Last December, AEGEE-Amsterdam and AEGEE-Beograd organised the event “Home is where the Heart is – Erasmus+ exchange 2017”. For this reason, they were chosen as the ACTive Local of the Month. We spoke to Amy Treuren, European Affairs Officer of AEGEE-Amsterdam, and Isidora Braljinac, President of AEGEE-Beograd, to find out more!

ACT: Which emotions did you have when you discovered that your local was chosen as ACTive Local of December?

Amy Treuren, AEGEE-Amsterdam: We were of course really happy to hear this amazing news! Thanks a lot! We were also very surprised because we absolutely did not expect to become ACTive Local of the Month.

Isidora/AEGEE-Beograd: We said: “Finally!”, but it is not like we expected it. Anyhow, very grateful and happy. 

Could you tell us little bit more about your event? (Home is where the Heart is – Erasmus+ exchange 2017). How many participants did you have, who applied, programme, goal, etc.

Amy: The goal of the event was to make the participants get in contact with another culture and country and learn about it, to learn about their own culture and country and what this means for themselves and for others. We also wanted to remove prejudices and stereotyping, create intercultural dialogue and create awareness about and stimulate European values. The participants developed different kind of skills, like organisational skills, working in a team, language skills, open-mindedness, confidence etc. We had 20 participants in total,  12 from AEGEE-Beograd and 8 from AEGEE-Amsterdam. Both groups already made a short movie in which every participant and group leader introduces themselves for the other group. During the programme we got to know each others’ culture and country. We did a boat trip, went to a museum, visited the participants’ parents, met and played soccer with refugees, did street interviews, had a European Night. The programme was very varied. The Erasmus+ exchange was co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

Why did you decide to apply for grant and organise that event?
Amy: Our local applies every year for an Erasmus+ grant. Most of the times our application gets rejected, like the 3 years before. So it was quite a surprise for us that our application got accepted.

Isidora: We wanted to try something different and when AEGEE-Amsterdam asked us if we want to be their partner – that was it. 

Could you tell us all steps you did to apply for grant? Did you have any problems?

Amy Treuren: Last year Iris van den Oord, our previous European Affairs Responsibe, applied for the grant. Unfortunately there were too many applications and this one got rejected. We received feedback on the application. We received the advice not to apply for the deadline of the 4th of October, because the chance that the application would be accepted was really small. They only had a small part of the budget left. We decided to still do it and to improve the application of the previous year, this time with extra feedback. I went to a training in Spain to learn about Erasmus+ and how to write an application. I learnt a lot there and this is the result! Close before the deadline our previous partner for the project did not reply anymore and we had to look for another partner. Luckily we found AEGEE-Beograd and they are a great partner.

How do you inform your members about the Action Agenda/Strategic Plan?

Amy: We tell our new members during the introductory period about the Action Agenda and Strategic Plan. Only this is very short, because there is not enough attention for this by our members (unfortunately). Sometimes we share things on our Facebook page so people who are interested can read it. And also we send a European Newsletter to our members every month. Our members can also read about it on our website.

Isidora: We always do a short introduction about it to every new member, from time to time discuss it at our meetings and encourage them to ask us about everything that is not clear to them.

Do you have any activities related to the Action Agenda/Strategic Plan?

Amy: Every year we organise new ones. Last summer our Summer University was related to the focus area Civic Education. Our Cultural Committee organises a couple of lectures every year, with sometimes themes related to the Action Agenda, like gender equality.

Isidora: This year we are cooperating with ACT for our Summer University and we are planning an LTC. Last year we organised a NWM, which included multiple topics related to the Action Agenda and Strategic Plan. Also, there are many other small things in other events we organise. 

Why should other locals organise activities related to the Action Agenda/Strategic Plan?

AEGEE is fun, but it also has its powerful side! 

Do you have any tips for organising thematic activities?

Think about what you would like to organise and about what your members are interested in. Do not think too difficult and be creative.

Can you tell us a bit more about your local? (Founded in, members, active members, committees you have, etc.)

AEGEE-Amsterdam was founded on 26th of March 1986. Since then it has grown to become the biggest AEGEE local with around 550 members, 200 are of them active. We have around 24 committees varying from a party committee to a cultural committee and from a European committee to a social drink committee. There are too many to name them all. Every Tuesday we have our social drink, every week we have activities and we have a couple of trips throughout the year, like two hitchhiking trips, a skiing trip, exchanges, a European members’ weekend and many more. We organise many local activities during the year. We are always happy to welcome you and show you around in Amsterdam so do not hesitate to contact us!

AEGEE-Beograd was founded on the 12th of November 1995. Right now we have 70 members including around 20 active members with FR and PR teams. We are a mostly girls’ antenna and we tend to show that girls can manage to do anything they want. We are all good friends, which makes us an even better team. Come to Belgrade, meet us, you will not regret it!

Characterise your local in one sentence.

AEGEE-Amsterdam: Breaking borders with AEGEE-Amsterdam at local and European level with the help of parties, activities and trips.

AEGEE-Beograd: The best things are in small packages.

Written by Elena Efremova, behalf of Action Agenda Committee

In addition to the previous articles about the New Year’s Events, we would like to present you with some additional opportunities which are going to be organised by really experienced Antennae like AEGEE-Belgrade and the Greek Antennae. In this article, the journalist Matteo Lai will explain you why you can choose one of these events to spend the last hours of 2016, with the contributions of Vasiliki Andrioti and Aleksandra Icić.

Our Big Fat Greek Winter University

This NYE event is organised by Greek speaking Antennae (Athens, Peiraias, Patra, Ioannina, Thessaloniki and Kastoria). The general themes of this NYE are Greek history and culture, therefore they are also the focus of the social programme. Starting the journey from Athens, the participants will get to witness how the capital can perfectly combine its historical past with the present. Participants will visit the Akropolis and Parthenon, and stroll around the Plaka with its alleys and little shops. Moving to a nearby neighbourhood , members of AEGEE will see Peiraias, the biggest harbour of the country, with its own nautical and merchant tradition.

On New Year’s Eve, the participants will find themselves in Patra, the third biggest city of Greece, where the organisers are planning to have a party to welcome 2017. In Ioannina, the fourth destination, participants will visit the first of the two lake towns in their journey. A day trip will be set up to an island inside the lake, where everyone will get to know the local life. Thessaloniki, the so-called capital of the North, will reveal its stunning beauty from the top of its castles, which are the highest point in the entire city. And do not forget the must-do walk to the White Tower.

Last but not least, in Kastoria participants will attend “Ragoutsaria”, a local custom to welcome the new year. “Prepare yourselves for a different kind of carnival with much dance and alcohol!” adds Vasiliki Andrioti, from AEGEE-Ioannina. In addition, the social programme will involve traditional dances from different regions all around Greece, language and culture workshops, parties and many more.

A Winter University on this scale has never happened in the past. Participants will have the chance to travel through Greece, and the organisers from Athens, Peiraias, Patra, Ioannina, Thessaloniki and Kastoria await them to show them the original Greek spirit, six of the main cities of Greece and examples of Greek history and culture. It will be like a journey from the past to the present, meeting people from various regions and experiencing all the Greek customs, local life and hospitality.

So, if you have ever wanted to visit Athens and Akropolis, dance Syrtaki, eat Souvlaki and drink ouzo, get ready for a really “kefi” [fun, ed.] event! Vasiliki invites all members to apply on the intranet page here, and by filling in the Google form here. The deadline is the 20th of November. Thirty participants will be accepted.

Frozen in Belgrade: Oh deer, another year!

The topic of this NYE in Serbia is Tradition and Culture. Through workshops provided by AEGEE-Beograd, the participants will get the chance to explore Serbian traditions related to Serbian food and its preparation, and to the Serbian famous drink “Rakija” [a fruit brandy, ed.] and how it is made. During the city tours, the participants will see the most famous parts of Belgrade such as the Kalemegdan fortress, Saint Sava’s Temple, Skadarlija (the bohemian quarter), Knez Mihailova street and much more. Other activities include the Nikola Tesla museum, ice skating and trying to make it out of an Escape room on time.

Since Belgrade is famous for its night life, the organisers planned a pub crawl, an unforgettable European Night and, of course, something special for New Year’s Eve! “We are not going to tell you everything, you will just have to come and see for yourself”, adds Aleksandra Icić, the main organiser of the event.

“Balkan spirit is something you should experience – from our hospitality, warm and nice people who know how to enjoy life to our rich culture, monuments at every step and a buzzing nightlife” tells Aleksandra.

Twenty-five participants will be accepted for the event. The deadline is set for the 22th of November. Apply on the Intranet here and fill in the Google form here (both are required).

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari.

Andrea Adamović, the Secretary of AEGEE-Beograd and Main Organiser of the Network Meeting (NWM) in the same local, can count on the contribution of an amazing Board. As far as can be told, it seems that they will be hosting a successful NWM, the fifth NWMs this autumn. Isidora Braljinac, President of AEGEE-Beograd, and Aleksandra Mojsova, their Network Commissioner, told us more about the NWM in Beograd.

The AEGEEan: How did you choose the name “keep it bright in the white city” for your NWM?

Isidora: The name is a result of our and NetCom’s ideas. “Keep it bright” stands for always staying optimistic just like AEGEEans always do, this time in the “White City” which is a literal translation of Beograd, but we will paint it red together during NWM!

Can you tell us something more about the program of the NWM and about the sessions?

Aleksandra: Our NWM is constructed according to the needs of our locals, therefore is a rich on topics, yet coherent when speaking of content. Our NetCom and we, have decided to include our members opinion in the development of the content, so all you will see there is according to their requirements. Naturally, we couldn’t include all what we were asked for, but we will make sure to at least discuss it in the Open Space hours, or to have it in mind for next events or the next NWM. The sessions will be informational, but of course will touch on social inclusion, self and social development and problem-solving strategy, as well as include role-playing as a proven methodology of skills acquisition.

Who will be the organisers, and how did you assign tasks to each of them?

Isidora: The organisers will be the girls from the Board, our active female members, and some of our male members. We care about gender equality, and it would be very unusual that we might need a gender equality recruitment strategy.We made sure to put it in our SWOT analysis to bring it up for discussion at the NWM and possibly, come out with a twinning antennae output.  In addition to this team, we will, of course, also receive support from our NetCommie, Aleksandra Mojsova, who is here to assist us with the technical issues.

How are you showing “Envisioning Europe-Brexit Impact on Europe; Mediation Skills on Conflict Resolution”? Who will be the speaker or the trainer?

Isidora: The workshop session about envisioning Europe and the Brexit impact on a hopeful Europe was asked from locals as they had their chance to give their input for the content of the NWM. Since it was asked for in terms of exploration on how would Brexit also influence the non-EU countries, in particular those who are yet to become, we will have a representative from the Your Vision for EUrope Project together with our NetCommie to deliver it.

About mediation skills on conflict resolution, this is something that is very often needed, not only in local’s lives, on their path to achieving things, but also in the private lives of young people. Initially, we imagined that the MedCom would be willing to deliver it, but because they may not be able to come, we will make sure to arrange someone from the Academy or a respective trainer that would deliver a similar session with skills acquisition in this sense.

Will there be any social programme, and can you tell us something in advance about that?

Isidora: Belgrade’s night life is very well known for parties you would never forget… or remember, depending on the night out. We will also celebrate our antenna’s birthday and many more birthdays. Therefore, prepare yourself for a lot of information and even a bigger celebration!

Will your antenna present the candidature for the next Autumn Agora 2017?

No, not this time. We aim to focus on our local’s development first for the next period of time, in order to become as strong as we were once. But, what we can assure you of, is that it is on the agenda for the next generations of Boards to come. And we will be there to support them in the process!

You can find more information about this event on Facebook.

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari.

24 years old, from Belgrade, student of Greek philology and an AEGEE addicted ready to support the development and cooperation among Balkan locals. The upcoming Spring Agora Asturias 2015 will host the elections for the next Network Commissioners, and Jovana Trajković will be one of the candidates. Just a few days before the Agora, The AEGEEan got to know better her views on the work of the NetCom and her priorities for the Balkan locals!

The AEGEEan: First of all, please introduce yourself! Who is Jovana Trajković, and how did she join AEGEE?

Jovana Trajković: I’m a 24-year-old student of Greek philology at the University of Belgrade. Hopefully, this year I will graduate! I joined AEGEE in 2010. My story may be one of the typical ones. As a person who is addicted to travelling, I was searching for some unconventional way to travel. My friend, who was very active member of AEGEE at that time, suggested I join the organisation. And here I am! (she smiles)

What made you take the decision of running for Network Commissioner?

First of all – Balkan locals. During my years in AEGEE I had a chance to meet many people from our area and to discuss with them about the situation of their locals, especially about their strengths and weaknesses. At one moment, I realized that I want to help them somehow, not only to discuss about it. I made a step forward and became Subcommissioner. When I look back, I can say that my responsibilities as SubCommie have prepared me for the next step. Now, after one year of being SubCommie, I feel ready to take another step forward. Therefore, I am running for the position of Network Commissioner. What I see as really important is support of, not only the locals, but also of Ana Potocnik, our current NetCommie, and the rest of SubCom team. And I can say that those girls are awesome. Beside the support, they also encourage me and believe in me. Sometimes even more than I believe in myself!

Which vision do you have of the work of a Network Commissioner?

The work of the Network Comissioner always seems interesting to me. Working in the SubCom team of Ana brought me more closely to the NetCom and its work. On the one side, there is work with the rest of NetCom team, and on the other side, working with locals and SubCom team. Thanks to Ana, I am aware of the amount of work which comes with this position. Furthermore, I see it as inspiring, joyful, responsible, interesting work which requires lot of time, mutual understanding and patience.

As you mentioned, you are currently subcommissioner of Ana Potocnik – what have you learnt during this time as NetCom?

First and foremost, this position taught me how to take care of locals and help them in the best possible way. Talking about locals and revising their activity reports helped me to create a better picture in my head about every local. Next to Ana, I have also learnt a lot about contacts and how to help them grow. Also, I realized how important is to have SubCom team on which you can rely and count on if you need its help. Finally, I can say that motivation and dedication are the most important for the position of Network Commissioner in order to handle all the work.

Which are the strengths of the Balkan region, according to you?

Our locals are close to each other and we speak more or less the same language. This makes our cooperation easier and increases the chance to have new common projects or events. When it comes to organising events, I can say for sure that Balkan locals are very good in project management. Each member involved in organisation of some event takes seriously his/her role. You should come to our NWM in Zagreb to check if this what I’m saying is true!

And its weaknesses?

If we talk in general, I can state only two weaknesses. Unfortunately, even if we are geographically close, we don’t know each other very well. If I get elected, I will try to change this in the future. The second one is lack of knowledge in different fields, depending on the local. The solution for this should be online trainings, as I stated in my candidature.

And which is going to be your top priority as NetCom, if elected?

Actually, I have two priorities – improving the cooperation of Balkan locals and establishing the online trainings.

How would you strengthen the cooperation with the antennae in the region?

My plan is to create a database which will include the strengths, weaknesses and interests of all my locals. Once this database is created, all locals will have access to it. In that way, locals could find their potential partner for the next project or event. If locals agree, I would organise one more meeting of our area, beside the NWM. That meeting would be more relaxing, with few workshops, because the purpose will be to bring locals closer to each other.

You have just mentioned some interesting ideas from your program, such as the on-line trainings. Can you tell us more about it, how is it is developing and how do you plan to continue them?

For the moment, we made a plan how we want it to look like. First of all, we would ask locals which kind of trainings they need. Those trainings will be organised for locals so their opinion is crucial. Afterwards, the plan is to organise trainings once or twice per month, depending on the locals’ needs and availability of trainers. About the material for trainings, we would use already existing toolkits of AEGEE-Europe. Also, Academy can help us here by providing us with their materials which we can adapt to our needs.

Being a Network Commission takes usually a lot of time – how do you plan to handle it?

When I decided to run for this position, one of the first questions which came to my mind was – Will I have time for it? It took me quite some time to think about it well, but my answer was, and still is, yes. Also, it’s not just about having time for it, it’s also about time management. Good time management, which I think I have, can save a lot of precious time and help to finish all the work on time. Also, I’m used to put my own deadlines in order to achieve goals which I set to myself. Furthermore, I’ll have an amazing SubCom team to help me in realization of my ideas and achieving goals.

Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona

It’s not easy to write a summary about these two weeks. It was such a perfect holiday that I really do not know where to start.

It started in Kragujevac with Milos, Tomo, Dragan, Vanja, Ivana, Danica, Nikolija, Milos, Andela, Snezana and a lot of other organizers and friends. After the four days in Kragujevac, we went to Belgrade. A participant arrived at the hostel, Elisa Chieregato. She was late because of her exams. So everybody was in the common room of the hostel, except Elisa. I found her in a room where she was sitting on a bed, and I asked „Why don’t you come out and drink with us?”, and she said „Of course I will, but it is so strange. You look like a family, I mean, only four days passed and it seems you have known each other for years”.

I can remeber the lighter, and when we refilled it, instead of buying a new one for the half price, and the Christmas lights all over Bosnia. Then we sang a„Geburtstags” song to Sophie Consuela in Sarajevo and the police came and said „It’s not allowed to sing in the street”.  We had the best parties ever in Belgrade, on the boat and in Klub Studenata Tehnike. At the same time a taxidriver got lost with the spanish participants and they tried to give him  directions in Italian. I can remember our first treasure hunting in Kragujevac, the long walks until we finally found the memory park. After three hot days we went to Jezero lakes where we could enjoy the first thunderstorm, but everybody swam to the other side of the lake anyways.  I remember Daniel and his selfies and „bothies”as well as many group pictures everywhere. Everyone loved the serbian-bosnian „5 minutes” , which is minimum half an hour. I can remember the five-hour-long bus ride from the mountains to Sarajevo, and it was one of the best parties on the bus because we did not want to exclude any nationalites, so we had to drink rakia, wine, jägermeister, beer…while listening to  90’s music. We arrived to Sarajevo with the loud music, and met the organizers from Sarajevo. We went to a kafana every night, we broke glasses, sung about the bridge in Sarajevo and tried every single kind of rakia…I could write pages and pages full with memories.

I do not think we could have had it much better, the whole SU was so perfect thanks to the organizers. They did not just organize but they did everything from their whole heart. They were with us, ate a lot of ajvar with us, they drank a lot of rakia with us, they showed us what a kafana is, how to dance „kolo” in the middle of the night in the rain, how to love every single lonely jackey (dog), how to really relax while smoking sisha, how to make a houseparty in Sarajevo, how to visit Mostar under umbrellas, how to sing a traditional bosnian song about love and how to say volim te, hvala, ziveji.

For me, before this summer, Serbia and Bosnia were just two countries, but I met a lot of people, whom I really love. I know it is almost impossible to get the whole group together again, but some of us will meet again somewhere in this lovely Europe. Thank you guys. Thanks to Milos for making  the whole, solving all of our problems we had and for walking under the umbrella in Mostar hand in hand, thanks to Tomo for organizing everything and for the dance we had in Belgrade, thanks to Ivana for cooking hungarian meals on the European Night together. Thanks to Vanja for crazy nights in Sarajevo,thanks to Thomas for being the soul of the group, thanks to Elisa and Roxi for the long converstions we had. Thanks to Jakub for spending a lot  of time together in the bathroom and on the dancefloor. And thanks to everybody for everything. This was the best Summer University ever.

Written by Zsófia Anna Tóth, AEGEE-Budapest

After a successful New year event in 2013, AEGEE-Beograd is doing it again. From the 27th of december to the 2nd of january, the Serbian locals will host 40 AEGEEans who are ready to greet 2015 in the Serbian way. The AEGEEan spoke with Miljana Vulevic, who is the main organizer of  the event, in order to discover something more about it. 

The AEGEEan: After last year NYE (Follow the White Rabbit), why did you decide to organize another one?

Miljana: The answer is quite simple: the last one was a big success! All of our participants left Belgrade full of stories and with big smiles on their faces. Also, in Cagliari I got many questions whether we were organizing a NYE this year, so we kind of decided to do it again this year.

The NYE name Frozen in Beograd and the sentence “Let it go” in the application are clear hint to Disney’s smash Frozen. Why another Disney themed NYE?

Well, again, it is last year’s NYE [she laughs]. It carries really great memories and it is a very special event for our antenna, so we sort of got nostalgic and decided to go for another fairy tale themed NYE. Or maybe it is because there are so many girls in our antenna, I can’t really tell [she laughs].

Can you explain briefly the programme? What participants should expect to do?

Well as always, we are going to give our best to show what the best Belgrade has to offer. From the sight-seeing to the best clubs and hidden awesome spots in our city, we always insert all the Belgrade must-sees in our programmes. Kalemegdan fortress and a grand park that surronds it is a perfect location for a treasure hunt, bohemian quarter Skadarlija is not as big as Monmartre,  as some like to call it, but definitely has some special je ne sais quoi. Knez Mihajlova Str and Designer District, located close to each other offer perfect shopping experience.

Zemun,once a city now a part of Belgrade, hides some great stories in many baclonies in the neoclassical buildings that fill out the its center. Gardosh hill is famous for countless kafanas [typical local bistro ed.] and the breathtaking view you can get from its top. We will show it ALL to you.

Of course, we prepared some fun and educational workhops that will introduce you to basics of Serbian culture, language and our national dance – kolo.

A part of city tour and workshops, what is going to be the highlights of the event?

Well, apart from the exciting programe that will make you discover the very best of Belgrade and share our culture with you, I must say that we have something really special for the NY party (but it will be a surprise). I am telling you, this event is going to be legendary.

In few words, why AEGEEans should choose Belgrade as the place for their New Year’s celebration?

Belgrade is kind of magical in the winter. It is cold, but just the right amount of cold, and with all the parks full of trees covered with snow, it all gets some fairy tale feel to it.

But winter or no winter, Belgrade is an exciting and amazing city! We have it all: rivers, breathtaking mixture of old and traditional and modern that you can see in the streets, museums, vibrant night life (there is a reason we are called party capital of eastern Europe), great food, a fortress. We are easily reachable, there are two low cost airlillnes landing here (Wizzair and Easyjet). Oh yes, we have a reputation of being among themost attractive Europeans. Just saying…

In your event presentation on intranet you mentioned the famous Balkan spirit. What is it about?

Oh wow, how much time do you have? [she laughs]. I will try to summ it up and say Balkan spirit is a blend of unparallel hospitality, great energy, love of great Balkan music and the unique kafana atmosphere, fiery passion and just lust for life! Balkan spirit is something you should experience, any descrition simply does not do it justice. Do it in Belgrade this December!

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Venezia

Photo of last year NYE courtesy of Saša Mihajlović, AEGEE-Beograd

AEGEE-Beograd was established 18 years ago during a year of crisis. But that did not demotivate them and they managed to become one of the biggest locals in their area. Recently the members did a great job by helping during the floods in Serbia. That’s why AEGEE-Beograd deserves the title of Local of the Month of June! Here is what Jelena Stankovic, the current President, said to us. 

The AEGEEan: Tell us the history of the antenna: how old is it, do you have many active members, how did it all started?
Jelena: AEGEE-Beograd officially became a member in 1996, in Budapest, during a period that was really hard for our country and the region. For example when our members got back from Budapest they needed to register the organization, but nobody had an ID except Vuk Tošić and our local was registered for 3 years on his home address. The funny thing is that he was there by accident and has never become a member of AEGEE-Beograd. Since then, we organized more than 150 projects and we are one of the most active student organizations in Belgrade. After those years of crisis, AEGEE-Beograd started attracting more and more people and became one of the biggest locals in the region. At this moment we have around 20 active and more than 50 members on our list. This year the number of active members has grown, especially during the organization of the New Year’s event.

The AEGEEan: What is special about AEGEE-Beograd?
Jelena: Like in every local I think it is our members that make us so special, these amazing people who are growing together with AEGEE-Beograd. We survived some difficult times, and “built bridges” even where it seemed impossible.

The AEGEEan: What do you think is the greatest achievement of your local?
Jelena: As I said, our antenna was established during the years of crisis in the Balkan region, and in those years it was very hard to be a young student in Serbia or any other neighboring country. But during this time we made connections, friendships and relations that are stronger by each year that passes. Our biggest achievement is that we made an example of what AEGEE really is: a group of young people who are working together and trying to make a better future for all.

The AEGEEan: You were really active during the period of floods. How is the situation in Serbia right now?
Jelena: First of all, we want to say thank you to all of our friends from the whole of Europe, who were supporting and helping us. One month has past and now the real work needs to be done. A lot of people died, cities were destroyed, and the response of the government is bad as always. The damage is really big and for some it is going to take years to recover. We hope these people will not be forgotten, and AEGEE-Beograd is still working and trying to help.

The AEGEEan: Other Serbian locals also helped during the floods period. Do you have any special collaboration between the antennae in Serbia?
Jelena: Not just from Serbia, antennae from the whole region helped to create awareness about the floods, and organized some kind of help. It wasn’t just in AEGEE, during those days the borders were also flooded and countries worked together as one.

The AEGEEan: What are your plans for the future? Are you going to have any activities after summer?
Jelena: Actually we have some big plans for the next year, but for now we are keeping it just for us. Traditional NYE is one of the certainties. Also we are looking for twin antenna. On the local level we are going to try to help our members improve themselves through trainings, and establish cooperation with other student organizations in Belgrade.

The AEGEEan: Your Summer University with AEGEE-Zadar and AEGEE-Zagreb is next. How is the preparation going? Are you ready?
Jelena: After the floods we got a little bit scared, and we were thinking what is going to happen, but we are back on track and awesome as always. It is always a pleasure to work with our friends from Zadar and Zagreb, and we hope our participants will recognize our good and hard work. You can never be ready enough for TSU, but I think we are set for another great adventure. Last Balkan Funk set the bar really high but I think this team is ready to rock it once again.

The AEGEEan: Is there anything you’d like to add?
Jelena: AEGEE-Beograd is very proud of its members who were working hard during all these years and thankful to all our friends who we hosted here or met in Europe. Being an AEGEEean it is an extraordinary experience and AEGEE-Beograd is very happy to be a part of this big family. See you in Beograd!

Written by Lia Tuska, AEGEE-Sofia

Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and eastern Croatia have been hit the past days by a record flooding, and the state of emergency has been declared in some parts of both countries. More than 100,000 homes have been evacuated so far, and it has become one of the biggest natural disasters in the region.

Whereas the media from outside the Balkans have paid little attention to the devastating floods in the region, our AEGEE members in the area have been actively involved in awareness-creating and fundraising for the cause. They are sharing information on social media to raise awareness and spending their days volunteering and getting supplies for those affected. The AEGEEan has talked to the president of AEGEE-Beograd, Jelena Stanković, about the actions they are carrying and how can AEGEE members from all over the Network contribute.

Here are some of the numbers you can use to help (calling codes – Serbia: +381, Croatia: +385, Bosnia and Herzegovina: +387).

The AEGEEan: For those who are not aware of the situation – can you explain briefly what is happening and how it all started?

Jelena Stanković: Three months’ worth of rain fell on the region in just four days last week, creating the worst floods since records began 120 years ago. Rapidly rising rivers surged into homes, sometimes reaching up to the second floors and sending people climbing to rooftops for shelter. In Bosnia and Serbia 25 people have died, but warned the toll could rise. Tens of thousands of homes were left without electricity or drinking water. Hundreds were also evacuated in Croatia and one person was reported dead. Officials said more than 16,000 people have been evacuated from flood-hit regions in Serbia, many finding shelter in schools and sports halls. Lines of mattresses covered the floors of schools im Belgrade , with frightened survivors describing unstoppable torrents that surged in a matter of minutes. Houses are erased of the map in the Serbian city of Krupanj. And the threats of the diseases caused by floods are the next thing to be worried about.

The AEGEEan: Which impact has it had so far in Serbia and Bosnia?

Jelena: Yesterday we were in the supermarket to buy the necessary things for evacuated people, and all around we could see others running and asking what they could buy and where they could take it. People don’t have that much but they want to help, they know that their little for someone is a lot. A lot of voluntaries are sent back because too many applied. Everybody is trying to give their best to help.

But I think the fact that all Balkan (former Yugoslavia) countries are working together is the most powerful picture of this tragedy. Water washed the borders; we can do so much united for the people in need. I feel so proud today of all this people, and I know I am not alone.

The AEGEEan: How have the local/national governments from these countries have reacted?

Jelena: This is a delicate question, because a lot of people are criticizing governments for not being prepared on time, even if they had some warnings. But again people started organizing by themselves and did a lot of work. The army, Red Cross, the Fire Department and the Police are showing a lot of courage and most of them haven’t slept for four days. Some of them lost their lives by saving others’.

The AEGEEan: And what about you, have you been affected directly by the floods?

Jelena: In Belgrade, some parts were affected by the floods, as Obrenovac, where 12 people died and counting, but I think all our members are safe. My family house is flooded and during two days I couldn’t contact my parents most of the time. Now they are safe, but a lot of families are still trapped in the water.

AEGEE-Beograd’s Twitter account has been actively informing about the happenings.

The AEGEEan: How did you decide that AEGEE-Beograd had to be actively involved? And when did you start with all the activities?

Jelena: It was a natural thing to do, when something like this happens you only feel the urge to help. We had an urgent board meeting and decided to use money from our budget and buy what was needed. A lot of our members are volunteering in the shelters. With the Alumni of AEGEE-Beograd we also started an action to collect money for the endangered. This is just a begging. Whole towns are destroyed and a lot of people need help.

The AEGEEan: You are focusing a lot on raising awareness, especially by social media, how are you doing it?

Jelena: We use Facebook and Twitter to share the news and delegate people and goods where its needed. On our private profiles we are sharing numbers of accounts where people can donate money from abroad. Donations don’t need to be big, but if we have a big number of donations we can make an impact. In this point any help is welcome. We have also got in touch with locals from Bosnia and Croatia to see what we can do together.

The AEGEEan: And which other volunteering activities have you done?

Jelena: As I said we are volunteering in the shelters, helping with sorting and caring of the evacuated people. The guys are working on the dams, because the waves are coming.

The AEGEEan: Are you cooperating with any other NGOs?

Jelena: We are in contact with other student organizations as ESN and AIESEC, and we are trying to organize something together and raise money.

The AEGEEan: How can AEGEE members from all over the Network help?

Jelena: We received a lot of messages from our friends from all the Network, and we can just say thank you. Some of them had some ideas and shared them on the AEGEE-L mailing list. One of the ideas is to donate the money on the same way that AEGEE-Beograd did, therefore from our budgets or SU fees. We are also going to have an action to collect money for the flooded areas; there are going to be open accounts where people can donate and help.

But I think we shouldn’t just think for today. Unfortunatelym there is a lot of tragedies all around of Europe and we need to be able to help somehow. I had the idea of a Humanitarian Fund of AEGEE which can be financed from the fees that locals pay for the registration. I know this money is needed but we can save in many ways, we can use online booklets, one t-shirt can be someone’s lunch, we can cut the travel costs, there is always a way.

The AEGEEan: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Jelena: I just want to say thank you to all of our friends from all over Europe who supported us, but we also need AEGEE-Europe to react not just for us, but for all the people in the future who will be endangered. Shares and likes are helping but they are not feeding the people. We can do so much more. People from Bosnia and Serbia need your help; your one coffee is a hot meal or a warm bed for them.

The thoughts of the members of The AEGEEan team go to all people affected by this disaster. We are truly amazed by the big effort our AEGEE members in the region are doing and the awareness they are creating!

Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona

There is a place. Like no place on Earth. A land where every night is a new sleepless adventure. Some say to survive it: You need to be as mad as Hatter. The place in Beograd and The AEGEEan caught up with the antenna in the Serbian capital about what they are working on lately.

Board AEGEE-Beograd 2012.-2013.

The AEGEEan talked with Jelena Stanković and Ivana Miljanac who are part of the coordinating team for the upcoming New Years Eve event in Beograd later this year. There will be board elections in Beograd in December and talking about the experience in the board they say “For two of us, it was interesting experience to work in a board with a lot of different but inspiring people. This year was an existing voyage full of possibilities of learning something new and to transfer our knowledge to others.” It is likely that some of the current members will continue in the new board or become part of the advisory board. The girls also tell The AEGEEan that there are many new members in the antenna who are motivated to contribute to AEGEE-Beograd in this way. The board has since the beginning of their mandate last year been writing a knowledge transfer manual for every function separately to ensure that the new board will manage to do their job well.

When talking about the history and the story behind the antenna the girls get a bit nostalgic. “It seems like it was yesterday, that AEGEE-Beograd became member of AEGEE-Europe, and during these 18 years, sometimes difficult, we managed to become one of the most active locals, with over 60 projects. All this is, of course, because of the people who put a lot of effort and faith into this organization, and that is what makes us special. Keep on smiling even if the ice is breaking.”

AEGEE-Beograd is an antenna with 90 members, where a percentage of about 20% are active. What Ivana and Jelena especially have noticed is that a lot of the new members are as mentioned above interested in participating more, and also especially in the organization of the New Years event they are organizing at the moment.

In order to motivate the members on local level AEGEE-Beograd organizes a Local Training Course (LTC) every year as well as different trainings, social meetings and hangouts. “We are trying to find a way to motivate our members to become and, what is more important, stay active.”

Organizing a New Years event (NYE) is some kind of tradition for AEGEE-Beograd, before this NYE they had DANCE FEEL LOVE vol.1 and vol.2, Crazy Winter Tour vol.1 and vol.2. After AGORA Rhein-Neckar, inspired by AEGEE spirit and people, Jelena decided to organize this event once again, she made a proposal to the board, gathered  a team and the adventure began.

The event has the name “Wonderland” where everything is special and different, and people should expect the unexpected. Moreover, AEGEE-Beograd is also really focusing on the cultural exchange part of organizing events. “As people who attended our events already know, we are always trying to be the best hosts. We want to create a relaxing atmosphere in which participants can actually learn something about Belgrade and Serbian culture.”

In terms of what plans AEGEE-Beograd has for 2014 Jelena and Ivana say that the new board should have the opportunity to decide on this. However, they both promise that the antenna will become more active on the European Level as well.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København