Dear AEGEEans,

I remember like it was yesterday when I applied to an open call issued by the Public Relations Committee (PRC) to create an online magazine for our beloved organisation. For me totally unexpected I was selected as editor-in-chief and from that moment onward I had the task to create a magazine, which would be interesting for our Network to follow, but at the same time I had the responsibility to lead a very diverse team of 20 people coming from all over Europe, putting their efforts in all the different tasks which come along with the creation of a magazine from scratch  (designing, programming the website, writing and proofreading). This open call was send in August 2011, and now after more than 1,5 years of having the pleasure of guiding this project team, I have to say goodbye!

It was not an easy decision, but it is time for the magazine and its team to move on! I have given all the ideas, creativity and experience in journalism I gained through the last years to my team. I tried my best to prove that The AEGEEan is a valuable source of information for the Network, a communication channel actually, which helps all AEGEEans across Europe to find out what happens in the other parts of our small world. The idea behind the magazine was not only to write funny stories, but to connect people by showing what other AEGEEans are doing and to motivate all of you to take action as well. The articles in the magazine are the best proof that you do not need to be superhero to create a project and implement it successfully. You only need to have an idea, a dedication and strong will to achieve your goals. Everything is possible if you believe in yourself and your capacities!

This is at least what I learned mostly from being the editor-in-chief of this magazine and team. I am sure although the PRC had only the best intentions when they came up with the idea of The AEGEEan I believe they would never have thought that within a year the magazine would have been that successful. For me in this very moment it seems unthinkable that The AEGEEan will ever stop existing. If I rethink it it seems like a miracle as the magazine is not even two years old.

These 1,5 years in The AEGEEan team have been the best AEGEE experience in my life and I am incredibly thankful for my team who always supported me when I was doubting my decisions, a team with which I remember very constructive discussions and long lasting skype meetings as well as well-deserved chocolate and cake parties. I could not have wished for any better team and dear Network, if anyone of you likes writing or enjoys proofreading do not hesitate to contact the new editor-in-chief Patricia Anthony (aegeean@aegee.org) as you will not regret your decision to join this team.

In the end I wish the new editors team around Patricia Anthony and all the new and old members of the team all the best for their remaining time in this AEGEE project. May it become more and more successful so that it will never stop existing!

Dear Network, please see this magazine as a chance to inform other members of other locals in other countries about your projects, your wishes, your ideas and your future dreams for AEGEE. You are very welcome to send any AEGEE related article to the magazine (aegeean@aegee.org). The purpose of The AEGEEan is not to regulate the spreaded information of the Network, but rather to give you a platform for exchanging any kind of information. Therefore, I can only insist: Use it!

With best wishes and in eternal memory of a personally very special AEGEE experience,

Stephanie Müller, AEGEE-Heidelberg & former Editor-in-Chief of The AEGEEan

Dear Network,

I had the honour to interview the new editor-in-chief Patricia Anthony from AEGEE-København. Probably you have seen this always smiling and cheerful blond Danish girl at one of the last statuatory events, or you have been contacted by her for the “Summer University of the Week” project of the AEGEEan or  a friend of a friend told you about her. Now you will hear even more of her, as she has just become the new editor-in-chief of The AEGEEan. Take this chance and find out who will be responsible from now on for AEGEE’s first and only online magazine.

1) Maybe there are still some people in the Network who don’t know you. Therefore, please present yourself.  

Patricia: Well, my name is Patricia Anthony, and I am pure Danish. I have a bachelor degree in business language communication which I studied in English and Spanish. I am 22 years old and I am one of those people who wish I had joined AEGEE in a younger age because I have “only” been a member since March 2011. However, in that time I’ve tried a lot. My first time of AEGEE I spent during my Erasmus in Madrid. I got to learn a lot about the organisation and upon my return to Denmark in January 2012, I joined The AEGEEan as European Events editor and Facebook responsible (which is why you have probably seen my name spamming you on Facebook) and I became PR responsible of AEGEE-København. I gained a lot of experience with different projects such as being fair manager at Agora Enschede and Agora Budapest, founding the Sports Working Group of AEGEE of which I’ve been secretary since Agora Enschede, writing content for the new aegee.org with the PRC, being editor of the Key to Europe 2012 and the Summer University 25 anniversary booklet, have all provided me with the courage and belief that I can take over such a difficult challenge as to follow in the steps of Stephanie Müller as editor-in-chief of The AEGEEan. Other than being in The AEGEEan these days, I also focus on the Action Agenda Committee, I am president of AEGEE-København and the subcommie for Karolina Mazetyte in the Network Commission. For the time that I have left besides AEGEE, I study sports management (hence the Sports Working Group interest), and I take dance classes whenever there is time for that.

2)  You have been editor of the Europeans Event section of The AEGEEan for more than a year. So you know how the workflow goes in the team. Please tell us, what do you think about this AEGEE project? 

Patricia: In my opinion, even though this magazine has done so great in the past one and a half years, there are still many challenges to take on. First of all, the team of editors is completely new. Furthermore, we also have quite a few new journalists and proofreaders who have joined the magazine in the last six months. So, my goal at the moment is to make the team feel like a team through a lot of team-building done at the upcoming statutory events. Working on the team is very important because at the end, if people are more involved in the work they are doing and if they enjoy it, the motivation will also be greater to hand in articles on time, to come up with ideas for new articles etc. These are all matters to be worked on.

Patricia pictured in Oslo – She might not be able to get much recognition of the magazine in countries where AEGEE is not present, but hopefully she will achieve that together with the team in the countries where you can find AEGEE.

Another goal is to get more recognition for The AEGEEan on many levels. Every month, the team behind The AEGEEan listens to the suggestions of the Network for nominations for Local and Member of the Month. Afterwards, it is decided through voting which one of the nominees receives these titles. However, for some reasons most of the time suggestions for nominations come from team members of The AEGEEan. These are always good suggestions because in The AEGEEan we have people involved in the Comité Directeur, The Public Relations Committee and different Working Groups. Still, I would like to get more recognition of this process from the Network’s part. We are a large Network, and the further we reach the better, but this is difficult even though we are a team of many different nationalities.

Last year, in The AEGEEans Choice Awards 2012 we saw that many awards were handed over to Spanish antennae. This came as a very little surprise since looking into the insights of our Facebook page tells that about 500 people from Spain *likes* The AEGEEan. Further down the list Turkey and Italy can be found with 300 *likes*, respectively followed by Poland with 200 *likes*, whereas only about 160 members from Germany/Greece/The Netherlands follow us online on Facebook. Obviously there is the opportunity to visit our page directly, and/or subscibe to it, but the statistics show that, that is rarely the case. So we need to reach more people from the Network. Ways to do so can be through promotion both online and in the form of events, and it is also important to consider the articles published in the magazine. This brings me to another goal: Making The AEGEEan more thematic.

The AEGEEan Team meeting during Agora Budapest

4) What topics do you believe should be tackled more in The AEGEEan?

Patricia: What we discuss frequently is which topics to address in the magazine. We are working on making The AEGEEan more thematic. Encouraging and motivating Working Groups etc. to write articles about the work they are doing and how it is related to the Action Agenda. Furthermore, in the future, hopefully more thematic events will be covered in our magazine too. Basically, the idea behind much of the coverage, especially with thematics is to raise the interest in the Network and show how easily it can be done to contribute to the Action Agenda.

Something not so thematic but something that I hope to see more of in the magazine is travel guides. Frequently, antennae recieve e-mails with questions about what to visit, where to stay, what to eat, and it is a pitty that only a few locals have taken the opportunity so far to help other members of AEGEE to get a better experience of their city when visiting, and to use this opportunity to promote their city.

5) If you should describe the magazine in three words. What would they be?

Patricia: Diverse, Information, Challenge.

 

6) Why did you candidate to become the editor-in-chief of The AEGEEan? 

Patricia: I decided to candidate for this magazine because it is truly the place in AEGEE where  I have learned and developed myself as a person the most. I have been part of the magazine for one year and when Stephanie Müller told me she was leaving the magazine, I became sad but I also knew right away that I wanted to become editor-in-chief. I have so many ideas to improve the magazine, and I would like to continue developing it with the rest of the team while providing information about the knowledge I already have about the magazine. Furthermore, even though my inbox is overloaded with AEGEE related e-mails everyday, I still missed the e-mails on the editors list of the magazine when I left that in December, and I wanted to join it again, with a new and interesting position.

7) Can you imagine that The AEGEEan will still exist in five years? And if yes, why? 

Patricia: I hope so, and I think that this magazine has great potential. The team that helped building this magazine made sure to cover so many different areas that it has achieved greatness at a very early point. In some cases it can slow the process down but when publishing an article, every single thing is done to the level of perfection; ensuring pictures are right, proofreading has been done, etc., raising the quality of the magazine to very high. There are and have been many creative minds connected with the magazine who always come up with interesting ideas in terms of articles, promotion, and development of the magazine.  I think that the key is that having such a magazine, opens up a path for indeed a wide range of people to become involved. All it takes is taking a look at the different types of positions a person can have in the team and which types of sections there are in the magazine. Because it is not only The AEGEEan team that is involved in the magazine. The Comité Directeur, Working Groups, Policy Officers, Project Teams etc., all publish articles in The AEGEEan so it would make no sense if such platform did not exist in five years.

 

Personally I wish Patricia all the best! May all her ideas for improvements of The AEGEEan become true and may she never lose her motivation by reading 50 mails a day!

Written by Stephanie Müller, AEGEE-Heidelberg & former Editor-in-Chief of The AEGEEan

For the first time in the history of AEGEE, the Agora is not organized by one, two, or even three locals. It’s organized by seven locals from the Rhein-Neckar region of Germany! Due to this high number of antennas and the variety of the area’s unique attractions you can be sure of experiencing one of the most diversified Agorae ever. In this article we will guide you through the region and give some attention to the highlights of each city and its surrounding countryside.

The Rhein-Neckar region is well-known for its picturesque areas around the valleys of the rivers Rhine and Neckar and it includes internationally renowned tourist destinations, as well as UNESCO World Heritage sites. In addition, thanks to its land climate, the Rhein-Neckar region is famous for wine growing and it is considered an indispensable German industrial area.

Here is a short overview over the hometowns of the organizing locals which will help you get a first glance at the region and plan your trip to the Agora:

Mannheim, the host town of the Spring Agora Rhein-Neckar 2013, is a multi-cultural city located at the confluence of the rivers Rhine and Neckar.

Due to the fact that the streets and avenues of Mannheim’s city center are designed in squares and arranged in a grid pattern (just like a chessboard), Mannheim is nicknamed „Quadratestadt“ („City of Squares“). Furthermore, the streets are distinguished by letters and numbers rather than by names.

One of Mannheim’s main attractions is the Mannheimer Schloss (Mannheim Palace), the largest Baroque construction in Germany which nowadays serves as the main building of the University of Mannheim and which will host part of the Agora Rhein-Neckar.

The landmark of Mannheim is the Wasserturm (Water Tower), an old tower located in the Friedrichsplatz, a beautiful  art nouveau area of the city. This popular meeting point invites you to take a stroll, to relax and to admire the fountains at the foot of the tower.

Another site to lay back and unwind after an exhausting Agora day is the 41 hectares large Luisenpark, one of Europe’s most beautiful parks, including a Chinese garden with a tea house, greenhouses with butterflies and birds exhibits, a model farm with domestic animals and a lake. Towering over the Luisenpark, you will find the over 200 meters high Fernmeldeturm (Telecommunication Tower), Mannheim’s tallest landmark with a viewing platform and a rotating restaurant which offer a breathtaking panorama of Mannheim and its surroundings. From here you can also see the SAP Arena, a multifunctional stadium, one of the largest and most high-tech in Germany, named after its sponsor SAP, a German software corporation.

If you prefer spending your time shopping, Mannheim is one of the most popular shopping cities in southwestern Germany. From the Paradeplatz you can reach Mannheim’s main shopping destinations located in the few streets with names within the squares: Breite Straße, Planken, Fressgass and Kunststraße. Furthermore, on the Marktplatz (Market Place) you can purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

If you travel by train to the southeast of Mannheim it will take you about 20 minutes to reach the town of Heidelberg, a popular tourist destination and one of the most picturesque cities in Germany.

The hometown of Germany’s oldest university, the University of Heidelberg, founded in 1386, and the former center of the German epoch of Romantik (Romanticism) offers you a number of unique sights. You can stroll through the baroque style Altstadt (Old Town) and on the Hauptstraße (Main Street), a long pedestrian street running the length of the old city center, or you can visit Heidelberg‘s numerous historical churches such as the Heiliggeistkirche (the Church of the Holy Spirit), the Jesuitenkirche (the Church of the Jesuits) and the Peterskirche (St. Peter’s Church).

A sight not to be missed in Heidelberg are the ruins of the Heidelberger Schloss (Heidelberg Castle) located on the slopes of the Königstuhl hill.

By crossing the Neckar on the Alte Brücke (Old Bridge), a medieval bridge on the side of the old town, you can walk up the Heiligenberg (Saints’ Mountain). Here you can stroll along the Philosophenweg (Philosophers’ Walk) and enjoy the charming view over Heidelberg’s old town and castle before descending and taking a romantic walk along the banks of the river Neckar.

When heading south of Mannheim you will arrive in the city of Karlsruhe within 50 minutes. Here you can visit the Karlsruher Schloss (Palace of Karlsruhe), an interesting architectural composition including the city’s Botanical Garden. The city was designed with the palace and its tower as the center, from which 32 streets spread in the shape of a folding fan, thus giving Karlsruhe the nickname „Fächerstadt“  („Fan City“). One of the emblems of the city which should not be missed is the Marktplatz (Market Place) with a stone pyramid marking the grave of the city’s founder.

Karlsruhe is famous for many preserved examples of the art nouveau style of architecture, as well as for technology and engineering, with the Karlsruhe University being the oldest technical university in Germany.

If you head to the north of Mannheim, it will take you around 50 minutes to arrive in Darmstadt, an important German city of science which gave the chemical element darmstadtium its name.

With companies such as Merck, Röhm and Schenck, Darmstadt is a center of the pharmaceutical and chemical industry. Furthermore, the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) of the European Space Agency, as well as EUMETSAT (the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites) are located in Darmstadt.

Moreover, the city is famous for numerous examples of the art nouveau period, such as the Rosenhöhe, an English-style rose garden from the 19th century, the Mathildenhöhe (with the Wedding Tower and the Russian Chapel) and many private villas. The colourful Waldspirale (Forest Spiral), a residential complex built by the Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser is also worth seeing.

Travelling further up north, you will reach Frankfurt am Main, Germany’s fifth-largest city, an important financial, commercial and cultural center and the transport hub of the region.

The European Central Bank, the German Federal Bank, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, the Frankfurt Trade Fair, as well as numerous large commercial banks have their seats in Frankfurt.

Landmarks of the city include the Dom Sankt Bartholomäus (Saint Bartholomew’s Cathedral), the Paulskirche (Saint Paul’s Church) which was the seat of the first democratically elected Parliament in 1848, the Alte Oper (Old Opera), the Goethe-Haus, the birthplace of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and the Römer, a complex of several medieval houses that form the city hall of Frankfurt.

One of Frankfurt’s unique features is its high number of skyscrapers in the city center (especially in the Bankenviertel, the financial district), forming the Frankfurt skyline.

Frankfurt is also considered a shopping paradise with the Zeil being one of the most crowded pedestrian-only shopping streets in Germany, and the Goethestraße, an expensive street full of prestigious shops.

With more than 30 museums, Frankfurt contains one of the largest variety of museums in Europe.

West of Frankfurt, around 80 minutes away from Mannheim, you will discover Mainz, the town where the movable type printing press was first invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the early 1450s. If you are interested in this topic, the Gutenberg Museum exhibits an original Gutenberg Bible, as well as many other printed books from the 15th century and later.

Furthermore, with Mainz having been founded over 2000 years ago, the city contains many Roman, Medieval, and even earlier artifacts which are exhibited in the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum (Romano-Germanic Central Museum) and the Museum für Antike Schifffahrt (Museum of Ancient Seafaring). Numerous other Roman remains (columns, ruins of a theatre and an aqueduct) are spread across the city.

Worth visiting in Mainz are the over 1000 years old Mainzer Dom (Cathedral of St. Martin) and the remaining towers of the city walls of Mainz – the Eisenturm (Iron Tower), a 13th-century gate tower, and the Holzturm (Wood Tower), a 15th-century tower.

Moreover, Mainz is one of the centers of the German wine economy, it is well-known for wine trade and it is the seat of the state’s wine minister (the federal state Rhineland-Palatinate is the only state to have such a department).

On the other side of the river Rhine you will encounter the city of  Wiesbaden, which is famous for its thermal springs and spas, as well as for gambling and its casinos. If you pass through Wiesbaden it is worth visiting the neo-classical Kurhaus (Spa House) and the well-known Spielbank (Casino), as well as the Schloßplatz (Palace Square) which is situated in the city center and is surrounded by numerous magnificent buildings. The palace serves as the Landtag (parliamentary building) for the federal state of Hesse.

Located around 60 minutes away to the west of Mannheim, the last city we discuss is Kaiserslautern, a modern center of information and communications technology and the hometown of a well-known technical university, as well as numerous research institutes.

The Rathaus (Town Hall) of Kaiserslautern is one of the tallest buildings in the city center. From the bar located on the top floor you will have a panoramic view of the city and the surrounding countryside. In the Altstadt (Old Town) you will find the Kaiserbrunnen, an ornamental fountain with symbols such as a sewing machine, a car engine, a  ship, a football and numerous others representing the city’s history.

An additional characteristic feature of Kaiserslautern is the Waschmühle (Washing Mill), a huge 160 metre long public swimming pool, the largest one in Europe.

If you would like to see a historical site, an old spinning factory, equipped with the latest sound and lighting technologies you would have to visit the Kammgarn (Combed Yarn), a top location for aspiring bands and performers and the cultural heart of Kaiserslautern.

As you can see, the Rhein-Neckar region is very diversified and it has an assorted mix of cities and sites for every taste and desire. So plan your trip, pack your bags and see you at the Agora Rhein-Neckar!

Written by Alexandra Stefanov, AEGEE-Heidelberg 

Krakow, a fairy tale city where snow falls like pieces of heaven to decorate the trees and touches people’s skin, not to make them shiver, but to make them love. A city where each brick in the streets tells you a story. A city where  the pigeons fly every day from the market square as a sign of peace, love and freedom. This is the city where the Beyond Europe project organised a heartwarming meeting of cultures.

December 2012, in this ideal atmosphere, a group of 14 Egyptian boys and girls arrived from Alexandria, Egypt representing SHIFT-Network. They started a democracy case study trip to Krakow, coming from more than 20 degrees heath in Egypt to the below zero coldness in Poland. In spite of the coldness of Poland, the Polish organisers in AEGEE-Krakow made it very warm for us due to their friendly spirits and hospitality.

For one week, Egyptian and Polish participants moved around all over Krakow to experience the city. From day one, we had lectures about innovation, stability and about how the system of decentralisation works, about how the system in Poland developed in 12 years from one level of communities to three levels of decentralisation to form its central Government. We also learned about how they joined the European Union and how they benefit from that.
Asking about the separate line between decentralization and chaos and about how Polish people managed to change their system over the past decade gave us an idea about the struggle to reach an order that the citizens can benefit from.

Krakow trip would not be the same unless we had the Polish and the Arabic languages workshops. It was really interesting to see that two of the Polish organisers were already learning Arabic and pronouncing it with a beautiful accent, which gave us the motivation to teach them more.

The mountains of Zakopane were the perfect place to have (City of utopia) workshop. Even though we do not live in an utopia, it was fascinating how the Polish and Egyptian participants imagined how their future can be like.
All the way from Zakopane, with its shinning snow and its rich culture, where we had our first snow fight, to Nowa Huta with its Communist history in the buildings, you can understand how Polish people have lived.

When you walk through Poland, you can smell the blood of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Polish freedom, the same which happened with the Egyptian revolution in Tahrir Square, which was presented to the Polish youth to show them the greatness of the Egyptian revolution; how 18 days changed the life of more than 90 million Egyptians; and how we are continuing our fight against corruption to build a better future and to write a new chapter of freedom, for us to tell to our children and grandchildren.

It is really inspiring how the Egyptian and the Polish revolutions are so similar in their core and in their aims, with all their drawbacks, ups and downs. From our common history and from our mistakes we should all learn to be wise enough not to repeat them. Starting from getting the regime down, fighting for freedom and achieving justice, one can feel how 1991 in Poland was very similar to the 2012 in Egypt. It is interesting to know even that the party ruling in Poland after the revolution was called “Law and Justice” and here in Egypt is called “Freedom and Justice”.

The life we had in Krakow was full of adventures. Sometimes it was nice to get lost in the city and stop to eat Oscypek with the cranberry sauce to heat yourself up in the cold weather. It was so nice to stand in the Main Square to watch children signing Christmas songs with their sweet voices, giving you the warmness of the family.
Now, I have to go because I can hear the sound of Hejnal from Saint Marie church tower announcing a new hour to be spent in the streets of this lovely city.

Special thanks to Bibliotheca Alexandria (unit of Futuristic studies) and “Youth in Action” program for helping us to implement the event.

Written by Dr. Karim Gaber, General Coordinator of the Euro-Arab youth initiative Alexandria

Pictures provided by Mohamed el Dallal and Haytham Basuony

On Wednesday, 9th January 2013, Luis Alvarado Martinez and Lucille Rieux, President and Secretary General of AEGEE-Europe met Philippe l’Eglise-Costa, the advisor on European Affairs of the President of France, Francois Hollande.

The Comite Directeur had asked for this meeting shortly after M.Hollande’s election to the French presidency. He is characterised by his strong interest in youth issues and his pro-European attitude. In fact, Hollande took up young people’s interests as the core element of his election campaign and once he was elected, he gave a speech about his conviction for the construction of a strong federal Europe.

The appointment was finally set for January 2013. Luis and I decided that during the short time given with M. L’Eglise-Costa, we would focus  on the thorny issue of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020 of the European Union which is currently negotiated by the Council. Our aim during the meeting was to defend AEGEE’s position, to stress the need for investing in youth and education, and to save these small budget lines. Our position on this issue was that if cuts are made to small budget lines (like the one of education and youth), the effects will be a lot more painful than in case these cuts were made to a larger budget line. M.Leglise-Costa assured us that France was in agreement with our ideas and the government is doing its best to preserve the education and youth budget. He informed us that currently, the three countries that are considering cutting this budget are Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. This interesting information made us realize how important it is to address directly the decision makers and to make it clear that young people are fully aware of the decisions that are made on their behalf, and that they also want to contribute to them.

We managed to convince M. Leglise-Costa of the importance of supporting the work of youth organizations, especially by making sure that the administrative grants in charge of them won’t disappear with the new programme cycle starting from 2014. Another topic we touched upon during our meeting was the possibility to develop a co-management approach to youth topics within the European Institutions.

This meeting was a good opportunity for AEGEE-Europe to propose the idea of  a possible cooperation regarding the European elections project which is being developed within AEGEE. We have presented the objectives of the campaign, and we can count on the support of  M.Leglise-Costa and the French government.

As a general conclusion, we can say that it was time for AEGEE-Europe to get back to the habit of consulting directly with the governments about policy issues, in order to remind policy makers that young people are here and they are willing to bring new ideas to discussion. Most of the important European decisions are still made by national governments with national interests, and that’s why it is important to bring our European perspective to the table.

AEGEE-Europe and the Comité Directeur will certainly keep going into this direction, and we hope to have the chance to meet German and Dutch representatives in the next month.

Written by Lucille Rieux, Secretary General of AEGEE-Europe

designed by SUCT’s Publications Responsible Gerardo García Díaz

‘Motivation’ is one of the most heard words when asking people about their experience at the Autumn Network Meeting (NWM) Gijón. Events of this kind, where people can share their knowledge, problems and solutions, are absolutely crucial in order to become a more active member. After these meetings, motivation is up to the top and most of the people are willing to keep working harder to achieve new goals. Chago Déniz from AEGEE-Las Palmas said: “I’ve learned and contributed, as well as my antenna did. I left this NWM really motivated”.

There was a mixture between experienced people and newbies, which turned this NWM into a learning event for many of us. It is also true that, due to knowledge differences and probably also to little interaction, more than a few contributions were missing. Everyone had something to contribute with, but maybe the lack of confidence stopped us a bit. Mental note for all AEGEEans: next time forget your timidity and deeply involve yourself!

As for our region, this NWM has been a progress regarding group feeling as a unit. It was notably increasing and it will surely maintain that direction, so that it will make our region more united and healthier. People had the chance to know more about other antennae, helping us to get closer to the European level. Saara Juusti from AEGEE-Helsinki opined: “It was interesting to hear how the antennae work in here and discuss problems, how to solve them, as well as share things that are going fine. You guys have a strong network!”. Katrin Renner from the Comité Directeur (CD) stated: “The NetCom did a big effort in including the French antennae more; work still needs to be done! The new Tripulación was in action for the first time, and I am sure they learned a lot from this event to make the upcoming ones even more successful.”

Coruña challenge in order to recover their mascot – Massage time for organizers

All workshop topics (Fund Raising, Information Technology, Human Resources) were very interesting. They were mainly focused on the real and daily work of the antennae. It is true that everyone would have loved them to be more interactive and participative, so as to really involve people in them. This is something that will be better on our next NWM for sure! Alvaro Espinosa, SubCommie, explained: “We will try to improve the WS for the next one. I would like to encourage the members of AEGEE to be more active in this kind of events; we need your help and feedback!”

The State of the Region helped to create connections between antennae and to understand the others’ problems and solutions. There was also a really nice explanation about European bodies and structure. There were different groups and someone from each group came to explain their bit, group by group. That helped to call the attention of the participants getting the most of each intervention. Bruno Di Lorenzo from AEGEE-Santander said: “I’ve come to understand how this huge association works and how we can participate and contribute locally, regionally, at the European level and even more.” Leonor Babo from AEGEE-Porto: “It was very useful for me because I didn’t know much about AEGEE Europe before”.

The group atmosphere was amazing and that made the ideas exchange much easier. Carla Martinez from AEGEE-Castelló “People knew when to have fun and when to cooperate to find alternatives to continue improving”. So for all those present at this Autumn NWM Gijón proudly and successfully organized by AEGEE-Oviedo, the result was admirable. Léa Charlette from AEGEE-Paris “With the perfect organization and our region amazing atmosphere, everything was great!”

Concerning the social programme, it was even better than we can all expect from an AEGEE event. The organisers did a really good job and knew how to show us their homeland, so we fell in love with it. They organized an ‘espicha’ (traditional Asturian food and drink celebration, so we could enjoy their amazing ‘sidrina’ and eat great food). They also prepared a special and different European Night; really good structured and funny, with some questions and challenges about Asturias.

Warming up for the European Night!

There was a moving surprise at the end of the NWM for one significant member of AEGEE-Oviedo and organiser of this NWM as well, Juan Sordo, who was leaving the association. As he said “The NWM was really special for me, not only because I was a local organiser, but also due to the great surprise that my mates gave me. It is difficult to leave me lost of words but they achieved it!” But, we do not let the sadness of this farewell overcome us because, as Alberto Ayora, SubCommie, said:  “Important members left, but new ones with a lot of experience and energy arrived. This has just begun!”.

CD’s representative Kathrin Renner learnt how to pour Sidra, the local drink 

My warmest congratulations and gratitude to everyone: The organisers, helpers, participants, SubCommies, CD’s special envoy, those who couldn’t join but participated from the distance and even people who were just passing by, because they all made this NWM remarkable!

I would like to end with a simple but clear idea: Share your AEGEE love and knowledge!

Written by Carmen María López Banegas, AEGEE-Alicante

Pictures and their titles by Gerardo García Díaz, AEGEE-Oviedo

Juanola was given the Honorific Membership of the Region

This is the continuation of the interview with Diana Lesko, the Project Manager, and Taha Sharif, the Content Manager from the EuroArab project.

What is for you personally the best thing about Europe and/or European culture?

Diana Lesko (DL): It gives me a lot of opportunities to travel in and outside of Europe. I can freely go anywhere I want. As for European culture, what I like the most is that I can make free choices about my life and nobody tries to interfere.

Taha Sharif (TS): Well, I very much enjoy European cuisines and sport.

What is for you personally the best thing about Arab countries and/or Arabic culture?

DL: I adore their hospitability, generosity and caring. I spent some time in Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco. I was hosted by Arab families who treated me as their own child in their house, and my Arab friends took care of me from the second I entered the country until the second I left the country with a lot of consideration, respect and care.

TS: I believe one of the best things about Arab culture is the social coherence. Family means a lot to Arabs. Caring for the elderly in the family is a duty, but that each Arab does spontaneously.

What has been the biggest challenge for you so far as being a part of EuroArab project?

DL: The biggest challenge is how we, the EuroArab teame working from many different countries can reach young people in Europe and the Arab world. Also, we have to accept that we have different ways of communication and understanding things – in a sense, different maps of the world that may arouse clashes and conflict.

TS: As we have just begun the project, I do not recall any challenges. But, even if I happen to face a challenge, I truly believe in the EuroArab team’s spirit to tackle whatever might face us. And I should mention our project’s coordinator, Diana, who has chosen a team of Arabs and Europeans members with a great sense of responsibility and wisdom.

Can you give us an example of a positive EuroArab cooperation?

DL: For example, in our team, for each position there is an Arab and European responsible. While working together on the same tasks, they are sharing their own perspectives which can be very different because we are coming from very different cultural backgrounds. Having included all the different perspectives makes our work very unique. Last but not least, while working we are also learning many things about each others’ country.

TS: Surely, there are many cooperation treaties between Arabs and Europeans. Be they on a state level or the level of the Arab League and the European Union. Unfortunately, there are not as many youth oriented initiatives as there should be.  The EuroArab project is a great example which would strengthen youth cooperation in both regions on many levels.

How do you see the future of the next two years of EuroArab? What can we expect both individually and as AEGEE?

DL: As an individual, I expect that I will have a deeper and wider knowledge about what concerns the Arab youth. As for AEGEE, I expect that there will be more AEGEEans knowing more about the Arab youth and their culture. I would like to see more friendships and youth cooperation developing between young Arabs and AEGEEans. Moreover, I expect that having gained more knowledge about each other we, European youth, will reduce the negative stereotypes we have stamped on each other. Naturally, the events and case study trips we are going to organize during these two years won’t reach everyone as each of the events is for a certain number of people. Therefore, we have to go beyond that. We want to have online forums where we would facilitate discussions and offer platforms for getting to know each other, form relationships and accomplish projects together. This might sound really simple, however it’s very important, and it requires determination and effort – which I hope the young people will have and make.

TS: I expect EuroArab to be embraced by wide youth networks in both regions. These networks would be the backbone of our cooperative activities and our endless support towards youth issues in both regions. As an AEGEE’s member I believe this would accomplish one of the main aims of AEGEE: “striving to create an open and tolerant society for today and tomorrow and fostering democracy, human rights, tolerance and cross border cooperation”.

EuroArab team members and responsibilities

Diana Lesko, AEGEE-Debrecen, Hungary – Project Manager

Stephanie Müller, AEGEE-Heidelberg, Germany – Financial Manager

Taha Shariff, Khartoum, Sudan & Karolina Mazetyte, AEGEE-Kaunas, Lithuania – Content Managers

Mariem Ben Ltaifa, Sousse, Tunisia & Hazal Melike Akboga, AEGEE-Ankara, Turkey – HR Managers

Mazen Elhalfawy, Alexandria, Egypt & Irinelu Iacoban, AEGEE-Chisianu, Moldova – PR Managers

Orabi Nakhleh, Ramallah, Palestine & Marlen Osmanov, AEGEE-Sevastopol, Ukraine – IT Managers

Said Bakkali, Tangier, Morocco & Alfredo Sellitti, AEGEE-Salerno, Italy – FR Managers

Agnija Kazuša, AEGEE-Ogre, Latvia – Press Team, Journalist

Ahmed Wahid, Cairo, Egypt – Graphic Designer      

Dita Dlabolova, AEGEE-Brno, Czech Republic – Video Editor

Morgane Hoarau, AEGEE-Krakow, Poland – Content Team member  

Oliver Andersson Hugemark, Kristinehamn, Sweden – Content Team member 

Sandra Oborska, AEGEE-Krakow, Poland – Content Team member                                                                            

Kate Jenkins, AEGEE-Durham, United Kingdom – English Proofreader

Written by Agnija Kazuša, AEGEE-Ogre

Proofread by Kate Jenkins, AEGEE-Durham

What started as a mysterious attraction has developed into clear ideas about cooperation, mutual understanding, tolerance, getting to know each other, and overcoming stereotypes. Like a meeting of eyes that could create a new impression, like a vigorous handshake hoping to form a long lasting friendship, and like small talk that leads to an intelligent, deep conversation, the EuroArab project has formed its team.  Taking on 20 team members they have taken the first important step towards cooperation: uniting both Arabs and Europeans as leaders for each task. As they meet, exchange handshakes and conversation, we have invited two of the team members for a cup of coffee, to sit back comfortably in their chairs and to talk about their perceptions of the grand AEGEE initiative called EuroArab project. This is an interview (in two parts) with Diana Lesko, the Project Manager, and Taha Sharif, the Content Manager for the EuroArab project.

Please, introduce yourselves!

Diana Lesko (DL): I am Diana Lesko from Hungary; I am the Project Manager of EuroArab Project.

Taha Sharif (TS): My name is Taha Sharif, Sudanese, and I am working as a Content Manager for the EuroArab Project.

What made you a part of EuroArab project?

DL: In 2010 AEGEE organized a EuroArab Case Study Trip. I read the open call for participants and without hesitation I said I had to be there. I was always interested in Arab culture and people. It was some kind of mysterious attraction. Therefore, that open call in itself – uniting Arabs and Europeans in one case study trip – was attractive. At the event, I experienced the best intercultural experience I have ever had in my life with young Palestinians, Egyptians and Europeans. A few months later, I read another open call that was recruiting new team members for the EuroArab project, and again I thought, I have got to be there. And here I am.

TS: I joined this great project for two reasons.  Firstly, the rise of Far right/right wing in the political arena in Europe which could soon eliminate any political tolerance, and secondly, the rise of Islamists in Arab countries which could lead to the same result. Also, as a young Arab, living during this difficult time, I believe that I am obliged to take a positive role, to shape my future according to my generation’s needs and wishes. This should happen without any influence from older generations, as I see them contributing to the misunderstandings and the misconceptions in our world today.  I know that this will not be an easy process, but I firmly believe that if we, young Arabs and Europeans, are to progress and have the future we all dream of, we need to lead by example and start working together to achieve small successes which will lead to a great success.

What made you take up the roles you have in the project? Could you describe what it means for you on a daily basis life?

DL: I was very motivated to run the whole project, to get involved in every single detail of the project and make something big out of it. Currently, I spend a lot of time with the project on daily basis after work and on weekends. Moreover, I try to spend more time learning the Arabic language, and learning about Arabic culture and politics. I learn a lot from the stories of my team. We have our EuroArab Family Facebook group where we talk about everything, not only the project but also our daily life experiences, like food, updates about our countries, and videos of our cultures. That way we also care about what’s going on with ourselves.

TS: Having this position will further develop my media skills.  I believe the media has always had the loudest voice in helping to widen the gap between youth in both regions. It is an important responsibility that needs to be used wisely and with a great determination. Furthermore, this position has definitely sharpened my sense of the content of the media: the stated and unstated message(s) and of course its ramifications.

What are your aspirations regarding the project?

DL: My basic aspirations are reducing stereotypes and xenophobia in Europe and the Arab world, eliminating mental and physical borders between the Arab and European youth, informing them about each others’ social reality, culture and mentality in order to work together effectively and live together peacefully, and strengthen youth partnership between young Arabs and Europeans.

TS: My aspirations are to reach as many young people as possible in both regions and to make them realize how important it is to have a future built on mutual understanding and respect, tolerance, cooperation and peace.

Why is it important for Europeans and Arabs to be friends?

DL: Why wouldn’t we be friends? I think it is very important that young Europeans and Arabs get to know each other better and become friends. How is it good for us to know nothing about each other and remain ignorant? How is it good for us to remain unfriendly towards each other? We were born in the same world, and a lot of us live together in the same country. We need to be friends and allies so that we can develop great projects together and make the society a better place to live. What has prevented this so far is lack of opportunities to meet each other and learn about each other, a lack of awareness, a lack of initiatives such as our EuroArab project. In Europe, there are a lot of Arabs and they are ignored, as if they don’t exist. And even if Europeans realize they are here, they are often given a bad image.

TS: Pursuing friendship is a noble endeavor. This is how our future will flourish. However, our growing mutual interests should be taken into consideration too.

This was the first part of the interview with Diana Lesko and Taha Sharif. The second part will come soon.

Written by Agnija Kazuša, AEGEE-Ogre

Proofread by Kate Jenkins, AEGEE-Durham

In 2003, the EU launched a new “Asylum Seekers & Refugees” Policy: Dublin II Agreement. It stated that the first member state where the asylum application was lodged will be responsible for examining it (1). However, it means that you made your way to Germany, Belgium or other country in the EU where you can apply for asylum.You will always be send back to the first country you enter when you arrived on European soil to seek asylum. Now, think about how migrant people would try to “enter” Fortress Europe? Imagine you are fleeing Africa or the Middle East.Which way would you take? Obviously, you will be trying to go through the Turkish-Greek border by crossing the Evros river by boat on wild waters. You are left on your own with dozens migrants paying an outrageous price to smugglers. So you will be trying your luck crossing Gibraltar, or head to Malta or Italian coastal shores in an overloaded rowing boat. And next? If you are lucky enough you will make your way to European soil, but it doesn’t mean that your trip is over.  Your battle for rights would have just begun.

Due to a reinforcement of the European border controls, the migration has moved to the Greek-Turkish border which has become the main point of entry for migrants in Europe. With the Dublin II Agreement, however, the migrants that are trying to go to another EU country, are sent back to Greece, because it is the country through which they first entered the European Union.  In May 2012, an estimated number of one million illegal migrants where “living” in Greece (2). Yes, that’s a lot for a country facing its own economical and political issues.

Even though the situation of illegal migrants in Greece has been an issue for a long time, the living conditions of detainment centers are inhumane and the police treatment of illegal migrants are getting worse.Though it is not only happening in Greece but all over Europe. In the current Eurocrisis context, migrants are turned into “scapegoats”. This summer, the rise of xenophobia led to a point where unknown groups of men, as well as recent police operations, have been persecuting migrants on the basis on their “perceived ethnicity”. Besides the fact that it is leading to confusion between legal and illegal migrants residing in Greece, one cannot be discriminated against on the basis of their perceived ethnicity.Such actions fuel xenophobic sentiment (3).

Moreover, because of the recent rise of xenophobic acts in Greece, the Greek authorities have launched the “Zeus Xenios” initiative (Zeus, the protector of hosts) which is described as a “massive drive to reduce illegal immigration”. Early August, a number of police operations has led to 4,900 people being questioned and 1,130 being placed in detention centers.The Greek Ministry of Citizen Protection aims at 5,000 people in detention centres by December. With the financial support of the European Return Fund, the Greek government has already started to send some migrants from where they were coming from and intends to triple the number of border guards on the Greek-Turkish Evros river border, fearing an “upsurge of refugees arriving from Syria” (4).

Yes, you could tell me that Greece cannot face such a number of illegal migrants by itself, that Europe can not deal with all the miseries of the world, that all of Europe is facing a rise of xenophobia, that in time of crisis people try to blame others  for their problems, that maybe not all migrants are sweet and innocent even though they have been through a lot and that reality is the way it is and we should deal with it in a rational way. I would answer you that I would tend to agree with you and that, of course, it is a more complex issue, that the actual context is not helping, but firstly, that it is not a Greek issue, but a European one.

I am not an expert on EU Asylum Seeker Policy, neither on xenophobia. I have never been obliged to flee my country because of ethnic, political or social violence, wars or economic or ecologic dreadful situations. I never had to leave my friends and family behind to seek a better future in another place, no matter how big the financial and living expenses. I have never applied for asylum, I have never lived in the fear of a police arrest, nor of being sent back to a country where I don’t belong anymore. But should that make me less concerned about what happens to women and men who, just, like you and I have dreams and wishes to live life with all the rights that they are entitled to?

Sources:

1      Dublin II Agreement, EU Legislation

2      Europeans preparing to lock down borders with Greece, Der Standard (Austria), 30/04/2012

3      Greece must bring an end to racist & xenophobic attacks, Amnesty International, 15/08/2012

4      Clampdown on illegal immigrants, Ta Nea (Greece), 06/08/2012

To watch:

“Hellas Hell : Refugees’ hell in Greece” ,  Synergy Project,  March 2012

“For A Moment, Freedom” (“Ein Augenblick, Freiheit”), by  Arash T. Riahi, Austria, 2009

Written by Marine Betrancourt, AEGEE-Lyon