EU Commission removes "man" from new language guide and more from CNE's podcast
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European Union
NewsRound Europe is CNE’s news podcast. It has a bulletin with some remarkable news topics from the European continent.
Noah’s Ark to stay anchored in the Netherlands
Noah’s Ark will not go to Israel as previously planned. The replica will end up in Amsterdam for the time being. It is currently anchored at Krimpen aan den Ijssel in the Netherlands.
Why the change? While Daniël Vandy, treasurer of Bring Home The Ark Foundation remains disappointed, the foundation found that they could not complete the paperwork from the notary in time.
They also had little time to prove the origins of the funds from Israeli investors, according to the Dutch newspaper, Reformatorisch Dagblad. Although he had plans to open the Ark in April and have it sail to Israel, he has had no choice but to cancel the appointments visitors made to visit the ark between April and May.
For the time being, Wim Beelen who is currently the Ark’s owner, has plans to renovate the Ark. However, Beelen, who is also owner of the company, Larendael, says that his company does not own the Ark. Rather, it is still in the hands of renovator Johan Huibers, the RD report says. Beelen wrote in a LinkedIn post that the Ark still has potential and has room to turn it into a place for conference rooms, theatres, and even a restaurant. However, he emphasised that the most important aspect is that it is not destroyed and that non-believers understand its significance.
EU moves to ban “man” in new language guide
According to the latest EU guidelines for editors and translators, the word “man” is no longer considered inclusive. As detailed in The Telegraph report, the new guidelines were released this month by the European Commission. The EU Commission updated English Style Guide now advises its users to drop any word that contains the usage of “man”. Examples include tradesman, man-made, and even the popular expression, "man on the street."
The EU Commission suggests using alternatives that will suit all genders such as swapping "tradesman" for "tradesperson", " using manufactured" instead of "man-made", and the opting for the "average person" on the street instead of "man on the street."
Yet, one exception remains. According to the EU guidelines on gender-neutral language, if the text refers to a specific individual and the gender is known, then it is recommended to use a "gender-specific pronoun" or use "they/them as a singular pronoun." At the same time, the usage of he/she should no longer deemed as "gender-neutral," the guide also says.
The new rules have certainly come with their fair share of criticism. Alka Sehgal Cuthbert who is head of the organisation, Don't Divide Us says that people should have the right to speak the language they grew up with. Although some changes in language are to be expected, she finds the EU Commission's alternatives as "anti-democratic" and "not inclusive." And no HR department should follow this guide, she adds in The Telegraph.
Germany's Jewish communities concerned about election results
And now, something coming from Germany. The recent election results have made some Jewish organisations in the country feeling nervous. "As the Alternative for Germany party or AFD had doubled its votes last Sunday's election, this should be a concern for everyone" says the Central Council for Jews in Germany in the Swedish publication, Dagen. The CDU party or the Christian Democrats came out with the largest majority while the Social Democrats fell to new lows.
The AFD party has experienced accusations of its "neo-Nazi ideology" in the past. The Central Council of Jews says that it should be a concern that one-fifth of German voters have sided with a party that is "partly right-wing extremist," and has associations neo-Nazism. The president of the Jewish communities in Munich and Upper Bavaria has also sounded the alarm. Charlotte Knobloch says that the increase in AFD votes should be "a warning signal" and now sees "Germany as a different country."
The results have also sparked criticism from the nation's Christian churches, according to evangelisch.de The regional bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in northern Germany praised the high voter turnout but said that our areas within our church voted in members in parliament that are aimed at dividing society and excluding people. However, the Evangelical Church in central Germany would like to talk to AFD supporters as the party's support in that region remains high.
Students refused prayer times at Dutch schools
In the Netherlands, students at many schools have reported not being able to take time for prayer during breaks or free periods. Students from approximately 180 secondary schools told the Dutch NOS that many of them are stopped by school authorities whenever they pray. For Muslims, the prayer ban has hit them particularly hard as they are required to pray at designated times. Christian students have also been affected.
Meya and Samira, who are Muslims and attend Stanislascollege Westplantsoen in Delft, Netherlands, have had their prayers abruptly stopped by teachers. In the past, they have prayed at the school's canteen and auditorium. However, the school authorities want to do something about it. The principal has advised the girls that they would need to find a new school if the prayers continued.
They have since petitioned for a designated place or prayer room. The director at Stanislascollege says that their institution is an "open Catholic school". While all religions are allowed at the school, he refuses to provide a designated place because there is currently no demand nor available classrooms.
The College for Human Rights and the National Action Committee for Pupils (LAKS) have voiced their concerns, as they claim that a school cannot stop students from praying in their free time in the school building, as said in the NOS report.
Around 40 percent of Poles do not think that humans evolved from animals
Over the last two decades, the percentage of those in Poland who do not believe that humans evolved from animals has now increased to 40 percent.
The data comes from Eurobarometer an EU-based organisation that conducts surveys and asks Europeans for knowledge on various scientific issues. The Notes From Poland report also revealed from Eurobarometer that Poland is considered one of the "least scientifically knowledgeable" nations. At least 36 percent of Poles did not answer at least four of the ten questions correctly in Eurobarometer's scientific knowledge questionnaire. Greece, Bulgaria, and Latvia did worse than Poland. Sweden, Belgium, and Denmark came out at the top. The EU average is around 26 percent.
In addition to the belief that humans did not evolve from animals, many Poles also hold that humans co-existed with dinosaurs. When it comes to climate change, at least 52 percent think that climate change can be pinned down to "natural cycles" rather than human intervention. The EU average for this question is around 35 percent, Notes From Poland also says.
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