The UK Youth Parliament

The UK Youth Parliament gives young people the chance have their say on any issue which affects them, and be listened to by local and national government. It’s not party-political. MYPs are elected in annual youth elections throughout the UK. Any person between the age of 11 and 18 (inclusive) can stand to be elected as an MYP. An MYP’s work is mainly based on a local problem which young people in that area think needs improving, e.g. transport.

There are lots of ways for young people everywhere to get involved, with the UKYP. You can vote in the UKYP election, support our campaigns, debate in the UKYP online forums, attend all UKYP events and much more.

It’s important that an MYP is prepared to have an opinion on topical issues. But MYPs should also be lively, committed and outgoing importantly have a sense of humor.

Youth Problems.

The young of today do have problems. They are considered adults long before their parents were. Unfortunately, it often makes life harder because teenagers are not adults. Although they look and act like adults, they lack experience and so often make mistakes which people don’t understand or tolerate. A teenager needs a mature person to understand him and help him to cope with his problems. He needs a person who can support him and lead him in the right direction. But not everyone finds such a person in his family. Unfortunately not all the parents are wise tolerant and supportive enough to understand their children, they never try ‘to put themselves in their children’s shoes”. More than that.they are often so obsessed with mean ambitions and the desire to get more and more material possessions that they completely forget that their main task is bringing up their own child. It happens so that in the families where children do not receive the love and support they need they begin to search for substitutes for love such as alcohol and drugs which transport young people away from real life into the world of illusion. Some of them run away from home and turn to crime. Statistics shows that the majority of young criminals are those who were abused or neglected while growing up. Often people learn violence from their mothers and fathers. So I think that the roots of such problems lie in family relationships. I personally don’t have such problems.

Some other problems young people face today are self-expression, spending of free time, finding a good job, earning money. But I think they can be easily solved if you put a little effort into the matter. The majority of young people are active members of our society, they contribute to the country’s economic, scientific and cultural development. They are interested in environment, social problems and politics. They pursue hobbies and have no problems with occupying their spare time. They are persistent, industrious and clever. They have a strong will-power and a strong character. The importance of character is expressed in the following lines written many years ago:

When wealth is lost, nothing is lost,

When health is lost, something is lost,

When character is lost, all is lost!

I personally never forget that our life is not a bed of roses. And you should be ready to face the difficulties and to overcome them. If you want to be treated with respect you should definitely deserve it

Teens’ Problems.

If someone denies all of the problems teenagers have, they are not being honest. They do have problems. One of the real problem is having no close friend. If you don’t have a close friend you feel lonely especially in case your parents don’t understand you. Some young people are just sure that their parents don’t want to understand them. In our society youngsters are at odds with their parents on a wide range of issues, from how late they can stay up, to whom they should marry. It’s called a generation gap. But I think our parents are people whom we can trust. In most cases teens don’t understand their parents and become very nervous. When this happens, it’s time to say to yourself “stop”, and try to find in your parents more positive than negative traits.

The other very important problem is our school life. Teens are often under pressure in many ways at school – they are supposed to be “macho” – good at school subjects, able to stand up for them without crying. If they can’t they are “wimps”, and often children will tease and bully them, especially at school. But all children are different- they have different needs and talents, likes and dislikes. Teens are not just “machos’ and “wimps”, they are rebels and conformists, extroverts and introverts. Our teachers and our parents should assure us that all these types of people are good, and it will reduce a lot of problems.

There are so-called ‘problem teenagers’, who take drugs. A large number of teens use them very often. They are drug addicts. I don’t have such friends and I think that there should be special programs to solve this problem

Another problem is connected with biorhythms. Not all people know what it is and they begin to laugh at you and can offend you, when sometimes you are all fingers and thumbs, when you are accident- prone, or when your temper seems to be on a short fuse. It is because we all have an internal “body clock’, which regulates the rise and the fall of our bodies’ energies and it’s called biorhythms. So our teachers, parents and classmates should understand it and not pay attention to it because it’s the law of our life and nature.

Another serious problem is to enter a good university and find a good job afterwards. But unemployment rates are extremely high- even qualified people with great knowledge can’t find something good. But in spite of that I hope for the best.

We always want to impress people. But the first impression we make almost fully depends on what we wear and how we wear it. Manners and speech are noticed next and character only later. Many teens have the same taste. They like to keep up-to-date with the changes in our society. They like to wear clothes which they look good and feel comfortable in. Being in fashion makes you feel good, in tune with the world you live in. But when you are at school it is important to wear the right clothes, even formal ones, and not to dress up. I understand it, but some of my classmates don’t. They like to shock their teachers and parents, and provoke them, and that’s why they have some problems at school. So you should have some “clothes sense” to know and feel the types of things that are your style in formal situations and at parties.

As for me, I try to cope with all my problems alone, or with the help of my parents. My parents are real friends and they understand me and try to help me or give advice. But the first thing we have to think about is the future we are building for ourselves and our children. The better we are now, the better we understand one another, the better our place will be when we grow up

It’s so good to be young

To be young is a period of life when you are protected and can be carefree. You are at the age when you can have fun and lead a lively, adventure-filled life. I think that young people nowadays are more intellectual, better educated and better socially informed than their parents used to be in their youth. They want to be more independent, they try to keep to their own values which are not always the same as those held by their parents. They think more for themselves and do not blindly accept the ideas of their elders. However, if the grown-up world has some stability, the world of teenagers is full of doubts in themselves and in their future. It’s a period of confusion and pressure. You are dependent on your parents and therefore restricted in what you can do. Very often you are overloaded with school work. And you feel that you have to live up to parents’ expectations. Young people are usually quite impressionable and sensitive and tend to jump to conclusions. But they don’t often have enough experience and wisdom to estimate the situation and foresee all possible results of their behavior. Naturally it may lead to certain problems and misunderstanding….. (Problems) …

(School) The educational policy of our state is aimed at creating necessary facilities for young people to develop their abilities and encouraging them to live “ a healthy life”. Talented children are encouraged by the government and local authorities to realize their creative and intellectual potential to its full. Contests in various subjects are very popular with Belarusian pupils and they are held every year. So far there hasn’t been a single international Olympiad at

which our pupils haven’t been among the winners. Becoming a winner at an international Olympiad is prestigious and is good evidence of the brilliant knowledge of the subject of an individual pupil and at the same time it’s a broad assessment of the educational system of our country.

It’s a well-known fact that young people want to be independent and they would like to earn their own money. They can display their abilities in their contribution to the national economy. In the summertime a lot of young people in eth countryside work together with their parents in the fields helping to get a good harvest.

It’s quite natural that young people tend to go out and socialize a lot more than older people. They want to express their views on several political and social issues. They join youth organizations and societies. The most popular with young people is the Belarusian Republican Youth Union (BRSM) which was set up in 2002. The main idea of the Union is to involve young people into socially useful activities such as sporting events, volunteering at hospitals, taking care of war veterans assisting the old and the handicapped, carrying out some ecological projects and doing other things. Young people attend various forums and conferences at which they debate and exchange opinions on youth problems in different countries

In conclusion I’d like to say that it’s so exciting to be young. You are full of homes and expectations. But it’s up to you to decide what your future life will be like.

What questions would you like to ask a person who has joined a new international organization?

-Why did you join this organization? - What kind of organization is it? – What is the goal of your organization?

- Why did you join it? - What are the main objectives of the organization?

– What social activities do the members of your organization take part in?

What questions can you ask about the recent event organized by the BRSM?

- What was the event aimed at? - How was it held? – How many members of the BRSM took part in it?

- What questions were discussed during the event? – What were the results of the event?

What would you like to learn about the activities of cheerleaders in Minsk?

As I know cheerleading is a physical activity, and sometimes a competitive sport, which uses organized routines including dance, jumps, cheers and aerobics. Cheerleading originated in the United States and has become popular in may countries. There are also cheerleading groups in Minsk. I would like to know what qualities young people need to be cheerleaders, how they can get into cheerleading and what lessons they can learn from cheerleading

Art.

Art. Music.

There are different forms of art. They are theatre, cinema, music, sculpture, literature, and painting. They all are an integral part of our daily life. Art enriches our life emotionally, it makes people kind. Art helps us to appreciate beauty and to solve the eternal problems of good and evil. Through art we can gain a deeper understanding of human history and the meaning of life. Many people find art to be psychologically healing.

My favorite form of art is music. Charles Kingsley, a famous British novelist, wrote many years ago

“ There is something wonderful in music. Words are wonderful enough; but music is even more wonderful. It speaks not to our thoughts as words do; it speaks straight to our hearts and spirits, to the very core and root of our souls. Music soothes us, stirs us up, it puts noble feelings in us, it melts us to tears; we know not how; it’s a language in itself…” One can’t say better about music. I personally think it’s really a universal language of the world, the mirror of our lives and life problems. It a language with some meaning. It’s a supreme mystery which helps people to cope with the frustration and grind of the day. Music isn’t a combination of pleasant sounds only. It is an art which reflects life. Music reflects people’s ideas and emotions. Music is also a weapon. It fights for light against darkness, for freedom against tyranny, for humanism against barbarity.

You can’t think of a day without music. There is music everywhere: at home, in a concert hall, in parks, at the seaside. People can’t live without music. They listen to music, they dance to music. They learn to play musical instruments. Mothers sing lullabies to their babies to comfort them while they go off to sleep. People listen to music when they are in high or low moods. Some people listen to music on some rare occasions. But there are people who can’t live a day without music simply because it’s a part of their life

When speaking of different forms of music I’d like to mention classical music first. Classical music gives me a keen sensual delight and pleasure. It creates a special spiritual world which enriches my inner state and makes me happy. Classical music is always a complex of emotions, excitement and at the same time love for others and a desire to do something for them. When listening to classical music I have to combine all my feelings into one and to give it name it will be happiness. To my mind classical music has a strong ethical effect it ennobles the listener, makes him better and more humane.

Most young people nowadays are gravitating towards new rhythms which are full of vigor and force. They prefer going to pop and rock concerts. This sort of music appeals to them because the tunes are happy and easy caught, the words of the songs deal with the teenagers’ world, their hopes and dreams, disappointments and joys. I think that most grown-ups are against rock music. My mom says that the tunes are mostly primitive and as easily forgotten as caught. She says that rock music lacks variety, it’s the same monotonous beat again and again. Besides medical research has proved that the volume of sound produced by powerful music does great damage both to the senses of hearing and to the nervous system. I don’t know. But sometimes I go to the disco and enjoy dancing to pop and rock music. I feel pleased and happy and don’t mind my nervous system. But I do agree that the words of some songs are absolutely senseless.

My favorite English song is…

Do you want to be famous?

I think that the word “famous’ has a wide meaning. If you ask me if I want to be a star or a celebrity, I will definitely say – no. Of course pop stars enjoy a luxurious style of life. They earn vast sums of money and spend their holidays in exotic countries. They are transported in their chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royces. Wherever they go, people turn out in their thousands to greet them. The crowds go wild trying to catch a brief glimpse of their smiling colorfully dressed idols. So it may be dangerous for them to make unscheduled appearances in public. They must be constantly shielded from the adoring crowds which idolize them. That’s why they are always surrounded by a group of body-guards They are no longer private individuals but public property. Practically every even of their private life is a sensation and is widely discussed in the Mass Media. Sometimes these “real life” stories don’t seem to contain a grain of truth.

I think that people who envy the success and rewards of others should remember that the most famous stars represent only the tip of the iceberg. For every famous star, there are hundreds of others who struggle to earn their living. And a man who attempts to become a star is taking enormous risks. He knows that only a handful of competitors ever get to the very top and that years of concentrated effort may be rewarded with complete failure.

Personally I wouldn’t like my private life to be the centre of everybody’s attention. But the word “famous” has a different meaning. You can be a famous teacher, a famous surgeon and what not. You can be famous for your character and your deeds…..

Personally I wouldn’t like my private life to be the centre of everybody’s attention. But the word “famous” has a different meaning. You can be a famous teacher, a famous surgeon and what not. You can be famous for your character and your deeds….I think every person should be famous in the field of his career. I mean to become a highly educated specialist useful for the progress of the society he lives in…...