On the past 24th of March, AEGEE-Chişinău organised a run which involved not just students and teenagers but people of all ages. Here you can find all pictures of this very successful event. We interviewed Nadejda Hadjivu, from the Moldovan local, who told us more about it.

The AEGEEan: Can you tell us something about the “Neon Night Run”? Why is there a word “Neon” in the title of the event?

Nadejda Hadjivu, AEGEE-Chişinău: Neon Night was one of our older ideas that we decided to promote now and create such a unique event that had a great impact on all participants. Neon because it took place in the evening, as it was dark already and a Neon bracelet made the difference. Fun run, neon lights around accompanied by rain.

Why did you organise this event? What was its aim?

The main aim was to gather as many people as possible, to run together and to promote a healthy lifestyle in our network.

How could a students’ association organise an event that attracted also workers and citizens?

We created and promoted the event on Facebook and different media sites, everybody could participate (we even mentioned that in the description of the event). We encourage everybody to keep themselves healthy and in shape, not only the youngsters but also the workers and older people- one can run at any age.

Did you receive a contribution from any sponsorship? 

We had as a media partner, Sporter and Aqua Unica, who provided hydration throughout the entire event.

Did many participants enjoy the run? Were there any requirements to take part in it?

We had around 300 or even more runners. There were no requirements at all (only to have appropriate clothing and shoes for the run).

Can you tell us who the organisers were?

Nadejda Hadjivu, Ana Gancearuc, IX Dan, Aliona Iorgov and the local itself, everybody was involved as much as possible.

Could you get any prize in this competition?

This was not a competition, we run all together, the distance was five kilometres around the lake.

Why did you choose Valea Morilor as location?

Valea Morilor was perfect as a location, as it is situated in the city centre.  There is a beautiful lake and it was also easy to measure, two circles around the lake made the five kilometres distance we had planned. It was easy to locate and everybody usually likes to go there for a walk or a run at the weekend.

Do you think you will propose this event again?

We saw that this made a big impact locally. Many people asked for a second edition and we are definitely going to organise it again, sometime in the summer.

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari

October passed so fast, it is like it lasted only a week, but if we look back we can see that it was nothing like that – just look at AEGEE-Chișinău. Not such a big local, but united, open minded, full of hard working people. A happy family that managed to do a great job and got voted as Local of the Month of October.

The AEGEEan: Congratulations! Your local is Local of the Month of October! How did the members and you receive this news?

Ana Gancearuc: Thank you, we are immensely happy for being chosen as Local of the Month. Everybody took the news super positively and happily. Hard work pays off!

Andrei Dodița: Our newbies are very excited, this nomination is for them and their contribution to the project. It is very important for them to see that their effort is appreciated, this will motivate them to get involved more.

How did your local develope in the last months?

Ana G.: Our local grew a lot in the past months and we clearly have a stronger team, responsible and active members. We are like a big family now and we cannot let down the antenna and its people.

Andrei: Working for the Agora, under stress and pressure, could have broken the relationship between us, but it was the opposite, in the last months teamwork greatly strengthened us.

How do you keep your members motivated and keep growing your antenna?

Ana G.: The period after Agora was for recharging our batteries and in two weeks we had a couple of birthdays to celebrate in AEGEE-Chișinău. In a couple of weeks the new board is going to be elected and everyone is super excited and motivated to get involved more in the association and participate actively in AEGEE events, which is a very rewarding and pleasant thing.

Andrei: Working together, we developed our team spirit. Now we do a lot of things together, like going out or travelling. This is a beautiful friendship that keeps us together.

In October, you organised the Autumn Agora. How did the event go?

Ana Tricolici: I still remember the day when Andrei gave us the news that Autumn Agora 2016 would take place in Chișinău. My feelings were a cocktail of happiness and fear, and so many questions about what organising such an event means. There were many troubles, conflicts, problems during the organising period and of course during the previous weeks. The biggest problem was to find the perfect location, the transportation and meals. But you know what, there is no problem that does not have a solution. It was an unbelievable experience with powerful emotions – a real team building activity. We managed to do it with a very small team, but at the same time a very friendly one. Our international helpers were a big help, and I want to thank them all for that. After all the work we did, it is important for us to know that our efforts were appreciated, that the participants really enjoyed and had a nice experience in our city. We put so much love in this event and it was a dream come true.

How did the Autumn Agora influence your members?

Ana T.: As I said, it was a big challenge that helped us to become a stronger team. It is also a motivation for our new members to be more active and organise other projects and of course to take part in AEGEE projects. We now say between ourselves: “There were a few mistakes in the organisation, but of course when we will organise the next Agora, we will do it better”.

What impact has AEGEE-Chișinău in Moldova?

Andrei: In the last two years AEGE-Chișinău has grown a lot, and this fact is confirmed by the numerous prizes we won: a special award for civic activism, the prize for the most active NGO, the prize for the best project etc. This way, AEGEE-Chișinău became a youth resource centre, in process of continuous training. We also started to delegate members to the National Youth Council of Moldova (NYCM) and now we have two members on the board of NYCM, and one of them is the Vice-President. We are now a youth representative structure and our voice is heard more often. We are happy that a lot more people know about it now and that different youth portals e-mail us asking to post about our awesome association (especially when they find out via social media about the different events that we are organising).

What is on your list for the near future?

Andrei: On our list for the near future is to have the local Agora and elect the new board for the year of 2017, organise a team building with all the members, participate at some Winter Events and get everybody involved in that. We missed organising a Summer University last summer, as the Agora took over and we had lots and lots of work to do, so that will change in the next year, we are eager to organise a new one and we are already thinking about the topic. Besides projects that we used to organise, we are going to make AEGEE a real incubator for young people, where we will focus heavily on non-formal education.

The AEGEEan: The Autumn Agora was organised by AEGEE-Chișinău and AEGEE-Europe in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Municipality of Chișinău, financed by the East European Foundation in Moldova, the Embassy of Sweden and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. Agora Chișinău’s digital partner was Star Net “we change the future”.

Other partners involved in the project and organisations that made a significant contribution to the organisation of the event were: Agepi, Draft, Minister of Agriculture and Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, Chateau Vartely, Apă Bună, The Railway of Moldova, Institute of Labour, Red Bull, ADR Center and Classic Mobil.

Written by Raluca Radu, AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca

If you attended Autumn Agora Chișinău, you might have seen this girl with distinctive blonde curly hair and blue eyes giving you badges, running around the plenary hall and always smile to everybody. She is Ana Gancearuc, part of the core team and Incoming Responsible of the Agora. Her efforts, along with the entire team, didn’t stay unnoticed and she was nominated as our Member of the Month of October. We asked her some questions and here is the interview!

The AEGEEan: Congratulations! How does it feel to win this award?
Ana: Wow! I didn’t expect it at all, I’m pleasantly surprised and thankful for those who thought of nominating me! I feel really honoured, thank you AEGEE.

Who is Ana? What is her story in AEGEE? 
Ana has been a member of AEGEE-Chișinău since 2010, after helping organising the Summer University that year, and attended my first Agora in Istanbul, I started to understand what AEGEE is really about.
Then I continued by helping organisng many SU’s (but I had never been to a SU as a participant before), LTC’s, RTC. I was a board member in 2011 and 2015, continuing with MedCom for 2015-2016 and Autumn Agora Chișinău 2016.

What is your life besides AEGEE?
On a daily basis, I work full time for a telecommunication company, Orange Moldova, as a human resources administrator for the International Operations Department. It means that I’m doing HR work for a British telecommunication company and I love it.
Besides work, I’m trying to have a healthy lifestyle. From nutrition to exercising, activities and time outside spent wisely, I’m a runner and a swimmer, I have done a couple of marathons, and maybe one day I will get to do a triathlon – if I get to practice biking more often [She laughs, ed.].

Describe your personality by using the initials of your name(s).
Oh that’s a good one! I don’t know, maybe the following:
Ambitious
Nice
Altruist

You worked a lot for Autumn Agora Chișinău. What was the best moment? What was the most difficult thing you experienced?
It was a lot of work, indeed. And I took the Agora very personally, maybe because being a member for six years now,  I had never thought we would have the chance to organise an Agora in my hometown. I had to do my best and give it all for a successful event. It was my sixth Agora and I had seen how other events were organised before, how tired and exhausted the organisers were from previous events, but never stopped smiling or helping when needed. I knew from the very beginning what I was stepping into, when I accepted to be part of the core team and to be the Incoming Responsible of the Agora.

The best moment was seeing people happy about the event, their unconditional love and support meant a lot for me. The hardest moment(s) were the sleepless nights. I didn’t even know which day it was and for me, Agora passed so fast that it seemed like one long day.

Are you happy about the results and proud of them? Would you change anything, looking back?
I am very happy about the results of my team, my dear local antenna and all the organisers from the All Stars Team that did a great job!
If I would change anything… I don’t think we had major incidents, but if I would change anything, I would maybe like to have had less tension if possible, and I would have loved to have more sunny warm days, but we can’t control that unfortunately. Overall I’m happy about everything and I would do it all over again. It’s post Agora nostalgia!

You recently finished your one year term as Mediation Commissioner. How was the experience? What did you learn?
It was a great experience with a great team on board. As a Mediation Commissioner, you see things from a more inside point of view and you have a better opportunity to perceive things. I can not reveal much, but I think I grew a lot by learning about the situations, issues or conflicts that occur in AEGEE. As an advisor and mediator you have to come up with the best solutions and at the same time not interfere with a personal thought or idea (as mediator you have to stay neutral).

Name one good thing and one bad thing about AEGEE.
Good: AEGEEans, it is because of them that I am still a member of this amazing association.
Bad: Time. We need to allocate proportionate time in order for it to work actively, productive. When you are a student, you can divide your time perfectly, in my opinion. Once you are employed full time, unfortunately you have much less free time and other priorities take over. But that should not be an excuse or a bad thing after all, many of us can combine both just fine and we have many good examples of that in AEGEE.

If you could change anything in the association, what would it be?
At the Agora, I saw many AEGEEans, who weren’t informed at all about what an Agora is and what their responsibilities are as a delegate. Many of them were emailing the incoming team, asking them to explain them their duties as a delegate or what Agora is. It would be very good if each board that is elected in every local, enlighten themselves about everything that is happening in our association, what it is, what we do and why, and then inform their members who go to big events to represent their local. Perhaps more trainings about it, regional training coursed with their elected NetCommie or different exchange workshops where more experienced members can share their knowledge with the newbies.
There’s always something to work on, especially when AEGEEans are elected for different AEGEE positions. New brilliant minds make changes and bring something new and fresh to the association, and I respect that a lot.

What are your future plans for AEGEE?
That is a tough one.
Before Agora Chișinău I was 100% sure that after the event, I would resign from AEGEE and let the youngsters take control over the local. For now, I would prefer to stay aside and perhaps participate here and there in some events. I found an interesting training for this winter and I might go if I get selected. Maybe I will attend one more Agora, the one in Enschede. It’s just that I love the Netherlands and it’s a great opportunity to go back there, especially because Dutchies are great organisers. I can confirm that after participating in the EPM in Leiden this year.
I’d like to focus more on my career and personal life for now, but I’m always available if my antenna or AEGEE-Europe needs me.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Verona

A couple of weeks ago, AEGEE-Chișinău hosted the Autumn Agora 2016, and while a longer, more comprehensive interview with the organisers is still coming, we would like to take this opportunity to review some of the outstanding aspects of Agora Chișinău.

Environment

Chișinău was a really wonderful place to host the Agora. It is a city with loads of green areas, which during the Agora slowly started changing colours; throughout the city, one can read a fantastic mix of the Romanian and Russian language on walls, buildings and billboards; and one could be astonished by the wide variety of traditional and Soviet architecture in the city.

Most importantly for the Agora, the organisers had put a lot of effort into the location: finding a beautiful and charming auditorium to serve as the main stage, outside of which they created spaces for intimate and cosy workshops, space to register, exchange currency, receive one’s meals, and buy merchandise. A huge plus was the resting areas, spaces with fatboys where the participants could relax in between sessions. One of the most outstanding locations was the ‘palm room’ with real palm trees, just a mere two hundred meters from the main venue.

Breaking Stereotypes

One major part of AEGEE is to break stereotypes, and AEGEE-Chișinău has certainly exceeded many expectations. They, first of all, organised an excellent youth conference and were quite flexible to successfully tackle any problem or issue when it presented itself. This included, updating the programme when some sessions took longer than expected, providing some participants with transportation, if needed, and having paramedics on hand to assist participants, who were not feeling well.

What is more remarkable is that this local successfully recruited a diverse group of international volunteers to assist them in setting up this youth conference, making the organisation truly diverse and polyglot, a.k.a. European. In short, the organisers were kind and extremely helpful, the cultural programme (the traditional dances and clothing) was beautiful to see, and the traditional Moldovan food that the organisers provided for the participants was delicious.

Nevertheless, there were a few stereotypes that were confirmed. These were that Moldovans are extremely open, warm and hospitable to visitors, especially to their friends, and that Moldovan wine is quite tasty.

Knowledgeable

The Autumn Agora 2016 was certainly a successful event to transfer information about the various projects, committees, working groups and commissions of AEGEE. Like every six months, the Agora is a place where everyone in AEGEE can come together to discuss our ideas and opinions as one big European community, and this edition certainly furthered the cause for a borderless Europe.

Partners and Sponsors

The project was organised by AEGEE-Chișinău and AEGEE-Europe in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Municipality of Chișinău, financed by the East European Foundation in Moldova, the Embassy of Sweden and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. Agora Chișinău’s digital partner was Star Net “we change the future”.

Other partners involved in the project and organisations that made a significant contribution to the organisation of the event were: Agepi, Draft, Minister of Agriculture and Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, Chateau Vartely, Apa Buna, The Railway of Moldova, Institute of Labour, Red Bull, ADR Center and Clasic Mobil.

Stay tuned for our full interview with AEGEE-Chișinău.

Written by Willem Laurentzen, AEGEE-Nijmegen

Back in November 2015, AEGEE-Chișinău intended to provide courses in Human Resources at the Human Resources European School (HRES), which got postponed until this Summer. For this edition, however, the HRES is combined with the SU of AEGEE-Chișinău, and you can choose to merely follow the ‘HRES bit’ of the SU, and you can combine the ‘HRES bit’ or AEGEE-Chișinău’s entire SU with another SU… As Leo said, “you had my curiosity, but now you have my attention”. Ana Gancearuc of AEGEE-Chișinău was, again, kind enough to explain everything to us.

The AEGEEan: You also organised an HRES in 2015. Is the same group of people responsible for the ‘HRES bit’ of the HRESSU?

Ana: Yes, is the same group of people plus some new board members, that help a lot in the organisation, but the group of trainers would be different.

How exactly is this HRES different from its previous edition?

This HRES is combined with SU, and as the previous edition didn’t take place, we postponed it for the Summer.

We have extended the activities with the training for two weeks now, but, people who are only interested in the part with the HRES, can apply solely for that. Moreover, the ‘training part’ will be a bit shorter during the HRESSU than it would have been during the HRES.

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So, it is possible to attend just the HRES, instead of the entire SU. Could you tell us a bit more of how the HRES is integrated with the rest of the SU?

It is indeed possible to attend only the HRES instead of the entire SU. The SU lasts a total of two weeks, seven days of which, being Saturday the 16th till Friday the 22th of July, are allocated for the training itself.

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It is possible to go to the HRESSU and to another SU. Why and how did you manage to arrange this?

People who applied for another SU already, can apply for HRESSU as well, but only via email. As via intranet it won’t be possible.

Why? Because we want to give the possibility for other members that want as well to come to our HRESSU to be able to attend the event. This will not only be a SU, but also a HRES. In order for the network to benefit as much as possible from the HRES, it might be a good strategy for AEGEEans, who interested in HR, not to miss the opportunity to participate in the HRES. That is way the SUCT granted us special permission for participants of other Summer Universities to participate in our event too.

Why did you decide to integrate the HRES with your SU?

As we postponed the event, we thought of combining it with SU. We would have something that is more like a European-School-Summer-University-event, which would be different from what we’ve done in the past years.

How is your SC+ SU different from the SC+s of AEGEE-Madrid or AEGEE-Aachen?

Well basically; because we have a training course about Human Resources, which will be held in English. Meanwhile, the SC+ of AEGEE-Madrid has a language course, and only people with intermediate Spanish can apply. The same thing with AEGEE-Aachen; their SC+ is only for participants who speak German.

Thank you for the interview, do you have any final remarks?

We are organising an amazing event and we hope that people will apply. Just because it’s a training, doesn’t mean that it will be boring; we have divided the hours perfectly and combined them with an amazing program, trips, activities, social program that there’s no way you won’t like it. But be fast, cause the deadline to apply is Sunday the 12^th of June.

AEGEE-Chișinău’s SU lasts from the 14th till the 27th of July, and, if you want to know more about the HRES, check out our previous article here

Written by Willem Laurentzen, AEGEE-Nijmegen

After some open call extensions we finally have a name… the hosting local for the Autumn Agora 2016 is AEGEE-Chişinău! We spoke with the President and Main Organiser of the statutory event, Andrei Dodiţa, and the core team to have a sneak peak of what has to come. Plus, to present themselves, the organisers have prepared a short video which you can view here.

The AEGEEan: Why did you decide to apply?

Core team: Organising an Agora was the biggest challenge for us. AEGEE-Chişinău has a rich experience in organising different kind of projects, both on national and international levels and as a result, we reached the peak and needed a new motivation. Hence, the Agora was the most suitable solution and the perfect new purpose. AEGEE-Chişinău has all that is necessary to organise the Agora: the beauty of the country, the hospitality of the people and an enthusiastic, experienced team. So far, it will be the first and biggest international event ever in Moldova and we are really excited we will be the ones organising it. We plan to place Chişinău steadily on the map of AEGEE-Europe. Last but not least, organising an Agora in Chişinău was a personal goal and dream of the President of AEGEE-Chişinău, Andrei Dodiţa, and he was our biggest motivator.

Why didn’t you apply on the first open call?

During our local’s General Assembly, which took place in September, initially, we agreed to apply for Spring Agora 2017. But, due to some favorable circumstances, we had another Assembly and, after the evaluation of our antenna, we decided to apply for the Autumn Agora 2016. Thereby, we have taken a good decision.

Present your local!

AEGEE- Chişinău was founded on the 4th of June 1999, so in June 2016, we will celebrate our 17th anniversary. In the last two years, AEGEE- Chişinău has organised and hosted ten projects, four of which on national level – namely: PROject for YOUth vol. I in 2014, Let’s Start to Grow in 2014, PROject for YOUth vol. II in 2015 and Be efficient in 2015; and six projects on European level – namely Check-in in Moldova Summer University in 2014, Exchange with AEGEE-Mannheim in 2014, local host for the Election Observation Mission in Moldova in 2014, The Hottest Summer School Summer University in 2015, 4 seasons 3 reasons 2 countries 1 story Traveling Summer University in 2015 with AEGEE-Bucureşti and Taste the Moldavian Hospitality Autumn Agora Kyïv Pre event.

Around 359 young people took part in these projects took part, among which 111 were foreign students.

Who is in the core team?

The core team is formed by the most active, motivated and experienced members that we have in AEGEE- Chişinău: Andrei Dodiţa – the president of the local and the main organiser of the Agora; Aliona Ciorba – the best project manager and members coordinator from our local; Arsenis Tselengidis – former President of AEGEE Thessaloniki, former Network Commissioner and Member of Pool of Representatives; Vali Bala – one of the most experienced members and a very good project manager; Lucia Gori – the former president of our local and one of the longest-serving members; Anisoara Tricolici and Maria Josan – the PR responsible and Secretary of the local and two of the most involved and dedicated members and Ana Gancearuc and Ina Botnari – two of the most experienced longest-serving members.

Can you give us a sneak peek of what you are preparing (facilities, plenaries, also food)?

Everything will be a big surprise for you, as big as our application was for the Comité Directeur, so we will keep this a secret. But, be sure you will feel like home in Chişinău. You will try the best food and the most delicious wine that you have ever tasted. So far, all the foreign participants have agreed with us on that. We have the support of municipality and Ministry of Youth and Sport, so everything will be on a high level.

How can we reach Chişinău? What has Chişinău to offer?

Chişinău is starting to have better connection to Europe via direct flights, however most low-cost airlines fly to the nearby hubs in Romania like Bucharest, Iasi and Bacau. From there, and some other nearby major cities, there are numerous train and bus connections to Chişinău (especially Bucharest, Iasi, Cluj-Napoca and Kyïv) and, in some cases, central and even western Europe (Moskva, L’viv, Praha, Sofia, Aachen, Kraków, etc). Of course, Moldova has a strong reputation for hospitality so hitchhiking is common and recommended for the complete experience!

Andrei Dodiţa, president and main organiser of Autumn Agora 2016

Even if Chişinău is a small city, it has a very big heart. You will visit one of the greenest cities in Europe, with free wi-fi everywhere and very cordial and beautiful people.

What were you doing when the CD delivered the news and how did you feel about it?

Andrei Dodiţa: I received the news at midnight and the good thing is that when I got the answer I was already in bed so it saved me from falling down. I couldn’t fall asleep that night because the movie of Agora being held in Chişinău was constantly running in front of my eyes. Being extremely excited, I started calling my core team to share the news with them but they were all already sleeping [he laughs, ed].

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Verona

One of the best part of being in an active and engaging group is that everyone can help each other reach their full potential in order to make the most use of each individual’s assets. This process is also known as Human Resources. After organising Local Training Courses (LTC) and Regional Training Courses (RTC), AEGEE-Chișinău decided to help people become experts in Human Resources at the Human Resources European School (HRES). Ana Gancearuc, former HR responsible for AEGEE-Chișinău and main organiser of HRES, was kind enough to tell us all about this training course with members from all over Europe.

The AEGEEan: What, in a nutshell, is HRES?

Ana: The long explanation is Human Resources European School, a seven-day international training course that aims to empower youth NGO members – who are involved in the field of Human Resources – to develop, implement and manage HR strategies in their organisations.

Why did you decide to host HRES in Moldova ? 

Because we are a very hospitable country and we have good and friendly people that can’t wait to meet all our participants. We have a beautiful city and a beautiful country and we’d love more people to find out about Moldovan traditions and culture.

What do you think is the most amazing bit about the HRES?

For me personally, working in the field of HR, is an amazing opportunity to gain knowledge on the challenges and solutions in HR management in youth organisations. Participants will learn what it takes to effectively attract, select, integrate, develop and maintain members. They will gain skills in the field of recruitment, group dynamics, motivation, conflict management, training design and delivery, leadership. Also they will get an insight into the impact and significance of being a student multiplier on a societal and a personal dimension. Trainers will consult and feedback each other on best practices and HR concepts used at home.

Why do you only aim your training course at young NGO members?

As we are members of AEGEE, one of the biggest European organisations, we focus first of all on our members to become more professional and get the knowledge they are seeking for. But we don’t close the door to people that are not necessarily members of NGO’s or members of our organisation. We welcome everybody who has interest in our projects and training courses.

Do you expect any young NGO members, who are not a member of AEGEE, to attend this training course?

The Academy provides some exceptional and professional trainers and I know that many NGO’s are looking forward to participate and be able to get the knowledge for their organisations, such as AISEC, BEST and different Youth Organisations from Moldova. Even my work colleagues form the HR department are very interested to participate.

Why did you decide on only allowing a maximum of 20 participants to attend your training course?

I think a group of 20 people is more easy to manage and everybody has the possibility to interact with each other and know each other during the whole week of training. But most important, as we are a small country, from a logistic point of view the hostels we have here can host maximum 20-25 people. And we would like to keep the whole group together, rather than divide them through the city.

Participants have to pay a fee of €100. What do the people get for this amount of money?

As everybody from AEGEE already knows, especially the ones who organised at least once a Summer University, the expenses are pretty big if you don’t have sponsors who can help you get things for free.

So basically for this €100 fee, participants will have a nice place to sleep, three meals per day, all necessary material for the training course and we reimburse 50% of the travel costs for the trainers.

We don’t have grants or financial help from anybody and we must achieve our goals from what we have. As we all know this is voluntary and nobody has a salary from what they are doing in AEGEE.

One of the requirements for the participants is that they can communicate in English fluently. What will happen if a participant’s proficiency in English actually seems to be too bad during the HRES?

Moldova first of all is not such a close or accessible location for most antennas, and I think the people who are going to apply and who already applied for HRES, are members who really know what they are looking for. And to be in a country, for a full week of training in the Human Resources course you must like it. Probably board members  and HR responsible are the most interested in this training course. But, as we are all open to help each other, I don’t think there will be a problem in helping each other so everybody gets the knowledge the trainers will provide us.

Of course before the training itself, we are going to get to know the participants a bit better, find out more about each other, and see if anybody from the applicants needs more help with English.

If this article has sparked your attention, maybe you’ll also enjoy this promotional video of HRES.

Written by Willem Laurentzen, AEGEE-Nijmegen

From the 14th to the 18th of October, one of AEGEE’s most important events, the Autumn Agora, will be held in Kyïv and as any seasoned AEGEE member knows: an Agora seldom comes alone. The main event is always accompanied by several pre-events that are organised  especially by dedicated antennae. This years participants had the opportunity to choose from five creative events in four different countries and a thematic conference that addresses the recent political and economic events in Ukraine.
Follow the AEGEEan on a quick tour through Eastern Europe’s most interesting locations and best autumn events.

Our first stop is “AEGEE-Warszawa: Tear Down this Wall”, where a group of lucky participants will be able to pledge freedom and transparency by tearing down past and present walls. As they find themselves travelling through time, the participants will discover the historic roots of Warszawa, full of charming places, Polish dreams and unique cultures. Back in present time, where modern youth spirit meets old traditions, the organisers are planning to take everybody on a stroll through old Warszawa in search of the most potent shot bars.
With no walls left to stop our journey, the next halt is with AEGEE-Lublin in a city that participants are definitely going to fall in love with. The organising team of “LUBLINove LOVE – Fall in Love in Lublin” is hoping to make everybody feel the magical atmosphere of the city where different people, cultures and religions mix into a unique style of living. A highlight of the event will be the Slavic night with traditional music, dances and a fiery bonfire that will warm up the coldest hearts.

Tea sceptics within AEGEE will definitely acquire a taste for the diverse drink after participating in AEGEE-Moskva’s pre-event “Moscow Tea Time: A Hidden Part of the Russian Soul”. In a traditional Russian tea ceremony with legends to spice things up, participants might awaken their hidden Russian soul within their bodies. AEGEE-Moscow will then introduce the attendants to traditional Russian culture, crazy spirits and other strong drinks in a city that never sleeps. The organisers are particularly proud to offer a workshop on lifehacks for surviving in a Russian train. A course that no AEGEE member should miss.
The event by AEGEE-Chișinău “Taste the Moldavian Hospitality” is going to be a definite treat for neglected taste buds. According to the organisers the participants will experience the tastiest pre-event of Autumn Agora Kyïv that will lead them on a discovery trail through Moldavian culinary culture by tasting delicious wine and traditional food such as Placinte. On a visit to the Orheiul Vechi monastery AEGEE members might trace back ancient civilisations.
Before arriving in the heart of Ukraine, Kyïv, let us make a last stop in the soul of Ukraine with “Oops! We Lviv it again!” organised by AEGEE-Lviv. As the cultural capital of Ukraine, Lviv has a lot to offer its visitors. From the local musicians to its unique streets and cozy coffee houses, with this event the participants have a chance to experience the true spirit of the city and to get to know the Ukrainian culture through its language, cuisine and traditions.
For members who just cannot get enough, AEGEE-Kyïv has planned a special thematic conference on October the 13th, just a day before the start of Agora Kyïv 2015. “The #YoungUA Conference: Defending, Acting, Investing” marks the successful conclusion of the project “reBuilding Democracy” that was launched by AEGEE-Kyïv six months ago and encourages participants to dicuss the political, economic and social future of Ukraine within Europe. The event is divided into three panels with high-profile speakers discussing European values, economic investments and youth participation within transformation movements in Ukraine.
The conference aims to boost cooperation on youth policy matters between the Ukrainian and youth organisations by creating a memorandum at the end of the conference that will be sent to important stakeholders in Ukraine as well as abroad. According to main organisers Alla Resheten and Armenak Minasyants, the conference is a perfect opportunity for AEGEE members to get engaged in an explicit thematic context that has been missing during Agoras.

Which pre-event will you be visiting?
Written by Alev Özdemir, AEGEE-Frankfurt

Local of the Month of December is AEGEE-Chișinău, the only Moldovan local we have in our Network. Despite being a rather small local, they have had a month full of events and recognition, organising a LTC, helping the Election Observation Project with their mission in Moldova for the parliamentary elections and hitting the 13th place overall in the Summer University ranking. We spoke with Aliona Ciorba, the secretary of the board, to understand this antenna better.

The AEGEEan: Please introduce your local to our readers

Aliona: AEGEE-Chișinău was founded in 1996 and after a little pause its activity was restarted in 1999. This was the year when the first Summer University in Moldova was organised and in 2014 we celebrated the 15th anniversary of Summer University in Chișinău. Currently, in our antenna there are 28 cute members and 6 cute board members namely Andrei Dodita (President), Lucia Gori (Vice-President), Aliona Ciorba (Secretary), Diana Gorita (Treasurer), Ana Gancearuc (HR Responsible) and Maria Chiper (PR Responsible).

How does it feel to be elected Local of the Month?

Being elected Local of the Month makes us feel very enthusiastic and that our work is finally appreciated. We think we had a good AEGEE year and the greatest result for us is that our Check-in in Moldova Summer University was ranked the 13th from all the 80 Summer Universities. I remember before the organisation of the SU one of our members was saying that “it is not possible, we have no sea, no mountains to attract the participants and make the SU more interesting”, but here we are proving that when you have a great desire, everything is possible and we managed to establish a new record for Moldova in the Summer University project. We really hope that the new board of AEGEE-Chișinău will exceed the previous board and will have even better results!

As you said before, according to SUCT list, your Summer University Check-in in Moldova achieved a remarkable 13th position. What do you think most impressed your participants?

We think that the participants liked overall the activities and the organisation of the Check-in in Moldova Summer University, and secondly, the good connections with the organisers. The members of AEGEE-Chișinău befriended the participants and made them feel very good and enjoy even more the time spent in Moldova.

What is the secret for a small local to succeed in a Summer University?

The secret for a small local to succeed in a Summer University is first of all the belief that everything is possible and that we can do it. Secondly, a big wish to make a great Summer University. Thirdly, knowledge, experience, a good concept of SU, a team and, last but not least, positive participants. Without all this you cannot manage!

Your country recently had elections and you helped the Election Observation Project. Which kind of impact has the project had on your local? Do you think those elections had an impact on young generations?

On the 30th of November the parliamentary elections of the Republic of Moldova took place. We were pleased to support the Election Observation Project of AEGEE and help its members, because we believe the parliamentary elections had a direct impact on the future of our country. We, as citizens, wanted our elections to take place in a democratic and correct manner, hence, we welcomed the observation mission with big enthusiasm. The Election Observation Project of AEGEE did a great job and we are very happy we took part in this important mission.

You organised a Local Training Course. What were the topics? And what were the outcomes?

The LTC of AEGEE-Chișinău took place shortly after the recruitment process of new members in the association. The main purpose of the training was making an introduction and explaining AEGEE. The trainers of the LTC were experienced members that could give more extensive information about any body, activity or project of the association. Besides this, we presented the Summer University Project, as it is the longest lasting project in the association’s history, and organised several workshops and even a quiz. And last but not least, we tried to organise the LTC in such a manner that we could show and transfer to the new members the enthusiasm and love that we have for AEGEE and to inspire them. We consider to have succeeded in this and, as a result, the new members desired to discover more about the association and actively participate in the activities of the local.

What are the new projects of the locals?

2015 seems to be a busy year for AEGEE-Chișinău because we plan to do a lot of projects and activities. We plan to establish a new record for AEGEE-Chișinău by organising The hottest Summer School SU 2015, which besides being the hottest Summer University of AEGEE will also let the participants experience a new concept of upside down school with teachers of the most unusual subjects that will throw their summer downside-up.

Moreover, we will organise  4 seasons, 3 reasons, 2 countries, 1 story! Travel Summer University 2015 in collaboration with AEGEE-București , which has an amazing itinerary and will let the participants discover two colorful countries: Romania and Moldova. The program will include everything: from urban locations (two capitals: București and Chișinău, which are two totally different cities), to mountains, sea and beautiful nature.

Thridly, we plan to organise a local project which will develop the subject of Europe, European Union and the European projects and opportunities for the Moldavian youth, in order to encourage them to take an active role in the society, broaden their knowledge, and create awareness among young people. We hope these projects will have a positive impression on the participants.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Venezia

On the 1st of December, Moldova woke up with the results of the parliamentary elections that would decide the direction that this small landlocked country would have taken. Bordering a European Union member state (Romania) and Ukraine, Moldova faces a similar challenge as their Eastern Partnership neighbours: keeping their ties with Russia, or pushing towards Europe?

Arrived in Chișinău, one could easily guess that there was something very relevant going on in the city. Giant panels with propaganda for the Moldovan parliamentary elections were spread all over the Stephen the Great’s boulevard, the main alley in the city. Some of them proudly showed the European Union (EU) flag and highlighted the European values and aspirations that Moldova aims to reach. Others, instead, voiced a strong anti-EU message – or, better said, a rather ‘pro-Russian’ message: “It’s better to be rich with Russia than to be poor in an indebted Europe!”, one could read on the panels from the Communist Party. Even Vladimir Putin’s face appeared in one of the panels: the Socialist Party showcased a picture of its leaders having a friendly talk with the Russian president.

It was clear from the start that Moldovan citizens had to make an important decision on November 30th. Since 2009, when the pro-European coalition entered in the government, the small country has been taking progressive steps to strive for a bigger commitment towards the EU and to meet the European standards. The country entered the Eastern Partnership and became what many consider its “star pupil”, as the magazine New Eastern Europe quoted. Its ties with Russia, though, are still strong and some feared that the contagion of the Ukrainian crisis could hit Moldova hard – in fact, its main exports, especially Moldovan wine, have been strongly affected by Russian bans for long.

In this context, it is relevant to highlight one of the main happenings before the Moldovan elections. Just 72 hours before the kick-off of the election day, the pro-Russian party Patria  (‘Homeland’) was banned from taking part in the elections after being accused of receiving funds from Russia. The party was expected to get around 13% of the total votes, so this wasn’t minor news – partly, because of the secrecy in which the Moldovan Justice Court had acted, as several experts acknowledged. Some feared that this would provoke a civil unrest similar to the Ukrainian EuroMaidan but from the Russian side, and  five people were even arrested the day before the elections, suspected of planning violent protests after the elections.

AEGEE-Europe observes on the spot

Twenty-two AEGEEans were deployed throughout the Moldovan capital, Chișinău, on the election day. From the early morning, when the polls were opened, until the end of the counting session, around 55 polling stations were visited. There was the general consensus among the observers that there had not been any major irregularities throughout the day, and that polling stations were generally well-equipped and organised.

However, the breakdown of the electronic voter registration system early in the morning was one of the highlights of the day. Long queues and overcrowding of the polling stations made it difficult at times to observe the procedure, and sometimes voters themselves were disoriented on which was the exact procedure in order to vote.

The long day was culminated by the counting process. One of the most striking things was the presence of several observers in the polling stations. From domestic observers, many of them representing several of the Moldovan political parties, but also civil society organisations, to international observers whom some of us could talk to.

Nonetheless, these national observers from political parties played an influential role during the counting process, sometimes obstructing it, arguing with the members of the polling station, and giving their opinion on the validity of votes (when, according to the election observers code of conduct, observers cannot have an active role, neither obstruct the overall election process) and acting rather coercively at times. As a matter of fact, many of the voters of the banned party ‘Patria’ did anyway cast their vote for them, so the number of invalid votes in several polling stations was remarkably high.

And now, which direction will Moldova take?

After the counting at the polling stations finished, some observers headed to the Moldovan Central Election Commission, where the first results were announced – and they were quite unexpected. “The Socialists have won”, one of the Moldovan journalists told us right when we got inside. Indeed, the Liberal Democrat Party of Moldova, the leader of the pro-European coalition in power, paid the price of being in the government for the past five years, and lost nine seats in Parliament.

Despite that, the final results showed that the three parties that formed the Alliance for European Integration kept the majority, winning 53 seats out of 101. The opposition got a close result of 48 seats – 26 for the Socialists, and 22 for the Communists, even though they refuse to cooperate and make a strong opposition together.

While the negotiations to form a new government are ongoing, these results might give wings to those who hope for stronger ties between Moldova and the European Union. However, one cannot elude the fact that a party which claimed it would be “better being with Russia” and which proudly showcased Putin’s face in their posters has actually won the elections. Throughout the past five years, the pro-EU coalition government in Moldova has been rather fragile and feared a breakdown several times, even though the aspirations of Moldova in Europe are pretty clear.

After the elections, the question is still unanswered – which direction is Moldova taking?

Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona & Election Observation Project