As many time in our lives, those unexpected decisions, seconds fast as blink of an eye, can change our life. There it was Balázs, night in a London and sudden application for Summer University, where everything started. Now Balázs is an active and well known member of AEGEE. On his way to improve himself more, and contribute to AEGEE more he decided to candidate for Comité Directeur (CD), position Human Resources Director. Balázs says that:”AEGEE provides significantly larger space for flexibility in terms of in-depth self-development and I am very passionate about doing what I love doing; spreading the word about this and contributing to further professionalising our work.”
The AEGEEan: Can you introduce yourself, your work and participation in AEGEE? How everything started?
Balázs: I am Balázs from Hungary. After completing my studies with a scholarship in media and communications, I spent one semester in Denmark specialising in photography and journalism. Upon returning to home, I have been involved with international and regional non-governmental youth organisations. As of now, I am majoring in English and American Studies at the University of Debrecen while being the current president of AEGEE-Debrecen. It started in 2011. I had a free night in London right before attending my last event as a member of another international youth organisation. That midnight was the application deadline for summer universities. I managed and got accepted and been to a terrific Transylvanian adventure. There, I already decided which event to apply for next. Quickly I became an active AEGEE member.
After having been organiser of numerous events, I became our antenna’s public relations & marketing responsible and then president. Recognising AEGEE-Debrecen’s achievements, we received the title AEGEE “Local of the Month” in late 2013 affirming that a small, dedicated group of enthusiasts can also deliver remarkable results.
In the meantime, voluntarily as well as via national umbrella organisations I also participated in training courses outside of AEGEE.
Shortly after being elected as a Network Commissioner at Spring Agora 2014, I decided to resign from this position. The reason was that key figures of our antenna unexpectedly faced they could not commit any more to AEGEE as much as they would have been supposed to due to personal reasons. By facing the fragile nature of our fluctuating continuity in AEGEE, this period has added up a lot to me.
Why AEGEE?
I believe that AEGEE is what you make of it. It has allowed me to grow in multiple ways therefore I am ready to commit myself to it for another year by offering what I am good at and also to face another challenging period to stretch my own limits. Why? Unlike any other NGOs I have encountered with so far, AEGEE provides significantly larger space for flexibility in terms of in-depth self-development and I am very passionate about doing what I love doing; spreading the word about this and contributing to further professionalising our work.
How did you come to the decision that you want to candidate for Comité Directeur (CD)?
It has been on my mind for a while now. Based on my background, I think it is a logical step. Partly because I am very driven by AEGEE, someone who could and is very willing to contribute and also as I consider being a CD member a huge challenge. I just needed to make sure that I find the proper time to make sure it will be ideal to pause from my life back at home.
Why would you like to become a member of the CD?
I see working as a member of the CD as a mixture of a great deal of challenge while also an excellent possibility to contribute.
Which role would you like to take, which one suits you best, according to your characteristics?
In case of getting elected, my tasks will preferably be related to public relations and communications, human resources (internal education) and network development. Although based on my studies, strengths and overall experience, these would be my priorities I would be open to make the decision together with the team as well as assisting each other’s work if necessary and possible.
What can you offer us, what can we expect?
Once elected, I will prefer focusing on contributing to AEGEE’s internal development. Starting out will include getting to know thoroughly the current state of the areas I will be responsible for – with the help of my predecessors. Creating a common vision with the rest of the team and with the opinions gathered from the Network is what will follow. Then, in line with our multiannual Strategic Plan and after gathering the needed support for my ideas, I intend to further work on developing and promoting the idea of an internal cross-generational mentorship system, carrying on with the work of establishing an internal validation tool of Non-Formal Learning of members as well as with the establishment process of an online training system.
Naturally, all this will be up to a common agreement with the rest of the team as well as co-operating with relevant European bodies such as the Human Resources Committee.
What is making you different from others?
I am a dedicated, hard-working, persistent idealist with a touch of rationalistic orderliness. Furthermore, I am self-aware and emotionally alert – an articulate, resourceful team player who is also not afraid of running extra miles. I do not think all of these are unique qualities in AEGEE, yet they are among my most important defining characteristics.
If you win, what do you expect from CD?
If I’m elected I expect we will form a healthy team. I believe it is essential to get to know each other as well as making sure that – after a proper knowledge transfer – by creating a common vision and by compiling our activity plan we set up clear objectives and a detailed action plan. Besides, staying in constant close touch with the Network shall be the basis of our actions. I believe that a driven, open and dedicated, grounded team can only deliver if they keep making sure everyone’s equally appreciated and involved.
What does your antenna think about your candidature?
Active local members have been very supportive and enthusiastic. Special thanking goes to Noémi Lőwy, Réka Salamon and Dániel Halász for their support.
Can you share with us some anecdote which shows how AEGEE became part of your life?
The most eye-opening and transformational happenings inspiring me to stay active were interestingly often connected to unexpected obstacles and crisis – sometimes also failure in the team.
Having been able to work on ambitious ventures with an ever-changing, diverse team with different temperaments and approaches proved to be a journey that I am very grateful for. Spending quality time together planning our daring next steps with others have always kept on feeding our inner drive to go for more, but it was our hardships that have been developing us significantly.
These obstacles taught me three major lessons. Non-Violent Approach: A spirit of equal tolerance, openness, inclusiveness, curiosity and affordable patience connected with extensive mutual awareness planning and support among team mates are what collective success in AEGEE stems from in the first place. The more one learns to maintain a constructive yet clear-cut, non-violent communicational sensitivity keeping unnecessary negativity away, the more capable that person will become of taking full responsibility for their contributions and the energy being brought to the table if all these meet with a pragmatic focus.
If You Fail To Plan, You Plan To Fail: Making sure of building up a strongly-connected team coming to an equally-shared consensus on what they intend to achieve in a given time frame is worthless unless there is a detailed, realistic yet innovative, plan created in the very beginning of their co-operation. Setting clear goals and measurable objectives shall be included to provide an ideal kick-start.
Strong Egos: Few things are more dangerous than overvaluing yourself, underestimating, disrespecting and disregarding the defining potentials others add up to productive team work. Understanding that in the volunteering context, mutual respect and cherishing team spirit is of fundamental importance makes or breaks everything. In AEGEE each seemingly individual success is ultimately earned by a team, but failure is also on the shoulders of many. Collectivism is to be preferred.
Barely Recognisable: AEGEE has been leading me through a series of extraordinary experiences that make my life (and me as a person) barely recognisable in several ways compared to what it used to be before joining. I feel ready and devoted to further keep on working for our AEGEE by taking up a challenge of becoming a member of the next Comité Directeur, since I see an endless potential for every member in becoming a multiplier of all that we have to offer. See you in Gijón!
Written by Sabiha Kapetanovic, AEGEE-Izmir