Ladies and gentlemen, the ACTive Local of the Month of May is AEGEE-Zagreb. Are you ready to meet the local that is full of young, motivated and hard working people? Let’s look at their story, at how they managed to organise a Network Meeting (NWM) and turn it into a success. We spoke to Marina Klanjčić,Vice-President & HR responsible of AEGEE-Zagreb.
Congratulations! As we would like to get to know this month’s winner, could you tell us a bit more about your local?
Marina: AEGEE-Zagreb isn’t a very large antenna. Even though we are just 60 members, our enthusiasm is as big as any other large antenna’s. We are 22 years old and still growing at a fast rate. This year’s board was completely made up of new members, who have done an amazing job throughout the year. We surely hope this will continue in the future!
You have organised a NWM, as well as two workshops that have contributed to the Action Agenda. Can you tell us more about your events?
The Network Meeting was an international event, organised specifically for AEGEE members from our region. It was especially nice to see participants from countries far away from ours and we would like to thank them for joining us in Zagreb. During these four days our participants could learn more about AEGEE and how to be more active on local and European level. They got to know Action Agenda Coordination Committee (ACT) and Quality Assurance Committee (EQAC) as well. Our antenna was taking care of logistics of this event which means: arranging a hostel, a conference room, a place for European night, some incoming activities, social program, coffee breaks and everything else that our participants needed. We had 8 organisers and a couple of helpers, all of which made a great team.
We have also organised 2 local workshops. The first one was about time management and it was open for everybody outside AEGEE. The second one was about event management within AEGEE, organised specifically for our members. Participants could learn more about how to organise an event and also some information about ACT and EQAC. Through this, we contributed to the Action Agenda fulfilling one of the Focus Areas (Civic Education).
Why did you decide to organise a NWM? And the workshops?
As I said before, this year’s board wasn’t very experienced (except our beloved president Zvonimir), but the Network Meeting was an excellent start. It was a great opportunity to learn something new, make connections with other locals for future events, while also strengthening our local by engaging our new members in this event. After this, we realised that we have a lot of enthusiastic new members with potential for growth. The aforementioned workshops were a result and proof of this.
What was the result?
During our NWM, we had 22 participants, all thrilled to be part of our amazing event. We are very proud and grateful for every “thank you”, and every smile we had from them. For us, this means that every sleepless night, every stressful situation and concern, have all paid off.
The workshop about Time management had around 20 participants, all equally satisfied with the material provided. Event management workshop had around 5 participants, mostly our new members, and every one of them stated that this helped them realise what AEGEE really is.
Why do you think the Action Agenda is important for the Network, and what would you say to another local that is thinking about organising something related to the Action Agenda?
The Action Agenda is the basis of our AEGEE work and most of the events organised can be related to it. If you are ever thinking about organising something, don’t be scared and just go for it. Don’t worry if you don’t have enough experience – you have to start somewhere. Brick by brick and you will have a lovely house, right? After all, what we love the most about AEGEE is that you can ALWAYS ask for help from friends or other locals, European bodies, CD or anyone. We are all here to help each other. You will not know how strong you are until you put yourself to the test.
Do you have any other big plans for the upcoming months?
Since the summer has started, it is difficult to plan for events, but yes, we have big plans for the future, but that is all I will say for now. Stay tuned for more information!
AEGEE-Zagreb has certainly shown to the Network that it can be an example to other locals. What would you say to other locals that want to be as awesome as you?
Here is the list with some tips:
– Take care of your members, past, present and future.
– Make connections to other locals.
– Organise events, from smaller to bigger, from local to European.
– Ask for help from European bodies.
– Spread AEGEE spirit all the way and you will see how much you will get in return, and how happy and fulfilled you will be afterwards.
– And of course, JUST DO IT !
Which sentence would describe your local and your event?
A lot of hearts, but one soul.
Written by Tuğçe Çarpaz, AEGEE-Eskisehir