Author: Katarina Karcolova

Although Skopje is not a big city, it has a lot of things to offer. I have been living here for five months and it still surprises me. I have never thought that my first live experience with Parkour will be here, but in fact it was. I had a chance to attend the second Macedonian Parkour meeting, gathering over fifty enthusiastic young people, and make an interview with Simon and Filip from Beyond team.

For those who never heard about it, Parkour is a physical discipline of training to overcome any obstacle in one’s path using only the human body. The most common movements are jumping and climbing. Some of the people describe Parkour as art-form or even a philosophy consisting of finding new and often dangerous ways through the city landscape, walls, roof-running and leaping from building to building.

Mladiinfo: How and when did Parkour start in Macedonia?

Beyond: We were the first Parkour group in Macedonia, which was formed about five years ago. At the beginning, we were a group of five people that started with the training and later some others joined us. The people where coming and leaving, because of injuries, which made them to stop for a while or quit. Our activity inspired more and more guys, who wanted to learn and get some tips. After two years another group was set up in Veles, which carries the same name – Beyond.

Mladiinfo:What about the natural ability? Is it a question of talent or it can be trained?

Beyond: It is about the training. If you are training every day you can become good at it. It also depends on what you did when you were a child, if you were jumping or climbing a lot, your muscles developed that way.

Mladiinfo:How does the training look like? Do you need any special equipment?

Beyond: We are training outside and we are adjusted to these conditions. If you do some tricks outside, you know that you can do it everywhere. The psychology is different if you are landing on something soft, like safety mattresses, or if you are landing on grass or ground. However, there are some hard flips and tricks we cannot really try to do, because the injury might be fatal, so having the possibility to train in gym would help.

Filip: We are training almost every day. Actually, even if we are not really practising, we are going out, it is like training for us, as we are always doing different jumps. When I am walking on the street and there is an obstacle, I jump over it. I just like to do that. I cannot control it.

Mladiinfo:What are the reactions of the other people passing by the place when you practice? Do you have any interesting experience?

Beyond: The reactions are different. The older people usually consider us to be naughty children, who are just jumping in the city, telling us to leave, because we will destroy or break something. Many others are much more positive and amazed how we can do it. Once we even got an origami flower from a girl, who saw us doing some tricks on a main street in the centre

Mladiinfo:What is your main inspiration? Are there videos on Youtube?

Simon: I think I get the inspiration from the fear itself. The adrenaline is pumping and I want to go against the fear.

Filip: Yes, there are things in videos you want to do, but it is always about the personal choice. I feel I can do something and I want to accomplish it. We want to go beyond what we are. That’s why our group is called Beyond.

Mladiinfo:You mentioned fear, adrenaline and pushing the limits but what about the injuries?

Beyond: There are small injuries e.g. you hit your leg or finger, which can be annoying. You can still practice but they limit you, because you cannot perform the jump as before. Every one of us had also a bag injury as broken finger or dislocated shoulder, but we have a guy who fixes us

Mladiinfo:So you have got your own doctor?

Beyond: We have a friend, who uses a Chinese medicine, connected to Kung fu and it is pretty awesome. He can always fix us back, it does not matter if you have dislocated shoulder, knee or you need to get rid of pain.

Mladiinfo:What is the relation between you and the other teams in Macedonia?

Beyond: There are four big teams located in Skopje, Veles, Bitola plus many small ones. Especially a lot of young boys are excited and want to learn it, even though they are still young and their body is not strong enough. Maybe they are rushing it a little bit, as their muscles are not so strong yet, and they do not realize that they can really hurt themselves, as we are training outside on the ground, not in the gym with safety mattresses. Anyway, there is no competition between us, we are training Parkour because of ourselves.

Simon: It is more like a competition with yourself than with the others. There are not strict roles and things you must do.

Filip: I want to be better than me, because I am doing it for my way of life. I don’t want to be better than Simon or someone else. We are all friends and we do it because we love it. We want to spread the Parkour culture.

Those, who want to know more, join the fan group Beyond Parkour Skopje on facebook.

Mladiinfo: Considering the fact that you belong to the group of relatively young photographers, could you tell us something about your beginnings? What was the thing that attracted you to photography?

Filip: I graduated at the Faculty of Law, so the plans of dealing with photography was a hobby to me, I took photos out of pure pleasure and I never seriously considered to become a photographer (photo reporter) until I got a chance to make a report about a unit in a steel factory. It was a challenge for me because I knew how dangerous it can be, so it was the adrenalin that made me do this job.

Mladiinfo: Did you ever visit courses and trainings about photography or did t all come out spontaneously?

Filip: I attended a course about journalist photography. I developed my skills and learned and was offered a chance to become a photographer of Makfax News Agency.

Mladiinfo: In order to work with photography, is it necessary primarily to have the talent or most of it is a result of hard work?

Filip: I would say talent accounts for 10% and 90% are work. ? The harder you work the better you become, you learn new techniques and most importantly you build your own style that makes you recognizable and stands you out.

baskerfest-2009-filip-popovski

Mladiinfo: Do you remember your first photograph and what was its motive?

Filip: My first photograph was a child standing on the street and crying. I still haven’t seen more sincere tears than those.

Mladiinfo: Could you point a favorite of the photographs you took and do you have a favorite photograph of some world famous photographers?

Filip: I have more than one photograph that I’m really fond of, especially because I took them myself! ? That is why each time I have to choose a photograph I ask help from my more experienced colleagues. My favorite photographer is James Natchwey, I’m not going to say anything about him, you should see yourself… ?

Mladiinfo: Did you have any help at the beginning or you worked mostly by yourself?

Mariovo_filip popovski

Filip: I started working alone. Then, I met Marko Georgiev who helped me and thought me a lot about journalist photography. Later, I became his assistant and continued developing my skills.

Mladiinfo: Where do you find the challenge in what you do and do you like showing objects and appearances in your photographs or do you concentrate on people?

Filip: For me, photography serves to show what happened in front of your eyes, to witness some event or a conflict which would never happen again. We, photographers, are determined to transfer something that happened through the photos we take and we don’t do it, who will? And if acertain dose of art is involved in it that would be perfect!

Mladiinfo: Except Macedonia, in which other countries did you have a chance to take photographs and which of them fascinated you the most? Is there a country that is still on your wish list?

Filip: I have been taking photographs in many countries! A special wish and probably my next destination for a photo safari would be India. Of the places I visited, believe it or not, I was fascinated the most by the regon Mariovo. That part of Macedonia is my endless inspiration.

Karneval Strumica_Filip Popovski

Mladiinfo: Where do you find your inspiration? They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Is it true that one picture can tell that much and can bring a whole story in it?

Filip: Every photograph is a different story and I believe it is true that a picture is worth a thousand words. The most important thing is that the photographer knows how to compose the picture so that it is really worth a thousand words. I have to add here that the awareness for photography in my country is very low and people don’t have the ability to spot a good photograph. They just see it as every other photograph and that’s all there is. Since we mentioned stories, the hardest part in creating the story is actually choosing the right photographs. I take many photographs on a certain event and after that I have to select the best ones. There were cases when a certain photographer takes some great pictures but makes a selection of photographs with average quality – so the selection part is especially stressful for every photographer and requires a lot of concentration, discussion and objectivity. At last, I would add that there are no bad stories; there are only well and poorly covered stories.

Mladiinfo: Have you ever participated in some contest and can you share a part of that experience?

Filip: My latest success was in 2009. I was making a report on northern Montenegro and I took some phenomenal photographs. By some coincidence, on the Internet I found an open call from New York for anthological photographs. You could only send one photograph and I send one showing the canyon Tara in Montenegro. One week later I received an e-mail that my photograph was elected out of millions of photographs that they received to enter the top 100 and to be printed in the anthological issue sponsored by a distinguished University for Photography in New York.

Montenegro-Tara_Filip Popovski

Mladiinfo: According to your experience so far, does photography represent art of skill?

Filip: Definitely, photography is the fruit of skillfulness, art, logistics and a lot of hard work. Without all of these elements, the photographer can not go out on field and bring good results.

Mladiinfo: And to sum up, what are your plans for future and upcoming destinations?

Filip: Well, these days I’m leaving for New York to visit some workshops on News Photography. By the end of 2010 I’m planning to have an exhibition, but I wouldn’t like to talk much about it in advance. ? You will be informed when all is arranged and I will be delighted if you are present there.

Author: Ana Alibegova

Green shirts, double coloured neckerchiefs, tied with a slipknot, campfires – scouts are not just a group of people who love the nature, but they are part of a world movement named Scouting that promotes education, active citizens and contributes to a better world.

From an experimental camping to a worldwide movement

The story about Scouting begins with the name of Sir Robert Baden-Powell. The famous Englishman in 1907 formed the ground for a new movement, organising the first experimental camping for a group of boys. The society crisis and the need to find the way out had forced Baden Powel to start thinking about the whole situation. He realised that only the youth with their social activism will slow down the political and economical crisis. Unfortunately, it was not the first time that good ideas were not supported by the state institutions and the new plan of youth movement would have to wait for better times. In 1909 Baden Powell officially leaves the army and concentrates his energy on his aim: to build a new world with help from the scouts. The Scouting kept spreading around Great Britain, putting accent on the parallel development of the body and the spirit and by having neutral, but not indifferent attitude towards the political situation in the world.

At its very beginning, the Scouting faced with problems: the world was preparing for the First World War, and the scout boys were deported and banished. In the post-war period, older people became members of the scout movement, the scout boys got serious treatment and the number of members increased.

An ideology connecting the human and the nature

This is how the history of this social movement can be described in few sentences. Talking about the very ideology of the scout movement is much more difficult. The base of the scout ideology is to develop responsible active citizens, nature and people lovers. The scout ideology in short would be: to create a human being in the very sense of the word. Learning by own experiences, forming an own opinion, gaining an ability to make the right decisions and passionately looking for solutions. The scout movement was in the focus of the 26th Scout Conference in Montreal, where more than 100 members of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement defined the basis of the movement and formed the Statue of the organisation.

No matter how deep we go into Scouting, it is important to make clear, that Scouting has no ambition to reveal into a universal system, but has an aim to connect the philosophy, psychology and the praxis in the connections between the human and the nature. On the contrary, since the inception of Scouting in the early 1900s, the movement has sometimes been entangled in social controversies such as the civil rights struggle in the American South and in nationalist resistance movements in India. More recently, Boy Scouts of America has been criticized for not allowing the participation of atheists, agnostics, or homosexuals.

Contributing to the creation of a better world

The World Organisation of the Scout Movement defines the mission of Scouting. “The mission of Scouting is to contribute to the education of young people, through a value system based on the Scout Promise and Law, to help build a better world where people are self-fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society. This is achieved by: involving them throughout their formative years in a non-formal educational process, using a specific method that makes each individual the principal agent of his or her development as a self-reliant, supportive, responsible and committed person and assisting them to establish a value system based upon spiritual, social and personal principles as expressed in the Promise and Law”. A vision would be the following statement: “As a global Movement, making a real contribution to creating a better world. “

“Be prepared” – the Scouts’ motto

“Be prepared” – that is the scout motto as stated in the official American boy scout handbook. A person once asked Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, why boy scouts should always be well prepared. He answered: “for any old thing”. The scout motto means that you are always ready in mind and body to do your duty and to face danger, if necessary, to help others as well. Baden Powell’s idea was that every Scout should prepare himself to become a useful citizen and to give happiness to other people. On the other hand, the scout slogan would be: Do a good thing turn daily. A good turn is more than simple good manners. It is an extra act of kindness. The Boy Scout handbook further explains: “Answering the question of a driver about reaching an address is not really a Good Turn. That is common courtesy. But if you take time to draw a map for him or to lead him to his destination, that extra effort makes it a Good Turn.”

The spirit of Scouting

The rules of Scouting are found in the Scout Law, Scout Motto, Scout Slogan and Scout Oath. Since the publication of Scouting for Boys in 1908, all Scouts and Guides around the world have taken a Scout (or Guide) promise or oath to live up to the ideals of the movement, and pledged to a Scout Law. It slightly varies from country to country. The American Scouts give the following oath:
“On my honour I will do my best, to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.” Usually Scouts give an oath when they officially become members of a scout organisation and it is the first step into the philosophy of Scouting. After the oath, the real Scouting life starts, that is becoming s responsible citizen, good person, real friend and a nature lover.

The Scout Law:
•    A Scout is trustworthy
•    A Scout is loyal
•    A Scout is helpful
•    A Scout is friendly
•    A Scout is courteous
•    A Scout is kind
•    A Scout is obedient
•    A Scout is cheerful
•    A Scout is thrifty
•    A Scout is brave
•    A Scout is clean
•    A Scout is reverent

Prague Castle by Liber© Flickr.com

Author: Ana Alibegova

That’s what they do in Europe. You go down to the city hall and you become legally connected. You have a civil union there. Then, if you’re religious, you go down to the church, and the church blesses the union. That gets the problem solved. – Tony Campolo.

Quite often we hear the politicians talking about European values, sharing the European dream, blessing the European Union. But Europe is special in another way, not because of the more or less stable economy, integrated politics or social care system, Europe is magical because of its streets, the people and the spirit of freedom. My magical Europe is those European cities where I felt myself European. Nature, art and endless charm attract you and make you want to come back again. The list can be endless and can include the sandy beaches of Spain, the attractive French Riviera or the wonderful Alps, but I preferred to focus on the spirit of the most visited European capitals.

by Ana Alibegova

Paris, France – a music, a story, a dream

The city of lights or the city of love, for me it has nothing to do with both of them. My Paris is not romantic at all, better said it is a real reflection of art and free spirit. Walking along the streets of Paris, especially on Montmartre, I imagine the poet Jacques Pervert drinking coffee in one of the Parisian cafés, smoking cigarette and analyzing the beautiful women that pass by. When in Paris, you should definitely see all the tourists waiting in line for hours just to climb the Eiffel Tower and enjoy the panoramic view. Paris is music, a story, a dream, a place where you hear history whispering to you. There is much more than just nice buildings, taking photos of all of them is not such a good idea since their number is endless. Paris’ museums and monuments are among its highest-esteemed attractions; tourism has motivated both the city and the national government to create new ones. Feel the magic of Paris drinking wine and sitting on the grass on the Elysian Fields. Paris is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, receiving 45 million tourists annually and it is definitely among the most charming places in Europe.

by Ana Alibegova

Brussels, Belgium – a micro Paris

Once you visit Brussels it is almost impossible not to fell in love with it. The city itself resembles Paris, but is less crowded, and much smaller. Brussels can be easily called a micro version of Paris, maybe not because of the similar architecture, cathedrals, mini restaurants etc, but more because of the feeling you have being in the heart of Europe. Brussels today is what Paris was in the past, a symbol for the capital of the European Union, administrative and economic centre of the old continent. It ranks third according to the number of international conferences hosted and at the same time also becoming one of the largest convention centres in the world. The presence of the EU and the other international bodies has for example led to having more ambassadors and journalists in Brussels than in Washington D.C. Apart from the political importance of Brussels; it is definitely a city that has a lot to offer to the tourists. Great for shopping, partying or just relaxing in the numerous parks, Brussels is a great city for young people as well.

by Ana Alibegova

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Feel the Freedom

There is no way that the first association for Amsterdam will be other than freedom. Many young people dream to visit the City of the Red Lights District, to relax in the numerous coffee shops and do everything what is illegal in their home countries?. Amsterdam is famous for its vibrant and diverse nightlife, but still it is not just a city for partying till the dawn, or a city where you should be really cautious not to be hit by some crazy bikers, it is also a place where you can find numerous museums, exhibitions and great cultural life. One of the places you shouldn’t forget to visit Madam Toussaint Museum in the city centre. Also spare some time to check the erotic museums all around the city; you will be surprised that some of them actually have an educational aim?. Amsterdam definitely is a city where you can test your liberal point of view. The city itself is interesting for the business leaders as well, because many large Dutch institutions have set their headquarters there, and 7 of the world’s top 500 companies, including Philips and ING, are also based in the city. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, the oldest stock exchange in the world is located in the city centre.

Prague from Hrad?any by Rachel Thekat © flickr.com

Prague, the Czech Republic – Golden sunset near the river Vltava

Another famous tourist city. The golden Prague has a lot to offer to the tourists: places of interest, cultural life and good clubs. Since 1992, the extensive historic centre of Prague has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites, making the city one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, receiving more than 4.1 million international visitors annually. It is the sixth most-visited European city after London, Paris, Rome, Madrid and Berlin. Prague suffered considerably less damage during World War II than some other major cities in the region, allowing most of its historic architecture to stay true to form. It has one of the world’s most pristine and varied collections of architecture, from Art Nouveau to Baroque, Renaissance, Cubist, Gothic, Neo-Classical and ultra-modern.

Brandenburger Tor by Freekyman © flickr.com

Berlin, Germany – “Poor, but sexy”

The formerly divided city has also a story to tell. If you decide to visit Berlin, forget about the typical organisation of a European city, which means one city centre and all the places of interest located in it. Berlin is special because of many reasons, and one of them is definitely the hidden history. Even nowadays people there talk about Ossi and Wessi (people from East and people from West Berlin). The urban and historical legacy has made it a popular setting for international film productions. The city is recognized for its festivals, diverse architecture, nightlife, contemporary arts, extensive public transportation networks and a high quality of living. One thing is certain: Berlin has evolved into a global focal point for young individuals and artists attracted by a liberal lifestyle and modern zeitgeist. From a symbol of a divided city, Berlin has reached a reputation of a city for free-spirited people and became the first association for multiculturalism.

Author: Mariska Regtvoort

I’m from the country with the highest bicycle density in the world. They sometimes say that we are born on our bicycles. I think that can be true. In The Netherlands everyone has one or more bikes and you can see them everywhere. We use them every day to go to school, work and to go to the shop.

And now I live in Skopje, Macedonia. There aren’t a lot of bikes here. Everybody goes by car, takes the bus or just walks. Every day I walk more than 30 minutes to the office and back. I can’t imagine doing that at home. I know exactly one person who does that, but he’s an exception (in many ways). But I must say, I got used to it and now I even like it.

People in The Netherlands use their bikes all the time, for all kind of occasions. You can see people in casual clothes, but also in suits, in neat dresses, short skirts, sport clothes, it doesn’t matter. A bike is an easy and fast way to travel, especially in the city. Also it doesn’t matter if it’s cold or not, if the sun shines, or if it’s raining. The only thing that people may prevent from riding a bike is when everything is covered by a lot of snow.

In Skopje, that’s totally different. If people have a bike, they will wait till the spring has come and the weather is nice. For me that’s very strange and illogical. Why do you want to walk through the cold if you have a bike? I would be more than happy with a bike in that case, because it brings me home much quicker.

But now the spring has arrived, together with the nice weather. And now I’ve got my bike too. It’s fantastic!

Now I can get really experienced with the Macedonian way of riding a bike. My first trip was a big adventure. Apparently I’m so used to the Dutch infrastructure, that I have some difficulties with riding a bike somewhere else. I found out that it just isn’t possible here to just ride everywhere you want to. Most ways don’t have proper paths for bikes. So I really have to plan my trip. It’s remarkable to see that there are really no rules here; sometimes I even see people riding their bikes between the cars, on the middle of the road. I rather choose to ride on the sidewalk. But that’s also a dangerous experience, because there are a lot of holes in the way, so you have to watch out all the time. And you have to get off the bike very often, because the steps get interrupted by a crossing. So I wouldn’t recommend riding a bike when drunk. And it’s also not strange here if you have to take the stairs a few times and you have to carry your bike. The only time I have to do that in The Netherlands, is when I want to take my bike into the train. But that’s not an everyday thing. And for people like me, who don’t like the struggle, there’s always an elevator. At some places in Skopje you can find a special path for bikes, even without holes. Only it’s full of people… walking! So, riding a bike in Skopje doesn’t always have to mean a comfortable or fast way of transport, it’s rather exhausting.

I realize now how comfortable and easy it is to ride a bike in The Netherlands. Everywhere is a place to ride your bicycle; the only place where you have to get of your bike is at a traffic light. Also there’s no need to focus on the road all the time, because you’ll not find a hole in it. So even the laziest people can take their bike.

Besides all the interesting differences, there’s also a similarity: old bicycles. In Skopje I don’t see a lot of people on a new bike and the same goes for The Netherlands. Most people there don’t think a new bike is worth the money, because it will get stolen anyway. Stealing bikes is very popular, and it really doesn’t matter if your bike is old or new. It’s just one of those things that happen. And if you’re lucky you can buy it back from a junk on the street. I wonder if that bike-stealing culture also exists in Skopje. But by looking at the tiny locker I got with my bike, it probably doesn’t.

Although I think it’s quite dangerous and not so comfortable, riding a bike in Skopje has its charms. Maybe I’ll even miss those holes when I’m back in The Netherlands.

reading room /©flickr.com/photos/wrote/

Author: Ana Alibegova

If we make a mini research to find out why young people do or don’t apply for an exchange program, we can easily understand that most of them have complaints regarding lack of information about possibilities for study aboard. Most of them are willing to take the challenge and for an internship or a Master program abroad; the ones that already have experience confirm it has been and experience of a lifetime. Here are some of their stories:

Katya from Moldova (24): The greatest time and the most amazing experience

As a student at the Faculty of Foreign Languages (German-English Department, Translation) I applied for a DAAD scholarship (German Academic Exchange Service) two times and for accepted both times. I received the first scholarship and went to Germany for a whole month as a participant in an intensive summer course for German language. I studied at the University Heinrich Heine in Dusseldorf, Germany. The second time, I was rewarded with a study scholarship for two semesters at the University of Ruhr in Bochum, Germany. It was a DAAD scholarship for foreign students who want to obtain a Masters Degree in Germany. The time I spent abroad in Germany was the GREATEST and the most AMAZING experience of my life! During this time I learned many interesting facts about Germany, its culture, traditions and people who live there. I loved everything there! I’ve met wonderful people from all over the world who will remain my friends forever. I would say German people are gentile, polite and cool

I had the privilege to experience German university education with German and foreign students. I’ve learned useful and important things which I now apply in my professional activities. The opportunities which the DAAD scholarships granted me are priceless.
In my opinion, educational institutions in my country inform students about available exchange programs, and if the students wish to apply for one they can easily do so. The only issue is that there are not many programs and scholarships available for the students from Moldova.

Sergi from Ukraine ( 24 ): Useful experience in my preferred field

In order to complete my Master degree, I had to apply for an internship abroad – it was an internship in Biomedical Engineering in Germany which equals to a looooot of useful experiences in a field I love. I am currently doing my Master in Germany, and if I have a chance I would gladly undertake a PhD in Switzerland.

Regarding how informed young people in my country are, I would say: if young people in Ukraine want to find information on scholarships they will find it, but personally, I believe that the youngsters are insecure and don’t believe that they will be granted with the scholarship. However, I’m still convinced that we lack European programmes in the higher educational system in Ukraine and most of the cooperation is based on personal connections among particular universities or faculties.

Bilyana from Bulgaria (26):  Lost in the huge sea of information

I´ve never applied for a scholarship, study abroad program or an internship in a foreign country. I have always wanted to try yet, I never had enough information regarding various available opportunities. There is plenty of information about scholarships on the internet but personally, I am not sure how to select the information relevant to my interests. I feel lost in this huge sea of information. I don´t think that the youth from my country can easily find information regarding programs abroad. Most big universities in Bulgaria have informed students about the exchange program ERASMUS but I am not sure how detailed this information is and how helpful the advisory board, for these scholarships, is.

I still managed to spend a year in Spain as an Erasmus exchange student. I enjoyed my time there. I improved my Spanish greatly and passed the exam which gave me the right to teach Spanish as a foreign language. During my stay in Spain, I received a grant for teaching English at the university I enrolled in. In the future, If I have a study/ work abroad opportunity through a scholarship, I would like to go to the US or England. I would love to do a PhD and at the same time work or get a scholarship to be able to pay for my studies. If this doesn´t work, I may just look for a job there as a Spanish/ English teacher/translator/interpreter.

Johannes from Germany (22):  A great fun!

I went to France for a challenge and because I wanted to experience what university life in less technical and more open universities is like, i.e. a university where I choose my lessons, not my company. It was a great experience, although in the beginning I was overwhelmed by the complexity and felt helpless, because my knowledge of French was very basic. My marks in France weren’t that good, but I learned a lot about organizing myself, meeting new people and the cultural differences between German, French and Spanish people. This was a great deal of fun!

I will finish my undergraduate studies in October and I want to apply for a graduate scholarship abroad. Right now I’m thinking about China?, but I’ll need to see if that is a good idea. The German scholarship program DAAD offers this opportunity so, I assume it is well organized.

In my university it is difficult to locate information, because the professors don’t tell inform us about the opportunities; the only way to find out about the programs is to go to the university homepage, to attend the informational events or to be told about it from fellow students.

Olena from Ukraine (27): I learned much more than I did during 5 years at home

I started applying for different scholarships since 2005. I often got refused, but I was granted a scholarship 4 times. I was selected for attendance in Holland two time: The Hague academy of international law for a summer course and a five month postgraduate course in Business law at the Asser Institute (MATRA scholarship). I received a scholarship in Sweden – a two-year Master program in Maritime law at Lund University granted by the Swedish institute (Visby program) and I was selected to participate in Austria – at the European forum Alpbach with a full scholarship.

I know very few people from my university who applied to a program. Some of my friends still do not understand how it is possible to study abroad, have your expenses covered and travel plenty. When I am asking why they don’t apply I usually get the following reply – ‘It takes time to find something, and we don’t know where to find it. When you find it, then you have to apply, to fill out applications, to pass TOEFL and so on….’ So, I guess, those who truly want to find a program and go abroad will find one for sure. I spent more than 2, 5 years abroad, mostly in Holland and in Sweden. I can say that it has changed my life. I got a second master degree and I learned quite a lot, since in Europe the approach to higher education is slightly different. During the 2.5 years abroad I learned much more than in I did during 5 years in Ukraine. I met well-known professors, lawyers, and judges while I also had an opportunity to visit international organizations and courts. I met people from many different countries and I travelled a lot since it is so easy to do so once you are in Europe and you’re not required to apply for a visa per trip. It was definitely worth it!

Author: Lea Linin

WWOOF, the emphatic cry you let out, the point when you realize you have found the animal within, suffering from the overexposure to copious amounts of fresh air after spending some time on a remote farm you can pick and choose from the wide range of the most remote and unimaginable places dispersed around the globe.   At least, I imagine, as this article will be devoid of a first-hand- experience writer’s perspective, but hopefully will motivate you hard enough to plunge into a first-hand experience of your own.

WWOOF is not the sharply uttered exclamation of soothing delight; it’s the acronym for the World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms initiative. In short, World – Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms is a global volunteering initiative that helps link organic farmers with organic farm enthusiasts, avid travelers and wanderers, and urban escapists.

How It All Began

First it was ‘Working Weekends on Organic Farms’, a local initiative that was established in 1971 in the UK by a woman called Sue Coppard. Her idea was to make the countryside accessible to people living in the cities, while at the same time giving support to the organic movement. It comes as no surprise that an initiative such as this one was introduced in the UK, as the English have always had a deep fascination with the countryside.

As time went by the working weekends on organic farms were not just weekends anymore. People stayed there for longer periods, their enthusiasm never on the wane, probably the ones that inspired the renaming of the initiative – Willing Workers on Organic Farms. Today’s WWOOF stands for the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms and is operating on a global level.

Pick and Choose Your Destination

Just close your eyes and imagine a place where you want to go. Or close your eyes, have a globe in front of you and point somewhere on it; the place you have chosen by chance is probably included on the WWOOF map. The WWOOF initiative is decentralized; each country has a national WWOOF organization that coordinates the WWOOF activities, but there is no central coordinating organization. However, there is also a list of independents, as they are dubbed, a list of countries that do not have a national WWOOF organization, but are active within the initiative. The list of WWOOF countries is almost never-ending. Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belize, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, France, Germany, Ghana, Hawaii, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, The Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Sierra Leone, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Uganda, the UK, the USA.  You should also check out the list of independents! A comprehensive list of all WWOOF countries can be found on the official WWOOF web page.

How to Arrange Your Stay

A list of vacancies is published by the national WWOOF organization. A different number and range of vacancies are available. Depending on your interest and affinities you should choose a farm that would be most suitable for you. Potential volunteers are advised to contact the host directly, arrange the length of their stay and all details pertaining to their WWOOFing. Volunteers are provided with bed and board in exchange for a 4-5 hour work at the farm. Note that in order to obtain a list of available WWOOF farms, you would have to pay a small fee to the national WWOOF organization. Make this small investment and start exploring your possibilities!

Go for It

Ever felt like city life is too stifling, routinely exciting, not as primordially exciting as the term ‘urban jungle’ would imply. The drone of traffic, the humming of people’s stomps walking down the street in a river-like pattern, the swiveling of your chair at work, the squinting after having spent too many hours in front of your computer. Bored out of your wits, looking for an adventure, ready to defy conventionality, in desperate need of fresh air and outdoor activities, interested in an unusual learning experience, want an alternative to a regular vacation, want to explore an alternative lifestyle, longing for some peace and quiet, want to make a brave move and surprise yourself, looking to gather some storytelling material? Then, let’s WWOOF! Sounds overwhelming even daydreaming about it.

Author: Ana Alibegova

Looking for a place to stay for a couple of days? Want to visit a city, but have almost no money to spend on accommodation? Want to meet new people and have somebody to show you the city nightlife and give you a sightseeing tour during the day? Then, Hospitality Club and Couch Surfing are the right services for you!

If you are one of those people who just love adventure and meeting new people, visiting places and having fun, then the social networking sites connecting travellers of the world might be interesting to you. These sites are primarily based on the same principle, you open an account – a profile, provide some personal information and some info about your life, interests, hobbies and you start connecting with people from all over the world! The people who are ‘into this business’ are pretty satisfied with the outcome of all this networking. On the other hand, however, there are also those who think that this is “crap”, that the network is full of liars, who will let you sleep on the balcony or will lock you in their apartment. A bit of an exaggeration, possibly. Everybody’s story is different, but one thing is for sure – unforgettable moments during the ‘hospitality time’ or the ‘couch surfing’.

Hospitality Club – the largest online hospitality exchange organization

If you visit the Hospitality Club website you will find this: “Come onboard – join the largest online hospitality exchange organization! You will meet friendly people and find free accommodation when you travel to any corner of the world. There are no obligations (you do not have to host anyone at your home!), membership is free and we would love to have you in our world wide web of friendly people!”

The idea of the Hospitality Club is connecting the travellers with the locals. The aim of this so-called ‘project’ is defined as follows: “by bringing travellers in touch with the people in the place they visit, and by giving “locals” a chance to meet people from other cultures we can increase intercultural understanding and strengthen the peace on our planet.” Hospitality Club works on a couple of levels, but everything starts by creating a profile. The profile should include at least this information: name, full address and a valid email address. All other information is optional. No email addresses are displayed on the site to ensure the privacy and safety of all members and to avoid spam. To contact another member, you can use the message form on the site. All messages are sent through to the email address of the member you are writing to. The most important thing is that if you want to spend a night at someone’s place, you are not obligated to host the same person, or to have hosted a person before. Still, the greater number of shared positive experiences and comments from the people you have met on your profile, the greater are the chances for you to find  good accommodation. However, this is not a strict rule; it’s only logical that being a good host makes you a good guest as well.

The Hospitality Club pays attention to possible criminals. On their web page you can find useful information on how to protect yourself from having criminals as guests:

“Every member who contacts you through The Hospitality Club has to give you his/her full name, passport number and the user name at The Hospitality Club. You can store this information in a safe place, or send it to security@hospitalityclub.org where we will store it for you. When your guest arrives, make sure you check the passport to verify the identity information you received. This way the identity will be confirmed without doubt.”

Although today Hospitality Club is a really popular web site with  around 328,630 members from 207 countries, it’s mission is to recruit 1,000,000 open-minded members from various world countries. The idea dates back to the postwar period in the 40s, but the key figure for developing the contemporary Hospitality Club was the then 22-year-old Veit from Koblenz, Germany.

“After a long night surfing the net in the university computer labs, he went home on July 11, 2000. Smoking an Indonesian clove cigarette on his bed at 6 o’clock in the morning it hit him – the world was ready for a free, safe, volunteer-based hospitality exchange network that would take full advantage of the Internet”,  Hospitality Club’s history reveals.

Couch Surfing – One Couch At a Time

More than 1.600.000 people do couch surfing worldwide. According to the web site’s statistics, there are more than 99.6  % positive experiences using this service. The Couch Surfing service is based on the same principles as the Hospitality Club, but is slightly different.

Couch Surfing is defined as an international non-profit network that connects travellers with locals in over 230 countries and territories around the world. “Our mission as an organization is to create inspiring experiences: cross-cultural encounters that are fun, engaging, and illuminating. These experiences take many forms. Couch Surfing’s initial focus was on hosting and ‘surfing’ (staying with a local as a guest in their home). Alongside these core experiences, we now also facilitate a growing array of activities and events”, Couchsurfing.org states.

Couch Surfers come from 62,000 different cities and speak 1,270 unique languages. Since 2004, 1.25 million successful Couch Surfing stays have been recorded. 1.5 million new friendships have been formed through Couch Surfing, and nearly 90,000 of those are described as being close friendships. Members have reported 3.2 million positive experiences, which is an incredible 99.6 percent of all CS experiences, statistics show.

It is recommended that all Couch Surfing users create a profile, where they can put as much information as they can. According to the organizers there is no need to worry,  because six levels of privacy are provided and the profile’s visibility can be controlled. Dani (24) from Belgrade shares her experience using this service for the first time:

“I have couch-surfed only once so far, on the recommendation of my friend, who hosted a lot of people from all over the world as a member. I wanted to join a group of friends on a trip but in a lack of space for sleeping I was forced to look for another suitable alternative, and so together with a friend I decided to take a shot with couch surfing. We wrote a message on Couch Surfing asking for a place to sleep. And so we found a host, and in one word I can say he was great. He showed us the city, explained everything and told us that we can stay as long as we want. He even gave us the key of the flat, and later joined our group of friends and spent the whole day with us. We were really feeling relaxed in the flat, so I can say that he was a real host while he offered us his help and company and not just a bed to sleep. I will surely do it again without any doubt when ever I need it ’cause it’s not just a solution for an arising problem but also a way to meet and get to know cool people”, Dani concludes.

Hospitality Club and Couch Surfing are organisations that share a clear vision and a noble mission. Not only do they help you find a place for a few days, but they also facilitate the process of making friendships and contribute to creating a better world, where people help each other without expecting something in return.

Author: Ana Alibegova

On the International Students’ Day, Forum Oratores and AEGEE-Skopje, two student organizations, made their first joint project – a Project Management workshop. This was what inspired me to have a little chat with Elena Avramovska,President of AEGEE – Skopje and Miroslav Draganov – President of Forum Oratores.

1 pm, Faculty of Law “Iustinianus Primus” in Skopje. Around twenty people sit in the small amphitheatre 1 and wait for the “big” opening. This “big opening” has nothing to do with big openings of new buildings and shopping centers, but this opening is big – meaning important, because it is the first more serious cooperation between the student organizations AEGEE – Skopje and Forum Orators. Moreover, the Project Management workshop has a meaning of its own, because the ideas about being an active student, participating in a global network of youth organizations and making a better society, will be spread among 20 new participants. Through the numerous projects they organize the students organizations in Macedonia try to open the minds of young people and transform them in a strong group of people, with a critical view of the world, seeking for alternative solutions and open to new challenges. AEGEE and Forum Oratores are among the most active student organizations in Macedonia, the first one working also on an international level as part from the European AEGEE and the second one – Forum Oratores mostly working on a regional level, nowadays expanding its activity on a national level and planning to join some European or global organization networks that promote public speaking and the development of elocutionary skills.

The most important experience in the CV

Elena Avramovska is president of the student organization AEGEE – Skopje. AEGEE – Skopje is a local branch of the AEGEE network, formed in 1993 in Skopje. AEGEE Network is present at 256 Universities in 40 European countries and it includes 17 000 members, facts that make it one of the biggest interdisciplinary organizations in Europe. The association’s main aims are: promoting the idea of unified Europe without prejudices; striving for creating an open and tolerant society of today and tomorrow; fostering democracy, human rights, tolerance, cross-boarder cooperation, mobility and European dimension in education. But do Macedonian students truly recognise these values and become active in organisations sharing similar aims to the ones AEGEE has?

“Unfortunately, not many students in Macedonia are active. We can’t even make a comparison between the number of active students here and in some other European country. I can use the Netherlands as an example here. Every student there is a member of some student association. They can’t even find a job if they don’t have such experience in their CVs”, Elena explains.

Miroslav Draganov, President of Forum Oratores, thinks that students in Macedonia are partially active. The organisation he represents – Forum Oratores promotes public speaking, critical thinking, freedom of speech and human rights. Their aim is to form active citizens that will participate in the decision-making processes. Miroslav says that there are two types of students: “One part of the students are quite active, they see that there is a diversity of non-governmental organisations with different aims and objectives and they find the most suitable one for them. On the other hand, there are students who are completely inactive, and there is nothing in between. By taking part in student organisations, young people can get a lot of practical knowledge as part of their non-formal education, which can help them a lot, even more than only learning things from books. This is the way to make your CV better, you can meet new friends, learn what team work is and participate in different projects.”

Both professional and personal experience

The membership in a student organisation can be not only a great professional, but also an important personal experience. You can learn a lot about organising events, fundraising projects, leading a team and so on, but most importantly you can discover a lot of new things about you and your strengths and skills.

“I realized that learning is an endless process of creativity. There are no interesting and boring subjects, there are only interesting and boring ways of learning. I’ve learned how to adapt myself to various situations, to different people, as well how to work in a multicultural environment. And of course, one other thing that means a lot to me, are the friendships that I made all over Europe”, Elena explains.

Miroslav says that thanks to Forum Oratores a lot of opportunities have opened up in terms of activities and initiatives. The things he learned at Forum Oratores helped him to even win a European prize – first place on the Speakers’ Night at the European Forum Alpbach in Austria.

“I learned how to contribute to the work, how to work in a team and how to be a good leader. Moreover, the membership in Forum Oratores helped me develop as a person; I learned how to be responsible and how to cope with different kinds of people. Now I have a broader view of the world, I met a lot of great friends and what’s more, people look at me in a different way, knowing that I am active and successful in what I do”, Miroslav claims.

The questions of student motivation and cooperation between organizations

Not all the students are young enthusiasts like Elena and Miroslav. Most of the students prefer to sit and complain about the disadvantages of the educational system, about the European Credit Transfer System or make remarks about the university’s bureaucracy. I asked Elena to give me her opinion in terms of the ways we need in order to motivate young people?

“Oh, that’s really hard question to give answer to. I often ask myself the same thing. Very often I hear my friends saying that they would like to be more active, but they are not, only because they have too many faculty-related obligations. I believe that student organizations in Macedonia should cooperate more intensively in order to organize various beneficial activities. And of course, the more we invest in ourselves, the more we can get.”

Miroslav shares Elena’s opinion. He also stresses that cooperation between youth organizations is needed and supports initiatives such as the Project Management Workshop organized by AEGEE and Forum Oratores.

“Student organizations should be partners, not rivals, they should exchange information and organize joint events, where you will have participants of all the organizations involved, and in this way can have a double effect”, Miroslav explains.

In conclusion, student organisations will continue promoting the values of non-formal education among the student population. Both Elena and Miroslav believe that young people will recognise the benefit of being an active student. Until then, they will do their best to foster cooperation and experience sharing among the student organisations and will continue with their dedicated work in AEGEE and Forum Oratores.