The Corpus Iuridicum Aegeense, also know as CIA, is a document with more than hundred pages containing all the rules that govern AEGEE-Europe. Every Agora, the document is changed by proposals that are voted on and approved by the Agora. In charge of the CIA, and changes made to it, is the Juridical Commission, formed by the President, Joris Veenhuis (AEGEE-Maastricht), Gloria Llopart (AEGEE-Heidelberg) and Claudio Gennaro (AEGEE-Cagliari). We spoke with Claudio to understand what changed and why it’s important to know about the CIA.
The AEGEEan: What are the changes that were approved during Agora Cagliari?
Claudio: The Agora in Cagliari has been a very productive one from the point of view of the development of the CIA. We had a total of eight proposals and seven of them were accepted by the Agora. They changed many aspects of our CIA. We had proposals that made a big change and had a big impact like the Network Meeting reform, and smaller ones, like the nationalities of the Juridical commission, which influenced the continuity of an important body of our Network a lot. Some of them fixed some common practices on paper, like the proposal about the establishment of the Policy Officers or about the rights of the delegates and envoys. At the same time, some others introduced introduced big innovations, like the policy on banning people, which confirms how firmly our members want to contribute not only to the development of AEGEE, but also how much they want to protect it and its members. We also wish that those members whose proposals weren’t accepted will not stop thinking about how they can contribute in the future. Be pioneers of big changes!
After every Agora we have a new CIA, but what is the process behind the update? What happens between the end of the Agora and the moment you publish the newest version of the CIA?
Many emails, skype meeting and shared docs. We always try to improve the current text, not only including the last modifications, but also fixing past spelling mistakes, French translation (this time thanks to the great help of Léa Charlet, AEGEE-Paris) and, like in this case, the layout of the text in order to make it more user friendly.
CIA is still an obscure tool (even if essential) for a lot of members. Why should people read it?
Personally, i’m in love with this document. It is like entering a time capsule and make a run through the history of AEGEE and its members. On a practical side I must say that is essential for all our members to know more about the structure of AEGEE and its functioning. For this reason, we are always happy and enthusiastic to explain (in a not legalese language) and help with the interpretation of any article for whoever contacts us, whether it’s a member of the Comité Directeur or a fresh member.
You are slowly improving the CIA. Why?
We all are slowly improving it. AEGEE is in a constant evolution and so must be the CIA. Sometimes we still face some doubtful situations or lack of regulatation for certain areas. The policy on banning people is a clear example of it. People (unfortunately) have been banned since the foundation, but only since a few months ago we have rules for this practice.
What’s next for the JC? Are you planning some proposals already?
We are discussing about some ideas, but it is still too early for details. For sure, expect some proposals from our side though!
You can read the new CIA here.
Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Venezia