youth
China, world economy dragon mummy to Europe
China has not become as helpful and friendly to the EU as some European presidents might have wished, but its investors, literary figures and linguistic opportunities are a source of dynamism. Here's a brief chart of its positive and negative growth effects, and how that impacts or influences Europeans
Economy lesson from young Europeans: move to China and start saving now
EU officials are brainstorming the programme of Denmark's six-month presidency of the EU, as young, ambitious Europeans give us their financial lessons from the 'crisis year' 2011
Why would a Spanish 'European volunteer' go to Romania?
2011 was the year of the European volunteer, but it doesn't mean we can't still talk about the role. Has its visibility increased since the economic crisis, due to the lack of opportunities or out of pure altruism? One young Iberian speaks out
youth, european voluntary service , volunteers, romania, economy, spain, society
Kühn and the chocolate factory
The Goldhelm chocolate manufacturers thrives on one of the typical Tudor-style houses on Erfurt’s famous Krämerbrücke. In 2004 10, 000 euros of private credit made a returning globetrotter’s dream a reality and since then the firm has been growing constantly
Hungary: propaganda videos to bring back young 'dissidents'
Goulash, cottage chocolate cheese, soulmates and coining a vintage term to woo back a generation of expats. Hungary's propaganda machine, run by its conservative ruling party fidesz and various youth affiliates, is not letting up with its laws and lists, writes Béla Soltész
Berlusconi raised us; how to re-educate Italy?
What can we say: it was intense. The post-Berlusconi era is almost upon us: will we cope with the tediousness of political debate, with the absence of a man to love and hate, with the end of a television trend where success is available to all?
Dear granddad, for Christmas I'd like a Eurasian union
In October Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin proposed a 'Eurasian union' of former soviet nations that could be a major global player competing for influence with the US, the EU and Asia, creating instant headlines about the threat of Russian expansionism. Is Putin mastering geopolitics? Where are the limits of his modernisation strategy?
youth, ukraine, empire, belarus, kyrgyzstan, kazakhstan, tajikistan
Journalist Irakli Berulava: ‘Georgia has lost opportunity that rose revolution created’
‘Gloomy’ is how the correspondent of reporters without borders (RSF) in Georgia describes the media situation in the South Caucasus countries. Self censorship, governmental pressures and democratical regression after the rose revolution of 2003 are mining the field of journalism, says the man who is also a blogger, film director and producer
‘Nos plusieurs’: autistic theatre stars meet Indian epic in French documentary
In filming a theatre production performed almost entirely by young people with learning difficulties, French director Fred Soupa blurs the boundaries of what we typically perceive as ‘normal’. His ensuing documentary ‘Many Of Us’ is released in national cinemas on 28 September
Welcome to the Hotel Abkhazia
The recent wave of eviction of South Ossetian and Abkhazian refugees or 'internally displaced persons' into the Georgian capital Tbilisi is provoking the indignation of human rights associations
youth, georgia, abkhazia, tbilisi, refugee, south ossetia, blogs
cafebabel.com boys speak: what makes Europe’s twentysomething men happy
We girls probably think that macho attitudes, making money and succeeding are what make boys happy. After all, why is it so hard to get them to share on ‘happiness’? Apparently not. Winning a game, doing nothing, a tipple, the latest gadget, friends, girls - a pan-European select number of lads share what makes them smile – and why we girls are different. Vox-pop
youth, vox-pop, health, men and women, alcohol, friendship, love
Riots: Britain's boring thugs and Europe's burning thread
Don't synonymise the London rioters with the protesting Greeks or Syrians; it is just plain offensive. Yes, Londoners mobilised for four days, but it can't compare to the months of social, political and economic agitation across Europe and the Arab world
youth, italy, economical crisis, greece, london, tax, united kingdom
REM ‘call it a day as a band’ after 31 years and 15 albums: editors pick
The American rock group are as old as the most sprightliest of us here at cafebabel.com HQ in Paris. They formed in Athens (Georgia!) in 1980 and announced their split on 22 September. Here’s a video ode to some of our favourite songs for today’s soundtrack
youth, rock, video, nostalgia, culture, music, united states
Liv Holm Andersen: 'Danes like to lose their sense of security'
She talks and laughs with Mediterranean hand gestures and speaks a bit of Greek, but don't be fooled. The 24-year-old is actually one of Denmark’s youngest politicians, a candidate for the Scandinavian’s country’s second smallest party Radikale Venstre in elections on 15 September. In Athens, we talk Europe, the Balkans and learning from Spain
youth, balkans, greece, bosnia and herzegovina, immigration, right wing extremism, denmark
AKW Lobau: Vienna caravan communities away from it all
The story of the caravan commune AKW Lobau demonstrates that Vienna is not nearly as bourgeois and narrow-minded as is always claimed. The community is living proof that alternative enterprises do have their place in the Austrian capital. A flying visit
youth, vienna, best of cafebabel.com, green europe on the ground, green parties, lifestyle, austria
Pope Benedict XVI in Madrid: Habemus (50 million euros worth of) controversy
There were two opposing faces to world youth day 2011, which was celebrated in Madrid between 18 and 21 August. Crowds of enthusiastic young people dressed in yellow sang in various cities whilst the highest authority within the catholic church was visiting. Why did this year’s event spark anger amongst a large sector of the population?
youth, religion, culture, madrid, crise économique, spain, society
Orient Express Reporter 2010/11: citizen journalism’s ‘corridor no.10’ in Balkans and Turkey
For nine months, this citizen media has been sending an editor from its team of six in Paris along with volunteer teams of journalists to the likes of Bosnia, Macedonia and the EU’s 28th member state as of July 2013, Croatia. A project initially born of idealism in the winter – the aim being to present ‘our Balkan neighbours’ from an on-the-ground, positive viewpoint – the monthly city missions became a veritable bastion of shared and unshared realities throughout the year (travel in the Balkans, football fever), even when some well-meaning articles inevitably dipped into the usual shadows of already mediatised topics. Politics decides the status of a Balkan member state in relation to the EU, and politics is unavoidable in the daily lives of young people. In December 2010, Montenegro and Albania respectively garnered ‘EU candidate’ status and celebrated visa-free access to the EU’s Schengen zone. Their journalists and Arab-revolutionary wannabes dream whilst in Kosovo, a Spaniard (whose homeland has not recognised the ‘world’s second newest country’) has a one-on-one with the prime minister. As Irishwoman simply tries to understand Serbia, which is racing ahead in its EU prospects after 'handing over old war criminals', whereas from Turkey, whose negotiations to join the EU seem stalled, the scene is set by a passionate cult of football supporters in Istanbul. And that was the key to this year's editorial mission: passion. Read the best of cafebabel.com’s jaunt in the east and south-east (Image: (cc) Ezequiel Scagnetti for Orient Express Reporter Kosovo/ ezequiel-scagnetti.com/)
- Read the special edition Orient Express Reporter 2010/11: citizen journalism’s ‘corridor no.10’ in Balkans and Turkey
- Hunting Hashim Thaci in Prishtina
- Being a Beşiktaş football supporter in Istanbul
- Vox-pop: Being a young journalist in Montenegro
- Selling Serbia, a PR nightmare
- Try finding an Arab revolution in Albania
Cannabis legalisation: shopping for reality in Vienna
The Austrian capital has one 'head shop' for 100, 000 residents. It's perfect for cannabis amateurs, especially as the business is now commercial and legal, though smoking it in public is still not legal
youth, vienna, health, tourism, green europe on the ground, economy, drugs
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