Mediation Commission (MedCom) is one of the youngest bodies in AEGEE. Even though it had its predecessor – Members Commission (MemCom) – its work is still an enigma for many of the AEGEE members. But for few brave AEGEEans it is not only more than clear but also a nice interesting challenge. This year they are just with three people – get to know more about one of the candidates for MedCom – Maurits Korse from AEGEE – Enschede.The AEGEEan: Maurits, could you tell us more about yourself? How long have you been in AEGEE?

Maurits: I am Maurits Korse and have been a proud member since September 2006. From the first moment onwards I have been active within AEGEE, often putting my studies (Industrial Design Engineering) in second place. Besides my interests in sustainable developement and design I am into making websites and graphic designs. Last year I started my own company with some friends in developing a social and collaborative portfolio platform called DoToKnow.

Within AEGEE I have done, seen and experienced many of the elements that make up our association: from local activities to a board position, from summer university participant to member of the Summer University Coordination Team (SUCT), from participant of training courses (RTCs, PRES) to trainer (LTCs and ITES). From member of working groups (WG) and committees (Environmental WG, Public Relations WG/Public Relations Committee and Information Technology Committee) to member of Key to Europe, board member of working group Public Relations Working Group (PRWG) and member of the Mediation Commission. Two years ago I was one of the seven main organisers of Spring Agora Enschede and in that respect I have been cooperating with the Chair team and Comité Directeur quite a lot. Since Agora Budapest I have been in the Mediation Commission and in this position I have been working together with my fellow MedCom members as well as the Network Commission (NetCom), Juridical Commission (JC) and Comité Directeur (CD).

What part of your AEGEE experience do you find most relevant and useful?

The most relevant and useful experience for my candidature is of course being member of the Mediation Commission for the last year. Within this previous term we have been busy with several issues that arose throughout the Network, of which many we could solve through mediation. Also the data privacy has been one of our tasks which I’d like to continue as this topic has become more relevant in the past years.

The members of the Mediation Committee have to be very acquainted with CIA in order to solve cases, going beyond its rules? Do you feel confident about it? What is your opinion about the attempts to re-structure it?

Yes, I do feel confident about it. There are two parts in the CiA about the MedCom – one in the statutes, article 28; and one working format. Both give very clear directions in what the MedCom is and can do, and what should not happen. The Mediation Commission should never go beyond the rules and try to solve all issues in a amicable way at the best interest of all parties involved. The attempts to restructure the CiA is in my opinion positive as its aim is to make the rules more clear and understandable for everyone causing less debate over its interpretation. Luckily the president of the JC is also an appointed member of the MedCom so she (Diana currently) can always help us interpret the CiA if there are still doubts or discussions about it.

The Mediation Commission is a commission which has as aim to avoid and solve conflicts between members and and local groups and AEGEE-Europe bodies. This can be done through mediation to solve internal issues or prevent escalation. A dialogue is then started between the parties involved. Also an official activation request can be made in which the commission will have to investigate the issue thoroughly and come with a decisive sentence at the end. Activation is tried to be avoided through mediation because it often helps to solve the conflict in the best and most amicable way possible. Last but not least the Mediation Commission has as task to act as ombudsman for the data privacy of the members of AEGEE.

And now in one sentence?

The Mediation Commission aims to avoid and solve conflicts between members and between local groups as well as acting as ombudsman for the data privacy of our members.

Thank you, Maurits and good luck in Zaragoza.

Written by Liliya Buyukliyska, AEGEE-Sofia

Landing in a city you do not know, exploring the cultural and administrative habits of a foreign country and

Eva – the Belgian girl part of the AEGEE-Maastricht board.

all this time – searching for new friends. It is not a rare case when in such a situation AEGEE has come in extremely handy with helping people integrate faster and better in a new environment once they have started their education abroad. But sometimes those people get even more thirsty for AEGEE emotions and even though they don’t (in some cases) speak the local language, they prove that we could be united in our diversity. Those are the non-native board members that once more show us that in AEGEE dreams don’t have limits and you just have to decide you want something! Examples turned out to be so many so I just caught some of them to find out what an added value this experience is bringing to them.

Beata Owsiana is from Poland and joined AEGEE in 2010 during her Erasmus in Brussels. She liked the opportunity to go to Summer University and grabbed her chance. ‘Once I had decided to move to Brussels in order to continue with my Master studies I decided to become more active’ – she adds. – ‘Since I study HR Management I decided to join the newly created at that time HRC and few months later AEGEE Brussels/Bruxelles was looking for motivated people to join the board, so I presented my candidature as HR Responsible.’ Now Beata is already the President of her antenna and the driving motor of many local activities. In terms of difficulties due to her nationality she confidently responses: ‘Brussels is really a multicultural city and even previous boards showed it. There have already been several presidents from out of Belgium and most of the core team consists of great people with different cultures of grown-ups who came to Brussels to study, work, or do an internship, etc. and built the network of new acquaintances. AEGEE is good for that. Sometimes it seems to be hard to get along together since we have different characters and moreover we are a multinational team with different backgrounds but still goal is the same: AEGEE expansion :). But as always in AEGEE – it is not only us who are giving to the network, because very often – efforts pays back. Beata also confirms it when I ask her what she likes most of being in AEGEE while studying abroad:

Beata: AEGEE is a family on which you can always count and hat is extremely precious, especially where you are abroad.

Beata: AEGEE has given me a loooot! I came here without knowing anyone. I remember when I came to my first AEGEE party in Brussels where I knew only one girl from Facebook who came at the end of that party. I felt super alone there for like half an hour but then it turned to my best evening of my Erasmus ever! I became a part of a big family. Family on which you can always count and that is extremely precious, especially when you are abroad, far away from your family and best friends and some “strangers” offer you a huge amount of help/support/love just because you are part of the same network. AEGEE is an amazing label!

I hear the same inspiring motivation from the Belgian Eva Billen who is currently secretary of AEGEE-Maastricht. ‘The thing I like most about being in AEGEE in general is that it does not matter where you are, if you are studying abroad or still in your own hometown. For sure you will meet new people with new insights and you will go on an amazing adventure together.

The thing I like most about being in the board, is that I have learned how to work closely with a group of people. I have grown more confident, not just as a person, but as part of a team that strives towards a common goal’.

The Spaniard Jero Galiana shares us a little different experience for his participation inthe board of AEGEE-Munchen. ‘When I started the communication language in the antenna it was mostly German. Back then the majority of the active members were Germans as well as almost all board members. My German back then was not so good, therefore it was needed to communicate in English. Well, next two years many non-German speaking members have joined the antenna so we have created a big international atmosphere.’ The same experience was shared by Ekaterina Malysheva, who after four years in AEGEE-Moskva she joined AEGEE-Valencia. ‘I am learning Spanish – She told us – but the guys and I prefer to talk in English, it’s an international language and the main language of AEGEE’ . Obviously both Ekaterina and Jero managed to find their way to become board members. Jero even became Vice-President in 2011, now holding the position of regular board assistant.

When I ask them what they like about being board members Ekaterina answers immediately: ‘To be a board member gives you a unique opportunity to see the antenna from inside, to take part in important decisions and organize the events, to belong to the close group of friends who share your ideas and interest. And it is double interesting if you have this experience abroad. It gives you a new experience and a lot of fun!’ . For Jero the viewpoint already changed since he is not a student anymore but still he emphasizes:  ‘AEGEE gave me so much and became an addiction to me. It is not something you can just leave.’

It is surely still an addition to us so let’s keep re-creating Europe in the way we would like to see it and keep remembering that everything is possible.

Written by Liliya Buyukliyska, AEGEE-Sofia

“Be aware! Leadership Summer School (LSS) may change your life! – and they are not even sorry…”–  says Helene Winnecke Jensen and this caught me on the hook. What is so unique about the LSS everybody is talking about? The AEGEEan is here to investigate for you.

Firstly I go to the website and find out that Leadership Summer School is an intensive learning and networking experience, aiming to increase quality and readiness of youth NGO leaders, sharing best practices and improving leadership skills among prominent members of each participating organisation. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?

The enthusiastic OC

Second – it will take place from 21^st until 30^th of July and will be organised by AEGEE-Sofia together with Zero Generation. Sofia is a destination with many low-cost connectionS and there are more than 100 places, not only for AEGEE but for more than 25 students’ NGOs. Sounds really promising to me.

Third – I asked former participants what kind of experience it is. From David Čechlovský I hear ‘My past life (before LSS) was one huge grey color. But the LSS has influenced my perception and now I see colors everywhere! Love, passion, trust … everything seems so correct now!’, then Bogdan Burtescu is telling me ‘My world is a better place now’. Is this really happening? Is it really so cool? OK. Let’s check with the organisers: Herve Tunga from BEST, one of the establishers of LSS, currently member of the Supervisory Board and Trainer at the event and Cafer Saatchi from AEGEE-Sofia, Main Coordinator of LSS 2013. See what they told me…

The AEGEEan: Herve, what is your position towards LSS? You are part of the Supervisory board, trainer or a Main coordinator? Could you tell us more about this?

Inspiring trainers from LSS 2012, Budapest

Herve: When we were creating LSS, there was no position. I am working for the development of the project. Therefore I contribute on every level and as much as possible. I joined the project to develop the Training and Learning side. Then I continued to facilitate the organisation of LSS and to ensure it stays an event that delivers the best learning environment and experience  possible. Despite all the roles I use to take, I am fundamentally a Trainer at LSS.

And what is the role of the Supervisory board?

Herve: The role of Supervisory Board is to support the organisation of LSS, to monitor the progress of the team working on the LSS edition. The Supervisory Board is also expected to ensure that regular activity reports are produced and communicated to all stakeholders of the event (Zero Generation, partnering Organisations, Organisation Committee, Trainers, and Participants).

Cafer, why Leadership Summer School?

Cafer: We, in AEGEE-Sofia like to take up challenges. Such a challenge for us is to organise Leadership Summer School 2013. There were different reasons that led towards our decision. Among them was to provide the opportunity for 100 young people from all over the world, coming from more than 25 students’ organizations, to lead and learn from different trainings in a non-formal environment, shaping them to become the leaders of tomorrow. We are giving our best together with our partners from Zero Generation to organise one of the most significant annual trainings for the NGO world.

And why just not simple Summer University?

Cafer:I really appreciate what Summer Universities are providing to AEGEE and its members talking about cultural exchange and non-formal education. This is the reason this year AEGEE-Sofia is again taking part in the Summer University Project, organising “My AEGEE Balkan Beach Fairytale”. However, as I said earlier, we like to rise to challenges and we want to provide to AEGEE and the members of other NGOs a high-quality training.

What is an event without participants

Your antenna has organised SUs last three years. What is the difference in the organisation for the moment?

Cafer: There is a huge difference between organising a Leadership Summer School and a Summer University. The first is the size of the event. LSS will get together more than 100 people, which is three times bigger than any Summer University we organised so far, which means that we will need much more people involved in the organisation. Other difference is the concept of the event. The priorities of LSS are the trainings and the opportunity for exchanging ideas between the NGOs, compared with the Summer University where the social program is prior. Among our tasks is to provide the best training facilities for our participants.

Herve, How many Leadership Summer Schools have you organised so far?

Herve: Being present since the beginning, I can say I contributed to organise all  the LSS so far, which means 6.

What keeps motivating you?

Herve: LSS is an amazing concept. As a trainer, given opportunity to empower your participants, to facilitate their learning with innovative methods, to help creating a supportive environment is amazing. Being able to do that together with the most professional, skilled and caring trainers is a blessing. Sharing of best practices also contributes to each other’s development.

What could people expect this summer?

Herve: If we are able to improve the learning experience, to initiate and/or strengthen career paths and to empower every single LSS participants, then we all would have levelled up as group and as individuals.

Cafer, what is the biggest challenge for you?

Cafer and his devoted OC from AEGEE-Sofia

Cafer: To be honest, personally for me the biggest challenge is working and cooperating with partners from more than 25 students’ NGO at the same time. Though as part of AEGEE we have good experience and have been cooperating with different partners through the years. Therefore, I can say that I have a positive feeling towards the outcome of the event.

Tell us how is organised – you provide logistics, Supervisory Board provide content? How do you collaborate?

Cafer: The main task of AEGEE-Sofia is to provide logistics, good PR and FR of the event and the task of the Supervisory board is to help and lead us to the best outcome. The content part will be taken care of by the Trainers team and I can say that after really had selection (63 great applications) we will have the best possible trainers team this year. However, except the logistic part our local is engaging also a lot of emotions, sleepless nights and efforts to make this LSS the best so far.

Thank you, both I wish you success with this great event!

Keep in mind –  Application period will be open until 14^th of April!  For more information visit us on: http://leadershipsummerschool.org/2013/03/apply-to-participate-in-lss2013/ and on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/leadershipsummerschool

Written by Liliya Buyukliyska, AEGEE-Sofia. Prepared in cooperation with Elena Antova, AEGEE-Sofia.

The AEGEEan journalist Liliya Buyukliyska was again in front of the familiar door at Rue du Noyer 55. The house is described as with AEGEE spirit everywhere – from the stickers to the charm of the office.  During the dinner talks about musical festivals and shower troubles it is visible that those people are more than a family and enjoy it to the biggest extent possible. In the interview The AEGEEan discovered why the seven CD members have the motivation to continue one more year. 

The AEGEEan: Describe each other! How do you see other members of the team?

Anna Gots is lovely, money, hardworking, dreamer, singing outloud, administration. Miguel Gallardo Albajar addings that ‘you easily see when she is not in the office, cause you always miss the music when she is not there’

‘Our biggest achievement as CD this year was to go for something better’

Miguel Gallardo Albajar according to the others is: comfort, a team player, le chef, hugs, idealist, broken bones, and a supporter.

Luis Alvardo Martinez: no belt, never-ending e-mails, never-ending ideas of projects, bloody tiger, leader, pushy, and “one of us”.

Beata Matuszka: broken bones, lady, working at night, coffee, Irish, and focused.

Kathrin Renner: clumsy, dangerous, idealist, grammar nazi, perfectionist, fan, party, pumpkin, good roommate, and seller.

Pavel Zbornik: humble, IT, builder, money, structures, super-duper skilled and smart, engineer, BEER, and swiss-army knife.

Lucille Rieux: Feta, guitar, ‘Close the door’, people, eyes, organised, keep in mind, hardworking, French, Cheese, and dry tomatoes.

Was it the EBM where you decided to re-candidate and did you make the decision individually or together?

Lucille: We were thinking about it long time before that. We were sharing the idea since we are always together in the office.

Kathrin: We took the decision individually but all of us depending of what the other has decided.

Miguel: I don’t think that any of us would have done it if we were the only ones to consider it. But once we saw  what the others want to do it was much easier to decide.

The thing that helps a lot is that we have a common vision, we share a lot of ideas.

So for each of you it was playing a role that you are going to do it together?

YES!!!

For four of you there is still the question what is going to happen. Are you all going to enjoy the next year irrespective of whom you are going to spend it with or it’s more connected to the group spirit? Is the team already built up?

Miguel: When we were candidating we knew that there was this possibility and we played with that. We were taking into account that it’s democracy. So if it’s not all of us but one or two extra people we would do as much as possible to make him/her part of the team, of course.

Is your re-candidating somehow connected to the AEGEE-Identity project?

Lucille: Well, it’s not directly but it’s true that if we stay it will be good to make the follow up. But it’s one initiative among many.

Miguel: We made our activity plan that was maybe too ambitious – for some, we just put too many things in it but for others – they were not possible to achieve in one year. Some of you need a lot of time.

And after all this time in the CD, did you find what is the AEGEE identity like for you?

Luis: It is in our activity plan that we launch at the beginning of September we did the identity process

We want to see AEGEE as platform that inspires young people, training and developing them

that we ask the Network to complete themselves. So we already stated the ideal AEGEE that we want to see for ourselves. We want to see a platform that inspires young people, training and developing them. And also cultural exchange but seen mostly not as a main focus  but rather as a tool or a side effect.  So a platform which uses all its potentials.

Kathrin: And a platform, which creates European citizens.

And if you are going to be re-elected is it going to have some position or task changes?

Luis: We have discussed this. The positions would stay the same as well as most of the tasks but we will have a task re-distribution in order to keep us motivated and to change some tasks and try some new things.

Lucille: Well, soon we would have new employed people in the house for the first time. So, we are going to re-distribute some of the secretariat tasks. Some are from the LLL Project but some others are administrative tasks. Also with Anna  – she is already helping a lot with administration work, so basically we already share. Actually in this team even if each of us has assigned task we do a lot of things together as a team and there are a lot of common initiatives over which we work all together. So it’s not just doing one thing and that’s what I like a lot this year.

Luis: Yeah, It’s not really many-many individual tasks but we have a lot of team tasks.

What is your biggest achievement in AEGEE? Some of you had this question last year but for sure now the answer has changed.            

Our common biggest achievement is moving house

Anna: Well, our common biggest achievement is moving the house, for sure. Besides our PC works, staying in front of the computer and setting all the meetings, this was actually a very big achievement.

Miguel: We are also now,  for the first time, involved in many Life-Long learning programmes that we knew AEGEE before was not involved in. For some of them we have been small partners but we get now our big role. We have applied for things that we have never applied for before as AEGEE.

Luis: Our biggest achievement as CD this year was to go for something better. We have seen that this organisation was stuck or not stuck but staying in its comfort zone for many-many years as doing the same thing every year and a bit scared to try new things out. And this year, we have tried a lot of things – new things. And a lot of them went well, so it is visible for the Network. We have tried new things, apply for new funding, offer new house, organise new projects. Of course, when you expand your comfort zone and try to do different things, the organisation moves. Breaking up this bubble, which we were in before and also making the Network join our initiatives and contributing. I think that’s one of the biggest successes.

Beata: Actually you could not say one big thing. I remember when this question was asked to me last year it was easier to answer at that time. But now we have expanded our limits, we tried new things, challenging ourselves every day…So, you could not really pick one as the biggest, because everything is a big achievement here.  The biggest actually is us enjoying what we are doing and always trying to pass this energy and motivation on to the whole network and to move the network itself.

Kathrin: For me, first of all it’s the EBM and we actually asked our members what they wanted to see and we had recommendations that came directly from our members which we haven’t seen in the past. The impact management – now is still in the  early stage

There is still such a long way to go, things to learn and grow.

but it is going to bring a big change. And also the fact that we are running again for office is also a pretty big achievement, because it shows that even after half a year , we know all the problems but also all the benefits and potentials, we are still motivated and inspired to do another year and it’s also a pretty big achievement.

Pavel (even though he needed some encouragement – it must be put down to the fact that he is humble): Well, the moving of the house’s infrastructure was challenging for sure (never remind him of the 1 km-long  cables he had to move). So finally with the help of the rest of the team, we found out that maybe, the fact that he has applied for 700 000 euro could be his biggest achievement. Even though the new website, the SU 25 booklet, new blog, etc. could be also among the many successful stories on the list. But still for Pavel – improving the communication channels like making people more informed what is happening in AEGEE. I think this is my achievement. We are trying to broadcast the information directly to the members. Increasing the visibility of AEGEE is seen!

Lucille: This year, one of the things that changes is the image of AEGEE externally in the sense that we are doing a lot of work in Brussels. We are not only realizing some meetings and attending conferences but we try to do some projects here in Brussels, so we get more visibility as an organisation, to be taken more seriously. It existed in the past – we are not finding a new activity – but it was a little lost and we are bringing it back.

Miguel, Kathrin, Beata and Pavel – what if from September,  your address is not rue Noyer 55 any more? What’s next in that case?

Miguel: If I am not re-elected I have already planned to stay in Brussels. I like a lot living in the city. Even before the

I do what I like. Why should I change it? It is one more year of enjoyment.

re-candidating idea came, I was already thinking about staying here but don’t have a clear plan yet. Probably it would be something different from my studies – environmental but at the same time not too different – policy or working in some organisation. But I hope I could work in THIS organisation.

Beata: I still have to finish my masters, I need to write my thesis.  So if I am not going to be here from September I am going home, thinking over my whole life and what I actually want to be. Actually, after all this AEGEE experience, I think I want to be professional trainer, a coach. If I don’t stay here, I would challenge myself as much as I can, expand my comfort zone and try new things. I just can’t imagine my life without AEGEE.

Kathrin: I think I would stay in Brussels. It would be very hard to let it go so I would try to stay. I would probably look for a job here, in Berlin or somewhere else and start working. Maybe do a masters aside and start a life basically. But, of course, I hope I would stay here.

Pavel: For me – I have no clue. CD is a kind of a procrastination of my decision in which direction I would go, which kind of work, what specialisation I would choose, which country, which continent. I don’t know.

Is one more year a big sacrifice?

Luis: It is a very-very big sacrifice. Previous CDs always had a lot of problem with private life, managing to live in a city like Brussels, since we are not getting so much money. We are still volunteers. We work as professionals but we don’t get money as professionals or all the benefits they have.  We don’t have too much private life, we work on the weekends,  we don’t have holidays. It is a very big sacrifice in life and the only possible way you could survive the city and think of re-candidating is to have an amazing team and the team relations are very good. That’s why we have taken this decision – because the atmosphere in the house is extremely good. When you have people who support you, people who bring you up when you are down – I think is the only way you could survive this.

Lucille: And also the thing which help a lot is that we have a common vision, we share a lot of ideas.  Sometimes, we might have different views but we have a common vision for AEGEE…

Anna: ….keep inspiring each other, challenging each other…

Miguel: …….learning from each other.

Anna: You could always see how you could grow, how you could learn more and more.

Miguel: Actually, this extra year  – each of us was thinking – we were already given one year, this

We keep inspiring each other, learning from each other…

extra year – I can afford it. But you don’t say the same when you are at a university or you are working. At least for one year, I am sure for sure, I could learn here more than during all the years at the university, anyway.

Pavel: From my perspective  it is really a sacrifice, because I could have had a really decent life and a well-paid job. But on the other hand – I do what I like. Why should I change it? So finally – it is not a  sacrifice from my point of view – it is one more year to enjoy.

Beata: I was taking into account that actually I work full-time and I extremely love every single moment of my stay here. So…why would I give it up if I really enjoy being with these people, if I really enjoy doing my work?! When I came here, I was not thinking about one more year. But then, we started talking about it – it is really amazing to work all together and do all these initiatives making the life of 13,000 members better. So these things are amazing.

Anna: It is a question of priorities. Apart from having a common vision and ideas we have also a similar vision of priorities. We all could have one of these jobs with a lot of money, nice house or free time. But we all want a job which would bring us more experience, a job that gathers people with the same vision and who we like.

Miguel: You can always go to one of the events in the Network and get your batteries charged, because there, you see that all we do has an impact on all these people and also for me, there is something very important – I don’t think that in any other job you could have so much impact. Maybe with another job you could reach a lot of people but as CD the impact we have over each of the members of AEGEE is really big. Thinking of the CD – I think this is what I want to do.

And now – rephrasing Luis’ last year interview – tell us the ‘Five lessons I have learned since being in Brussels’

Miguel: 1)’Together we can’achieve much more than alone2)I needed to improve my speaking skills…3) You can never predict who will be the next person you will learn from4) There are AEGEEans everywhere…in many European institutions, in OSCE, in many governmental agencies…5) I learned that the only way to really multitask is to be extremely organized.	Kathrin:1)If you are committed to development work never finishes.2) You can achieve anything with the right people at your back.3) The more you give, the more you get back.4) You close your own reality and you only grow by expanding your comfort zone.5) Patience is vital.
Lucille 1)I learnt how to trust perfectly people with whom I work (‘Together we can’)2) I have realized the power of measuring our impact as an organization3) Dreaming big!!4) Challenging myself5) I can eat onion	Pavel1) Everything is possible2) Beer is good here3) There is no logic in Belgium4) I learned how to make cables5) I know how to make salad
Anna1) There is nothing impossible for a strong team2)Belgium bureaucracy is never ending.3) Your hard work can be rewarded in so many different ways. There are many things which money can’t buy (said our Financial Director – b.a)4)As long as you keep challengingyourself, you’ll always have a strength to make a step further.5)If you really really want something, there’ll be always the way to achieve it. Never give up!	Beata1) Being more structural + implementing time management-2) Not doing 3000 different things at the same time3) Not being afraid to ask for help4) How to move such a huge house (my dad would be proud of)5) How to jump up and down on the old stairs for months (and learned how to walk again without crutches.)
Luis1) There is still such a long way to go, things to learn and grow.2) No matter the obstacle, there is always a way to make it.3) Team, Team, Team. There is nothing without a strong team.4) If everybody in AEGEE was aware of our potential as organisation we would have tea with President Barroso every week.5) I still have to learn to dress in a country with snow.

Written by Liliya Buyukliyska, AEGEE-Sofia

Being at a same local with Elena let me know her and the way she works since almost the moment I joined AEGEE (already four years ago). But I got acquainted with her meticulous attention to detail at a Youth in Action event in Bratislava. Once you see her suitcase or her room you will know that you deal with an extremely organised person. The way she was dealing with the finances of the first Summer University (SU) by AEGEE-Sofia made us respect Elena’s bureaucracy in the most positive way. Moreover, she was always patient and kind, working easily with different people, always a team player and never leaving something in the middle. Due to all this reasons I was somehow not surprised when I found her candidature for a secretary of the Agora. Why she finds it charming and what is the normal speed she types with – read further and find out:

The AEGEEan: Elena, you have occupied many positions in AEGEE – Financial Director, Audit, Human Resource Committee member, etc. Why have you decided to run for secretary?

Elena: Every time I have ever decided to run for a certain position, I was looking at my inner motivation. I was making sure it is strong enough to defeat all obstacles on my way. I have been considering the position of secretary before and I can say that it is unfortunately rather underestimated by AEGEEans. But, in my opinion it is charming in its very own way. It provides you the unique opportunity to work together with the rest of the Chair team in collaboration with the local organisers on the next Agora, to keep constant connection with applicants and participants and at the same time you are entitled with the responsibility of preparing the minutes.

What is the most important feature for being a good secretary?

Well, I can’t say that there is a special ingredient you should possess in order to become a good secretary. It depends on the case and on your team. Still, there is something you should have in order not just to leave in the middle of the plenary, because you can’t take it anymore and this is called persistence.

Have you worked with Alla Resheten (Chair Team) before? Are you excited to work exactly with this team?

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the opportunity to work with any of the members of the current Chair team so far. However, I am really looking forward, if the Agora approves me for this position, to starting my work as a part of the Chair team. I would do my best to support and assist them with everything I can.

According to you, when is it normal for the secretary to publish the minutes of an Agora?

For me the best moment for publishing the minutes of the Agora is when the secretary is 100% sure that she did her best to fulfil her task and there is no other way she could further improve them. Of course, it is always better if the minutes are submitted on time as on them depends the work of different AEGEE bodies, however I think that we shouldn’t forget the quality factor as well.

Get a watch and write us as much words as possible for 15 sec.

Actually, I never tried to measure my typing speed for such a short time. I did it for one minute and it was between 50 and 55 words. So I guess for 15 seconds it will be around 12 – 14 words.

Well, really impressive. Thank you, Elena, and wish you luck in Mannheim!!!!

Written by Liliya Buyukliyska, AEGEE-Sofia

It is hard to say ‘former editor-in-chief’of the AEGEEan. Hard, because I remember how it all started, how we chose Stephanie and how I took People’s section because there was nothing else left (the greatest ‘punishment’ for being late). Now – a year and a half later – everything looks different. The AEGEEan is well-known, follows strict standards for publishing and the number of team members could not be counted on fingers anymore. All of this, together with the sweet joy of having 1000 likes on the Facebook page or the fantastic and funny editors’ skype meetings with Jüri have one main figure that connects them, and without who The AEGEEan would not have looked the same – Stephanie Müller who has been the first editor-in-chief of The AEGEEan from it’s start.

AEGEEan: How do you feel, Steph? Do you still open The AEGEEan every day?

Stephanie: I feel truly sorry that I left The AEGEEan and its wonderful team, but I have other AEGEE projects to focus on at the moment and with Patricia Anthony being my follower, I felt extremely well replaced. Therefore, I am also very happy that I know that The AEGEEan will be in good hands after my resignation. So, I can say I leave the magazine happy and sad at the same time, but I guess this is the best I can wish for. After such a long period of working for The AEGEEan I did not expect it to be easy to let go.

Indeed, I still read The AEGEEan articles daily. I guess this is a habit I cannot give up on so easily.

Was it hard to leave ‘your baby’ to somebody else?

Yes, definitely in one way, as after one and a half years I am so used to the procedures of publishing articles, communicating with the team on a daily basis with lots and lots of emails per day, it is kind of hard and strange not to have these daily tasks anymore. On the other hand, I am happy to see that The AEGEEan is moving on with new people full of ideas and motivation. It is a good thing when projects go on, but new people have the chance to realize their ideas too. This is needed to keep a project alive and to improve it.

What did this experience mean for you? What did it teach you?

I learned so incredibly much as in no other AEGEE project before. I learned a lot about team leading, team dynamics, how to motivate others and how to set strict deadlines people actually keep. At the same time, I learned how I behave in such a team, and I trust that I am a good team leader (at least no one told me the opposite) and I gained a lot of confidence with my tasks. Also, through The AEGEEan I got to know indeed a lot of people on the European level, I made really great friends and I had all the news about what was going on in the Network before anyone else. So, I felt very well-informed and I liked sitting at the source of information.

The AEGEEan taught me that I can achieve anything I want if I believe in myself, and for all these experiences I am very thankful and happy that I had the chance to make them.

Which was the hardest moment of establishing this really trustworthy internal tool of AEGEE? Well, the hardest part was probably the first three months, because everyone in the team was very new, so we did not know each other, did not know what to expect from each other and we were not so structured and organised as now. Also, at that time, I was doing a full-time internship in Cairo, so I had only time for The AEGEEan late in the nights. However, we found our way.

Which was the happiest moment?

The happiest moment was for me when I met the first people I had only been in contact with by mail before. So, it was definitely the first team meeting in Brussels and at the EBM Izmir, where I had the chance to meet more team members. However, there were so many other happy moments, like the secret cake party during the Agora Budapest or the sometimes very funny editor skype meetings. I have to say, I loved the editor skype meetings, as we were actually talking with each other, which made the conversations much more lively and funny sometimes.

Did The AEGEEan change you? When did you realise that it happened to you?

I would say yes, in some way. I got much more confident in my capacities and also in what I want to achieve in AEGEE. I realized it at some point in the summer last year, when the first editors one after another told me that they would like to leave the editors’ team and I began to think about my position in the team and what I have achieved for myself in The AEGEEan.

When did you realise that you needed to move on and leave the post of the editor-in-chief?

Well, after I declared to my local that I want to be in the core team of the Agora Rhein-Neckar and after I got selected by the Comité Directeur as Policy Officer in the field of Social Inclusion and became Financial Manager of the EuroArab Project as well, I knew that it would be hard to stay editor-in-chief of  The AEGEEan. My interest in other AEGEE projects also showed me that I should think about my position in The AEGEEan and I came to the conclusion that I have given to the team everything I could and this would be a good moment to leave it as I have no regrets and did not make any bad experience in The AEGEEan team. So I could leave with only happy and positive memories.

What is waiting for you now? Next challenge is called…..?

The biggest AEGEE related challenge for now is the Agora Rhein-Neckar. I am very happy about my choice to join this team. It is just incredible to work with all these great people. I believe, it was the right decision. Although, I am now having three times more emails per day as previously on The AEGEEan mailing list. Then, I have big plans to promote my topic “Rascism & Xenophobia” which I am working on as Policy Officer within the Network and I write a position paper against racism.

Besides AEGEE, my biggest challenge is to finish my thesis and my studies.  At the end of this year I will finally leave university and then, who knows where I am going to. I just know that it definitely won’t be Heidelberg anymore.

If you needed to start The AEGEEan now, would you do it again?

Of course, without hesitation! It was one of the best decisions of my AEGEE life to work on this project and see how it developed and how I developed with it.

What would you say to those people who are maybe reading this and hesitating to join the team?

I would say: “Don’t hesitate! There is no reason for that. Anyone who likes writing should give a chance to a career at The AEGEEan! You can learn so much from the magazine and from the people working for it. All of the team members have a great talent for writing, and in some cases already a professional background. If anyone considers becoming a journalist later on in his/her life, he/she should definitely test his/her skills in The AEGEEan magazine first.

Thank you, Steph and we wish you good luck for your future challenges!

Written by Liliya Buyukliyska, AEGEE-Sofia   

It is a true Brussels day. It’s raining and the sky has the colour of concrete. After following the instructions of Miguel Gallardo, I arrive to find that the house is almost empty. At least, I am welcomed by the only person I don’t expect – Manos Valasis.

Really? Manos in the house? Obviously, this house was the best decision for moving the AEGEE servers (which probably each of us use but tend to forget) to… After some time spent with rearranging a room full of boxes and desks, all the other inhabitants of the house arrive– all hurrying, bringing more and more of their belongings.  Since, if their suitcases could be stored in one of the rooms on the second floor (there is a third spacious floor as well), the endless boxes with archives of AEGEE would need a lot more.

Thinking that I was only going to be the official photographer, I was surprised to realize that I was ‘upgraded’ to a box and wardrobe mover.

Driving around in a rented van, the CD has chosen the cheapest but also the most tiring way of moving – doing it alone. And when I mean alone – that’s the truth. Not a lot of people were present to help Luis, Beata, Miguel, Pavel, Anna, Lucille and Kathrin. However, the people present did a lot of great work! And in order to ensure the functionality of the archives, Edouard Mougin has found his way to Brussels together with Carol Bello. And here I come – on my day off – to move endless boxes and bags, including the many forgotten or just left things in the common room. But it’s worth it ! The happiness of seeing the old house completely empty together with the big, clean and nice rooms of the new house which is literally in less than a 10 min’s walking distance from the European Commission. That’s the moment when you realise what a good decision it has been. When asking each of the CD members if they would miss the old house the only answer is ‘Don’t think so. But…maybe later we will see’.

With a rented van, driven by Miguel, the CD was moving without any help.seeing the old house completely empty together with the big, clean nice rooms of the new house

  Let’s wish them lots of productivity, great achievements and emotions under the new roof and also, obedient AEGEE guests.

Written by Liliya Buyukliyska, AEGEE-Sofia

P.S. If you are curious and want to see more pictures – come to our Facebook page.

25 years of fun. 25  years of cultural exchange. 25 years of Summer University (SU) Project. This is a whole life for people like me… and even more for some newbies. This is a great achievement and for sure deserves to be commemorated. Thus it was not surprising to see an email about a 25th anniversary booklet for this project. And the work starts here. Captain of the ship is Hara Kogkou –  the person whose smile represents the SU and surely there is no person who knows more SU stories than her, being a Summer University Coordination Team (SUCT) member, and loving this project for years. How does she do it and why she decided to dedicate a few more months to the SU project – keep reading the article and you will find out.

Our idea is to have the SU 25th anniversary booklet digitalised in order to be able to provide it to everybody but of course printed for externals.

According to the plan the booklet will be ready by the end of January 2013. As mentioned we already have a great big team filled with motivation to create this booklet. Currently we are doing a survey and asking all the members (new and old ones) to take part in it. We are really happy as we have already received more than 650 responses and with an even larger number the booklet will be even greater. So, as you can see, every person can play a role in the creation of the booklet and we are waiting for more people to fill out this questionnaire.

I became editor-in-chief of SU 25th anniversary booklet because I am intrigued by the Summer University Project, because I was devoted to it for the past two years as the Project Manager of SUCT and because I want to show other people about our “miracle” that is called Summer University – how a life can take a different path in just two weeks, and of course in order not to forget from where it started and how it is now.

The concept of the booklet is to include stories from the past, the history and the evolution of the Summer University throughout the years, interviews from the people that played key roles in creating the SU project. We are already full of ideas.

After being Project Manager of the SU Project for two years, to do this booklet for me is like a gift; it is like showing non-AEGEE people what we are working and striving for, to show why we are so passionate about this project and how it can change a young person’s life and perspective. It is my way of saying thank you.

To prepare the booklet we will need the help of the Network by different means – by providing us material such as photographs, experiences, stories… everything is crucial and everything is welcome! Maybe for some people a Summer University changed their life, maybe they felt in love with a city and moved there after the SU or maybe they even fell in love with another person, or a culture. Maybe for somebody the SU brought them closer to the European level of AEGEE which got them more actively involved in AEGEE, who knows. So many SU’s take place year after year so for sure there are some great stories out there to be told. If you have great stories to tell, then we are waiting for you!

Of course I could not manage to do it alone and thus there is already a team composed of Pavel Zbornik and Zsófia Komáromi who help from the side of the Comité Directeur, Patricia Anthony (AEGEE-København) is editor of the booklet, newly elected Summer University Coordination Team (SUCT) member Gerardo García Díaz (AEGEE-Oviedo) has agreed to help with the design, and many more who were more than willing to help and be part of the anniversary booklet! Of course, I am not forgetting the help of Les Anciens!

Thank you Hara, and we wish you good luck!

Written by Liliya Buyukliyska, AEGEE-Sofia

Leading such a big project as Summer University for sure is a challenge. But to do it for the second time and simultaneously start from scratch a new international project…That would be for sure a challenge for many AEGEEans. But not for Hara. Maybe because she answers e-mails in few minutes or she is attached to Skype all her free time. Or just because as usual AEGEEan she does 100 different things and she likes it. I don’t know which is the right answer so I suggest you to find out together.

The AEGEEan: Congratulations, Hara! For sure it has been a busy summer for you. Tell us, please, how did you manage it?

Hara: Thanks a lot! The truth is that during summer the work for the Summer University Coordination Team (SUCT) is way less. The load of it is before and after the summer. So, it is like we are working one whole year for just 3 months. But it is something that totally worth it. Coordinating all those Summer Universities, giving advice, talking with the participants and the organisers is something that brings you closer with all these unknown people from all these countries and yet you feel you know them at the end!

And of course, this couldn’t have been real without the members of the Summer University Coordination Team (Maurits, Magda, Costas, Alma and our two assistants Hans-Peter and Peppe) and of course without all the organisers from all the AEGEE network who decided to do these amazing Summer Universities this year!

But you also work, right? How do you find time?

It’s a part time job and the truth is that I like to keep myself busy with lots and different things. They can be language courses, new hobbies, whatever I find  interesting to spend my time. And actually I’m back to school! I decided to do a Master in Oenology, so this year will be a different one according to my past couple ones!

Did you have vacation at all?

Oh yes, I had a very interesting summer that combined work with fun and volunteering. I had the opportunity to visit Baku, Azerbaijan,  to attend the 1st Great Silk Way International Youth Congress; I went to Izmir, Turkey, to attend a Grundtvig workshop about culture and oenology and at the same time to meet again with our AEGEE friends. I was also a main organiser of the IT Summer University “Hack your Summer” that was held in Kefalonia island in Greece etc. Of course I spent a lot of time in the way-too-hot Athens with my friends, but the beach is close so life is good here in the South. It’s October and it is still summer here  :) (devoted to all my Northern friends)

Tell us, please, more about the Flagship topic you are part of. Is it ready? What it will consist of?

The Flagship topic is about the students’ mobility in Europe and the Mediterranean countries. It has been formulated and at this Agora we will see if it is going to become the next and at the same time the last Flagship Project of AEGEE.

In general, our idea is to let all the students and young people in Europe and neighbourhood countries to take part in mobility programmes. Among the objectives are making students better informed about mobility programmes, increasing the number of destinations and possibilities for mobility, opening the possibility to apply for mobility programmes to more and younger students. And actually all this could be achieved by simple actions as  Info events or workshops at local level, European student mobility days, organising workshops in high schools, etc. Nothing too unrealistic and at the same time very close to AEGEE nature.

You are part of the core team? Who else is there?

Yes, but I just decided to stay out of it at the end due to my time and priority issues as I really believe in 100% commitment. Unfortunately, this is something I cannot offer at this period. Jorge Miguel is the one who had the initial idea and has done the majority of work, then it’s Alberto Cuesta, Liliya Buyukliyska, Veronika Velkovska, Giorgos Diamantopoulos, Iro Argiropoulou, Davide Verderame etc.

Two years in organisation are already quite big commitment. What are your future plans in AEGEE? 

Two amazing years have passed and now it’s my time to let the Summer University Project to the new ones. I still haven’t realised it and I am not quite sure that I feel ready to give it away, but I see it as an opportunity to try new things as working for the SUCT requires a lot of time. Two years might seem nothing compared to other projects or tasks, but at least for the SUCT is a lot! The truth is that I love it so much that I could do it again, but I think that both the SU and me, we need some time apart.

I am still not sure whether I can commit to another project or team in AEGEE as I first want to see how much time I will need for the university and all the other things I want to do. I still have the mentality of the Summer University and I compare all the tasks with the one in the SU, so it might be wise to have some time out of it. But for sure I will be around as AEGEE is like a narcotic!

So which will be your next AEGEE event?

The Agora in Budapest of course!

See you there then!

Written by Liliya Buyukliyska, AEGEE-Sofia

Attention: If you think you know someone, who deserves to be honored as “Member of the Month”, send an email with the person’s name and the reason for nominating him or her to aegeean@aegee.org.

Every day we are bumping into news about violence… And they somehow pass by us. Hundreds of dead people in Syria, plane crash in Nigeria or army beating protesting people in Egypt. We are so used to hear them that somehow we have stopped realising what they mean.

We have stopped till the moment it happens in our “home.” As a journalist I have written many times

For young people like us religion or origin are not important

about terroristic bomb attacks. It has never been as close as Bourgas though. Actually Bourgas is just 400 kilometres from Sofia. It is a city on the Bulgarian “Riviera” and its airport is not even opened during the whole year. But today (18^th of July) it was opened.

In the summer it is even crowded because of many tourists. A plane from Tel Aviv just landed and the people took the bus from the plane. BANG. And for at least six Jewish tourists this was the last day among us. For 30 more in the crowded bus this will be a nightmare till the end of their lives.

A terroristic attack happened here. Not over the Adriatic sea, not over the Ocean… but just by the Black sea. Just in Bulgaria.

Working for news is not an easy job. It might seem so but sometimes there are news that don’t let you sleep, don’t let you stay aside and forget them after crossing the front door. But when I was starting to do it I was shocked how news were chosen.  Maybe sticking to main rules of the journalism we were covering news that are concerning many people (as the elections in the US) or are close geographically (European Union, your neighbours, etc.) but sometimes the death of 10 people in Doha or Nigeria were ‘minor news’ that “do not concern too many people.”

Maybe for most of you  a bomb attack in an unknown city on the Black Sea coast would also be such a news. But for me it is more than shocking… Not only because it happened in MY country. But also because it happened to a flight with Jewish people from Tel Aviv. On all the Balkans Bulgaria is famous for its hospitality. Once foreign people come here they often find their way back much later.  But we are not only friendly to foreigners but also tolerant to people we live with. In Bulgaria there is a big Turkish minority that even has their own party in the government. And Jewish people and people of Armenian origin are so accepted and positively assimilated that the only way to find out their origin is when they tell you.

So that is why an anti-Jewish terrorist attack in such a country makes the act even more scary and shocking… So let’s hear carefully the news next time and do not try to pass by reports about massacre in some parts of the world our geographic knowledge does not cover and do not underestimate it. Because no matter how scary it sounds – something like this can happen closer than we think even tomorrow.

Written by Liliya Buyukliyska, AEGEE-Sofia