New Post has been published on Books by Caroline Miller

New Post has been published on https://www.booksbycarolinemiller.com/musings/the-end-of-tribalism/

The End Of Tribalism

I sat down to brunch with a married couple I’ve known for years.  The friendship is so comfortable, we dare to talk about religion and politics.  Mostly we discuss books. The husband told me he was working through the novels of a Japanese woman who wrote fantasy.  He couldn’t recall her name. After my friends and I parted, I returned home to sit in my easy chair, hoping to discover a topic for an upcoming blog.  As luck would have it, I came across an article about a Japanese woman writer who wrote fantasy, Sayaka Murata. (“A Planet of Her Own.”  by Thu-Huong Ha, Oct. 2022, Wired, 30.16, pgs.  69-75.)   Below the title, the blurb read, “…in her novels, she devises worlds where women reinvent sex, marriage, childbirth—and the boundaries of human existence.” Women in charge of their lives? Now that was fantasy.  Contrast that fiction with the morning’s headlines about American journalist Christiane Amanpour. She walked out of an interview with Iran’s President in New York because he insisted she wear a hajib. Melinda French Gates, in another article, commented that 100 years would pass before women approach equality with men. She’s right. The history of testosterone is long and pervasive. For example, Republican Senator Josh Hawley, in a tweet against LGBTQs, insisted schools should teach that there is only one gender. As a former educator, I have strong feelings about people like Hawley–book banners and parental rights extremists. Their goal is to put blinders on young minds. I have a similar objection to homeschooling, charter schools,  and religious schools. They balkanize the public system which is meant to provide the basis for a common culture.  In part, our fractured nation is the consequence of a fractured educational system. A population divided in what it accepts as facts threatens democracy. With no common denominator, we are left with opinions, as many as there are grains of sand upon the beach. Unfortunately, some of those thoughts come from elected leaders who should be wearing prison garb.   Incumbent Raphael Warnock, Georgia’s senator, has served his constituents without a breath of scandal. Even so, he is in a close reelection campaign against a challenger who admits to multiple personality disorder, has threatened his wife with guns and knives, and remains so menacing that three years after their divorce, she maintains a court protective order against him. One pundit explains, voters no longer care about fitness for public office.  They choose to support tribal interests, instead. Political affiliation is one of them.  Donald Trump, our 45th president, is right when he says he could shoot a person in the street and retain the loyalty of fellow Republicans. Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is tribal.  He complains his neighbor is too friendly with his enemies in the west.  He feels threatened. So, in his fantasy, the world should see him as a victim, not an invader. Few nations share his delusion, including allies like Chia and India. At a recent gathering of members of the United Nations, virtually all of the 15 members of the Security Council and the vast majority of U. N. members condemned Russia’s actions. They have reason to be concerned. Putin’s aggression threatens national sovereignty, a nuclear war, and worldwide famine.     Climate change, much of it human-caused, already endangers traditional food sources. Putin’s war exacerbates the crisis. Ukraine’s agriculture supplies 40% of the world’s wheat. Destroy its crops and discover how quickly starvation becomes the new reality.   Facts aren’t compliant. The truth will prevail.  When dreamers awake to it, will there be time to save democracy?  The Planet? The 2022 midterms could be a flexion point for the United States. I sense a longing for a return to sense and sensibility. Exhausted by fantasy, people of many persuasions want a world that works.  They want to be safe.  They want their children and grandchildren to be safe, also. A dream of empire is one they can’t afford. Inalienable rights are what they require.  That hope isn’t tribal.  It’s human. When equality is the norm, tribalism becomes irrelevant. We may also find that when tribalism disappears, we create more room for mercy.     

(Pictured above - a map showing the current segmentation of the Burroughs, the People Below's sections of political territory, with annotations showing the leaders of each. Which Burrough do YOU reside over?)

Public Information File 55661: The Molemen/The People Below.

The Office provides this information to the extranormal public in order to educate about our neighbors Below. Let's learn about the Molemen - together!

The Molemen first appeared on the Office's radar in 1965, when one Thaddeus Marsh, an expert in soon-to-be illegal genetic engineering and anatomy manipulation, began to talk to colleagues in the extranormal sciences community about retreating underground. Fearing nuclear annihilation in the Cold War, many of his associates agreed with him.

Using currently-classified anomalous technology, they created a series of self-replicating bunkers deep underground, starting with small rooms that expanded into massive complexes that gradually connected via long tunnels. Railroad systems were established in these tunnels, and by 1971, enough work had been done that Thaddeus Marsh felt confident moving people underground.

The work was quick, but the other scientists, hired workers, and civilians drawn by the promise of safety had not expected Marsh's mental deterioration. All of the personnel who moved underground were trapped and subjected to extranormal genetic and anatomic manipulation to "better adapt" them, in Marsh's belief, to a life underground.

From 1971 to 74, Marsh, now known as the Underking Murmur, ruled with an iron fist. His territory expanded under the lower 48 states, and parts of Canada and Mexico. His madness seemed to grow with his power, kidnapping cavers, miners, and other surface-dwellers to induct them into his army. Developing unimaginably vast factories, he created digging machines capable of moving anomalous amounts of dirt. By 1974, his plan to invade the surface world with these machines became widely known among the People Below.

The organizing body responsible for the incredibly complex logistics of moving so much earth, the Miner's Union, fomented a revolution in the Underground in mid-74. After three months of vicious fighting, the loyalty of the Underking's minions was tested and found wanting. Underking Murmur was deposed, and in its place the Union members created a council. The Underking's territory "balkanized" into 12 loosely-allied "Burroughs" that the Office recognizes as the political authority of the People Below.

With recent diplomatic efforts, the Office for the Preservation of Normalcy has welcomed the People Below to the surface under our Legal Extranormal Persons program.

Balkan countries have made progress in providing measures of gender identity recognition in law in recent years, but more work on improving transgender rights is needed, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights said on Thursday.

A new report, “Human rights and gender identity and expression”, released 15 years after the first paper by this organisation on this topic, notes that across Europe transgender people face high rates of discrimination, violence and insecurity in their lives.

“There is no such thing as granting ‘special’ rights, and realising the human rights of trans people does not undermine the rights of others. Human rights are universal: they apply equally to everyone,” the CoE Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, said, releasing the report.

In recent years, progress was made in providing measures of gender identity recognition in law in 37 CoE member states, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey. However, regression has been noted in Hungary and Bulgaria since 2020.

However, obtaining Legal Gender Recognition, LGR, in half of the CoE member states requires a mental health diagnosis or psychological evaluation, including in Bosnia, Croatia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey.

The Commissioner recommends the repeal of these conditions due to the alleged pathologization of trans people.

In at least 11 member states, legal gender recognition requires sterilisation and invasive physical interventions, which she said violates the right to physical integrity. This is the case in Bosnia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey.

“The Commissioner encourages member states to consider ways to ensure reparation and rehabilitation for individuals who have previously submitted to sterilisation as a pre-condition for LGR,” the report says, noting that some member states, including Sweden and the Netherlands, have adopted such initiatives.

The topic of legal gender recognition for children is also raised, citing a survey where 72 per cent of “adult trans people realised that their gender identity did not match their sex assigned at birth before reaching the age of 18”. Even though most European countries prohibit or restrict legal gender recognition of children, this is not the case in Croatia and Montenegro, among others.

“Arguments that LGR prematurely or inappropriately medicalises young people and their bodies are misplaced since, as noted, no person, irrespective of age, should have to submit to physical medical interventions or diagnoses as a pre-condition for LGR in the first place,” the report says.

Based on the Trans Murder Monitoring project, it is estimated that the highest number of murders of trans people between 2008 and September 2023 in Europe took place in Turkey, where there were 65 victims.

Online anti-trans hate speech, media and statements of politicians additionally influence the vulnerable position of transgender people.

Transgender people held in detention are also exposed to violence and discrimination from detainees and from those in positions of authority, which was reported in Greece in 2022.

The document provides 15 recommendations to Council of Europe member states regarding effective policy making, anti-discrimination legislation, healthcare, education, sport, etc.

Member states should also acknowledge individualised experiences, since all people experience their gender identity and gender expression in diverse ways, it says.

Regarding trans women in sport, the Commissioner addresses the current heated public debate on this topic. “There is no evidence that trans women competitors are currently overrunning women’s sport, nor is there evidence that male fraudsters are systematically using trans rights for personal gain,” the report says.

OC Mannerism

thank you @the-raging-tempest for the template! it's hard for me to visualize these sort of things but i hope the general vibe gets across at least!

BASICS :

NO. OF SPOKEN LANGUAGES >> Taldane, Skald, academic Draconic, basic Varisian, rudimentary Kelish

TONE OF VOICE >> Melodic is the best way to describe it. Her voice almost sounds as if she is always somewhat singing. I'd put her around on a higher end of average, with a very soothing cadence. A Mezzo-Soprano.

ACCENT >> Though subtle due to how much moving around she's done as a child and later on in life after running away, Layla has a brevic accent. The irl equivalent for her would be a balkan accent, thank you Taylor for the inspiration😌. Those who aren't from Brevoy wouldn't likely be able to pinpoint where it's from, but those who are would if they were perceptive.

DEMEANOR > Approachable! Very approachable, friendly, and confident. Her confidence is not in a way of being prideful, but of being comfortable in her own skin.

POSTURE >> From the template Cas made that I'm still filling out: Layla carries herself with an easy elegance and the proper poise of one who spent many years among the nobility. Some who watch her say her movement has an almost unnatural grace and assume it’s due to her moroi heritage.

HABITS :

-Layla is always moving in public in some way, swaying back and forth, playing with her hair or clothes. Her favorite is her amulet, and when she becomes more introspective she holds onto it to center herself. She's not incapable of standing still, she just prefers not to.

-Despite, or perhaps because of, her bad vision she is constantly watching her surroundings and looking over her shoulder at the slightest noise. She does her best to disguise this as part of her constant movement, instead of the surveillance it is.

-She is almost always humming to herself, to the point she frequently doesn't realize it.

COMPLEXITY :

VOCABULARY >> ⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️ Only held back by own limited vocabulary, as Layla is very well read. Depending on who she is talking to, she can range from speaking casually to speaking as if she is for an Jane Austen novel. It is notable however that the more poetic she is in a conversation, the more likely it is she doesn't like someone. Of course she could just also excited and is getting carried away.

EMOTION >> ⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️⚪️ Layla wears her feelings on her sleeve with no shame. Whether it joy or grief, you will likely know what she is feeling. Over the years she has tried to catch herself, and with help of people she trust she can at least be brought down from where her emotions take her.

SENTENCE STRUCTURE >> ⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️⚪ Once again held back by my own limits. Again she is very well read, and had a very proper noblewoman's education, so it bleeds into how she talks.

PROFANITY: She doesn't cuss much, not because it makes her uncomfortable, but because she just doesn't feel like it. Her cussing can be surprising to those who don't expect it.

FREQUENCY >> ⚫️⚪️⚪️⚪️⚪️

CREATIVITY (in regards to profanity) >> ⚫️⚪️⚪️⚪️⚪️ BOLD THAT APPLY

arse / ass / asshole / bastard / bitch / bloody / bugger / bollocks / chicken shit / crap / cunt / dick / frick / fuck / horseshit / motherfucker / piss / prick / pussy / screw / shit / shitass / son of a bitch / twat / wanker

THIS OR THAT:

straightforward or cryptic?

finding the right word or using the first word that comes to mind?

masculinity, neutrality, or femininity?

formalities or with abrasiveness?

praise or equivocation? (both, depends on the situation)

frankness or flattery (she does both, depends on the situation)

excessive or minimal hand gestures (idk if excessive is the right word, but she isn't 🧍‍♀️ the whole time either so lol)

name-calling or magnanimity? (this very much depends on who she's talking to and if she has control of her emotions at the moment)

friendly or blunt

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

DO PEOPLE HAVE A HARD TIME HEARING OR UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHARACTER? Never, she is able to adjust very easily to the needs of who she's talking to. If they can't hear her, it's because of something out of her control or because she didn't want to be heard.

DOES YOUR CHARACTER’S POINT COME ACROSS EASILY WHEN THEY SPEAK? Depends on if she wants it to! But she is in general very articulate, so she has no difficulty sharing her point of view when she wants.

WOULD YOUR CHARACTER INITIATE CONVERSATIONS? Yes! She is the type of person to find someone who is in the corner and talk to them to put them at ease at a party, and try to get them to enjoy their time. She enjoys talking to as many people as she can because she enjoys hearing other people's perceptions.

WOULD YOUR CHARACTER BE THE ONE TO END CONVERSATIONS? Rarely. She will keep a conversation going as long as the other person is comfortable with it! It's only in conversations where she is angered does she cut it short, either to leave, or kill them lol.

WOULD YOUR CHARACTER USE ‘WHOM’ IN A SENTENCE?

Yes, both ironically and not lmao. noble ass but also mischievous ass.

YOUR CHARACTER WANTS TO MAKE A COUNTERPOINT. WHAT WORD DO THEY USE?

but / though / although / however / perhaps / maybe

all of them lmao, it depends on the context.

HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER END CONVERSATIONS?

If the conversation is ended by her and it's not on a bad foot, she will smile and usually give a thanks for talking to her, say it was nice talking to them, and give a goodbye, though not necessarily all of them at once. If she's close to them she might hug them, or perhaps even kiss them on the cheek. It usually won't be in a formal manner, and she'd try not to overstay her welcome.

WHAT SOCIAL CLASS WOULD OTHERS ASSUME YOUR CHARACTER BELONGS TO, HEARING THEM SPEAK?

Just on voice? Probably they would assume she's from upper middle class, and probably assume she was raised by a wealthy merchant or something similar, or more accurately as a noblewoman. She can change it to better suit who she's talking to, so if she wants to come across a certain way, she likely can and will.

IN WHAT WAYS DOES THE WAY YOUR CHARACTER SPEAK STAND OUT TO OTHERS?

She can put most people who listen to her to ease, whether they notice it or not. She speaks clearly, and is genuinely polite but not to the point of sounding archaic. Most conversations with her leave her conversation partner in a better mood than they entered it with.

Anything that wasn’t touched on? -Despite me pointing out her habit of humming, she is heard laughing even more often. I think she'd have a very cute laugh, one that bubbles up and is infectious.

-Layla is an arabic name meaning 'night' or 'dark', given to her by her mother shortly before her mother's passing. Many believe, including Layla, it to be a purposely on the nose name for her child who was born in the middle of the night as a dhampir. It's pronounced 'lay-luh' as one would expect.

-If she feels threatened, Layla will be more likely to try and manipulate the person into not seeing her as a threat, before ultimately running away when they aren't paying attention. Ie. the fact that she'll mirror who's talking to.

Köçek (Turkey)

Köçek was a young effeminate, gender non-confirming person who cross-dressed in feminine attire, and was employed as an entertainer.Köçeks were recruited of several background and ways, such as by captives, slaves or devşirme (recruiting of boys from the Janissary corps) from the fourteenth to early eighteenth century.The culture of the köçek, which flourished from the 18th to the 19th century, had its origin in the customs in Ottoman palaces, & in particular in the harems.

A köçek would begin training around the age of seven or eight after he was circumcised and would be considered accomplished after about six years of study and practice. A dancer's career would last as long as he was clean shaven and retained his youthful appearance.The dances, collectively known as köçek oyunu, blended elements from throughout the empire, most importantly Turkish (like Karsilamas & Kaşık Havası) and oriental elements. They performed to a particular genre of music known as köçekçe, which was performed in the form of suites in a given melody.It too was a mix of Sufi, Balkan and Classical Anatolian influences. The accompaniment included various percussion instruments, such as the davul-köçek, the davul being a large drum, one side covered with goat skin and the other in sheep skin, producing different tones. A köçek's skill would be judged not only on his dancing abilities but also on his proficiency with percussion instruments, especially a type of castagnette known as the çarpare.The dancers were accompanied by an orchestra, featuring four to five each kaba kemençe and laouto as principal instruments, used exclusively for köçek suites.There were also two singers. A köçek dance in the Ottoman seraglio (palace harem) involved one or two dozen köçeks and many musicians.The occasions of their performances were wedding or circumcision celebrations,feasts & festivals, as well as the pleasure of the sultans and the aristocracy.

Portrait of an Ottoman Kocek

Koceks, often wearing heavy make-up, would curl their hair and wear it in long tresses under a small black or red velvet hat decorated with coins, jewels and gold. Their usual garb consisted of a tiny red embroidered velvet jacket with a gold-embroidered silk shirt, shalvar (baggy trousers), a long skirt and a gilt belt, knotted at the back. They were said to be "sensuous, attractive, effeminate", and their dancing "sexually provocative". Dancers minced and gyrated their hips in slow vertical and horizontal figure eights, rhythmically snapping their fingers and making suggestive gestures. Often acrobatics, tumbling and mock wrestling were part of the act.Köçek dance was performed in public spaces such as marketplaces,coffee houses,taverns & wine cellars.

Education was also provided to the köçek at enderȗn mektebi (the school of the palace) and only some were chosen to live in the inner part of the sultan’s palace. Others resided elsewhere and worked in the kol (in the guilds of craftsmen).

Decline

Despite its popularity, the kocek dance was controversial within Ottoman conservative religious and political leaders viewing it as immoral. As of 1805, there were approximately 600 köçek dancers working in the taverns of the Turkish capital.They were outlawed in 1837 due to fighting among audience members over the dancers.With the suppression of harem culture under Sultan Abdulaziz & Sultan Abdul Hamid II, köçek dance and music lost the support of its imperial patrons and gradually disappeared.Some köçeks dispersed to Anatolia and various Arab countries.

In Popular Culture

Today, the kocek dance is largely a historical artifact, although there are some efforts to revive the dance as a form of cultural heritage.The köçek dance exists in some parts of Anatolia, especially in the Kastamonu.Köçek boys are also sometimes referenced in popular culture, & has been featured in films, novels and other works of art that explore the history and culture of the Ottoman Empire.

There is a turkish movie Kocek, directed by Nejat Saydam.The movie follows the life of Caniko, a gender non-confirming gypsy, who struggles with his gender identity.

Vanja anon-

Don't know when they got back, most people say last summer when he was on Ibiza which is weird bcs how does the press know they met on Ibiza? Again, I think it was either leaked by her or someone close to her because he's fine with pap photos but won't address his relationships in public. What is true and not true is impossible to tell. Dunno about privacy, she used to have a public account and she modeled for many Serbian and Balkan brands, she's tagged in that post at our clinic so I guess she is fine with a certain degree of exposure I suppose. As for him, he never ever made a comment about an ex of his in public even though his ex gf gave a whole interview about him.

Educated and mature is such a loose term nowadays, I myself say either someone who has lots of degrees is educated or someone who has lots of unique life experience and that usually comes with age or to young adults who had a less priviledged upbringing compared to her. Mature is up for debate for me, I don't like when someone labels young women and girls "mature" sounds groomy as fuck. As for their relationship, dear god, I don't think there was any cheating involved. What I do think it's hard for him to trust anyone that he won't be used to get famous off or whatever, he keeps tight circles. He's not the type to date a career woman in my opinion, so someone who does small modeling jobs is probably perfect for him. I know someone claimed she was the one who broke up with him, but I really don't think that's true because he had another gf pretty soon after they broke up the first time. Again, I'm not saying that he cheated, but it's not impossible to say they got tired of being long distance.

Idk, he's a strange bird, in a sense of he has commintment issues but wants to husband up and have a family at the same time. I think they got back together because they knew one another well.

I do remember there being an article and there was a quote that his mother would be delighted to have her as a daughter in law because she's pretty and "educated" and I swear I never laughed harder in my life like is that the best terms we can use to describe someone who is supposed to join your family? Anyway, I find them to be a good match, they're both very normal people who are interested in the football player wag lifestyle and that's a okay. Maybe I'm a teensy bit surprised because I expected him to be with someone on his level of ambition and grit, but I was wrong. That's all

.

I think that very often the history of Pontic Greeks does get overshadowed by the Asia Minor Catastrophe. I live in Thessaloniki, and every time I go to Public (the bookstore/electronic store) they have a dozen and more historical books about Asia Minor being advertised, and almost no books about the Pontic Greeks, not even the most popular ones like Not Even My Name (okay they did have one historical novel, I give them that, but it’s still way too little in my opinion). Some other bookstores like Protoporia have a bigger collection, but it’s still frustrating to me (as a Pontic Greek) that books about Pontus aren’t receiving more attention. And you’re right about education, they’re isn’t really an effort to teach about Pontic Greek history more specifically, and I know that the Pontus and Caucasus regions were further removed than the Asia Minor Coast but we are part of Greek History as much as everybody else. I really wish that the day commemorating the Pontic Greek Genocide would get equal treatment with the Macedonian Struggle and the 17th of November which are celebrated in school with activities to educate students about them. So I was very grateful that Kokkino Potami at least seemed to make people more aware of our history, even if it was very frustrating that some people seemingly had no idea about Pontic Greeks before watching the show. I heard a person say “this show revealed the crimes of T people against Pontic Greeks” and I was like Em no this show didn’t “reveal” anything? Everything that is happening in the show is based on actual historical events that were known before the series. But it’s a testament to how lacking our education is.  

Contrary to what certain foreign people might think, the teaching of history in Greek school is pretty mild. Even the wrongdoings against Greeks are mentioned in a rush or without too many “graphic” details, unless it’s crucial in order to understand what happened. It kind of tries to avoid creating impassionate reactions to the students (except for pride) which is both good and bad for different reasons, a bad one being that some parts of history remain in the shadow and young people do not learn about them. I mean, that was my experience. I suppose it depends on the teacher too. 

Apart from that, I think the Greek state had always strived for a not-always-very-healthy homogeneity (that probably started as a competitive measure to cope with the raging irredentism present in all the Balkans), not only towards minorities but even at the expense of ethnic Greeks themselves at times. I would add that the Pontic dialect (one of the most archaic Greek dialects surviving) should be taught to students with Pontic background or whoever wants to. Same with the Tsakonian dialect in the Peloponnese, which originates from Ancient Doric Greek and is severely endangered. Even more prominent ones like the Cretan will eventually start struggling. Instead of just jumping up and down at the sound of a Pontic or a Cretan Lyra, maybe it would be best to actively protect the richness of the heritage. All the preservation comes from citizens’ associations and initiatives, almost never from the state’s actions.

I don’t know if it’s any consolation to you but my experience has been better; almost all people I have met and discussed something relevant seemed to know about the hardship Pontic Greeks have gone through. Not with many details of course (I need to educate myself more too) but they knew that the story goes well beyond the Asia Minor catastrophe.

MBBS in Albania

Albania, located in southern Europe, shares its borders with Greece and boasts coastlines along Italy's waters. Positioned on the western side of the Balkan Peninsula, it sits near the Strait of Otranto.

The nation gained its official independence in 1912. Albanian is the spoken language, known as shqip or shqipe. Albania utilizes the Lek as its official currency and boasts a reasonably advanced healthcare system, with the government offering the majority of healthcare services.

Albania is home to both government-run and private higher education institutions. Presently, the country hosts a total of 40 higher education institutions, comprising 15 public and 25 private establishments. Among these, three universities offer medicine programs in Albania. Notably, Western Balkan University stands out as the sole institution accepting all international students and conducting its medicine program entirely in English.

TOP UNIVERSITIES IN GREECE

In this article, we are going to talk about some of the leading universities in Greece. These universities are providing academic excellence to the students with their high-quality faculties.

 So let’s start with top universities in Greece

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is the oldest and one of the most prestigious public institutions for higher education in Greece. It is also commonly referred to as the University of Athens (UoA) and is one of the largest and leading universities in Greece. This university was founded in the year 1837. The main campus of the university is located at AnoIlisia, Zografou. It offers various courses at the graduate and post-graduate level in a number of subjects.

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is one of the oldest and prestigious universities of Greece. Aristotle university of Thessaloniki is also known as University of Thessaloniki.  The university, named after the philosopher Aristotle, is the largest university in Greece. The university was founded in the year 1925. The university includes more than ten schools and thirty-six departments.  The university offers many courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It is affiliated with Balkan University Network.

The National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) is one of the oldest public institutions for higher education in Greece. The National Technical University of Athens is also known as Athens Polytechnic. It was established in the year 1837. It is one of the prestigious engineering schools having notable alumni. The traditional campus of this university is located in Patision Avenue and the new campus is located in Zografou.

To read more, Click the link below

Motif for researching Romanian traditional customs

Romanian folklore is very diverse. It is engrained in society, and it changes according to region although there are general similarities. In the rural areas people still benefit from a certain preservation of folkloric life, where customs prevailed out of social need and tradition. The general migration from rural to urban environment diminished social customs and the number of artisans. Romanians are not as interested in personally working in the artisanal art field. Although there is small engagement where people are trying to preserve some dying customs. On the other hand, the more popular artisanal work like the pottery from Horezu is thriving within the country, but I believe it is more because of the monetary income this provides. The customs are preserved in the family or village through generations that pass, rarely the case where an outsider learns the skill.

A key point in this discussion is the discrepancy between the quality of life in the city and in the rural areas. The city benefits form an influx of jobs and resources (transport, current water, electricity, infrastructure, education, health etc.) while rural areas have been neglected with examples of low school attendance (children having to walk an hour to school or having to help their parents around the house with livestock and agriculture), lack of health care, unpaved roads, no access to current water.

In Romanian urban life there is a drift from rural traditions and arts to the point where it creates a separation between classes unrelated to the divide created by financial inequality. For example, certain genres of music like manele (rooted in gypsy songs, with a Balkan/oriental music background, with ludicrous sometimes comical lyrics) or new popular music (popular as in folkloric) are looked down upon compared to western influenced music (pop, rock, rap etc.) and even genres similar in musical style but older. To make my point clearer I will provide some social background.

Alexandra Urdea describes how the urban working class that migrated from rural areas or had close connection to village life were avid enjoyers of folklore performances. This sub-group was formed due to the industrialization in the communist period, where between the 1950’s and the 1980’s people from a rural background moved to the cities to work in factories. Mihai Maci reinforces that the large number of people made it inefficient for acculturation to happen. This led to the creation of two sub-groups in the urban environment, one of educated people that had university qualifications and one of laborers. The later, mostly because of its large number, perpetuated a denaturised rural behaviour that could not be fully erased.

This reflects in the consumption of certain music media. Etno TV (a folklore channel of lesser quality than the content broadcasted on the national television channel) and Taraf TV (broadcasting manele and associated with the Roma ethnicity) have audiences consisting of rural and urban working-class populations. This genre segregation from mainstream mass media reflects on the partial social exclusion of the working classes and people of Roma ethnicity from public spaces. The engagement with folklore can sometimes lead for one to fall victim to classism and elitism. The more one person engages with folkloric music or performances, the more it is frowned upon in the more educated urban areas.

Elizabeth Gowing’s and Robert Wilton’s book, ‘No Man’s Lands: Eight Extraordinary Women in Balkan History’ tells an absorbing story of women who fought for gender equality in the past - a struggle that’s far from won today.

It was random yet good timing that I received a review copy of No Man’s Lands: Eight Extraordinary Women in Balkan History, by Elizabeth Gowing and Robert Wilton, at the same time as I was finishing up an evaluation report related to efforts to promote women’s equality and political participation in the Western Balkans.

As I heard about contemporary female social and political activists talking about the increasingly hostile environment for female politicians in an age of social media trolling; about the retraditionalization and repatriarchalization trends accompanying the rise of far-right, illiberal socio-political trends; and the continued struggle to prevent gender-based violence, it was a welcome break to read about women who have been seeking to throw off the structures of social tradition and control.

However, reading about these women – viewed as “radicals” for their pursuit of human dignity and agency already back in the 19th century – was also a reminder that the social, political, cultural and economic changes required to underpin women’s equality are stunningly resistant to change, and susceptible to rollback.

This slender and readable volume would be of interest to specialists and non-specialists alike. Gowing’s expertise in travel writing and description is clear, and a book like this would fit well in a backpack of someone travelling through the region looking for interesting place and character descriptions and wanting to learn something about history and culture along the way. I initially found the selection of eight women to be quite random; however, once I accepted this, I realized the overarching connective tissue was not to be found in the country, background or expertise, but in the shared personality characteristics that pushed these women to go against the grain. The description of each woman profiled is inspirational.

Staka Skenderova is highlighted for her work in promoting girls’ education in Sarajevo in the mid-1800s; she opened the first school for girls well before others were later opened during Austro-Hungarian occupation. Her direct work with young people was complemented by her cultural contributions, such as the publication of Annals of Bosnia 1825-1856. Her dress, in men’s clothing, or as a nun, was an outward sign of her rejection of socially dictated femininity; “she smoked tobacco, went out to cafes and never married”, and her Sarajevan cosmopolitanism took her to Belgrade, Constantinople, and Jerusalem. The author, visiting her gravesite in Sarajevo, reflects on the relevance of her struggle in today’s stunted Bosnia: “Obliged to be ethnic first and educated second, Bosnia’s young women are discriminated against regardless of ethnicity.”

Marija Juric Zagorka broke ground as a journalist in Zagreb, editing and writing for Obzor, Zenski List and other periodicals, as well as writing novels and plays. She was imprisoned at one point for organizing demonstrations against Croatia’s Hungarian governor. Writing in favor of both Croatian identity and also women’s identity and independence, she suffered under the various political systems throughout her life. One compelling tidbit explains her practice of taking long walks in Zagreb but then later dictating her prose while blindfolded, conjuring the images she had had in her mind so they could be turned into text. She died close to poverty, though a memorial center in her old apartment remains as a testament to her life and work, as does the popular resonance and accessibility of her novels.

The chapter on Xenia (Ksenija) Petrovic-Njegos is intriguing, particularly for anyone who has a soft space in their heart for Montenegro’s former capital, Cetinje. The author tells her story while describing a visit to her former palace, explaining that being the first woman in the country to drive made it easier for her to pursue her passion for photography. Her photographs say as much about the photographer as the people being photographed, providing a view of her family members as well as fishermen and other “common” people. Illustrative of the author’s description of the hunt for factoids about the characters being studied, a woman working in a gift shop notes how Xenia was quite clever, evident “from the fact that she never got married”.

Maga Magazinovic, born in Uzice but living in Belgrade since a teen, is most famous for her contribution to dance (including a stint in Germany where she studied with none other than Isadora Duncan). However, she was also the first woman to graduate from the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, wrote for Politike (the oldest daily still in circulation), and taught dance and the history of dance. The author’s description of attending a dance festival referencing Maga’s work and influence is evocative.

Margaret Hasluck is the only foreigner included in the collection. Her contribution was primarily through her book, The Unwritten Law in Albania, studying Albania’s kanun, published after her death. In this case, her status as an outsider was necessary as an Albanian woman in Albania at that time would not have been able to do so. Her expertise led to her recruitment by the British government to prepare special operations agents being sent into Albania during World War II. A trail of conversations leads the author to Elbasan to track down her house and any commemorative markings; the author concludes that the fact that her house is known to people yet unmarked in some ways reflects on the still important role of the oral tradition in that country.

The selection of Shote Galica as an example of a prominent woman from Kosovo is noted as fraught from the start. Galica and her husband had been village fighters during the decade spanning the Balkan Wars and World War I, and while documentary evidence of their lives is scant, a photo of them together holding pistols and rifles is one reference point for this nontraditional couple. The role of the Drenica valley in resistance back then and later in the 1990s is explained, providing useful historical context. This profile provides an opportunity to briefly explain various unique practices, such as the concept of the “sworn virgin”. While the author knows that some people regret that the most famous woman in Kosovo was essentially a “bandit,” others provide a more nuanced and charitable description. “Her name continues to represent the bravery and endurance of the Kosovan woman,” says one interlocutor.

Musine Kokalari, Albania’s most distinguished female writer, led a life in the 20th century that mirrored the arc of that country, for good and bad. She studied in Rome, and during World War II wrote three volumes of folktales. The fall of Albania’s monarchy and the Italian occupation would soon be eclipsed by Enver Hoxha’s paranoid and isolated Stalinist regime. She was among a group who in late 1945 drafted an appeal to the allies to postpone elections to enable time for some credible alternative to the communists. This was in vain; and she was arrested in early 1946, ultimately serving 16 years in prison. While she later wrote a secret account of her experiences and reflections, upon release from prison she lived in isolation.

The collection ends with Esma Redzepova – arguably the most popularly known and successful of the women profiled. Born in Skopje in 1943, she and her husband went on to enjoy a spectacular career performing traditional folk music that was accessible to and loved by people from throughout Yugoslavia, while at the same time elevating the music culture and tradition of the Roma minority from which she emerged.

The description of her performances of traditional songs will certainly lead the reader to YouTube to listen to them once again, or for the first time. In contrast to many of the other women whose lives were poor and marginalized (Skenderova at the end lived in poverty, and died after being hit by a horse and carriage in Ilidza;  Kokalari was a street sweeper), Redzepova served on the Skopje City Council, represented Macedonia in Eurovision at age 69, and was a UN ambassador for refugees.

Certain themes come through across these multiple mini-biographies. There was an inevitable element of intersectionality lived by all of these women, as they dealt not only with the challenges of being a woman seeking more participation in the public and cultural space but also experienced various political challenges and regimes that spanned empires, fallen empires, wars, and various ascendant ideologies. While nationalisms – by their nature an expression of conservative and right-leaning ideology – sought freedom and independence for their nations, they often failed to seek to secure expanded rights for the women among that nation.

The role of marriage is interesting, for what is said or implied about the impact of marriage on women’s opportunities and options. Skenderova and Xenia never married; Zagorka’s marriage to a Hungarian official was a disaster she managed to escape; and Magazinovic’s marriage ended in divorce. Hasluck’s husband died when she was 35, after which she began her own adventures as a young widow. Galica’s husband had an additional wife, and perhaps even a third. Only Redzepova’s marriage – her husband was a composer and also her manager – seems to have been fulfilling.

And, perhaps of most interest to the traveler – whether armchair or traincar – the extent to which these women have been ignored, marginalized or nearly forgotten is conveyed. Gowing seeks out books, article references and public reminders, such as street names (Magazinovic), a statue to Zagorka in Zagreb, Hasluck’s house which had been turned into a kindergarten, a school named after Kokalari, and graves (Skenderova’s in Sarajevo). The search for these spaces provides color to the stories being told, as do references to elements of this journey – on the Bar-Belgrade train, or seeking information in Cetinje, or navigating the massive construction projects disrupting traffic and pedestrian flows in Tirana.

Specialists and social scientists could quibble with some of the characterizations, but overall it’s a reflective and sensitive book. You can often hear the voice of the narrator (for me it was always Elizabeth), which makes it substantially different than academic texts that are often dry and plodding.

Coming back to the present day and the challenges that women in the region (and globally) continue to face in fighting for equality and dignity, one can’t help but be reminded of the second-wave feminism saying: “The personal is political.”  This was true for the women in this volume, and remains true today, in a time when growing insecurities creates opportunities for regressive political agendas. It is easy to be discouraged, but also easy to see that harnessing the power of 51 per cent (or more?) of the global population for a more just society could be the ultimate collective action problem. A reference to a Virginia Woolf quote is inspiring in this regard: “As a woman, I have no country. As a woman I want no country. As a woman my country is the whole world.”

Illustration Photo: Honey collection and selling point in Yangambi - Congo DRC (credits: Axel Fassio/CIFOR-ICRAF / Flickr Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0))

Grants for Projects to protect the Environment or Improve Food Production

The Conservation, Food and Health Foundation seeks to protect the environment, improve food production, and promote public health in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Types of Support

The Foundation supports projects and applied research that:

Generate local or regional solutions to problems affecting the quality of the environment and human life; Advance local leadership and promote professional development in the conservation, agricultural, and health sciences; Develop the capacity of local organizations and coalitions; and Address challenges in the field. The Foundation prefers to support projects that address under-funded issues and geographic areas.

The Foundation funds applied research, pilot projects, new initiatives, training, and technical assistance, rather than ongoing support for programs that are already well underway.  An important goal for the Foundation is to provide seed money to help promising projects, organizations, and individuals develop the track record they need to attract major foundation funding in the future.

Fields of Interest

The following are examples of the Foundation’s areas of interest within the fields of conservation, food, and health, and are not meant to be exclusive.

Conservation

Conservation grants promote environmental conservation through field research, projects, and advocacy that:

Protect biodiversity and preserve natural resources. Help mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. Build the scientific and technical capacity of local conservation organizations and promote local, regional, and international partnerships. Increase engagement between scientists, local communities and organizations, and decision-makers. Partner with indigenous communities and local people. Food

Grants in the food and agriculture program area focus on research-base projects that build capacity for self-sufficiency and resilience to climate change, strengthen local food systems, and support healthy nutrition through projects that:

Enhance food security. Develop and promote sustainable agricultural practices Build the capacity of small-scale farmers. Advance farmer research and research partnerships. Develop environmentally sound and affordable approaches to control pests and diseases affecting important local food crops. Promote indigenous food sovereignty and knowledge systems. Address challenges of uptake and scalability through new methods of extension, education, and technology transfer.

Key Priorities

In all of its areas of interest, the Foundation gives priority to projects that have the potential to advance the field, build local capacity, promote replication, influence public opinion and policy, affect systems change, and benefit people beyond the immediate project and its local context.

Eligibility

The Foundation supports local, state, and regional organizations in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Middle East in the countries where the projects are based.  It also supports organizations located in upper-income countries working with local partners in these areas.  It does not support projects in post-Soviet states or Balkan states.

Most types of organizations that can provide evidence of their non-governmental status or charitable purpose are eligible to apply, including non-governmental organizations, nonprofit organizations; civil society organizations; community-based organizations; and colleges, universities, and other academic institutions.

Government agencies and religious organizations may be included as project partners but are not eligible for direct funding.

The Foundation does not typically fund:

Overhead or indirect project costs General operating support Direct food, health or other humanitarian aid Eco-tourism Buildings and capital improvements Projects ultimately intended for private gain.  All intellectual property developed with the grant should be public. Salaries for Executive Directors of U.S. and European-based organizations. Project expenses incurred before the grant is awarded. Grant-Making Policies and Procedures

There is no minimum or maximum grant size. It is anticipated that most grants will fall in the $25,000-$50,000 per year range.

Grants are made for a one- or two-year period.  Second-year funding is conditional on the provision of a satisfactory progress report, interim financial report, and work plan.  Renewal requests for projects that were not originally approved as a multi-year project may be considered, but require a new application.

Grant awards are made twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall, with applications due several months prior.  Timelines are publicized on the website in advance and may differ slightly from year to year.

The Foundation will consider only one proposal from an organization in any calendar year.

Reporting requirements are designed to avoid burdensome work for grantees while providing sufficient information for the Foundation to assess expenditures, accomplishments, and any unanticipated difficulties in performing as proposed.  Reporting is expected as follows:

Final reports are due within one year following the initial application or the beginning of the last year of funding, whichever is later. Interim progress reports, interim financial reports and second-year work plans for multi-year grants are due 30 days before the end of the recipient’s first grant period. Report templates and due dates will be sent with the initial grant letter.

Application Deadline: July 1st, 2023

Check more https://adalidda.com/posts/KvKdbCyXAcSKvK2qY/grants-for-projects-to-protect-the-environment-or-improve/call

Strengthening Governance: Addressing Corruption and Inequality in Eastern European Peace-building Efforts

by Emancip8 Project

Amidst the numerous challenges faced by Eastern European nations in their pursuit of peace, corruption, and inequality have consistently been identified as persistent threats to the stability of the region. As peace-building experts and policymakers grapple with the complexities of these issues, a deeper understanding of the interrelationship between governance, corruption, and inequality is essential to devise effective strategies for sustainable peace. This article explores the dynamics of corruption and inequality in Eastern European peace-building efforts, highlighting the significance of robust governance frameworks in addressing these challenges and fostering lasting peace.

Corruption in the region is deeply entrenched, permeating various levels of government and impeding the peace-building process (Chayes, 2015). This scourge not only hinders the delivery of essential public services but also exacerbates social and economic inequalities, undermining the legitimacy of state institutions and fueling unrest. In turn, inequality further exacerbates corruption by creating an environment where public officials are more prone to engage in rent-seeking behavior (You & Khagram, 2005). Consequently, addressing both issues is paramount for successful peace-building.

To tackle corruption and inequality, enhancing transparency and accountability is crucial. Strengthening the rule of law, bolstering judicial independence, and promoting civil society engagement are integral components of this endeavor (Johnston, 2011). The implementation of effective anti-corruption measures, such as establishing independent anti-corruption agencies and creating legal frameworks to protect whistleblowers, can also contribute to reducing corruption and fostering trust in state institutions (Galtung, 2006).

Inclusive economic policies are equally vital in addressing inequality and supporting peace-building. Redistribution mechanisms, such as progressive taxation and targeted social assistance programs, can help mitigate income disparities, while investments in education and healthcare can enhance human capital and social mobility (Stiglitz, 2012). Furthermore, fostering inclusive political processes, such as decentralization and participatory decision-making, can empower marginalized communities and promote social cohesion (Mansuri & Rao, 2013).

Regional cooperation and international support play a pivotal role in combating corruption and promoting equitable development. Initiatives such as the European Union’s Eastern Partnership and the United Nations Development Programme’s anti-corruption projects in Eastern Europe offer valuable platforms for knowledge exchange, technical assistance, and capacity-building (Fagan, 2016).

In conclusion, addressing corruption and inequality in Eastern European peace-building efforts necessitates comprehensive governance reforms and inclusive policies. By fostering transparency, accountability, and social equity, these measures can contribute to the consolidation of peace and stability in the region.

References:

Chayes, S. (2015). Thieves of State: Why Corruption Threatens Global Security. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

Fagan, A. (2016). Europe’s Balkan Dilemma: Paths to Civil Society or State-building? London: I.B. Tauris.

Galtung, F. (2006). Measuring the Immeasurable: Boundaries and Functions of (Macro) Corruption Indices. In A. S. K. (Eds.), Measuring Corruption (pp. 101–130). Aldershot: Ashgate.

Johnston, M. (2011). Syndromes of Corruption: Wealth, Power, and Democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Mansuri, G., & Rao, V. (2013). Localizing Development: Does Participation Work? Washington, DC: World Bank.

Stiglitz, J. E. (2012). The Price of Inequality: How Today’s Divided Society Endangers Our Future. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

You, J. S., & Khagram, S. (2005). A Comparative Study of Inequality and Corruption. American Sociological Review, 70(1), 136–157.

Read more at Emancip8 Project.

At Play. (Revised)

Play is a very important part of learning. I know it through experience, having kids, and having read or listened to research done in the field. I worked as a Multimedia Specialist and as Assistant Researcher for the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) at the Learning Sciences Research Institute (LSRI, previously LITD.) I chose a career in the arts with a strong interest in math (not good with simple math at the moment), sometimes departing from a Nietzsche's perspective or deciphering mysterious equations sent to me anonymously. Play is a very important activity in art and as I discovered over the years, the need for more free time for people to work or think in their art, or do nothing, as my good friend Lina Bertucci once wished and advised. Knowing her work, it would be hard to question her methods as you can see the love of the trade, the life vision and culture. Hanging out with my PhD math friend Alexander, we had many conversations on teaching and learning, music, math, art, the Balkan wars, Guerrillas in Latin America and other revolutions, poetry, movies, systems of control, the State, many Chicago Public Schools projects, on my end working on graphics and technology. Alex revised or prepared curriculums and was involved with other groups including CEMELA. A Latino association within the UIC. Alex's dissertation was focused on the theories of effective learning through play using research that became available after the iron curtain collapsed. His research points out at how important play is for learning. Essential to resolve math problems. Besides writing with numbers, Alex has been a lifelong educator and English teacher. He's music and a musician with a Rhodes like Ray's. His home is a place where everything is ¨Just Stuff¨ as he put it. We collaborated on sound, like in the soundtrack for my film ¨Allá te Alcanzo - I'll See You There¨. (Chicago Underground Film Festival, Made in Chicago Award 2007)

Luis Sánchez Ramírez. © 2023.

TOP UNIVERSITIES IN GREECE

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is the oldest and one of the most prestigious public institutions for higher education in Greece. It is also commonly referred to as the University of Athens (UoA) and is one of the largest and leading universities in Greece. This university was founded in the year 1837. The main campus of the university is located at AnoIlisia, Zografou. It offers various courses at the graduate and post-graduate level in a number of subjects. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is one of the oldest and prestigious universities of Greece. Aristotle university of Thessaloniki is also known as University of Thessaloniki.  The university, named after the philosopher Aristotle, is the largest university in Greece. The university was founded in the year 1925. The university includes more than ten schools and thirty-six departments.  The university offers many courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It is affiliated with Balkan University Network.

To read more click the link shown below.