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«Me, Myself and Brussels» Intercultural Speed dating // June, 21

Nathalie — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:26:04 -0000

When in Europe, 'gag' as the Chinese do

Nabeelah Shabbir — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:12:00 -0000

The EU and Civil Society: Where do we go from here?

Nathalie — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:29:40 -0000

By Francesca Cerri

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) are vital partners for decision-makers, as they are best placed to know population's needs in terms of development. The role of CSOs has to be strenghten from being implementing partners to sharing more responsibility with the State as the developing countries claim ownership of their own development.

12 Hours for Greece

Nathalie — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:58:05 -0000

By Nathalie Jusseaume

12 Hours for Greece is an initiative of citizens of various nationalities living in Brussels, acting in their own name, wishing to address a sign of support and solidarity to the Greek people in times of crisis. This event will be held on 16 May 2012 from 10.00 am to midnight at Halles de Schaerbeek in Brussels!

Job offer: cafebabel.com recruits sprightly Spanish editor

Nabeelah Shabbir — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:32:46 -0000

Innovations in Education

Antoaneta Ivanova — Sat, 12 May 2012 12:45:43 -0000

Come and debate in Strasbourg on Saturday 12th May: The ECI, a new tool for citizen participation?

Alexandre Heully — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:37:07 -0000

“Goodbye blue sky”

Linda Krajcso — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:14:29 -0000

Wing clippings around MALEV

The unexpectedly reported bankruptcy of MALEV, the 66-year-old Hungarian airline, was a surprise even for its employees. Not only a group of services (eg. direct flights to a number of countries) were lost, but also thousand of jobs. And the not so happy ending of MALEV still does not mean the end of the cut-backs at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport, because the planned closure of Terminal 1 put more jobs at risk. We asked Bálint Bukta, a flight operations officer at the airport, about 3rd February 2012, the day when the bankruptcy was announced, and about the current situation. (The interview was made at the end of March.)

Cafebabel.com: Bálint, was the bankruptcy expected at all?

Bálint Bukta: There are two main reasons that caused the bankruptcy, one is based on the fact that the airline has never been properly capitalized, and the other is that it has become a “political toy”. It had been known for a long time that MALEV was in big trouble. There were some negotiation with the Chinese in autumn about taking over the proprietary rights, but they declined the investment opportunity after estimating the status of the airline. It was only on 3rd February at 6:00am when everyone was informed about the bankruptcy.Then the company received bankruptcy protection from the State and the employees were surprised by the news. Some of them were in the air flying when they heard that the company they work for went bankrupt. Actually, the reaction of other airports and airlines was surprisingly quick.

Cafebabel.com: What exactly happened at the airport? Who were laid off?

Bálint Bukta: Each employee got a call at 6:00 am saying he or she no longer works from that day. They had to pack up their belongings from the lockers until 10:00 am, and their access cards were disabled. The last flight landed was from Helsinki because it took off before the declaration of bankruptcy. Then there was a gathering for all the emlpoyees in the hangar. Approximately 2300 persons were fired the same day, and but some of the pilots deprived of their jobs at this meeting were asked to fly back the planes leased by MALEV to the owner companies. Each “flight” was undertook by a pilot. The last Dash Q-400 (HA-LQC) was returned to Torp-Sandefjord, Norway by captain Attila Leposa and first mate Edina Leposa, the pilot’s daughter on February 23. The first mate sang a line from Hungarian singer Charlie as a farewell song (it was a well-known Hungarian song with the title „Nézz az ég felé” – ‘Look up to the sky’ – the translator). With the bankruptcy of MALEV the airline’s pilots, stewards and stewardesses lost their jobs, but the subsidiaries partly remained in operation. MALEV GH (MALEV Ground Handling, a ground support unit responsible for the technical maintenance - ed.) dismissed 75%, ACE (Aeroplex of Central Europe specialises in repair and maintenance services at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport - ed.) dismissed 50% of their employees. Mournful days were coming after the bankruptcy.

20th Festival of Europe

Nathalie — Thu, 10 May 2012 08:18:31 -0000

By Carlo Peano

The Europe Day is not a public holiday, so in Brussels the celebration takes place during the weekend with the Festival of Europe. This year it will occur on Saturday 12 May from 10 am to 6 pm.

Should I stay or should I go - The effect of EU integration on brain drain in Serbia

shadow — Wed, 09 May 2012 03:34:15 -0000

Amelia Andersdotter, the youngest MEP

Nathalie — Tue, 08 May 2012 09:28:55 -0000

By Carlo Peano

Cafebabel Brussels has interviewed Ms. Amelia Andersdotter. She is the youngest current Member of European Parliament (MEP) and her party – the Pirate Party – is having success not only in Sweden, but also in other European countries, such as Germany. She works at the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and at the Delegation for relations with the Korean Peninsula. She is also substitute in the Committee on International Trade, in the Committee on Budgetary Control and in the Delegation for relations with the countries of the Andean Community.

Intercultural communication for reintegration

Andras Szirko — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:36:28 -0000

A debate on the Western Balkans at Centrál Kávéház held by cafebabel.com

What features characterize the European history of the Balkans? What level of integration do our southern neighbours need and through what means? The Budapest team of European online magazine cafebabel.com organised a debate on 19 April entitled “Encouraging the neighbours – Hungary’s role in the Western Balkans” to get answers to these questions.

Two experts participated in the debate: Dr. Imre Szilágyi, Senior Research Associate of the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs and Csaba Szikra member of ExperienceBalkan.com, a team organizing intercultural training courses. Two Serbian journalists, Vuksa Velickovic and Valentina Popovic, have also actively participated in the debate from the audience, since they were spending a few days in Budapest as part of the Orient Express Reporter 2 project, the follow-up of last year’s successful Orient Express Reporter.

What’s a Spring without Women?

Elina Makri — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:40:46 -0000

As the Arab world is making a shift and Mediterranean cosmos is in full swing, women of the neighborhood will have a one day get together in Brussels, to discuss various topics.

The meeting is organised by Mediter Network, at 8 th of May in Brussels, and is entitled “Mediterranean women between Arab Spring and the crisis”. Join us!

Journalists! MULTIKULTI on the ground - write for us from Warsaw – 27th June -1st July 2012

Katharina Kloss — Mon, 07 May 2012 09:44:36 -0000

Internships – The First Step to Employment

Antoaneta Ivanova — Sat, 05 May 2012 15:11:02 -0000

Road to London 2012 - Guide

Matteo Minoli — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:17:03 -0000

Syrian protests in Brussels

Nathalie — Fri, 04 May 2012 12:20:50 -0000

By Lisa Kittel

"We support our country and the reforms of president Assad. We don’t want any foreign interference.” That is what Syrians in Brussels were demanding on the 11th of march 2012 and a lot of other occasions.

Second edition of Shake-up Europe!: cafebabel.com’s 4 days training seminar gathering European NGOs in Strasbourg, France

ovidiu tataru — Thu, 03 May 2012 10:09:00 -0000

Cafebabel.com proudly presents the Conference Young Europe 2: Multilingual Creation and Education in Theatre : « Introducing European standards in artistic education »

ovidiu tataru — Thu, 03 May 2012 09:08:17 -0000

Transparency unlimited - the pros and cons of security scanners

Nathalie — Wed, 02 May 2012 09:41:56 -0000

By Stanislava Gaydajieva

The debate whether European airports should use body scanners was fierce and many-sided. Should Europe follow the US and install numerous security scanners at its airports? Europe already did. Even though partially. Body scanners were allowed on European airports since 25 December 2009 when a young terrorist attempted to blow up a plane flying from Amsterdam to Detroit with plastic explosives hidden in his underwear.

'Debate on Europe' - Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate 2003 speaks

Nabeelah Shabbir — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:02:03 -0000

“EUgoslavia”: Between Balkans Membership and the Yugopean Union

Nathalie — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:03:56 -0000

By Aris Kokkinos
Translated by Danica Jorden
Photo : Davide Martinotti

On April 24, Cafebabel organised a debate on expanding the European Union to include the countries of the former Yugoslavia, bringing up the taboo subject of: Are we seeing a Europeanisation of the Balkans, or a Balkanisation of Europe?

MULTIKULTI on the ground - write for us from Strasbourg - 24-27 May 2012

Jacopo Franchi — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:08:26 -0000

Love never fails, say the "expats" at the Bozar

Nathalie — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:50:49 -0000

By Eva Donelli

Exhausting rehearsal schedules, no time for food, "furious” arguments and laughter to release the tension: this is the atmosphere one week before the debut of “Redemption”.

Literature and Eroticism: Cupid Always Draws His Bow

Nathalie — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:55:58 -0000

By Maria Moreno
Translated by Danica Jorden

Reflecting the theme chosen for the 2012 edition of the Brussels Book Fair (“Sex, Books & Rock ‘N Roll”), it’s easy to draw a parallel between erotic literature and rock culture. Ever since ancient times, eroticism has oscillated between conflict and freedom. Today, literature holds a mirror to a society that has changed the standards of subversion.

Special dossier "Sex & The City"

Nathalie — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:50:16 -0000

Photo : Davide Martinotti

Sex, eroticism... sometimes taboo, often mysterious. In our European capital, sex is everywhere and not just where it's noticeable. It can be found at the end of an alley, around an exposition, on the small screen, inside a book, in the foggy atmosphere of certain student parties, or simply at home. Glamourous, chic, even trashy, sex in Brussels can be seen in many ways. Fearless and intrepid, Cafebabel Brussels shares with you an investigation into what sex has become in the 21st century in our dear capital.

The Tupperware Phenomenon: Gaude Mihi!

Nathalie — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:32:25 -0000

By Nathalie Jusseaume
Translated by Danica Jorden

The word for “dildo” in French, “godemichet,” comes from the medieval Latin expression “Gaude Mihi,” or “Rejoice in Me.” Cafebabel Brussels is talking about toys, sensuality and pleasure, as the team participates in a sex toy Tupperware party, right in the middle of Brussels. There is a real surge in Tupperware parties in the capital. This trend is rather recent and women talk unabashedly about sex. But what really happens at these parties? Soft Love, a Belgian company that markets fashion and erotic products, seized upon the opportunity to develop the “home demonstration of sextoys” concept. Soft Love representative Leyla Parent played the game by responding to our questions in order to better understand this new phenomenon. Ladies, to your godes!

Wonderland: Trying to scratch the surface in London

Daiva Repečkaitė — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:28:46 -0000

Before the blogging platform is updated and a technical solution for allowing comments on blogs again is found by Cafe Babel, the entry, like others, is cross-posted with DaivaRepeckaite.com. You can comment it there.

London has become such a usual travel destination for Central and Eastern European people that it would be difficult to surprise them with anything. Cheap flights to most European countries allow going there for business or for pleasure separatly, without the urge to explore everything possible in one go, and some people already go there only for shopping, or academic events, or to visit friends. There used to be stories of commuting doctors. The city, obviously, is so huge and diverse that whatever patchwork of stories you may have heard before, they will not come together to a coherent entity. As I went to visit there for a second time, my goal was to challenge some of the initial not-so-positive impressions and to finally experience the legendary cultural life to its fullest.

Magic Teams in Vienna for Orient Express Reporter 2

ovidiu tataru — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:03:55 -0000

Europe abroad

Nathalie — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:22:11 -0000

By Cristina Mariani

The joint statements released after the EU summits tend to be usually embellished with words of sound recognition for the role covered by the EU at a global level. The EU is part with the US of the largest and most integrated in the world trade and investment relationship. The EU is China’s biggest trading partner and China's economy has greatly benefited from Europe's open policies and open markets. This is all true, but beyond the diplomatic rhetoric, what do the major EU partners (US and China) really think about Europe? Cafebabel attended an event recently organized on the “The American and Chinese views on the Euro crisis” to figure it out.

Trying to scratch the surface in London

Daiva Repečkaitė — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 15:07:32 -0000

Before Cafe Babel re-enable comments on blogs and update the blogging platform, all posts are cross-posted with my personal blog - feel free to comment here!

Photos: cafebabel.com 2012 Civis Media online media winner, Berlin

Nabeelah Shabbir — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:27:24 -0000

Sex, Lies and The Media: The Sordid Threesome Unearthed by Jean Quatremer

Nathalie — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 08:12:48 -0000

By Aris Kokkinos
Translated by Danica Jorden

On his blog in 2007, Jean Quatremer, Libération correspondant in Brussels, was the first journalist to discuss Dominque Strauss-Kahn’s problematic relationships with women. He has today just finished a book on the DSK affair and its effect on journalism. He answers Cafebabel Brussels questions.

Challenge Future Summit 2012-Where youth shape world’s future TODAY!

Antoaneta Ivanova — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:34:07 -0000

Many people ask me: ”Why EVS in Poland?”

Antoaneta Ivanova — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:31:58 -0000

Prostitution: Go behind the curtain

Nathalie — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:06:22 -0000

By Alfonso de Cea
Translated by Danica Jorden
La Fonderie, in collaboration with Espace P, is hosting until 7 April 2012 an exposition entitled, Prostitution, passez derrière le Rideau… (Prostitution, Go Behind the Curtain). It’s a collection of photographs by Frédéric Pauwels, accompanied by stories of prostitutes in and around Brussels, illustrating the history of the world’s oldest profession.

The World of Escort-Girls

Nathalie — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:59:48 -0000

By Alfonso de Cea
Translated by Danica Jorden
Photographed by Julica da Costa
Escort girls perform work that is not visible to the general public. They are pleasant, attractive, well-educated, they take care of themselves, and they are, above all, young. “Irchik,” a Russian escort in Brussels, agreed to share her experience with Cafebabel to introduce us to the hidden world of escorts.

cafebabel.com wins European CIVIS Online Media Prize 2012

Nabeelah Shabbir — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:54:12 -0000

BIFFF : the opening!

Nathalie — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:19:26 -0000

By Agata

On the 5th of April the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival was opened to the enthusiastic public for the 30th time. Barbara Steele , star of the greatest horror masterpiece of Italian film, La maschera del demonio, cut the ribbon and officially started the event.

To create a Dadaist poem

Annie Rutherford — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 14:02:17 -0000

SFW#1 : I'll wait for the next one

Fabienchampion — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:04:50 -0000

The shortfilm of the week #1

I'll wait for the next one

by Philippe ORREINDY, France.

Best Shortfilm, European Film Awards.

César Award for best Shortmovie (french Film Awards)

Networking in Brussels: how does it work?

Nathalie — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:52:38 -0000

By Appolonia Benoist

‘Hey, nice to meet you! What do you do in Brussels? Do you have a business card?’ These are typical questions you are sure to hear at a so-called networking event in Brussels. Brussels, a city where expats (probably attracted by the European Bubble) represent a great part of the population. A city where making social connections -and then networking- is essential to feel better integrated. But, what is exactly networking? Apparently, it is an ‘exchange of information or services among individuals, groups or institutions and specifically the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business’.

2014: a new beginning for Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Nathalie — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:37:18 -0000

By Francesca Cerri

There is light but there is also shadow in the present and in the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Necessary constitutional changes need to be undertaken in order to enable the entry into force of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement. Hence, the new Council of Ministers need to concentrate on the pressing European integration agenda and take the necessary action to ensure concrete steps forward.

Looking for the Meaning of Life… in Lodz

Christiane Lötsch — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:30:46 -0000

Syria promises one more time, should we believe?

Ozcan Tikit — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:41:43 -0000

'Orient Express Reporters II' 2012 - dates update

Nabeelah Shabbir — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:53:16 -0000

Elders don’t understand youngsters

Linda Krajcso — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 07:54:41 -0000

In the wake of generations Y and Z

2012 is the year of Active Ageing and Solidarity Amongst Generations in the European Union, as a result of which clashes and problems between generations and age-groups and their solutions are again in the spotlight. The topic has been handled by many for years by doing research, publishing studies and books, organising lectures and talks.

As for the Hungarians, mostly the effects of the new information society, the problems of the Y, also called the ‘80s generation are being observed. The first large-scale Hungarian research dealing with the topic was Youth2000 (Ifjúság2000), which weltered with the contribution of the Socio-political and Labour Institutions. This project was later repeated twice, in 2004 and in 2008. The aim was to provide a representative survey, its results show the main trends in demographic and familial relations, work and market situation, financial and residential situation as well as the lifestyle of the 15-29 age-group. Thanks to the three different sources, the changes over the years in the situation of youngsters can be tracked down. This year’s figures will supposedly be published in 2013.

Sunny and artsy Metz

Daiva Repečkaitė — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 17:26:58 -0000

As always, cross-posted with DaivaRepeckaite.com - feel free to comment there before Cafe Babel enables comments on its blogs.

Metz (Northeast France) is excellent for a day trip, particularly when you are sick and tired of this year’s Europe’s prolonged winter. A cute mixture of 13 century religious architecture, some French rationalist planning, astonishingly large and centrally located green spaces, and art venues, the city is simply a pleasant place to be, although, as some of us noticed, it did not seem there was much going on. It did not seem that crowds of tourists follow one another touring the city’s really impressive touristic objects – but this is perhaps to the benefit of the city’s cosiness.

The Boat Race

Matteo Minoli — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 15:26:19 -0000

20 years

bbecares — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:16:37 -0000