AEGEE-Kyïv organised the last Agora, their second one after Autumn Agora 2009,  which was a great success, according to the participants who nominated them as Local of the Month for the very first Agora Edition.  Anna “Smailikova” Pykhtina (the Main Coordinator),  Anastasiia “Nastia” Dzhulai (the Treasurer) and Yevgeniya “Zhenya” Gagarkina (the PR Responsible) are sharing with us their most beloved moments from the Agora. 

  The AEGEEan: Congratulations! How do you feel about becoming the Local of the Month? 

Anna: Excited and grateful! We believe that an event is organised on a high level when you receive recognition. Being the Local of the Month proves our efforts one more time.

2. Can you tell us briefly the history of AEGEE-Kyïv?

It was founded 20 years ago, at the time when visa was a really simple thing to get in Ukraine. Here are some memories of the first President of our local, Dmytro Vityk: “In the mid 90’s, Ukrainian students visiting Europe were very rare. The world was just opening up for us. Despite being so close, nobody in Europe even knew anything about Ukraine. We used a Soviet passport – red ones, with the national emblem of USSR. Our scholarships were scarce: for example, I remember how I spent a month of it on a glass of beer in Germany. We were coming to AEGEE meetings hitchhiking, becoming lost in Europe immediately after crossing the border (of course no GPS, and no cell phones were available). We were opening up the world, and the world was opening up to Ukraine. Everything was new, undiscovered. I learned about AEGEE from the local in Lviv – they were ahead and close to the border. I joined the organisation because it gave opportunities to travel, new impressions, contacts and knowledge. I become President because – if not me, then who? I initiated everything in Kyïv at that time”.  The second President, Hanna Glos shares her memories too: “One year we organised the first Travelling Summer University. There were three antennae: Kyïv, Lviv and Mykolaiv. We began in Lviv. There have been 7-8 participants. Because of stereotypes, it was hard to invite people to Ukraine, only the bravest visited us. We visited Crimea also. The next event was a case-study – an important event, we were in Chernobyl where we discussed important topics, and slowly things become better. We had an office in Kyïv-Mohyla Academy and one day we invited all volunteering organisations which we could find and gathered them. We wanted to establish contact with those who were not indifferent to the active life and youth.”

And after that, AEGEE-Kyïv started to grow and having it’s ups and downs, organised more than 200 events, two Agorae, more than ten Summer Universities and we are still counting. 

Which or who were the main assets for the success of the event? 

The team and luck.

We had organisers coming from 22 cities, more than 10 countries and it was an extraordinary Agora. And also we were lucky with the weather, as usually it is much colder on 14th of October, with the start of the heating season, with having hot water, everything that did not depend on us worked out well.

Why did you decide to organise the Agora? Did everything go as expected?

AEGEE-Kyïv is a unique local with extremely active members. Having the experience of organising Agora in 2009, and the friendly relationship between the generations of active AEGEEans made applying just a question of time. It was discussed at many parties, meetings and there were many jokes about it, until Anna applied and didn’t say anything to the members until the result was announced at Autumn Agora Cagliari 2014.

 Tell us about your best memory from the Agora.

Anna: All the Agora is one huge memory, that was one of the best in my life. So much preparation and only four days of real event – realising it was a happy and a sad feeling at the same time. My best memory is connected with the people – I loved our evening meetings with organisers, taking place at 21.30 in our secret room. Everyone was tired, exhausted, wearing grey hoodies and trying not to fall asleep. But after those meetings, discussing the ups and downs of the day, talking about how to fix some issues and planning the next one, I was so inspired and felt so much love, because of the team that all the tiredness was gone. I knew that whatever happened with these superheroes, we were going to be fine.

Nastia: I think I had three main points which became the best moments of the process of Agora Kyïv. 1- Agora Cagliari – when our small team was on the stage smiling and shouting – “We’re hosting the Agora!”. That was an incredible moment when fear and happiness were mixed in one feeling. 2 – Survival Camp- event for organisers outside the city. It was awesome! We were staying together and enjoying the light, warm summer atmosphere with the closest people for two days. That moment I really understood that the Agora will succeed. 3 – Awkward party during the Agora. I saw happy faces from the stage, the participants were super excited and amazed by that party and I was really glad to see them like that – young and awkward, beautiful and crazy. 

Zhenya: First of all – more than 850 applications! It is really an important achievement. Then the challenges to get more likes for our Facebook page, we got really crazy in our commitment, in a fun way of course, then the moment when we finally got all the printed materials. Also I really liked the short and bright opening ceremony. The moment when it started with the video from Asturias was very touching for me as it reminded me about all the work done by #brilliantPRteam [she laughs, ed.] and opening fancy party was my favourite as well. Last but not least is the closing ceremony with me elected as SUCT member, Anna’s speech and the awesome official aftermovie. To sum it up – I liked literally everything. 

What would you recommend to other antennas which are interested in organising an Agora?

Dare to do it! In case you have a group of 7-10 motivated members ready to stand till the end, you are able to organize even the Olimpic games. We did not have sponsors and support from the university when we applied, neither did we know about the future situation in Ukraine, but we were believed in and the idea of more than 500 Europeans coming to Kyïv was so inspiring that we did everything we could and even more.

Which are AEGEE- Kyïv future plans, local or European?

We are organising a Winter Event with AEGEE-Moskva once again. It was a very successful event last year, both for participants and organisers, breaking a lot of stereotypes and strengthening relations between our locals. And in this time we believe that it’s really important to do it again and continue the tradition of celebrating New Year 13 times (12 according to Russian time, 1 Ukrainian time) and traditional Orthodox Christmas in Kyïv.

We are also excited about our plans with our beloved twin local, AEGEE-Dresden, as we are inviting them to Kyïv and planning to see each other in Europe. A Summer University is also in our plans and who knows how else we are going to surprise you?

How would you describe your antenna in one sentence?

#Don’tmesswithKyïv

Written by Gabriela Cioata, AEGEE-București

The nomination for them to be Local of the Month (LoM) comes from Mareike (SubCommie), Julia Fuss (Network Commission Assistant) and Andrea Schmeltz (Network Commissioner) who speak very fondly of the event: “At the end of May an amazing event took place, particularly because the organisers did an extraordinary job. 15 super active members organised this four day event for 50 participants and nothing was missing! Beyond the “usual” tasks of organisers, their members still delivered sessions of the Network Meeting (NWM), which again demonstrated excellent commitment, reaching beyond all expectations. Furthermore the wonderful organisation, the delicious food, a panel discussion after the meeting with the Mayor of Osnabrück, awesome parties every night and always cheerful organisers made 50 participants very happy![…] Engaging very actively in thematic work and shaping Europe further belongs to their strengths. Located in the “city of peace”, AEGEE-Osnabrück lives up to its city’s reputation, and works hard to contribute to this vision, even if this means that one has to rethink their position.”

The AEGEEan: Congratulations! You got a really great recommendation. How do you feel about becoming the Local of the Month?

AEGEE Osnabrück: We were very surprised and happy about the recommendation. Everyone in the last and the current board, and all of our members have been working really hard so this is a great reason to party.

Can you tell us a little bit about AEGEE-Osnabrück?

AEGEE-Osnabrück is a very active and growing local with a crazy amount of ideas. We are closely linked to the universities in our city and have weekly sessions and social drinks, organise many events for Erasmus and local students and have organised several Summer Universities in the last few years, as well as the NWM of course. There are always several members traveling to the Agora or other European events, so you probably already saw us somewhere. There is so much potential, fun and activity in this local, that it just never gets boring! 

Which were the key-facts and people which led to the nomination, in your opinion?

Mainly a really great and motivated team for the Network Meeting and an incredible board that really reformed the whole structure of the local during their term. Due to this, our member’s number almost tripled in the last year.

How did you decide to organise an NWM?

Our secretary from last year’s board, Carolin Heere, saw the Open Call for the NWM and really wanted AEGEE-Osnabrück to host it, so she got in touch with our NetCommie and convinced everyone that it was a great idea.

• Why “Rethink your position”?

We were actually considering this title for our Summer University but were very happy that we didn’t use it. It was the perfect choice for the NWM because it is both catchy (especially in combination with the first part of the title “Osnasutra”) and went very well with the idea of a NWM that is not only focused on internal AEGEE matters but also on political aspects.

What would you recommend to other antennas which are interested in organising an NWM?

Just do it! It is a very exhausting experience to look after 50 people (in our case), but also great and rewarding when everything comes into place and everyone is happy.

Which are AEGEE- Osnabrück’s next projects?

We have so many things planned that it is hard to talk about all of them. In Osnabrück we are organising many events for Erasmus students so some examples for the next ones are Speed-Dating (which is actually focused on meeting new people, but everyone can use it as they wish), visits to two German Christmas markets, an International Christmas party and many more. In January we will have our annual Team Weekend which is a great opportunity for everyone to get to know each other. There will be many workshops and sessions on various topics as well as many other activities. We are also planning on doing a pre-event for EPM Leiden, so keep your eyes open!

How would you describe your antenna in one sentence?

The embodiment of AEGEE spirit.

Written by Gabriela Cioata, AEGEE-București

Loes Rutten’s proposal for Autumn Agora Kyïv “Breaking language barriers”  is an educational topic that affects young people all over Europe. Language can be a rock barrier for communication and, therefore, for education as well.

Asked how she came up with the idea of “Breaking language barriers: Accessibility of youth opportunities starts with a common language” as a topic for EPM, she replied: “During my Erasmus in Bologna, I was startled by the low level of English of both fellow Erasmus students and many of the Italian students I met. I naively assumed that the level of English of young people in Europe is similar to the English of AEGEEans, but we must be aware that AEGEEans generally are already confident in English when they join AEGEE and they are not representative for the whole European youth. Some of the Italian students I spoke to, said they would like to go on Erasmus too, but their choice of universities was very limited because their level of English was not higher than B1. It made me realise that the difference in level of English among European youth leads to a division between mobile and immobile youth. As a member of ACT, I am well aware of the focus areas in our strategic plan, and I realised that a certain level of confidence in English is a prerequisite to profit from youth opportunities that already exist. As AEGEEans we try to prevent the emergence of a ‘lost generation’. I believe that as AEGEEans, it is our responsibility to include all young Europeans in the scope of our activities. ”

 The young people from the AEGEE community all over Europe know English as a second language as they are always using it in writing reports for AEGEE Europe, reading the AEGEEan or mostly by participating to European events.  Loes believes that we should all speak from our own experience about the times we encounter this language barrier and combine our knowledge in order to define the real problem: “AEGEEans can contribute by sharing their knowledge and opinions on didactics. In what way is English taught in different countries: is it interactive or passive, is it focussed on grammar, listening and/or communication? Which didactics do we believe to be the most successful? We can also discuss what initiatives we can think of to provide students with opportunities to practice English. Think of language tandems with Erasmus students, ‘language courses’ as international events, the more ideas the merrier! By combining our knowledge, we can create a clear picture of the average level of English of youth in different European countries, as well as an understanding of successful (and unsuccessful) didactics. We could share this information with shareholders (schools, universities) so that they know how to improve their English education. Moreover, we can improve the situation by starting a lobby to raise awareness for the need of a ‘European standard’ of English on a European scale, while coming up with activities through which members and outsiders can practice English on a local scale”

Loes was considering the possibility of initiating a lobby towards the European Union urging a ‘European standard’ for the level of English of students all over Europe, but, of course, this will depend on the reactions of the topic during the Agora. She will be quite busy in the future year as ACTie and maybe Network Commission, the latter depending on the election, and will not be able to assume the role of Content Manager, but she is quite confident that the matter will intrige people who will want to break the language barriers.

Written by Gabriela Cioata, AEGEE-Bucuresti

Yevgeniya Gagarkina is a 20 years old girl from AEGEE-Kyïv running for the position of PR responsible in the  Summer University Coordination Team (SUCT), who is “ready to work both on external and internal PR, and to help all the SUCT with challenging job that we will set up for ourselves.”

The AEGEEan: Hey there, Yevgeniya! Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Yevgeniya: So I am a young, optimistic and determined girl, who enjoys life and what she is doing. I like playing beach volleyball, sending postcards, watching movies and communicating with different people. Marketing and Bbusiness Management is my major in one of the best Ukrainian universities, my home country is Ukraine, and I am proud of it! Also I am waiting for the bravest AEGEEans, who will discover our capital during #AutumnAgoraKyiv2015 soon [she smiles, ed.].

 You are a last-minute candidate for the SU Coordination Team! What made you decide to run for it?

Well, I’ve been thinking of candidating for this position for quite a long time, but I was not 100% sure since I had another opportunity which would take a lot of my time. I was sure that I couldn’t combine both of them, so once things became as they are now, I decided that it is destiny and the right decision and I shouldn’t wait any longer.

You’ve mentioned in your application that “I know how to make every summer unforgettable”. Which are your tricks?

The point is that summer is the only time when I feel completely free to be myself, even if I have some work. I am a thrill-seeker, so every summer is very different through the places I visit, the things I do, people I spend my time with, the emotions I get. One thing I know for sure: summer cannot be that bright without Summer University!

What is your AEGEE experience on the field on Summer University Coordination?

In 2014 I became a helper on AEGEE-Kyïv’s TSU “RadioACTIVE”, right after participating in the amazing AEGEE-Ljubljana and AEGEE-Udine TSU ‘Cultures beyond the border’. After being a participant I knew how I would like to organise this kind of event, which definitely had an influenced on me during “RadioACTIVE”. This year I went further and was one of the organisers of TSU “Across the UAniverse” from the very beginning.

What do you consider to be your pros and cons in the professional field?

My main benefit is that I do this, because I am really interested in PR and marketing in general. I have not only fundamental theoretical knowledge, but also practical skills and different related experience – and I keep on enlarging it. The main con might be the fact that sometimes I have too many ideas and I want to make all them come true, which means that I take too much responsibility.

Which was the best Summer University you organised and why? Tell us a great memory you have from it.

Well, honestly, I’ve been an organiser of only one SU – TSU of all Ukrainian antennas “Across the UAniverse”. Anyway it is worth to name it “the best one”! [she smiles, ed] I enjoyed the mood of the participants, they were really curious not only about what is going on in this country, but also about our culture, traditions and habits. One of the greatest memories is kayaking on the Dniester river – it was so hard, but so much fun! And then we stayed all night on the river bank, enjoying the great atmosphere, listening to traditional songs – unexpected performance from local citizen, eating food cooked by us and of course feeling the AEGEE-spirit.

What is going be the most important part of the application form for next year? How do you propose to fix it?

In my opinion the Summer University is not the same as the Erasmus+ program, so questions and information asked there are relevant, and not worthless. The exact questions that you ask can’t be solved only by me, and surely have to be discussed with the whole coordination team, but I don’t think that application form won’t be essential this year. Also I’d love to conduct some surveys among SUs organisers, and maybe among the  participants so that we can get the feedback and know better, what exactly was worthless, what needs to be added, opinions on privacy issue and how to improve the form.

Written by Gabriela Cioata, AEGEE-Bucuresti

Another proposal for the EPM is coming from Andrea Ugrinoska & Maarten de Groot who want to focus on three major questions regarding the future of the university: “1. What were the causes of the different student protests that have emerged in European university cities over the last one or two years and how did the protests come to an end (or not)? 2. What are the underlying fundamental questions about the organization of university education and the role of the university in society that these protests have called attention to? 3. What can and what should students do to make their voices heard? ”

Andrea and Maarten are interested in the topic as they both live in cities where protests about the university have taken place, respectively Skopje and Amsterdam. Although the reason of the protests is slightly different, they consider that at the roots of the protests stands the purpose of education in general and that every student should be interested in understanding what they are fighting about. The success or failure of the protests depends on the support and involvement of everyone, nationally as well as internationally. The main purpose of the event would be to inform the European young citizens exactly what’s going on and not to get negatively influenced by the mass-media.

Asked how they think AEGEE can improve the situation, they replied: “As Europe’s largest interdisciplinary student association, we believe that AEGEE doesn’t only have the responsibility, but also the potential to make a difference here. The difference to be made should not only be sought in the direction of (European-level) advocacy. We can and we must be more creative and innovative than that. We should realize, first of all, that awareness-raising among our own members and among the general public is key to any open discussion and, as such, to societal change. As both our generation and our association is known for its ‘connectedness’, we’d better make sure to exploit this to the fullest and target the public through a variety of (social media) campaigns and activities. ”

AEGEEans all over Europe, as a large community of young people can have a great impact on the perspective of others around them, not only colleagues from their universities, but also family and friends:

“Each and every one of us can tell about his or her own experiences at home, share personal viewpoints and learn from one another and from fellow activist students. It is in the exchange of stories from students from very diverse social, cultural, national and educational backgrounds that resides the almost unique value that AEGEEans can collectively add to the discussion on the future of university education.”

If the topic will be accepted at the Agora, both Andrea and Maarten are willing to be Content Manager of the event.

Written by Gabriela Cioata, AEGEE-Bucuresti

You can read the full proposal here (login required).

Along with the interviews for the candidates applying for the opened positions at Autumn Agora Kyiv 2015, the AEGEEan has taken some time to simplify for the readers the proposals for the European events topics. The one we will focus on here is the one from Romy Cartiere which is a very present-day topic, regarding the Syrian refugees in Europe.

Being a contemporary topic worldwide, opinions regarding the resolution of the crisis are divided. Romy revealed for the AEGEEan that it was the mass-media which inspired him in choosing this topic, in order to make a European event out of it and change the perspective of “we vs. the rest” that the mass-media provides.

Organising a major European event would mean that the participating young people are aware off the massive migration and are willing to help them, not fear or reject them, as Romy Cartiere declared: “Obviously the refugee crisis can’t be ignored by AEGEE, especially since the greater part of the refugees is very young. The refugees who get asylum are our new European youth. A feeling of being ignored can affect young refugees in a negative way, while they could contribute greatly to our society, if given a chance. Therefore, I thought it would be important to discuss the topic on a great scale (as is the subject too). At the moment I wrote the proposal for the topic, there wasn’t much attention regarding the crisis. This changed quickly however, with even a section about refugees in the preface by the President in the Agora booklet! I am glad to see this and I have confidence that the Agora will greatly support such a significant topic.”

Nevertheless, Romy is conscious that AEGEE can’t provide the solution for the refugee crisis, but focuses on the information of the young generation through AEGEE, for them to be able to realize exactly what’s going on, what are the challenges, how can the matter affect all of us and what can we do.

Asked how she thinks AEGEE can improve the situation, Romy answered: “Firstly, I hope that the debates will result in an increased interest of AEGEEans in the matter. Secondly, I would like to see an increase in knowledge on the matter, through self study or training courses. At last I wish to see AEGEEans take action, because no matter how we put it, the consequences of the wars in our proximity are closer than ever, and this is our chance to help.”

She is more than willing to take the role of the Content Manager, as she considers the subject to be of great importance not only for AEGEE, but as well for all European citizens.

Written by Gabriela Cioata, AEGEE-Bucuresti

You can read the full proposal here (login required).

Ralitsa Mihaylova is a 20-year-old girl from AEGEE-Berlin, originally from Bulgaria. The “Bulgarian Bear”, how she calls herself,  is running for a position in the Summer University Coordination Team and relies on her web development skills and knowledge in order to be selected. She has been in AEGEE for only eight months now, but she considers that AEGEE “gives me back twice the energy and experience I put into it and a chance to use my skills to create something I’m really passionate about”.

The AEGEEan: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Ralitsa: I am just a regular Bulgarian bear that studies Computer science in Berlin, enjoys eating and spends the winters sleeping. When I was four I stole a pokemon collection and when I am alone at home I like to put on my gangsta rap playlist and my sunglasses and do absolutely nothing.

How did you become a part of the AEGEE team?

My friend Liliana tried to convince me to join for about a year, but her stories were so awesome I thought she was making them up [she smiles.ed]. Then I went to my first event – an exchange with AEGEE-Wroclaw and AEGEE-Dresden, and everything started making sense. I did not just become a part of the team, I started being active, which is very rare for a bear!

What is your AEGEE experience?

For a short period of time I have been an active member, I pretty much said yes to every opportunity I had. After the amazing exchange, which was a preparation for the TSU Adventure Time: The return of the rabbits, I participated in an LTC in Leipzig, where I mostly learned how little I know about organizing events, and I am very thankful that I did. After that I took active part in the planning of our SU, which was one of the coolest experiences I have ever been a part of. Right now I am the vice coordinator of NWM Berlin, so if you want to make fun of me in case I fail, or have an awesome time in case I succeed, APPLY!!

Which is the memory you most value from your AEGEE activity, personal or professional?

The first thing that comes to mind is my birthday, which my parents carefully planned 20 years ago so it can be in the middle of TSU Adventure Time! We were camping at a lake in Berlin, so the plan was to have a chill night. Just when I started to accept the thought that no one wants to do anything, It turned out I had the best secret friend in AEGEE history, who organized a pretty wild surprise for me! It involved ,,Don’t Cha” by the Pussycat Dolls, 5 guys and their hats [she smiles]. After that we had a big bonfire and went swimming in the lake. It was really amazing that even though I had only known most of the people there for a few days, they made this day one of the best in my life so far!

You are running for a place in the Summer University Coordination Team. Which are the qualities and experiences that recommend you for the job?

I am running for IT-Responsible, so web development skills are implied. I enjoy coding and do it not only in my studies, but also in my free time. I am ready to put in the work and time to maintain the website, I am full of ideas for ways to improve the user experience and extremely motivated to make them happen. Other than that I have experience with event coordinating, graphic design and PR – things I am doing right now for NWM Berlin,  so I would be able to contribute to the work of the other team members. But probably my most important qualification is my love for the SU Project,  which not only makes me want to do the job, it makes me want to do my best at it! And let us not forget I am a bear. You simply do not say no to a bear.

Which was the best Summer University you organised and why?

TSU Adventure Time: The return of the rabbits definitely qualifies as my best, not just because it is the only one I have organized so far, but because knowing the amount of ideas and hard work put into it by the organizers, made seeing the results twice as exciting and satisfying. It was also a big learning experience for me personally. Every day I became aware of flaws and strengths in my actions and character, that I did not see before and got the chance to work on them in the process. I am really happy that I got to be a part of it!

Written by Gabriela Cioata, AEGEE-Bucuresti

You can read her full candidature here.

The closing of Agora Asturias 2015 brought the newly elected Comite Directeur with it, composed of seven people who will begin their mandate on the 1st of July: President Aleksandra Kluczka (AEGEE-Kraków), Secretary General Svenja van der Tol (AEGEE-Nijmegen), Financial Director Ander Guerrero Ruiz (AEGEE-Zaragoza),  and as Member of Comité Directeur: Anna Gumbau (AEGEE-Barcelona), Pablo Hernández Rodríguez (AEGEE-Thessaloniki/Alicante) and Réka Salamon (AEGEE-Aachen). In this article you will find out a few personal details about them and also about their program plan for AEGEE.

  President: Aleksandra Kluczka (AEGEE Krakow), 24 years old, describes herself as “an experienced passionate of youth work and AEGEE in particular, willing to unleash AEGEE’s potential together with the team and the Network”

She has been a member of AEGEE since 2009, the organization that empowered her through every passing experience. Her ascent in AEGEE went on as she joined nine Agorae and three EBMs/EPMs, advanced from being a CD assistant to being the current Vice-President & External Relations Director of AEGEE Europe. She was also the Vice – President and Fundraising Board Member of AEGEE-Krakow.

Aleksandra expresses her plans in the Candidates Booklet: “I decided to run for the position of President of AEGEE-Europe and devote one more year of my life to AEGEE, in order to ensure the development and continuity for the organisation. I have a vision for the organisation that I would like to offer to the members and develop it together with the elected team. I observed that one year of CD term is relatively short, as you do not always see the results of the processes that you start. I am running for this position, as I want to have a feeling of a fulfilled mission and that I did everything I possibly could to improve AEGEE, before I leave it.”

Secretary General: Svenja van der Tol (AEGEE-Nijmegen), 22 years old,  who describes herself as „a happy, optimistic, honest fluff puff” girl full of energy who loves rainbow unicorns, talking, eating, laughing and travels.

She has been a member of AEGEE since 2012, the organization which has changed her life a lot in many positive ways.

The most relevant experience which recommended her for Secretary General was the practice she gained as Secretary of AEGEE-Nijmegen (2012-2013), member of the Advisory Board (2013-2015), being a Chair of the Internal Formal Committee and being in the Chairteam of AEGEE Europe. Currently, Svenja is the Secretary of the Agora/EPM, a member of the Advisory Board and also a journalist and Proofreader at The AEGEEan. One of the most important aspects on which Svenja wants to focus during her term is the communication, not only among the CD, but also in the Network.

  Financial Director: Ander Guerrero Ruiz (AEGEE-Zaragoza), 24 years old, who describes himself as “a positive, idealistic, down-to-earth, smiling guy from Zaragoza (Spain) who really believes in the potential of AEGEE and who expects to improve the association next year in Brussels.”.

The experience of AEGEE, after joining in 2012, taught him that there is always an opportunity for everything, you just have to look for it.

The experience Ander gained as an AEGEEan, being the Treasurer for three Erasmus Trips in 2012 and 2014, member of the Core-Team for Autumn AGORA Zaragoza 2013 and Corporate Fundraiser, recommended him for the job. Also, he is currently the CDs’ Fundraising-assistant and President of AEGEE-Zaragoza.

Asked by The AEGEEan about his plans for AEGEE Ander replied: “I want to continue ensuring the financial stability of AEGEE in the short and long-term in order to keep on carrying out our activities, looking for more funds and using them wisely, and also dedicating my time and ideas to increase our activities.”

Member of Comité Directeur: Anna Gumbau (AEGEE-Barcelona), 22 years old, who describes herself as “someone caring, idealistic, a good listener, extremely clumsy, and enthusiastic”.

AEGEE made her feel like home since 2011 and, according to her candidature, she wants to give back to AEGEE all that has been given to her.  She was Editor-in-chief at The AEGEEan (2013-2014), a CD-assistant, Vice-President of AEGEE-Barcelona and responsible for Human Resources (2013/14, 2014/present).  Her focus lies on communication and motivation of the members.

In the interview for the candidates, Anna declared: “in terms of internal communication, I want to strive for transparency and to ensure that our members are well-informed what these seven people in the CD are doing in Brussels, as well as to strengthen the dialogue with our members and locals.”

Member of Comité Directeur: Pablo Hernández (AEGEE-Alicante/AEGEE-Thessaloniki), 24 years old, considers himself as “another European citizen who wants to actively contribute to the development of our society and the defense of youth rights.”

After joining AEGEE in 2010, his evolution began quickly: from being the Secretary of AEGEE-Alicante (2011-2012) he became President the next year and in 2014, he moved to Thessaloniki and became a Member of the Advisory Board of AEGEE-Thessaloniki. He has been a Policy Officer since 2013.

In the interview for the Candidates taken by The AEGEEan, Pablo speaks about his programm: “In my candidature I have tried to transversely show three different aspects: First, I am confident about my knowledge, abilities, experience and motivation to assume the responsibilities linked to the position I am applying to. Second, as I exposed in my programme, I have ideas to improve the current organisation of this association in order to maximise our impact.” 

 Member of Comité Directeur: Réka Salamon (AEGEE-Aachen/AEGEE-Debrecen), 24 years old, defines herself as a meticulous and perfectionist person who “became the right balance of realistic-idealist over the years”

After joining AEGEE in 2011 she became the Coordinator of the ‘Europe on Track’ project 1st and 2nd edition, joined the Public Relations Committees’ Speaker Team (2012-2014) and she has been a CD-assistant three times.

She reveals her thoughts for The AEGEEan on being a CD Member: “The main role is to keep an overview of a hopefully ascending line of improvement on a certain field the CD member is responsible for.

Being one of the ‘directors’ means a constant load of intertwined tasks, from developing strategies to being in constant contact with the network and answer its needs. No matter how different things could seem in the Brussels bubble, the CD members always have to act representing the network’s opinion and keeping its best interests in mind.”

We were able to ask two questions to the elected members of the CD:

How do you feel about your new team? 

Maria Arends resigned from her position in June. After launching several Open Call, the newly elected Comité Directeur and the current one appointed Maryana Semenyak (AEGEE-Lviv) as interim member of the Comité Directeur.

 Written by Gabriela Cioată, AEGEE-București

The students protests started in November 2014 as a response to the government’s interference with the university system. The first reply was after the Macedonian Government announced that they will implement a new law regarding higher education. The law, which would be implemented for the generation of 2017, implied that the students should give a national exam, which consisted out of two tests, the first one given in the second year of studies and the second one before the graduation. The students had three chances to pass the exam, if they would fail to do so, they would be expelled. 

The students organised a movement called “Student’s Plenum” on the 17^th of November 2014 which gathered more than 5000 students in the capital of Skopje. The movement raised the people’s and the Government’s interest, although they ignored them at first; however, it soon became a hot topic on social networks, sites uncontrolled by the media.

The Prime Minister of FYROM (Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia), Nikola Gruevski,  claimed that the approved law had as a purpose the control of the quality of the university professors. The idea of implementing this law came from rumors which spoke about students bribing professors in order to obtain the diploma. Gruevski replied: „The students will benefit from the examination because at the end they will obtain a degree that will help them in the future […] we are aiming with this law to force students to pass the exam with the adequate knowledge” (source: Balkans in Europe Policy Blog – article here)

The second protest came in December and gathered more than 10 000 people. FYROM citizens started protesting along, supporting their cause and also fighting against other issues that were wrong in the country. The respons of the FYROM police with tear gas injured a few people, and in the fight between the Albanian military and the Macedonian police a few people got killed. One of the recently reasons for protesting, in 2015, was the covering up of a young policeman’s death in 2011. (source: Wikipedia, article here)

Professors from the University organised as well a „Professor’s Plenum” protesting for the student’s cause.

The number of protesters kept on growing and on the 12 of February 2015 the students occupied the faculties of Philosophy, Philology, Law and Economy of Skopje University, proclaiming them “autonomous students’ territory”. They asked with an official letter to the authorities the resignation of Gruevski, but their petition was rejected. Moreover, the Government manipulated the media making them speak little of the movements, saying that there were only 3000 protesters and that they were politically oriented. 

Andrea Ugrinoska (Advisory Board member of  AEGEE-Skopje) wrote a very emotional and informative article entitled Student’s revolution in Macedonia (article here) on the 12 of February, right from the middle of the occupation, from the middle of her new family.  She spoke with joy and pride about how ”the whole Country started waking up” and the citizens became more united.

On the 18th of March Jirka Lhotka (AEGEE-Praha) wrote for The AEGEEan about the continuing protests in Macedonia. At this time, Nicola Gruevski had revealed  for the journalists of Macedonia that he had agreed to suspend the adaoption of the law for one year. (article here)

Following “the biggest march of the past two and a half decades in Macedonia.“(source Autonomus Balkan Informbureau: article here) we have asked Andrea Ugrinoska a few questions, in order to keep the AEGEEan’s readers posted.

The AEGEEan: Hello, Andrea! How are things going in the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia?

Andrea: Hello ! How are things going? There is a whole camp set in front of the Government, streets are being blocked for 7 days already, and no one is planning to leave until the Government, along with the Prime Minister, Nikola Gruevski, resigns. However, things are not as easy and as beautiful, as they might seem. The Prime Minister organised a contra-camp, in front of the Parliament, along with it’s blind nationalistic followers, and they are calling themselves the “Democracy keepers”.

You can imagine the satiric level of the whole ridiculous situation. However, the “Camp of freedom”, as we like to call it, knows no nation or ethnic identity. You could see Macedonia, Albanian, Turkish, Serbian and LGBTI flags, all standing next to each other, as well as people from all of the cities in Macedonia. Our demand is very clear and understandable, and we are not planning to leave until we get what we want. However it may look like, this is a clear sign for the Macedonian people, that we are building our democracy.

People started realizing that things are not right and went out to fight for it. The occupation in front of the Government is the most peaceful movement I have ever seen. Whenever I pass or go there I feel like I enter a new dimension of creativity and vision, combined with an everlasting freedom. There is music every night, debates and speeches about how we envision the new Macedonia, and yesterday there was a panel on “The future of Macedonia” where we, from the National Youth Council, were invited to speak and give our point of view regarding youth. That was seriously a big step. The opposition is giving its support, and showing a whole new mature approach to solving these everyday issues.

However, people have lost trust in the political figures, public authorities as well as institutions, to the point you would not see a single person in the “camp of freedom” claiming that they support any party. No, we are here non-partisan, do not label us, regarding of the support of the opposition, and this is as clear as day, and it is something that the opposition, besides its interest of course, tries to respect as much as possible. It’s a story of mutual understanding and cooperation towards bringing this Government along with it’s leader down, and start re-building this country the way we want it. It’s no longer about who belongs where, but it’s about uniting an fulfilling a higher purpose. It truly is amazing.

On the 12 of February, during the University Occupation you wrote in your article: „And this is where I am right now, with happy tears in my eyes”, referring to the unity of the students. How do you feel now, four months later?

I feel the same. The unity of the students is on the same level, and we are one of the key supporters of the initiative of the camp of freedom. Like nothing has changed. Maybe we won a small battle, but we still have a whole “war” to manage, and we do not plan to quit. Solidarity with the citizens of Macedonia will go until the end.

Written by Gabriela Cioată, AEGEE-București

Note: The article was written on the 27th of May 

The Culture Working Group (CWG) was born in 1997 and aims to show people that they are surrounded by culture through music, theater, cinema or any kind of art and history. CWG was created as a space where people can give their own interpretation and meaning. The activities you can find in the group are Intercultural communication training, online discussions, creating compilations, promoting culture among AEGEE members, challenging AEGEE members to discover the meaning of the word “culture”, demonstrating that culture can be found in the way people behave, think, dress and others.

After a lot of work and a lot of research, Culture Working Group was able to bring to the attention of the AEGEEans the third edition of the Quotes Calendar 2015. The team in-charge of the calendar was composed of: Erika Bettin (AEGEE-Venezia) who collected the quotes, categorized and proofread them; Inge Zlatkou – AEGEE-Ioannina, who was in-charge of the design and Sabina Guja (AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca) the CWG speaker. The girls have managed to fill all 365 days of the year with 365 quotes starting with “All we need is love, but a little chocolate from now and then doesn’t hurt” (Charles M. Schulz) on the 1st of January and ending with “An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves…” for the 31st of December.

Erika was the one who took the lead on creating this year’s calendar, coming up with the idea of collecting quotes from all over the network, thereby making all of the AEGEEans a part of the team in creating the project.

The categories from which the quotes are inspired are creativity, music, movies, literature and inspiration, to name just a few, all of course having their own dose of motivation. For instance, May’s quote was “Every day may not be good, but there’s something good in every day!” If you haven’t got the calendar yet, you can download it from here.

Inge Zlatkou, who created the layout says that “since each month has its own topic, you can get an idea of what pretty much to expect when reading the quotes. Sometimes reading a random quote can be frustrating if you don’t know the general context that it belongs to.”

CWG is now trying to adjust to the new form of Group adapted at AGORA Asturias which is the Interest Group.

Asked about their future plans at the beginning of May, Inge replies: “About CWG’s current plans, until further notice we continue with our current projects, the biggest being right now the collaboration with SUs. This year we have six SU who are collaborating with us. Our help is focused on offering advice and ideas for organizing cultural, fun, entertaining and engaging activities for their SU. We also did a few short interviews with the antennae in order to help them promote their activity within the network through CWG’s means of communication”.

“For this project” she continues, “we have a group of four CWG members acting as contact person between the organizing antennae and CWG: Paula Rodríguez (AEGEE-Castellón), Jovana Trajkovic (AEGEE-Belgrade), Erika Bettin (AEGEE-Venezia) and Sabina Guja (AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca).”

Last year the collaboration with the antennae that chose to work with the Culture Working Group was good and they hope that this year it will be even better. “We are hoping that these SUs will be memorable and fun for the participants, and present the culture of their locations well. We are always ready to help antennae create good and culture focused events” concludes Inge.

Written by Gabriela Cioată, AEGEE-București