Magazine covers, multimillion-dollar contracts, perfect bodies, fame, and the blinding lights of paparazzi on the catwalk. Modeling life has never been so attractive as in the last half-century. Is the life of the most paid top models so glamorous and simple? What is going on behind the closed doors of one of the most successful industries?

Being a model for many means being on top of the World. Naomi Cambelt, Claudia Schiffer, Sindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and many others rocked this World in the 80s-90s. The most famous authors and magazines write dizzy stories about their careers. They implemented a new concept to this World “being a top model”. They did not just demonstrate the designers’ pieces to make them attractive to reach customers, they started to show that model has a personality. Due to this approach fashion shows became performances, the model is the main character, and her face is recognizable. What an honor to open or close a fashion show, critics will remember your face, scouts of the most successful agencies will suggest you work with them and will invite you to further events…

On the 24th of June British Channel “Sky” released a short documentary “Scouting for Girls: Fashion’s Darkest Secret” with a star cast including former models. This is based on the investigation of The Guardian journalist Lucy Osborne. She talks about the abuse of girls and young women in the fashion industry. The famous former top-models share via interview stories from their careers.

There are several ways how to start your modeling career. The most common is when you have been noticed and scouted. Scouts are special workers of the model agencies, as a part of their work they should find attractive, unique girls from 13 to 18 years, and they should look for them in public places, now additionally on social media.

The most influenced public figures of the 80s – a glorious time in the modeling industry - were agents John Casablancas, Gérald Marie, Jean-Luc Brunel, and Claude Haddad. The scouting part of the fashion business was under their control. They chose the future stars of the catwalks and advertising campaigns. Three people listed are passed away except for Gérald Marie. He was charged, but he denies everything, the investigators cannot do much, because a lot of time has passed since the alleged date of the crimes.

Scout for the amateur model was not just an agent or pr-manager, it was a person who could assist you to use to the new world, place of living, and just “help” in challenging situations. Unexperienced young girls unconsciously became psychologically attached to this person, they were ready for everything and were controlled by this person. Many of the agents used this in their evil schemes, they sexually abused young models, introduced them to wealthy men, and basically “sold them” as an escort. Does it sound as gorgeous as some people imagined? Or is that a way of human trafficking and sexual abuse? Now we know, and we can finally call a spade a spade.

This legendary modeling epoch was not as glamorous as it looked. Models have been abused by their “mother agency” and by their reach “fans”. Unfortunately, they did not have many options: firstly, living in a new country without a stable income and networks is a challenging situation; secondly, if they had a choice to come back to their hometown, they would rather not do it. Why? Because society’s or even family’s punishment is another huge challenge and problem that could fall on the fragile shoulders of a young girl. They continued living in that vicious circle…

​Currently, some decades later, modeling remains an industry with not the healthiest working environment, conditions, and with contradictive approaches. Undoubtedly it is starting to be more diverse; due to the social media models can share their routines and more openly talk about challenges that they face during their job. However, modeling is still far from perfection, and because of social’s media, abuse and trafficking realize themselves in new forms.

It would seem that friendship means only good relations between two or many people, the exchange of goods, opinions, experiences lived together, beautiful memories and so on, but friendship is really something much more complicated than that, something fundamental for everything, something so well known by all of us, but at the same time something just as mysterious, something that requires time, dedication, compromises, love, compassion, common interests, goals and circumstances. 

So why is friendship such a high priority for each of us?

Children can most easily make friends, because their friendships are not linked to very important experiences, principles, traumas or circumstances as they are linked by adult friendships, plus professions, ambitions, and different types of personalities, which in fact, because of them, in adulthood we have very few friends or none at all.  

From the fact that we share our food with friends when we are children to the fact that friendships become true vital forces based on admiration and mutual respect, constant offering of help, support and compassion, EACH of us is vulnerable to it, needs it, as well as food, friendships being the food that serves for the proper functioning of all things in general, starting from our own emotions, to the relations between communities, the relations between people and nature, between countries, etc. 

On July 30 every year we celebrate International Friendship Day. This day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 2011 with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities. 
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This day can be a perfect opportunity to remember how much it means and how much our friendships influence us, we can call or meet our friends, to thank them first of all because they exist in our lives, for all the efforts they make for us.
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We should also think of all those who have difficulty making friends, those who cannot enjoy the benefits of healthy friendships, or those who have lost their friendships. ​

What are the Tropics facing?
​We all hear about the Tropics but do we really know about them?

Firstly, the Tropics are a region of the Earth, roughly defined as the area between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn.
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The Tropic of Cancer is situated at 23.5° towards the northern part of the equator. 36% of the total earth’s surface is covered by it, and one-third of the total population of earth resides in this region. While the Tropic of Capricorn is a line that runs from the East to the West situated at 23.5° south of the equator and less than 3% of the global population live below this line.

The majority of Africa, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, Gulf nations, and a significant part of South America fall between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn (=the nations of the Tropics). The central and the southern parts of India also fall between the two imaginary lines on the globe.

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The nations of the Tropics face many challenges like poverty and undernourishment, population explosion, global warming, social stigmas or terrorism and civil unrest. That’s why in 2014, after collaboration, 12 leading tropical research institutions and came up with a State of the Tropics Report.

​Two years after, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution which called for June 29 to be the international day of the Tropics. The nations of the Tropics are often forgotten while they are very important for the World: by 2050 more than the half of the world’s population will live in this region. Moreover, they have a big role to play to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Because of the covid 19 pandemic, the economy, well-being and life of the tropical nations got much worst.

That’s why, we, as Westerners, have to stop to take advantage of the Tropical regions and to help them to face their challenges.

The next generation are the most important and most affected stakeholders when talking about our global future – and we owe them more than this. Young people are also the best placed to lead this transformation. The year 2022 is the time to start thinking and acting long-term to make intergenerational parity the norm and to design a society, economy, and international community that cares for all people.

In the past 10 years of working with the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community, a network of people between the ages of 20 and 30 working to address problems in more than 450 cities around the world, I’ve seen firsthand that they are the ones with the most innovative ideas and energy to build a better society for tomorrow. Transparency, accountability, trust, and a focus on stakeholder capitalism will be key to meeting this generation’s ambitions and expectations.

Understanding a new generation - Depending on who you talk to, Gen Z consists of anyone born after 1997 or between 1995-2012. “Keep in mind they grew up in a digital world”

Generation Z has always known technology. They didn’t grow into it as Millennials did, it has been a staple since birth. For them, technology is a necessity. They are able to instantly find the information they need or want. Because of this, you need to have a handle on your online presence and advertising. Your business must have a significant presence on social media outlets. Gen Z wants to align with the brands that reflect their values and is purpose-driven, so be sure to highlight the heart of your business.

Gen Z and careers:
The youngest generation has been disproportionately affected by the dire economy, at the height of the pandemic in April, the unemployment rate for teens aged 16–19 was the highest of all groups, at 31.9% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Owing to this, career plans are up in the air and this young generation is learning to pivot, fast.

There are early signs of Gen Zers gravitating towards job security, opting for jobs in the civil service, as well as in health and science sectors. It is also a generation changing the traditional success metrics, shifting it away from fame and fortune to ethics and values. Research found that 82% say it’s important that their job contributes to the greater good and 70% would rather
do something meaningful than make a lot of money.

In my opinion, Generation Z is the generation that will change the world in the best version, being part of this generation, we are responsible for solving the problems created by previous generations. We were born at that time when information technologies began to develop, and we are armed with the best digital skills because we grew up with the technologies!
I am more than sure that we will build a better, friendlier, and more beautiful world and we will not leave so many problems to our descendants.

All cultures and religions have valued kindness throughout history, and it is likely the only quality that will continue to be valued in the future. Qualities such as generosity, benevolence, altruism, civility, goodwill, positive conduct, good intentions, and good-heartedness are some that make up kindness.
 
We may express our gratitude, appreciation, or the smallest deeds of kindness to members of our family, friends, coworkers, acquaintances, or even to complete strangers. Whoever they are, just make a commitment to share it with at least one person each day.
 
But why should we be kind?
 
First, kindness releases upbeat hormones. Being good to others makes us feel better about ourselves since serotonin levels increase, which are the hormones in charge of our pleasure and fulfillment.
 
Second, kindness is good for our heart and mind. Have you ever heard the term "having a warm heart"? When we do something kind for someone, we can produce a hormone called oxytocin, which aids in widening blood vessels and, as a result, lowers issues like high blood pressure and constricted heart veins. Additionally, kindness has the added benefit of reducing pain and anxiety. When we offer to help, we feel good vibrations like happy mood, inner joy, and self-alertness.
 
Third, kindness reverses stress and depression. It has been demonstrated that when we treat someone kindly, we may resolve our stress-related issues. Our actions of kindness tend to relieve symptoms of sadness, anger, loneliness, and several other ailments. Additionally, our immune system gradually strengthens and our happiness increases.
 
Fourth, kindness improves relationships. Being kind can have a profound impact on how we feel about ourselves, the people around us, and the person we helped. In the end, it promotes respect and stronger emotional bonds. 
 
Fifth, kindness is contagious. Being kind and friendly not only benefits those around us, but we can also anticipate reciprocal goodwill. Additionally, we undoubtedly melt the hearts of many people around us, inspiring them to do nice deeds.
 
Acts of kindness can be both an action or even the absence of action. Simple acts of kindness can go a long way. For instance, assisting an elderly person cross the street or smiling and aiding someone when they are in need, are pure acts of emotion. Without caring what others think or acting selfishly, this kindness can fix numerous issues at once. Additionally, you are being kind to someone when you do not intentionally engage in wrongdoing. For example, if you refrain from participating in gossip groups that promote bullying or other actions, you are keeping things in control. You can quell the storm by being silent.
 
We should recognise the importance of empowering oneself through the power of kindness. 
 
"You can start changing our world for the better daily, no matter how small the action." - Nelson Mandela

One of the main issues facing the economy and our society is youth unemployment. Since the Great Recession, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2022 high rates of inflation, it has grown rapidly. When seen from a European perspective, its expansion has been focused in Southern Europe, especially in Greece, where more than half of the young people in the labour market are jobless.
 
For many years, youth unemployment has been a concern in many countries. There have been many different policy initiatives made in response to it. However, despite the abundance of policy knowledge amassed to far, the so-called "Great Recession" saw a sharp increase in teenage unemployment. The increase has reached previously unheard-of proportions and was particularly noticeable in Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and Greece. This raises important concerns regarding the applicability of previous policy lessons to the current situation of the young labour market.
 
The age group 25-29 in Greece is arguably the most concerning since, in terms of numbers, their unemployment rate is substantially higher than that of those between the ages of 15 and 19. Concerningly high percentage of this population are NEETS (Not in Education, Employment or Training). Despite being excluded from the typical definition of youth unemployment, this cohort was the youngest when the recession initially began. As a result, many people found it difficult to move from education to work. Whether this group is suffering cohort or age effects is a question to be pondered. This is undoubtedly a crucial distinction in light of the damaging impact of unemployment on this population.
 
Compared to young people in Northern Europe, Greek youths are significantly more likely to live at home. Spain and Portugal have a similar tendency. While this reduces the costs of unemployment, it may also limit mobility, lengthening the period of unemployed.
 
Additionally, there is evidence that many young workers are underemployed, working part-time jobs when they would prefer full-time ones, and working under temporary contracts when they would prefer permanent ones. Greece has one of the highest percentages of young people who are unemployed among European countries. So, there is a good chance that there will be significant scarring consequences, particularly for the 25-29 age group. These young people may still reside with their parents in an incredibly high percentage of cases.
 
Greece has had the fastest rate of loss in its standard of living with the start of these crisis. Lack of mobility brought on by property market rigidities appears to be a significant challenge in Greece. Concerningly, there is little indication that Greece's alarmingly high rates of youth unemployment will decrease very soon.