Much has been written, and is being written all the time, about the large-scale efforts to fight climate change, and why they hopelessly fall short of the mark. At the same time, however, this is not one single fight, contained to the realms of high politics.

Regular citizens, activists, people from all walks of life, have also been doing what they can to stem the tide, to make the world more prepared, to make it more sustainable. We have chosen to sit down with one of these people for an interview.

Meet Dr. Ruxandra Lupu. She is a distinguished researcher, with a PhD in film/video and photographic arts from the University of Leeds. Professionally, she’s been working at the intersection between business and academia for a long time. She describes herself as “a traditional printmaker and digital humanities researcher”.

In 2020, she founded Eithne, a company that allows her to marry her academic and professional knowledge of textiles and printmaking, with the push for sustainability. You can read more about her extensive background here.

More interestingly from our point of view, Dr. Lupu has been disseminating her hard-won knowledge. Together with international partners, Eithne is implementing Sustainique, a project that aims to teach advanced and sustainable textile production techniques to “VET providers, textile designers, entrepreneurs, employees, and trainers in professional fashion firms”.

Of course, supporting research, education, and knowledge dissemination is one of the things the EU arguably does best, and we also believe it’s one of the essential tools in building a shared European home. That’s why we sat down with Dr. Lupu for a chat about sustainability and textiles.

Question: Which aspects of sustainability does your work address?

Answer: My work initially did not explicitly focus on sustainability. As a printmaker, I engaged in craftsmanship through textile printing. My focus shifted to sustainability when I researched the impact of innovation for a British media cluster. This project highlighted the importance of greening media technology and achieving sustainability through creative storytelling and processes.

Since then, my attention has turned completely into sustainability in arts and crafts, both as a researcher and an independent entrepreneur. In the past two years, my work has concentrated on the craft and textile fields, exploring sustainability in competencies, technologies (like haptics), storytelling, and innovation practices.

I particularly focus on responsible and hidden innovation in relation to sustainability. My approach now combines multimodal and interdisciplinary methods to address sustainability in arts and crafts, with an emphasis on care and responsibility, especially in textiles and fashion.

Q: How do you describe sustainable textile innovations, and their role within a more responsible fashion industry?

A: From a theoretical perspective, textile innovations are novel textiles created through new materials, designs, or production processes. The concept of novelty can be tricky, since changes occur daily. For example, is a textile fiber from an ancient crop innovative? Is engineered yarn from orange peels innovative? Both can be seen as innovative, but ensuring these products are durable, caring, and respectful to the environment and communities is key.

Labels like GOTS and Oeko-Tex should certify products, but their transparency and scope, especially in addressing social and economic aspects like fair trade and worker safety, can be limited. While traceability is vital, it’s challenging due to the complex production chains in textiles. We need comprehensive sustainability measurements, considering cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors in developing textile innovations.

Q: What is the state of the art of adoption of textile innovations in Europe?

A: Europe has high ambitions for textile innovations. Initiatives like Master programs at IAAC Spain and Boras University Sweden, and EU-funded projects such as WORTH, DeFine, and Re-Fashion, support this goal. Institutions like Fashion for Change advocate for a more resilient industry.

However, impact measurement and consistency of innovations lag behind. Many new products are not widely adopted due to low market availability, high prices, and risks associated with new materials. Young designers are more open to these innovations, often for limited editions or unique products, but mass adoption remains distant.

Q: How can material libraries contribute to fostering the uptake of textile innovations? What are the challenges they face?

A: Material libraries are places of discovery, stimulating designers by offering textiles and materials instead of books. Europe has fewer than ten material libraries, mainly serving architects and engineers, with few focusing on textiles. In 2022, a project with the University of Florence showed that designers are curious and open to new materials. However, material libraries face challenges like staff shortages, lack of funds, and a need for specialised experts. Educational institutions, especially at VET level, play a crucial role in promoting sustainability and innovation in textiles and fashion.

Question: How should holistic education be set up in terms of fostering the uptake of sustainable textile innovation?

A: Holistic education should encompass both external and deep knowledge. Designers need to understand, not only the physical properties of materials, but also how they were created, by whom, and their environmental and social impacts. This multifaceted knowledge helps designers make informed, sustainable choices. Future designers should be educated to assess materials’ properties for their specific needs, and understand their broader impact on communities and ecosystems. This approach fosters a resilient and caring practice in the textile industry.

The post Sustainable Textiles: An Interview With Dr. Ruxandra Lupu appeared first on My Country? Europe..

The Vespa on the Amalfi Coast, the gelato in Florence or the colourful houses of the Cinque Terre—we all know the cliché images of Italy on travel portals. This is no wonder that Italy ranks fifth worldwide for tourists with around 64.7 million international tourist arrivals in 2019, just behind France, Spain, the USA, and China.

But in times of the pandemic, it is advisable to avoid crowds as much as possible. At the same time, however, we also deserve to free our minds from the virus for a few days after being locked down. This is possible even in heavily frequented tourist destinations like Italy, for example in the Marche region. Unlike Lombardy or Sardinia, the region located in the centre of the country rarely makes it into the international press or pop-up advertising on Google. However, the 1.5 million inhabitants enjoy 173 kilometres of Adriatic coast and little cultural treasures—and so do the tourists who “get lost” in this region! But what is there to discover?

Fermo – Between the Middle Ages and the Roman Empire

Turns out there’s more than you might expect. The town of Fermo is a small jewel of the region. Located on top of a hill, the balconies of the city offer a panoramic view. In addition, the narrow streets are adorned with medieval walls. Culturally, Fermo offers an art gallery full of late Gothic paintings and one of Italy’s most renowned libraries full of ancient books and manuscripts. The 18th-century theatre “dell’Aquila” is considered  to be one of the most beautiful in the Marche and hosts operas and plays.

Aside from its cultural offer, Fermo also hides a historic treasure: the large Roman cisterns are a patrimony of the Augustan age. The cisterns have a maximum capacity of about 15,000 cubic metres which makes them the largest ever built by the Romans when it comes to surface area. But what if nature is calling instead?

Conero Natural Park – The Two Sisters and the Black Sand

What sounds like the title of a fairy tale are actually two different excursion destinations in the Conero Natural Park, which is located on the Adriatic coast. While there are various corners to discover, the Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle has to be one of the most well-known. Its two cliffs are called “due Sorelle” (“two sisters”) because they seem to have the shape of two praying nuns. The beach, which can be reached by ferry, was named one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in Italy in 2013.

Another destination is the Sassi Neri near Sirolo. This beach is not a real sandy beach and rather it is a stretch of coast with many tiny stones. From the parking lot, it is about a half-hour hike to the beautiful waters. The rather steep path is tough but leads directly through the flora and fauna of the national park. Guess the unavoidable sweating is worth it! But what if the city is calling instead?

San Benedetto del Tronto – From Sightseeing to the Beach

San Benedetto del Tronto, a city on the Adriatic Sea is located towards the southeast tip of the Marche, just before the border with Abruzzo. Founded in the 10th century, the city hosts one of the most important fishing ports in Italy. Seafaring is of great historical importance as demonstrated in detail across the various museums in the city. If the sea was was conquered, the land would subsequently be protected by two castles which guarded the city from any possible threats. If it is too hot for sightseeing, San Benedetto del Tronto also offers an 8-kilometre-long sandy beach and there are approximately 7,000 palm trees in the city for tourists to admire.

To our dismay, traveling remains difficult in today’s time. But perhaps, the Marche awoke the distant dreamer in you. Once we can pack our bags again and cross mountains as if it was nothing, you might find your way to the Marche, Italy’s lesser-known region. Crystal-clear waters, cultural offers, and a fresh plate of pasta are waiting for you!

The post Marche: Voyage Through Italy’s Lesser-Known Region appeared first on My Country? Europe..

Between the 18^th and the 22^nd of May 2021, 39 countries will take part in the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam. The national juries and the public will decide which song is the best – or at least, which song they prefer.

What is Eurovision Exactly?

At the risk of causing confusion, there are two different meanings for Eurovision. What we are talking about here is the Eurovision Song Contest. The annual competition is organised by a TV network also called Eurovision, which is part of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), an alliance of public service media organisations around Europe and beyond.

Any member of the EBU can participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. This explains why Israel, Morocco and Turkey have participated at least once. It also means that countries like Egypt or Tunisia are eligible to participate if they want to as they are full members of the EBU, but Liechtenstein cannot. The case of Australia is more special, as in theory they only have “EBU Associated Member” status, but in practice they have participated to Eurovision assiduously since 2015. The explanation is simple: they had an enormous audience, asked politely to join, and were accepted as guests that have come back every year since then.

With almost 200 million people watching it every year, Eurovision is a formidable stage for artists to reach a bigger audience both at home and internationally. This is the very same show that made Abba and Céline Dion famous worldwide, fuelling the dreams of renown to the participants.

Eurovision’s Identity

For many people that don’t really follow the song contest, Eurovision is merely a show of bad pop songs where only Eastern European countries win. This statement is partly true. Yes, there are a lot of pop songs, and yes, some Eastern European countries such as Moldova have a habit of sending entries that fit the Eurovision stereotype to a tee (see for references when they created the Epic Sax Guy meme).

The show is known, in fact, for making fun of itself in this regard. Think, for example, of the unforgettable Verka Serduchka, the Ukrainian comedian who makes regular appearances to entertain the audience with his iconic star-shaped disco hat. Or again, when presenters themselves described the recipe for a perfect Eurovision performance (which should include love, peace, memorable costumes and some strange old folkloristic instrument) when introducing the song “Love Love Peace Peace” in Stockholm back in 2016.

But the audience also loves powerful songs that do not necessarily have this ironic taint to them. 2016, 2017 and 2019 winners were far from being silly pop songs. Both moods go hand in hand, and this makes the beauty – and the identity – of the show. The stage can display a silly pop, a heart-breaking ballad, and a headbanging hard rock piece – that’s part of the fan appeal!

The Confusion over its Political Dimension

Technically, the contest is supposed to be neutral in terms of politics, and political statements are forbidden. Georgia was refused participation in 2009 with the title “We Don’t Wanna Put In” which was a barely hidden criticism of the President of Russia. Belarus was disqualified from this year’s edition for sending a pro-Lukashenko song allegedly mocking the protests and named “Ya nauchu tebya (I’ll teach you)”.

On the other hand, the stage is often used for societal messages, to favour equality, LGBTQ+ friendly messages, etc. The 2018 winning song, by Netta, had a strong anti-patriarchy message, for example. Austria won in 2014 with Conchita Wurst’s song, “Rise Like a Phoenix”, promoting acceptance for and giving a voice to the LGBTQ+ community. Since its first openly gay contestant in 1997, Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson from Iceland, the show has made a sort of “coming out” by itself by defending values of tolerance, giving the spotlight and a chance to shine to these messages.

The Power of Music

Like clockwork, Eurovision always brings up arguments about how these societal messages are political after all, and that they shouldn’t have any space within a song contest. But has music ever been neutral? Music has been used to fight oppressive regimes, like “E depois do adeus” by Paulo de Carvalho, which was the secret sign to the military to start the Carnation Revolution against the Salazar regime in Portugal. Music is also used to express a feeling in society; things we love or things we hate.

If a song like “Rise like a Phoenix” won, it means that it resonated in people’s hearts and that it deserved to win. It is a mere reflection of society and if songs about love or dancing are popular, they are certainly not the only ones to exist. A song speaks to the heart, to the emotions.

By allowing the public to vote, it opens the door to societal messages that vibrate within the crowd. If we only wanted to have the best song in purely technical terms, the jury would be the sole judge. The current system is a good balance between technical skills and popular votes, which are based only on the heart. Without that, the show would be significantly less entertaining.

The European Soul of Eurovision

The Eurovision Song Contest is also a stage for European identity. People from across the continent gather on stage, in the stadiums, in bars (during normal times), and celebrate music. Europeans come together on a stage, perform and cheer on each other. Many of them choose to proudly display their culture and their language and everyone applauds.

This is a place where being chauvinistic is not a thing, because music is such an emotional and subjective feeling. It often leads to mitigated feelings or disappointment over one’s own country when the music does not fit his or her personal taste. Eurovision is about picking the country with the song you like the most and rooting for them, regardless of the country itself.

The show focuses on having fun and there are no borders. Cultures, languages, and accents cohabitate, and this does not seem to be a problem. We are united in diversity.

The show took a deeper European turn when the Berlin Wall fell. The countries recently freed from the USSR’s yoke had a strong desire to be recognised as European. Estonia openly stated that their path to the European Communities went through Eurovision as well. This cultural aspect seems to be taken seriously by most Eastern European countries, which often have strong contenders to the show. It may also explain why Ukraine never lost a semi-final since its first participation in 2003, and even won twice, the first time being only one year after their entry in the contest.

Of course, while the show has a very European identity, there is no direct correlation between it and European cooperation on a political level. After all, it did not prevent Brexit, and Switzerland, where the first edition took place, never had a sudden urge to join the European institutions family.

However, the show does create the possibility to be a part of Europe without the politics, without having to debate on rules, on trade, and all the nitty-gritty that comes with politics. It allows to be a part of Europe, as diverse and vast as it is, and to have fun with friends from all over the continent. If this does not convince you, then nothing will.

The post Eurovision is Finally Back! appeared first on My Country? Europe..

Kundera In The East: A Life Across A Divide

Milan Kundera was born in Brno, in south Moravia, Czechoslovakia, now Czechia, in 1929. A committed Communist, he joined the party in 1947, shortly before enrolling at Charles University in Prague. A youthful indiscretion, apparently praising Trotsky, resulted in his exclusion from the Party in 1950, and he had to spend the remainder of his military service working in Czech coal mines.

During this time, Kundera also began work on his first two books, both poem collections, titled The Vast Garden of Man, and Last May. These garnered a positive reception, while critically not falling afoul of the Communist authorities. During the destalinisation programme of 1956, the Party rehabilitated Kundera, who gained much inspiration from the events of the following decade, and particularly the Prague Spring. He sang the praises of the independent Czech spirit in several works, like Miracle in Bohemia, The Pleasantry, and Laughable Loves, the latter two considered anti-totalitarian in outlook.

The Soviet invasion of 1968 – conducted with half a million men in arms, tanks, and a serious complement of artillery – put an end to unchecked freedom of expression in Czechoslovakia. In 1970, Kundera was again excluded from the Party, losing his teaching position in the Higher Institute for Film Studies, with the authorities going so far as to purge the libraries of his books. Having obtained a two-year visa to France, he left Czechoslovakia by car with his wife in 1975. Continuing literary success allowed him to stay in France, motivated by the jeopardy his continued existence in Czechoslovakia placed on his friends and all those who had assisted him in any way.

Kundera In The West: Bridging The Divide

Kundera’s stay in France allowed him to rise from merely national to continental relevance. Writing first in Czech and then in French, as well as receiving several important French literary prizes, he rapidly established himself as one of the most widely known writers of the period, from the late 1970s until the fall of Communism in 1989.

Kundera was first and foremost an avant-garde writer, exploring human sexuality and the evolution of gender relations in an environment where the women’s liberation movement was taking its first decisive steps forward. His position straddling East and West fascinated his newfound Western audience. He was – and remains today – an intellectual writer, heavy with reflections on the meaning of things, citing Nietzche and Ionesco, analysing his characters’ motives and feelings. But is he really an East or even Central European writer, aside from his geographic affiliation?

Reservations Of His Countrymen

Kundera was and still is a popular author in the West, and his work has been translated into many languages. In his own Czechia, this appears to not be the case. Aside from the question of how atypical a Central European writer Kundera is, there is one incident that goes a long way to explain his compatriots’ lack of interest in his literary production.

In 2008, a document emerged from a local police department. Dated 1950, the document detailed how Milan Kundera had denounced a fellow soldier, Miroslav Dvořáček, to the police. The accusation was one of desertion, accompanied by the presentation of false papers. Whether the accusation truly originated with Kundera or with someone else, the authorities’ investigation resulted in a long prison sentence for Dvořáček.

To this day, Kundera vehemently denies having made any such statement, or even knowing the man personally. At the time the documents surfaced, police forgeries were known to be used as a political tool to bring down individuals the government did not like. Kundera would be a big name to take down, and international personalities rallied to his defence. Whether or not Kundera had done this in his youth is not definitely known. What role the incident should play in judging the man and his literature is another question. Even before the accusation, Czech readers seemed to have some reservations about him and his work.

Is Kundera’s lack of wide following in the Czech Republic an indication that the writer has left his roots behind? Without having some intimate knowledge of the Communist period first-hand, or access to anecdotes from the generations involved, it’s difficult to venture an opinion – even more so when his Czech works have seen less attention than those he produced in the West.

There are reasons, however, to think this might be the case, as unusual as it might be. Czech and Eastern European readers will chafe at the Marxist label petite bourgeoisie in art, and yet there are many bourgeois elements in Kundera’s work that seem to transcend his upbringing or harken back to another time. His psychological understanding of human behaviour is profound and occupies the main focus of his work. Yet though he talks of couples, threesomes, sexual and romantic attractions, hardly any families figure in Kundera’s work. Society would not ‘reproduce’, to use a near-Marxist term, without families.

His characters live, like all bourgeois characters in similar microscopic dissections, in a world of sexual impulses, devoid of thoughts or even a word about contraception, pregnancy, childbirth, or abortion. And of course, nobody really works very much in his novels and stories. The focus lies entirely with their emotional life, suspended beyond any material considerations. Early in his life, Kundera had criticized ‘social realism’. It is clear he didn’t like it. Yet, still with all this, Milan Kundera is a marvellous and insightful writer. The only question that remains is if there is a Central European Czech writer named Milan Kundera, or only a French writer in the making.

Why Read The Book of Laughter and Forgetting

The Book of Laughter and Forgetting gives the reader ample occasion to judge Kundera’s vocation as a writer. The English translation by Aaron Asher for Harper is very readable, and available in paperback. Written late in his life while in France, there are in this collection of short stories many which deal with the period when Kundera still lived in Czechoslovakia under communist rule. They are seen through the lens of memory – another main theme in his works – of a man, now successful and living in the West. Yet much of his early experience remains.

Other stories explore gender relationships. These are more typical of his vocation as an avant-garde writer of contemporary mores. Here, like Nabokov, the sharp incisive knife of his pen dissects the characters’ motives. The writing is clear, without excess; the human drama is seen in a world in which God has been dead for a long time. But other things have died and been buried for this post-modernist. Whether looking at Kundera’s communists, unrelentingly bad, or his heroes and heroines, unrelentingly coupling, Kundera’s experience of communism has led him to replace the political project with the mundane. Life is the sum of its daily sorrows and joys. All projects have long ago been defeated and forgotten.

The post Understanding Milan Kundera: The Bridge Between Two Europes appeared first on My Country? Europe..

The Different Aspects of the European Project

At a time when the European project is demanding a renewed commitment from its citizens it is useful to examine the parameters of engagement to the nation and earlier forms of identity. From this, European citizens can take some useful aspects, but other parts they ought to discard if they are determined to fully pledge their allegiance to the Union.

The twelve starred flag on a field of blue, the ‘Ode to Joy’, and ‘Bella Ciao’ are perhaps the easiest parts of a ‘European’ identity. On the other hand, other aspects may prove a bit harder to assimilate: new languages, additional taxes, new political, geographical, and economic information. These come together with dilution of political agency caused by enlargement and federalism, with increased competition, and even new military and defense commitments. All of these are a few of the more noticeable demands placed on the would-be citizen of the European Union. Coming from a place rich in varying traditions, the ‘nation state’, these demands will be taken on with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Trying to understand the old allegiances can help prepare for the new.

The Myth Of The Nation

Of all the social myths one of the more difficult to reconcile logically is “nationalism”. Unlike justice, progress, popular democracy, or even heaven and the after-life, the ‘nation’ is supposedly a well defined, observable phenomenon of human societies. However, under-scrutiny this notion and its simplistic appeal fall apart to an unanticipated extent. This concept is perhaps as elusive as it is familiar.

What exactly is a “nation?” Is the nation a collection of borders that have changed numerous times, even in recent memory? A collection of peoples whose genetic mix is so great and diverse that they are hardly distinguishable from their neighbors and even related to such far flung ancestors as Central Asians, Turks, Semites, Africans, Neanderthals or Denizovs found the world over? Or perhaps it consists of a collection of languages but then how many to include? From this, it would seem that nationalism is one of the most vague notions we adhere to. However, it is still one of the most persistent and  troublesome myths in modern times. People will build their identity around it. As a consequence, we also define states, organise passions, start wars, and justified mass killings because of it.

The Dawn of the Nation State

In the modern era the birth of the nation state links to the decline of the Holy Roman empire, from about 1200 CE onwards. We ought to remember that Empires are not nations, they are made up of numerous ethnicities. Empires would normally recognise citizens of all different origins in one way or another. Peoples maintained their original identities even while being and identifying themselves as an integral part of the empire. Nation states are different. They may accept minorities within their borders, but may also insist on their assimilation. The boundaries of an empire are fluid things, expanding and contracting over time, those of the nation state are perceived as fixed for eternity, though in reality they are not.

A nation is more similar, but not identical, to a kingdom. A kingdom starts as the birthright of an individual and it evolves into a jurisdiction. The loyalty of the kingdom’s subjects is to the natural right of the king derived from God, even though the king is not a god himself. By contrast the right of the nation to exist is enshrined in natural law, not in the authority of a single person.

Somewhat akin to race, an even more nebulous concept, though a solid fixture of 21^st century vocabulary, the nation comforts, protects and gives us a sense of identity while it also exacts a psychological toll. It makes numerous demands of its adherents including ultimately death to protect its projection of power and its dominant class. However, a nation does not give it citizens unlimited access to its power and wealth in return. The share they get will depend on the socio-economic status. It can go from virtually nothing for the homeless to untold wealth and power for a fortunate few. Efforts to legitimise a ‘safety net’, a guaranteed income, constitutional or other birth rights and entitlements like universal education have come and gone in the nation state. They remain precarious.

War and Security, the Myth of a Nation’s Power

It wasn’t always that the nation was thought to be the guarantor of security for the community. In the feudal era, the feudal lord was responsible for the community’s defense. He ordered the construction of a defensive fortress where he resided and wherein the community took refuge in times of danger. The feudal lord organised the men who would accompany him to battle, assured the provision of their equipment when social custom didn’t require them to do so themselves, mapped out their strategy and led them into battle. They were also responsible for external relations of the community, making alliances where he saw fit breaking other alliances for the community’s protection or advancement.

When kings began to replace local feudal lords, the king’s armies, first in parallel with local forces and afterwards replacing them, became the principal guarantor of power. The identification of the king, though his domains would often be contiguous with what would later become the nation, was a process imbued with religion and faith as well as power and relationships.

From Kingdom to Nation

As God’s incarnation on earth the king’s existence imposed special loyalties and obligations on the subjects. Lese-majesteor, deposing a king was no longer a simple political matter but a direct affront to God and his power. But it was not directly an affront to the community or the nation.

During the middle ages and through to the modern period in Europe kings could and did come from other countries. The Monarchs of England are today from Germanic descent, Queen Elizabeth retaining only a minor lineal connection to the British kings of the past. The Austrian Hapsburg house ruled for long periods in France, Spain and the Netherlands as well as Austria-Hungary, they acquired those positions through marriage and conquest.

It wasn’t until later that the idea of nation, a legally bound territory with some consistency in ethnicity, customs, and laws started to become the principal repository of security. The predominance of the nation as a political organisation continues today. It has been eroded both from above and from below. From above by supra-national organisations, like the former Soviet Union and the European Union, and from below by strong regional independence movements such as in Scotland, Catalan region, or Northern Italy and Corsica.

The European Union An Empire or Supra-National State?

The current European Union presents itself halfway between some of the more ambitious alliances of the past and today’s somewhat tenuous notion of nation as a federation of regions.

In the past, however, national loyalties were constructed not inspired by treaties between different parties. France, the UK, Italy, and Germany were all built from regions who had little desire to join anything larger than themselves except on a limited basis in times of external threat. School curriculum, the clergy, the consecration of festivals, holidays, and symbols, all contributed to fostering national identity at a time when local loyalties were still stronger. Even Greek City states, so famously successful in attracting the loyalty of their citizens, were originally built on forced migrations from the surrounding countryside. In time, festivals, gods, and other attractions of the Polis would make their citizens feel Athenian, Spartan, Corinthian (or other) and then Greek. Similarly, European identity will need to be crafted as part of an ongoing, emergent process.

Moving Forward

Ultimately, the creation of the nation states and its allegiances was a gradual process that happened over time. With this in mind, the lack of initial wide-spread enthusiasm to the notion of Europe should not be insurmountable. However, we ought to be careful in relying on symbols, holidays, religious sermons, or even laws like universal conscription to build the sentiment of belonging to a European nation today. Times have changed too much, people are better informed, educated, and accustomed to individual freedoms. The key to success will be in choosing carefully sustainable values on which to build the Union. Many of these are already in place in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens and the European Charter. Respect for these values including the more divisive ones such as human rights, minority rights, immigrants’ rights, and territorial integrity, and the ultimate surrender of sovereignty will be key to the successful emergence of Europe. In contrast, allowing individual, regional, national, or religious interests to prevail will make the building of a successful union more difficult.

Stephen Sposato

The post From the Identity of Each Nation to a Union appeared first on My Country? Europe..

Ryszard Kapuściński: A Life

Ryszard Kapuściński was born on March 4, 1932, in Pinsk, which at the time was part of Poland. After the Soviet occupation of the city in 1939, his family, fearing deportation for being Polish, moved to Otwock, near Warsaw.

His family was not rich, nor did he have any notable relatives. His life wasn’t much different from that of other young Poles under the communist regime of the Polish People’s Republic. That is, until he started working as a journalist in 1950. When he began working as a reporter for the Sztandar Mlodych, a youth-targeted pro-Soviet newspaper, and later for the Polish Press Agency, little did he know that it would be the start of nearly thirty years of adventures around the world.

It was during these travels that Kapuściński witnessed the transformation of the world during the Cold War: the African decolonization and its coups and civil wars, the Iranian Revolution, and the political crisis in South American countries. Once he came back to Poland, he lived long enough to see his country struggling to overthrow the communist regime. He then also witnessed the transition to democracy and the accession to the European Union. He died on January 23, 2007.

Another Day of Life

In Another Day of Life, Kapuściński recounts his life during the autumn of 1975 in Angola. That was the year when, after a long and bloody war, the African state gained independence. With its newfound independence,  Angola nevertheless struggled with its identity. Another war was raging, soured by the departure of Portuguese troops and people: that between Angolan communists and anti-communists.

On one side, there was the left-leaning MPLA (People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola). The MPLA was in charge of negotiating the independence of the country and wanted to assure it a socialist-leaning structure. On the other, the UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) and FNLA (National Front for the Liberation of Angola) were against the creation of a People’s Republic. The struggle was clearly one of the proxy wars between the global Western and Eastern blocks at the time. It is no surprise, then, that direct support was given to the two factions by Cuba and South Africa.

After describing the miserable state of Luanda, the capital of Angola, as Portuguese settlers left the city and hostile forces started to siege the suburbs, Kapuściński travelled to the front line. There he witnessed the apparently unstoppable advance of anti-communist forces and armoured South-African formations, all while escaping death on several occasion. The end of the conflict came when Cuban soldiers and supplies arrived from across the Atlantic, bringing balance to the conflict. This allowed the first president of Angola, MPLA’s Agostinho Neto, to officially declare independence on November 11, 1975.

In 2018, an animated movie of the same name – quite faithfully based on this book – was made.

Why should you read it?

Why should Europeans care about a book which talks about Angola, an African country? Well, because it’s not just a report about Angola, and the struggle for Angolan independence is not just about Africa.

Kapuściński offers a window into what 1975 meant to the Portuguese people of Angola in all strata of society. Not only rich retailers and shop owners, but also middle-class workers and farmers. They were all forced to abandon their homes, fearing persecution. Almost 300,000 civilians left the former colony, with most of them going to the Portuguese mainland. Along with other expatriates, mainly from Mozambique, their sudden arrival created a huge problem in accommodating and employing them. They were known as the retornados. But a few remained, fighting alongside the MPLA. That’s the case of commander Farrusco, who the author met on the frontline in the south of the country.

So, Another Day in Life is also about the relations between Africa and Europe. It’s part of both African and European identities, regardless of what certain nationalist theories would like to propose.

And it’s not even just that. The book’s structure is divided between the author narrating his experience and his dispatches to the Polish Press Agency. This gives us an idea of what it meant to be the only Polish reporter in Africa at the time: being white, European, and from the socialist sphere. Risking his life at checkpoints, struggling with poor financial resources, but nonetheless carrying on with his work.

Thanks to its autobiographic nature, it is possible to read this book through the lens of multiple approaches, all precious. As a basis to learn about a historical period and its society. Being the subject of a case study on journalistic reports. As an adventurous tale. Or maybe, through an interdisciplinary approach blending all these together.

The post A Polish Must-Read: Another Day of Life, by Ryszard Kapuściński appeared first on My Country? Europe..

When I was a student in Belgium at the Universite de Louvain in the 1970s, I first heard that Friedrich Nietzsche’s collected writings were the books of choice on the nightstand of every European intellectual. Though I had already read some Nietzsche, this practice impressed me. I continued with my reading of the great thinker alongside my regular studies in economics. Nietzsche can be best defined as a thinker and, through his writings, thinking for one’s self is precisely what is acquired.

I am no longer in touch with the new generation of intellectuals and students to know if this still holds true. At the time, though, it did. The notions learned from frequenting the great European thinkers shed light on the deep roots of problems we otherwise only understand on a deceptive surface. Such a problem, I surmise, is the European project. In these times, dusting off Nietzsche’s insights can help us understand European unity both that which we have lived since his time and that still to come.

A Philosophical Note

Nietzsche’s philosophy is not one of the theorems and their derivatives but rather an exploration of the dialectical contradiction found in life’s phenomenon. He often states an observation than its opposite. He opens our minds more than transmitting a ready-made doctrine.

Nietzsche has long suffered from unfortunate associations with Nazi ideology and from being summarily dismissed in the Anglo-Saxon world. Despite this, he has remained an influential thinker on modern culture. His association with Nazi philosophy has always been a distortion. It was enthusiastically encouraged by his sister Elizabeth Forster-Nietzsche, an Aryan zealot, who became curator of his literary estate upon Nietzsche’s death.

Concepts like Nietzsche’s ‘Ubermensch’ in Thus Spoke Zarathustra are unclear at best, but here certainly relate more to a wise philosopher and elite aristocrat than any mass movement. Such concepts, grossly distorted, were seized upon to claim the great thinker for Nazi ideology. This conclusion would be impossible for anyone who actually read Nietzsche.

A Proponent of ‘Europe’

Nietzsche was a proponent of ‘Europe’ and a critic of the narrowness of the European nation-state. Germany is often the subject of his ire. One of the few things on which Nietzsche is abundantly clear is his dislike of the militant elements in German politics and culture of his epoch, ones that he predicted would lead to national destruction, long before Hitler was born. He sees no dialectic here, only looming disaster.

Take, for example, this one of very many of denunciations Nietzsche levelled against German militarism, antisemitism and nationalism, taken from Gaya Scienza: “No, we do not love humanity; but on the other hand, we are not merely ‘German’ enough, in the sense in which the word ‘German’ is constantly being used these days, to advocate nationalism and race hatred and to be able to take pleasure in the national scabies of the heart and blood poisoning that now leads the nations of Europe to delimit and barricade themselves against each other as if it were a matter of quarantine […]”.

And, if it was necessary for him to be clearer, here is an excerpt from a letter he wrote while in Switzerland in 1887: “I feel kinship only with the most cultivated French and Russian people, but not at all with the so-called distinguished elite among my own countrymen who judge everything from the principle: ‘Germany above everything’ (Deutschland über alles)”.

Cultural Views from Nietzsche

Nietzsche repeatedly denounces the anti-semitism that he finds rabid in German culture dating at least from the writings of Martin Luther, which he considers a sickness of weak-minded individuals lacking self-esteem. Any careful reader of the philosopher would confidently conclude that he would say the same about anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiment today.

It is also apparent reading Nietzsche that the marriage between continental Europe and the Anglo-Saxons was on shaky footing from the start. Nietzsche finds Anglo-Saxon culture radically different from the values he cherishes on the continent. Plebian values of “individual happiness” and “practicality” made the Anglo-Saxons unfit for the great cultural projects that Nietzsche felt were at the heart of any civilization and that he saw as the future of Europe.

Making Good Europeans

Nietzsche does not content himself with simply dissecting the nationalist illness of the day. Instead of prophesising where it would lead, he attempted to embrace an alternative.

Writing to his mother from Sils Maria, the Romanish-speaking village in the Engadine valley in Switzerland, that he liked to frequent,  in 1886 he sets himself apart from those he criticizes: “Even if I should be a bad German, I am at all events a very good European”.

Nietzsche’s ‘good Europeans’ had a few important common traits: a secular, cosmopolitan culture that was at home across the continent. They were individuals comfortable with many languages and cultures, and who display open and inquisitive minds. They were Renaissance men, Europeans, completely free from the national and religious passions of their day.

He also gives a few important examples of individuals who he perceives to fit this description. In addition to Napoleon, these are Goethe, Beethoven, Stendhal, Heine, Schopenhauer, and even Wagner, whom he’d previously fallen out with due to the nationalist elements present in his music.

“We are, in one word – and let this be our word of honour – good Europeans, the heirs of Europe, the rich, oversupplied, but also overly obligated heirs of thousands of years of European spirit.” – Gaya Scienza.

A Final Reflection

Nietzsche appreciated the folk evolution of the European peoples in their variety. However, after having created diverse types of excellence influenced by geography, climate, language, diet and the many other factors that constitute a culture, he thought that their day had come to an end. His “good Europeans” had taken a dialectical step beyond this stage of evolution. They were citizens of the world comfortable anywhere.

At a time when nationalist and racist passions have again come into fashion, along with narrow-minded interests not too different from those prevailing in Nietzsche’s time, we find some in Europe turned inward and against any notion of openness. It would be good to remember, especially now, his warnings and where Europe may be headed again if not heeded.

The post Making Good Europeans: Lessons From Nietzsche on European Unity appeared first on My Country? Europe..

Church, beers, dances – a quick summary of the so-called Kirmes. Like many European traditions, the origins of the festivities around the Kirmes go back to the Middle Ages, when the consecration of the church was first celebrated. From the 12th century onwards, the fair developed more into a popular festival where friends and family met, people got married, and disputes were settled. In addition, the Kirmes was the perfect opportunity to meet suitable spouses.

The term Kirmes was established in the Westerwald, a low mountain range on the right bank of the river Rhine in West Germany. It is a combination of the German words “Kirche” (“church”) and “Messe” (“fair”). However, Germany has many more regional names for this annual tradition, such as Kerwe, Kerb or, in Swiss German, Chilbi.

In the villages of the rural region of the Westerwald, the fair has a special status as an annual highlight. Sophie, a young woman from this area, gives some insight and explains why the Westerwälder Kirmes is an entertaining attraction for locals, curious guests, or world travellers on voyage of discovery.

Tree Crowns and Flower Hats: The Kirmes Traditions

“What makes Kirmes in the Westerwald so special is that there is still a lot of tradition, while in areas on the Rhine it is more like an Oktoberfest,” reports Sophie. As a rule, the villages’ celebrations take place during the summer months. To understand why the Westerwälder Kirmes is so rich in tradition, some specific terms must first be clarified.

The celebration of the consecration is mainly characterized by the Kirmesburschen (“Kirmes lads”) together with their Kirmesmädchen (“Kirmes girls”), a group of young people mostly between 16 and their early 20s. The Kirmesbursch wears a Kirmeshut (“Kirmes hat”), which can be individually decorated with colourful flowers. In Sophie’s village, a girl must be asked by a Kirmesbursch to be his Kirmesmädchen. “We always joke that the men are still in charge here. But other places are a few steps further and the girls can decide themselves.” However, participation is open to everyone. Therefore, it is not uncommon that also Muslim men and girls get to participate.

The boys and girls then take care of the Kirmesbaum (“Kirmes tree”), a symbol of fertility and growth. The trees are taken from the local forest and their crowns are colourfully decorated. On the weekend of the fair, the Kirmes couples move through the village. The men put the trees in front of the church, at the mayor’s house, and on the village square.

Shouts of Joy and Plays of Wind Music

The Kirmes-company is accompanied by brass band music, and disco fox and waltzes are danced under the flamboyant trees. Some villages have their own songs and flags. Another component of these parades is the so-called Juchezen, a deafening cheer. Both the Juchezen and the village’s songs must be rehearsed well in the months before the celebrations. In Sophie’s case, there is also the so-called Brunnentaufe: to the delight of many spectators, the Kirmesburschen are dragged into the village’s fountain to be “baptized”.

The folk festival character manifests itself in the afternoon on the fairground, with merchants and carousels for the children. The big party continues here in the evening and at night. On the Sunday and Monday, the religious part of the fair takes place with the services in the church whose consecration is celebrated so sumptuously.

Physical Distancing and Social Convergence

Since COVID-19 was the only one dancing around the houses this year, many cultural events had to be cancelled. In Sophie’s village, it was the first time this recurrence was cancelled since the end of the Second World War.

“There were no meetings and no visits to other villages’ fairs. On Saturday, there were small street get-togethers outside organised by the neighbourhoods, and the Kirmes-company went through the village to greet the residents – at least that gave you a little Kirmes-feeling. Moreover, the Kirmesburschen offered to go to the supermarket for the elderly during these troubled times.”

After this summer of ceased singing from the heart and dancing crowds, we can only hope than soon cherished traditions from all over the world can be celebrated as before, in Munich, Venice, or elsewhere. And lost wanderers will be more than welcome to Juchezen way yonder in the Western woods.

The post Westerwälder Kirmes – Hidden Folklore in Germany’s Forests appeared first on My Country? Europe..

In 2005, the European Commission stated that the EU could be open to enlargement talks with these three countries in the future. But just how European is Transcaucasia? While making definite statements on the blurry concept of European identity can be complicated, this article explores the existing cultural links between European countries and these three countries.

Languages of Transcaucasia: the horsemen of distinctness

Despite their proximity, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan share nothing in terms of language. All three derived from three different primary languages. Georgian, the literary and common language of the Kartvelian languages, is not known to be linked to any other language. It is one of the world’s primary languages by itself and has evolved within the same region since then. It is the direct descendant of proto-Kartvelian, which show some similar patterns to Indo-European, which might indicate an early interaction. However, the language remained very closed to foreign influence, despite the various occupations of the region. Georgians even have their own alphabet, only used by them.

Armenian is an independent and distant branch of the Indo-European languages. It is, however, closer to Iranian than any other European language. They also possess their very own alphabet.

Azerbaijan, the only country of the region using the Latin script, speaks a language part of the Turkic family. Despite the proximity to Turkey, Azerbaijani is closer to the Turkmen language than to Turkish.

Being an Indo-European language is not a prerequisite to be European. Hindi or Iranian languages do not make their country any more European. In the same way, Estonia, Finland, or Hungary speak Uralic languages, yet the countries are indisputably European. So, in terms of language, Transcaucasia’s linguistic culture has little to no links to Europe, having their very own cultural heritage.

The religious bond

While Christianity is not a European religion per se, European culture and heritage are highly influenced by Christianity. Georgia’s main religion is under the influence of the Eastern Orthodox Church, which shares close links with Eastern Europe and most of the Balkans. It also brought Georgia closer to Europe during History, when Christian powers allied to fight the common Islamic “enemy”. Today’s Apostolic Autocephalous Church of Georgia is in entire agreement with the rest of the Eastern Orthodox world. But Christianity is not the only religious link Georgia shares with Europe. The Georgian mythology, which preceded Christianity, had important influences from Greek mythology.

While Armenia is part of the Eastern Orthodoxy as well, it follows a different orientation, being the Oriental Orthodoxy. Unlike the Georgian Patriarchy, the Armenian Apostolic Church is not in full agreement with the Orthodox world and developed specific customs. A similar church would be Coptic Orthodox Church.

Finally, Azerbaijan has an overwhelming part of the population following Islam, with 85% of the population being Shi’a. While European culture is strongly influenced by Christianity, it is not limited by it, as shown by Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania or Kosovo which are Muslim in the majority.

Traditions and culture based on religious practices are overall very similar to Europe within the region. The only exception being Azerbaijan which does not have strong historical ties or cultural and religious exchanges with the rest of Europe.

Transcaucasia and its art

Another manifestation of culture, perhaps the most visible, is art. Religious buildings are, of course, influenced by Christianity in both Armenia and Georgia. Other building styles are distinctively Georgian or Armenian, but both are influenced in a way by Byzantine architecture, linking them to European culture. The Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi is distinctive for its Haussmann building style, showing that the country is turned towards Europe more than Asia or the Middle East.

The traditional music in Georgia is a unique mix of local polyphonic music inherited from Christianity, of middle eastern monophony and late European languages.

Persian culture, however, has greatly influenced the region as well. Not only it is the omnipresent influence in Azerbaijan, but it also influenced Georgia from the 12^th to the 19^th century. The ruling class was often raised in today’s Iran, and Jean Chardin noted in 1672 surprising similarities with the Persian world.

European heritage is visible in Transcaucasia and had an undeniable influence over the region. Despite how strong it may be in Georgia, or faint to non-existent in Azerbaijan, it remains a surprisingly unique region where local peculiarities mix with both European and Persian influences.

The post Transcaucasia And Its Culture: Straddling Europe And Asia appeared first on My Country? Europe..

England’s Premier League has received conditional backing to begin again in June under special protocols. The President of Spain’s La Liga, Javier Tabas, has identified June 12th as the earliest date to reopen behind closed doors and contingent on approval by Spanish health authorities. Prime Minister Sanchez upstaged him at time of writing, approving an opening date of June 8th. The 20 teams in Italian Serie A have agreed to resume play on June 13th in empty stadiums. Poland has plans to restart on May 29th, Portugal will resume on May 30th, Austria June 2nd.

Some leagues have closed and have no specific plans for re-opening. The Belgian league was the first to cancel. The French government has cancelled Ligue 1 and declared Paris St. Germain the winner on points. Some clubs are considering challenging the decision. The Dutch government has cancelled all sports until Sept. 1. In Scotland training, and match plays have been suspended.

A National Unifier

Sports is not just about entertainment or escapism, although those certainly play a big part. It’s also an outlet for political tensions, and it can inspire people from different backgrounds to see the value of cooperation. It also acts as a platform for national and international issues, playing a considerable political role. And in the case of football, it is a big one!

This is true on the national level, too, where sports have often been a national unifier, with national teams coming to serve as national symbols. Fans rally behind the national team in hopes of a victory over rival nations. When national teams meet Germany at the World Cup or European Championships, one has the impression that the war is being relived, without guns, in a more peaceful version of historic rivalries. Local rivalries are also played out when club teams meet in the Champions or Europa League.  For next year’s 2020-21 season, eligibility will be determined in cases where the season has already been cancelled, by the current league rankings.

In times of international stress, the role of sports is even more important. The 1936 Olympic Games in Germany are still talked about for this reason. The hostage-taking at the 1972 Munich Olympic games focused attention on the Middle East and the raised fists of two American athletes in 1968 at the Olympic games in Mexico solidified the black power movement in the US and gave it further impetus.

From May 1950 until a loss to Turkey on February 19, 1956, the Hungarian national team – the “magnificent Magyars” – amassed a 43 win 6 draw and 0 defeats record, with the sole exception of the 1954 World Cup loss to West Germany. The international prowess of their footballers was a source of pride to Hungarians as they prepared their unsuccessful 1956 revolt against the Soviet Union.  In 1980, many Western countries boycotted the Moscow Olympics after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

The more recent French victories in the World Cup (1998, 2018) and the European Championship (1984, 2000), as well as making it to several semi-finals, have provided a platform for the country’s new multi-ethnic identity, as numerous immigrants from former French colonies helped lead the team to victory and were celebrated as national heroes. German and Italian teams that have vied for number one in Europe are said to play with their national character on their shirt sleeves, the well oiled “Mannschaft” being compared to the more individualistic “Azzurri.”

Spanish football was built by Franco at a time when the country didn’t agree on much else. It is still a source of pride and massive revenue. Iceland too achieved something remarkable. The “Strákarnir okkargetting” or “our boys” united the country and gave a boost to tourism by their quarter-final finish in the 2016 European Championship.

Players, Warriors, Princes, And Saints

Star football players are sportsmen- and -women first. They inspire us to run harder, train, and compete. They also play a much deeper psychological role modeling the warriors of old to inspire us in the social struggles we face, and parallels also tie them to ancient princes like the good King Wenceslas of Moravia doling out alms to the poor. Alongside benevolent ruler, the role of a saint, taking up the cause of the poor, although eschewing personal sacrifice, is not far behind. In taking on these various mantels, athletes reassure us of our good intentions, society’s smooth functioning, and the persistence of social cohesion.

Few will have trouble identifying Cristiano Ronaldo’s exploits on the field with those Homeric exploits of Ulysses – if, of course, in a way more fit for modernity. But somewhat less known, Ronaldo was “Most Charitable Sports Figure of 2019”, having achieved this number one ranking several times previously. Along with Maria Sharapova (#8), he is one of two Europeans to make the top ten charitable sports figure list. He is also better known throughout Europe than many presidents.  

Other charitable figures, features of the European sports scene, will be well-known to football fans: Neymar Jr. (#5), Didier Drogba, David Beckham, and Craig Bellamy, along with many others. One can question a system that awards some with fortunes they can give away while others struggle to make ends meet but it would be more difficult to question the generosity of these athletes. Unlike high finance, they have exploited no-one but themselves in amassing their fortune.

A figure like Zinedine Zidane, born in Marseille to Algerian parents, the hero of the French 2000 World Cup victory, and four-time Champions’ League victor as coach of Real Madrid, helps serve as a role model for immigrant kids, extending a feeling of common belonging in the immigrant community. Zidane also showed off the role of the saint – or in this case anti-saint – with his infamous headbutt of the Italian Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final that France went on to lose. Even the French were genuinely shocked. Materazzi had, it was said, insulted Zidane’s mother, raising the incident to another cultural level.

Other social conflicts are played out on the safer terrain of the turf as compared to the street. Families sometimes have divided club loyalties – one could imagine a Neapolitan family where one parent is a supporter of Inter Milan, the team representing the financial center of Italy. The other parent might root for Naples, identifying them as a team representing the city’s poor, and their offspring might join in the youthful enthusiasm for Juventus’ victories.  No football match will challenge the power structure in Italy, but football acts as an outlet to those tensions of identity and social cohesion.

When Sports Get Ugly

If sports has an outsized cultural influence, this does not always translate into a positive impact. Drugs, underage prostitution, illegal gambling, match-fixing, and right-wing passions are just some of the principal ugly moments in football that we hope not to see in the remainder of this Corona-truncated season. Teams have been forced before to play to empty stadiums, forgoing enormous revenues, not because of the virus but because of unruly, or even violent fans – even going so far as to violate European law against hate crimes or fascist symbols. Sanctions are applied by UEFA, football’s governing body in Europe.

Homophobic and racist chants, along with Nazi Swastikas, are often at the root of these bans, and often had to occur multiple times before punitive action was even considered. The problem is widespread. Groups called “ultras”, social clubs with several thousand members, and right-wing affiliations, are usually the prime movers in the repeated incidents. Some clubs are more infamous than others for their supporters’ continued far right affiliations – Lazio comes to mind – but no one is exempt. The German player Mesut Özil, who was born in Germany from Turkish parents, plays for Arsenal in the UK and retired from the German national team because of racism last year. Feyenoord, a Dutch team, was fined when fans threw a large inflatable banana at an AS Roma player of Ivorian origin. British fans, hooligans, known previously all over Europe for their drunken riots whenever they played on the continent, have now discovered racism towards many of the Commonwealth and other foreign players in the Premier League, as well as towards adversaries they play on the continent. Incidents of racism in Eastern European football are also commonplace.

It’s Go-Time

For better or worse, the season has begun again and will provide a needed distraction from days laden with news of the virus. Players will be no better or worse than we are – but their exploits will provide a window into European society, its strengths, and its weaknesses. It will fall upon us not to waste that moment of reflection, and make sure we try to do well by doing good: have fun, and change Europe for the better.

The post Football Is Back! Here’s How It Can Help Europe Bounce Back Against Covid-19 appeared first on My Country? Europe..