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Do You Want to Make a Change? Write to Your MP

MPs (members of parliament who are elected representatives for a constituency) can be of great help if you want to make some changes in your local area, or indeed in any other part of the world.

London is divided into 73 parliamentary constituencies- to find your MP and their contact details you can visit the UK Parliament website or call the House of Commons information office at 0207 219 4272.

When you write to your MP, remember to include your contact details and do not forget to mention that you are a constituent: MPS are more keen to reply and help people who belong to their constituency.

Make your letter to the MP personal and don't be afraid to state your beliefs and principles. However, remember to keep it short & write clearly, and make sure you have suggestions & explain why you need your MP's help.

Egypt: The Country That Cannot Find Peace

After the first anniversary of Morsi's presidency, the protest movement Tamarod collected millions of signatures demanding the ousting of the president, accused of doing very little to help the stagnant economy, and criticized for his attempts to introduce a Muslim-orientated constitution in a secular country.

Since the army ousted Mr Morsi on 3rd July 2013, Egypt has been in turmoil as the pro Morsi protesters condemn the military coup d'état, and demand the reinstatement of the Muslim Brotherhood leader.

Wednesday 14th August was the most violent day since the protests started: violence erupted throughout the nation and caused the death of hundreds, including women and children.

Morsi supporters attacked and set ablaze tens of Christian properties including churches and schools; they set fire to a military buildings; they took over a police station and committed acts of violence against policemen and journalists.

Following the attacks, a state of emergency has been declared till the end of the month. Egyptians are also subjected to a curfew, with the risk of imprisonment for those who will not abide by it.

Trayvon Martin and the Failure of Multiculturalism

The recent acquittal of George Zimmerman, who killed the 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida in February this year, has sparked protests across the African-American community in the US, who are protesting against the verdict of the jury.

President Obama declared during a public speech, that the protests are the result of racist discrimination against black men who are often judged by the colour of their skin:

"It's important to recognize that the African-America community is looking at this issue through a set of experience and history that doesn't go away. There are very few African-American men in this country who haven't had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me. [...] The African- American community is also knowledgeable that there is a history of racial disparity in the application of our criminal laws."

Trayvon Martin might have been a ‘thug', he might have acted suspiciously and might have assaulted Zimmerman.

However, rather than focusing on whether Zimmerman reacted in self-defence (a right that is often abused and extremely hard to prove right or wrong) or not, the argument here is on the conversations going on about racial discrimination and prejudices that show still how ephemeral any integration can be.

Bulgaria: Where Favouritisms Lead the Country

"In Bulgaria it is often impossible to know where organised crime ends and legitimate business begins. The nexus between the two is characterised by complex bureaucratic structures, opaque corporate accounting and a maze of offshore accounts." The journalist John O'Brennan gives us an explanatory view of the causes of the protests in Bulgaria, widely ignored by the media during the first week of manifestations across the nation.

Besides the economic stagnation, lack of jobs and youths' future undermined by incertitude in the poorest country in the EU, the principal cause of the outrage and malcontent that led civilians to the street is the corruption of the political elite, accused of being oligarchs and biased.

The escalated bribery, dotted by many episodes of embezzlements and elections of people whose lifestyles and morality are rather ambiguous, exasperates citizens. They are making demands that the current three-month-old, socialist-led government step down, for new and legitimate elections, for effective strategies to fight organized crime and for reforms to improve the stagnant economy.

Turkey Protests: On the footsteps of Syria?

The battle to save the green hid much deeper reasons of the malcontent of Turkish civilians. It was the 31st of May when dozens of people gathered in Gezi Park, Istanbul, and protested against the government’s plan to demolish the park in order to build up a shopping centre.

However, the protests soon revealed a population which is highly disappointed by the government’s actions and the PM Tayyip Erdogan’s attempt to impose Muslim-orientated values on the secular state.

The Turkish citizen İnsanlik Hali - who addressed a letter to the world in which he explains the reasons of the protests and provides the account of the ongoing situation (widely ignored by the media in the first stage of its developments) – explains:

“They [the protesters] all gathered to prevent the demolition of something bigger than the park: The right to live as honorable citizens of this country. People who are marching to the center of Istanbul are demanding their right to live freely and receive justice, protection and respect from the State. They demand to be involved in the decision-making processes about the city they live in.”

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