cafebabel.com

Eurozone summit: perspectives on economic crisis

('Brussels Blogger',) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:05:03 -0000

We have heard these words so often that they have lost all meaning: global crisis, market failure, bank recapitalisation. Tonight once again, European governments will be searching for a way to minimise the crisis. Yet even if grounded in good faith, these decisions could simply stimulate current problems and protests

'Eurogeneration': 'Warriors' conquer Europe's metropolises

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:08:44 -0000

They are pictured standing proudly in front of the setting sun on the anonymous urban stages of Europe. They are all warriors, young champions of the first European generation. This generation still hasn’t figured out what makes up a European identity, but nonetheless embody this identity subconsciously, whether they are from Budapest, Vilnius or Lisbon

When I was at the EU in the seventies...

('theroxbox',) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:00:00 -0000

For Europeans to find courage, we first have to be scared. So far it’s taken three big shocks to shake Europe into life: war in the 40s, an economic crisis in the 70s and the fall of the Berlin wall at the end of the 90s. The financial crash retakes the baton in the noughties. Time for the ‘euro-generation’ to take things into hand

Book review Germany: 'degree Facebook internship' generation

('Carol Howard',) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 12:52:31 -0000

Generation X became generation Y and the ‘internship generation’ is a recurring topic. However, whichever letters or titles are selected for it, no one can really get a hold on us. Can we really all be lumped together, technically-speaking, in terms of a generation? German writers Manuel J. Hartung and Cosima Schmitt asked themselves this question in a 2010 book analysing the difficult future of a generation with no name

English, British or European? My grandparents on UK in the EU

('Richard Vale',) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 10:11:36 -0000

According to the Eurobarometer survey of autumn 2009, only 30% of UK citizens believe that our membership of the EU is 'a good thing'. Whilst this meagre piece of one of Eurobarometer’s many brightly-coloured and informative pies is up two points from the last survey, the fact remains that Joe Public fails to engage with the mysterious, supranational, sovereignty-gobbling entity that resides somewhere beyond the Channel

Psychology of Europe's youth: generation ‘no subject’

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 18:08:11 -0000

Today's young generations in Europe seem traumatised by emptiness – the lack of perspectives and opportunities, goals, aspirations. No better comparison than the metaphor of an email without a title, says one young volunteer youth organisation counsellor and psychology graduate

French activist Julien Bayou on Europe's youth: 'Obvious to see why you’d be disenchanted'

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 13:22:32 -0000

Today’s precarious youth can just about pay their rent and have to make do with internships or makeshift ‘contracts’. This activist and politician has worked on speaking about the elephant in the room. Meet the unwitting 30-year-old ‘official face’ of a generation in difficulty, who we meet at a renowned squat in Paris

Editors parents speak: Generations 1950 and 1960 on Generation 1980

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 10:45:00 -0000

A generation separates us. The space of two decades allows our parents an affectionate but criticial vision on our generation, born in the eighties. From video games and unemployment to travel and money, time for one last pan-European lecture

Job hunting in Brussels: serenity of the hopeless

('gem',) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 18:40:49 -0000

Anna is a German university student who has just turned twenty and is looking for a job in the European capital. She ould like to remain anonymous – but her story is representative of an entire generation of young Europeans

Europe’s graduates: lecture halls to poverty lines

('Annie Rutherford',) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:00:00 -0000

At best, many graduates find themselves facing a marathon of internships, and at worst a life under the poverty line. Unemployment in times of crisis brings social consequences too. The EU is reacting to prove that a degree is for life, and not just for christmas

Julien Frisch: quick chat about blogging in Europe

('James Friscia',) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:00:00 -0000

Believe in the European concept? Fantasise about a more transparent bureaucracy in Brussels? The answer is to blog. Well, this German does. The Berlin-based editor of bloggingportal.eu, a European blog portal, predicts what online European news will bring us in the coming years

Paris: living cheaply in an expensive city

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:00:00 -0000

The crisis is an opportunity of redeeming a more democratic economy, capable not only of satisfying the individual, but especially the community. Young people in Paris are finding solutions based on reciprocity and co-operation

Brussels: young, gifted and going nowhere fast

('Nicola Potter',) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:00:00 -0000

They’re over-qualified, multilingual and come from every corner of the European Union. They moved to the Belgian capital to find an internship or job. A short report from the heart of this bustling microcosm

Overqualified graduates desperately seek internships

('GLDFSH',) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:57:48 -0000

They would be willing to pay to work: from the private sector to the European institutions, interns are the only category of 'workers' that we rarely hear complain. This is the story of the debate organised by cafebabel.com Brussels in the Belgian capital

‘University mafia’ cut corners in Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany and France

('Jude Lister',) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:00:00 -0000

On 1 February, a new rector was allegedly appointed to the Alexander Dubcek university of Trencin in western Slovakia, after a spate of corruption scandals forced his predecessor to resign. Fake diplomas are nothing new, but these events multiplied across Europe in 2009, with Miss Worlds and prominent politicians standing accused: how can such a reality be explained?

Meet the Erasmus elite: bright stars in a global recession?

('Tim Mac an Airchinnigh',) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:16:02 -0000

What do a loud-mouthed English ladette, a svelte Ukrainian vamp, a dashing Polish casanova and a bagpipe-playing Frenchman all have in common? Bar-stool jokes aside, they're all members of YRN - the association of European regions' youth network. About 150 people meet annually to discuss how to use Europe to hoist them out of the economic doldrums. cafebabel.com caught up with them in Paris this December

'Generation 112': the civic erasmus programme

('Sarah Truesdale',) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:45:00 -0000

The 'euro-militants' of this French initiative feel the need to expand the erasmus student exchange programme, by adding a spirit of civic service

Holocaust Polish boy speaks from the dead on Facebook

('Darren Thompson',) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:49:14 -0000

'Winter’s here. Every Jew must write their name on the Star of David that is sewn on their clothes...' In the same way that Anne Frank documented her experience day after day in her journal, a young victim of the Holocaust is being virtually revived through Facebook, where he has 2, 279 'friends'

Film review Germany: interns feature in 'Résiste - Aufstand der Praktikanten'

('Annie Rutherford',) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0000

'A Quantum Revolution' has been screening in German cinemas since 12 November

Sauna, an A-level in drinking beer: my erasmus semester in Tampere, Finland

('Ellie Banks',) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0000

Scandinavia is continuously highly rated in the Pisa classifications, and in between reindeers and Santa Claus, I recommend you all spend an erasmus semester in Tampere

Jean-Christophe Bas: 'the erasmus generation doesn’t know how lucky it is'

('Helen Swain',) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0000

Finally, on 9 November 1989, there was peace. Young Europeans born after this historic day did experience the war. But what does the construction of Europe mean to them? In his book L’Europe à la carte, Jean-Christophe Bas calls upon the spoiled children of the eurogeneration’s in order to create a less self-centred Europe.

Czech internet forums, KSCM: disillusionment and nostalgia for communist past

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:26:47 -0000

Two decades ago, the Czechs were clinking their keys to bring down the communist regime. Today, the communist party is winning some support back as some claim they they lived better under communism. Others allege that the same people hold power and that totalitarian practices persist. We scour three major Czech news website forums to weigh up the tone of the people

Young graduates job-hunt in Italy, Portugal and Greece

('Anna Borrelli',) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:14:24 -0000

Three graduates in European studies, language and literature and nursing voice their experiences in the Mediterranean. Part two in a job testimony series of young Europeans based at home

2009's graduate flavour comes in crisis: part one, England and Ireland

('Eimear Blee',) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:05:04 -0000

Two language and literature graduates compare their experiences of entering the work world in 2009. Part one in a job testimony series of young Europeans based at home

‘Outlandish’, ‘comical’, ‘shocking’: volunteers for international experience speak

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:25:13 -0000

The ‘VIE’ gives 18 to 28 year olds the opportunity to work in a company or in administration abroad for between 6 to 24 months. Those who have experienced it speak highly of it

Learn how to practice safe sex at the Højskole, Denmark's alternative school

('Andrew Burgess',) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:10:21 -0000

With no examinations, a free timetable and learning-speed unique to each individual, the 'Højskole' proposes an education without competition (and diplomas), allowing each student to freely express their creativity and live within a community

Is your gran a 'silver surfer'?

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:57:36 -0000

French grandmas in stinging nettles, German grandpas at the European parliament and Polish grannies working in communist toilets - there's a visually colourful variety of 'ageing' expressions across the European continent

Move to London: my experience

('Helen Swain',) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:57:54 -0000

As I had a few months free before going back to my studies, I felt it was time for a leap into the unknown, with a suitcase, some money and a one-way ticket to London. The plan was to work, have fun and refresh my English; pretty scary stuff. One month was my limit for becoming economically independent. A brief guide about surviving for a summer in London

Road trip to... Mont Saint-Michel!

('Alexandra Baxter',) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Two Italians, a Ukrainian, a Chinese woman and a Frenchman in a Citroen Berling. An account of the roadtrip spent in enthusiastic discovery of the famous Mont Saint-Michel, source of pride for France and a cause of rivalry between Brittany and Normandy

The organic army: joining the WWOOFer volunteers

('Aatish Pattni',) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0000

It’s wet and it’s muddy, not to mention the slugs. I've come to England, where World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms first began, to find out what's behind the mysterious appeal of the green holiday alternative known as WWOOFing...

Nostalgia: Sweden's top of the pops in the nineties

('Anj',) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Swedish hits had the whole world bopping around from 1989 to 1999 thanks to artists such as Neneh Cherry, her brother Eagle Eye, Ace of Base and The Cardigans: a selection of the best Swedish music videos from the end of the 20th century

Why Swedes go next door to Denmark to buy alcohol

('Andrew Christie',) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:47:15 -0000

The Swedes are notorious for their heavy drinking; its government has been trying to counter the problem since the 19th century

Volunteering: what’s a Wwoofer?

('Astrid vW',) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:00:00 -0000

They can repair a tractor in Poland, make goats cheese in Chile, pick brussel sprouts in Belgium or olives in Spain, build a wooden shelter and dry-pit toilets in Finland or herd cows on horseback in Bolivia. And plenty more besides for the 'worldwide opportunities on organic farms' moniker

Site tips: the happy trippy eco-world of European car-sharing

('Lindsey Evans',) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0000

The environmental concept of sharing a car with other drivers and passengers was born in Europe in the eighties. Skim of the continent's alternative transit surface, plus some popular websites

Soviet nostalgia: Russian drink, bunker parties and film in Vilnius

('Ed Saunders',) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:00:00 -0000

Twenty years after the Iron Curtain, the Baltic tiger is experiencing a bout of nostalgia. A young, trendy generation, fed up of hearing about the past, is looking back at a not-quite-so ‘carefree’ childhood under the soviet regime

Czech Republic: 'we are leaving behind the eggs and going to vote'… for the right

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:08:51 -0000

The new generation of the Czech right-wing is waging its political war. Its weapons are eggs and Facebook contacts. Practices of suspect ideology. The result? A huge mishmash of ideas that mix anticommunism, liberalism and support for both Tibet and Israel. The maxim on the agenda: we do not revolt without eggs, and lots of them

'Eurogeneration' go to the polls

('Andrew Christie',) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:00:00 -0000

'Europe is a massive thing'. Yet its counterpart, the European Union, is often dull. During the European elections between 4 and 7 June 2009, a crucial vote for European democracy, we ask whether young people on European voluntary service (EVS) and Erasmus programmes in Germany feel it affects them

Brussels crisis: be creative, become an entrepeneur

('Sarah Pybus',) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0000

The crisis is confronting young entrepreneurs in Brussels. Whilst some have excellent qualifications, those who don’t have a battle on their hands

Brussels: did you know that 20% of EU workers work at night?

('Darren Thompson',) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:39:02 -0000

The sun sets on the EU's epicentre. Thousands of workers leave their offices and an army of night time workers take their place. Many are young, and are unaware of the risks that this kind of work can bring. On the other hand, nights are considered to have a different and lively rhythm than the normal working day. We take to the streets to investigate

Young Europeans would like to be Scandinavian

('Astrid vW',) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:15:00 -0000

How is the step into the job market experienced in Europe? Sociologist Cécile van de Velde has studied and compared this link between university and employment in Spain, France, the UK and Denmark. Interview

'Foreigners' in Europe: the real eurogeneration?

('Soili Semkina',) — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:00:00 -0000

More and more young people around the world are setting their feet on European soil, and seem to fit in well despite bureaucratic complications. We hear from Russian, Angolan and Peruvian students living in Italy and France on their idea of Europe

Second generation immigrants: regular young Europeans?

Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Integration problems mean being born in a European country is not always enough to be a part of the eurogeneration. We speak to Mahdi and Ali, two second generation immigrants in France and Germany

‘Eurogeneration’ or the Erasmus effect?

('Akli Hadid',) — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 -0000

They travel across planet 'Erasmus' and speak 'foreign' without getting tongue-tied. Young, free and equal? Facing multiculturalism and the monster job world, there are still walls to climb. Testimonies from an identity in progress