LEARN
AND DEBATE
Our Proposal for Europe
24th February 2006
Banking time instead of money
We have heard that a new form of banking has arisen in Spain. Several local volunteer associations have created ‘time banks’ that exchange services among people. Wouldn’t it be great that European local volunteer associations created ‘time banks’ that exchange services among people? That is, banks that worked with out money. These banks would keep a list of citizens who offered to perform certain tasks such as caring for the elderly, babysitting, cooking, cleaning or teaching. The unity of exchange would be the hour and all activities would have the same value. An hour of teaching quantum physics, for example, would be equivalent to an hour of hairdressing or babysitting. The beneficiary would pay for the service by performing other tasks, and the time spent would be credited to him. This traditional interchange of services would help to improve good neighboring and solidarity among us.
3rd grade class C –secondary school Thalassa (Montgat)- Spain
Un banco del tiempo
En España ha surgido un nuevo tipo de banco. Varias asociaciones locales de voluntarios han creado “bancos de tiempo”, los cuales fomentan el intercambio de servicios entre sus clientes. ¿No sería fantástico que asociaciones voluntarias europeas
crearan “ bancos del tiempo” que intercambiaran servicios entre la gente?. Estas entidades mantendrían una lista de ciudadanos que se ofrecerían a realizar tareas como cuidar niños y personas mayores, cocinar, limpiar o enseñar. La unidad de intercambio sería la hora, y todas las actividades tendrían el mismo valor. Por ejemplo, una hora de clase de física cuántica equivaldría a una hora de peluquería o de cuidar niños. El beneficiario de un servicio lo pagaría realizando otras tareas, y el tiempo que se dedicaría a estas se abonaría en su cuenta. Este intercambio tradicional de servicios
ayudaría a mejorar el buen vecindario y la solidaridad entre nosotros.
3r ESO C- IES Thalassa ( Montgat) - Spain
The Europeans and Tabacco
Some months ago I did a test about drugs to a hundred students for a class project in my highschool. I was really surprised at the results:
Only 6% of the students answered correctly to the question: "what are drugs?" but suprisingly for me te 65% of the students interviewed smoke cigarrettes and 11% of them have consumed synthetics drugs at any point in their lives.
These stadistics are very similar to the European ones as more than 42% of men and 28% of women are smokers in the UE. And for example, people who die from smoking -related deseases are about 100,000 in Germany an 100,000 more in Great Britain every year.
The Spanish anti-tabacco law legislated recently -although controversial- is very fitting and I think that is should be implanted in all UE member states. Besides, I think that this law will aid many smokers to quit de habit and, In my opinion, it would be a good idea that more countries would follow the example.Héctor Cáceres Bermejo
IES Thalassa (Montgat)
Necessity, my solution to Capitalism
Nowadays, Capitalism is the economic system that rules the world. Its aim is to get the highest benefit with the least costs but without considering that natural sources are limited. That is a real problem in our society. Countries are becoming more and more dependent among the others. My proposal consists of changing the being of companies. They shoud start slowly to change their aims. Benefits should be limited in each country, just to produce the necessary and pay their workers. So, my proposal is to add a simple and very important concept to our economic system: necessity That would help to dicrease the desease between poor and rich. Many people in rich countries and a few in poor ones live overfed, surrounded by lots of things we don’t use neither need. The real change is to learn to live without excess. We have to learn to live with less, because many serious and exhausted studies have shown that if all the world population would live as people from the USA or another developed country, the Earth could not afford it and we all would disappear. The question is, who has to start? This task is in our governements’s hands. It is known that we cannot afford this producing and consuming level forever so, the soon we react, the less problems we will have to face in a near, very near future. Nevertheless, the most developed nations (p.e those in the EU) have more means to go on with the proposal. Deeds like that, are the ones which have to be written in the world’s contemporary history, in the XXI century, when we have still time to save the planet, to save us, to save life.Magda Cebrian 2nd Batx. IES Thalassa ( Montgat ) Spain.
Energy, friend or foe?
It is known that we can afford only 40 years more with oil (petrol). The main world sources are running out of the engine of the world. It is time to react! Governements should invert more than ever in the research of alternative energy sources, cheaper, abundant and more respectful with the environement than the ones which are being used (including nuclear energy which is very dangerous). If not, the lack of natural sources, specially petrol could origin a really internatonal conflict even more terrible and each day more difficult to solve than today. A wise chinese man once said: the biggest problems could have been solved when they were still small. That means, now! If the human race is enough intelligent to send aircrafts to the space it can also find another way to get energy. Scientists only need more help from their governements. The fact that countries are becoming more and more dependent from the others is evident. Energy is one of the keys to reach and keep peace in the future. Moreover, if this research isn’t fellowed by the dicreasing of our producing level, this measure will not be enough to save our planet.
Magda Cebrian 2nd Batx. IES Thalassa (Montgat) Spain.
Welfare and Family (English)
I am a fifteen-year old girl and as my mother has to work because we need the money I usually help her in the house chores and taking care of my younger sisters after school. I wish she had more time for us but she often arrives late and tired. I think that governments should give a subsidy to those women that "willingly" prefered to stay at home, bringing up their children, instead working outside. Surely, many children would grow up healthier and happier if there would be an alternative to nursery schools or staying alone at home.
M.M. 3rd Grade Secondary School Thalassa Montgat (Spain)
Bienestar y familia (Spanish)
Soy una chica de quince años y como mi madre tiene que trabajar para sostenernos, suelo ayudarla en las tareas domésticas a parte de cuidar a mis hermanas pequeñas después del colegio. Desearía que tuviera más tiempo para nosotras pero a menudo llega tarde y cansada. Pienso que los gobiernos deberían dar subvenciones o suelos moderados a aquellas mujeres que de buena gana prefirieran quedarse en casa criando a sus hijos en vez de trabajar fuera de casa. Seguramente, muchos niños crecerían más sanos y felices si hubiera una alternativa a las guarderías o a permanecer solos en casa.
M.M. 3º ESO I.E.S Thalassa Montgat (España)
Sports
My intention is that all Europeans -even disabled ones or with economical problems- have better access to any type of sports. Instead of allowing too much television into their lives, which probably spoils them, polititians should prepare the youth better better in sports. Lillewise, many children will be able to do what Ronaldinho and Jordan did and change their prospect for a better life. Easter and Western Europeans should have the same opportunities in sports.
Adán Codina - 3rd grade Secondary School Thalassa (Montgat) Spain.
Where is Europe?
24th February 2006-02-21
Europe and us
Europe is a compound from EU+ROPE. Like a rope made from many thick strong strings. This is Europe: The sum of respectful citizens who share different customs, cultures and languages and together make them unique.
3rd grand class B – secondary school Thalassa ( Montgat ) Spain
Local Heroes
VICENTE FERRER
Born in Barcelona (Spain) on 9 April 1920, his childhood was spent between Barcelona and Gandía. In 1936 Vicente Ferrer was summoned to enlist in the republican army, in the "Quinta del Biberón" (Baby's Bottle Brigade), when he was only 16 years of age. At the end of the war, he studied law, with a fierce determination to discover the path he would later follow as his main vocation, that of helping others. The Jesuits was an order that attracted him because of its heroic image, its wise teachings, ideals and its struggle to make the world a better place. He abandoned his studies with the hope of being able to live according to his principles, and became a member of the order.
I chose Vicente Ferrer for this project because I admire his job, he helps poor people and he helps to build hospitals and schools for people in India and in other countries that are poor, too. I think that he is a very honest person because he left his studies to make true his dream: helping the other people and he is getting it. He has to be very proud of himself; making reality his dream and the dreams of the other poor people, who thanks to him; can study in a school or can recover their health.
Déborah Brime
IES Thalassa (Spain)
