Use of English. Passive Voice

 https://cantabria-elt.blogspot.com/2022/01/grammar-review-passive-voice.html

Euroscola work. May 4th 23

connection link for the upcoming Euroscola session on Thursday, 4^th of May :

 

https://ep.interactio.eu/sjn7-pljp-b8nt

 

 

When connecting the day of the event, please note to indicate the information as follows:

 

Country (drop down menu, select your country)

School: Name of the school

Email: Your Email

INTERACTIO PLATFORM: https://ep.interactio.eu/join/gfej-i2ru-db8u

In order to validate the participation of all students, we kindly ask you to send this registration form to your students' parents via the following link:   

https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/Euroscola040523

PROGRAMME OF THE DAY

Euroscola combines both in-person attendance, directly in the European Parliament’s hemicycle in Strasbourg and online, via live-stream and interactive online platforms.

The morning programme of Euroscola includes an official opening by the President of the Parliament, a Q&A session with an Vice-President, and an "Innovation Lab" where students share their ideas with a European Parliament expert on the topic of the session, which will be put to a final vote. Special guests may also be invited. Participants are encouraged to ask questions, via live video on Interactio for online students,  directly in the hemycycle for students present in the European Parliament in Starsbourg or in written form via Slido for all types of attendees. The morning session lasts from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm.

The afternoon programme will only be offered to face-to-face participants. This part will be dedicated to a simulation game on the legislative procedure of the European Union.

Check out the programme and further details to make the most of your Euroscola experience!

Programme 04/05/2023Download programme 04/05/2023 

TOPICS

Defending democracy – at home and abroad

Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the European Commission.

HR/VP Blog – Democracy is in decline globally. In this context, EU efforts to observe elections help countries across the world to counter attacks on democracy and build greater democratic resilience. This week, the European External Action Service and the European Parliament hosted in Brussels a meeting of key international actors in the field of electoral observation. This is an opportunity for me to highlight the importance of their work, which rarely makes the headlines.

The trend of the past decade is clear: democracy is under severe threat. A recent Global State of Democracy Report confirmed that people are losing faith in democracy. We see everywhere a greater polarisation, often fuelled by disinformation, and deliberate efforts by non-democratic regimes to undermine the universal right of people to elect their own governments and choose their own future. When democracy is being attacked, we, as EU, stand strong in our convictions. We must and will continue to support democracy, both internally and externally.

Democracy remains the only approach that can tackle the enormous challenges societies face.

Democracy remains indeed the only approach that can tackle the enormous challenges societies face. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, some authoritarian regimes pretended they had more efficient policies than democracies. However, the rest of the story has proven exactly the opposite. The same applies to the fight against climate change: if citizens are not directly involved in the urgent choices to make, it will become more difficult to achieve carbon neutrality in time. I grew up in a dictatorship and I am well placed to appreciate the difference that democracy makes.

Supporting democratic elections is not imposing a Western model

Supporting participation in democratic elections is not about imposing any Western model, as some want to make-believe: it is nothing less than a universal right. Political participation goes hand in hand with trust in institutions. It is a fundamental right and a fundamental citizen responsibility as well. This is why re-establishing public confidence in democratic processes is essential. We must help our partners worldwide when a rising democracy struggles to build more robust institutions.

Political participation is a fundamental right and a fundamental citizen responsibility as well. We must help our partners worldwide when a rising democracy struggles to build more robust institutions.

“To be or not to be a democracy” goes beyond elections. However, elections constitute a cornerstone of any democratic architecture. Without them, there is no democracy to talk about. This is why the EU, together with partners around the world, is putting a lot of effort into observing elections. Since the beginning of my mandate, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU has sent 25 electoral observations and follow-up missions in 23 countries, 13 in Africa, 6 in Latin America, 2 in the Middle East, 1 in the Pacific and 1 in the Western Balkans. Since 1990, we have had in total no less than 170 EU missions.

Thanking the thousands of national and international election observers

However, before going further on this, I would like to thank the thousands of national and international election observers that serve worldwide: they embody democratic resilience. The increase in attacks against them is alarming. In the run-up to the 2019 elections in Mozambique, one of the country's most prominent citizen observers, Dr. Anastácio Matavel, was assassinated by the police. It is totally unacceptable. Electoral observers must be considered what they truly are: human rights defenders. The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Ms. Mary Lawlor, called last October on states to take “all necessary steps” to allow election observers to carry out their work.

Our EU Electoral Observation Missions (EOM) do not interfere with national processes, as some want to make-believe: the organisation of elections is the sole responsibility of the country itself and EU missions are only deployed by invitation. Over the past decades, the EU has become one of the most respected election observation providers in the world, in particular because EU missions have demonstrated independence, professionalism and impartiality; they are seen therefore as being capable of assessing the electoral process and recommending reforms honestly.

Our efforts have proven their value

And our efforts have proven their value. In 2021, I have decided to send an EU mission to observe the regional and municipal elections in Venezuela. My decision was initially challenged in Europe, although being much awaited by civil society and political forces in Venezuela. Finally, the mission proved helpful. We have seen improvements in the electoral conditions compared to previous processes - these Venezuelan elections were marked by the return of the majority of political parties to the electoral arena. The mission report raised also a number of structural deficiencies and made many recommendations for reforms. This mission helped pave the way for the return to the negotiation process between Venezuelan conflicting parties in Mexico, which is currently taking place.

This year, the presence of an EU Election Observation Missions in Kenya and in Colombia helped to defuse political tensions.

I could mention other examples, as the EU mission last August, in Kenya. The situation around the presidential election was quite tense and fears of unrests following the results were high. The presence of an EU EOM and its evaluation of the election process helped to defuse these tensions and avoid major violence. In spring 2022, during the last presidential elections in Colombia, EU EOM presence, together with the prominent role of brave local observers, also served to defuse tensions in a country that has experienced a lot of political violence in recent years.

Most people may think that when observers have left the country this is the end of the mission – but this is actually when the real work should begin! To give one relevant example: in Nigeria, the Election Follow-up Mission deployed in February 2022 after the 2019 elections, concluded that significant progress had been made: out of the previous 30 recommendations, 13 had been implemented. The Nigerian National Assembly, the Independent National Electoral Commission and civil society had found a compromising ground for the new Election Act. The EU – together with member states and the larger international community – has provided financial and technical support to the process.

The new challenge of the digitalisation of the electoral process

We are working now to respond to new challenges such as the digitalisation of the electoral process, with elections increasingly moving online. We have also made progress when it comes to assessing social media and disinformation during elections. Citizens have the right to access truthful information and facts – their votes should not be distorted by propaganda from abroad or from within. There were among the issues discussed in Brussels this week with international partners who also adhere to the UN-sponsored “Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation”.

But, let’s be frank: making progress on democracy is often hard. The forces blocking democratic change are powerful. But democracy is too important – politicians shying away from doing the right thing should be met with clear demands. The EU will continue to advance the democracy agenda worldwide, with all relevant partners, including through our election observation missions.

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SLI.DO: #2805 234

https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say_en

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Talking about Art.Vocabulary

 MODERN ART EXPLAINED

https://quizlet.com/_cyl8it?x=1jqt&i=1g1fot

Picture breakout. Speaking is fun...

 TOPICS

1. daily life
2. education
3. entertainment and media
4. food and drink
5. free time
6. health, medicine and exercise
7. hobbies and leisure
8. house and home
9. people
10. shopping
11. social interaction
12. sport
13. the natural world
14. transport
15. travel and holidays
16. work and jobs

Pictures to describe

Eating together

Playing music

Celebrating

Reading

Spending time at home

Cooking

Using technology

Playing games

At school

Spending time outside

Regrets: I have a few...

Food for thought. Reflecting about ...

• I regret not… earlier. 
• The decision I regret the most is… . 
• In the future I might regret… if I don’t change anything about… . 
• I used to regret… but now I’ve come to terms with it. 

Questions: 

• What things do people tend to regret? 
• What is worse, regretting doing something or not doing something? Why? 
• How do you think regrets change with age?

Decide whether the regrets are more common among kids and teens or adults. Explain your choices. 

• a) get into a fight with their best friend 
• b) not take more advantage of their college experience 
• c) tease their sister 
• d) not follow their dreams earlier in life 
• e) get angry at their family 
• f) not stay single longer 
• g) not say sorry more often
• h) not spend time with their oldest brother

Discuss to what extent you agree with the statements (0 – disagree, 1 – partly agree, 2 – agree, 3 – absolutely agree). Give reasons for your opinions. 

• The older you get, the fewer things you tend to regret. 

• If you listen to the regrets older people have, you are likely to avoid their mistakes. 

• Regretting too many things is meaningless as we can’t change the past. 

• If you focus on your regrets, you might overlook new opportunities. 

• For some people, their regrets are the only thing they have as it’s too late for them to change anything

• People who say they don’t regret anything are only fooling themselves.

Paraphrase the following regrets using the word in brackets. Make any other changes where necessary. 

a) I regret making this decision without talking to anyone. If I had, everything would have turned out much better. (should) 

b) I shouldn’t have taken a taxi to work. With all these traffic jams, I’m going to be late. (wish) 

c) I regret lying to them in the first place. Now I’m lost and have no idea what to do next. (only) If

d) I should have spent more time preparing for this exam. Then, I would have got a better result. (wish)

e) I regret moving to the countryside. There’s so little for me to do apart from my work and I feel bored most of the time. (should) 

f) If only I had never said that to her. She’ll never forgive me! (regret) 

Pictures. Students look at the pictures and make a sentence using “wish”. Flip them to see a possible answer.

• If you could change something in your body, what would it be?
•  If you could change something about your personality, what would you change?
• If you could change anything about your job, what would it be?
• If you could change something about you partner, what would it be?
• If you could change something about your life, what would it be?
• If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

2.  I WISH (THAT)/IF ONLY+ WOULD

• What annoys you about living where you live now?
• What annoys you most about living at home with your family?
• What annoying habits does your best friend have?
• What is the most annoying thing about your partner?
• Is there anything about your teacher that annoys you? 

Love and Regret Lyrics

Cold dawn won't comfort you
Cold coffee won't see you through
Cold sheets won't heal your heart
Your frozen fingers of your name so tarred

I know so rarely that things come your way
Your ways are tender and your paths are straight
Your mind's not lived in the way ours are set
Your heart is open to love and regret

Rings and letters they pass you by
You wish them well and seldom cry
For stones and promises and wedding sighs
You've known the times that you've lived and died

These sailors come by and spend time ashoe
Their thoughts are hoarded as yours have been stored
Your mind's not lived in the way ours are set
Your heart is open to love and regret

Outside in the morning air
I hear the soundtrack of the blues-harp player
It touches feelings that you don't arouse
Knocks me back to that shuttered house
Take me back when they're all out
Take me back to that shuttered house

I know so rarely that things come your way
Your ways are tender and your paths are straight
Your mind's not lived in the way ours are set
Your heart is open to love and regret

Love and regret