At the upcoming European Planning Meeting (EPM) in Zagreb, you will hear more from one of our committees, namely the one that is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Action Agenda and will be supporting the drafting of the new Action Agenda. Who are we talking about? The Action Agenda Coordination Committee, also known as ACT!
Live Meeting in Brussels
The Action Agenda Coordination Committee (ACT) was officially established as a supporting committee of AEGEE-Europe at Spring Agora Enschede 2012. Our most important task is to have an overview of the implementation of the Action Agenda, which is one of the most important documents created within AEGEE and consists of objectives (goals) that we set for each of our Focus Areas. These objectives have to be implemented by the whole Network, so both locals and European bodies. Do not worry though, because our committee is there to give support!
This year we have 10 team members, who all cooperate with a member of the Network Commission.
Speaker Team:
NWM Barcelona
Svenja van der Tol (Loes Rutten’s couple)
Miljana Vulevic (Mareike Ritter’s couple)
Constantine Bakiris (Aleksandra Mojsova’s couple)
Team members:
Theodora Giakoumelou (PR-responsible and Pablo Palazon’s couple)
Elena Efremova (ACTive Local of the Month responsible and Stanislav Mahula’s couple)
Borja Torres Fuentes (Alejandra Piot’s couple)
Cristina de la Parte Rodriguez (Alin Georgescu’s couple)
Erifyli Evangelou (Spyridon Papadatos’s couple)
Juragis Garcia Perez (Kristina Reshetova’s couple)
Marco Daniele (Gabriele Scollo’s couple)
We are true believers in the importance of having a goal and going fiercely towards it, which is one of the reasons we are gathered in this committee. Throughout our term, new ideas just keep popping up and we can have endless meetings on Skype to discuss them. Although we have a lot of work to do, it is always fun working in this team. Laughs, teasing and internal jokes make everything feel easy peasy. No matter the tasks we are dealing with, the good chemistry, spirits and friendship between us turns our tasks into a hobby.
NWM Beograde
This year we have many ideas to implement. First of all, we have a goal to increase the awareness about the Action Agenda (AA) and Strategic Plan (SP) all over the network. That is why we try to promote the new idea of Action Agenda ambassadors, who are people within a local that are responsible for the implementation and promotion of the Action Agenda and Strategic Plan. Besides that, we plan to have regular meetings with our locals on Action Agenda related topics. Moreover, during the Autumn Network Meetings, we delivered seven workshops on the Action Agenda and Strategic Plan and we plan to continue giving sessions at the upcoming Spring Network Meetings!
Secondly, we try to establish close cooperation with other European Bodies of AEGEE-Europe. This year, we give locals the opportunity to cooperate in the organisation of a Summer University (SU). Moreover, in cooperation with the Language Interest Group we translated the AA and SP into different languages. Together with the Working Groups, we are also writing articles about activities that were connected to the AA. And last but not least, cooperating with the awesome people of the Network Commission enables us to receive all the information we need and give our very best to the locals.
Renove VI
Lastly, we have an idea to set up Standard and Reward Systems. We want to make a set of parameters that clarify which activities exactly fulfil the Action Agenda. That way, locals will know our criteria and be able to address them when planning their activities and we will have a set of standards that will ensure a fair and unified assessment of all activities in the Network. As for the Reward System, we want to give out some prizes to the most deserving locals that gave their contribution to achieve the goals we have all set for ourselves in Leiden.
It is easy to dream what you want to be and achieve, but if you do not have something or someone to measure your progress, remind you of your promise to yourself – your goal – and help you go forward, you will fail. That is what ACT does for AEGEE. If we drafted an Action Agenda during the EPM and the ownership over it was left to the already overburdened CD and dispersed among other bodies, we would be in trouble because – structure works best. Having one committee to take care of the measurement and implementation is the way to go and improve, year after year.
LTC Grodno
ACT is vital for the existence of our organization since it specifically deals with the Action Agenda and the Strategic Plan, which constitute the formula and the aim and goals of our activities. An organization that respects itself and takes seriously the steps it follows, the aim and the vision it applies to its members, has to have a Committee dealing with the stuff ACT does.
This year, we set a difficult but serious goal; to make every single member of AEGEE understand the meaning of the Action Agenda and the Strategic Plan by actively participating in their draft and implementing them during their activities. If we want AEGEE to have a bright future, we need everyone to realise the true vision and importance of the organization’s ethics, found in the AA/SP and implement them in their local’s reality.
More information about Action Agenda and Strategic Plan is here and you can get more information on what ACT does from our new video!