English Posts – Seite 7 – Sebastian Müllers Blog

Impressions from the Popes trip to Freiburg

This is a picture taken at the early morning, around 6:00 when the first masses of pilgrims were arriving. And some order of Malta people in black boilersuits and this very fashionable womans dresses, pushed a couple of people on wheelchairs onto the field. In total there were more then 100.000 people in attendance and it takes a while for those to get onto the field and back again.

The pope then held the mass from this great white stage, then had lunch with some cardinals, held a speech in the concert room and then went back home.

If you wonder, why I show you a picture from the inside of a fire service command truck, its because there I was able to hear and see parts of the service. The Malteser had about 1500 people around, everything from cooking to doctors and paramedics who would treat injured or sick pilgrims. We had fantasti cooperation not only from the guys of the local volunteer fire brigade who were near us, but as well from the Malteser from Memmingen who did the dispatch and worked thoroughly only with very little sleep during the night and of course the very funny and niece guys from the police in the Palatinate and Bavaria.

From the press release I have learned that we have treated 387 people, brought 33 to a hospital and had more then 50 vehicles deployed, which 1500 people helped. This is certainly the biggest mission the Freiburg Malteser have ever done.

This is also a picture from our parking area, where not only the ambulances for potentially sick people on the field would park, but the fire brigade and the local dispatchers in their car. Behind us the police, a helicopter just starting and the Neue Messe in which we had the medical centre. In the dusk the blackforrest and the Münster. „Impressions from the Popes trip to Freiburg“ weiterlesen

Poetry from Oregon

We had this very inspiring Poetry Seminar by the Oregonian Poet and Friend of Prof. Hesse at this cozy beach retreat in Seal Rock. Ingrid taught us to write poetry and she introduced us to some of her works as well. During her days with us, she had the first reading of her new book: „Evensong„. For this blog she read her poem:

Visiting Central School by Ingrid Wendt

Down below you see one of my own attemps at poetry. The pictures taken are all from the beach here in Seal Rock at the Oregonian Pacific Coast. The one above from the local aquarium.

Looking through the Mirror

Seeing my Image

Reflections of things past, things to come

Through the mirror into the other

Universe, travelling

Flip side of the travel

Standing in the elevator, riding down to work each morning,

watching my Preparations getting ready, collar adjusted and face creamed

Another of the leading poets is William Stafford, I want to give you the highlight to this Poem of him called: City Hall

From Boston to Seattle via Chicago (by train)

The grand voyage from coast to coast started on Monday, three nights ago in Boston. I had arrived by a crappy US Airways flight from Frankfurt via Philadelphia the night before. Before I left with the Lake Shore Limited to Chicago I deceided to visit the JFK Memorial. The picture was taken from the inside of the amazing building (Thanks I.M. Pei).

Then with the said Lake Shore Limited it took me about 22 hours to arrive in Chicago. For one night the reclinng seat was OK and you have plenty of space and all the Americans I met on the way were really niece.

A short break for lunch and a elevator ride up the Sears Tower was just the right thing to do in the 4 hours in between changing trains. I entered the Empire Builder and off we went for the two nights to Seattle, across an long an empty stretch of America. „From Boston to Seattle via Chicago (by train)“ weiterlesen

Thinking global, eating local

For one week now, my parents and I have been trying to eat only stuff that is made within 50 km of Freiburg, where we live. The pictures shows both of them getting interviewed by our local radio station SWR. The project has generated some media attention already. Note the rabbit collection in the background.

That sounds funny but has a very serious background: We produce a lot of CO2 not only by driving around in our cars or by travelling, but also by the stuff we eat. Lots of our foodstuff is grown or processed in distant places. And that does not only extend to the obvious stuff like coffee or chocolate, bananas or Kiwis, but by a lot of other food like pasta or bread.

You get into talking with other people a lot, nothing is such a good topic then food. When you go into shopping places and ask around for stuff that is grown here in the region. Farmers markets, such as the one in Stühlinger or at Freiburgs Cathedral square work very well, but supermarkets are awful for getting local stuff. Despite getting to talk with lots of people, you are thinking more about what you eat and where you get it from. „Thinking global, eating local“ weiterlesen

From Tampere for Europe

The international youth council seminar in Tampere is over for more then an week now and for me it is time to write down a little bit what I experienced. There are some things I mentioned on previous blog posts as well, but this should be the last one.

From here a big thanks to the organisers at nuva ry. It is always difficult to organise such an europe spanning event, involving participants from Germany, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Finnland, Lithuania and bring them all togehter to do something. a total of about 40 young people. The participants were between 15-30 years old and work in the local youth local councils or similar democratically elected bodies. Already youth councils have a very strong foothold in several countries or regions in Europe exist umbrella organisations and other bodies.

Of course we didn’t only work, we had a lot of fun as well, the following video, which the finns all love is a testament to that:

Funding

We had a very interesting presentation by a lady from CIMO, which is the Finish organisation with distributes the funding for European Youth in Action Programmes. „From Tampere for Europe“ weiterlesen

What is a youth council?

What is a youth council and what does correspond to the institutions we in Germany know as youth-city-councils (Jugendgemeinderat)? The definitions what youth councils are differ from country to country.

Even in Germany there are several definitions that seem to be equally valid and good:

„A youth council is a democrativly elected body compromised of people mostly aged between 13 and 20 years, that works on a regular, continuous basis and exerts influence on local policy“ (concept08 was a meeting of Finish and Baden-Württemberg youth councillors in Summer 2008)
“youth councils are representing the interests of youth toward local politics. They are a model of participation and offer young people an entry into politics without getting bound to a party. Ideally these have the right to talk in the city council and the right to make formal proposals in the city council. Ideally they have their own budget for publicity, events and other projects” (Interessenvertretung der Jugend, von der Website des Dachverbands der Jugendgemeinderäte http://www.jugendgemeinderat.de/index.php?id=21, abgefragt am 15.2.2011)
“through youth councils youth in their municipality are formally represented. (…) they offer the possibility to transport wishes, suggestions or proposals for improvement of youth towards the political system. Through this youth can participate in the community. (…) they offer all youth political means of participation and creating a political will. (…)
Youth councils are directly, democratically elected by youth and represent different ages and school types. Youth can participate at planning and projects, which concern their interests within a reasonable way. The elected youth gain deeper insight into local politics and learn on how to take responsibility and represent their position in the public (…)” ( Landtag von Baden-Wu?rttemberg Drucksache 14 / 6762 State Government of Baden-Württemberg
(in response towards questions of the green party group)

Internationally the definiton seems to be very variable. For example nuva ry the finnish umbrella organisation of youth councils defines them as follows: (Senni Raunio, Salo 2011, „Suomen Nuorisovaltuustojen Liitto – Nuva ry. The Union of Youth Councils in Finland“ Vortrag beim Treffen der Delegation des Dachverbands der Jugend- gemeinderäte Baden-Württemberg und des Finnischen Dachverbands der Jugendgemein- dera?te in Salo am 9.4.2011)

„The age of the representatives in Youth Councils varies typically from 13 to 20 years
The amount of the representatives varies from 7 to 60 members
Members are usually selected via election, but also other methods are being used
They are trying to make sure that decision-making in municipalities is fair to the young people

Being a part of the municipal boards and other groups
Taking part to the public discussion and start new discussions by highlighting the problems that young people are facing“ „What is a youth council?“ weiterlesen

The singing policeman

The video that made him famous:

First Brigadier (etwa Hauptgefreiter) Norman Kamaru, more about him on Inside Indonesia.

See how he is performing

Unfortunatly the GEMA has blocked these videos in Germany!

and this seems to be the first real purposefully produced video clip of him singing:

Who knew that indonesian policeman could be that good at signing indian songs?

Interview with Sunaina Maira on teaching 9/11

Sunaina Maira is a professor at the University of California in Davis for Asian American studies.

Sunaina Maira - Professor of Asian American StudiesAmerican studies.

She gave a lecture at this years NYRIS 11 Conference in Turku, which I attended. After the lecture I had the opportunity to ask her about teaching 9/11. Since she is one of the foremost critical thinkers on that aera and her work deals a lot with the impact of 9/11 on American minority youth it was very interesting to listen to her views.