I'M A EUROPEAN

The oceans, the highest mountains and powerful continents are not a difficult burden when compared to the little that we contribute to the world in return.

(Buddha)

All people are different. Since time began, some have been small, others big, black or white, good or bad, loving or unfeeling, modest or conceited. People amalgamated into groups, meaning that they belonged to someone. As far back as the Iron Age, it meant a lot to people to be able to show others who they belong to.

It is interesting that it is the differences in values, culture and a sense of belonging that actually bring people closer. These things connect us and teach us that this makes us stronger as together we can learn much more from each other. And it is the European Union that today connects us. The nations of Europe vary greatly among each other, but I hope that we will be even more connected in the future, that we will further recognise who we actually are and what we are like, make the most of our diversity and come together to do something good for the world. I think we have a lot of joint work to aim for and achieve. Nature has given us the invaluable, however, in return we are harming it. We make out to be something more than we actually are. We are just living beings who, just like animals for example, require certain conditions to survive.

People are creating a world that they do not even need for happiness, and in doing so are taking other creatures of equal value. In the past, people lived in harmony with animals until humankind was unable to overcome greed, selfishness and the desire for more, which, if it not stopped in time, will lead to their downfall. Therefore, we must always believe in a better world in which we will coexist with other beings. In a world that will not be full of greed, money, selfishness and hatred, but rather one that will be filled with love, happiness, joy and delight. Even if that world will appear to be more modest, I believe that we will enjoy being in it more.

I am convinced that one of the roles of the European Union is to unite its inhabitants in thinking about the future, because there is strength in numbers. The European spirit should not only be oriented towards gaining wealth and, consequently, an easier life, but also towards the preservation of the natural balance. If we are united in this and we believe in it, we will be able to change the world for the better.

 Melisa Tomšič, 9th Grade, Šempas Primary School

EVROPEJEC SEM

Ocean, najvišje gore in mogočne celine niso težko breme, če jih primerjamo s težo tega, da ne vračamo svetu njegove dobrote.

(Buda)

Ljudje smo si različni. Od nekdaj so bili nekateri ljudje manjši, drugi veliki, črni in beli, slabi in dobri, ljubeči in osorni, skromni in požrešni. Ljudje so se združevali v skupine in seveda nekomu pripadali. Že v železni dobi je ljudem veliko pomenilo, da so tudi drugim pokazali, komu pripadajo.

Zanimivo pa je, da ljudi zbližujejo prav razlike v vrednotah, kulturi in pripadnosti. Vežejo nas skupaj in nas učijo, da smo le tako lahko močnejši, da se lahko veliko več naučimo drug od drugega. In to, kar nas povezuje danes, je Evropska unija. Narodi Evrope smo zelo različni med seboj, a upam, da se bomo v prihodnosti še bolj povezali, se bolje spoznali, kdo sploh smo in kakšni smo, svojo različnost dobro izkoristili ter stopili skupaj in naredili kaj dobrega za svet. Mislim, da imamo veliko skupnega dela. Narava nam je dala neprecenljivo, mi pa ji v zameno škodujemo. Delamo se, da smo nekaj več, kar pa sploh nismo. Smo samo živa bitja, tako kot npr. živali, ki potrebujejo za preživetje določene pogoje. Ljudje pa si ustvarjamo nek svet, ki ga za srečo sploh ne potrebujemo, in s tem jemljemo drugim enakopravnim bitjem. Ljudje so nekoč živeli v sožitju z živalmi, dokler ni človeka premagal pohlep in sebičnost, želja po nekaj več, ki ga bo, če se ne bo pravočasno ustavil, pokopala. Zato moramo vedno verjeti v boljši svet, v katerem bomo sobivali z drugimi bitji. V svet, ki ne bo poln pohlepa, denarja, sebičnosti in sovraštva, temveč svet, ki bo napolnjen z ljubeznijo, srečo, veseljem, radostjo. Četudi bo ta svet na videz skromnejši, verjamem, da bomo v njem bolj uživali.

Prepričana sem, da je vloga Evropske unije tudi ta, da njene prebivalce poveže v misli na prihodnost, kajti v slogi je moč. Evropski duh ne bi smel biti usmerjen le v pridobivanje bogastva in posledično v lagodnejše življenje, ampak tudi v ohranjanje naravnega ravnovesja. Če bomo združeni tudi v tem in bomo v to verjeli, smo zmožni spremeniti ta svet v boljšega.

Melisa Tomšič, 9. razred, OŠ Šempas