NOVI SAD 2015 MEDIA TEAM

SEE

The Media Team is very excited to present you with the issue of Novi Sad 2015 – 8th National Selection Conference of EYP Serbia! The whole team has put a lot of effort, time and work into this publication, and we hope that it will serve to add value to your experience at this session.

In line with the session theme – “Pushing Percep-tions” – we want to have an impact on your perception of this session. Therefore, we adapted our work to the basic structure of a session and divided it into three parts. We figured that those parts are mainly perceived with different senses, and the concept is based on working with these senses to enrich your experience.

Seeing – Teambuilding. This is the topic for this is-sue. In the beginning of teambuilding, you all met for the

first time, you got a first impression of your fellow delegates and your officials. Maybe you had pre-judices about them, and they may have had an influence on that first impression.

In this issue, we want to visually and journalisti-cally elaborate not only on the above, but also on how much our points of view can differ, and on the importance of sight as a sense. We aim to give you a new perspective on the topics covered and hope that we can make you question your own stance on some them.

See? Sí!

Britta and SamuelEditors of Novi Sad 2015 – 8th National Selection Conference of EYP Serbia

Dear par t i c ipan ts o f Nov i Sad 2015 , dear reader !

See the Difference (Florian Schinnerl, AT) | Me, Myself and Others (Sofia Magopoulou, GR) |

First Sight (Anja Martinovic, RS) | There is Strength in Numbers (Ignasi Cortés, ES) |

Facing Facial Features (Margit Kienzl, AT) | An Old War Through Young Eyes (Sara Octenjak, HR) |

What is There to See? (Iasonas Pafitis, CY) |

EDITORIAL

See the Difference (Florian Schinnerl, AT) | Me, Myself and Others (Sofia Magopoulou, GR) |

First Sight (Anja Martinovic, RS) | There is Strength in Numbers (Ignasi Cortés, ES) |

Facing Facial Features (Margit Kienzl, AT) | An Old War Through Young Eyes (Sara Octenjak, HR) |

What is There to See? (Iasonas Pafitis, CY) |

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SEE THEDIFFERENCE:

Have you ever wondered why giving directions over the phone al-most never works? Journalist Florian Schinnerl (AT) conducted a sim-ple, yet powerful experiment with the AFCO committee to show the

nature of verbal communication and its limits.

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I n everyday life, we use a lot of ver-bal communication – no matter if

there is a discussion or if you have to explain a task. Something you

usually do not actively realise is that this communication might not just be verbal – in most cases it is supported by visual

content, which cannot be misunderstood that easily. In order to show the strengths and limits of pure verbal communication, a small exercise was conducted: in groups of two, sitting back to back, everyone had

a piece of paper. One person folded the paper and told the other one what to do,

without showing them the paper, in order to get the same result. 6 groups did that

exercise, with varying results. Their re-actions and findings also reflect the res-pective actual result (see pictures on the

following pages).

VERBALCOMMUNICATION

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SPOT THEDIFFERENCE

For easy tasks, even verbal one-way commu-nication gets the job done.

“I should have asked if ever-ything is clear

in order to know how he was

doing.”

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With two-waycommunication, more complex tasks can be described compared to one-way com-munication.

“It worked until the fourth step, then it got

too complicated to explain it.”

Sometimes, tasks are not as easy as they seem to be...

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Florian Schinnerl (AT)

ME, MYSELF AND OTHERS

A view on thesteps of groupdevelopment in EYP

WE

WORKEND

After all those stages, there comes a time when the team has bonded. Final-ly, phrases like “We are a team”, “We are family”, “We are friends” are heard and all the hard work and the confused emotions have paid off.

Finally, the team is ready to work together. They have learned how to solve prob-lems, to respect others, to cooperate best. This work is based on the skills that we acquire during team-building.

I am not going to spoil the magic of waiting for what is next or your feelings at the end of the session. They say that each end is a new beginning, and I can guarantee you that after the end of the session your lives will be changed forever.

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During teambuilding, we change the way we see ourselves, the way we see others as individuals and the way we see the team as a whole. The road to build a team

is long and difficult, but once the team is formed, the bonding will last forever. Whether you will be near or far, you will not see each other for months or years. But that is exactly the magic of EYP: bringing completely different people together and connecting them for a lifetime. Sofia Magopoulou (GR) presents a view to the basic

steps of building a team.

ME

YOUCON-FLICT

We see other people, strange or unfamiliar to us, every day.

Apart from the first impressi-ons we all get automatical-ly, how often do we really see people? How often do we observe others? In a team, different faces, per-sonalities and ways of thin-king are brought together.

Recognising their existence is the hardest step on the road to

building a team.

Accepting and recognising other personalities is not always easy for everyone. Problem solving

involves cooperation, which is a difficult step for people who met a while ago. This stage is basic

for the evolution of the team, because it actually determines how the team will continue working.

In order to create a puzzle, you need to put together all of its parts. Each team

– before it even becomes one – con-sists of individuals. Different people, who are brought together for the first time; people, who for the next days will have to work together.

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Sofia Magopoulou (GR)

FIRST

Lea Bodor: “ The first impression from my

Regional Session got me really interested, so I decided to continue.”

Iva Milanović: “Psychiatrists say that you only have

7 seconds to im-press someone.“

Dimitrije Vedda: “Perception is when

you are aware of your environment.

Basically, when you are aware.”

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SIGHTAnja Martnovic (RS) took an interview from a couple of de-legates talking about first im-pressions and staying in EYP.

Dunja Stanić:“EYP can help you

see things different-ly, so that you learn

about the topics from other perspectives.”

Jovan Krstić:“ The first impres-

sion is the way you see the person th-

rough the whole session.”

Andreja Stamenković: “ You can fascinate someo-ne at the first sight, but

your steps after wards are going to count more.”

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Anja Martinovic (RS)

THERE IS

STRENGTHIN

NUMBERS

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Consideringthe recent situation in Greece

and the apparent economic stagnationthe European Union is facing,

staying behind other developedeconomies as the spirit of recovery

sets on a world devastatedby global recession,

certainly something needs to be done.Ignasi Cortés (ES)

breaks a well-established tabooand proposes a model of total integration:

the hypotheticalUnited States of Europe.

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The shadow of an obscure past full of conflicts has been slowly removed by half a century of stability and increasing consensus for further economic, political and social integ-ration. A time will come in which Eu-ropeans will have to make a decision,

whether the Union becomes a real union or remains the conglomerate of countries sticking together for survival as it is now. The concept of the United States of Europe (USE) is something that has been in the minds of philosophers and politicians as early as the 19th century, and has evolved from a utopic scenario to the most likely path the EU will take in the minds of many citizens. The main features of this new bloc would mainly be a common central bank and the con-sequent elimination of bureaucracy, a subject that would raise plenty of tags off the Union, which is of-ten perceived as a body that overlaps with national government competences. And yet, the USE is not a widely accepted perception across Europe; actually, it is a topic so controversial that very few openly talk about it.

Possibly, the reason for such controversy is the re-semblance this concept has with the current United States of America (USA). While the economic super-power characteristics the USA have could be envied by the Member States, leaving so many sectors to the free market has left some industries on the verge of corporation-consumer exploitation. The fear of the

implementation of oligopolies in key areas like pro-cessed food and agricultural distribution is extensi-ve, as multinational corporations (MNCs) obtain to-tal control over both the consuming and producing ends of the markets. While the current state of the European market is to be perceived as a role model, due to its overwhelming resemblance to perfect com-petition, further integration and liberalisation of the market can bring alarmingly similar American cha-racteristics to the European Union.

Moreover, to unite the current fragmentation that comprises the European political and geographical panorama will not be taken positively by the most nationalist movements of each Member States. To be European as opposed to German or French is so-mething that might hurt the sensibilities of certain citizens, which they believe to be loosing part of their cultural and national identity. However, history has shown that the peaceful merging of different regions has led to the cultural enrichment of the country as well as the preservation of traditions. Member Sta-tes would lose national sovereignty, but that would mostly affect their capacity to freely stimulate the economy. National governments would not be able to use fiscal and monetary policies to generate growth. Giving up the power to independently react to these setbacks would harm incomes and consumption – a situation that could be avoided if the USE are imple-mented in the way this vision describes it.

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In fact, the increased institutional integration leads to a better distribution of income within the union. Instead of having Bavaria give a greater proportion of taxes to pay for the expenses of poorer areas of Germany, it will be Germany contributing to the he-aling of harmed Southern economies. Although this case reminds of the current Greek situation, a more integrated Union would not feature the current dif-ferences in economic indicators, such as the 6.4% to 25% disparity in unemployment ra-tes. Hence, the redistribution would not be as costly and risky for the len-ders and the terms easier to fulfil for the aided.

Essentially, Greece could have been in-tervened more quickly and more effec-tively. This is because not only would they have had greater access to the aid but also because the economy would not have fallen so much into a recessi-on. The common economy is the most inclusive of trade areas and, as a result of its implementation, the markets in the union will become more competitive, lowering prices and potentially increasing incomes. As it is called in economics, a trickle-down effect will occur where the extra input of the generated trade will multiply its value as it follows a consumer-producer chain within the eco-nomy. Southern states will remain poorer than northern states, but the difference between them in both areas will not be as noticeable as they are right now.

As hopeful as these predictions are, they are not more than that: predictions. And as inevitable as this opinion may appear, there are still sceptics that de-tract the concept. Many argue that a future Europe after the model of the USA is just a compilation of nonsense; others reject further integration because of pure nationalism. If the Union we build in the fu-ture should follow the model of the USA, we need to aim for something better: something more inclusive,

with stricter regulations to ensure sa-fety and keeping the ‘union in diver-sity‘ that defines us.

If we add such features to the charac-teristics of an economic superpower we will secure long-term prosperity and peace. As insensitive as the busi-ness sector sounds usually, we should interiorise the fact that the BRIC group (Brazil, Russia, India and Chi-na) is an enemy in the business con-

text, and so the European Union should step up its game to keep up.

We have defeated the shadows that used to haunt us in the past; now we need to keep them away and face new challenges. If we managed to put away centuries of conflicts, why not show the world we cannot only be better, but be the best?

Ignasi Cortés (ES)

“We need to aim for something

better: something more inclusive, to keep the ‘union in diversity‘ that

defines us.“

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FACING FACIALFEATURES

Whenever I meet someone for the first time, I try not look di-rectly into the other person’s eyes, because that is uncom-

fortable for me and them.

I usually first notice the smile, because it makes for a good first impression and I associa-

te positive things with it.

For me the natural answer for this one would be the eyes, because it is just polite to look into the other person’s eyes when you are talking to them.

I am not sure, but it‘s probably the mouth that strikes my

attention, because I am eagerly waiting for people to

start talking to me.

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The eyes – they speak a dif-ferent language than the rest

of the body.

I usually glance at people’s teeth, because for a long time I was extremely anxi-

ous about my teeth. I always wonder whether they are crooked or too yellow, but now I think I am on a good

path. Seeing a person’s teeth means that they are most

likely smiling – which is nice.

The first thing I see when I meet someone are their eyes, because once I get comforta-ble with someone I look them in the eyes. I also believe that they are a mirror of the soul.

The first thing I notice are the eyes, because they are the most beautiful part of the

body.

Judging from old portraits, the eyes usually give off some mythical spirit. Also, even if you can control every other part of your body langua-ge, the eyes are immune, al-ways tell the truth, and most importantly are connected to

connecting people.

Dividing the session output into three senses (seeing, hearing and feeling), Margit Kienzl asked officials as well as delegates what the first thing is they perceive when looking at someone’s

face for the first time.

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Margit Kienzl (AT)

OLD WAR YOUNGEYES

AN

THROUGH

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The Western Balk-ans area is known

for its turbulent history. The wars

in the nineties left consequences which we can still

feel today.Sara Octenjak ex-

plores whether the people from these countries

are finally begin-ning to change

their perceptions of one another.

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The relics of the war are partly the reason why the Western Balkans area is still unstable in many as-

pects. A lot of historical facts about the conflict are being twisted and turned, with each side manipula-

ting them to its advantage. While it is difficult to discuss the situation itself, what we can discuss are feelings, opinions, hopes and

fears. For that, we asked some people to share their views about prejudices and whether we are able to go beyond boundaries that are set by the

people’s mentality.

Karlo Oto Lekić from Croatia was quite optimis-tic about it and said that it is possible to overco-me these issues, but that it will take at least one

generation’s time for it to start changing. Others were not nearly as optimistic as he was. Matko

Dujmović and Tonka Knežević from Croatia think that it can never happen: “Children are raised to

be intolerant towards the same people as their parents.” In his opinion, how parents raise their

children is their own choice, so it is a problemthat can never be truly solved.

Marko Gajinović from Serbia also thinks it is impossible: “That’s just the way people from our countries are. A nation works together like one organism. I don’t think liberal individuals can change anything because people naturally want to feel like they belong to the majority.” Nemanja Predojević, the session President, mentioned a different perspective: “A friend of mine, who was directly affected by the war, shows less nationa-lism and prejudice than the people who didn’t have anything to do with it directly. This could mean that the problem is not about the war itself anymore. Nationalism sometimes comes from manipulation and a lack of information due to the inadequate education system.”

Being the first generation to grow up after the war, we have a certain responsibility to decide on the future relations and behaviour between the nations involved. Among the older generations, reconciliation is still a word that is hardly concei-vable, but many people in the European Youth Parliament

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(EYP) think that travelling, spending time in a country we have prejudices about, and making

friendships with people from those countries is a good way of starting that process. It is a way of

dealing with the problem directly, pushingourselves to get to know people’s personalities as

if we are blindfolded towards the characteristics they were not able to choose.

Speaking from personal experience, it is hard to resist the opinions imposed to you since child-

hood – but it is not impossible. You only need to be persistent and believe that you are doing the right thing. In my case, not obeying my parents

when they said that it might be better for me not to go to Serbia was one of the best decisions

I made. It opened the door of EYP to me and enriched my life with a lot of surprises and really

close friendships. It made me feel like I belong somewhere in a different way than ever before. It was not a sense of acceptance only from my own

nation or a small group of people, but rather a feeling of community

with nations that were once one country.

Despite all the differences, there are similarities that cannot go unnoticed, and we still have a huge piece of common culture connecting us. My expectations about meeting and talking to Serbians were that it would be awkward or un-comfortable. Looking back at it now, I do not know why I thought I would feel this way, but I was glad to find out that there were the exact same feelings on the other side as well. Conside-ring the failure of those expectations, it is safe to conclude that some changes towards tolerance are happening more and more every day. It is not easy to say whether Tonka, Marko and Matko were right or Karlo’s hopeful and optimi-stic views will be applied to society, but we can surely state that something has begun to change, and that the passing of time is not the only reason for it. The fact that we can even joke about it now only proves that we did not just bury the past, but that we have faced a part of it and continue to grow.

“Being the first generation to grow up after the war, we have a certain respon-sibility to decide on the future relations

and behaviour between the nations involved.“

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Sara Octenjak (HR)

WHATIS THERE TOSEE?

WHAT IS THERETO SEE?

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Y gyou are composed of much more than what is reflected in the mirror. You are composed of your mother‘s supermarket lists on the refrigerator door, the comfort of your bed, the eve-ning advertisements you heard on TV

while finishing your meal after a shower, and much more. Setting barriers to what you see can be decei-ving. Although psychologists are still unsure about the details, it is a known fact that what we see forms timeless experience.

The association of objects with emotions can be com-plex. In a brief experiment, forty-five participants of Novi Sad 2015 demonstrated the diversity which exists in the simplest of our perceptions by letting them connect six objects with six adjectives serving as emotions – for example, what is associated with a Coca-Cola. They were asked to match the objects with the adjectives as fast as possible, exclusively basing their judgment on their fundamental percep-tions. The participants‘ responses were significantly more diverse than expected.

Can you explain why you order a strawberry scoop of ice cream instead of vanilla? The development of the sources of our decisions and our perceptions

facilitates the further understanding of our sur-roundings. Even though stimuli may be perceived in completely different ways by two or more people, the combination of different ideas may lead to a positive outcome.

The evolution of our perceptions is natural, be it due to a simple image or careful consideration. Beauty is – in contrast to people – ageless, and the visual sti-muli that we are exposed to are unlimited. But how much can one achieve using their own perceptions? The answer is unknown, since one of the things you are composed of is other people’s perceptions, too. The appreciation of those – even if they are initial-ly different – leads to the extension of our horizons and results in a sense of uniformity, from which we often gain progress.

The European Youth Parliament is an example of the products of such uniformity. It is an ever-expanding network involving a diverse group of people. While developing personally, they work together for a ge-neral evolution in numerous dimensions, of a most practical to a most emotional nature. Can you ever stop doing that? You are too small for what there is to see, and so you push.

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Iasonas Pafitis (CY)

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