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Christian Frey

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Großbritannien ist sehr enttäuscht über die Haltung Indiens zum Einmarsch Russlands in der Ukraine, betrachtet das Land aber weiterhin als wichtigen Handelspartner, sagte Handelsministerin Anne-Marie Trevelyan am Donnerstag.

Auf die Frage, ob Indiens Haltung Auswirkungen auf die Handelsgespräche mit Großbritannien haben werde, sagte Trevelyan: “Wir sind sehr enttäuscht. Wir arbeiten weiterhin mit unseren indischen Partnern zusammen.” “Indien ist ein unglaublich wichtiger Handelspartner für Großbritannien … wir werden weiterhin mit Ländern auf der ganzen Welt zusammenarbeiten, um sicherzustellen, dass Putin diesen Krieg in Zukunft nicht mehr finanzieren kann”, sagte sie gegenüber Reportern.

Ein starkes Erdbeben im Nordosten Japans hat nach offiziellen Angaben mindestens zwei Tote und 160 Verletzte gefordert, aber nur relativ geringe Schäden verursacht. Zwei Millionen Haushalte waren zunächst ohne Strom, und ein Hochgeschwindigkeitszug entgleiste, doch wurde keiner der Fahrgäste verletzt. Die japanische Meteorologiebehörde hob am Donnerstagmorgen die Tsunami-Warnung auf.

Das Beben der Stärke 7,4 ereignete sich in demselben Gebiet wie das Beben, das 2011 die Nuklearkatastrophe von Fukushima ausgelöst hatte, doch wurde es nach offiziellen Angaben diesmal nicht beschädigt.

In einigen Gebieten war das Beben so stark, dass die Menschen nicht mehr stehen konnten, und in der Hauptstadt Tokio wackelten die Gebäude. Das Beben ereignete sich am Mittwoch um 23:36 Uhr (14:36 Uhr GMT) in einer Tiefe von 57 Kilometern (35,4 Meilen), teilten die japanischen Behörden mit. Sie warnten vor möglichen Nachbeben in den Präfekturen Fukushima, Miyagi und Yamagata.

Unmittelbar nach dem Ereignis gab die japanische Wetterbehörde für Teile der Nordostküste eine Tsunami-Warnung von einem Meter heraus, die jedoch am Donnerstagmorgen zurückgenommen wurde, nachdem Wellen von einem Drittel dieser Höhe die Küste erreicht hatten. Im Nordosten Japans wurden mehrere Menschen durch herabfallende Gegenstände oder bei Stürzen verletzt, und in der Stadt Soma in der Präfektur Fukushima kam nach Angaben lokaler Medien ein Mann in den Sechzigern ums Leben. Ein zweiter Todesfall wurde aus der Präfektur Miyagi gemeldet.

Einigen Medienberichten zufolge starben vier Menschen bei dem Beben, aber der Regierungssprecher Hirokazu Matsuno sagte, die Zahl der direkt durch das Beben verursachten Todesfälle werde noch bestätigt. In 14 Präfekturen, darunter auch in der Region Tokio, war die Stromversorgung von mehr als 2,2 Millionen Haushalten vorübergehend unterbrochen, aber am Vormittag war die Stromversorgung in den meisten Orten wiederhergestellt, wie der örtliche Stromversorger mitteilte. Glück im Unglück hatten die Insassen eines Hochgeschwindigkeitszuges, der bei dem Beben nördlich von Fukushima entgleiste – zum Glück war er nicht schnell unterwegs und niemand wurde verletzt. Die Passagiere und das Personal waren vier Stunden lang an Bord gefangen, bevor sie sich befreien konnten.

Japans Premierminister Fumio Kishida sagte vor Reportern, die Regierung versuche immer noch, das Ausmaß der Schäden abzuschätzen, und die Behörden erklärten, die Notdienste seien mit Anrufen überschwemmt worden. Die Gebäude in Tokio wurden mehr als zwei Minuten lang erschüttert. Weiter nördlich in Fukushima waren die Erschütterungen wesentlich stärker.

In Ishinomaki in der Präfektur Miyagi erklärte ein Beamter der Stadt gegenüber der Nachrichtenagentur AFP, er sei von einem “extrem starken Beben” geweckt worden.
“Ich hörte, wie der Boden rumpelte. Anstatt mich zu fürchten, erinnerte ich mich sofort an das Große Ostjapanische Erdbeben”, sagte er und bezog sich dabei auf die Katastrophe von 2011.

Das Erdbeben vom Donnerstag ereignete sich fast 60 km vor der Küste von Fukushima, nicht weit entfernt vom Epizentrum des stärksten Erdbebens in der Geschichte Japans, bei dem vor 11 Jahren 18.000 Menschen ums Leben kamen. Das Erdbeben von 2011 löste einen Tsunami aus, zerstörte das Kernkraftwerk Fukushima und löste eine große Katastrophe aus, nachdem Strahlung aus der Anlage ausgetreten war.

Die Atomaufsichtsbehörden erklärten, dass nach dem Erdbeben am Mittwochabend keine Anomalien in der beschädigten Anlage in Fukushima festgestellt worden seien.

Der ukrainische Staatschef beschuldigte Moskau am Donnerstag, eine neue Mauer des Kalten Krieges quer durch Europa “zwischen Freiheit und Unfreiheit” zu errichten, während seine Regierung erklärte, dass russischer Beschuss 21 weitere Zivilisten getötet habe. Drei Wochen nach ihrer verheerenden Invasion wurden die russischen Streitkräfte auch beschuldigt, ein Theater bombardiert zu haben, in dem viele Zivilisten untergebracht waren und das mit dem Wort “Kinder” gekennzeichnet war. Kiew kam nach einer 35-stündigen Ausgangssperre zu neuen Szenen der Zerstörung, da die russischen Truppen im Rahmen ihrer langsam voranschreitenden Offensive versuchen, die ukrainische Hauptstadt einzukreisen.

NATO-Generalsekretär Jens Stoltenberg hat für nächste Woche ein Gipfeltreffen der 30 Staats- und Regierungschefs der Militärorganisation einberufen, um den Krieg Russlands gegen die Ukraine zu diskutieren.

Laut Stoltenberg wird das Gipfeltreffen am 24. März von US-Präsident Joe Biden geleitet und “die Folgen des russischen Einmarsches in der Ukraine, unsere starke Unterstützung für die Ukraine und die weitere Stärkung der Abschreckung und Verteidigung der NATO als Reaktion auf eine neue Realität für unsere Sicherheit” behandeln.
Die Pressesprecherin des Weißen Hauses, Jen Psaki, bestätigte, dass Biden zu den persönlichen Gesprächen mit den europäischen Staats- und Regierungschefs nach Brüssel reisen wird.

 

China hat mit dem größten Anstieg der COVID-19-Fälle seit dem Ausbruch in Wuhan zu kämpfen. Das Land meldete am Dienstag mehr als 5.200 neue Fälle, und etwa 30 Millionen Menschen sind derzeit unter Quarantäne gestellt. Nach Angaben der Nationalen Gesundheitskommission in China wurden in den letzten 24 Stunden 1.337 lokal übertragene Fälle gemeldet.

Nach Angaben der Gesundheitsbehörden wird der plötzliche Anstieg des Coronavirus in dem Land durch die hochgradig übertragbare BA.2-Unterlinie der Omicron-Variante, auch bekannt als “Stealth”-Omicron, verursacht.

European Youth Voice
your words, your opinions, your text online – an international online newspaper for young Europeans by young people

The European Market
Europe is still confronted with the refugee crisis, but there might have been a little change regarding the distribution of migrants. There had been a big argument between Western and Eastern Europe, because the East refused the arrangement of splitting

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The most inspirational and heartbreaking European stories about immigrants
Have you ever heard about European Press Prize? The award for excellence in journalism is organized every year and journalist from all over the Europe are trying to win it. This year was quite unique because journalists decided to write

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Peace for Everybody
During the last months, the young European Youth Voice’s reporters made many researches and thought a lot about a common European future – with our new neighbors from all over the world. Now it’s time to take action: After the

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The European Market
Europe is still confronted with the refugee crisis, but there might have been a little change regarding the distribution of migrants. There had been a big argument between Western and Eastern Europe, because the East refused the arrangement of splitting

Read more

The most inspirational and heartbreaking European stories about immigrants
Have you ever heard about European Press Prize? The award for excellence in journalism is organized every year and journalist from all over the Europe are trying to win it. This year was quite unique because journalists decided to write

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Escape & Migration
School boys
The two sides of refugees’ education in Greece
“Today me and Katerina went to the refugees’ camp for our lesson and almost half the class was missing. We should have noticed what have happened because of the silence

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The most inspirational and heartbreaking European stories about immigrants
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The Road Forward
As we are approaching the end of our term as an international project group we want to thank you for following our series of articles regarding the topic of escape

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Our European Wishes
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Culture, Politics & Identity

The art of Active Listening
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Ostrava – Steel Heart of the Republic
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Society & Lifestyle

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BULLYING
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Homophobia in post-soviet countries
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My Hometown – Võru
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Youth Unemployment

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We are a resource, not a problem!
Members of FutureLab Europe provide the perspective of young people on the current crisis Europe’s youth has been hit hard by the economic crisis. Unprecedented levels of youth unemployment, emigration

Portuguese people are among the UE citizens with lower culture activity.

A Eurobarometer study shows us that portuguese people are the UE citizens with lower rates in the participation of culture activities and Portugal is the country with the biggest lack of interest in reading. According to this survey more that 70% of the citizens didn’t went to the cinema for the past 12 months. Going to the theatre also does not make part of the plans of most portugueses, 87% said that they didn’t went to the theatre in the past year. In the visits to galleries, historical monuments and museums just 30% said that they have visited monuments and only 17% went to museums and galleries.

Everyone is blaming the politicians but I believe that’s not who we have to blame. I believe that the fault is in ourselves. People have access to all kind of culture. The nacional museums are free on sunday mornings. Libraries are free. People are holding too much to the idea that they need to choose between working to feed their children or culture. Like we say in portuguese “A Cultura não ocupa lugar” which means that there is always space for culture. An investment in culture is the best that a country can do for their people, increasing the sense of presence and stimulating their creativity, but this should be supported by the people not by the state. That’s the main problem, there is culture in Portugal but there are many portugueses that don’t give the right value to it.

I think we all need to spread the word. This is not a thing that’s only happening in Portugal, it is happening in the rest of the world specially in the countries that are in crisis because they think that they need to give up on this kind of lifestyle and that’s a waste of time and money. People need to change their minds.

Members of FutureLab Europe provide the perspective of young people on the current crisis

Europe’s youth has been hit hard by the economic crisis. Unprecedented levels of youth unemployment, emigration and disaffection have earned Europe’s current cohort of young people the unenviable label: “lost generation”. But what does this really mean? Detailed reports from 24 European countries – EU-Members as well as Non-EU-Countries – compiled by FutureLab Europe indicate how young Europeans perceive their situation.

The experience of the economic crisis by young people has been very different across Europe and, indeed, within individual countries. Those with higher education levels have generally escaped the worst. However, in many countries, a university degree or a technical qualification has not been enough to spare young people from unemployment. In some countries, regional disparities have been accentuated by the economic crisis. Furthermore, age is not the only determinant of the “lost generation”. There are very high disparities in youth unemployment according to gender, as well as social and ethnic background, for example young people from a migrant background are more likely to be unemployed than their peers. There also seems to be quite a striking difference between some Southern and Eastern countries, on the one hand, and Northern and Western countries on the other.

Loss of self-esteem and independence

Despite the many differences within and across the countries surveyed by FutureLab Europe, there are a number of significant similarities in the challenges faced by Europe’s youth. First and foremost, FutureLab Europe found that the NEET level (NEET – those who are Not in Employment, Education or Training), which is becoming an increasingly important measure of youth disengagement from the labour market, does not capture the uncertainty and anxiety that now pervades the lives of young people in Europe. Many of Europe’s youth are trapped in unpaid or underpaid internships and temporary or sporadic employment. This makes it difficult for young people to plan their future, buy a house and start a family.

A related aspect is the loss of identity and self-esteem caused by experiences of unemployment, frequent job changes and the sense that young people do not matter. Trapped in a limbo of unemployment, underemployment or an endless cycle of education because of a lack of job opportunities, many of Europe’s youth perceive themselves as ‘useless’ and powerless.

Tension rising before the debate: FutureLab Europe-discussants Heidi Beha, Leticia Díez Sánchez and Theodora Matziropoulou. Photo: Jennifer Jacquemart
James Kilcourse and Enja Sæthren presenting Vice-President of the European Commission Almunía with the first copy of the FutureLab Europe 2013 report on youth unemployment in Europe. Photo: Jennifer Jacquemart
Quizzed by FutureLab Europe: Vice-President of the European Commission Almunía Photo: Jennifer Jacquemart
Joaquin Almunía, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Competition. Photo: Jennifer Jacquemart

Long-term repercussions and challenges for all Europeans
Since self-esteem is a precondition for active and positive citizenship, these issues could have significant repercussions for long-term social cohesion and democratic stability. Further, the widespread sense of injustice and resentment that young people are shouldering a disproportionate burden while governments and society in general disregard their problems might lead to political disconnectedness and apathy. For many young people, the social contract has been broken. They feel betrayed by the political and economic system. The long-term political and social consequences of these phenomena are likely to be profound. Perhaps most worryingly, the rise of populist political parties and violent youth demonstrations in some European countries already indicate that young people are opting to withdraw from the existing social and political framework.

Another significant challenge is that several peripheral European countries are experiencing a huge brain drain, which could have a long-term impact on economic development and the entire fabric of society in the sending states. To ensure that these states are not losing their most dynamic and innovative generation for good, they must seek to reach out to their young diaspora and engage them in the decision-making process. Accordingly, policy responses must clearly address the needs of young people. A number of the policy responses to youth unemployment do not unambiguously serve the interests of Europe’s youth. For example, the introduction of more flexible contracts that make it easier for employers to hire and fire young people can only serve to increase instability and uncertainty for young people if not combined with a strong safety net and a good level of support for jobseekers.

FutureLab Europe – Empowering Young Voices In order to succeed Europe has to be a “citizen project”. It needs fresh ideas and innovative concepts as well as strong support from the younger generations. And Europe’s youth really does wish to participate: all they need is the access to the decision-makers and opinion leaders who currently shape the future of the European Union. In FutureLab Europe ten Foundations combine their knowledge and experience of civil society. From their outstanding alumni they select participants who offer great potential for Europe. At the start, the Annual Forum provides a week-long introduction to Brussels’ institutions and in-depth debates. Following up are the [email protected] Debate-events, where the 20- to 30-year-old participants publicly discuss European topics such as culture, (im)migration, economics, gender and social justice with high-ranking politicians and specialists. Thirdly, FutureLab-Europe participants’ Group Projects in Europe are being supported by the Alliance. You can meet these young Europeans and learn about their personal ideas on the internet in video-streams, podcasts and personal blogs or follow them on twitter: www.facebook.com/FutureLabEurope Twitter: @FutureLabEurope So far, members of the European Alliance for Democratic Citizenship come from Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway and Spain. Operational partner is the European Policy Centre in Brussels; FutureLab Europe is affiliated to the Network of European Foundations. Read the FutureLab Europe report
What ought to be done?

A reasonable starting point is to work on the perceptions related to young Europeans. One way to make youth a resource and not a problem is to make greater efforts to promote youth entrepreneurship. Europe’s youth are best positioned to make the most of the single market and the digital, globalised age we live in. Despite this, FutureLab Europe found that our generation seems to become more “risk-averse”. Finding ways to tap into the innovativeness of young people is an area that should be given more attention.

Social media may facilitate this process in a way that was not possible in the past. Though social media can function as a contributing factor, on a deeper level youth engagement must be grounded in a stable education system. Funding for education and training should not be made a victim of the policy of austerity. Reducing education spending and access to education, which has occurred in several European countries since the economic downturn, only serves to damage the long-term employment prospects of young people. Further, education systems must adapt to current labour market needs. There is a sense in many European countries that the education system is failing young people because of the sharp disconnect between education and labour markets.

Though some harsh measurements need to be taken, it is still possible to avoid reinforcing the tensions already evident between different groups in society. Any major policy response to youth unemployment should have the support of all relevant stakeholders. Radical reforms cannot be divisive or perceived as partisan if they are to address the uncertainty and insecurity that Europe’s youth is currently experiencing. Further, solving Europe’s youth crisis must not come at the cost of intergenerational conflict.
Older workers are also vulnerable and this is particularly true at a time of rapid technological advances. However, older workers bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the workplace, and this deserves to be recognised.

Policy-makers at European and national level have in recent months increased their focus on the problems of young people and increased their use of the language of crisis, but they must now put their rhetoric into action. The young people of today are the decision-makers of tomorrow. The long-term sustainability of democracy and social cohesion therefore demands the engagement and participation of young people in the democratic process. However, young people are experiencing a general crisis of trust and values. Failure to act now is likely to entrench the anxiety and disillusionment of many of Europe’s young people, which will be very difficult to reverse. We must therefore go much further than what has already been done in order to ensure the future of Europe.