AEGEEans are usually big travellers, and cross borders do not scare them. No doubt that many of them have had an occasion to go to other continents as well, and they could tell wonderful stories about it. Kimberly Townend, from AEGEE-Valencia, enjoyed a study-trip in Colombia and shared her experience with the readers of The AEGEEan. 

From the 26th of January to the 5th of February I went on a study trip to Colombia with 42 other students and four faculty members of my Master’s Degree in Criminology. Over 13 nationalities from all over the world were represented in our group, a varied mix with different levels of experience in travelling -some people had already visited Latin America on several occasions, for others, like me, it was the first time.

The aim of our trip was to learn more about drug trafficking and transitional justice after the armed conflict in this country. Our programme has a very international orientation and thus, it was great interest for us to approach these topics from a comparative perspective: how different is the situation of drugs in Colombia to that of different European countries? What can we learn about the peace agreement with the FARC, and what could be improved? These and many other questions came up in our academic activities, including lectures with well-known experts and visits to NGOs working on issues such as drug addictions or social exclusion.

Throughout our trip, we spent five days in Bogotá and three days in Medellín. During our time in Bogotá, we participated in a highly interesting graffiti tour, in which we learnt lots of local and national history through tags and murals. Painting graffitis is legal in Colombia, unless the police catch you in the act, and in this case, they sometimes make exceptions. Therefore, neighbourhoods in the capital are basically covered by colourful drawings and messages, independently of their socioeconomic status.

The highlight of our trip to Medellín was our visit to the Comuna 1-Popular. Comuna 1 is a low socioeconomic neighbourhood situated on a hillside on the outskirts of Medellín. It has thousands of brick and cement homes built right by or on top of each other. A cableway connects its inhabitants with the city. This is in contrast with the situation in Bogotá, where inhabitants of the Comunas have to walk sometimes for hours in order to reach the city centre, as there is no infrastructure of this kind yet. Comuna 1 was of particular relevance to our studies due to its long history of gang control, drugs and conflict. First, we had a lecture from the local assembly body, in which we learnt how the Comunas are organised nowadays, their current social problems and the impact the armed conflict has had on them. Then, the same locals that had given us the lecture took us on a tour of the neighbourhood. Comuna 1 still faces many social problems such as the prevalence of drug use, unemployment and lack of higher education; however, it is in a process of ongoing transformation and the atmosphere of fear in which their inhabitants used to live years ago is gradually fading.

On the fourth day of our trip, we went on a day-trip to the beautiful town of Guatapé, in which we climbed the famous Peñón –this was quite a challenging task, but the stunning views that awaited us at the top were surely rewarding. That night some of us went dancing salsa in downtown Medellín –a must-do for anyone visiting Colombia.

With a smaller group, I also visited the very touristic salt cathedral in Zipaquirá, 30 minutes away from Bogotá, and enjoyed a very pleasant lunch with our friendly van driver, who was a person like most people in Colombia that could not speak English very well but still provided us with some very entertaining moments. Food in Colombia is very cheap and tasty. A normal dish consists of fish or meat, some kind of potatoes and lots of salad. Traditional snacks include arepas and empanadas, both made out of bread filled with chicken, beef or vegetables. As much as I enjoyed food, however, the thing I miss the most by far are juices. Everywhere in Colombia, it was possible to get natural juices from the widest variety of fruits –ranging from simple orange juice to ‘no idea, but tasty’ for very reasonable prices.

Overall, my experience in Colombia was amazing and well worth-repeating. People were friendly and welcoming, and it did not take us long to feel at home. Although it is widely different from Europe, cultural differences just added to our experience and we quickly learnt that, despite Colombia’s very real problems, there are many myths surrounding this country and its people.

Written by Kimberly Townend, AEGEE-Valencia

The Action Agenda Coordination Committee (ACT) was officially established as a supporting committee of AEGEE-Europe in the Spring Agora Enschede in 2012. ACT’s most important task is to help the Network implement the Action Agenda. The Action Agenda is one of the most important documents created within AEGEE. It contains actions to be taken by locals in order to progress in each of the four thematic areas AEGEE is currently working on -Spreading Europtimism, Youth Employment, Youth Mobility and Civic Education.

Becoming an ACTie is a great way to actively help AEGEE make a greater impact on the aforementioned areas. Marcos Mato from AEGEE-Leon, PR responsible and member of ACT, has had a very fulfilling experience as an ACTie, “I really recommend every member of a local to join a European Project or Body, it’s really nice to work on achieving the same goal with people from different countries” he says.

ACT works in close cooperation with the European Level bodies of the Network, particularly with the Network
Commission. Each member of the Committee is in charge of a part of the Network, working directly with the relevant Network Commissioner to maintain a direct approach to locals. Direct contact with locals is crucial to the fulfillment of ACT’s objectives. “We are trying to establish and maintain a direct contact with locals because we know that nothing beats one-on-one communication. Sometimes locals need some small adjustments to turn their existing activities into ones that fulfill the Action Agenda; we help them with this” explains Miljana Vulevic, ACT’s Vice-Speaker.

ACT is currently working on improving the exchange of best practices among locals. “During our meeting in Brussels, we came up with the idea of making a Best Practices Collection, a publication where all the extraordinary events that do fulfill the Action Agenda will be gathered and sorted. We also have a Facebook group, ACTive AEGEEans, which serves as a platform for discussions, exchanging best practices and seeking advice when needed” Miljana states.

The Action Agenda Coordination Committee is very optimistic about the upcoming period. According to Marcos Mato, PR responsible and member of ACT, “EPM Leiden is going to be really special for us. There, the Network Commission, working groups and ACTies will meet. We are waiting for it to share ideas and start to work in the same direction. I really feel that after this EPM, AEGEE locals and members will start a new, more efficient age”.

2015 has been a great year for ACT, but there is a lot more coming in 2016, “We’ve recently welcomed three new motivated members into our team. Now that there are 11 of us, we are working full capacity; our team is stronger than ever and anxious to face new challenges. Look out for ACT in 2016, we have many great surprises in store for you!”, Miljana exclaims.

Written by Kimberly Townend (AEGEE-Valencia)

Would you like to make a direct personal contribution to democracy in Europe? How about taking an active role in ensuring that democratic processes in European countries are carried out in a safe and fair manner? Then do not hesitate and join the AEGEE Election Observation!

AEGEE Election Observation is one of AEGEE’s most well-known initiatives. It is based on two main premises: that democracy cannot function without control of its citizens, and it cannot flourish without the right political education. The AEO organises election observation missions or referendums taking place all over Europe. Young people get to fully participate in these processes by becoming officially accredited international election observers. The Project is also in charge of observing AEGEE’s internal elections at the Agora and providing election observation training for future observers. 

Projects aiming to increase young people’s awareness of democracy and its challenges can bring immense benefits to society as a whole. It can also be very positive for AEGEE as an organisation. AEO’s Project Manager Thomas Leszke sees a number of possible benefits: “It might raise the level of political discussion in AEGEE, cause AEGEE members to initiate new projects that promote democratic values among young Europeans, improve participation in our own internal democratic procedures and renew democratic ambition in our association, both at the European and the local level”.

Election observation missions are good way to guarantee that democratic processes respect fundamental freedoms and universal values such as equality, political pluralism, transparency and accountability. The presence of international observation are indispensable in some cases, for instance in elections held in countries requiring peacekeeping force or undergoing a difficult transition.

By participating in AEO, young Europeans learn to appreciate democracy in their home countries. According to Thomas, “Usually, we only see what goes wrong, and we judge democracy very negatively on this basis. Witnessing
how much organisational effort it takes to organise democratic elections according to all principles we value makes us as observers realise how many of the things that could go wrong actually go right. Coming back to our countries, we see politics and especially elections with different eyes”.

AEO Project is not one of the only initiatives of its kind focusing on students and young people. Many other international non-profit organisations have started similar schemes. An example is Canadian CANADEM –International Civilian Response Corps. CANADEM takes part in the Multilateral Election Observation Program, whose main objective is to support developing countries’ democratic elections’ to be in alignment with national and international election standards. In Europe, the Election Observation and Democratic Support (EODS) is the capacity building project for EU observation. It is funded by the European Commission and it has three focus areas: EU election observation methodology, training and cooperation with regional organisations and networks.

Check their Facebook page and their Website

Written by Kimberly Townend, AEGEE-Valencia

From the 20th until the 23rd of November, AEGEE-Delft will host around 50 AEGEE members for their Network Meeting. Participants of Autumn NWM Delft will have the unique opportunity to be inspired while visiting a beautiful city with an intriguing past and a very positive outlook on the future.

Memories of a very successful Summer University gave AEGEE-Delft the motivation they needed to organise the Autumn NWM. According to its president, Lucas, they “had a great time. Not just because of the activities, but mainly because the group of AEGEEans was so much fun. Regardless of the event, the people attending make it worth the effort. AEGEE hasn’t let us down yet”.

‘Knowledge shared is knowledge squared’ is the motto that will unite the network in Delft. The event will serve as a forum where antennae will get together and share their best practices and members will be also able to improve their practical skills and learn new ones.

Different topics will be covered during the event, including EUth, strategic planning, fundraising in AEGEE and human resources.  NWMs involve many workshops and quite a few parties, but probably their strongest point is the capacity they have to strengthen the bonds within the network. It is a good way for AEGEE members that belong to antennas that are far away from each other to meet and make new friends. “When everyone from the network comes together, we share our culture and opinions. We learn what it really means to become united in our differences. Every time AEGEE organises a meeting, the bond between us Europeans becomes stronger. We are the youth and we are the future. Stronger intercultural relations now will mean stronger ones in the future” says Lucas.

The main responsible for the programme is Boudewijn Steenhof, who was Network Commissioner last year. He, together with the current Netcom Loes, will lead some of the workshops, as well as a panel about Ukraine. Comité Directeur member Réka Salamon will be in charge of the workshops on EUth, Agora/EPM and Strategic Planning. There will also be workshops on Fundraising, the Election Observation Project and the Action Agenda Coordination Committee. Lastly, participants will be given the chance to give their input and choose what topics they would like to discuss in an open space session.

But there will be more than workshops to the NWM. AEGEE-Delft is currently working hard to give participants all the fun they can handle. The social programme will start with a special party that will take place on the opening day. Attendants will also greatly improve their knowledge of foods and beverages from different countries during the European Night.

AEGEE-Delft President Lucas sees many advantages in participating in a NWM, both for newer members and for the whole organisation: “we wanted to let our newer members, who are the future of AEGEE, also meet the Network during the NWM. They can see how great all the people from the network are. Maybe they’ll become motivated like I was almost one year ago and help organise the future events that bring the network together”.

Written by Kimberly Townend, AEGEE Valencia

Summer has been over for a while now, but AEGEE Valencia keeps offering the opportunity to create unforgettable memories. From the 13th until the 15th of November, Network Meeting Valencia will be hosted in Corbera, a small town located 40km from the region’s capital. Charming Corbera is well known for its monuments and its rich history.

Network Meetings are events where AEGEE members get together to share the problems their antennae are facing and work on finding a way to solve them. New members can greatly benefit from attending a Network Meeting, given that the basics of AEGEE, from its structure to the Strategic Plan, are usually covered. By taking part in NWM Valencia, participants will also expand their knowledge of AEGEE’s European bodies and how to cooperate with them.

AEGEE-Valencia has been looking forward to organising a Network Meeting (NWM) for over two years. According to its main organiser, Consuelo Ródenas “the reason for organising NWM Valencia, apart from our motivation, was that AEGEE-Valencia members need to meet more people, discover and learn more things about AEGEE and the best way was bringing the NWM to our city”. In her opinion, the NWM is a good way to help inactive AEGEE-Valencia members to become more participative: “we have a lot of new and motivated members that are helping with the NWM as organisers, but also many members who are attending the event as participants”.

Participants will be lodged in El Tossal hostel, which will provide them with everything they need to make the most of their stay in the town. Among its facilities, “El Tossal” includes two rooms where workshops, debates and sessions will take place, high-level multimedia equipment and fantastic outdoor areas, including football, basketball and volleyball pitches.  From its privileged location on top of a mountain, participants will enjoy an amazing view of the mountains surrounding Corbera and the Mediterranean Sea.

Those from outside Valencia will be able to explore this beautiful city  in a tour in which they will get to visit Valencia’s most touristic landmarks and uncover its most well hidden secrets.

NWM Valencia will focus on the exchange of best practices among different antennaes in the Mediterranean area. Locals are encouraged to send an analysis of their strengths and weaknesses that will be discussed during the weekend. The event will also include an Open Space Session where some selected topics chosen and proposed by participants will be tackled.

NWM Valencia will start with an Opening Ceremony in which Melissa Carreras, newly elected member of the Network Commission and her subcommissioners will be introduced to the audience. The event will also include a workshop called “Identity and Liberation”, which will be lead by academics Dr. James M. Skelly and Christian Eichenmüller.

NWMs are also a great chance to socialize and make new friends within AEGEE. AEGEE-Valencia is planning two thematic parties that will surely delight the NWM’s participants. The first one will be a Suit Up party which will take place right after the open ceremony. On the second night, there will be a “bad guy in the movie” party, in which participants will have the chance to show how bad they can be by dressing up as their favorite movie villains.

AEGEE-Valencia cannot wait for one of the best events of the year. “Here we are waiting for the event to start and to show the whole Network what we are ready for!” Consuelo exclaimed.

Written by Kimberly Townend, AEGEE-Valencia