Just a couple of days ago we had found out that, besides Matthijs Overhaal (AEGEE-Tartu), there will be another contender running for Secretary General of AEGEE-Europe. The AEGEEan has talked to Antonija Parat (AEGEE-Zadar), current speaker of the Network Commission and proofreader of The AEGEEan magazine about herself, her plans and ideas on different aspects concerning the association.
The AEGEEan: Antonija, your candidature got us all by surprise. How did you come up with the decision of applying as Secretary General?
Antonija: I have been considering the possibility of applying for Comité Directeur (CD) throughout my term in NetCom, but I was also busy with finishing my studies, since the fall semester was my last semester of classes so I had to wrap everything up and start working on my thesis, which I will have to finish this semester. So I haven’t really had time to sit down properly and think about my future in AEGEE. But when I finally did catch some time, I realized that I still have a lot to give to this organization, so I talked to Luis Alvarado Martinez and Beata Matuszka during the Y Vote Bus Tour UK, and they gave me that final push and convinced me to go for it. I started working on my candidature, and finally submitted it a couple of days ago.
The AEGEEan: Why do you feel that the position of Secretary General fits you best?
Antonija: I think it’s a really interesting and often misunderstood position. When people hear ‘Secretary’, they often think it means being stuck in the office with administration, but I don’t really see it that way. True, there is a lot of administration to deal with, but it’s also the position that allows you to communicate with your teammates, help them coordinate their tasks, work on thematics, help with internal functioning of the association as well as the external representation. It’s a position that requires a great deal of flexibility, and I think a person working as Secretary General should be someone that has a diverse experience in AEGEE, which I think I have. I worked on many different tasks in my local, and my experience as a Netcommie allowed me to get an in-depth understanding of the European level as well. So this position fits my set of skills, but also my personality, since I am a flexible worker, a team player, and a fast learner.
The AEGEEan: So, do you have any experience in administration tasks?
Antonija: Yes, I was the president of my local, and then later I took on the role of vice-president and secretary. Both positions required dealing with administration. And of course, as NetCom Speaker I work on administration on a regular basis.
The AEGEEan: And how has your term as Speaker of the Network Commission helped?
Antonija: It has been incredibly helpful. Being the Speaker of NetCom means that I, along with the rest of the Speaker Team, have to work on managing the team, decide about issues such as reimbursement requests, keep a database of all the relevant information, stay on top of deadlines, reply to emails NetCom receives, manage the mailing lists, and basically keep things in NetCom together. It has been an intense and challenging experience, something I enjoyed a lot and learned a lot from. It definitely played a role in my decision to go for Secretary General.
The AEGEEan: Which is the biggest lesson you have learnt in AEGEE?
Antonija: It’s hard to choose, since being in AEGEE taught me so much, but I probably learned the most about communication. In AEGEE I got to work with people from diverse backgrounds and personalities, and little by little, I learned how to get my point across in the best possible way. Communication is trickier than it seems. Since AEGEE gathers people with different backgrounds and opinions, misunderstandings can easily happen, and it’s important to communicate efficiently: to present information in a clear way, to acknowledge everyone’s opinion, to mediate when necessary, to give constructive criticism when necessary, to separate AEGEE work from friendships, and to constantly be there for your teammates and motivate them.
The AEGEEan: And how did you actually discover AEGEE? You mention in your candidature that it caught you totally “by surprise”.
Antonija: Yes, it was completely random. It was my first year of college, St. Patrick’s Day. My friend told me about this amazing student organization she discovered since they had a presentation at the university the previous day. She told me they were having another presentation, so we decided to go, since we were going to the cafeteria for lunch anyway. I saw the presentation, and I was immediately impressed. That night we had a St. Patrick’s party for students, and there I saw the AEGEEans that were giving the presentation that day. I thought they were the coolest people ever, and I just had to approach them and talk to them. When they told me a bit more about their experience in AEGEE, I was totally convinced, and a few days later I became a member.
The AEGEEan: How would you describe, in a sentence, which is the current status of the organisation?
Antonija: I would say AEGEE is going through a crucial process of transformation, and we have to make sure this transformation is handled in the best possible way.
The AEGEEan: Choose one thing you would like to keep, and one thing you would like to change.
Antonija: I think the current CD, along with the Identity Team, did a very good job in creating a clear identity and visual identity we can use. Having a defined and unified image of what we are and standardized visuals to go with it will definitely help us internally and externally. What I would like to change is this infamous gap between the local and European level. I think we should stop thinking about AEGEE in terms of levels and start realizing that we are all one organization and that we are working for the same goals. I think a lot of it comes down to the way information is handled and presented both to locals and European-level bodies. We can definitely work on improving this.
The AEGEEan: How do you see the process of establishing a secretariat in AEGEE-Europe, and which are your ideas for it?
Antonija: Basically, the idea of Secretariat is to have one or more employed people working for AEGEE to reduce the administration and bureaucracy the CD is currently dealing with, as well as to improve continuity and professionalism in AEGEE. In NetCom we are also dealing with similar problems, so I definitely see a need for this. I think first it would be important to define tasks the Secretariat would take on, and then to find qualified professionals who could work on those tasks. Although they wouldn’t need to be familiar with AEGEE in depth, I think it would also be important to familiarize them with AEGEE to some degree. The financial aspect of having a Secretariat should also be handled before any decisions are made. Of course, the Network also has to have a say in it, so I am looking forward to the Progress Meeting about it that should take place in Patra.
The AEGEEan: You would like to increase the potential of Statutory events. How would you ideally see the Agorae working “at its fullest”?
Antonija: Well I have been to a lot of Agorae, and I generally see that our statutory events are improving a lot: since my first Agora, we have introduced online voting, checking attendance through barcode scanning, better preparation of delegates, better communication between the Chair Team and participants etc. But there are still plenty of improvements to be made. We need a clear strategy on how to use visitors at the Agora, we need to reduce unnecessary procedures, and make sure we are doing more than just fulfilling our obligations there. Agora is a unique opportunity to have up to 1000 AEGEE members (or even more) in the same place, and we should make sure we are using that opportunity to include the participants in more than just voting and clapping when they need to clap. Like I said, we are moving in the right direction, but there is still a lot to be done. There were already some great ideas during the European level meeting in Zaragoza, so I definitely see the potential of improving the Agorae. We just need to find the best way to implement these ideas we develop.
The AEGEEan: You also mention in your candidature that you would like to assist the locals from your Focus Area to establish a new project. What can you tell us about it?
Antonija: It’s something that my locals started discussing during the Agora in Zaragoza (credit for the idea goes to Ana Potočnik), and it’s not really defined yet, so I don’t want to say too much. But basically it would be focusing on the future of our region, which is not addressed often enough in our countries and Europe in general. Our region is often tied to the past, and our generation needs to move on from it and build something new. Everyone seems to love the idea, but there are sensitive issues that could get in our way, so we really need to make sure the concept of the project is well-thought out. We are being careful about it, but if it happens, it would be a great accomplishment for my locals, who I’m already incredibly proud of.
The AEGEEan: If elected, which do you think would be your biggest struggle when moving to Brussels? And what about the thing you would enjoy the most?
Antonija: Strangely, I don’t see so many things I would struggle with. I moved around already, so I wouldn’t have a problem with getting used to a new city. Getting used to the workload of a CD member would be challenging, but I already have a huge workload now, both in AEGEE and my studies. So there is nothing that I see myself struggling with more than any other person. It sounds kind of ridiculous, but I think I would struggle with rain more than anything else. I’m a summer person so I imagine the rain gets annoying after a while. Something I thought I would struggle with, but I actually realized I would enjoy is living with so many other people. I have been living alone for a couple of years and although I’ve enjoyed it, now I feel it’s time for a change. Another thing I would enjoy is the opportunity to work for AEGEE full-time, since it already plays an important role in my life.
The AEGEEan: Tell us three words that would describe yourself.
Antonija: Upbeat, analytical and flexible.
The AEGEEan: And, finally – why should AEGEE members vote for you?
Antonija: I think I have the experience required for this position, and a necessary set of skills that could help me in my work. I think I would also bring a lot of positive energy to the CD team, since I generally get along with people easily, I can handle and give constructive criticism, I am objective and professional in my work, but I can also relax when the work is done and be there for my teammates when they need me. And finally, sorry to go off-topic, but I promised Ana Potočnik I would give a shout-out to our mutual friend who is celebrating her birthday at the Agora, so here it is!
Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona