Have you ever dated that one person who always made all the decisions for you? That one person who asked for ideas for something to do, but never really seemed to be as interested in your suggestions as he or she was in his or her own? Or have you ever been this kind of person in a relationship yourself? If any of these scenarios rings a bell than you might already know that there is generally one decision all of these kind people never made, breaking-up.

Although a relationship could end for a multitude of reasons, a misrepresentation of both partners in a relationship might be an important one. Whenever a person feels that he or she has no agency over his own life, that is to say to live or make decisions with a sense of free will, that person will likely start to address this discomfort to or even rebel against whatever he or she thinks is responsible for this. In case of couples this might mean that they split up and countries are no exceptions. Scotland, for example might want to change its Facebook status after its referendum for independence from the United Kingdom on the 18th of September. So, will this become the biggest European break-up since Kosovo and Serbia? (Or the biggest since Serbia and Montenegro, should you live anywhere here, as Spain, Slovakia, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Greece and Vatican City do not recognize Kosovo as an independent country). Time to answer some questions.

Countries break-up because of misrepresentation… are you for real?

Breaking-up might not be the proper term for it, since countries conscious human beings, however, they are filled with a multitude of people who do have interests. If these feel their government does not represent these interests or even threatens them, they might want to declare independence. Misrepresentation in this case is an often recurring reason. Take for instance this quote from the American declaration of independence, “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it”.

Why does Scotland want independence now?

Scotland does not, strictly speaking, only now wants to gain a greater autonomy for itself. As far back as the late nineteenth century Scotland has received more autonomy through processes of ‘devolution’. In the late nineteenth century this meant that Scotland would be allowed to tend to some local matters for the first time in almost two hundred years. From the mid-twentieth century onwards Scotland has received more responsibilities and in 1999 it has even got its own parliament. Perhaps in 2014 it will take the first steps of becoming an independent state. For more info on the history of Scottish independence check out this short clip by horrible histories and The One Show.

Why is Scotland part of the UK anyhow?

At the end of the seventeenth century Scotland and England (Wales at the time was a part of England) faced some political trouble. Both countries had different parliaments and different legislatures but the same king for about a hundred years.  However, at this point in history Scotland suffered a tremendous loss of wealth due to an overinvestment in a possible colony in Panama and from trade and navigation blockades from England and other European countries. In response Scotland passed some laws that would allow it to choose its own successor to the Scottish throne, which could mean that Scotland could further untie its bonds with England and seek new alliances with other countries. By uniting both states into the United Kingdom of Great Britain with the Acts of Union in 1707 an attempt was made to solve both problems. For more info check out this link.

What can the Scottish people vote for on 18th September 2014?

In a nutshell the Scottish people can only vote for things to stay as they currently are, that is to say to remain a constituent state with its own devolved parliament, or to opt for independence. However, should the Scottish people vote for independence, a new state is not simply born. Negotiations must be made about how an independent Scotland would look like, how much debt Scotland would own after the independence, what its interest rates would be, which parts of the North Sea are actually part of Scotland and which belong to the rump-UK and whether Scotland would keep the Pound as currency. In short, with independence comes a lot of paperwork.

Why don’t the English [and the Irish and Welsh] get to vote on 18th September?

The best answer that could be found it that democratic representation comes in largely two ways. (Three if you count the communist definition of a one-party people’s democracy) There is direct and indirect representation. Direct representation is the ones the ancient Athenians used in their polis In short it means that you represent by voting on laws directly, similar to what the Scottish people are allowed to do in their referendum. On the other hand there is indirect representation. That’s when the people elect representatives to make and vote on laws on their behalf. It could be said that the English, Welsh and Irish vote for Scottish independence resides in the standpoints that their representatives in Westminster have taken on the issue.

The UK is the only constituent country in Europe, after Scotland there won’t be any countries who want independence, right?

Not quite and no. It is true that the United Kingdom is a constituent country, that is to say a country that is actually a union of other equal countries; England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for instance form the UK. The United Kingdom is not the only constituent country in Europe; there is also the Danish Realm, the French Fifth Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. However, contrary to the UK these constituent countries are mostly comprised of a mother-country and several overseas territories from the colonial days, mostly in the Caribbean and the Pacific, that these mother-countries have not (yet) parted with.

But that’s it right? There are no other countries left.

There are no countries left, but there are still many autonomous or not-autonomous regions left in Europe. One example is some of the regions formed by the no longer existing kingdom of Aragon on the Iberian Peninsula. Like Scotland it once had its own legislature, monarchy and currency. This country was formed by fusing other Christian kingdoms together during the purge of Islamic rulers from the peninsula in a period called the Reconquista. While the kingdom seized to exist after the marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabelle of Castile (the very same who funded Christopher Columbus’ voyage to the West Indies), its boundaries are still visible within the various red and yellow striped flags of the now autonomous regions of Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands. The most vocally expressed plea for independence, however, is that of the people in the autonomy of Catalonia in north-eastern Spain.

How many European regions want independence?

There are over one hundred different regions in Europe that either already possess a certain degree of autonomy or that aspire independence or a greater sense of autonomy than they already have. Most of which are in Spain, Southern France, Northern Italy, Belgium, the British Isles and Northern Scandinavia.

Written by Willem Laurentzen, AEGEE-Nijmegen

Note: if you are interested in the topic, AEGEE-Europe is sending a group of observers to the Referendum in Scotland tomorrow! You can follow their steps under this link.

 During the last Agora in Zaragoza, ‘Nationalism‘ was elected as the topic for the upcoming EBM in Lublin. Different thematic sessions workshops have been prepared to give a deeper insight to EBM participants about it, such as the workshop ‘Branding nationalism the American way’ that Réka Salamon (AEGEE-Aachen/AEGEE-Debrecen and Speaker of the Public Relations Committee) will give.

The AEGEEan: How exactly do you brand nationalism the American way?

Réka Salamon: The name of the workshop aims to refer to the spectacular American fashion of wearing their national identity on their foreheads (sometimes literally!). We are often mislead by a biased media presentation or misguided by our own stereotypes against the Americans but the massive amount of their national symbols and their reapparance in every possible surface, penetrating every possible aspect of their daily lives from food commercials to cinematography, from political speeches to civic education… the concept is simply astonishing. But is the USA really the greatest nation on Earth – how the Americans are often trying to present it – or it is only based upon a series of exaggerations and blind patriotic images?

AEGEEan: Why is it important for Europeans to learn from this American way of branding?

Réka: Not only AEGEEans, but also young Europeans in general tend to be caught up in the ‘continental mindset’, meaning, we possibly have a great knowledge of the European culture and it’s 1000-year-old traditions and tendencies up until nowadays, during the time of the EU integration and crises. One aspect of bringing the American viewpoint into all this is to discover what is behind the nowadays commonly used annotation of ‘United States of Europe’ and how Europeans can learn from the American model mainly by means of establishing a unified pro-European vision for all the citizens. The other aspect the workshop is to provide the Europe-bubbled mindset with a fresh global perspective by drawing a comparison between the European and the American model.

The AEGEEan: What can AEGEE members learn from your workshop?

Réka: AEGEE members will be introduced to the background concept of American patriotism from a brief historical perspective up until nowadays. The participants will be invited to take an active part in sharing their own impressions and stereotypical thoughts about the American culture, which ideas will be challenged and eventually “lessons” will be learnt. What is the impact of the iconic American patriotism in the everyday lives of American citizens? Is it a wildly manipulative articifial imposition or a heartfelt attachment for their motherland? From reenacting famous speeches to debunking the idea behind Captain America, learning and entertainment is granted!

The AEGEEan: What makes you the perfect person to give this workshop?

Réka: I have already given various types of presentations and was presenter at progress meetings during our statutory events. I completed my Masters in English and American Studies at the University of Debrecen, Hungary. I was also working in the US for a few months and had the opportunity to meet the living-breathing images from my textbooks. Yes, they are normal human beings (smiles), with a very unique mindset when it comes to their attachment to their country and this is something i have always found admirable and intriguing at the same time. Learning about the American culture in its past and current developments is one of the personal interests of mine.

The AEGEEan: What do you epect of participants joining the workshop?

Réka: I expect the participants to bring a lot of enthusiasm and dare to share even the craziest ideas they might have! I am also curious to meet fellow American Studies students, but in any case, the only thing is to be active! I would like to fulfil the participants’ expectations and meet the learning objectives of the workshop and have a mutually satisfying and fun time together!

Interested in this workshop? The exact infomation about time and place of the workshop will be announced during the EBM, but will also be available online in the EBM Lublin 2014 – Official Group

Written by Svenja van der Tol, AEGEE-Nijmegen

As the EBM Lublin 2014 is getting closer, more details are coming out about the workshops and different topics that will be tackled. The AEGEEan has interviewed the two Content Managers from the EBM, Lavinia Manea (AEGEE-Bucuresti) and Marije Arentze (AEGEE-Leiden) about their plans and expectations for this event.

Lavinia and Marije have been working hand in hand for a little less than two months in order to bring their expertise in the field of nationalism to this event. They have been planning the topics for the panel discussions, assisting the Comité Directeur with the selection of speakers and workshop proposals, and creating a survey about AEGEE members’ perception of nationalism.

The AEGEEan: Marije, Lavinia, what made you so interested in applying as Content Managers of this EBM?

Marije Arentze

Marije Arentze: I was looking for a new challenge in AEGEE. I have wanted to become active in the thematic field of AEGEE for a long time and I was instantly enthusiastic when I read about Thomas Leszke’s (AEGEE-Köln) topic proposal, as I am dealing a lot with nationalism in my studies. But where in university the approach is mostly  theoretical and the focus lies more on philosophy and intellectual history of nationalism, I am always looking for a practical angle. Being Content Manager surely gives me some practical work!

Lavinia Manea:  Talking about the position of Content Manager in general, now that I have the time, I looked at my previous contribution in AEGEE and felt I could bring it to another level. As a recent Master (MA) graduate with relevant work experience, I wanted to use my knowledge and skills for a cause in which I believe. I was happy to see that the EBM has become (more) thematic and I wanted to be a part of that change. In addition, I have a special interest in the topic of nationalism and a passion for content creation. Quite obviously, this was an opportunity which I couldn’t have missed.

Which is your background in the field of nationalism, and how do you think you can complement each other?

Marije: I just started studyin European Studies and I just finished a course on national thought, which dealt with the intellectual history of nationalism, the emergence of nation-states, its different manifestations all over Europe and its related ideologies such as fascism and racism. It taught me that present-day manifestations of nationalism are the result of a cultural process that has been going on for centuries, and that the line between practicing nationalism and just expressing your national identity is very vague and thin.

Lavinia: I hold two MA degrees, both in International Relations, one with a minor in European Integration and the other in Diplomacy. As you can imagine, the issue of nationalism sprung in different forms during these years and thanks to my academic background, I am able to look at it from different points of view: historical, ethical, pragmatic etc. Apart from that, during the final conference of the Where Does Europe End (WDEE) project, I designed and  facilitated sessions on the topic of nationalism throughout the duration of the event.

Why do you think there is such a strong interest in nationalism in AEGEE?

Lavinia Manea

Lavinia: I believe this is owed to the high extent to which AEGEEans can relate to this issue. This is not a reality of “some” but a reality of all of us. We live in a world of nations but we are experiencing  both forces pushing for a “regionalization” as for a “supranationalization” of Europe. Both of these question the relevance of the nation-state and trigger nationalist reactions on different levels. While this seems to be a very political subject, it is far more than that, given that we live and feel the consequences of these dynamics in our daily life. I believe many of us perceive these times as a crossroad, when decisions need to be made in one direction or the other and this was an additional factor which placed this topic on top of others.

Marije: In addition, nationalism is a big deal about personal identity. It’s about knowing who you are and where you belong, which becomes increasingly important for young people in a globalizing environment. The line between expressing national identity and practicing nationalism is very thin and full of shades of grey. In Lublin, with the topic on the agenda and 300+ students from all over Europe in one place, we are in the ideal environment to recognize and become familiar with all these nuances and subtleties.

The applicants of the EBM were asked about their visions of nationalism. Have you found that they have a similar concept on what nationalism is?

Marije: No, not at all. We had as many different answers as there were applicants, varying from “a sense of belonging” to “the attachment to national symbols” to “a dangerous kind of egoism”. And that is exactly what we expected, in fact it is why we asked the question. The word nationalism has a different meaning to every individual. It is a concept that is hard to define. We don’t have the illusion that as AEGEEans will reach an agreement on this, let alone during the EBM, but we wanted to inventory how AEGEEans perceive the concept.

Lavinia: Indeed. A small off-topic addition which I find important is that those questions not only for us to understand people’s vision on nationalism but also to be able to share these visions with them during the EBM. We believe that it is important to know not only what we discuss, but also with whom. The applications and the survey were a means of understanding better the state of play in AEGEE and we plan to be as transparent as possible as to the results we obtained both from the applications and the survey.

And, according to their views, do they consider it as a good or a bad thing?

Marije: The answers were 50/50, also depending on which definition they gave. Participants who perceive nationalism as “a sense of belonging” of “being proud of your country” usually described it as a positive phenomenon. People who described nationalists as “eurosceptics” or “dangerous egoists” usually described it as a negative phenomenon. None of the answers are wrong of course, but they were no less inspiring!

You have also recently launched a survey about nationalisms, with other concepts such as racism and xenophobia: how are you planning to use the results?

Lavinia: As mentioned previously, the survey as such will be presented to the whole network and will constitute a starting point of debate during the EBM. We hope to offer AEGEEans a broader perspective on the state of play in AEGEE, regarding the topic. We are –of course- aware of the limits of the survey and yet, we believe it will prove to be a very useful barometer for our network.   As for why we included related concepts (racism, xenophobia, ethnocentrism etc), I will refer here to a popular saying: “a problem never comes alone”. We believe it is hard to tackle nationalism while excluding related concepts which essentially respond to a similar logic.

Can you tell us any first details about panel discussions in the EBM?

Marije: We will have two Panel Discussions, both tackling nationalism from a very different angle. The first one will be about Exploring the importance of nationalism for individual identity. We will deal with how much nationalism is intertwined with our personal identity. Questions are for example: “What is it that nationalists identify with? What is a nation? How important is national identity for individuals?”

The title of the other panel discussion is Questioning the relevance of nationalism in a changing world. In this Panel Discussion the place of nationalism will be questioned in an era in which we have “forces” asking for decentralization and forces asking for the opposite. Is “the nation” still as relevant as it was before? Will the sense of “belonging to a nation” ever fade away, or will it always be present?

Do you plan to address the topic of nationalisms in specific countries?

Marije: There will be workshops dealing with Ukraine and Belarus (by the Eastern Partnership Project), branding nationalism in America (by the PRC) and Catalonian secessionism (by Núria Fenoll Domingo and Ferran Huidobro Casamitjana from AEGEE-Tarragona). In addition, in a lot of sessions will deal with case-studies from different countries.

Lavinia: We are exploring ways in which we can create a useful learning experience for everyone. We will come with specific examples and in choosing them, we will try to be fair and careful, so that no country will be specifically targeted.

What about separatisms in the EU? In 2014 we will have the referenda in Scotland and Catalunya: do you have any ideas on that?

Marije: As said, we will have an excellent workshop from two members from AEGEE-Tarragona, which will deal with the subtleties around having an independence referendum. They will hold a simulation of the Catalonian referendum and with this they want to show how extremely difficult it is to deal with all the nuances that surround a topic as delicate as secessionism.

How are you planning to make this EBM an interactive and dynamic event?

Lavinia: The EBM will consist of plenary sessions, panel discussions and parallel sessions, all of which will allow for interaction among the participants. We will reduce our thematic input to the minimum possible so that we leave space for debates, while still providing participants with useful information which will enable the least informed ones to take part in the discussions. Furthermore, we will avoid creating “dead” content, as I call it, that is information which doesn’t have an impact on participants. Therefore, we will not include sterile classifications and more generally, information which cannot be further assimilated and used by them. We consider the content to be a set of tools which participants will make use of, and we hope that our approach will turn as many people as possible into active contributors to the EBM.

And which are your desired outcomes from this event?

Lavinia: If we should make a difference between outputs and outcomes, then our desire is for AEGEE members to become more aware of the multifaceted issue of nationalism. We also hope that increased awareness will lead to an increased capacity and desire to counter the negative aspects of nationalism. Paraphrasing an existing idea, the evil exists not only because of “the bad” minority who does harm, but also because of “the good” majority who watches passively and fails to react. In this sense, we all have a responsibility, firstly as humans and secondly as citizens of our countries.

If we should look at the output as well, there will be a follow-up document with information, conclusions and possibly recommendations. We are looking at ways in which we can involve the whole network and not only EBM participants. Following the idea that “scripta manent” we will pay close attention to the creation of outputs, both in terms of their comprehensiveness as their usefulness overall. We certainly do not want this topic to be forgotten once the EBM is over.

Marije: If you expect to learn out of this EBM how nationalistic AEGEE is and how nationalistic you are, you might have chosen the wrong conference to attend. But if you are looking for eye-openers, for a deeper understanding of the society you are a part of and of your behavior towards others, you should definitely be in Lublin!

For the ones who won’t be present at the EBM, remember that you can follow the discussions and the output from the event in the following links:

• EBM Lublin 2014 – Official: Created in cooperation between The AEGEEan, the Public Relations Committee and several other European level bodies.
• Nationalism at EBM Lublin: where the team of Content Managers are sending the latest updates on workshops and will be streaming the live discussions.

Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona