Determining how to make AEGEE a more active organisation thus contributing to combating physical inactivity in Europe is on the agenda of the Sports Working Group (SWG). Part of the key to the answer is to organise events, loads of events to reach as many members as possible.
Let’s move it – Lets Shake it up Europe – Sport as tool for Summer University (SU)
If your antenna wants to make this summer more active and healthier, the SWG is here to help you incorporate physical activity and sport in non-formal education in your SU. SWG is a brand new Working Group of 2012, full of eager and motivation, ready to come closer to the Network and combat issues such as racism and homophobia in sports which can all be used in the organisation of a SU. Many SUs have already had the theme of sports last year including Brescia, Madrid, Oviedo, Athens and many more; the SWG hopes to make SUs even more sportive this summer, at the same time incorporating the action agenda of AEGEE in this . At the moment the SWG is in talks with the Scandinavian Dream Summer University, organisers AEGEE-Helsinki and AEGEE-København, as well as AEGEE-Tiranë trying to make their SU more active and hopefully more antennae will use the SWG in their SU.
Using the famous games to organise a motivational event
A few weeks ago the SWG issued its first Open Call asking for a local to host an event inspired by the Olympic Games. The SWG recognises a lack of a motivational event that gathers members from all over the Network, with the aim of cultural exchange, team-building and social activities and it has the belief that sports can create the surrounding for such event. The SWG aims to organise an inspiring as well as motivational event of a duration of four to seven days that could open up for a stronger co-operation between antennae and potentially an opportunity to cooperate with other interesting organisations such as ESN, AIESEC, BEST and more, which could have members interested in taking part in such events as well. The SWG values Youth Participation highly and it has been agreed that having such event where members can network not only within AEGEE but also with other associations will help better AEGEE. Since there is still one more week until the deadline of applying to be host of such event, the SWG will keep all opportunities open and is eager to receive mails tick into their gmail account.
Whether it comes to having SUs focus on inclusion of minorities, or being active in youth participation organising interesting events such as AEGEE Olympics, the SWG keeps developing ideas on how to contribute to combating physical inactivity and on non-formal education through sports with the Action Agenda in mind. Hopefully a strong collaboration between local level and European level will reaffirm the SWG and the Network that the SWG has a great potential working together with antennae from all over Europe.
Written by Sabina Begic AEGEE-Wien, and Patricia Anthony AEGEE-København