< SWITCH ME >
Like many young Europeans, I have dreams and hopes for Europe - I want it to be a place of cultural and political awareness; a place where people from all walks of life and backgrounds can come together and feel like they belong; a place where our ambition and determination know no boundaries.
But also like many young Europeans, who are much more fortunate than our previous generations, I found myself completely lost and uncertain of what my path would be after graduating from university. How can I, a heavily-in-debt university graduate, keep up the voyage of European learning while avoiding being evicted or - maybe worse - moving back in with my parents (although mine are thousands of miles away on another continent)?
Then an opportunity opened up – last year I was accepted onto the European Voluntary Service (EVS) scheme to work on E&M.
"Voluntary, did you say?" you might ask. Oh yes, my friends, but not only are living expenses compensated and language training provided, the work involved is way more mind-blowing than the many unpaid internships or coffee-making "traineeships" we have all applied for. I have had the chance to tailor my experience to be as European and as meaningful as I want.
We are excited to announce a new opportunity to make your voice heard! We want you to let us know your thoughts on a pressing issue for today's Europe: social justice.
In some European countries over 50% of young people are currently unemployed. Does Europe need more justice? The proposal of an unconditional basic income is said to be a model for the future and a way to create a more just society. At its basis it means that every person gets a certain amount of money every month no matter what - without conditions. We are interested in your view of justice in your country, justice in Europe and the unconditional basic income.
E&M, along with FutureLab Europe and the Körber Foundation, has developed a short survey and now we need YOUR voice. Participate at www.europeandme.eu/survey and share!
Your view will help inform our representatives when they go to the annual conference of the European Foundation Centre (EFC) in Belfast this June. During the Europe@Debate discussion, we will be sharing the views of young Europeans with leading policy makers and academics. And of course, we will share the outcomes of the survey and debate with you.
THE RESULTS
Still need convincing? Here's the amazing infographics Franc Camps-Febrer made for us from the results of our last survey on European foreign policy. And you can check out videos of our authors and editors confronting politicians with the voice of young Europeans!
Help us raise the voice of young Europeans!
The Editorial Team
Open letter from the editors of two European youth magazines to the European Commission
Recently, Stefano Sannino, the European Director General for Enlargement, hurriedly withdrew a promotional video which was supposed to encourage young Europeans to think positively about EU enlargement.
It's hard to say which aspect of this video was more ridiculous.
Many newspapers pointed out the racial stereotyping of the three scary men who surrounded the white woman in the Kill Bill-style leotard. Then there was the fact that the woman summoned 11 identical versions of herself to defeat the outsiders, who vanished to make way for the EU flag. What happened to the old slogan, "unity in diversity"? If they had to go with this concept, couldn't she at least have summoned a whole variety of people, all dressed in different yellow outfits? Let's not forget, the EU consists of 27 countries, each with their own traditions, languages and peculiarities. It's very unlikely that they would choose to wear the same outfit... And then there was the budget, for which there were probably an infinite number of better uses, given the public reaction to the video.
You’ve probably already circled the 1st of April 2012 on your calendar: after all, it’s the publication date of E&M’s 16th issue. But it’s also the deadline for applications to the Studienkolleg zu Berlin, the international programme where E&M was born.
If you happen to be planning to found a new transnational project, you’ll need a lot of different ingredients. A group of motivated people, plenty of unrealistic ideas, a lot of patience... plus, somebody who believes in you, who supports you with resources and with encouragement. For E&M, the Studienkolleg zu Berlin was that “somebody.”
In September 2007, five students met at the Studienkolleg induction week. They came from Germany, Bulgaria, Poland and Latvia, and they had at least two things in common: they all wanted to create a medium which would make Europe personal, and they all felt that now was the moment that they could really do it. The Studienkolleg invites 30 young Europeans each year to take part in its programme of talks about Europe and work together in groups on Europe-related projects, while studying at a Berlin university. For a year, they receive a monthly stipend which supports them through their studies. It gives them a bit of space and time to think about what Europe is, and what Europe needs.
In June 2008, E&M was ready to go online. It had five unusually named sections, an awesome design, a great team of writers, and five exhausted and excited editors. The other members of the Studienkolleg all danced manically at the launch party to celebrate the very first issue, which - among many other things - explored the complex voting dynamics of the Eurovision Song Contest, told the Erasmus Love story of Susu and Fede, and - my personal favourite - featured a Baby article called Sexy Bum.
More...
Europe's best online magazine delivered to you
Written by EditorialOur crazy ideas department has just come up with a few more exciting ways to get involved in Europe's best online magazine.
The "Best of E&M" E-Book:
Still recovering from the hangover of publishing Issue #15, oh and our New Year's celebrations, we decided to put together our favourite six articles from 2011. We added the stories behind the authors and a short review of the projects we've been involved in to raise the voice of young Europeans over the last year. And best of all for you - its free!
Download it here - just one facebook/twitter share and its all yours!
E&M delivered to your inbox
In the world of a thousand news feeds and global information overload, we want to offer you something different: a unique transnational approach to live European issues. Our Sixth Sense is now featured on the central news hub Bloggingportal.eu and if you want to stream our regular blogs straight to your google reader/feedly/other feed reader, here's the RSS feed: http://www.europeandme.eu/sixthsense?format=feed&type=rss
We're accepting reader submissions!
So, you want to be a writer? Take the first step to a career in journalism and submit your pieces to E&M for publication in Sixth Sense. We've got readers from across the continent. We're developing our own approach to European issues, which we call transnational journalism, so we've established some guidelines here. But it's your magazine, and we will read all submissions and give advice on developing your writing skills as well as help in crafting magnificant pieces of European journalism.
And what's next for 2012?
Well... let's just say the crazy ideas department of E&M have at least 3 new projects in mind! We wish we could tell you, but we can't! But maybe your suggestions are better? Send us an email on what we can improve in 2012 at: editorial[at]europeandme.eu
E&M is not just an online magazine, but a platform for young Europeans to debate and explore the continent from a unique perspective. Sixth Sense brings E&M's transnational approach into live issue journalism and acts as a platform for these debates.
We want to include your writing on European topics, so submit articles of no more than 600 words and we, Sixth Sense editors Matt and Rike, will help you craft them into great pieces of journalism!
Here are some tips for writing a great E&M blog
1. What's your approach to Europe? The E&M body is divided into different approaches to Europe - so are you a Brain or a Heart European...? If you're in doubt over which fits your article the best – look here)
2. You only have 600 words (maximum) so have a clear and defined idea of what you want to say. Long form writers can apply to the magazine HERE. Make sure you capture your reader straight away by making clear at the beginning what you think!
3. How is your post 'transnational'? – In other words: do you put at the centre of your writing the question of how your idea reveals an aspect of Europe? - Is it directly relevant to at least two countries, or does it for example give insights into relations between a non-European and a European country? Does it reveal your own experience or a national perspective on the European Union?
4. Does your post 'make Europe more personal?'
5. We like pictures! Have you attached one? (It has to be creative commons, or allowed for non-profit use) – We recommend flickr or wikimedia commons, or your own pictures. And please hyperlink your sources.
(Sorry guys, but we will have to return submissions that are more than 700 words.)
Once you've worked through these five points, please send submissions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with 'Sixth Sense Reader Submission' in the title and
If you have any questions, always feel free to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Last January a small group of E&M editors, authors, and readers gathered in the icy cold city of Hamburg. It was there, in the midst of the snow and the many debates on Europe, that we launched the magazine's first steps into live issue journalism. One year and 160 blog posts later, we think it's time to revolutionise E&M again and open up writing in the magazine to you, our readers!
We're delighted to announce that new editor Rike Maier has joined Sixth Sense for 2012 and will be leading a number of new blogs that explore films, life inside Brussels, and a series of 'Good Reads' - recommendations from our editors. All this weekend we'll be launching different elements of the new Sixth Sense, so keep an eye out for your chance to get involved!
The new elements of Sixth Sense 2.0:
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Reader submissions - Looking to improve your writing skills? Write a one-off blog on any topic and get advice from our editors - just match your piece to a section of our magazine.
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Café Cinema - Film noir with a touch of coffee house debate; reviews of blockbusters and niche films, with discussions of their relevance today.
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Brussels Bubble - What's really going in the belly of the beast?
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THIS IS EUROPE - or is it?
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The Transnationalist - Matt brings E&M's unique transnational perspective to bear on the biggest issues of the day.
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Good Reads - E&M editors from across the magazine recommend the best articles of the week and give you their thoughts on Europe.
2012 is going to be an exciting year for E&M, and most of all we're excited to see how your writing can make Europe personal.
Matt & Rike xx
Sixth Sense Editors
The Körber Foundation and E&M are launching “Debating Europe”, a discussion series that will be held twice a year in Hamburg. Each discussion will be preceded by a funded article about the topic for debate. This article will also be published in the magazine. The first debate will take place on the 7th of November, in which Benita Ferrero-Waldner, former European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, and Adrian Lungu, E&M author, will reflect on the inside/outside dimensions of the EU dilemma in Croatia, and its possible meaning for other south-eastern European countries.
E&M will be sending Sixth Sense & Brain editors Matt Shearman and Carmen Kong to attend the discussion and present the magazine at the conference. Andrian Lungu's text will be available online on the Sixth Sense shortly.
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