Finchley 1959 - Explore new Perspectives

2015 has been incredibly exciting yet turbulent. Bloody yet promising. One thing is for sure, no one have predicted it the way it actually turned out. But we'll try it for 2016 regardless. The Paris Attacks, the fight against ISIS, the Pope's historic visit to the US, the Greek and Chinese economic troubles, the legalization of same-sex marriage in the US, Water on Mars, Volkswagen Scandal, new reigning record set by Queen Elizabeth II, Cecil the Lion, Women's World Cup, mass shootings and racial divide in the US, Climate Deal in Paris and the Nepal Earthquake were some of the events that dominated the news broadcasts in the year of 2015. We also lost some very influential people such as King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Leonard Nimoy, Lee Kuan Yew, B.B. King, John Nash, Christopher Lee, Omar Sharif, Helmut Schmidt, Maureen O'Hara and Lemmy of Motorhead just yesterday. Social Media also reached new heights as did Hollywood with Spectre, Jurassic World and Star...

France held the first round of it's regional elections yesterday, resulting in a historic win for Marine Le Pen's National Front. In the first electoral test since last month's attacks on Paris, Le Pen triumphed by winning in her own region, and carrying 5 other races out of 12. Next Sunday, things could change in the second round, but the odds are in the National Front's favour. Whatever the results will be, it is clear that France is now a three party system. The people of France have raised their voices, and it is clear what they want. Just like in America, the anti-establishment sentiment is fast gaining ground. After the attacks on Paris that left 130 people dead, security has become the most important topic for people. Despite President Hollande's strong and confident response, his party couldn't do better than the third place. Former President Nicolas Sarkozy's party, The Republicans, have came second in a race that is seen as a very importan...

EPA On Friday, the 13th of November, everything was normal in Paris. People were happy that the weekend is here, and went out with friends and loved ones for some dinner and drinks, or for their favorite band's concert or cheered for their home nation as France took on Germany in an International friendly. The same night though, the evil also descended on the French capital and took away 130 souls. It was an absolute tragedy. People have been shocked to their cores. It is with great sadness that we write about this topic. It touched us very deeply too. That is partially why it took us so long to reflect on this issue, the other being the fact that there is still so many new developments surfacing continuously. The whole picture is not clear yet. It may never be. What is perhaps one of the most striking facts about this attack beyond the number of casualties, is the fact that this is the second tragedy in Paris this year alone. It has only been 10 months since gunm...

Budapest is a beautiful city. In fact even in an objective opinion, it can be called one of the most gorgeous creations. It simply is just amazing. It is also sometimes referred to as the centre of Europe, due to its geographical location. However, this year it also became the centre of something else. The migrant crisis that is engulfing the EU.  The sad truth of the matter is that the demographics  of the world is changing, and we must accept it. There is nothing we can do at this point to change or stop it. This year already, almost 100,000 migrants have crossed into Hungary alone (and thus the EU) illegally. And many more were probably missed by authorities. The ones who chose this route over the Mediterranean, usually come from warn torn regions such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan or from parts of the world where they have few opportunities and bad living conditions such as Pakistan and Kosovo. Many of them travel to Budapest on foot, and sleep with th...

Well, let's hope not. But there are some troubling signs for the German Chancellor, that echo the ousting of Margaret Thatcher in 1990. The German Parliament is about to vote on a new Greek bailout, but the Chancellor's coalition is fragile, as the union is divided. As much as 100 MP's of her governing CDU Party are expected to vote against her wish, in a move that can seriously underline her authority and power in the local political scene. Even though analysts say that with some support from the opposition, the bill is expected to pass in the end, it is a worrying sign for the Chancellor, as many have been pointing to a growing discomfort with her leadership. Chancellor Merkel will celebrate her 10th anniversary in power in November, and is currently not expected to stand down before or after the next election in 2017. If however; she faces a revolt from her own party and is ousted, that could be tragic for the EU and the future of t...

As the sun goes down on the shores of Marbella, the wind starts up, and the peaceful Mediterranean turns into a wild beast. Upon seeing this, it is easier to understand how people can drown in it, but is harder to imagine the conditions that drive the less fortunate into crossing this wide body of water. Everyday thousands of people try to cross from Africa into Europe through the sea, but far from everyone makes it. Hundreds of people drown and disappear, and there is not much that is done about it. Which side of the Mediterranean you were born matters a great deal. The people on the African side are leaving everything behind (which is not much) and are setting of to Europe, where they believe that anything is possible and that they will be rich. Marbella is located near the Southern edge of Spain, near Gibraltar. However, it is mostly know for its eloquent lifestyle, and due to how crowded it is with millionaires. Seeing luxury cars and houses is as frequent here as...

The EU this week has once again failed to solve the migrant crisis, as it was unable to relocate 40,000 of them who have already arrived. In the meantime, thousands more are crossing the borders as more radical measures are proposed across the continent.  Everyday several boats, full of African migrants are trying to reach Southern Italy. Some of them make it, however sadly most of them never make it to the shores. To the East, hundreds of refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are trying to cross into Greece and Hungary. Most of them make it, but they face tough conditions and an unwelcoming society upon arrival. Of course these migrants/refugees deserve opportunities and a better life for their whole family, but the Europeans can't be blamed either for having enough. The number of migrants trying to reach the EU have increased fivefold since last year, and it is only July. It is a huge burden on the welfare system, and political pressure is mounting up on the leaders...

Greece will decide it's future tomorrow. Citizens will be heading to the polling booths to vote in a referendum on the bailout of the economy. It will be the first referendum in the country in four decades, but even without it, the stakes are high. Very high. New Government. IMF negotiations. Euro. Grexit. And many more... Tensions are high on the streets as both the Yes and No campaigns are holding mass rallies and are trying to convince people to chose their sides. A Yes vote is widely seen as a yes to Europe and to continued negotiations, while a No vote will bring serious changes to the country. For the past few days, the Greek people have been limited to 60 Euros per person from the ATM's, and many people are worried that their savings will be lost. The banks are worried too, because they predict that they will run out of money by monday. There have also been reports of violence and looting across the capital, as people are trying to salvage...

Walking around the picturesque canals of Amsterdam, one can see the modern side of this beautiful European city. However, the Dutch Capital is full of history, and is home to one of the darkest stories of all. Anne Frank. Anne Frank is someone that the modern generation is sadly often less and less familiar with. Or what is even worse, they chose to be ignorant about it. Amsterdam is perhaps one of the most multicultural cities in the world, and is full of people who were born outside of the Netherlands. In fact, about a third of the city's population today is foreign born. The city also has a very large Muslim population, compared to the 2% who consider themselves Jewish.  And we all are familiar with the tensions among the two religious groups. The situation really is worrying, and there is no clear solution. Society and humans should be embarrassed that only 70 years after the Nazis, we are returning to a similar s...

Marine Le Pen, the popular leader of France’s far right party, Front National, has announced the formation of a new bloc in the European Parliament on Tuesday. The group, called Europe of Nations and Freedoms, will provide a bigger voice and power for the French leader, who is widely seen as the face of new politics in Europe. Together, the Eurosceptic, anti-Immigration parties will be eligible for more funding and time on the debate floor. It should certainly spice up things even more in the continent. Le Pen formed this group in last May after her party won the EU elections in France, but at the time was unable to collect enough support from other European countries. This is what has changed now. She was now able to gain more than enough support from groups such as Italy’s Lega Nord, and Geert Wilders’ Dutch Party for Freedom. She also has support from Austria, Poland, Belgium and Janice Atkinson from the UK. One notable missing party is Nigel Farage’s UKI...

Migrant crisis in the Mediterranean. Refugees streaming in from Syria and Iraq. Eastern European workers in the Western member states. These are the forms of Immigration that are currently transforming the political landscape of the EU. The National Front is rising in France, UKIP in the UK, Jobbik in Hungary, Lega Nord in Italy and the Freedom Party in Holland. Brussels is stuck, and there doesn't seem to be a right way out of this mess for them. Every week, thousands of Africans are rescued from the Mediterranean Sea, as their little, and unsafe boats capsize and face imminent death. The Europeans are trying to rescue them out of their goodwill and human compassion, but they just generate more problems for them. Italy can't handle tens of thousands of immigrants each month, and the EU has no facilities either. These migrants are living in horrible conditions, and there is no hope for them. Similarly, thousands of illegal immigrants are trying to enter the ...