ha,ha,ha,ha,ha/check this out...

one of the most fun things I saw the last days is a new internet tool, to help u be a bit more organised..

it's like Facebook but mostly for the people u dislike...

It's really fun, easy to use, user-friendly and very smart...
enjoy it!!!

http://www.arsebook.org

Boy loves girl...

Well what striked my attention this week in the media is the story of a guy who saw the girl of his dreams in the Metro in New York, he didn't manage to talk to her but he decided to look for her everywhere...

He made a site : http://www.nygirlofmydreams.com/ and he informed all the media and tried to reach all the people in NY, to locate a girl he saw in the Metro one Sunday night..

and I do not know how easy is to find people in an 8 million people city, but 3 days later they managed to find each other.

i do not know if this is the perfect love story, I do not know i this things happen only in Hollywood or in real life...

just wanted to say that is the story that made my week great and gave me a very sweet smile..

I'm wishing to u a greaτ weekend and I shared with u this very beautiful story, reminding to everybody that miracles still happen, and yes..ur life can really change just like that..with a bit of magic, with a bit of unexpected, to the unexpected moment and place..

and somewhere behind the music still plays...

"and I saw your face/
in a crowded place/
and I don't know what to do/
cause I'll never be with u.."
James Blunt

check the story here :
http://www.rctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071122/FEATURES01/711220307/1004/MTCN0303

and for Greek friends :
http://www.tanea.gr//Article.aspx?d=20071116&nid=6607456&sn=ΚΟΣΜΟΣ&spid=877

Στρογγυλή Τράπεζα για τις Διακρίσεις από την Αντιγόνη

Λάβαμε από την Αντιγόνη (Κέντρο Πληροφόρησης και Τεκμηρίωσης για τον ρατσισμό, την οικολογία και τη μη βία) την παρακάτω πρόσκληση για στρογγυλή τράπεζα για την Τετάρτη 12 Δεκεμβρίου 2007, στο Αμφιθεάτρο της ΓΣΕΕ, με θέμα τα "Προβλήματα Διακρίσεων στους τομείς της αγοράς εργασίας, και της πρόσβασης στην υγεία".

Είχα την τύχη να πάω στην περσινή στρογγυλή τράπεζα, όπου συζητήθηκαν οι διακρίσεις στην εκπαίδευση και την στέγαση. Ο διάλογος ήταν εποικοδομητικός με αρκετές παρεμβάσεις (είναι γεγονός όμως ότι πάνε μόνο ειδικοί/ειδικευμένοι σ'αυτά τα θεματικά τραπέζια) και αρκετό προβληματισμό.

Αν θέλετε να κάνετε κάτι ενδιαφέρον και δημιουργικό πριν βγείτε την Τετάρτη θα σας το πρότεινα ανεπιφύλακτα.

Ένα πορτραίτο για τον Αλέκο - Εγκαίνια

H Ελληνική Δημοκρατική Νεολαία (Ε.ΔΗ.Ν.), οι Εκδόσεις Παπαζήση, το Ι.Ε.Κ. Όμηος, ο Πολιτισμικός Οργανισμός του Δήμου Αθηναίων και ο Στάθης Παναγούλης σας προσκαλούν στα εγκαίνια της έκθεσης των σπουδαστών του τμήματος art & design του Ομήρου, με θέμα τη μορφή του Αλέκου Παναγούλη.

Για τον Αλέκο Παναγούλη θα μιλήσει ο συναγωνιστής του Στάθης Γιώτας.

Το έργο που θα βραβευθεί θα κοσμεί το εξώφυλλο της επανέκδοσης των ποιημάτων του Ήρωα.

Η εκδήλωση θα αρχίσει στις 19:00

Επειδή τα λόγια αλλά και η ζωή του Αλέκου, είναι απίστευτα επίκαιρα σήμερα, ενός ανθρώπου που δε συμβιβάστηκε με δουλικές και "φιλικές" συμεριφορές , που ξήλωνε τα γαλόνια των αστυνομικών και του αριθμού τους για να τα παραδώσει στους ανωτέρους του, που μάζευε έγγραφα για συνεργασία με την χούντα συναδέλφων του βουλευτών που αργότερα γίνανε μεγάλοι και τρανοί, που μετά από ταξίδι στην Σοβιετική Ένωση μίλησε για τον φασισμό του καθεστώτος και για όλα αυτά που θα πρέπει να εμπνέουν και εμάς σήμερα μπροστά στον φασισμό των σύγχρονων ΜΜΕ, ας βρούμε 5 λεπτά να περάσουμε να τιμήσουμε τους αγώνες του και τα παιδιά που δούλεψαν για να ετοιμάσουν την έκθεση.

Θέση: Κέντρο Τεχνών Δήμου Αθηναίων,Πάρκο Ελευθερίας-Μετρό Μέγ.Μουσικής Επαφή: Ελληνική Δημοκρατική Νεολαία - 210.3303313

"Μην αφήνετε τον εαυτό σας να παρασύρεται από τα δόγματα, τις στολές, τις δοξασίες, μην αφήνετε τον εαυτό σας να εξαπατάται από αυτόν που σας κυβερνά, από αυτόν που σας υπόσχεται, από αυτόν που σας φοβίζει, από αυτόν που θέλει να αντικαταστήσει έναν αφέντη μ' έναν καινούργιο αφέντη, μην είστε κοπάδι, για το Θεό, μην καλύπτεστε πίσω από τα φταιξίματα των άλλων, να αγωνίζεστε, να σκέφτεστε με το μυαλό σας, να θυμάστε ότι ο καθένας είναι κάποιος, ένα πολύτιμο, υπεύθυνο άτομο, δημιουργός του εαυτού του, να το υπερασπίζεστε το εγώ σας, πυρήνα κάθε ελευθερίας, η ελευθερία είναι καθήκον, περισσότερο από δικαίωμα είναι καθήκον."

airports-travel-thoughts-life-moments

just arrived to the tinest airport I've seen..Rijeka-Krk airport in Western Croatia..it has the feeling of a bus station andthe size it's not bigger than a medium-train station..after travelling for 40 min. next to Adriatic coast and unspoiled landscape,listening to a bit depressing music from the Balkan peninsula, having taken the bus from Rijeka city center, we arrived here..the funny thing of the situation is that I really like this airport, cause i have the feeling it is cosy and very easy tomove round..2 check-in counters,one bar and many tables..it just reminds me that this is the reason of existence of theairports..to bring people closer to each other..to the ones they love?or in general?...I think i have to make a trubune in one of my future postings about the airports I really liked and this includes Tallin,Zagreb and Schiphol (Amsterdam)..all of them for different reasons..but I will come back:-)

Direct link for pics: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28004&l=bac9d&id=626776829

Back to the crime-scene..Mollina,Spain 2007

Here I am again after a whole year in Mollina university for Youth and Development..an initiative that started many years agofrom the cooperation of the Spanish governemt, with the governments of Latin America to create a space for young people tocome closer and work and also to meet each other...Last year I have been working with colleagues from the Pool of Trainers of the Youth Forum, working on Global Education and creating tools for trainers on how to deal with this issue..This year I am working for the Spanish Youth Council, with young leaders trying to create a commmon understanding on Millenium Development Goals between young leaders from all over the world and also a sustainable network between them..

For those who do not know, Mollina is a small village 80 km. north of Malaga and has this CEULAT which is the center for the cooperation of the youth of Europe and Latin America. North-South centre of Council of Europe is the coordinator and organiser and every year a big team from them arrive to coordinate and organise the event. North-South centre has its headquarters in Lisbon/Portugal.

Mollina is one of the events that somebody can meet most of the stakeholders and actors of Youth WOrk in Europe together. Organisations like the Youth Forum and North-South centre, Asian-European Foundation and organisations such as Youth For Exchange and Understanding, AEGEE, Alliance of European VOlunteers Service Organisations,Youth Express Network (check my links on the left column) and many more, as well as National Youth Councils, participate actively there with their activities and have volunteers and participants usually all over the world ,creating a great colourful event,with a lot of expertise and experimental learning (apart from each organisations methods).

Really forward to be back here and work and offer my best to the team and steal some of the intercultural experience of allthe event..More than 14 members of the PoT will be involved here,so this means fun and nice talks in between..And the nights are already busy, going to Paco's, which is the only Pub in the village and it happens to be the mayor of the village also...lots of intercultural and informal learning between the participants, I would say it's one experience every youth worker has to live at least once in his/her Youth Work life..

Direct link for pics: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=27998&l=24dd9&id=626776829

Lisbon and Youth Event..

just came from Lisbon where I was preparing with 11 more colleagues from the YouthForum the Youth event of Portoguese Presidency..

each country who is taking over the presidency (Portugal took over from Germany and will hand over to Slovenia) is organising several common meetings of all the ministries and secretariats, in order to coordinate all the actions of the involved actors, to make sure that policies are common and evrybody is coordinating towards the same direction..

one of the things they have to organise is a youth event for the young people in order to hear the voice of young people and to be aware of what youth needs and demands...usually each country is deciding if they will nominate unorganised young people (pretty much the case of Northern countries) or people from the National Youth Councils (wherever those exist) in order to be more representative (elected by other young people) or just somebody who will have to go there (appointed by the ministry or a secretariat responsibly for youth..)

it can be one of the most fun things to do while being active in the Youth sector..

Portoguese presidency choosed the subject to be "Volunteerism" and the connection it has with other relavant issues such as Active Citizenship, Employment, Non-formal education recognition, etc.


while this being my 3rd european youth event(1st European Youth Week, Austrian Youth Event), I am looking so much forward to it beacuse it is quite fun to be with all these people from the 27 countries of Europe and discussing burning issues that have to do with Europe but the same time also with us..
i will keep you updated about the results but I can already tell u that the Commisioner for Educaiton and Sports will already be there and the Commisioner for Employment..so let's hope we will have a hot debate in all the subjects..

this event was to say a bit about Lisbon but I didn't manage cause political "Yannis" took over..so I'm enclosing you one of the pictures I managed to get and I hope to make so more next week...the city looked quite beautiful (the port area mostly) and very relaxed and it's a feeling I had missed the last few months serving my service to the greek army..

hope to keep u updated of all the news...
Yannis

you're in the army now...!

tomorrow I'm passing the gate, all the way to my new life, to new experiences and at last now is the time to become a real man...!

Nikos and Stavros are taking me there tomorrow..I have to be before 1 o'clock inside in the camp which is next to the city of Korinthos (ancient Korinhtos for all those who are history maniacs..)

many (more than many) thoughts..what will happen with all my activities with all the things I'm doing the last years, what will happen with the girl I love and I want to be with her, what kind of people I will meet, if I will find time for myself to do the things I like and all my arrangements via the phone and many more...

I hope I will find the time to keep this diary updated..and my thoughts untouched..and to strengthen my desires and all the things I want to do as a person in my life..
somewhere now in the other side my friend Ozge will be finishing his 6month term..

I can imagine there is no way and no answer to why I have to do it..for my fatherland and all the things and competencies that provided me...isn't it a bit too much? maybe..and all the people that spend one year inside a military restaurant cause they cannot carry a gun, who they are serving? fatherland?

i'm going to see my friends in a while..missing them already...and her more than anything already...

Hope to hear from eachother soon..

somewhere over the rainbow...

hello everybody..

it's been a long time since I last wrote, but I really have a good excuse about that...

well first of all I need tosay that it is Good Friday and I'm in a small tiny village called Lefktra, 100 km. more or less out of Athens, celebrating greek orthodox Easter...

last week I came back from a Training Course on the Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life (check here)..it was in the Youth Center in Strasbourg with an excellent team of co-trainers and an excellent quality of participants...we hope that the impact the participants will create in their local reality will be really worth the try...

before that I was really active in the campaign "all different-all equal" of the Council of Europe, as the campaing man responsible for Greece...we had our 3 days event in Central Metro Station in Syntagma, with a lot of fun, many interactive events (juggling, construction of juggling ball, leave your fingerprint, leave your message, play drums, leave your message in the wall, living library)

I would like to leave some more infos about the latter..it is a concepot that was develop firstly in Denmark and since then it is spread in Europe and is adopted by Council of Europe as a very good practise...it is a library that you can lend books that interests you, but the books are consisted from real people...and u do have different categories..in Greece we managed to make one library that had the following categories : blond woman, activist for the environment, greek muslim, greek roma, disabled athletes, homosexual, political refugee, migrant, HIV positive and a feminist...well maybe the categories were not enough and maybe not very representive of the greek society but we managed to introduce the concept to a bigger population and hopefully next time there will have more interest..

one of the most interesting moment was when we had the improvisation theater...they focused aminly in diversity and discrimination..there were many people that wanted to share stories..Danish love for an italian girl following her in Athens, discrimination in school cause of appearance, discrimination in Belgium and Netherlands because of being greek, love of a huge red guy (that was one of my best!!!!!..)..the most fun thing was that people were just seeign what was happening crossing the metro station and many of tehm took the minute to stpo and many youngster came with their friends instead of going out at that Saturday night...it was surely an incredible moment, because people were also given the moment to express themselves and say what they do believe..in a really public space...

more about this i will write later...

enjoy easter time and i hope that all your dreams will become true and real...(better than the most beautiful lie of yours...)

a love that survived 6thousand years..

well in north Italy, in madova, archeologists found out a couple that remianed hugged the last 6000 years..they couldn't trace the reason they were like this together but it somehting unique in the exhibitions...

it's my small message to all the couples for the western celebration of St. Valentine's Day..Happy birthday to all of you out there!!

i have been thinking a lot and I was wondering why some people need an extra day to celebrate and protest their love..i think it's something that you do naturally every day..if u love and care about somebody why u need a special day to show it to him/her? maybe because you need a special day where everybody can do it and enjoy freely their beloved person..

what's interesting is that Church of Greece tried to replace the celebration with saints from the Greek-Orthodox tradition and those are "Akylas and Prisylas" but as you can assume it hasnt't worked out yet!!

I would still go for the best logo for this day (I have seen in T-shirts very frequently..)

"**ck Valentine's Day..I love you everyday!"

all different all equal all human all authentic...

big day tomorrow..
first meeting of all the NGO's interested to participate in council's of europe campaign "all different-all equal"..

well i cannot write many things about what is being prepared but it looks we are going to have something great done, with great partication and great motivation..

we are already in the phace of organising a first anti-racist festival for 16-18 of March and then the same things for 30/3-1/4...

and then on sunday i'm flying to strasburg for the prep meeting of a smeinar organised in the Strasburg youth center about Youth Partcipation..(based on the revised Charter for Participation)..it's quite interesting and i'm already lookig forward to meet the team and work together and of course the training itself, which i'm positive it will be really interesting...

you know i was talking with my friend Zoe which she attended a seminar like that few months ago (being a young refugee in europe today), and this was her first experience and she found out a total new world..a world of people that care and fight every day to change the life around then..who know how nice is to fall in love and to enjoy a glass of nice red wine..who know to have fun in a boring city like strasburg (more info next week!)..this is the world of civil soicety, of demanding but also constructive youth and not the people who got fed up very soon and they attribute all the bad things to all the others..it's easy to do that and very pathetic..

like it is to be in a imaginary life and do things you never imagine...instead of doing them in real life...I was checking the internet site of Second Life (after learning that Sweden open its first visual embasyy to inform the gamers community (around 5 million) about Sweden and procedures how to go there...apart from critising the quality of life somebody can have being into this game, and the hours spending every day in virtual things, i'm really wondering why somebody would like to be there..?to meet new friends? and why not outside in the real world? i was always thinking that northern people tend to get into these games, getting into drinking habits, because of the wau life is there..damn, they anyway have a very big suicide percentage (Baltics and Netherlands also)..
but i see these things happening now in my neighborhood..in my country..people trying to get alternative lifes, trying to be somebody else...trying to get away desperately from themselves..i really do not get why..maybe it's the new way of life..but why you can do it for real..why you need to do something like that?

just chec the latest advertisement of johnnie walker..."if i had a wish, it would be to be like you..human"

sorry for the messy post but i'm trying to post my moments and files in the computer and mind in a line..

still trying...

to matina and roxannita..

well it's very easy to say big words to people that have to take big decisions in their life or have to overcome something bad that happened to them..

i just wanted to say to my friends Roxanna and Matina that everything that happens, happens for a reason..there is a hidden link between all the decisions we take in our life and in the end we see that it is like a puzzle, everything matches...but we cannot see it before it happens..until then we can only be suspicious about it(except if it is very obvious- but this is very special and i hope it's not happening once in a lifetime, because I'm lost!)

every time we follow our instinct and we take a decision and really go for it, always the universe will conspire to help us and we'll get the bst out of it..what is missing then? faith in ourselves and teh decisions we take..

but it's extremely funny and sarcastic how things are happening..roxanna would like to live more in europe and not in Latin America and I know so many people that would like to travel and live in south america...and then matina would probably like to live in Greece, but so many people want to live in great places like Spain (including me!!!)..nah,nah,nah,nah,life is wonderful/nah,nah,nah,nah is wonderful(Jason Mraz)..

(i just remembered some movies where people take a decision and exchange lifes and places...well we all know what is happening in the end, but do we admit having thinking it or not?would you do it or not???!!!!)

bechos to both girls and good luck to your plans!!

tkit translation (it's already past!!!)

today is a great day...we had our first meeting to define the glossary (english to greek) to finally translate the Tool kits created by the Partnership European Commission and CoE..

the tkit we are translating is number 3..(Project Management)..

well I have to admit that it was very beautiful since all the participants were girls, and apart of that all of them seemed very motivated to work and participate in the project..actually for most of them this was obvious when they send their CV's and their motivation to start the projects..ti was a very difficuly screeening where we finally choose 10 out of 23..not an easy job believed me..

apart from the translators was also correctors, youth trainers (thanks Maria and Dimitris) and Lia from the Hellenic National Agency for Youth (thanks Lia)..great team and looks that it is going to be a great job...!it's already fun seeing and working with nice faces that they like what they are doing...it looks that the task is going to roll fast!!

if the money will be enough we plan to make a big party and maybe even start the next Tkit...we'll see!!!just hoping to catch everything before the army catches me!!!

it's a great deal that the Youth Platform of this country is translating this booklet (which will be available for all greek speakers for free to download)..equally important is the effort of ARSIS (organisation workig for the support of youth) to translate COMPASS, the booklet for Human Rights Education created by CoE (and now they created COMPASSITO, which is for evene younger ages!). There is a small hope that something is growing in this country...

let's hope that the campaign All different-all equal will make a huge impact and will be discussed for a long time..

we'll see...
greetings

πώς αντιμετωπίζετε εσείς τα διλήμματα στην ζωή σας..;

από την συνέντευξη των Στέλιου Γιαννακόπουλου και Γιώργου Σαμαρά, αμφότερων ελλήνων ποδοσφαιριστών που αγωνίζονται στην μεγάλη κατηγορία της Αγγλίας...

και έχει μια αξία παραπάνω μιας και θεωρούμε τους ποδοσφαιριστές καλοπερασάκηδες και άτομα που βγάζουν εύκολα χρήματα κάνοντας τίποτα..ας μάθουμε κάτι από αυτούς

- Πως αντιμετωπίζετε τα επαγγελματικά διλήμματα;
Σ.: «Ακολουθώ το ένστικτο, ό,τι λέει η καρδιά μου».
Γ.: «Αυτό που λέει ο Γιώργος. Η καρδιά σου. Εγώ στην Ελλάδα είχα τότε κλείσει τον κύκλο μου. Είχα κατακτήσει τα πάντα και ήθελα το κάτι παραπάνω. Η καρδιά μου όμως δεν είχε αποφασίσει. Ήρθα εδώ, και τους πρώτους τρεις μήνες η καρδιά μου ήταν στον Ολυμπιακό. Συννέφιασα, σαν τη χώρα. Αν δεν είχα μαζί την οικογένειά μου ίσως να γύριζα. Πάλευα για τη θέση μου σε μια μικρομεσαία ομάδα, τότε δεν ήμασταν καν μεσαία. Και δεν έπαιζα. Αλλαγή, λίγο βασικός, Έκανα αλλαγή. Μέσα-έξω συνεχώς. Στο τρίμηνο αυτό, σκεφτόμουν, το πάλευα. 'Να γυρίσετε, αλλά το στοίχημα που έβαλες, το έχασες;' έλεγα. 'Πήγες κι έκανες μια τρύπα στο νερό'. Κι έλεγα από την άλλη: 'Όχι, θα μείνω, θα το παλέψω'. Και τελικά μου βγήκε».
Σ.: «Τελείως διαφορετικά ένιωσα εγώ. Πήγα στην ομάδα κάτω των 16 και στο τέλος του χρόνου βρέθηκα στην πρώτη. Δεν σκέφτηκα ποτέ αν έκανα λάθος. Είχα μια στενοχώρια για όσα μου έλειπαν από την Ελλάδα, αλλά δεν σκεφτόμουν αν έκανα καλά που ήρθα ή όχι. Το ένιωσα πολύ μόνο μέσα στον Αύγουστο, προτού φύγω για την Ολλανδία, που βγαίναμε έξω, κοίταγα, και έλεγα 'πού πάω, οι φίλοι μου είναι εδώ, τι κάνω, μήπως δεν πρέπει να φύγω».

- Τι συμβουλή θα δίνατε σε όσους αντιμετωπίζουν παρόμοια διλήμματα στη ζωή;
Σ.: «Να μην τα σκέφτονται ως διλήμματα. Να ακολουθούν τον δρόμο τους και την καρδία τους».
Γ.: «Αν δεν το έχεις πάρει απόφαση, μην το κάνεις, λέω εγώ. Κάνε το μονάχα αν το έχεις πάρει απόφαση. Και τότε κυνήγα το μέχρι τέλους. Μη λακίσεις στην πρώτη, δεύτερη στραβή».

όλη συνέντευξη:
http://www.in.gr/sports/article.asp?lngEntityID=767568&lngDtrID=1108

new years dreams and desires..are back

few hours before my names days, i managed to put myself down and make at last this blog for all my friends, since i'm almost tired to answer individual e-mails...well i promise to keep it up-to-date and post many interesting information about youth work and studying/travelling/living opportunities...

hope that everything will turn out good..!!waiting for your feedback!!
Happy 2007!!!!

ps. and a song that whenever we hear it it makes us feel that it's a new Year's Day and gives an alloby that we can always make a new start...

All is quiet on new years day/A world in white gets underway/And I want to be with you/Be with you night and day/Nothing changes on new years day/I will be with you again/I will be with you again/Under a blood-red sky/A crowd has gathered in black and white/Arms entwined, the chosen few,Newspapers say, it says its true/And we can break through,Though torn in two we can be one/I will begin again, I will begin again/Oh and maybe the time is right,Oh maybe tonight/I will be with you again/I will be with you again/And so we are told this is the golden age/And gold is the reason for the wars we wage/Though I want to be with you/To be with you night and day/Nothing changes on new years day