THE CURRENT

Dear delegates, The Press team welcomes you to the Danube Youth Forum with the first issue of the session newspaper The Current!

As most of you have already experienced the charms of the EYP, we have tried to present you the new angle of the current Danube, European and EYP events. Ad-ditionally, we gathered the most important information about the lovely country of Serbia, where you will spend the next 5 days.

If you are feeling a bit confused or afraid, the session President and Head- organ-izers have given you a bunch of advice that you can use wisely to spend the time here in the best way possible. The journalists on the other hand took a different approach, so don’t be surprised to see Jack Sparow and Bear Grills covering the following pages.

Although you won’t see me around that much, remember: Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.

this session is brough to you by...MeET MR PRESIDENTthe cj playlistlight your firetop 10 countdownuseful serbianGETTING ARUND NOVI SADthe pirates of the danubeanEYP COUCHSURFINGTOP 10 COUNTDOWNIMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHINGtasting the worldstreaming borderseyp survival guide

eyp couchsurfing

Fellow delegates and other readers of our newspaper,

It must be interesting for you who are the representatives of the press team and who will inform you during the whole session. Our group was selected by an amazing editor Nives and her assistant Viktor. There are 7 more members and we are really ready to “rock” this session. Now I would like to introduce everyone more personally.

Nives– editorShe is 18 and she is still in high school. Novi Sad is her hometown. She hopes to become a student of Economics next year. Her favorite things are everything unusual, warm weather, writing and positive people. She is a night person, and doesn’t really like spending it asleep. 10 years from now she would like to work in an investment bank.

Viktor– editor assistantHe is 17 years old he is one of the youngest members of the Press Team, but he keeps calm, he has participated in quite a few EYP Sessions and with our experienced editor, THE CURRENT, as well as other editorial stuff will come out great! He loves writing, maths, all the sciences. He adores singing. He sees himself doing scientific research in the area he has chosen to study in ten years time.

Marek– REGI CommitteeHe studies Economics & Financial Maths and is turning 19 in June. You can spot him running with a map somewhere in the forest, sometimes appearing to have lost himself (if you have ever heard the word Orienteering, that´s it). he doesn´t have a clue what he’s gonna do 10 years from now, so he tries to experience as much as possible and see what appears the coolest to him.

NICOLE– ENVI CommitteeShe used to be quite the Pokémon Master in her childhood. Even the guys in her class could confirm that! Ten years from now she’ll very likely be either a kickass neurologist, since medicine is her way to go, or she will simply marry a very wealthy man, who knows? She will need that money to make up for her gigaenrmous carbon footprint later.

Cem– ITRE COMMITTEEHe is doing a major in Economics and Financial Maths. He is from Turkey. Traveling is the purpose of his life at the moment. He likes to travel everywhere, no matter which country it is. Most interesting story he has ever had is about his and his friends’ trip from Berlin to Amsterdam. They took a bus and the next morning they found themselves somewhere in Poland.

Jelena– LIBE CommitteeShe is turning 18 this year and is going to make a big pool party. Interesting fact about her is that she loves chocolate, it always makes her feel better and happier (so if you want to bribe her, buy her some chocolate). As she would like to study Economics, in ten years she see herself working in a big firm or in a successful bank. She is going to marry a handsome man and they will live in a fairy tale.

Olivera– COSI CommitteeShe is 18 years old and she is going to Grammar school where she currently learnig 5 languages .In ten years she will have finished university but throw it all away in order to become a Jedi or a Pokemon master .She is really into Fantasy, SF etc..and She is sorry if “someone will get offended if I say that 2nd and 3rd part of Star Wars are better that the older ones “

JURAJ– afet CommitteeHe is 18 years old and is a student of Economics and Financial Math as many of our Journos. He is a basketball player and plays it professionally so a lot of his interests are connected with it. He also likes watching Family Guy series and really loves that kind of humor so be prepared for the jokes and pranks. In 10 years he sees himself as a part of a financial institution, probably as a consultant.

MARIYA– CULT CommitteeShe is from Ukraine. She is studying Sociology at the University. At school She has studied 5 languages. The most interesting and maybe strange fact about her is that she is fond of submarines and eally likes them. She cannot say who exactly she wants to be in the future but it should be a profession connected with Sociology.Faithfully yours, Press team. (Maria Bessarab)

…the two Head Organisers Marija and Nemanja with their great team of organisers. It is thanks to them that you can all be here in Novi Sad and read my article at this instant. I now have the pleasure of further introducing them to you and giving you some interesting background about the two masterminds behind this project.

From the very beginning of the interview it becomes apparent that these two work together as a magnificent team. They were already introduced to each other in 2009, while both participating in an educational programme, which enabled ten chosen Serbian high-school students to visit the NATO Headquarters. Nemanja already started with his EYP activities in autumn of 2009, one year later Marija started her own EYP career having been invited to the Serbian NS by no other than Nemanja himself.

To Nemanja the idea for an international forum in Serbia already occurred as early as 2009 when he and an EYP friend were suffering from PED (Post EYP Depression) after a session and started dreaming about organising an international EYP event in their own city of Novi Sad.

To Nemanja the idea for an international forum in Serbia already occurred as early as 2009 when he and an EYP friend were suffering from PED (Post EYP Depression) after a session and started dreaming about organising an international EYP event in their own city of Novi Sad. They both affirm that the idea for a forum in Serbia has been in the air for quite a while already, more concrete steps, however, were not taken until the end of 2011.

In October of that year they all felt certain of their abilities to organise such a big event in the city of Novi Sad and therefore started preparing and most essentially form a team of fellow organisers. The first important steps were taken.

During the process of organising, the most considerable obstacles the organising team had to overcome, was finding suitable venues for Committee Work and General Assembly. Usually finding venues should not be a big problem, however, since Committee Work is on work days and there are actual elections in Serbia right during our session it made it a lot more difficult for the organisers to find appropriate locations. Despite those little difficulties, Marija emphasises that every problem could be overcome with their good team organisation.

This Session was brought to you by…By NICOLE GOETZ

The atmosphere among the organisers of the session was rather relaxed at the beginning of their preparations. In spite of this, the nearer they came to the start of the session, the more serious and concentrated the team grew to be. While they would still make jokes and fool around during team meetings, they knew exactly when they had to concentrate due to scarce time and increasing pressure. They were all well aware of their commitment and of the tasks they had to fulfil and managed to get the job done while keeping spirits high.

While working so closely together it is clear that one gets to know the other quite well. Whereas Marija describes her fellow HO as ‘calm, gener-ous and realistic’, Nemanja portrays her as a ‘creative, smart and short’ person (At this point I would like to note that being ‘short’ is, in my own opinion, a marvellous quality for an individual).

When it comes to Eurovision songs Marija admits that she often catches herself humming Kate Ryan’s ‘Je t’ adore’ to herself. Nemanja on the other hand confesses to be a fan of Oslo winner Lena’s ‘Satellite’, simply because he likes the way she pronounces the word ‘love’.

Marija hopes that the highlight of the session for its participants is the Danube river, as the hotel is situated right at the shore of this beautiful stream and she trusts that the delegates enjoy the location and will find inspiration at the riverbank. Nemanja on the other hand is looking forward to the journo activity and also of course to the Serbian general and presidential elections that will take place on May 6th, right in the middle of our session.

Bringing the interview to a close I ask them what they personally learned from organising this forum. They both explain that they refined their organising skills a lot while working with the team and Nemanja stresses how important effective communication among the organising team members is.

Marija still needs the session to actually happen to draw definite conclusions, however, she is now positive that the role of the organiser is her favourite in EYP.I believe it is obvious that two very devoted and passionate EYPers initiated and head-organised this very session for us and I am quite certain that all the hard work and effort they put into making it a success will utterly pay off.

From the country which has more banks than dentists and which gave us the first official “Bondgirl“ (girlfriend of James Bond, nothing to do with Greek government bonds – editor´s note) comes Ueli Staeger, student of Pollitical Science in Geneva and passionate member of the EYP.

Before we start with the interview, I´ve got one question for you: What do you think, how many of us here at the Danube Youth Forum (DYF) would be able to play the organ in church? If your answer was none (zero, 0, What the hell? etc.), you propably don´t know our session president Ueli very well. But don´t worry, that just means the only thing you need to do right now is to read this article.

If you wonder what is president’s favorite, color, how does he feel about the whole “Iraq thing“ or if you are just not satisfied with your “úäľiéou“ version of pronouncing his name, ask him about those things personally, I am sure he will give you the answer gladly. But if you are not that curious and you would just like to hear some words of wisdom, stay with us.

Everybody has his/her favorite or most memorable EYP moment which was kind of special and unique, doesn´t mater if the moment was having the crucial defence speech, meeting somebody special or just getting totally wasted during the farewell party.

The International Session in Liverpool, UK, in 2008 was the session in which Ueli had taken part and which he considers his most memorable EYP experience because of the fantastic atmosphere, social and academic aspect and an international spirit of the whole meeting.

What I appreciate even more though is the lasting impact EYP has had - to know that out there in dozens of countries, there are like-minded people!“

Ueli believes that no matter if we are organisers, journalists, chairs or delegates, we all have the opportunity to learn about ourselves, where one stands as a person and also to learn about what one’sstrengths are.What´s more, the fact that we have such a pertinent choice of theme for this session will provide for a fantastic political and cultural experience.

And what is the biggest wish Ueli has for the session?

“By all means, have fun - the DYF will be overwhelming in many aspects, and aslong as you all work hard and play hard, nothing can stop this session from becoming unforgettable!“

MEET mr PRESIDENTBy JURAJ TRAKTORISTA

Music... A little thing that can make you feel better, and has a big influence on most people’s life. It has an extraordinary ability to entertain millions of people, change their mood and evoke specific memories. If you feel tired, depressed, you have just broke up with your boyfriend, or you are extremely happy, joyful, you fell like the world is yours, somehow music is something you can always turn to so that the feeling is complete and better. It is the unique world with the amazing variety of kinds, from well-known, such as the classical, pop, hip hop, rock, and jazz. Each person is different, has one’s own point of view, and music is exactly like that. It has so many styles and you can always find yourself in one of them. If you want to know which songs can get your chair or your journo on the dancing floor, here is the dancing playlist!

the cj playlist

HARM VAN LEEUWEN- Shoes by Canadian DJ Tiga

TATJANA NIKOLIĆ- No stress by Laurent Wolf

OLEKSANDRA GIPSH- San Francisco by Global Deejays

FABIAN SOMMER- Any song by LMFAO or Flo Rida

JANA TRIFUNOVIC- Levels by Avicii

SOPHIA WOLF- I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas

NICOLE GOETZ– any song by David Guetta

OLIVERA POPOVIC- The creep by Lonely Island-

MAREK ŠEBO - Sexy and I know it by LMFAO

CEM ERGUC– Sexy and I know it by LMFAO

MARIA BESSARAB - Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling

By JELENA PETROVIC

JELENA PETROVIC – Wild ones by Flo rida

ĎURI TRAKTORISTA- I’m sexy and I know it by LMFAO

DMYTRO DAVIDOVICH GRAMA- We found love by Rihanna

So, let’s see if we can consider The Eurovision Song Contest the biggest cultural exchange in Europe. I say yes we can!

The Eurovision Song Contest is much like EYP but less formal and less po-litical. It’s a place where you can also raise your voice, form friendships and make international contacts across and beyond borders. It’s a place where cul-tures, musical taste and all the differ-ences in Europe clash and make an un-forgettable event.

It all started in 1956 in Switzerland when a Dutch singer, Jetty Paerl , won the first Contest ever, and nowadays Eurovision is one of the longest-running television programmes in the world.

light your fireNot only that Eurovision launches winner artists, like Celine Dion (Ne partez pas sans moi) but it also puts the spotlight on some other, less successful participants, like Domenico Modugno, who won third place and made a great International career in 1960’s. Also, it is not a secret that ABBA, the Swedish pop band who had won the contest in 1974, has enjoyed phenomenal success ever since.

It is said that music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. So be ready to take a deep breath and plunge down to the limitless current of positive energy and emotions because 57th Eurovision Song Contest starts in exactly two weeks! This year’s Song Contest will be held in the fast developing city of Baku, in Azerbaijan, which is also the newest, 36th National Committee of EYP

by olivera popovic

Namely, Serbian representative will make it possible for hearing impaired persons to follow the words of his song “Nije ljubav stvar”. This type of communication, used by the Serbian representative at the Eurovision Song Contest, is a unique example so far, regard to the preparations of European representatives for the Baku contest.

During the last Meeting of the Governing Body (19- 20th of November 2011 in Berlin), Azerbaijan was officially recognized as the 36th National Committee of EYP. The Danube Youth Forum team congratulates on both accomplishments and looks forward to the Eurovision, and 1st National Selection that will be organised in Baku, in August, themed “Centre of Cultural Diversity”.Moreover The Eurovision Song Contest in Azerbaijan will be closer to EYP by using a forum for promoting civil rights in that country, as German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said.

Another important thing that will distinguish this year’s Contest will be the first song followed by sign language.

So, prepare yourselves for three nights of awesome music, pick your favourite one and vote! Currently, according to the internet polls, Sweden is number one favourite, followed by Italy, Russia, Serbia and Denmark.

Grab your headphones and in pause, between chattering, enjoy the sound of our music, the European music…

GETTING AROUND NOVI SADOne of the most beautiful cities in Serbia, a city that lies on the second longest river in Europe, a city that’s modern but still with tradition, where people are bright and cheerful. Yes, I am talking about Novi Sad. At this intersection of waterways, land routes and commercial channels, at this meeting place of different cultures and civilizations, it’s famous that people are very hospitable and that they know how to prepare delicious food. So, it is my greatest pleasure to welcome you to Novi Sad, town with great spirit and unique soul.

Novi Sad is the capital of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, its economic, cultural, scientific, educational, health and administrative center, with nearly 220.000 inhabitants.

It is also called “Serbian Athens”, which is specially emphasized by its citizens. It is the city of education, museums, galleries, libraries and theaters. Center buildings are mostly from the second half of the 19th and early 20th century, which gives it a nice touch of middle-European charm characteristic for all the cities on the Danube. Novi Sad is the easternmost city of the Western and the westernmost city of Eastern Europe. People from other regions think that in Novi Sad everything is slower, more relaxed, and smoother. Everything is easy. Novi Sad boasts one of the most beautiful beaches on the Danube, Strand. On the other side of river is the mountain and national park Fruska Gora. On its slopes, on the other side of town is the Petrovaradin fortress, where the famous music festival Exit takes place.

by jelena petrovic

I have mentioned restaurants, so I am going to tell you all the secrets of the delicious food that you can find in Novi Sad. Serbian people are famous for how much they can eat and drink, we always want more. Let’s start with breakfast, BUREK- traditional Serbian breakfast dish. Layers of thin pastry filled with either white cheese or minced meat and then baked. For a real Serbian breakfast, wash it down with natural yoghurt. Passing to the lunch, one of the most popular is PASULJ- a bean stew, usually made with smoked meat, then CEVAPI- small minced meat kebabs, usually bought in portions of 5 or 10. Sometimes will appear on menus as ćevapčići. Off course that you will get thirsty after lunch so you have to try RAKIJA- The national drink of Serbia, and often home-brewed, rakija is a general name for fruit brandy. Approach with caution!

Petrovaradin fortress presents standing guard over the city andis also the most important attraction. Built in the present form more than three centuries ago, it represents one of the largest monuments and fortresses on the Danube, and at the same time, the biggest preserved for-tress in Europe, considered so safe that during the Napoleonic wars, the Austrian Court decided to transfer its treasures to the fortress: it was simply “impossible to conquer”, as they thought. A walk around the Fortress is something that should not be missed: the numerous galleries and museums, the unforgettable view of Novi Sad, the Danube, Fruska Gora and the Pannonia Plain; the hidden underground passageways and of course the wonder-ful restaurants.

The Danube is the second longest European river. First drops of that big blue stuff emerge from the earth in southwestern Germany, and after long 2,872 kilometers it reaches the Black Sea, into which it delivers 6500 m3 of water per second (what an enormous CURRENT, but it is still 30 times less than discharge of Amazon...).

The river basin encompasses thirteen countries of Central and Eastern Europe, making it the most international river basin in the world. Around 80 million people live in the Danube river basin and rely on the river for its excellent drinking water and massive water power plants like Gabčíkovo in Slovakia or The Iron Gate some kilometers down the flow from us produce wast amount of energy.

The Danube runs through nine European countries and four capitals and is one of the most important natural corridors in Europe since the times of Maria Theresia. Thanks to the completion of the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal, which connects the Black Sea with the North Sea, the Austrian boat owners have the right to decide, whether they would like to buy some herbs in Netherlands or refill the stocks of cheap alcohol in Moldova. And all of that … by boat (if you are afraid of the river police patrols, you can get back on bike, the famous Danube Cycle Path follows the river from its spring to the sea).

The Pirates of the DanubeanBy marek SEBO

But before you run to buy your own merchant ship, I have to warn you: In recent years, shipping companies claim that their vessels suffer from regular pirate attacks on the Serbian and Romanian stretches of the Danube, i.e. inside the European Union’s territory, starting from at least 2011. So if you are a fan of Jack Sparrow, maybe the next part of the movie is to be called The Pirates of the Danubean and be recorded somewhere in Romania.

The Danube Delta is a cool place as well. When you arrive in Moldova to buy a few liters of repellent, just think of the huge catfish (there are rumors about over 5m long and 350 kg heavy creatures) which makes you run out of the water immediately, and also about escaping from the swarm of hungry mosquitoes. That is a good reason not to spent all your money on the cheap alcohol.

Despite all the waste that is poured into the river, the waters of Danube are still full of life. That won´t last forever. New threats to the valuable biotopes, like the recent plan to build the oil pipeline right through the heart of the unique river island Žitný Ostrov in Slovakia emerge almost daily. We have to be wary, if we want the Danube´s green floodplain forests to stay green, and so that we could still listen to Strauss´s famous waltz An der Schönen blauen Donau without remorse.

Czech metal thieves dismantled 10-ton bridgeA fair amount of imagination was shown by a gang in Slavkov, eastern part of the country “The thieves said they had been hired to demolish the bridge, and remove the unwanted railway track to make way for a new cycle route,” the Railways spokesman Pavel Halla said. Only after the work had been done did the company realise they had been fooled and the papers the men had, had been forged. „The cost of replacing the bridge will run into millions,” adds the spokesman.

A DOG SAVES HIS LIFE BY CALLING THE EMERGENCYGeorge, a 2-year-old Basset Hound from South Heindley, West Yorkshire, U.K., was strangled by a phone cable and wound up with it wrapped around his neck. Somehow, George, in the midst of choking, managed to dial 999 (british equivalent of 911) with his paw.The emergency operator heard heavy breathing and gasping on the other end and sent his men there. With a help of the neighbor, they managed to get inside the house and save the choking dog. He told The Sun: “Incredibly you could see where his paw print was on the phone to ring 999 — he literally saved his own life.”

Drunk british tourists stole a penguin from the Australian theme parkTwo Brits were pleaded guilty and paid the fine of 1000 Australian dollars in the Southport Magistrates Court for trespassing, stealing and keeping a protect-ed animal. The pair, intoxicated after 1.5 litres of vodka, entered Sea World park on Gold Coast. Once inside they swam with dolphins, let off a fire extinguisher in a shark enclosure last month and took the rare bird with them.

The next morning, while suffering from terrible hangover, the couple tried to care for the penguin by feeding it bread and putting it in the shower. “They tried their incompetent best to care for the penguin,“ claims their laywyer Bill Potts. When they realised their huge mistake, they left the penguin in nearby Broadwater beach instead of contacting the theme park. The penguin Dirk was later rescued and returned to the park.

IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHINGBy MAREK SEBO

TASTING THE WORLD

Pizza It’s told that while coming home from Palestine, the Roman soldiers had no option but to eat matzoh along with the Jews of Palestine. It’s from this that the soldiers created a dish called Picea after returning to Italy. However, most ancient & primitive origin of this dish is not fixed. Some say that the ancient form of pizza is similar to the Focaccia which was eaten in Mediterranean border region such as Greek and Egypt. In the current Italy there are squares called ‘Piazza del …. ‘ and the word of Pizza.

BEERBeer is one of the oldest beverages humans have produced, dating back to at least the 5th millennium BC and recorded in the written history of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. As almost any cereal containing certain sugars can undergo spontaneous fermentation due to wild yeasts in the air, it is possible that beer-like beverages were independently developed throughout the world soon after a tribe or culture had domesticated cereal. Chemical tests of ancient pottery jars reveal that beer was produced about 7,000 years ago in what is today Iran. In Mesopotamia, the oldest evidence of beer is believed to be a 6,000-year-old Sumerian tablet depicting people drinking a beverage through reed straws from a communal bowl. A 3900-year-old Sumerian poem honoring Ninkasi, the patron goddess of brewing, contains the oldest surviving beer recipe, describing the production of beer from barley via bread.

Tatar Steak A common myth about steak tartare involves reference to the Tatar people of Central Asia. The legend claims that historic Tatars, a nomadic people, consumed raw meat on horseback to avoid stopping to cook meals and, as a result, the name Tatar became tartare. In spite of the legend, the dish was originally prepared in French restaurants near the beginning of the 20th century and was known as steak à l’Americaine, which translates as American steak. Steak à l’Americaine consists of finely chopped raw beef and seasonings, which may include onions, capers, and spices, as well as a raw egg yolk. In the 1920s, steak tartare was defined as steak à l’Americaine without egg yolk that is presented with tartar sauce.

By CEM ERGUC

The “TOP 10 Countdown“ is a regular fun section of The Current which will provide you every day with the countdown of ten funniest things that happened at the session the day before or just with things that made the press team laugh during the day (night). If you want to make this article better, you will have to make pranks and jokes on your colleagues (preferably not the press team) in such way that everybody notices it. Have fun!

Today´s special topic: Top 10 reasons for being a Serb or how do you really know that you are acting Serbian enough to actually be one.

If you are in Serbia for the first time or you just don´t know what to expect from the local people and from your new Serbian EYP mates, this article might help you to adjust your expectations and maybe to get to know the Serbian menatllity better in a funny way.

TOP 10 COUNTDOWNTOP 10:You know you are a Serb when:1:Rakija (alcohol, usually homemade from fruits) is used to cure illnesses, celebrate all occasions and as a massage lotion.2:Your 15 year old sister can outdrink any ”Amerikanac”(American)3:Your baba (grandma) will just not accept the fact that you´re not hungry.4:There are more fights at a wedding than at championschip match.5:Your mom can bake a cake without sugar, chocolate, flour and oil and she calls it “embargo cake”6:Your date comes to pick you up and your dad sits on the couchc leaning his hunting gun.7:Your dad tells you not to drink but he drinks non-stop.8:Your grandparents encourage you to drink and if you back away they make fun of you.9:A priest of a church gets a beating while putting on a “non-smoking” sign.10:You are the only person in entire planet that suffers from the epidemic called ”promaja” (winddraft) a.k.a. extremewindparanoia.

And there is one more piece of advice for our international friends in case they are willing to start a conversation with their Serbian colleagues. Try to avoid using these topics in a conversation: work of any sort, gay rights, Kosova, disbelief in astrology, post-2002 basketball. On the other hand, choosing topics like tennis, glorious history or pre-2002 basketball will propably make you very good friends.

(This article was supposed to entertain, not to offend somebody and some of the facts (okay, all of them) are exaggerated)Have a lot of fun and enjoy being at the Danube Youth Forum!

BY JURAJ TRAKTORISTA

USEFUL SERBIAN

Good morning!- Dobro jutro!

Thank you – Hvala .

What time does TB start? – Kada počinje TB?

Bastard - Bitanga (this word originates from German mixture of Bitte and Danke. Namely, the Germans in World War II, when knocking on a Serb’s doors they used to ask for food and money, always using “bitte” and “danke”. In this way Serbs started calling them “Bittdanke” which eventually assimilated into bitange- those who are mean).

I don’t comprehend – Ne razumem.

Where is the…- Gde se nalazi…?

Get it? – Kapiraš (from Italian capisci)

Dude – Brate (used very often)

I mean…- Znači

Good luck! - Srećno!

In order to catch the true spirit of Serbian check out this web page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfLvnXIu664

By olivera popovic

STREAMING BORDERS

Regardless of Europe’s wealth, power and influence, it is only a very small part of the big wide world we live in. Earlier this year I therefore decided to go and explore what lays beyond those borders, to experience other cultures apart from western. I took the plane, first to Dubai, then onwards to Bangkok, moving down through Malaysia, Singapore and finally down to New Zealand; or to put it differently, to the other end of the world.

When travelling such distances by plane, immediate culture-shock is inevitable. You will find yourself in a completely new environment, directly confronted with such different habits, traditions or manners than the ones that applied at a place you were at a few hours ago. It takes you a certain time to adapt to the new conditions.

Travelling within the borders of Europe this culture-shock might not be as intense as travelling to Asia for instance, although even on our small space we developed different cultures and customs and can make out different kinds of environment.

As a result, almost exactly two years ago, my school class and teacher collectively decided to visit our partner school in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria not by airplane but by train. Even though we were well aware that the 27 hours trip would be strenuous we all were eager to witness how our surroundings would change on the way to the east. I could not possibly emphasise enough how this was one of the clear highlights of our school careers.

By NICOLE GOETZ

Now you might be wondering why exactly I am telling you all this. While preparing for this session I realised that our train trip was almost equal to the course of the Danube. I started thinking of how we had some time left between changing trains in Budapest and went to see Danube and how the session participants will be living at the shore of this river for almost a week. I started remembering all the beautiful places we saw through the train windows: The German cities, the Austrian mountains, fields of canola and poppy in Hungary and green hills and meadows in Serbia before finally reaching Bulgaria.

The spring of the Danube is in southern Germany, actually not too far from where I live.

I find it fascinating how the water of this river does the journey that was so special to all of us every day, streaming closer and closer towards its end in the black sea. It passes so many different, beautiful places, runs through important European cities and provides pleasure to people across the continent, not judging culture, nation or ethnic background.

I don’t believe that there could be any better thing of such natural beauty and importance than a river like the Danube to symbolise pan European cooperation and correlation (or lending its name to an EYP session promoting teamwork and understanding among young Europeans.)

1)Say hello to everyone ( even if you dont know that person )2)Always be prepared for Committe Works3)Enjoy the every minute of Team Building4)Take the photo of everything5)Try to learn the bacis words of the every language surrounds you6)Dont be winced to the foods7)Get ready for the parties8)Dont get drunk !9)Get ready to sleep for 4 hours10)Dont sleep during the day11)Stay hydrated 12)Drink at least a one coffee during Coffee breaks13)Always smell nice to the others14)Get well dressed for General Assembly15)Try to act sophisticated16)Dont be ashamed to cry

Hello delegates and welcome to the most beatiful city of Serbia. During the session you guys will have a really great time . With all that parties , eurovillage etc. But don’t forget to orginize your time and try to survive the session. So here are the tips that will help you during the session.

Well, these were a few tips for you to enjoy the session. Of course there will be some people that you will not agree with and sometimes you might get into arguments, but remember, nobody is perfect. People make mistakes. Sometimes someone may hurt you, without even knowing it, and the conferences can be intense. So when someone disappoints you, offer them grace. You never know their story. Perception can be so far from reality. When we allow people to be broken, just as we allow ourselves to be broken, it gives us a chance to have a more enjoyable life and a ton of fun!

EYP SURVIVIAL GUIDEBy CEM ERGUC

eyp COUCHSURFING

Every time someone asks us what EYP is for, we can’t give them a proper answer. You just have to join EYP and feel the spirit. EYP gives us a lot of advantages such us getting knowledge, meeting new people, making friendships. And who knows, maybe you will find your real love at one of the sessions.

Recently, our beloved organization has given us a new, huge advantage- EYP Couchsurfing. Some of you might be familiar with this from Facebook, and some probably don’t have any idea what it is about. Basically, Couchsurfing is for finding a place to sleep while you travel. Couchsurfing is not a new thing in the World, it is cheaper than a hostel, but mostly is for free. Youth and students are the biggest users of Couchsurfing, but it’s really scary to stay at someone’s apartment for a night or more. That’s why EYP provided us with an opportunity to stay at another EYPer’s place

Some of you arrived earlier to this session and had to pay for extra nights in a hostel. And these things are happening really often. That is why EYP Couchsurfing made an offering list with possible places in different countries. Everybody who has a place at their apartment has added their city at the list. At the moment there are a lot of places offered in that proposal list. The privilege is that most active EYP members know each other. So it is possible that you personally don’t know a person, but you’ve heard about him/her, or you have talked on Facebook, or your friends were at a session with that person.

The obvious conclusion is stay active and travel with EYP, get new opportunities and reach new horizons. Find us on Facebook: EYP Couchsurfing.

By MARIA BESSARAB

The ProgrammeDay 1, 5.5.2012 Sremski Karlovci -13:00 Registration of participants/Lunch (Hotel “Dunav”)14:00-17:00 Teambuilding 17:00-18:00 Dinner (Hotel “Dunav”)20:00-21:00 Openning ceremony (Karlovacka gimnazija)21:00-24:00 Welcome party

Day 2,6.5.2012 Sremski Karlovci07:00-08:00 Wake up call 08:00-09:00 Breakfast (Hotel “Dunav”)09:00-13:00 Teambuilding (central park)13:00-13:45 Lunch (central park)13:45-19:00 Teambuilding (central park, one coffee break included)20:00-24:00 Eurovillage (Hotel “Dunav”)

Day 3,7.5.2012 Sremski Karlovci06:00-07:00 Wake up call07:00-08:00 Breakfast (Hotel “Dunav”)08:00-13:00 Committee work, one coffee break included (Karlovacka gimnazija)13:00-13:45 Lunch (Karlovacka gimnazija)13:45-20:00 Committee work, one coffee break included (Karlovacka gimnazija)20:30-21:00 Transfer to Novi Sad21:00-01:00 EYP Cafe01:00-01:30 Transfer to accomodation

Day 4,8.5.2012 Sremski Karlovci, Novi Sad06:00-07:00 Wake up call07:00-08:00 Breakfast (Hotel “Dunav”)08:00-13:00 Committee work, one coffee break included (Karlovacka gimnazija)13:00-13:45 Lunch (Karlovacka gimnazija)13:45-15:30 Committee work (Karlovacka gimnazija)15:30-16:00 Transfer to Novi Sad16:00-18:30 Novi Sad, guided tour/journo activity (city center, Petrovaradin fortress)18:30-19:30 “Serbia and the EU”, EU Delegation in Serbia, debate and Q&A (Youth Theatre-Novi Sad)19:30-20:30 Euroconcert (Youth theater)21:00-22:30 Committee dinner23:00-23:30 Transfer to accomodation

Day 5,9.5.2012 Novi Sad08:00-08:30 Opening of the General Assembly08:30-15:00 General Assembly15:00-15:30 Closing Ceremony

Dress codeTeambuildung:Sportswear, comfortableOpening Ceremony:FormalEurovillage:Casual or traditional clothesCommittee work:Smart casualEuroconcert:FormalGeneral Assembly:Formal

ПОКРАЈИНСКИ СЕКРЕТАРИЈАТЗА МЕЂУРЕГИОНАЛНУ САРАДЊУ И ЛОКАЛНУ САМОУПРАВУ