One simple step to better living

What if there existed one simple step that you could take to make this world a better place to live in? Rest for a second and picture one action that if implemented by everyone could in fact change our world climate and even dramatically improve the overall quality of our lives. Does such a step exist? And if it does, what would be its cost? In fact, such a step does exist, and its cost is little. 

The solution, this one life altering step, is to be found in a new movement that goes by the name of  “Weekday Veg”. It is a movement that not only has the potential to make this world a healthier place, but is one that for once is not our wallets’ enemy, but best friend. Maybe it sounds too good to be true, but the facts are in, and this movement could truly enhance our lives. 

Weekday Veg: the rules and benefits

The idea behind Weekday Veg is simple: don’t eat meat on weekdays, and give your life a fresh breeze of health, and creative and conscious restraint while also saving the environment. After mustering the strength to be meat-free for five days, the weekend is yours: be proud of your achievement and enjoy the taste of first class beef or chicken.Weekday Veg is a non-binary movement that promotes helping the environment while still being able to enjoy the pleasures of meat. It may just seem like another doctrine of hippie-ism, but it is far from it. Free from flower power attachments, it stands independently, simply as a step towards achieving a longer, more fulfilled life for yourself and the earth.

Giving climate change a Roundhouse Kick

 The evidence of the meat industry harming the environment is mounting. In a comparison study done by the British government’s environmental authority across animal products, seven categories were researched: use of energy, pesticides, land, nonrenewable resources, and its impact on global warming, acidification, and eutrophication  Across these seven categories, red meat proved to be the worst offender in almost all seven categories, with poultry and eggs proving least harmful. In fact, red meat (which includes beef, lam, goat, and bison) produces more carbon dioxide equivalent than any other food group, and its production is responsible for four times more greenhouse gas emission than the equivalent production of chicken or fish. 

 Live longer, healthier and happier

If this isn’t reason enough to put down that hamburger, think about the fact that meat isn’t just harmful to the environment, but can be unhealthy for you, as well. It’s no secret that people living in meat driven societies tend to have higher chances of cancer and heart disease. A medical experiment done by a team in the United States indicated that adding meat to the diet of vegetarians caused a rapid and substantial increase in blood cholesterol levels. Compared to North America and Europe where meat is a focus of consumption, the people of Asia and parts of Africa where rice, vegetables, and fruits are more the focus, are healthier, and tend to live longer.

Bring quality in your life

In addition to being meat free for five days, on the weekends when you treat yourself to meat, try cutting mediocre meat and replace it with local beef that is superior not only in taste but cause. It’s not just about trying to change the world we live in; it’s about respecting your body. Respect yourself enough to seek for quality instead of quantity. Sure, you could eat mediocre meat more times a week, but isn’t your healthy and the earth’s health worth eating genuine meat less times a week? Once you begin eating local meat, the kind that melts on your tongue, you’ll never want to go back to that mediocre meat-if you can even call it meat, the way you have to chew it like it’s bubble gum just to get it past your throat. Plus, eating locally grown foods can also decrease greenhouse gas footprint, although not as much as switching meat for vegetables.

However, becoming a vegetarian full time is daunting and frankly impossible for some of us, so going local is the next best thing. According to a Carnegie Mellon University team of researchers, swapping out meat once a week would save the greenhouse gas equivalent of driving 1160 miles less each year, and while the equivalent of eating locally grown foods is less than that at 1000 miles less a year, it is still a significant decrease.

 Courage, creativity, and endurance

 Of course, being a vegetarian-even only on weekdays- in a meat driven society is far from easy; however, it is not impossible. What one needs to achieve vegetarianism is courage, creativity, and endurance. At times you may need to just take a moment to take a long breath because frankly, not being able to eat meat may at times be a struggle. Being a vegetarian takes integrity-you must be honest with yourself, because only in truth can you rally the power to stand up and jump over yourself. It’s about learning to substitute the intense, immediate, and short-term pleasure of the senses with the long-lasting content of the intellect. Humans are in battle with these two conflicting parts on an everyday basis-and it’s not to say that sensory pleasures are bad; it’s just that sometimes focusing on the intellect is more important for the future. Indeed, this task is challenging, but the good news is that the mind is like any other muscle: the more you train it, the stronger it becomes, and as a bonus you will find that this new strength will radiate into other disciplines in your life. 

Go out and play

In the best of cases, leaving a positive impact on our environment and is manifested just by what we do in our daily lives. This is the vision of Weekday Veg. The salient point is that change starts in our kitchens, and the best news is that we are the main beneficiaries. Feeling healthier, living longer, saving money…these are all great reasons to act. And once you take in all the ways that it could personally benefit you, knowing that you have a smaller carbon footprint, are wasting less of earth’s sparse water resources, and giving climate change a Roundhouse Kick isn’t too shabby either.

But maybe it’s best to forget all of that and just go out and play; go and explore the world around you. There are countless arguments that can be presented to you, but the curiosity and courage to try something new, to acquire new tastes and perceptions on life has to come from within you. The facts are obviously important, but what’s even more vital is that you go out of your comfort zone, and find pleasure in experimenting with something fresh. Perhaps Weekday Veg will guide you to new taste discoveries and a new love of cooking. In any case, whatever that new “something” is, at least give it a shot: see if is compatible in your daily life; see if it can change your daily life.

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Text by Nikolas Konstantin and Maria Garguilo

Photos by Nikolas Konstantin

Mason Vicentino (VI), Italy.

The Scanavin family’s house; my grandfather’s house. While I travel the world, while I change my mind, while I develop new philosophies and I forget old ones, while I push myself forward, looking for new truth and new adventures, there is something that always remains constant. I come back home every 2 to 5 months and when I do I feel lucky to see the same pictures and images repeating themselves over and over again: the same traditions, the same opinions, the same ways of living. Life is so easy here that I cannot even imagine or comprehend it sometimes. The world can be so small and insignificant while at the same time so meaningful. Life is everything that is happening in the moment you are living it: a walk in the sun, a talk about football, the same old glance of your grandfather (lost between you and the incomprehension of who you are today), a glass of home-made red wine, shaving a thin beard while sharing ancient laments about health. Harmony is inside all of these actions and I am impressed to see how intensely we can still perceive these simple emotions that we seem to have forgotten the ability to witness.

The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy presents the opportunity to gain an insight into the field of diplomacy:

The Academy for Cultural Diplomacy will take place from 25^th July – 1^st August, 2010 in Berlin, Germany.

At the end of July, the Berlin-based Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) will hold its regular Academy session. The Academy explores both the history and development of cultural diplomacy throughout different regions of the world. The Institute invites students, graduates, and young professionals to participate in a week-long program, which will consist of lectures, workshops, debates, and cultural visits. The topics will range from economics and politics, to arts and sports as cultural diplomacy.

Previous speakers at the Academy include Peter Craven, Political Moderator for Deutsche Welle TV; Katharina Narbutovič, Director of the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program; and Dr. Karl Erik Norrman, Former Head of Culture at the Swedish Foreign Office. In the past, the speakers have graciously contributed to the Academy sessions through the presentations of their respective organizations, which have offered both the enhancement of intercultural dialogue and the support of international relations.

Besides being given the unique opportunity to participate in seminars led by experts in the field of cultural diplomacy, the participants will also receive the chance to apply their newly acquired knowledge in leadership initiatives. The Institute has developed a course in leadership initiatives, which encourages the participants to develop a program, the aim of which is to create a project which will contribute to a better international dialogue within the local community, which will in turn lead to the creation of a broader cultural exchange.

The Academy will help explore the importance of cultural diplomacy in strengthening international relations, thus giving participants a truly hands-on experience in the field of diplomacy.

More information about the Academy for Cultural Diplomacy can be found at www.culturaldiplomacy.org/academy. The application period will be open until the 20^th of July, 2010. The ICD encourages people from all academic and professional backgrounds to apply.

Editor’s note:

For more information concerning this Press Release, please contact:

academy@culturaldiplomacy.org or 00.49.(0)30.2360-7680

For more information about the Academy for Cultural Diplomacy, please visit: www.culturaldiplomacy.org/academy

About The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy:

Founded in 1999, The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) is an international, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization with headquarters in Berlin, Germany. Over the past decade, the ICD has grown to become one of Europe’s largest independent cultural exchange organizations. Our programs facilitate interaction between individuals of all cultural, academic, and professional backgrounds, from across the world.

For more information visit: www.culturaldiplomacy.org

So, share your ideas concerning the Journey!

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The story of the Moldovan state begins with the splitting of the Moldavian Principality in 1812, following the Russian-Turkish war. The Principality would then for the first time be torn apart between russian and turkish influence. After the end of the first world war the territory would become an integral part of Romania, only to be divided again by the signing of the Molotov -Ribbentrop Pact in1939. Following the end of the second World War, Moldova would undergo a second wave of russian and cultural colonization.

The USSR was at that time trying to homogenize its newly acquired territories and disarm any potential local resistance. In the newly created Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic russian colonization was taking an previously unseen route: creating a distinct “moldovan” identity, as opposite to the “romanian” one, as recognized by the native population. This new identity would imply the creation of a separate history, that emphasized Moldova’s distinct identity, and the creation of a new “moldovan” language, which even though was nothing more than a light dialect of romanian, was now being written in its own cyrillic alphabet.

While social pressures managed to force change in Eastern/Western Germany, the wall dividing Moldova and Romania is still very much in place. In higher education the focus is still on courses taught in russian language, even though romanian is the native language of over 80% of its population. There have been reports even as late as 2009 of children not having access to education in their native romanian language. As it appears, the russians have managed to slowly build a separate national identity for the new Moldovan state, and even the younger generations now see themselves as being “moldovans”, not romanians. Worth mentioning is the fact that the moldovan intelectual elites are educated either in Romania or in Western Europe, as opposed to the traditional political elites, which are invariably russian-educated. How this bears on the future leadership of the country remains to be seen.

This brings to the forefront the question of if and how would Moldova integrate itself into the European Union. While the country now has a romanian-orientated government, the cultural and economic gap dividing the two countries is still wide enough to prevent their unification in the near future. The European Union though is quietly pushing for the integration of Moldova into its ranks, and this can be seen as the closest thing to the disappearance of the wall dividing the two countries. While the border will still exist, it will no longer be the wall that it used to be. This solution could prove to be satisfying for both sides, as it maintains the sense of a moldovan national identity without the artificial division of the two countries.

Radu Matei

I have a question to ask you: Are you happy? Although it might seem awkward, happiness is an issue that modern science is beginning to study seriously. While in Europe, especially after Enlightenment, we have been focusing on reason and progress as the foundations of joy, leaving aside emotions, Eastern cultures have strengthened their belief in emotional intelligence for thousands of years.

Matthieu Ricard, a French scientist turned Buddhist monk, sums it up quite well: happiness is commonly taken for pleasure in the Western world; this last one being contingent on time, place or subject. Modern life tends to look for this emotion in the outside instead of in the inner conditions: serenity, inner strength, freedom or self-confidence; as people like Ricard, after years of regular meditation, have discovered.

Our satisfaction with life is, we think, many times dependent on work, health, family, money, education or our ethnic group.  However, fifty percent of our happiness is genetic: the rest is just auxiliary help! But lay back, labs bring good news too: Brain plasticity does not end with adulthood; we have the capacity of changing our predisposition and controlling two ancient systems related to each other:

-The reward system: the hormone dopamine increases when, for example, when we are in love; it is normally active when we are obsessed with something and it produces a feeling of “need”; it works like a drug.

-The pleasure system: oxytocin, channelled in a strategic way, could be the tool to create long term bonds.

It seems the “romantic” image of happiness we maintain has more to do with chemistry (and with our animal nature) than we are willing to accept. Maybe now you understand why the joy you feel when looking at the sunset is more profound than when working on your favourite subject; humans have strong responses to the beauty of the nature (biophilia) and moreover, these emotions are contagious! And what is most important for the times we are living in: new technological advances have revealed that competition and individualism activate the right part of the prefrontal cortex, that is, the area dealing with depression and negative thoughts. Human beings are happy when we collaborate with others: be it when playing sports, learning together or having sex.

To conclude, I will propose you to follow this equation, taken from the book “The trip to happiness”, a book by Eduard Punset. Because we have to start thinking about tangible ways of improving our state of being in the world:

Happiness= E (M+S+P)/R+I

These being:

E: emotions in the beginning and the end of a project, that is to say, there is no action completely rational and emotions have a key role in taking decisions.

M: maintenance of your body but also your mind, give some time to yourself.

S: Enjoy the journey itself as well as arriving.

P: Cultivate your personal relations

R: Avoid these factors, they reduce your state of well-being: forget most of what culture and society have taught you, learn how to “dis-learn”; do not always recur to traditions-innovate; do not let yourself be driven by fear because fear is the biggest enemy of happiness.

I: Inheritance. Abject political power exercise; imagined stress (when you get stressed over something that has not actually happened yet); harmful mutations in our genes; ageing. Try to fight them as much as you can as long as it is in your hand.

I hope you find it useful and interesting, and that you get a fare share of happiness out of it. And now, why don’t you tell us what truly makes you happy?

Punset, Eduardo. (2009) El viaje a la felicidad. Barcelona: Ediciones Destino.

We, the IDEAS Magazine team shares this believe. For this reason we are content to announce that Ideas Magazine is working on a printed version of our IDEAS magazine. Our first issue will be a symbiosis of art, culture and politics crafted by inspired individuals all around the globe. The magazine will include price-winning essays of students, an article on “the fall of the Berlin wall” written by the Dutch Minister of European Affaires Frans Timmermanns, an interview with Ludolf van Hasselt (Head of. Representation European Commission in The Netherlands),pictures of the “Faces of Europe” competition and much more.

Just like our website, the printed Ideas magazine is going to be an open source project that lives of the contribution of it’s reader. Thus, if you want to pour your intellectual and artistic curiosity in productive forms: Take part, assist in the nascence and showcase your work!

IDEAS Magazine No1: The wall

For this concept issue we want you to think on the vague theme of ” Walls”. Think about the infamous walls in history, the ones in today’s world and of course the ones that we all have within ourselves. Physical walls deter people from their families, they can be the source of war and peace and they divide what people consider on either side as good and bad. Personal walls can ultimately limit every one of us. We want to know what you have to say about WALLS. Send us your articles, comments, questions and pictures!

We are curious to hear from you, send your contributions to: ideasmagazine@gmail.com.

The only thing that is missing are your IDEAS!

EVS - an intercultural experience -

EVS is a program within the Youth Program of the European Commission. This program covers major expenses of your stay in a foreign country in exchange for volunteer work. EVS may be regarded as the “Erasmus” of volunteering.

Unlike Erasmus, EVS follows the concept of non-formal education. Non-formal Education follows the belief that the best way to experience another culture isby learning another language and improving yourself by working actively in another country. In an EVS you will work with local people in the non-profit field, preferably in the countries’ language. Activities vary heavily: from social work to designing the program of a radio station up to researching wild species in the nature; the catalogue of EVS projects offers a wide variety of tasks.

What does EVS provide?

In a nutshell, EVS is a grant for volunteering. The European Commission will cover the accommodation, language courses, a decent insurance and above all seminars with other European volunteers. The European Voluntary Service will probably not cover all your expenses, but it certainly provides significant help in integrating you in the country of choice.

Where can I do an EVS?

The common European Voluntary Service takes up 6 to 12 months. Just as the word “European” in European Voluntary Service reveals, one can do an EVS in any European country. The probability to find an EVS varies from country to country.

There are higher requests for some countries (Spain, France, Great Britan), whereas others are easier to obtain (Finland, Bulgaria). If one is interested in a simpler, easy process of application and acceptance to maximize the experience, it is recommendable to choose a less popular country. This not only facilitates the application, but also maximizes the learning possibilities and often leads to great adventures and discoveries.

How to make an EVS?

Advantages are obvious, but there are many drawbacks: the application procedure is long and confusing.

1. The first step lies in searching for a suitable hosting organization – project in the EVS-Databank. When you found a suitable project, you must submit an application. Be warned, most project leaders are busy and therefore seldom reply, but do not lose your motivation and keep writing. In most cases you will have a positive reply after the 10th or 15th application.
2. Second, consult a home (sending) organization in your country.  The home organization is an NGO in your country that shall support you throughout your EVS experience. They will write a contract, monitor your service and provide training before and after your EVS.
3. Third, sign a cooperation contract between your home (sending) organization and the hosting project organization and send it to the National Agency of the desired country. What follows next is a cruel and long waiting time. It takes approximately 3 months until you receive a reply from the National Agency with either your confirmation or denial; but be positive: in most cases a confirmation enters your letterbox, so that in a short time period you will take up to the land of your choice.

Experiences

Here are some testimonials from people who have participated in the EVS in the Netherlands. Ruben and Liisa work for the Dutch NGO Loesje in Arnhem. We asked them to give a small in view in their EVS life:

Ruben (Spain): “Although in the beginning a big question mark was put over this new chapter in my life, my experience so far is nothing but awesome. My fears were mainly about the adaptation to a new country or not feeling useful in my project. After my first month here I’m really sure about one thing: when you have great people around, the problems get so small that you don’t care about them anymore. And for me that is what my EVS is about, great people and great moments that will be a part of me for the rest of my life… and loads of cookies.”

Liisa(Estonia): “A lot of people whom I have met during this rather short time have been amazed that I had the courage to come here. Personally I didn’t even think about fear before I came here. I’m here to learn how to live experiences from the unknown and so far it has been a great flow to go with: people, love, inspiration and joy of life around me. Late night conversations with a person you’ve never met before pleasantly make much of the unknown more known. This is the time of my life”

Usefull links

The EVS Databank: from social work to designing the program of a radio station up to researching wild species in the nature; the catalogue of EVS projects offers a wide variety of tasks.

The EVS site of the European commision: Thorough description of the European Voluntary Service

20 years youth programs: A informative, slight dry video on the Youth projects offered by the Commission

Article written by Nikolas Papageorgiou & Christina Opris

Your Profile: Trampolin to the world

Have you ever been looking for a hotel a hostel – or just a place to crash somewhere in your life? Have you been looking for new friends, local or international ones in your city and you have not met them yet? Then its time for you to read this article, it will open you the eyes for a new way of living! The idea is old, the practice was mostly complicated, but now there is a solution. The non-profit organisation Couchsurfing.org will be your trampoline for the world! Over 1.4 Million wonderful people from every country on the earth joined the idea of sharing – sharing not only your couch but your habits, your house, your culture, your friends, your cuisine, your ideas, your language – your LIFE! On the easy accessible and free Cuchsurfing (CS) Website, every member has a profile where you can find out about your next guest or host. On your CS profile you normally present yourself, your hobbies, what you do, what you think and what kind of languages you speak. But you will also see the persons couch-availability, where you can choice 6 different status from “Definitely”, “Maybe”, “Traveling” or just “Coffe or Drink”. So when you are in exam times, having friends over or just not in the mood of hosting people you can update your profile and make the other couch surfers life easier. Furthermore one can find the room information or apartment situation, e.g. if you have pets or if there are any rules about the stay or whatever else you want to share with other couch surfers. But the most important criteria are the comments that others couch surfers leave on the profile. The comments of CS community embrace the characteristics of the persons, how much they trust the couch surfer, how good and joyful the time was and what else need to be said over this member.

search the world

There was Jazmin, a young Mexican women who was still living with here parents, I wrote here a week before I was coming with two friends to Tijuana, Mexico. She responded quickly and invited us all three to stay at her place. She picked us up from the airport and then we got to know her family and friends. We felt welcome and at home in this pleasant atmosphere which we encountered in this beautiful Mexican family. It was like we would have been friends already for a long time. Jazmin took us with her car to beaches, showed us her city and introduced us to the crazy night-life. In her house we had our own room, we cooked for her and she for us. After four wonderful days which we all enjoyed a lot, she brought us to the airport and we left this vibrating city and could imagined this time without her. It was another of this perfect CS experiencie and we left Jazmin as a friend in our hearts and memories.
Besides wonderful friendships I made in the last years traveling with CS I also learned a lot from our brother and sisters of our mother earth! It is like magic when you receive or give trust for the world, its like a gift you can give to others whenever you invite somebody to sleep at your place. I not only received the key of the couch surfers where I stayed, but I always felt like we are bound in trust hood, brotherhood or some sort of vibration which makes you enjoy the time so much more!

over one million surfers world wide

The CS website is safe, there are several security methods like the “Vouch” which you can only receive from CS-members who got a Vouch from three other members. These “Trust-Signs” come from the founders of Couchsurfing and they went downwards from the pyramid of members. It means basically that somebody who is very trusted by the CS-community puts his hands in the fire for you. Because Couchsurfing is an Organisation that lives from donations of its members, everybody should think about supporting this great site and the thousands of people who are running it, mostly voluntary with small donation. When someone donates with a credit card they also verify your name and your address  – so everybody can see this and it might help you to find more easily a couch.
So there is nothing to fear out there, million of wonderful people awaiting you and is there anything better than to be welcome in a new place, new environment by a friend, a couch surfer?

If you want to see how a profile looks like and who wrote this article check: www.couchsurfing.org/kingoflove
If you just want to explore more of CS or register yourself you can do so for free: www.couchsurfing.org

Mexico: "the belly button of the moon"

Mexico means in the prehispanic language náhuatl “the belly button of the moon”. This name is expressing how special this place is, center of strong energetic currents that will help you transcend your senses to discover more about yourself.
Mexico is magic, not the kind of magic that throw rabbit out of hats but a magic that makes life less obscure and helps you understand why we are all here on earth.

alternative ways of traveling

Buses leave stations when they are full. Time doesn’t define actions, actions define time.
You are free to eat whenever you feel like eating, and better to not eat alone.
Warm hugs are a much better way to say hello and bye bye.
Cities are more beautiful with walls painted in flashy red, blue, yellow, orange…and gray is not a color.
Work is not a value, just a tool that can sometimes make you live better.
Life is just beautiful and each moment, each fragment of sun, each discussion, each tequila must be appreciated. That’s what Mexico taught me.

A Mexico full of colours, compassion and culture.

Media tend to show us Mexico as a dangerous country that could contaminate the whole world. That’s one perception, I invite you strongly to make your own. For this reason we created www.mexicooo.com, a website to promote a alternative vision of Mexico. A Mexico with an alternative perception of time, food, work, life and love. A Mexico full of colours, compassion and culture.

You can make you first step into Mexico by checking www.mexicooo.com

Ben Lesage