After last year’s success with the Charlemagne youth prize 2013, when AEGEE-Europe won the final selection with the project Europe on Track, this year again there is an AEGEE-project running for it at the European final in Aachen: AEGEE-Valletta won the national competition with the EBM 2013 “Preserving the present, saving our future”. We have interviewed Martha Misdus, Vice-president of AEGEE-Valletta, and Chucky Bartolo who had the idea to submit the project.
The AEGEEan: What was the reaction of the members when the announcement about winning the national selection was made?
Martha: To be honest I was the new bearer and having the privilege of spreading the news within our locals was as exciting as it was honourable. For obvious reasons, the reaction was a positive one and gladly received by the whole team. Seeing that constant work is translated into continuous achievements builds an ever stronger team encouraging more team work and investment in human resources.
Why did you decided to submit the EBM to the Charlemagne youth prize 2014 ?
Chucky: The organising team that worked on the EBM spent a lot of their time and energy to make the event as great as it could be. Knowing that we had worked so hard to make an event like this meant that we were able to recognise that the EBM was worth submitting. Inspired by the success of “Europe on Track” as another AEGEE-project that did so well last year, we submitted the project for the Charlemagne Youth Prize.
The other projects were submitted by strong organizations such as JEF Malta and NSTF. Did you expect AEGEE project to win the national selection?
Martha: Although very proud of the work that went into the EBM, we also knew that we were up against some tough competition. Winning the national selection is a very big honour and not something that we have taken for granted!
Do you think the project will make it into the three final European winners?
Chucky: Obviously possessing a crystal ball either to know from beforehand the future or else to alter it and to accommodate it to one’s own wishes is more than desirable, alas, impossible. We however feel that it should rank among the top. Not only did we put all our efforts to make this project possible but we actually managed to realise them to produce a successful result both for the history of AEGEE-Valletta as well as a contribution to our national pride. The fact that we have already made it so far is the best expression of appreciation anyone could ever grant us.
As mentioned before, while being proud of the event and very happy with the result at a national level, there will be some stiff competition for the first three places. That being said, we as AEGEE-Valletta have done our very best and hope that this is reflected in the final outcome of the European winners! Additionally, what is most important to us, is that we made both AEGEE-Valletta and AEGEE as a whole visible on a Union level, demonstrating that our organization cares for and actively promotes the European ideals amongst students and youths alike.
The AEGEEan: What are the plans of the antenna now? How about the Summer University?
Martha: Our antenna is always busy. In fact, I can proudly assure you that we defeat the general cliché that Southern Mediterraneans are a lazy lot! Currently we are geared in organizing a TSU with AEGEE-Agrigento, hoping it would rank among the top, where participants could treat themselves to the Mediterranean Sea. We are also in the middle of a EuroArab Project, a Youth in Action programme fully organized by our antenna having delegates from the Arab part of the continent such as Tunisia, Turkey, Palestine, Egypt, Morocco, and also from Spain, Croatia, Greece and Italy. This is being organized with the EuroArab project of AEGEE, hence not exclusively by us, but we are obviously responsible for all the logistics. Not to mention also the various local events we organize for our members at the university of Malta, as well as maintaining the reputation of being the official Erasmus Organisation for those lucky ones who study in our beautiful island.
Written by Cosmina Bisboaca, AEGEE-Torino