Author: Ruzica Despotovska

The development of the latest technology in addition to the social media development gives opportunities for presenting certain event at the exact time and from the exact place where the journalist is located. Moreover, it gives opportunities to the ordinary people to share true and first-hand information (mostly video recording or photo-taking). In that manner, the investigation of information has become more impartial (having the opportunity to go through several sources) and, when it comes to reporting, there is also a possibility to break geography borders.

From 27-30 October, 2011, the first conference for young European reporters Young Press.eu took place in Antwerp, Belgium. Organised by Stamp Media, a Belgian youth press agency, for the period of three days, as it lasted, the young people had a chance to investigate the current situation in the fields of journalism and reporting, as well as their perspective in future, through discussions, workshops and other interactive methods. There were 84 participants at the conference, all young reporters from Europe, working in various spheres of reporting (from classical reporting to completely alternative journalism). The event was launched the night of October 27th and the opening night was located at Arendbergschouwburg in Antwerp. The ceremony was original, not being overburdened by glamour and spectacles, but rather filled with fresh and young energy. The opening night finished with the inspirational speech of Paul Lewis, investigative editor of The Guardian, who presented a quite positive outlook for the future of journalism. The two following days were the core of the conference. The Friday (October 28) was a rather busy day, when all the discussions and workshops were held. There were four major questions, divided into four workshops:

·        The omnipresence of the media

·        The spread of biased information

·        New models and experimentation

·        The future of high-quality investigative journalism

However these workshops and questions raised many others, consequently, provoking various answers, predictions and expectations, seen through the prism of the young people coming from completely different backgrounds, from all over Europe, united in the idea to create high quality stories.

Natasa Vidakovic

The Opening Night and the Speech of Paul Lewis (The Guardian)

The ceremony was opened with the speech of Stefan Kolgen, the coordinator of Stamp Media-a youth press agency in Antwerp, Belgium. He gave a short summary about the meaning of the conference and its content.  He emphasized the importance of the journalism as “the watchdog of democracy” and its power to shape the public thought.

He noted that that could be very positive, but very dangerous as well, due to the possibility the information to be misinterpreted or abused. That is why he stated that the quality journalism and reporting was of an utmost importance. Since the media are omnipresent in the contemporary world and the spread of biased information is quite common, the possibility to shape people`s minds in a wrong direction as well as present a distorted image of the reality raises a huge problem. “One of the solutions”, he added, “is the creation of new models of journalism and alternative reporting”.

The speech of Paul Lewis (The Guardian) presented a rather positive outlook of the current and the future situation of the journalism. According to him, the development of the latest technology in addition to the social media development, gave opportunities for presenting certain event at the exact time and from the exact place where the journalist is located. Moreover, it gave opportunities to the ordinary people to share true and first-hand information (mostly video recording or photo-taking).  In that manner, the investigation of information has become more impartial (having the opportunity to go through several sources) and, when it comes to reporting, there is also a possibility to break geography borders. As a best example he mentioned Twitter that, as he stated, “has brought the journalist in direct contact with the source of information.”  However, he added that there were a lot of journalists that were rather nostalgic for the “good golden days of journalism”, being rather sceptical that the novelties in that field, such as internet, social media and other sources, enabling instant access to information, would lower the quality of the investigation process. In terms of objectivity and the possibility the various sides of the story to disperse the realistic presentation, he emphasised that it is the precision that was more important, rather than taking sides in a story or the pursuit to be completely objective, since that was not completely possible.  At the end he concluded that the days of well paid journalism were over and that now it is dependent upon state and other organisations. Therefore, the social tools “simple, yet sophisticated” are extremely important for the story to be more accurate and impartial. He concluded that the new technology and tools were those that should bring another bright era in journalism.

 Workshops’ Structure and Issues

As I already mentioned, throughout the conferences, four major issues were covered, through which another topics were discussed as well. There was a great amount of discussion; around 17 speakers shared their experiences in the field of journalism they have mastered, or felt most confident to talk about. However, the conferences were just an introduction to what was about to be discussed throughout the workshops. While the conferences were mostly based on presenting speaker`s work to the audience with the possibility participants to ask questions, the workshops were more interactive and gave in-depth analysis of the certain issue that was covered. Since all participants were able to take part only in two workshops, I shall present those in which I have participated. Annabel McGoldrick held the workshop named as “The spread of biased information”. She is a former journalist, but now she is devoted to psychotherapy and successfully investigates the psychological side of journalism and writing stories, pioneering in a new journalism branch-peace journalism. She made a detailed analysis to what extent can the information influence people`s minds and how it can shape people`s thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs. She focused on the problem of empathy erosion, i.e. a distorted image for certain news, presenting the things “black and white” and forming symbols of adore or hate produced by certain leaders or nations. While the war journalism focuses on locating only the problems and looking for the villain in the story by spreading disguised facts, McGoldrick and her peace journalism prefer peaceful solutions to the problems.

Natasa Vidakovic - Omnipresence of the Media lecture

Henk Blanken held the second workshop “The omnipresence of the media”.  As a journalist, writer, and blogger as well as currently as a investigative journalist, he organised a workshop where we discussed the sources of information today and the consequences of the internet and technology on journalism and media. We further compared the contemporary and the old-days journalism and made the distinction between the civic journalism (composed by ordinary people) and the professional one. Eventually, we questioned the transparency and quality of modern journalism and the impact democracy and technology have on it. The other workshops that I did not participate in were held by Stefan Andrea (The future of high-quality investigative journalism) and Alex Wood (New models and experimentation), who also included a great deal of their work experiences and useful information in their conference speeches.

Antwerp- Experience of a Lifetime

Despite the fact that we had spent most of our time discussing on the conferences and the workshops, we also had time to meet each other and establish contacts with wide range of different people from various backgrounds, experiences, and fields of interest. We spend every spare moment to meet each other as representatives of our countries and cultures, but as separate individuals as well. As the city itself is a mixture of historic buildings, museums, churches, and cathedrals on one hand, and modern cafes and shopping centers on the other, these four days were a mixture of young people of various cultures as well.

The architecture of the diamond center of the world, mostly dating from the 16th and the 17th century (a period considered to be the golden era of the city), and, in addition to the medieval and renaissance structure of the buildings, almost all streets have kept the paving stone style. Although, the buildings still have historic exterior, inside, they are contemporary, modern institutions and objects. In spite of its old, historic appearance and the abundant tranquility in early mornings, the city is filled with the young and fresh spirit, the spirit of tolerance and multiculturalism.

p.s. I would like to thank Natasa Vidakovic and Yousef Shakarman who decided to take part in the article and shared with us some of their photographs.

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PULP on Main Stage EXIT2011 by Exit Festival@flickr.com

Authors: Emilija Georgievska

Are music festivals becoming the new youth summer getaway?? At least, that is what the number of visitors of these events is showing lately. Youngsters, all around the world, pack their bags and hit the road to the most designated music program offered. From “Sziget” and “Ozora” in Hungary, “Glastonbury” in England, “Roskilde” in Denmark, “INmusic” in Croatia to “EXIT” in Serbia, the choice of artists to see and listen to is mind-blowing and often very difficult to choose between. However, for the people living in the Balkans there is no time to hesitate – for all the party lovers, “EXIT” festival is the place to be. And that is where I spent part of my holiday this summer.

Situated in Novi Sad, on the Petrovaradin Fortress, “EXIT” gathers around 2 million visitors each year. Four days hosted by a representative from every music genre possible, flawless organization, food and drinks of every kind, and most important of all – positive energy. There are approximately 20 stages, each offering different approaches to music and art in general and vast spaces enough for everybody to dance till they drop. And if you ask the “festival” people what is the main reason why they came to “EXIT”, they will tell you that the line-up is not that important as much as the meeting new people, dancing, joking around or getting to like new genres.

Jamiroquai live at EXIT festival 2011 by Exit Festival@flickr.com

This year the main acts were “Arcade Fire”, “Jamiroquai”, “Beirut”, “Portishead”, Nick Cave and many more. Apart from these main stage performances, the Dance Arena is one of the most crowded stages of all. Although electronic music is not my cup of tea, for the first time in my life I spent every night there, so the atmosphere was incredible. And that is what “EXIT” is about – trying out things that you thought you would never like.

Since the program offers a wide range of music genres, each act is a unique experience. Basically, it is not all about the music that is played, but the whole package of light effects, sound effects and the omnipresent enthusiasm of the crowds is what turn the performances into unforgettable memories. My favorite acts this year were the ones by “Arcade Fire”, “Portishead” and the British DJ Boddika.

This festival actually functions as a separate state. You can stay over at the “EXIT” Village, that is the camp; you can only use the “EXIT” money, called tokens, so that you can buy food and beverages etc. The concept is well designed and it definitely makes you feel as if you belong to a different country.

The-Dance-Arena-crowd by Exit Festival@flickr.com

One of the opportunities that “EXIT” offers is the volunteering, for which any young person aged 18-26 can apply. You can be part of the “EXIT” staff for four days and hang around with people from everywhere. Elena Gjorgjievska is a young girl from Macedonia who volunteered this year and this is what she said about the experience:

“I was planning to go on the festival anyway, but when I saw the ad, I applied immediately because it was something new and interesting, and I still have the chance to listen to all the bands I wanted. I had the luck to get chosen from a pool of 5000 applicants and be part of the festival that is one of my favorites. I must say that the organization of the festival has improved a lot, and now I see why it was chosen as the best festival in Europe. When it comes to the volunteering itself, I will remember it as one of the best experiences in my life. Mainly because of the friends I made there, since all the volunteers arrived three days earlier than the opening and we had a lot of time to get to know each other. We also went through some trainings and lectures, so that we can work more efficiently. If you ask for my opinion, I would definitely advise you to apply as a volunteer because you meet different people, learn new skills and practices and still have the time to enjoy the music program.”

Darkwood Dub Exit Main Stage 2011 by Exit Festival@flickr.com

All in all, the scale of everything—the large, hilly fortress the festival takes place upon, the promise of four days of music, the 20 stages, the 500+ artists performing to a quarter million people—is enormous. And so it is the pressure and zeal you feel when entering the gates of this festival paradise. As the description of the “EXIT” website says “Apart from quality music program that it offers, the festival is a place of wild fun…” and bunch of love, happiness, smiling faces and amount of energy enough to turn the world upside down. So, would you dare to miss the next “EXIT”??

Please note that Mladiinfo does not give scholarships or any financial support, but only informs about different opportunities. Click on the direct link to the official page above to apply for the program.

Opening of the festival by Galina Strachkova

Author: Ruzica Despotovska

 “An onion has no center. When one cuts through an onion one does not find a central point. The onion has an objective. The objective of an onion is the new onion. This is basically where the idea begins. In Dostoyevsky’s novels there is always a cadence, the story within the story that is not directly associated with the plot, but which, like an onion within an onion, is in fact the core of the whole thing. And there is the comparison to people , because existence itsel cannot be the objective people strive for. It is only justified by the fact that it is the way to something that transcends it”. Swetlana Geier

The second edition of the Creative Documentary Film Festival “Makedox” was opened in Kursumli-an on June 17.  After the opening hour and the coctail-party, there was a short presentation of Arsenij Jovkov`s  documentary “ Macedonia in Pictures” that presented the most important  revolutionaries from the Ilinden Organization and their ideas for the Ilinden Uprising (an organized revolt against the Ottoman Empire, which was prepared and carried out by the Secret Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization[1])

Official poster of the festival

The official program of the festival opened with the premiere of the English-Brasilian co-production “Waste Land” (2010) by Lucy Walker. This documentary was shot for almost  three  years and the story is about the well-known photographer Vik Muniz who works on Jardim Gramaco, one of the poorest and most miserable parts of Rio de Janeiro. Another documentary  that was screened at  the opening  evening was “The Woman with the Five Elephants” (2009) by Vadim  Jendreyko. The movie of Swiss-German co-production tells the story about Swetlana Geier, who is regarded  to be the best translator of Russian literature into German language and one of her greatest achievements is the translation of Dostoyevsky`s five great works known as the “Five Elephants”. The story is full of emotions stimulated from past events and memory retreats once Swetlana returns to her homeland, Ukraine, for the first time after the World War II at the age of 85.

The festival  lasted for a week and it took place in two locations in the Skopje Old Bazaar: Kursumli-an, where it officially started  and the Children`s Theatre Center.  In addition to the main festival program, “Makedox”  included  workshops emphasizing the ecological dimension of the festival,  debates and presentations , as well as exhibitions. One of the exhibitions, “Facing the Climate Changes”, displayed ecological issues while the other presented creative documentary photographies of Macedonian photojournalists.

Filmska kritika by Galina Strachkova

As part of “Makedox” there is also a traveling cinema planned to take place in six municipalities in Macedonia in August this year:  Stip, Gevgelija, Vevcani, Vinica, Lazaropole and Kavadarci. Throughout the entire festival there was a music-part following after the official program and the screening of the documentaries.

In terms of the festival awards, The Onion Award went  to Helena Trestikova for the film       “ Katka”. The Young Onion Award was given to Mila Turajlic  for “Cinema Komunisto” and the Onion Seed  Award to Elinor Burkett for  “iThemba”. The festival was closed on June 24 with a coctail party and a DJ performance.

In the light of my synopsis of this creative documentary festival, one of the people from the organization team of the festival, Keti Kockova, gave me a short interview.

1.      Can you tell me something more about the idea behind the fetsival, the organizers, its primary function and major goals?

K.K: The possibility for organizing this kind of festival has alredy existed as an idea for a longer period of time in the minds of the main initiators. Everything happened without any particular plan, when Kirjana  A. Nikoloska, together with Brand Ferro and Petra Seliskar, held an informal meeting and decided how to put the entire idea into practice. Brand and Petra are active in the field of documentaries for several years and they both have an outstanding related experience. Since Macedonia was the only Balkan country without a documentary film festival, we decided to be the first to organize an event of this kind. This was the second edition of the festival. The first was held in June, the previous year. We were very happy, back then, to see that the festival was accepted from wide variety of people coming from different generations; therefore, we have decided that the festival should become a tradition.  The entire success of the festival  was due to the successful team behind it which functions as one big family. We try to spread our positive energy to the guests on the festival coming from every part of the world. Some of them were so enchanted from the atmosphere that they decided to extend their stay here.

Opening by Igor Kostov

2.  What is the structure of the festival and can you tell me something more about the main program and criteria for participation in the festival?

       K.K: We offered  some additional activities and selections in the program in the second edition of the festival this year. Namely, this year we offered 5 selection programs: main selection program, selection of documentaries from newcomers, selection of short documentaries; also there are new documentaries about the ecological issues as well as documentaries for children and youth. The  program for children and youth was held in the Cinematique of Macedonia during the last week of May. The results were very satisfactory if we consider the fact that around 2000 children watched the program. Our goal was to educate young people and children about films and documentaries so that they become more selective in terms of TV programs and films with inappropriate educational content; to acknowladge the fact, thus, that documentaries introduce a new dimension in terms of films, real stories and emotions, that afterwards will make you think. After the films, there were also some very interesting discussions with the children, all of which confirms the success of our underlined goals. I would also like to mention the names of the awards this year. The main award was The Onion Award for best documentary in the main program; The Young Onion Award for the best newcomer, The Onion Seed Award for the best film for children and youth, as well as two new awards: The Award for the Best Moral Approach and  The Award for the Best Human Rights Presentation.

Photo of Igor Kostov

3. Can you tell me something more about the symbolism of the onion and the quote from Swetlana Geier?

      K.K : The onion was not accidentally chosen as a symbol of Makedox`s identity. Namely, the onion is a vegetable widely cultivated on Macedonian fields. Therefore, the onion presents an important symbol for the Macedonian people. The onion consists of several  layers, it makes you cry and, and it is also an ingredient in almost all Macedonian food specialties. Those are the elements  typical for the documentary as well. The onion story goes on to exist.  This year, undoubtedly, Swetlana Geier`s quote took an important place in the opening and the presentation of the festival:

     “An onion has no center. When one cuts through an onion one does not find a central point. The onion has an objective. The objective of an onion is the new onion. This is basically where the idea begins. In Dostoyevsky’s novels there is always a cadence, the story within the story that is not directly associated with the plot, but which, like an onion within an onion, is in fact the core of the whole thing. And there is the comparison to people, because existence itself cannot be the objective people strive for. It is only justified by the fact that it is the way to something that transcends it”. Swetlana Geier

By saying that the onion has no center and there is always a new layer out of it, Geier,  in fact, explains the core of the human existence: to surpass ourselves and to strive towards greater goals.

4. So overall, what are your impressions from the festival?

      K.K: I can  only say positive words about the festival. Everything was according the plan, we were greatly accepted by the audience. I am happy to see that the number of documentary fans increases. I can only add that we are growing up steadily and we look forward to raising people’s interest in creative documentary films.

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Author: Ivana Srdikj
Photos: Martin Stojanovski

Since June 6, 2011 up until today, youngsters in Macedonia have been asking themselves whether they live in a safe place. After young Martin Neskovski was killed by a police representative, Macedonian citizens gathered to speak out against police brutality and to ask for justice. Once news were spread via Twitter and Facebook, mainly young people embarked on a protest parade through the city streets in Skopje to peacefully express their indignation. Similar rallies have been held in Veles, Prilep and Bitola.

Namely, on June 6 in the midst of the election victory celebration of the Macedonian ruling party VMRO-DPMNE (Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization- Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity), 22-year-old Martin Neskovski was beaten to death by a police officer on the Skopje City Square. First, there were negations of the event with the police claiming that there was no murder, so that 2 days later, on June 8, the police officer confessed to beating death of the young boy.

The event sparked outrage throughout the city the very next day; mainly young people organized themselves to protest and ask for justice. No matter the age, no matter the social status, or the ethnic background, people gathered on daily basis since June 6 up to now to non-violently express their righteous anger.

Peacefully parading through the streets of Skopje, protestors stopped in front of the government, the parliament, the police ministry, the court etc. displaying black flags as well as banners like “End of Police Brutality”, “Justice for Martin” etc.

If you were part of the protest, you could have heard questions like: “Weren’t they supposed to protect us and stop the violence instead of DOING VIOLENCE?”, “Is this a police state?” spreading out in the crowd.

The protestors’ meeting place is usually near the Memorial House of Mother Teresa in the center of the city, and, thenceforth they were starting their parade. The protestors are more and more organized as the time is passing by, including banners, megaphones, and other means as their requisites. More importantly, they have been growing in number. Besides the parading, protestors held open discussions about cases of police violence.

Also, the protestors signed a petition that was sent to the Ministry of Interior. In the petition, the protestors listed demands as asking for justice for Martin i.e. proper punishment for the accused police officer and the accomplices, a resignation of the Minister of Interior, a revision of the police law to provide stricter civil control over police, stricter rules for hiring new police officers, etc.

“The murder of a young human being on June 6 in Skopje, on the City Square, united us all”, says in the petition that was read during the protest over the previous weekend and submitted to the government. ”We feel directly compelled to protect the right to life, safety and direct participation in our democracy.”

The quick reply of the Ministry said that some of the demands were illogical and unreal while the rest had already been fulfilled. This brought to more furious reaction. Protestors are not satisfied with the reply; therefore, they will continue the protest. They say: “As youngsters free of any political pressure or influence, we are not only dissatisfied with the reply that the Ministry of Interior gave us as an answer to our petition, but we are also deeply hurt by the irony and cynicism which does not befit the style of a formal reply by a state institution.”

There have also been attempts of accusing the protest to have been politically organized by the major opposition party SDSM (Social Democratic Union of Macedonia), however, youngsters strongly disapproved of these assertions.

You should have been, at least once, among these protesting crowds to feel the spirit of youth, to feel the energy of struggle for a better future, to feel the desire for a more righteous society. If you were there, you would have been taken by all these emotions and joined them in pursuing their cause. It is a promising crowd that wants a better and safer society. Adults should also take part in this protest since they are affected as well; if yesterday it was Martin who died, tomorrow it could be a child of their own.

After twenty days of protesting, youngsters do not intend to stop until they are heard. ”It is an absolutely peaceful protest!”, “Let them hear us!”, “It’s time to change something” and “We are not violent” – shouted the demonstrators holding their hands up in the air.

“We are continuing to protest every day on the streets as we have done it so far until something starts to change in this society. Actually, we will not stop here after receiving clear evidence of what really happened and we will continue sending the petition to every institution until we feel that something begins to change in this state.” – stated one of the demonstrators.

Non-violently and non-politically, the youngsters are vigorously fighting against police brutality. Extremely worried about their future and how things are done in their country, they will continue the protests. They will continue parading peacefully through the streets of Skopje (and hopefully in other cities as well) asking for a better future. They do not plan to stop until they are heard. “Yesterday it was Martin, tomorrow it could be you!” is one of the slogans that resounded from the very beginning of these calm protests.

Editor’s note: You can see more from a huge protest taking place on 25 June 2011 – the day of a Constituent Assembly – where the protesters intended to make themselves more visible in manifold ways: submitting the petition, “hugging” the building of the Parliament and many performances on this Youtube link.

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Author: Vanesa Vazharova

Dear friends, believe in yourselves and do not let anyone or anything make you lose faith in who you are and what you can do. Keep struggling eagerly for what you long for no matter what happens. Believe me, everything is possible but often some long time has to elapse before your dream comes true. Let me tell you about my dream which did happen to me this year. I hope that after reading my article you are going to fill in an application form or write down an essay in order to help your destiny design your future as you would like it to be.

Year 2010, August, from 21^st to 27^th I attended International Youth Conference on Biodiversity in Aichi 2010, Japan. This was a week which changed me, my life, my attitude towards the nature and the biodiversity and, last but not least, my understanding of the world.

Let me continue with sharing some information about the application process with you. In the first place, I learned about that conference due to a publication on the website www.mladiinfo.com. I found that very conference two days before the deadline which was a day and half according to the Japanese time. So what I did was I spent four hours at night filling in my application and then again four hours early in the morning. Yes, it was a tough night but that conference was all I longed for. I had to write three essays on the following topics “My activities related to Biodiversity”, “Significant of Biodiversity” and “What I expect from participation in the conference.” I attached my CV and certificates that proved my advanced knowledge of English language. Other requirements were a reference letter written by a responsible relative and a reference document stating my competency. Then I sent them all with the hope that I might be chosen to attend that Biodiversity conference.

In a month I received an email which stated that I was one of the 100 young people from 66 countries all over the world who were going to become part of that remarkable conference. I was so happy that I was going to visit Japan not as a tourist, but as someone who would be there to do something meaningful, to make the world a better place to live on. 800 young people (from the age of 15 to 24) from 102 countries had applied for that conference and I am really sorry for those who were not chosen and I also do hope they will visit Japan because of such an important event one day in the very near future.

The International Youth Conference on Biodiversity 2010 in Aichi was held by the Ministry of the Environment of Japan and its main aim was to promote communication among young people from different backgrounds and to improve their mutual awareness of biodiversity. The conference was associated with the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (so-called “CBD COP10″), held in October 2010. The world leaders who attended the CBD COP 10 meeting were informed about the outcomes of the youth conference. As I said, the host was the Ministry of the Environment, the co-host was the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Aichi Prefecture and the sponsor was Aeon Environmental Foundation. The conference happened with the cooperation of Nagoya city, the United Nations Environmental Program and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. As you may have noticed, this event was of very high importance. We discussed the current situation of biodiversity and stated goals for 2020 and 2050.

What we also did was set a number of youth actions which should take place in the very near future. Some best practices concerning the conservation of the biodiversity were shared. We, the participants, created a World map which showed many problematic areas worldwide and presented the measures which were taken to improve the situation. Furthermore, the non-formal conversations among the participants were invaluable. Everyone had something to share and by doing this we gained a great deal of new knowledge both for the environmental issues and for the world.  It was amazing to find out how someone was struggling to change the world by saving the turtles. That very person created an educational book for kids on his own and also conducted different seminars (Zander Srodes, USA). It was so inspiring to see how a group of us, the participants, did not sleep the whole night in order to finalize the main idea. It was such a powerful experience to see how more than a thousand people listened to the outcomes of the conference, presented during a special event.

It was so precious for me to meet so many people who were totally determined to improve the current situation of biodiversity. While looking at their eyes I could feel their dedication … it was amazing. With this in mind, I think that I should present you the participants. They came from Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania, for instance, from Benin, Ghana, Egypt, India, Thailand, Nepal, Indonesia, Philippine, Australia, Canada, USA, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Hungary, Lithuania, Estonia, Germany, Austria, France, the UK, etc. It was amazing to find out a little bit about so many cultures. The best happened during the Evening of the Nations where we – all the participants – were dressed in traditional for our countries clothes.

As the conference concerned the environmental issues we visited the Satoyama place which is characterized by components such as paddy fields, fields for other agricultural crops, irrigation canals and reservoirs as well as secondary forests and Chinju-no-Mori shrine that have been maintained by human activities. To gain further experience we met students from the University of Nagoya who showed some of us the World Expo 2005 Aichi held on the main topic of “Nature’s Wisdom”, i.e. traditional Japanese housing and traditions. Other participants experienced Arimatsu tie-dyeing, a traditional Japanese dyeing technique and learned about Japanese culture while visiting festival floats. Every one of us felt the real Japanese spirit because each one of us spent a day and a night with a Japanese family on his/her own. I, for example, was taught how to cook sushi by my host family. They brought me to visit the amazing castles of Nagoya city. Some of the other participants visited the TV tower and the Aquarium or a factory for production of Sake. It was just amazing to learn so much for such a short time.

This conference influenced me a great deal. There I met wonderful people from all over the world who showed me that we all, no matter what our nationality, skin color or religion was, are one and the same. The friendships which I established there are invaluable for me and I do hope that we, all the participants, will gather together again. I am greatly impressed by the highly-professional staff responsible for conducting the International Youth Conference on Biodiversity. They showed me that I can manage my time properly. It was this very conference which made me much more mature. Now I live without any prejudices and in perfect harmony with the nature. I have learned how to overcome difficulties and how to act efficiently. I have started to have more faith in me. Now I know myself better.

My name is Vanesa Vazharova from Bulgaria and I am struggling to make my dreams come reality! And what about you?

This is one of the winning articles of the Mladiinfo Article Writing Contest

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Author: Andrej Jovanchevski

You seek a venue that sums up the cultures of the major Asian civilizations? You wonder if there is a place on Earth where the contemporary complements the traditional in an admiring way? You want to get to know what it takes to turn a dot on the world map into an economic giant in just one generation? You want to witness the harmony of social diversity and equality first-hand? You are fond of spicy dishes? How about a trip to Singapore then?

Having participated in the Young Reporters Training Camp 2009, a project initiated and organized by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) in Singapore, I now look upon a number of aspects of my life from another perspective. A perspective of an open-minded teenager that is rather aware of his role in the community. Apart from nicely framing my journalism skills, the 10 days I spent in Singapore directed my ambitions towards the pure Olympic values. It is a milestone that will remain cherished for years to come and a saga that is still to reach its climax. The following is a summary of my thrilling adventure as a representative of my school and country at the YRTC.

First impressions

Over 60 youths from different cultural backgrounds and diverse life paths were selected to attend the camp and I was about to take part in its third run. As the Turkish Airlines Airbus began landing and the stewardess announced that all the passengers should fasten their belts I caught myself gazing outside the window. What I could see from about 4 miles above land was a view over a city set among small dots filled with greenery, jungle-like, as well as the tranquilising waters surrounding them. Since I had never travelled abroad on my own and it was my first time to visit such a distant country, I had a few butterflies in my stomach. I was wondering if some prejudices might occur and whether I would be confident enough to freely communicate with my hosts. However, as soon as I stepped off the plane and was taken to the campsite, the ice was broken. I could feel that a saga was about to begin, unity to be brought on a new stage, friendship to be redefined. I could smell it in the air. And so it was…

Becoming a young reporter

Along with the 17 participants of my group, I had the unique opportunity to attend numerous inspiring workshops conducted by some of the leading educational and journalism institutions in the Southeast Asian region. During our stay we were given a lecture by the vice-president of Singapore Press Holdings; we questioned and shared opinions with photographers who have covered many remarkable events worldwide; we got an insight into the work of Channel News Asia`s recruits; we were taught how to compose a good report and edit videos; we got to know what photo essay and piece to camera are. Above all, we obtained experts` tips that are of key importance when it comes to putting the creativity and journalism skills into use. It is true that one does not become a reporter overnight, but being given a solid base is utterly rewarding.

A whole hour @ the Singaporean White House

On 15 October, we had a tea session with the President of Singapore at Istana, commonly regarded as the Singaporean White House. Considering that it was covered by the media, this was something more significant than just an ordinary visit. One of the highest privileges an aspiring young person can have is the chance to share its own ideas and states directly, face to face, with the President of a country. We talked to the head of the city sate which has been a role model for many Western developed countries, one of the world`s busiest ports and home of the best educational and infrastructural systems. Personally speaking, I felt elated to enter the room where global leaders gather to discuss economic and political issues. The fact that I had never met any official of such rank before added to my delight and excitement. It was the peak of the whole adventure and surely opened many new paths for me and my fellow reporters as young activists.

A cup of work and two barrels of fun

This being the motto of the YRTC, I guess you can tell that we had tons of leisure in between all the workshops. Frankly, my thoughts still linger on the pulse-quickening trips to the local attractions and landmarks: island Sentosa, the entertainment hub housing plentiful iconic sights, such as the Merlion, the most recognizable symbol of Singapore with its breathtaking height of 37 meters; the fast and furious Forest Adventure zip ride; the stunning view from the world`s biggest observation wheel, the Singapore Flyer; the fruit bat and other weird animal species at the Night Safari and many more. Finally, eating being the most popular pastime among Singaporeans, the extremely spicy, but mouth-watering food is inevitable – a hot experience for the throat, though a yummy one for the tummy. One cannot afford not to taste the wide range of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Peranikan dishes and try using chopsticks.

The final run

Nearly a year has passed since last year`s journey, but the YRTC is far from finished. The final run of the camp is yet to take place during the inaugural Youth Olympic Games that will be held in Singapore between 14 and 26 August. Having been selected as one of the best 5 participants, I look forward to another eventful sequel of the saga. Indeed, it will not last very long, but the steel ring that bonds us all will forever unite us and the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect, which we have strived to actively promote so far, will remain deeply carved into our personalities. Is there a greater gift than that? I really doubt it.

Please note that Mladiinfo does not give scholarships or any financial support, but only informs about different opportunities. Click on the direct link to the official page above to apply for the program.

Author: Ana Alibegova

Alpbach, or popularly known as “the village of thinkers” is located in Western Austria, in the Tyrol region. Each year, in August, leading figures and youth from many different countries come here to debate about the current situation in the EU and to analyze world politics as well. This year, the European Forum Alpbach will be held for the 65th time.

The first time I read about the European Forum Alpbach was on my faculty’s web site. “What a great idea” – I though at first place, but as I started to go trough the application, I realized it is going to be a long run. A complex application form, copies from the candidate certificates, a CV, standard letter of motivation, but it actually doesn’t sound so scary, if you can realize what the program is about and if you are really motivate to take part in it. The key question was to understand what exactly will happen in the so called “Village of Thinkers”. The short information that “Speakers and participants from all parts of the world, from science, economics and politics, experienced experts and students, come together in Alpbach to discuss the current issues and to formulate interdisciplinary solutions” was enough to motivate me to read carefully all the documents included. At the end, everything seemed clear to me: in Alpbach, we will have a seminar week, where I will choose to attend two seminars, then few symposiums will be organised and during the free time, various panel discussions, meetings and receptions will be offered to the participants. It sounded great and I applied for a scholarship.

2 buses, 2 trains and 1 taxi to get to the village hidden in the Alps

I sent the application on the very deadline. To be honest, I didn’t go to lectures that day, just to finish writing my motivation letter. Few weeks later – the results were here, and I was given a scholarship to participate. Can’t describe the happiness, when I realized I will have an opportunity to be at the same place with famous European politicians, starting with the president of the European Forum Alpbach, Erhard Busek, well-known scientists and youth from all around the world. But then – there was a problem. The key question was: “How to get there?”

Seeing the bus, train and plane connections seemed almost impossible for me to come on time for the welcome ceremony and in the same time to find some cheap travel method, because the travel costs had to be bored by the participants. So the solution was on the table: a bus to Walserberg near Salzburg, then a taxi from Walserberg to the Central Station in Salzburg, a train from Salzburg to Jenbach, a train from Jenbach to Brixlegg and finally a bus from Brixlegg to Alpbach. This is how the big minds define a motivated person?. Luckily, it was worth it! The beautiful village seemed like a fairytale, old style houses, flowers all around, men drinking beer and women wearing dirndl. “It must have been Tyrol!” I though. My unforgettable three weeks in Alpbach were about to start.

“Perception and decision” as a general topic

The very next day, a detailed plan for the courses was published. Among the 14 seminars, the ones I chose were: “European People? Perception and Formation of European Citizens“ and “Transatlantic relations“. No need to explain more, it is enough if I say that it was an unforgettable experience to listen the well known professors from the most eminent universities in the world, talking about the challenges of the European Community, analysing the US-Russia relations, criticising the conflict in Georgia and sharing opinions on the EU enlargement. The Balkans were always a priority on the agenda, either because of the great amount of scholarships given to the students from the South-eastern Europe or because the people themselves were temperament and always seek to exchange views about the current far from ideal economical and political situation of the Balkan region.

The “hot” debates ended up during the nights, when the participants at the European Forum Alpbach decided to relax in the local club, drinking some drinks and making funny choreographies with some of the youngsters.

The breath-taking Austria

Discussing about the whole idea of organising a forum that will gather numerous young people, scientists and experts in one place, a positive remark should be given to the free time organisation. The participants have enough time to explore the Tyrolean region, to eat scrambled eggs with ham, containing more than 10 eggs each, to choose from the endless list of beers in the local pubs, to enjoy in the spectacular view from the cable car or just do some climbing and enjoy the Alps. Definitely, four things are a must: a day trip to Innsbruck, a walk along the Achensee, a visit of the Swarovski crystals museum in Wattens and a trip to Salzburg. One should not forget to step by to the near villages: Brixlegg, Inner-Alpbach, Reith im Alpbach, Jenbach, do some shopping in Woergl or visit the old fortress in Kufstein, near the German border. The choice is yours; however do not forget to enjoy the small things, such as the green grass, huge mountains, breeze and the lovely sunshine that makes you feel as time had stopped.

Mihajlo (25) from Macedonia talks about his experience in Alpbach, 2009:

Being  in  Alpbach,  as  an  attendant  of  the  European  Forum  Alpbach  was  my  greatest  experience. This  small,   but   wonderful  village  in  the  Tyrol,  will  stay  in  my  memory  whole  life-long. The  pictures  of  Alpbach  at  the  official  web-site  are  very , very  beautiful, and are calling  to  come  there. During  those  sixteen  days in  the  mountains, I  had  plenty  of  time  to  learn  more and to  learn  something  new. Talking  about  the  biggest  political  events  from the  last  year, it is worth to mention that we  had the honour  to meet (maybe not directly, but to be near) a lot of  famous  politicians  from  all  over  the  world  such as Ban  Ki-Moon, the Secretary-General  of the United Nations.

Concerning the seminars, I  chose  to  attend  the  seminar  “Confidence – Building In  The Context Of  Security And Ethnic Conflict” and as a young doctor I chose the  seminar “Trust and Confidence in Medicine”. However, not only the lectures matter, apart from them, we had a lot time to meet new people. One of the greatest advantages of the Forum is the process of creating connections between people from all over the world. I even met a girl from Taiwan there?.  I have only good words for the Alpbach Initiative Groups and for all those beautiful events that they planed for us. I enjoyed a lot in the Speakers’ Night and a reason plus to do so, was because a friend of mine from Macedonia won the first place. I must also say that I enjoyed all of the parties organized by the Standing Committee.

Taking part in the European Forum Alpbach will change your life, mostly because you will start to think in a different way and as a result – to act in a different way as well. Once you go there, you will definitely want to go back there. – Mihajlo concludes.

Please note that Mladiinfo does not give scholarships or any financial support, but only informs about different opportunities. Click on the direct link to the official page above to apply for the program.

Author: Vlatko Velkoski
Photos: Jelena Chelebic
& Shona Ritchie

25th Summer Universiade, Belgrade, Serbia
July 1 – 12, 2009

When I decided to apply for a volunteering position at Summer Universiade 2009 in Belgrade, I wasn’t quite aware of the size and importance of this event in the world. What is even more odd, however, is that students, especially those who are actively involved in sports, are not always informed of these kind of events, and many of them miss the chance to gain great experience and at the same time promote themselves as promising athletes. Even worse is the fact that state institutions responsible for supporting these kind of activities usually decide not to give financial support to these promising athletes. To illustrate this with an example from Macedonia, which was supposed to be represented by 30 registered students this year, but in the end it was only represented by 3 students.

I’ll leave you room to decide for yourselves how important the Universiade really is. Universiade Belgrade 2009 hosted approximately 9 000 athletes – students from 140 countries in the world, and approximately the same number of volunteers from all around the world. They competed  in 15 sports and 208 disciplines in total. Among the athletes competing were most of the Olympic champions from Beijing in gymnastics, fencing, diving, and several other disciplines.

For the athletes and the officials at the Univerisade an Athlete’s Village was built – Belville, with the capacity to accommodate all athletes, with a huge restaurant with hundreds of different dishes, definitely one of the favorite “forbidden” places for us volunteers. Every meter in and around buildings where the athletes were walking, the security followed each movement with the most modern equipment. Just imagine what kind of “sport” skills we, the volunteers, needed to have to manage to get into the places that were banned for us, so when someone would succeed in doing this he/she immediately informed everyone else of the techniques he/she used. A t-shirt of the Brazilian national team was particularly helpful for me.

Let me tell you more about the volunteers at this event. What a life. All international volunteers were accomodated in Studentski Grad in Belgrade and we were literally from every corner of the world. There were people from places ranging from South Africa, across Europe to Russia, from China to the USA and even Australia. The capital of Serbia offered us everything we hoped for. Since the first moment of arrival until departure a lot of friendships were fostered primarily among us volunteers, having fun was inevitable and this often led to many sleepless nights. And here I would like to thank the organizers who really did their best to support us and help us have a pleasant stay. I would like to thank Jelena Celbic who together with her colleagues took really good care of us.

During the day they took us to the beach on Ada, the castle of Kalemegdan and at night at discos on the Danube rafts, discos in the castle and of course a cruise on Danube and Sava spiced with a karaoke party. And for all of those who wanted to have even more fun the final place to be visited was the Russian – Tatar House, a makeshift restaurant offering traditional food and information on   Universiade in Kazan 2013. At the end of the night, we gathered in front of the student dormitory having a beer or two and retelling the ?vents of the day.

The first week upon our arrival training for international volunteers was provided, during which our duties were defined. I was involved in the IT sector as technical support, mainly in putting together the pieces or dismantling computers, which gave me a great opportunity to visit almost all sports facilities. Once the Universiade started, I transfered to the Belgrade Fair where competing in fencing, taekwondo, judo, table tennis, gymnastics and others took place. It was a great opportunity for me to learn the rules of play of some of these sports, especially fencing, which is almost extinct as a sport in my country.

This is an experience that every student should have. So all of you students – athletes, young and old volunteers you have the chance to participate at the Winter Universiade in Erzurum, Turkey, Summer Shenzhen in China, then Summer Universiade in Kazan Russia, and a similarly packed events almost every year. To all future participants, I can guarantee you only one thing … lots of fun!

Please note that Mladiinfo does not give scholarships or any financial support, but only informs about different opportunities. Click on the direct link to the official page above to apply for the program.

Author: Lea Linin

Ever heard of Nowy Sacz? It’s a small town situated in the southern part of Poland. A two hour bus ride from Krakow will leave your mind wandering while taking in the most wonderful and picturesque landscape. A string of small towns are lining up one after another, the road almost separating the rural from the urban. On the left side pastures with cows popping here and there, grazing calmly and you could feel that their tranquility almost sends you in a meditative state. Turn to the right, and you can see people going about their daily routine of going to work or school. As mind-refreshing and spirit-reviving traveling might be, you are bound to arrive at your final destination sooner or later, in this case Nowy Sacz – the town hosting the fourth edition of the Economic Forum of Young Leaders.

When I found out that I was accepted to participate at the Forum, I felt ecstatic at first and then, of course, the inevitable decision-making period of nagging second thoughts of whether I should accept or not. Well, sort of. What I initially thought, was that I would be out of place at such a highbrow event, a forum and no less an economic one, a sphere of life I know almost nothing about and has always seemed so abstract and incomprehensible to me. But, I made the right decision.

The Economic Forum of Young Leaders was launched back in 2006 as a back-to-back event to the Economic Forum in Krynica, also dubbed the ‘central – European Davos’. While the Economic Forum in Krynica gathers the most notable European and world politicians, economists, businessmen, heads of countries, governments and corporations, the Economic Forum of Young Leaders focuses on providing a meeting place for the future generation of people who will try to make a difference. Students of economics were a common sight, but there were also students of international relations, politics, journalism, even history of art – almost any discipline you can think of. There were a number of participants representing various NGOs, all in all a melting pot of around 250 participants from all corners of Europe who have come to voice their opinions and exchange their ideas about the future of Europe.

Concentrating on the future of Europe as its official topic, the Forum took the form of panel discussions where participants had the opportunity to be actively involved, to raise and discuss issues related to the future course and shaping of Europe. After the opening session on the first day (8 September), participants were asked to take part in one of the three ‘introductory’ workshops led by Youth in Action trainers. Each of the workshops focused on a different aspect of what it means to be a European citizen, allowing participants to openly express their opinions, as well as facilitate their initial communication and ease them into getting to know one another. It was the most interactive part of the whole forum, a real ice-breaker. The day finished off with the intercultural evening, which created an overall atmosphere of tipsiness and jolliness as people were trying out various national cuisines and traditional beverages.
The other three days were less interactive and the program was centered around panel discussions. Just to help you get the picture of what was going on and what sort of topics were addressed I will mention some of the titles of the sessions. Youth, Europe, world- cooperation and responsibility in the era of globalization, Europe in the 21st century – how to make a European project more attractive for young people?, and one of the most interesting for me – No entrepreneurship without innovation, which was based on sharing practical examples of what it takes to become an entrepreneur and how to start up your own business.

A packed four-day program at the venue Malopolskie Centrum Kultury SOKÓL in Nowy Sacz that also became the hangout spot for the unofficial part of the program during breaks between sessions. I cannot begin to describe the sheer amazement I felt at the number of people I met. Not being able to remember their names at first, I turned to more primitive forms of communication such as gesticulating to draw their attention and strike up a conversation.
This informal portion of the event is actually the most valuable experience you can get, as this is the time when you really get to know people, their interests, what is their take on things. But don’t let this fool you. It’s not all fun and games – this informal part I mean. It is also very business-like in a sense that future projects and collaborations are being arranged and people are flashing and exchanging their business cards.

Taking part in an event of this caliber, in my mind, is an opportunity worth taking advantage of, especially when coming from a mobility-restricted country such as Macedonia. Opportunities of this kind are almost your only way of exploring what lies beyond your borders, on the other side.

Please note that Mladiinfo does not give scholarships or any financial support, but only informs about different opportunities. Click on the direct link to the official page above to apply for the program.