Issue Three

KUOPIOPOLITAN

The Farewell Issue

Magazine of the Finnish Regional Session of the European Youth Parliament in Kuopio
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

EDITORIAL POLITICS
Your Editors Konrad Staeger and Elsa Kuopio’10, what could happen next?
Horn af Rantzien say their farewell. Sara Juricic gives you an answer.
PAGE 2 PAGE 7

SOCIAL LIFE LITERATURE

Anna Westerlund covers the gossip from :KDWLI :LOOLDP6KDNHVSHDUHPHW(<3"
Saturday evening. Nikolas Rawlins discovers.
PAGE 3 PAGE 8

FAREWELL POLITICS
It’s time to say goodbye – Eoin O’Leary’s Katarina Warg meets our session Patron
article will leave you sobbing. Seppo Käärlainen and tells us his views.
PAGE 4 PAGE 9

LIFESTYLE POLITICS
Anni Marttinen analyses the statement What is multiculturalism? Why is it a
DQRXWÀWFDQPDNH problem? Nikolas Rawlins tries to clear
PAGE 5 the issue.
PAGE 10
MR. MAJARI
An interview with Jari Marjelund, Vice-
President of EYP Finland, by Kati Pärn.
PAGE 6

The Kuopio’10 Press team

Journalists
Anni Marttinen
Anna Westerlund
Eoin O’Leary
Katarina Warg
Kati Pärn
1LNRODV5DZOLQV
Sara Juricic

Editors
(OVD+RUQDI 5DQW]LHQ
Konrad Staeger

1
 Dear Delegates,
By the time you read these lines, you
will not be Delegates of Kuopio’10 any-
more. However, what you will remain
in the future, are participants of the Eu-
ropean Youth Parliament. We hope that
the first positive impression you had of
EYP was reinforced over the last two
days. Hopefully, you will take your per-
EDITORIAL sonal EYP experience to the next level
at National and International Sessions.
“The truly special thing about firsts
is that they are eternal,” as one of our
Journalists writes in this issue of the
Kuopiopolitan. And indeed, Eoin could
not be more right. As you move on
Kuopio’10 will always remain unique as
your first session.
The Beginning Ends
With this Farewell Issue of our maga-
zine, the session officially also ends for
us. We hope that you will leave Kuo-
pio with memories just as fond as ours.
Kuopio’10 forms the beginning of your
own EYP story, of which today’s Clos-
ing Ceremony is not the end, but only
the end of the first chapter.
We wish you all the best for your future.
Your Editors,
Konrad Staeger &
Elsa Horn af Rantzien
2
SOCIAL LIFE
Une Soirée
Kuopienne
Speed-dating and cross-
dressing, a typically Finn-
ish evening in Kuopio.
Saturday night truly was an exception:
For once, one could see handsome
male Delegates in high heels and skirts
and beautiful female Delegates with
moustaches and ties. Going through
each other’s luggage in order to borrow
clothes for the evening programme is
usually reserved for the ladies. Yesterday
evening, however, the gentlemen wore
the shortest skirts, showed the most
cleavage and had the most astonishing
make-up.
Once the ice was broken with a first
game, it was time for the real deal,
speed-dating in a romantic, candle-lit
surrounding. The atmosphere turned
out to be anything but romantic, as the
room was filled with giggling and flirt-
3
ing with the opposite sex over a candle.
Every two minutes the gentlemen were
asked to move one seat to their left and
to start all over again with yet another
lady.
Later on, the Delegates were heading
to a forest guided by more experienced
hunters with lots of bullets with them.
Yeah. Unfortunately, the trip ended like
it usually does, running desperately
towards the starting point. No session
can end without a loud and energetic
round of Streetfighter that has a circle
size of two Committee Rooms. Some-
how during the game, the amount of
energy was multiplied – at least five en-
ergy balls were going around the circle
and hopping from side to side. Every
evening deserves a story-like ending, es-
pecially in a non-Scandinavian country
like Finland. Everyone deserves a love
story, preferably a life-lasting one. One
thing is for sure, Rhett got his Scarlett.
Anna Westerlund

The Finnal Word
My dear delegates,
So we come to the end of our session.
Think, perhaps, on that ‘our’. I really
mean it. This has been a session for us
all. It was my session, it was Robert’s ses-
sion, it was each and every one of yours.
I hope you realised this, just how much
the session can be yours, how it can be-
come a part of you, change you, if you
let it. It can grant you a new perspective
and open your mind. It can develop
your skills, boost your self-confidence,
gift you with new friends. In short, this
session can change your life. But only if
you let it, if you open yourselves to all
that you have experienced here.
It seems impossible that it was less than
72 hours ago that you all arrived and
got your first taste of the bizzarity that
is so much a part of EYP, standing out
in the cold singing ‘Big Fat Pony’ and
hugging complete strangers because
they also liked guinea pigs; only three
days since this incredible journey be-
gan. Perhaps it seems so long ago be-
cause those memories are like those of a
different man – the person I was before
the session, – because I look back on
it now with a different mind-set. I can
only imagine it is the same for some
of you. Think of all you have done in
the past three days, all that the person
you were when you woke up on Friday
morning had never done, the ideas you
had never considered, the people you
had never met.
Here in the very last moments of the
session, I would ask you to consider
the idea of firsts. Robert has referred to
this as a session of firsts. For himself, it
is his first time as a Session President.
The first time for the Vice-Presidents
too, and my own first time as an official
here in Finland, which is incidentally
not a part of Scandinavia. Much of the
Press team experienced their first time
as a Journalist. For you, I would not be
surprised if you have lost count of your
firsts during the session. Most of you
are first-time Delegates, in Teambuild-
ing you have played many games for the
first time, Committee Work may have
been the first time you sat with your
peers and discussed such topics, GA
may have been the first time you stood
up and had the confidence to speak in
front of an audience. All these things
you have done because you gave up
your weekend to come to Kuopio and
talk politics with other young people.
And the truly special thing about firsts
is that they are eternal. You can always
FAREWELL
look back on this session as the first time
you did these things, this weekend will
forever hold such significance, a special
place in your life story. A starting place,
perhaps: maybe you have found a new
love for public speaking having stood
up for the first time in GA; maybe you
have found a new interest in women’s
rights or the Baltic Sea environment
that will remain with you after leaving
the session.
Finally, in a turn from looking to the
future, I would ask you to think on the
good memories from the session. Re-
member and treasure them. They are
your souvenirs, as it were. Take them
with you, along with the friends you
have made here and all that you have
learned – and these magazines, I hope.
They are what will stay with you after
you leave here. The only real proof you
will have that this experience has hap-
pened - that on a snowy weekend in
October, you gathered here in Kuopio
with four dozen others just like you, felt
all that you have felt here, seen, tasted
and known here all that only you have.
Lived as only an EYPer can imagine.
This is not something anyone can take
away from you, something you may al-
ways have.
Eoin O’Leary
4
LIFESTYLE

If clothes could speak

What is the first thing that
comes to your mind when
clothes are mentioned; A
piece of fabric keeping us
warm or an underrated item
through which the most pro-
found and personal details
can be revealed?

Some people wear clothes just because it

is illegal to walk around naked in pub-
lic places. They are more than happy
to simply throw on something perhaps
found lying on the floor without even
noticing whether the piece of clothing
is dirty or clean and, with this, feeling
completely satisfied. Although these
“I-do not-care-what-I-am-wearing”-
type of people think that what they
randomly decide to dress their bodies
in does not reflect in any way their per-
sonalities, they might be surprised how
wrong they are. Clothes do in fact make
an astonishingly strong statement.
After the energising evening pro-
gramme with the theme cross-dressing,
I spent time with the non-Scandinavian
Delegates Waltter, Erasmus and Heljä.
I decided to simply ask them how they
felt while dressed as the opposite gen-
der. I was expecting casual responds
such as “fun” or “great” but on the
contrary I was surprised how the small
talk grew into a fruitful discussion and
led me to change the whole concept of
this article. It came as no surprise that
the Delegates of the Committee on
Women’s Rights and Gender Equal-
ity immediately joined the discussion.
They stated that women are, in a way,
privileged concerning clothing, as they
are less probable to be judged than men
are. For instance, women can wear
pants and ties without looking mascu-
line or having to worry that someone
would assume that they are, for in-
stance, homosexual. Waltter stated that
men have more strict dressing standards
than women, which is something that
can be considered somewhat true. It is
not everyday that a male gets to put on
a skirt and heels without coming off as
a transvestite.
In a way clothes can also be seen as a
mean of communication. First of all,
clothes reveal gender (together with
the whole appearance) and from time
to time even sexual orientation. On top
of this, clothes can also expose informa-
tion and details about social status or
profession without even having the per-
son wearing the outfit saying a word. It
is, for instance, obvious that a person
wearing a long white coat is a doctor
and a person wearing sophisticated,
clean and classy clothes in most cases
do not have financial difficulties. The
specific garment bought can also mirror
interests, often type of music, in partic-
ular among youngsters. Generally, for
example, hip hoppers are not expected
to wear all-black clothes. Clothing and
style are above all an interesting and
creative way to express personality.
As a final note, the Delegate Erasmus
believes that dressing up and wearing
formal clothes in fact affects people’s
behaviour in a variety of situations. An
example would be during the Commit-
tee Work where smart clothing creates a
certain serious atmosphere. He believes
that people who wear dirty clothes
and ignores the statement it makes
are committing a mistake. There are
reasons behind dress codes, imagine a
General Assembly dressed in pyjamas.
Like proven, what you wear has a larger
influence than you maybe expected;
on people as well as on a situation. So
maybe, if you are one of those who pick
up clothes from your floor, you should
give tomorrow’s outfit an extra thought.
Anni Marttinen

5

Jari Marjelund, Vice-Presi-
dent of EYP Finland, shares
his wisdom and sarcasm.
In Opening Ceremony, you might have
wondered who the blond, short and
suited-up guy was. Jari “Majari” Mar-
jelund, wearing his characteristic and,
in particular, Majarifying glasses, de-
livered a smart and important speech
enlightening us about the history of the
EYP as well as the importance of drink-
ing enough water. Jari was kind enough
to spare for us some of his precious time
at 2 am for a not-so-serious interview.
What has been your role in this ses-
sion?
I am representing EYP Finland.
By hanging around?
Giving the session institutional support
and supervising that everything is go-
ing well.
How come are you “only” the Vice-
President of EYP Finland?
The President of EYP Finland dresses
better than I do. Also, the basic rules
of EYP Finland say that the President
I was a Rebel
must be ginger and have a beard. I am
not ginger and I cannot grow a beard.
Whom did you sleep with to get the
position? Be honest.
Oh, practically everyone. EYP Finland
has about 300 members, but there are
365 days in a year so I had to go for the
Board members twice.
Tell me the most embarrassing mo-
ment of your life, one that you are
still ashamed of?
The thing is, I am shameless. I have
done loads of funny stuff. For instance,
on my last day of high school I took
part, naked, in a play and had my long
hair cut off on stage. I wasn’t a hippie - I
was a rebel.
Do you recycle?
Yes I do. Milk cartons, bottles and cans.
If you cloud switch souls with some-
one form EYP who would it be?
If it were forever then it would be Chris
Hall (GB), because he believes in God
and through changing souls with him I
could actually live forever.
Would you want to live forever?
No that would be horrible, I mean, at
least not in my human flesh. Someone
MR. MAJARI
who has a very nice body might think
differently. I am in fact very confident
when it comes to my intellectual capa-
bilities, but I don’t know if I can win
anything by staying in my body for
eternity.
Is there something you want to add to
the interview?
This is my third interview in two
months. I am an interesting person not
only because of my position. But let me
see your questions, I will see if I can
come up with something funnier. May
I say something wise?
Sure.
I will quote Charlie Chaplin: “At the
end everything is a gag.” This is my phi-
losophy in life; I think it is vital that
everyone takes this quote in to mind. If
you think about yourself from a cosmic
perspective, the universe does not give a
blab about you. The basis of intelligence
is to fully understand your complete in-
significance to this universe. When you
understand your place and realise that
no one cares about you in the long run,
this is when you can position yourself
in society.
Kati Pärn
6
POLITICS
Kuopio - What’s Next?
Having completed Kuo-
pio’10, a Regional Session
of the European Youth Par-
liament, you might wonder
what is next. Here is your
answer.
After a session has ended, you always
ask yourself – what is next? When in-
volved in the EYP, you grow a certain
need for more, a certain wish that there
will be something next. The thrill you
feel after a session is priceless. After the
session, some of you might be offered
the chance to participate in either a Na-
tional or an International Session. Then
you will enter a bubble of happiness for
a couple of days and you will not be
able to believe how fortunate you are.
But then you ask yourself – what now?
Having been a participant in all three
kinds of sessions, I know all the emo-
tions you feel when you think about it.
Even if it is months away, you plan your
trip, book your plane or train tickets
and ponder the topics and the commit-
tees. But let us start at the beginning.
7
Taking into consideration the fact that
both National and International Ses-
sions differ greatly from the Regional
ones, and bearing in mind that this is
your very first contact with EYP, you
might need some advice. First of all,
do not be afraid. We come in peace.
National Sessions are usually four days
long and consist of one day of Team-
building, two days of Committee Work
and one day of General Assembly. If the
National Session is your first encoun-
ter with EYP it is the perfect way to see
what EYP really is and hopefully after it
is done, you will want more. One thing
that the Regional Sessions do not have
is Eurovillage. Being proud members
of the different regions of your coun-
try, you want to show it off and share it
with everyone. You bring food, drinks
and different souvenirs to showcase
your own region and mingle with other
delegates.
If you realise that EYP is something
you want to continue doing, you may
be fortunate enough to get a place at
an International Session. They consist
of two full days of Teambuilding, four
days of Committee Work and two days
of General Assembly. One thing that
neither Regional nor National Sessions
have is the Euroconcert. It is an op-
portunity for you to be a musician, not
only a politician. For many people the
International Sessions are a highlight in
their EYP career. It is a chance to trav-
el, to meet new people, to experience
something you have never tried before.
Nevertheless, you have now attended
your first Regional Session of the Euro-
pean Youth Parliament and over these
days gotten your first glance at what our
sessions really are. One of the main rea-
sons why I am a part of EYP is the peo-
ple you meet during your sessions and
the friendships you make. It will make
you want to travel to places that you
have never even dreamed of visiting,
making it altogether something to give
you goosebumps whenever you think
of it. As citizens of a non-Scandinavian
country you might find it exiting to vis-
it Sweden, Norway or Denmark. I hope
that during this Session you made such
friends and that you have felt the same
way I did during my first session. And
when you come home and think about
this weekend, I want you to ask yourself
– what is next?
Sara Juricic

Shakespeare
in the EYP
The spirit of Shakespeare
visits the European Youth
Parliament in Kuopio.
This, my final article, is about how
the immortal bard known as William
Shakespeare might have a connection
with a youth organisation. So with
measure for measure I once more took
up my laptop, prepared my tea and
thought to myself: “The game is afoot,
follow your spirit and upon this charge
cry God, for Robert, Kuopio and EYP.”
Here I must stop and wonder if anyone
understood that quotation was from
Henry the Fifth – anyone?
The works of William Shakespeare,
arguably the world’s best playwright
– known for such works as King Lear,
Macbeth and Hamlet, – have left a per-
manent impression on later theater and
literature. His plays have been translat-
ed into every major living language and
are performed more often than those of
any other playwright.
Though we are all aware of the profound
effects Shakespeare has had on modern
culture – on educational values, mod-
ern literature, language and theatre – I
am fairly certain not many can under-
stand Shakespearean language – the
way he utilised certain words or the
sense of his humor. It is possible, that
my earlier comments are just much ado
about nothing, but I would still wager
LITERATURE
that, whilst he might be a house hold
name, many still do not know much
about this thousand-year-old mummy.
So to in order to tame this shrew and
to make things easier I decided to stick
to a quick introduction with a smooth
connection, in order not to have my
love’s labour’s lost.
So, to cut a long story short, the merry
Journalists of this session were the real
bards of the day. These exceptionally
talented writers of Kuopiopolitan were
the ones responsible for recording our
most treasured moments over the past
two days. This mid-autumn night’s
dream and tenacious team, lead by
the dynamic duo of Elsa and Konrad,
conjured up striking articles with such
originality and innovation to make it
seem as though the bard himself was
watching over them.
And now, with resolute strife, or what
you will, our team is making their final
tales on our grand journey, our curtain
comes down on the Regional Session of
Kuopio in the non-Scandinavian coun-
try of Finland. Hopefully to the faithful
reader this did not seem like a comedy
of errors, but as a tempest ending. All’s
well that ends well and so, as a passionate
pilgrim to this winter’s tale, I shall re-
cite from a sonnet out of one of Shake-
speare’s plays “A great while ago our tale
began, but that is one our tale is done
and we’ll strive to please you every day”.
Nikolas Rawlins
8
POLITICS
A Patron’s Visit
Kuopio’10 was priviliged
to have their patron Seppo
Käärlainen visit the session
during Committee Work.
Seppo Kääriäinen, the second speaker
of the Finnish Parliament, is the patron
of this Regional Session of the EYP in
Kuopio. He has not only honoured
the session with his patronage but has
also shown a big interest in the session
and the EYP in general. He is himself
originally from the region and therefore
particularly pleased that the session is
taking place in eastern Finland.
Yesterday, when the Delegates were busy
9
with Committee Work, Mr. Kääriäinen
came to visit the session. After having a
cup of coffee with the members of the
Board, he joined the Committee Work
of our Delegates. Already on advance
he had expressed the wish to visit the
Committee on Foregin Affairs since he
is particularly interested in their topic.
Upon arrival in the Committee room
he picked up a few post-its with prob-
lems and solutions from the floor and
started discussing the ideas with the
Delegates. The topic is very complex
and as Mr. Kääriäinen stated; a solution
to this problem would consequently
solve several other problems and if the
Delegates would manage to invent a
solution they should be awarded the
Nobel Prize. He also posed many ques-
tions, listened attentively and tried to
challenge the Delegates’ views and help
them to develop their thoughts. These
discussions were very helpful and con-
tained many inputs for the Delegates.
Mr. Kääriäinen hopefully enjoyed the
time he spent at the session and we
are happy to announce that asked for
a copy of the Resolution Booklet. He
expressed his appreciation for the EYP,
what the organisation stands for as well
as the Delegates’ impressive work. He
also announced that he will be writing
a column about his experience of the
European Youth Parliament and the
national organisation’s work.
Katarina Warg

Rest in Peace,
Multiculturalism?
As EYP grows, so does co-
operation and respect be-
tween its participants. The
same does not seem to ap-
ply just as well to the Euro-
pean Union, where strong
doubts concerning multi-
culturalism are currently
being raised.
“Multiculturalism is dead”, said Ger-
man chancellor Angela Merkel, when
she recently addressed her fellow party
members. The attempts of building a
multicultural society in Germany had
“utterly failed”, Merkel said. Mean-
while, in France, President Sarkozy de-
creed that the ethnic and undocument-
ed Roma minority are to be deported
from the country. These comments
are examples of recent outpourings of
strong anti-immigrant feeling among
mainstream European politicians –
they are an example of the issues multi-
culturalism may entail.
Multiculturalism is steadily and rapidly
becoming a household term in Europe.
It is a term often used when speaking of
the diversity between different cultures.
It describes the change our world is
taking towards globalization, when in-
teraction between cultures is more and
more common – today, that interac-
tion is a normal part of our daily lives.
It takes place as you get on a train for
work, when you meet your best friend
in school or when you buy a kebab meal
for lunch. As I am writing this article I
am surrounded by people from differ-
ent ethnic backgrounds socializing and
enjoying each other’s company. It is a
rather interesting experience when peo-
ple from Ireland, Croatia and Belgium
are sitting at the same table having a
conversation about beer. In addition,
being half-English or half-Bulgarian or
a quarter Egyptian or even having three
nationalities is more common than be-
ing a 100 per cent “pure”.
Recently, the negative aspects of multi-
culturalism have prevailed in European
politics and media. The question of im-
migrants and refugees has caused an up-
roar of opinions both for and against.
Reaching consensus on the topic seems
to be something of a seesaw with the
public opinion. Nationalist parties have
gained foothold in the parliaments of
Sweden, Holland and France, and there
has been rising demands for closing the
borders for refugees and setting stricter
laws on immigration. Going back to
Germany, the attempts to assimilate
POLITICS
Muslim immigrants into German soci-
ety have failed despite great effort in the
past decades.
Although there seems to be a general
mistrust toward certain ethnic groups
and immigrants, the relentless march of
globalization is not slowing down. Be-
sides, generalization about the opinions
of some 500 million people is rather
redundant as opinions vary as much as
the amount of spots on a cheetah. I dare
say there are just as many, if not more,
people who prefer multiculturalism to
going against it. The advances it has,
such as the learning possibilities and the
general feeling of camaraderie and uni-
ty, outweigh the negative sides. As we
go about our daily activities, be it go-
ing to Karate tryouts or shopping, the
diversity of cultures is always present.
While writing this article I couldn’t
help but marvel at how a person from
on of the Scandinavian countries, Fin-
land and Estonia could have an easy
discussion on how to better their as-
signments. A person from France, who
is also half-Chinese, is helping a girl
from Croatia on English grammar. Like
it or not, multiculturalism is here to
stay. It is your choice whether you want
to complain about it or embrace it.
Nikolas Rawlins
10