With a pack of printed out article of the AEGEEan, a nervous look and tired eyes after cycling on the hills of Kyiv, I got to meet a candidate for the Summer University Coordination Team (SUCT) – Anna Pyhktina from AEGEE-Kyiv. Most may know her as Smailikova, but do not be fooled. Her read last name is Pykhtina.

AEGEEan: We heard you are applying for SUCT at the upcoming AGORA. Why don’t we start with you telling us a bit about yourself?

Anna: Shortly, I’m 21. I have just finished my bachelors degree in Public Relations and Advertising. Because of an unacceptable gap year I decided to dedicate the year to self-improvement and AEGEE. Next year is still a mystery to me and I don’t want to know about it. I’m taking it one month at a time. I’m also biking, snowboarding, painting, doing stupid things that I don’t regret. I love my city and at the same time, I’m a crazy traveler. Now I’m looking for way to make my dreams come true.

How long have you been in AEGEE? What have you done so far?

I have been member of AEGEE-Kyiv from the 8^th of March, 2010. As you know, it is national Woman’s Day here in post-soviet countries. This was a great present for me. I became a bit active after my summer university in Salerno last year and my real AEGEE life started with the position of coordinator of the “Big Kyiv Theory” Summer University. After that I was involved in every single step there together with my best friend Maria, who was incoming respoinsible, Olia Yushenko, who was president at the time and Anna Kotovich, who was then secretary.

I have recently become PR responsible of the board of AEGEE-Kyiv and am also an AEGEE representative of the EduCoach program. There are also some plans for the AGORA, but I don’t want to reveal all my secrets just yet.

Tell me about SUCT. Why did you decide to apply?

I was thinking of ways to become active on the European level. So I read a lot about different working groups and since I was involved on an SU for half a year, I decided this could be a great way to improve other SUs and help them. I understood that organizing and creating something is my passion. For me, this is the place where I can help someone doing what I love.

You’ve just talked about your PR position in the board. You have also recently been accepted as a journalist for the AEGEEan. Welcome! Apart from that, you’ve just talked about EduCoach and I also know you work! How are you planning to juggle all of that?

I don’t know. Maybe I won’t sleep. I love coffee, I love to drink it. Maybe it will work. That is not all. I also work part time teaching Russian to foreign students. DLA Piper is a law firm I recently working at.  It is somewhat difficult because I work with lawyers and do not always get their jokes. Nevertheless, it’s great to have something new in your life. For me, every new place is a place I can learn something in this life.

As for my position in the AEGEEan, I feel like I have something to say. I like to write and make catchy headings. I want to improve this skill in order to apply for a master’s degree abroad. It’s all about the future.

What inspires you as a person?

Things that inspire me are all around me. My friends know that I’m crazy in love with my city – Kyiv. I’ve also ended up in crazy situations because of my love for music. With me singing when I think that nobody is there and then the elevator door opens and… yeah… really strange. This even happened in my new job at the law firm… awkward, awkward… I adore cycling in Kyiv even though it’s a bit difficult because this is a city on seven hills. Of course I love my friends and family. I always do a lot of hand-made things. If you could see my room, you’d see I have a lot of flags there, postcards, a map of the world, some photos, some paintings, a bit messy, but it’s a crazy mess that inspires me.

Do you have a moto that you try to follow in life?

Perhaps my moto is – “it’s all in our hands and it all depends on us”. There is another moto that I should listen to but don’t. It is – never put off for tomorrow what you can do today. But I’m really great at that.

And now some questions from our readers.

Are you sure you can handle travelling through lots of SUs for checking all the activities as you are from non-EU country and have to have visa to travel?

I planning to get married soon. But seriously, I think that nowadays, you don’t have to be present at every meeting thanks to the technology. With skype and everything, you know how it works. If I do need to travel around the EU, I think that with my past visas I’ll be able to get a visa. The funny thing is that I do have so much experience with dealing with embassies, German, Italian, Spanish and others, that I can write a book about it. I think that as an official member of the future SUCT team with my great desire to see how other SUs are working, I think embassies will be glad to give me visas.

Will you keep your position as subcommissioner of Network Commission, if you are elected?

Internships are becoming increasingly important. A difficult economical environment means students face unprecedented challenges as they look to start their career. An internship helps a student get their foot in the door and provides employers with fresh meat. It seems that everyone is happy. However, the terrible accident that happened in City (London) to young intern Moritz Erhardt, 21, who died after reportedly working 72 hours in a row is the reason why businesses might start paying more attention to the way they treat those at the bottom of the ladder. Knowing that a lot of AEGEEans had the experience of working as interns, we kindly asked for the help and asked them few questions in order to know more.

Oksana Siruk( AEGEE-Kyiv) had a one month internship in Kyiv, Ukrainein the law firm. Oksana agrees that HRs are real challenges for interns: «I had two interviews and two tests. The first interview was with an HR – manager and it was about my career desires, aims and, as usual, why I have chosen this particular firm. At the end of the interview I did a test on my legal – language skills. The second interview was with a lawyer – chief of my future potential internship and after that interview I got a long task to be resolved at home during the week. All the tasks were real cases, with which lawyers in this company deal every day».

Despite the fact she was not even paid for the job she did, the future lawyer has no regrets: «I think, it was worth it, because I got a useful working experience. At the same time, I think, that unpaid internship should have some limitations in time. For example, unpaid internship for three months seems to be too long».

Having his first internship in «Tentlabs» (Eindhoven from february 2010 till june 2010) as a mandatory part for all bachelor students at the University of Applied Science, Maikel Wagemans (AEGEE-Eindhoven) did not even have a real interview: «This internship was at the company of a teacher of mine who asked me after one of the lectures whether I was interested in a particular project which was going on at his company. I never had difficult interviews or whatsoever, not even for a part-time job that I did next to my studies (the interview lasted 10minutes and half an hour later I signed the contract, starting the next day). But that might be because there is a higher demand for employees then are available in my field of study (Electrical Engineering)». Working for a small company Maikel could handle all the tasks: «The amount of work was determined beforehand as the project was bounded and it should be an equal amount of work as for regular employees, who would need the same amount of time. You know that you’ll always work a bit more toward the end since you want to finish things. Since it was a small company (less then 5 employees) the atmosphere was pretty informal. I received a key to the office and the alarm code so that I could get in, even when other employees were not there or leave late if necessary».

Having this type of internship is great – seems you have all the reasons to prove that you are worth something, to know more about the specialization I had chosen and even get hired by the company. «Being hired afterwards would be more based on the way you get your work done (the approach and way of thinking, and they will recognize it if there is a learning curve), and your personality. If you fit in the company and you are not such a lazy ass who thinks working is for other people, you have a good chance of being hired afterwards. Companies know that students do not have that much experience, and experience grows while doing a certain task. So it is their job to invest in the future, an internship is a good method to get to know each other.» – explains Maikel. Talking about the accident in the City, London, Maikel is confident that apparently it is/was “normal” for interns in a bank to work their ass off and prove themselves: «Since the whole economy is still unstable, banks are searching for the best fresh meat (graduates) to hire afterwards, if they hire new economic students at all. Now from my own experience, there was never pressure laid upon me by a company or external factor. The fact that I want a good grade for my final work is the way I put pressure to myself. In my current internship I have been working more hours then necessary, but I will compensate later by taking a few days off.»

Vicky Nikolaou (AEGEE- Piraeus) was so lucky to get an internship in the Netherlands, working in  a logistics company from October 2012 till July 2013 and she also thinks that there should be a line not to cross: «I think its normal that every intern wants to prove themselves but this doesn’t mean in any case that interns need to work to death. I have fallen in this trap too, working 7 days per week with no day off or sometimes without even a lunch break. The thing is no one really demands this from you. I realized that it is not okay to sacrifice your life in order to prove your value. Taking responsibilities and being committed should always stay in reasonable frames».

But it also happens that working as an unpaid intern could be a lottery ticket. One girl from Kyiv,Ukraine, who kindly asked not to be mentioned by name, and the company she worked in (one of the famous Big Four audit and accounting firm) revealed that in her country bosses might hint that in case you do the entire job and work really hard you can take a coveted spot. Unfortunately, to 70% of the interns is said that there were not enough efforts from them and after working for 2-3 months they got fired. And the vacancy for new victims who are ready to work for free opens again.

As everything on Earth, internships have their pros and cons. For many people it was a great opportunity to get to know more about the field they chose and understand that they made a right choice, for others it was a complete disappointment. Anyway, there are no doubts that opportunity only knocks once, so maybe it is better to think twice before saying «no»?

Written by: Anna Pykhtina, AEGEE-Kyiv

Thank you to the pictures to Alexandr Smailikov

A multi-time AGORA visitor, an even more-time workshop presenter, Fabian Brüggemann is at it again. Get ready to join his “Improve yourself” workshops among the possibilities at AGORA Zaragozaaaaaaa. Just as the ideas he presents, Fabian also never stops improving himself. With 11 AGORAE behind him and 12 workshops done, he keeps learning something new. All this started with a brave attempt at a workshop given in AEGEE-Kyiv’s AGORA back in 2009.  Now, Fabian travels from European Schools to Summer Universities and improves our AEGEEans all over Europe. Who knew that it can turn into a well-paid hobby. Let’s see what he has to say about it.

AEGEEan: Tell me about your workshops. Are they always on “Improve Yourself”?

Fabian: I think four of them were not “Improve Yourself”, but also something HR / motivation / flash mob related. The rest were all connected with improvisation theater. The name “Improve yourself” started at Agora-Alicante.

How active will the workshop in AGORA Zaragoza be? Will each of the points presented come with a little game?

There will be about 10-12 games for the four points I am going to teach. Thus, each point has even more than one game to go with it.

Do you change your workshops from year to year?

Together with the participants, I also improve with every workshop I give. I do change the games and methods a bit and also exchange games for other games that fit better. However, the basic concept is still the same.

How do you as a trainer improve? Do you also attend some workshops or do you read more about the issue?

There are several things: of course the direct feedback in the workshop (e.g. the reactions to my explanations, how much the participants understand the message I want to bring across), but also very much the feedback later. After some time a participant might tell me “You know Fabian, in your workshop I realized that … accepting a certain situation helps to move on or being spontaneous and talking in front of people is nothing to be afraid of “. Apart from that, I’m also taking improvisation theater classes, which I’ve been doing for several years now. I also talk about the concept with friends who are experienced trainers and who give me quality criticism.

I remember you once told me you also give similar workshops as a job and actually get well paid for it. Do I remember everything correctly?

Yes, exactly. I don’t give them on a very regular basis, since I have a normal 40 hour job, but I gave a workshop like that, for example, at Siemens.

And AEGEEans have a chance to get it all for free?

Yes. There are two reasons for this. First, I started giving these workshops in AEGEE, so in a way it´s “giving it back to AEGEE”. But also, AEGEE is a great playground to try out new games and concepts, because people are very open for new things and, at the same time, critical, so I get good feedback. Actually, there is another one: it´s just so much fun that I don´t want to give it up.

Anything the participants should do/take to be prepared for your workshop?

Their level of English should be quite good, because some of the games are about language. As for the rest: no! They should just be open to try out new things, leave their comfort zone and have fun.

What is the goal of the workshops you’ll be doing?

My goal is that the participants realize that they can actually DO the things they try: speak in public, be spontaneous, be flexible, be able to accept things as they are and make something out of that, be a bit more aware of what is happening around them and watch out for others. My goal is that they have fun at the same time as well as remember the things I try to teach them and apply the methods in real life. I also want to give them a positive way of looking at things – so that´s rather an attitude change, but that´s a very big goal for just a 2 hour workshop.

Sounds reasonable. Anything else you would like to tell our readers?

What might be interesting is the fact that at Agora Kyiv I gave my first workshop (about flash mobs), just to try it. So I used AEGEE as a playground to try something out – and I learned so much from it, that by now even companies come and ask me to give workshops! To cut to the chance: it is worth to try things out in AEGEE and make something out of it!

Thank you very much for your replies and good luck at the workshops in Zaragoza.
Written by Olga Volovyk, AEGEE-Kyiv.

The AEGEEan is proud to present our new Member of the Month from AEGEE-Berlin, Hans-Peter Bretz. You may know him by his nickname Hape. Elected for the Summer University Coordination Team (SUCT) at Agora-Budapest, he has been trying something new this year and dedicated most of his summer to it. Travelling between summer universities, meeting new people and observing how all of the work SUCT went the year before turned out in practice. The AEGEEan just could not resist from learning more.

To start off, why is your nickname Hape?

In German people sometimes have double names, which is different from just having two names: they are supposed to be used together. Instead of always saying the full name, they are often abbreviated, e.g. Karl-Heinz to Kalle, or, in my case Hans-Peter to Ha-pe or simply Hape. My name is also completely out of fashion, I have never met someone with the same name who was younger than fifty. Even though Hans sounds like the most German name, most Germans do not really get “Hape” either. But there is a famous comedian called Hape Kerkeling, so they usually ask something like “You mean like Hape Kerkeling? Wait, is he also called Hans-Peter??”

What have you been doing this summer for AEGEE? We heard you were traveling quite a bit

That is true, the SUCT got some Interrail tickets to visit Summer Universities, so I took a three week long trip from Berlin on to the East and visited eight Summer Universities (SU).

Which summer universities did you visit?

I was at the SUs of AEGEE-Praha, AEGEE-Wroclaw/Opole/Lviv, AEGEE-Poznan/Gdansk/Torun, AEGEE-Warszawa/Riga, AEGEE-Krakow/Berlin, AEGEE-Katowice/Bratislava, AEGEE-Debrecen/Sibiu and finally AEGEE-Cluj Napoca.

What were you looking for in the SUs and what were you checking?

The main idea was to look at the programmes and how they realised them, and also to get some feedback by the organisers on our work and communication. Of course it is hard to tell if 100% of a programme is done when you are there for only a few days. But you can get a good impression of how the organisers work and also some feedback from the participants. By the way, it was quite funny how my presence was perceived by the participants at different SUs. At the beginning of my trip, I was at an SU where the group had already had some time to form and bond. When I sat down with some of them between programme points to enjoy a beer and some small talk and asked a general question about the SU to break the ice, they just smiled and made jokes how they would not let me spy on the organisers. At other times, some participants would see me as some sort of complaint box for every little thing they did not like about their SU. For me, it was also very interesting to see how the organisers prepared their SU, what different approaches they took, how they interacted with their group and how the general experience was influenced by the team of organisers, but also by the participants. Often, SUs are said to have their own atmosphere, and I wanted to see where that comes from.

Any favorite SU among the ones you visited?

Before my trip, I was afraid that 2-3 days at each SU would not be long enough to get a good impression. Later I was a bit surprised how much more you get out of a few days if you try to have an open and active mind and pay attention to details instead of just being part of the masses at an event. Still, the impression of a particular SU also depended on the parts of the programme I could take part in. In Prague, I arrived just in time for the city rally, whereas my day in Poznan was the relaxing day in between other days filled with programme (both were very nice, by the way). On a more personal level, the last SU of my trip, in Cluj Napoca, was great. My first SU and AEGEE event was the same SU, 3 years earlier, and it was still done by the same core team. I met some of the old organisers and even a participant again, and also I saw some participants from AEGEE-Berlin there. You could see how having so much experience in a team helps with all the little things in a Summer University. But I also want to thank all the other organizers who hosted me, managed to squeeze me in their planning and put so much effort in their event.

Did you end up going to any SU just for fun? That means, not as a representative of the SUCT but as participant?

I did not have enough vacation to go as participant, so I did not even think about at which one I could apply for.

We have heard you did your part for the Key 2 Europe (K2E) as well. What exactly did you do for it?

As in the last two years, I was part of the research and  statistics team. But other than last year, I did not have time to join the Concept Development Meeting, so my work was mostly to scan through the lists of events and to look for anything particularly interesting or fitting the themes of the K2E.

What are your plans for the Agora? Are you coming and what are your goals for it?

I will be there, and if there happen to be any discussions where I can participate, I will.

How is the SUCT in general feeling about this year’s SU season? Satisfied?

For all of us except Costas Deltouzos, it was the first time that we got this much insight into the project. We tried some new things like the SU maps, which I think, on average, were received positively, the thematic sessions, and the learning objectives, for which we have to wait for the evaluation. We also got the highest number of applicants in the last few years, so I think all in all we can be satisfied with the SU season.

What do you do in AEGEE apart from SUCT?

For the last year, the work with SUCT consumed most of my AEGEE work time and sadly I could not go to more events than the two Agorae. I do not have any position in my Antenna in Berlin, but we are a small local and if there’s anything to do, I help and participate as much as possible.

Planning to stay in SUCT next year as well or some other big plans ahead?

At several points in the last year, I was thinking about running for a second term, but my PhD study will only get more demanding during the next two years and I would like to focus on that.

Written by Olga Volovyk, AEGEE-Kyiv

Board member on the local level, vice-chairperson of AGORAe and EBM, subcommie in the Netcom team, representative of the Dutch locals towards the Dutch Youth Council, always energetic, optimistic and ready to have fun. This is our new member of the month – Paul Smits from AEGEE-Enschede. Let’s see what he had to say to the AEGEEan:

The AEGEEan: Tell me about your experience in AEGEE.

Paul: It started when I came to Enschede to study. I wanted to join an association, meet many people, make a lot of friends and get to see a bit more of the world. AEGEE soon turned out to be a perfect means for achieving those early goals. While I was having lots of fun, AEGEE more and more became part of my life. I became active on the local level, went to my first Network Meeting and after my first year I went to my first Agora as a Delegate for AEGEE-Enschede. Back then in Enschede I organised some trips, a Summer University and a conference and I soon wanted to commit myself to a year on the Board of the loveliest association of Enschede. As External Affairs responsible, I was responsible for all external affairs of AEGEE-Enschede, except for those concerning Europe. After gaining experience in the Board, I moved on to the European level as sub-commissioner of the Network Commission and Vice-Chairperson of the Agora and EBM.

What was it like to be Chair of two statutory events? Was it a lot easier the second time? 

I enjoy preparing and chairing the events with the rest of the Chair Team a lot! There is a lot going on in the months before a statutory event, which I had observed only from the point of view of the organising local in Enschede in 2012. It is a great experience to be in another essential part of the huge group of people involved in organising statutory events. This applies also to actually chairing the Agora and being at the cool side of the Chair table looking at all those lovely AEGEE faces.

The EBM is of course very different from Agorae. There are less people to entertain, less decision-making going on and fewer days than at the Spring Agora. On the other hand, there are more thematics and interesting discussions, which are awesome, but not very much connected to the work of us as the Chair Team. The EBM Valletta therefore was an easy start for us as Chair Team. The Spring Agora Rhein-Neckar was a bit more challenging, but since I am working with some thoroughly experienced members and the local organizers delivered a very well structured event, we were able to have a quite smooth Agora.

What are the different sides of working in the Board team and in the Chair team?

Working as a Board member of AEGEE-Enschede was a full-time job. We had fixed office hours, meetings all the time, and a lot of quality time with each other and our members. Naturally, this is very different from working in the Chair Team, which is more like any other body on the European level, I guess. Skype and Hangout meetings, dividing tasks and executing them on your own, in between the other things in day to day life.

Also after a while in the Board, each week became more and more like every other week. In the Chair Team however, we are working towards a single big goal with various steps along the way there.

Did you enjoy being a subcommie? Do you plan to conquer NetCom soon too?

Being a sub-commissioner was very enjoyable. I had lots of fun with Wieke, Marije and Mathieu in supporting our part of the network. It was a good way to broaden my horizons beyond the borders that surround AEGEE-Enschede for most of its members. In addition, because I was already a sub-commissioner, it was a fitting choice also to apply to be the very first representative of the Dutch AEGEE locals towards the National Youth Council (NJR). In that position, I am trying to achieve mutual benefit for the organisations. In AEGEE, strong Dutch locals can put their strengths to use in new and better ways and weaker locals can improve through cooperation opportunities and new funding options. AEGEE now also has a big say in selecting the Dutch Youth Representatives on European Affairs.

The Network Commission might very well be the coolest (and best-looking?) body of AEGEE.

Now I do not think I will be running for Network Commissioner in the near future. After my year as subcommie and after representing the Dutch locals towards the National Youth Council (NJR), I feel like its maybe not my time anymore to interfere with the Dutch-speaking locals. As long as there are good candidates for this part of the Network, I will be happy to leave the opportunity to discover and experience AEGEE as a Network Commissioner to those others.

What do you do apart from AEGEE? Studies? Work?

I finished my Bachelor thesis on modelling Single Pulse Electrical Stimulation of the brain cortex last week and after summer I will start my Masters in Technical Medicine, which will take me at least three more years. I have an interest in almost everything, so choosing studies and projects is not always easy. Discovering the world, enjoying it in every way and contributing to it as I see fit, that is my job. Studying is a hobby, which I do in my spare time! Who knows what will come on my path next.

AEGEE seems to fill a huge part of your life. Do you have a separate group of non-AEGEE friends that you spend time with? Sometimes getting some AEGEE-free air can be very refreshing.

If it were not for AEGEE, I would be a total hermit. Most of my friends nowadays have some connection with AEGEE in one way or another. Apart from my housemates and some fellow Technical Medicine students, it is all AEGEE for me. I do not consider this a bad thing, at all. Is AEGEE-free air supposed to be refreshing? In my opinion, AEGEEans are diverse and versatile enough to be refreshing in their own right. If I only compare some of my local fraternity friends with some European active AEGEE members, there is already a great variation in people. This is one of the key characteristics of our organisation that makes it so amazing!

Do you have a motto by which you live or strive to live by?

“She has been responsible for the successful revival of the Cultural European Night at the EBM”. Who is this mysterious person, you might be wondering? It is Alice Bednarova from AEGEE-London. The European Night during Autumn Agora Budapest raised many questions and gave way to many discussions. The Culture Working Group (CWG) has decided to take things under control starting with EBM-Valetta and return the initial spirit of the event. This time the very person who helped in the revival of the CEN concept has been elected member of the month, and The AEGEEan was glad to interview Alice.

The AEGEEan: Could you start with telling us a bit about your life in AEGEE?

Alice: I became an AEGEE member in 2010. To be honest I found AEGEE only by chance. I remember I was browsing through the internet searching for what am I going to do in the summer and I found the Summer University (SU) project, so I joined. After the SU I became very active because I wanted to and because I was doing my Erasmus in Athens.

And you are also active in the CWG?

Yes. I started with the CWG in 2012. I was looking for the way I can get involved in AEGEE and at the same time how this activity can correspond to my interests.

So you are into culture. Any other hobbies?

That’s my huge hobby and also my job since I am studying about galleries and museum sector. The course – Museums, Galleries and Contemporary Culture – is a new project of the University of Westminster. I spend my free time in galleries where I either work or simply enjoy my free time. Of course, I love travelling too. I also work in a little coffee shop. There is no way to survive without a job here.

 You were the one responsible for the Cultural European Night (CEN) at the EBM. What’s the story behind it?

I answered the open call for a person that would be in charge of the CEN at the EBM. We all knew that the last CENs were not successful so far and many voices had risen after the last European Night at the Agora Budapest. There was even this article in the AEGEEan questioning the original purpose of this event and it has been even broadly discussed whether this kind of event in this form should be kept on the program of statutory events. Since the whole CWG see the huge importance of having the CEN we have decided to try to bring a new concept to it- keep the ‘fun elements’ such as the drink and food fair but also, more importantly, –  show that CEN is more a celebration of cultures than just a party with free booze.

As far as I understand, you started dealing with the CEN as soon as you joined CWG? Or did you help out with other things first?

No, actually, this was the very first event. There were many ideas how we could change the EN to make it more cultural. I thought we needed to make it more interactive, to encourage people to join the program. I have requested a projector from the organizers where we played for the first time the CEN video (that was an amazing work from Dasha, AEGEE-Moskva). The most difficult part, however, was to make people join the program. I do not even remember how many times I have sent a reminder saying the same worlds: always asking people to bring their folklore and perform. A week before the event we had only one performance confirmed! I felt that this was going to be a disaster.

During the EBM some guys from Turkey came to me willing to show their dances and not only I had to limit their part because they would make the whole night only Turkish. The Dutch part was also amazing thanks to the organization of Hanke, from AEGEE-Enschede. It started with three – Turkish, Dutch and Greek.

I counted on having more, but was happy with at least three. But then more and more people started joining. Beata organized the Hungarian performance, followed with Anna Gots with the Ukrainian folklore.

Every single performance was so well done. Some of them were simply breathtaking.

 Is there anything you would like to tell our readers?

I would like to say how happy I am for being part of AEGEE. It means a lot to me. Even though we are often working very hard, we end up being rewarded greatly afterwards. I would like to thank also to Danae Matakou and Guillermo Tabares Garcia for their support in the CEN project.

Thank you for all the efforts to Alice and the Cultural Working Group. We are looking forward to the European night at the next AGORA!

 Written by Olga Volovyk, AEGEE-Kyiv

New Year is the time of new beginnings. Following this beautiful tradition, AEGEE-Europe has decided to start the year on a new track in a new house.

The old AEGEE office is well known for its bad condition. 15 different CDs, numerous Working Group meetings and endless AEGEEans from all over Europe have simply worn out the place. It is literally falling apart in some places, letting in the cold, letting go of the warmth and simply not meeting the requirements for living and working there. Besides, sharing one shower with eight or nine people is just one big joke. As the landlord is not willing to renovate it, after the decision accepted at Agora Budapest 2012, the CD was allowed to start looking for their new home away from home. They found it! It’s located at Rue de Noyer 55, 1000, Brussels. The moving date is already set – first weekend of February!

The moving plans are not set yet, but we can already give away some secrets. On the sad note, unfortunately the cute bunnies will not be moving. They will be given away to a farm where they will get to play with more of their kind. On the good note, some of the decorations will definitely be moved. The new house will have a separate room for all the stickers, so there will be no need to glue them around the post box, on doors or ceilings.

The new house is located in a very nice residential area with everything needed just minutes away, including a supermarket, a bus stop, bicycle stops,a  post office, a night shop and, of course, a kebab place. The only disappointment of some members is the absence of a pool. Quick research of the redaction has shown that there is a substantial number of houses with pools. Why the CD opted for one without will remain one of the mysteries in AEGEE history.

It is great though that the beautiful tree made by Alma Mozgovaja will also find a new home in the new house. The beautiful tradition set by the old CD will live on. As no pictures apart from the Google View are available, we’d like to present the new house to you in numbers:

– 5 minutes away from European Commission and 10-15 minutes by foot from the European Parliament;

– 4 floors and at least twice as wide as the old house;

– 9 rooms with 2 rooms given for sub-rent to AEGEEans;

– 2 big bathrooms and 3 toilets;

– 1 BIG garden;

– 100% clarity with the new landlord as to what AEGEE is and what the house will be used for;

– 1 new set of rules as to how the keep the house looking good.

Written by Olga Volovyk, AEGEE-Kyiv

Let’s face it: unless you are active on the European level, there is a big chance that you don’t really know what our different bodies are doing, what they are supposed to do and why they were created in the first place. The AEGEEan magazine is here to help and set the story straight. Up first – Mediation Commission.

If you check the current Member’s Manual, you will notice that there is no such body as the Mediation Commission. In its place, stands the Members Commission.  The reason for such a name change was the proposal made by the Members Commission Agora Skopje (2011) – Agora Enschede (2012). According to it, the name was tweaked together with its functions. Realizing that the MemCom was being activated already after the problem appeared, it was decided to make an emphasis on mediation, so that problems can be solved earlier and conflicts can be avoided. But let’s not get carried away and start from the beginning.

We work in a multicultural organization full of people with different values and ideas. Sometimes, conflicts appear. At times, they can be very proactive and lead to creation of a completely new and successful concept, however, at other times, conflicts end up being destructive. This is where the MedCom comes in.

According to the CIA, the MedCom is there for three things.

1. It is responsible for making sure that the Data Privacy Statement of the CIA is respected. Here they act as an ombudsman.

2. They can be officially activated by two bodies (NetCom, Audit Commission, JC, CD) or 10 antennas. This action results in a dispute, or “MedCom Case,” and is something very formal and serious. After a thorough investigation, they are allowed to take sanctions up to the point of deleting an antenna. However, their verdict can be reversed by the next Agora.

3. The last point comes from the new name – Mediation. This is a step taken in order to prevent a “MedCom case.” Since Agora Enschede 2012, the MedCom can now be addressed by any person or body of the network. This new function allows any member to turn to them for help/mediation in a conflict. Nevertheless, it is strongly urged that the member first turns to their NetCom as this is what they are there to do. But we will  cover the NetCom a bit later.

Agora Budapest elected a new Mediation Commission. Let’s give a warm welcome to our new mediators – Fabian Brüggemann (President, AEGEE-Düsseldorf), Hara Kogkou (AEGEE-Peiraias), Ermanno Napolitano (AEGEE-Catania), Maurits Korse (AEGEE-Enschede), Atanas Nachkov (JC) and Anna Gots (CD observer).

For more information about this AEGEE body, feel free to visit their page – www.commissions.aegee.org/medcom.

They can also be contacted directly at medcom@aegee.org.

Thanks for the photos to Gunnar Erth.

Written by Olga Volovyk, AEGEE-Kyiv

Member of the Month: Amandine Scocard from AEGEE-Paris

The AEGEEan magazine is proud to announce the Member of the Month of October – Amandine Socard from AEGEE-Paris. The nomination was received from our very own AEGEE-Europe president, which can only mean that Amandine did something truly amazing. And for sure, she did. Not only has she been a loyal member of AEGEE for years, but she had the courage to stand up on behalf of our organisation and give not just a good, but a great inspirational speech at an international gathering in Strasbourg. Thanks to the Agora Budapest The AEGEEan got the opportunity to do this month’s interview as a video. Check out the link above to learn more.

Written by Olga Volovyk, AEGEE-Kiev

The Dutch locals are one of the most numerous in AEGEE. While some countries only have one local, the Netherlands can be proud of a whole eleven. The time has come for them to unite and join the Dutch Youth Council (NJR), where nine out of eleven AEGEE locals in the Netherlands are represented.  This does sound very nice and impressive, but what does it actually mean?

Wieke van der Kroef, Speaker of the Network Commission Agora-Enschede – Agora-Budapest, kindly explains the situation. After all, she was the one who initiated the idea and took the first step to making it a reality.

Wieke: “Becoming a member means a few things. First of all, we will be able to vote on their assemblies, so all our members will be represented in their policy now. This means the following things:

1. We are closely connected to other youth associations who are members, and that makes it easier to start collaborations;

2. Being a member of the official Youth Council means that we have an official way to get to talk to (national) politicians and advise on policies;

3. The NJR has a good cooperation and connections to funding organisations, like the company distributing the Youth in Action funds in the Netherlands;

4. The NJR is not just for students though, it’s also for high school students, so it can give us opportunities to already start our PR before people go to university;

5. As the NJR is also a member of the European Youth Forum (YFJ), AEGEE now has an extra influence on their work apart from the vote that AEGEE-Europe has.”

But how were all off these opportunities opened? It was a step-by-step process. The Dutch Youth Council first rejected AEGEE for a lack of national level. Good thing that this did not stop Wieke. After a close look through their statutes, she was able to prove that AEGEE is legible for a membership just like any other organisation. The next step was to find a representative who would present AEGEE to the board of the NJR and convince them just how successful our cooperation can be. This is where Paul Smits, one of Wieke’s subcommies, comes in. He was the one who did the trip to their general assembly.

Paul: “The General Assembly of the NJR was a fantastic experience. All these young motivated people who are actively participating in the society in different ways, brought together in one umbrella organisation, the NJR. It was an energetic meeting with a good meal before and a social drink afterwards, during which I spoke with several people who already inspired me.”

It was here that Paul represented and defended AEGEE for its right to become an official member of the NJR. After a small battle, he succeeded.

Paul: “Representing the participating Dutch locals is wonderful. I am now in close contact with the NJR board and all the other member organisations which are potential partners for my locals.”

Now, is the time for the Dutch locals to get more active than ever. With all these new opportunities and possibilities at hand it would be a shame to let them go to waste. So get to it!

Written by Olga Volovyk, AEGEE-Kyiv