. It is also necessary to remember that being cisgender is not the normality, but merely the majority.

That is why it is wrong to talk about “trans-sexuality”, or “gender dysphoria” because this is not about decision or sexuality, only about gender.

Another

going on, but couldn’t put it into words: “I wasn’t sad, but I felt misunderstood, strange, out of step”.

When he went to college, he started to take

an interest in feminism and in gender question, what allowed him to theorize what he was feeling deep inside. It was at the age of 19 that he decided to move to Paris “I wanted to continue my studies in a bigger city, I was looking for more anonymity that could be more liberating for me, I mean, I had the weight of the others’ gaze in my hometown”. Once in the capital, Abel began to wear make-up, jewellery and sometimes dresses, which was for him a way to feel good: “My personality didn’t radically change with my appearance, I’ve remained the same person”. After affirming his new style, Abel did not experience rejection from his family or friends, “Rejected no, but misunderstood yes”, he acknowledges.

recurring notion when talking about transgender people is sexuality “These two things are not related” he specifies. There is no universal rule: be a trans woman doesn’t mean that you are going to be attracted to men, just as a trans man is not necessarily attracted to wom- Difficult for his family and friends to understand en. In fact, it is case-by-case. why he was acting this way, or why was he doing this. However, he still feels supported by As for Abel, it is still difficult for him to understand his loved ones and manages to live despite the sexuality as he has difficulty to definite what real- questions he raises “It’s not so hard to bear”. ly attracts him. He likes to call himself pansexual, which means, loving people for their soul and not It becomes much less bearable when it’s about for their gender: personality takes prominence strangers’ gazing on the streets and acquainover gender and is the object of sexual attraction. tances giving a disrespectful look and shouting “It allows me not to restrict myself, it depends on insults. At these moments he doesn’t feel in the the days, my mood and my desires”. right place. “There are places that are inaccessible to me or in which I feel bad.” Nightclubs, bars, Although Abel has a male reproductive system, some neighbourhoods… basically, all places he does not feel totally male, his feelings about where there’s a cisgender male predominance. gender identity have been evolving throughout life. Since childhood, he felt a gap with others: “I In everyday life, Abel adapts to circumstances never did what was expected of me as a “prop- in order to conform to gender norms: looking er” boy”. Abel never played football and he used for a job, finding an apartment, going to the to hang out with girls. All his choices and his doctor “I never go to a job interview with nail behaviour spawned his exclusion from his male polish, for example, I know I’ll never be hired”. classmates. At that age, he never suspected that He has learned to live with others’ intolerance his socialization problem could be linked to gen- and to hide what he really is to be able to mainder identity, he knew that something strange was tain safe living circumstances.

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Abel has never experienced physical aggression

and considers himself lucky, as he is aware of the number of assaults and murders targeting the transgender community. Trans-phobia not only kills several hundred people every year all over the world but also causes a variety of acts of violence and attacks. The most affected by those persecutions are transgender women who remain as targets.

ly important to take the time to inform ourselves about this topic.

Discrimination

against this community must stop. Sometimes, people’s ignorance is the cause of their injuries. It’s difficult to eradicate transphobia in twenty-four hours but it’s easy to inform ourselves and educate others.

the occasion of the International Day of Please try to spread the love and tolerance to Transgender Visibility, the 31st of March, it’s real- improve each others’ daily life.

On

Transgender pride flag

Source: Nightshift Asia

51

Elena Mullor | 23 years old

Renata Diurczak | 29 years old

Staying in Greece for 7 months until May 2020

Staying in Greece for 7 months until May 2020

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