GOOD BAG Marek Siwiec, the Vice-President of the EP

Publié mercredi 24 septembre 2008 à 10h22
par elwira30 dans Debat (vu 178 fois et 1 commentaires)

Marek Siwiec, Vice-President of the European Parliament and member of the Socialist Group in the EP has initiated an action "Good Bag". 

Throughout his constituency in the Wielkopolska region Marek Siwiec's assistants and members of local bodies of Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) have been distributing eco bags of the PSE Group in the EP with attached letters of the MEP and leaflets with environmental tips. 

Also, the inhabitants could take part in a survey and find out about their Carbon Footprint.

The action, very much liked by the inhabitants, will be conducted in 30 districts.

Tags: activists, campaign, citizens, environment, EU, European elections, European Parliament, manifesto

EU as a mediator?

Publié lundi 8 septembre 2008 à 01h26
par Ari Rusila dans Debat (vu 340 fois et 4 commentaires)

During last conflicts in Caucasus and before in Balkans there has been discussion about EU's position between conflicting parties -between east and west.  I can agree with those who advise that EU should not take sides but rather balance its criticism with conflicting parties. From my point of view this could mean an approach with keywords such as understanding, dialogue and multi-polar world.

The Balkans have been the focus of extensive public attention for a long time yet not many people can honestly claim to have a firm understanding of the region, its history or the complexity of the problems. The same one can say about Caucasus. I would like to claim that one factor has its share 1st creating problems and 2nd making difficult to manage them. This factor is lack of dialogue, which in both regions has created one-sided picture in western mainstream media and peoples mind.

In dialogue, one listens to the other side in order to understand, find meaning, and find agreement. In debate, one listens to the other side in order to find flaws and to counter its arguments. Dialogue assumes that many people have pieces of the answer and that together they can put them into a workable solution. Debate assumes that there is a right answer and that someone has it. Debate can have maybe better headlines in news but it is not for sustainable solutions.

Few days ago the Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, outlined his country's national interests in a set of...

Tags: Balkans, Caucasus, Conflicts, ESDP, EU

Some thoughts on internet strategy

Publié mardi 26 août 2008 à 14h40
par carl0s dans Debat (vu 397 fois et 7 commentaires)

Politicians are now expected to use the internet as a matter of course. This process has been led by the United States, where in most elections, there is usually a "President of the Internet Moment." This could refer to a politician who gains fleeting popularity from using the internet in a possibly innovative fashion, or enlisting a keen following of bloggers and posters to evangelise online.

Professional usage of the internet and its capabilities does not guarantee political success. Arguably, the more slick and managed the presentation, the less impact is generated. The online world seems to be attuned to phenomena rather than propaganda. In Europe, internet traffic sits outside the world of mainstream political culture, it's hard to find examples where conventionally formulated political communication strategies have been successfully translated onto the web.

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Tags: activists, blogging, campign, EU, European elections, internet, voting