Agora Catania is starting in a few days and as always, the AEGEEan will try to help you better understand the Proposals which will be discussed during the Prytania. These following ones are proposed by the Mediation Commission, the Audit Commission, AEGEE-Aachen and AEGEE-Enschede.

Fixed term for the Mediation Commission

Proposed by Damien Lacatz on behalf of the Mediation Commission. This proposal seeks approval for the establishment of a set starting date for the term of the Mediation Commission, which now starts on the day following the end of Agora, implying that previous commissioners lose access rights due to confidenciality and thus making KT very difficult. If the proposal was to be approved, the MedCom would have a term starting on the 1st of December, allowing a timeframe for KT between the election date and the starting date. The proposal would end up in an addition of this provision to the Statutes of AEGEE-Europe, also granting the newly elected members access to all necessary data for Knowledge Transfer purposes.

Gathering of the financial documents of every European event

Proposed by Luca Bisighini on behalf of the Audit Commission. This proposal aims at making the work of the Audit Commission more comprehensive and more respondent to its features in compliance with article 27 of the CIA and articles 13 and 14 of the Financial Rules. The proposed change to the Financial Rules of AEGEE-Europe aims at collecting and checking the financial data connected to events and projects organised by locals (final budget, bank history, bookkeeping), in relation to every European event and project.

Modification of Locals’ Statutes

Proposed by Nils Barkawitz on behalf of AEGEE-Aachen. This proposal is based on the fact that to fulfill Antenna Criteria, a local should have Statutes compatible with the Convention d’Adhésion and the Statutes of AEGEE-Europe in both the original language and English to be presented to the Juridical Commission upon request or upon modification by the local, but nobody checks if changes were made during the last term. Thus the proposal is to delete from Article 6 (1).1. the expression “upon modification by the local or”.

Nomination of the JC member who is in MedCom

Proposed by Damien Lacatz on behalf of the Mediation Commission. This proposal’s aim is to introduce at Article 29, (4) of the Statutes of AEGEE-Europe a provision making it possible for the Juridical Commission to appoint a member different than its president, suitable for mediation and resolution of conflicting issues, to join the Mediation Commission.

Proposal to set all deadlines for publishing official documents at two weeks before the Agora 2.0

Proposed by Steyn ten Kate, Rik Smale and Timo Haarman on behalf of AEGEE-Enschede. Following a previous proposal during Spring Agora Enschede, this proposal aims at setting the deadline for the publication of all official documents of Agora two weeks before Agora. If approved, it would result in the addition of this provision to the Charter of Honorary Members and the Working Format of the Agora.

You can find all the proposals here.

Written by Federica Soro, AEGEE-Cagliari

AEGEEans are used to working online sending an insanely high amount of mails per day, but this work, especially if done by boards, sometimes needs to be done in a cosy office where everything can be stored. We decided to take a tour to AEGEE-Budapest, AEGEE-Cagliari, AEGEE-Enschede and AEGEE-Verona offices, discovering that not every local has one.

AEGEE-Budapest office

AEGEE-Budapest got its current office five years ago and it is shared with another organisation. Peter Sczigel, President of AEGEE-Budapest, said: “It’s small but cosy. It’s located in the Corvinus University of Budapest, where the majority of our members are from. Inside we have lockers, computers, comfy couches and a lot of memorabilia”. AEGEE-Budapest organised three Agoras, Autumn Agora 1991, Autumn Agora 1995 and Autumn Agora 2012 and they still have some stuff from those times, things they are proud of. Of course, they meet with members outside of the office too. “We often meet with our members in bars next to our uni. We have regular social drinks and other events there.” concluded Peter.

AEGEE-Cagliari office

Another that organised an Agora some years ago is AEGEE-Cagliari. The Italian insular local has been in the current office for ten/fifteen years. “It is located in our university, at the Economy department.” said Francesca Zorcolo, President of the local. “We got everything we need in order to work for AEGEE and to receive members or potential ones. Every year the current board add something to the office, as picture collages, t-shirts from their summer university, etc”. Endless days of working in the same enviroment can be extremely tiring, but it can also create some lovely memories as Francesca confirmed: “I think that one of the best memory is when we worked for the Agora and the meeting lasted so long that we had to have dinner with pizza at the office. We were not less than ten and we were really really tired, but still happy and excited”. The walls of an office can be small, so AEGEE-Cagliari tries to find new places for their members’ meeting, going to the beach too.

AEGEE-Enschede office

AEGEE-Enschede is probably the only local owning a pub, the famous Asterion. Right above it, the Dutch local has their office, located in a building called De Pakkerij right in the city center, shared with other three student associations. They have a room where the board usually work with a big table in the middle of the room and five desks with computers for the board members. Next to it they have a meeting room where their committees and external partners are welcomed. There is also a place to chill with few computers for members to work and join the board for lunch or tea or coffee.

Wietske Jousma, President and European Affairs of AEGEE-Enschede, said that “The best feature we have  in our office is our chandelier which was bought by a committee years ago and all this time it has been hanging from our ceiling. However, the previous board thought it was so ugly that they replaced it. One of the members of the committee who bought it insisted it should be back in our office, so we decided this year to give it a new place in the office. Most of the fake diamonds have fallen off the chandelier, but it doesn’t matter. It is back where it belongs!”.

AEGEE-Verona meeting

Not every local is lucky to have an office. This is the case of AEGEE-Verona, located in the north-east of Italy. Refounded in 2013, they hope to have one very soon, meanwhile they meet in a downtown bar called Caffé&Pistacchio. Sara Bottacini, treasurer of AEGEE-Verona, said “It has a basement where we can have some privacy and silence. We have been meeting there since January 2015. It’s nice, there are some sofas and armchairs and it’s located near the university area”. They also meet in university’s classrooms or common areas such as the garden of the canteen. Not having an office also means that they cannot keep memorabilia or AEGEE documents in a common place, but they divide it among the board members.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Verona

Walter White was looking at me, seated down in his cheap, rusty chair. His face was a mixture of rage-looking eyes, disappointing gesture and an unusual peace. I felt weird, lost in my mind, again. When suddenly, a voice broke into my thoughts.

– Are you ready? – my dad asked.

Yes, I was. My first Summer University (SU) would start, after five hours in a car, two in a plane and another half an hour on a train. I was pretty sure I was ready. I picked up my backpack, stopped looking at my Breaking Bad poster and had a last look at my house. Little did I know then that my own room would look strange to me only two weeks later…

Some hours after, I arrived to the Netherlands. Schiphol turned out to be a better airport than Barajas (at least this was my impression), full of people from very different places, running, laughing, smiling… I felt like Tom Hanks in “The Terminal”, and this feeling became stronger one hour later, when I was still waiting there for organizers.

I went to the Netherlands one day after the SU started because of exams so I was alone in Schiphol, with my luggage and a useless smartphone. Then, I thought that being smart would be a good idea, and I bought a sim card, so I could contact organizers. “We are waiting for you in Utrecht train station, we told you”.

Although they forgot to tell me this small detail, I finally knew what to do. During the train travel I started thinking about what I knew about the SU. “The Dutch Rainbow”. Really? I mean, I’d been told that this was a university meeting, not a meeting for eight-year-olds, with unicorns, pink t-shirts and lively colours.

Everything went better than expected however, soon after I met the Spanish team (we were with seven Spanish participants) and all the other people involved in the SU. I have to confess that until the very last day I was not able to remember all of the names. People were very friendly, outgoing and funny, so it was not difficult for me to feel comfortable in the group.

The first days were the most exhausting. We visited Utrecht, The Hague and Amsterdam. Utrecht is a beautiful city, with canals, small houses, a welcoming city centre and its big tower, which provides a startling view over the Dutch landscape. There, we played the crazy 88 game, in which basically, we had to demonstrate Dutch people that we were as crazy as they thought, by kissing stranger’s feet, dancing with a cucumber, asking people to marry them… Just normal stuff, you know. We also went to many bars, particularly to a Belgium one and a gay bar in which we were only among participants and organizers.

The Hague was the most cultural trip, thanks to the father of one of the organizers, who showed us the city and its historic buildings. We visited the Dutch Parliament, too. My favorite thing in this city was the huge sculpture of Zidane’s headbutt.

Amsterdam had the inconvenience that we visited it during a rainy day. But after a wet morning visiting the city by boat, we had free time and I could try haring, which is a typical Dutch fish. I found it disgusting (also another participant who tried it with me), but it was an unique experience. After, we went to Van Gogh’s house, just to be half an hour in the queue because it was too long to wait, and we had to be back at the meeting point. It was funny that I met lots of Russians that appeared out of the blue. In the afternoon we visited one of the most famous parts of Amsterdam: The Red Light District.

After Amsterdam, it was time for a new experience: hitchiking! “It will be nice”, they said. “People will stop”, they said. “You won’t be waiting for more than one hour and a half”, they said. Well, nothing of that was true this day. Four hours. Rain. Cold. And finally, we took a train to Enschede with a group of participants, while the other fourteen participants did arrive to Enschede hitchhiking.

I can summarize our stay in Enschede with one word: Beer. We drank while watching football, while having cultural workshops, while visiting the Grolsch brewery, and during the Cantus. I was not in the mood to do the Cantus, and I did not like it at first, but in the end I loved it. And now you are all thinking: “What is this Cantus thing?” It is more than a game. It is a law. You will sing, you will drink and you will be punished if you do not follow the rules. It reminded me of American college films.

Do you know how we went from Enschede to Nijmegen, the last stop? Hitchhiking! And, guess who had to go by train because nobody stopped again? Yeah! Me.

Nijmegen was very relaxed. We were all tired and it were the last days. But it was great that during these days the city was celebrating the Four Days Marches (Vierdaagsefeesten). It is a yearly event during which people walk 30, 40 or 50 kilometres every day and the city is full of music, colours and food.

In Nijmegen we went out, saw fireworks, played typical Dutch games (it was a lie, most of them were typical from everywhere :P), and we visited a lovely lake. We had an important visitor, too. Sinterklaas came to teach us more about Dutch culture and traditions.

The Netherlands are a very liberal country, in which everybody follows the rules. People are very kind, and they all speak English (I wish all Spanish people spoke English, too). Their food will not become my favourite, but it has lots of Asian recipes and they use too much vegetables. All cities I have seen were beautiful and contained mostly houses, not flats. And of course, coffee shops are a must-go-to. Time is too different from Spain however, since they close shops at six, have lunch at twelve and dinner at five or six. That was weird to me.

Still, this experience was the best one I have ever had. I cannot wait until my next SU-experience starts.

Written by Daniel Iglesias Rodriguez, AEGEE-Madrid

17 participants, 6 trainers, 6 main organizers, 9 days, many guests and helpers. From  the 17th till the 25th of May 2014, the AEGEE-Academy,  together with AEGEE-Enschede had organized one of the most important  trainings in our association – “European School 1” aka ES1.  

Two years after the Agora in Enschede, AEGEE was back to the University of Twente,  where  participants gained new skills and  knowledge, getting ready to become future leaders. Leadership, Project Management, Human Resources and Fundraising; those were just a few of the sessions that took place during the training. Along with the sessions, the participants were working on different Case Study tasks, that helped them to put the newly-aquired knowledge into practice right away. Moreover, thanks to the local organizers, a lovely social  programme  followed  each  hard working  day.

Among  the  guests  of  the  event were representatives from the AEGEE­-Academy  board, the  board of FATF (Foundation AEGEE Trust Fund ed.) and trainers from the Dutch National Youth Council. The event would not have been the same without Urša Svetelj (AEGEE-Ljubljana),  Training  Manager  of  the ES1  2014.  Urša  was  ensuring the smooth  process from the very first preparations on, being a bridge between the trainers and organizers involved in this ES.

It is somehow hard to describe European School 1 with just few words, but the feedback received from  the  participants  speaks  for itself.  Nevertheless,  this  event  would not  have  been  that  successful without their strong motivation, commitment and endless energy.

“You rocked! The best AEGEE event I’ve been to ­ from trainers’, participants and organisational aspects. Good job!”

“Awesome! Inspiring! enriching! a great time! great people!”

“You guys are awesome and especially the organizers. Please pass my thanks because without them this event would not be as amazing as it was.”

“I  am  extremely happy to having been here!! ES1 changed my life and it will define my future! Thank you very much for selecting me cause I really had to be here! And thank you for making this event so awesome and useful!!! Looking forward to meeting you all again somewhere in Europe! I really admire you for what you are doing! Keep up improving the world!!! ;) And good luck with everything!”

“A big hug to everyone! Thanks for this outstanding experience!”

“I am very thankful this happened to me. And I thank you for realizing it. I find everything I want to find in my life in AEGEE. Thank you for making this true.

“Organizers  and trainers, I must say a huuuuuuge thanks for the hard work. I learned a LOT and had awesome time while doing it :) Thank youuuuu all! :)”

“I will suggest my local Antenna members apply for ES.”

“European School 1” is already over, but more AEGEE trainings will follow! Stay tuned and keep the AEGEE energy alive!

Written by Elena Antova, AEGEE-Academy

It has been repeated over and over again that it is very important to prepare delegates, visitors and envoys for the statutory events. It is essential to go through proposals and candidatures before flying to the Agora destination and The AEGEEan interviewed different antennae that prepare meetings for that particular purpose.

In Budapest members who want to be delegates have to write a motivation letter in order to apply for the position, they have to present themselves in front of the assembly where votes are cast by other members. As for visitors, the board creates the list according to a policy which says board members should be first, then mid-level leaders, active members and others. AEGEE-Leiden also selects delegates in a local Agora where candidates present themselves and then the members vote. The procedure of selecting visitors is also similar to what happens in Budapest “We select visitors by first promoting the Agora among our members: telling what it is all about, why it is important and a great experience. When people apply to become a visitor, the board goes through the applications and looks at the motivations. Based on their motivation, the board decides in which order the visitors will be put,” Sandrine Lafay from AEGEE-Leiden tells The AEGEEan.

As for the preparations, many antennae such as AEGEE-Groningen, AEGEE-Enschede and AEGEE-Amsterdam, AEGEE-Budapest before the Agora always have a so called Agora night where they simulate the Agora with most of its sessions and also present the proposals and candidates in order to find out the members’ opinions about the decisions the delegates have to make. “Of course during our simulation we don’t only vote in favor and against the proposals, but we try to talk about them. This way the delegates can later ask the questions which came up in the Prytania sessions. The result of the Agora Night is always recorded and the delegates should keep to those!” AEGEE-Leiden also hosts a Pre Agora meeting discussing all proposals and candidatures “We think it’s very important because delegates need to represent the local as a whole. The Pre Agora Meeting is the moment to discuss with all active members about what we think, so we can come up with a voting advice that represents the opinion of AEGEE-Leiden. To make sure that everyone’s well prepared at the Pre Agora Meeting, we distribute the proposal and candidature booklets among our members so they can read everything and form their own opinion before we start the Pre Agora Meeting. Moreover, we assign the different proposals and different candidatures to small groups of people that will present them at the Pre Agora Meeting, to make sure that even those who haven’t done the reading know what the proposal is about. During the Pre Agora Meeting we present and discuss about each proposal and candidature one by one and write down the arguments and voting advice for our delegates,” Sandrine says.

Clearly it is not only important to prepare the delegates but also the visitors so they have information about what is happening at what they are attending. AEGEE-Alicante told The AEGEEan how they focus on this matter “It is important to prepare not only delegates, but also visitors, so they can follow the discussion representing the antenna and understand why they are there. If we know that there will be newbies in the meeting, we explain what an Agora is, and then, we proceed to talk about candidatures and proposals and discuss all of it to reach a consensus so that they vote and act on behalf of AEGEE-Alicante as a whole rather than their individual opinion.”

There are different ways to help the members of the antennae financially in taking part in the statutory events. Whereas Budapest reimburses the fee to board members, delegates and honorary members, AEGEE-Amsterdam and AEGEE-Utrecht focuses on the travel costs. Where AEGEE-Utrecht reimburses 1/3 of the travel cost for their delegates, AEGEE-Amsterdam has a more complex system. Delegates get 50% of the travel costs reimbursed (till the maximum amount of €100), but first they have to make a little review about the Agora. The same goes for visitors who can get 25% of the travel costs reimbursed (till maximum amount of €50). AEGEE-Enschede implemented this year a 25 € reimbursement to the delegates. The AEGEEan also talked with AEGEE-Groningen about the same topic and the secretary Josine Rawee said “Normally we don’t, but when we cannot find enough delegates because the travel costs are too high, we sometimes give them reimbursement”.

The AEGEEan is also preparing delegates and visitors for the Agora having published interviews with candidates, organizers, explanations of proposals and more. Erika Bettin is the editor of the People’s section and says “This year I’m following the Agora preparation even more closely because I’m the Editor of the People section in The AEGEEan. For who doesn’t now, the People section hosts all the interviews given from candidates. Being a delegate myself, after reading all the applications, I wanted to ask a lot of questions to the candidates. During the Agora, usually, you see an endless line of people asking for questions that may or may not be answered. By doing the interviews, The AEGEEanis is giving everyone a chance to have a clearer overview. Personally, I was quite surprised to see how few people sent questions through our form. This is an important occasion to get to know the candidates better.”

Hopefully next time before Agora Cagliari there will be more questions submitted for the candidates and envoys, delegates and visitors can all be prepared in an even better way for the statutory event.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-Zaragoza

In AEGEE we have around 190 locals, spread all over Europe. In our Network, we have locals of all different sizes, from ten members to up to 460. For the NetCom Times, Dominique Lenssen from the Network Commission spoke to three board members of the three biggest locals: Gijs van Amerongen from AEGEE-Amsterdam, Mylène Jansen from AEGEE-Enschede and Kristóf Papp from AEGEE-Budapest. Here you will read everything about how these locals manage all their members, what makes their locals so unique, and some tips for other locals to grow!

AEGEE-Amsterdam

Our biggest local, AEGEE-Amsterdam, has around 460 members and for them it is very important to be visible during all the events that universities of Amsterdam organise every year for new students.

Gijs: During these events we talk to a lot of people and let them know about the existence of AEGEE and the possibilities this organisation holds for them. Besides being active during these events we also organise multiple parties and social drinks which are open to potential members so they can see for themselves how much fun AEGEE really is.

AEGEE-Enschede has approximately 350 members, and for them the introduction period of the university in Enschede is also the most important way to gain new members.

Mylène: We organise a big event, multiple smaller events and a lot of parties for the people who come to study in Enschede and participate in the introduction period. It is a good way to show ourselves and to make people enthusiastic about our association.

AEGEE-Budapest board

For AEGEE-Budapest, promotion is very important as well. They have different promotion periods during the year: at the beginning of the autumn and spring semester and around the Summer University.

Kristóf: During this period we try to reach as many university students as possible. We have members from almost seven different universities. We organise a freshmen camp every half a year with around 100 participants – half of them new members. We have a lot of competitions; only at Corvinus University there are ten different student organisations. This competition helps us to improve our profile and try to build up a proper method for recruitment. AEGEE-Budapest is trying to provide possibilities for everyone to experience self-development, so anyone can take part in working on a project or in a working group, or the social events.

For every local, it is of course important to keep their members active. NetCom asked how our biggest locals keep the amount of members so high and how they manage everything.

Mylène: A pretty big percentage of our members are active in AEGEE-Enschede, which means they join committees to organise a lot of things we need and want. For almost everything we organise, we have a committee. Furthermore, our board works full time, which means we are in the office from 10.00 – 17.00 on every working day to do what we have to do to keep the association awesome!

AEGEE-Amsterdam also has a lot of members who love to organise events, and because of them, they have a lot of committees.

Gijs: We have a very rich offer of all kind of activities to assure that there is always something you can do and like. And of course we have five board members who work very  hard (and this I can tell you from personal experience) to make sure that everything within the organisation runs smoothly.

AEGEE-Budapest tries to offer their members a career path.

Kristóf: Every active member has the opportunity to organise or take part in any kind of event. We have six different projects running, and three working groups. These project managers, and Public Relations (PR), Human Resources (HR), and Fundraising (FR) responsibles are working on events and the operative part of the organisation. The board is working around 30 hours a week. They are coordinating the work of the “mid-level managers” and fulfilling the strategy of the local.

This shows that these locals are truly dedicated to AEGEE. As every local is special and has a different character, the NetCom was curious what makes these locals so special (besides having so many members).

For AEGEE-Enschede, this appears to be the local level.

Mylène: We have our own bar, called Asterion, and here we have our bar nights every Tuesday and Thursday. Furthermore, we have yearclubs (groups that freshmen form), fraternities/sororities (bigger groups of men/women of all years), houses, committees and societies (groups of people with the same interest) inside the association and this is the reason why most of our members join in the first place. There are lots of possibilities to form a group of people you really like, and this is not only a wish that members have but also a necessity: without subgroups, it would be really hard to keep 350 people bound to the association.

For AEGEE-Amsterdam, the local level is really important as well, but also their trips to other cities throughout Europe.

Gijs: This rich variety of activities makes sure that everyone can do something they love. And another great aspect is that all kinds of people from so many different backgrounds join AEGEE-Amsterdam due to its open and fun-loving character. Everybody feels at home in AEGEE-Amsterdam and is free to act as he or she pleases.

Picture from Agora Budapest

For AEGEE-Budapest, the local level is also very important.

Kristóf: We have a lot of local events – we are trying to offer our members the chance to organise local events, start projects or take advantage of any of the various possibilities offered by the European level. We are also making a huge effort to organise high-quality social events with the involvement of more and more members. We organised three Agorae so far, and our members are mostly well-prepared for the different European Schools or Training Courses.

And apparently, AEGEE-Amsterdam has another special quality…

Gijs: A very special last aspect of our local is of course our great expertise in the field of beer-drinking games. This quality has delivered us the AEGEE drinking championship for the locals in this area two years in a row already, organised by AEGEE-Leiden during their amazing Show Your Colour party!

As all these locals have a lot of local activities, the NetCom asked if they also have many members active on the European level. AEGEE-Enschede has a relatively low percentage of members that are active on the European level, around 10%. AEGEE-Amsterdam does not have a lot of members active on the European level either, but they have a lot of European-oriented commissions and members who help in organising events and exchanges for other AEGEE members throughout Europe. Also the Summer Universities are very popular with members of AEGEE-Amsterdam. AEGEE-Budapest has a lot of active members on the European level.

Kristóf: We have a CD member, Beáta Matuszka, and almost in every project there is an AEGEE-Budapest member. We also have representatives in most of the Working Groups. From our local there will be around five envoys during the Agora in Zaragoza. We are giving lectures on the possibilities on the European level in the freshmen camp and in the Local Training Course (LTC).

AEGEE-Budapest during Agora Zaragoza

In AEGEE, we can learn a lot from other locals and how they work. For this reason, we asked if our biggest locals have tips for other locals to grow and gain more members.

Mylène: Make yourself known amongst the freshmen of the university/school in your city! They are new in the city and looking for a place to feel at home. Also, once you have quite some members, find a way to introduce subgroups in a way that fits your association. It is easier to get a good connection between people in smaller groups. Last but not least: let everyone see it when you’re having fun!

And Gijs from AEGEE-Amsterdam answered: Make sure to be visible during the start of the academic year so you can show a lot of freshmen how much fun AEGEE is. Furthermore I think it is important to have a lot of activities so that people can become very active and get to know each other during these fun activities. Also it is really a good thing to promote the forming of fraternities and sororities of people like that. In this way you make sure people exert a kind of social control on one another to stay active, and of course being a member of such a group really enlarges one’s connection to AEGEE. Also according to AEGEE-Budapest, the promotion is very important.

Kristóf: I would suggest them to build up an exact promotion plan, try to do research on the possible focus groups and then the locals can reach the possible members more easily. This leads to a direct approach that makes the recruitment easier. After that the most important thing is to offer possibilities for the needs of the members. It can be social events, projects, committees or working groups, although it is really important to find the proper topic which fits them. And most importantly, show them the real AEGEE spirit and what AEGEE is really about. Personally I would recommend to locals not to forget that voluntary job is a job and not always fun, and the bigger effort you put in it, the bigger profit you achieve.

This article provided you some insight in our biggest locals, and showed you some unique aspects of these locals. The NetCom is there for providing help for your local to improve, grow and professionalise. You can always contact your NetCommie, or come to a Network Meeting, which is a perfect opportunity to learn from other locals.

Written by Dominique Lenssen (Network Commission), with a special thanks to Mylène, Gijs and Kristóf.

Do you know that 45% of our life one is dreaming? We dream about the future, about the perfect job and an amazing vacation. Most of us do. But the AEGEEan is lucky to introduce: Mathieu Soete  – ex-board member of AEGEE-Leuven, currently Speaker of European Working Group of Enschede,  who not only dreams about the sustainability and improvement of the environment but does a lot every day to achieve it. 

The AEGEEan: Fisrt of all, please introduce yourself to the AEGEEan readers!

Mathieu: Some may know me as the green guy in a suit, asking questions on an Agora stage, but I’m mostly working behind the thematic scenes of AEGEE, giving trainings on environmental topics or pushing AEGEE into a more sustainable direction. Or outside the association, representing AEGEE at environmental events in Brussels or elsewhere.

That’s what a lot of people say about you! Were you always so dedicated to sustainable and environmental work and was it the reason why sustainability also appeared during Europe on Track?

Actually it is AEGEE that got me on this track. My very first event – in fact, the very reason I joined AEGEE – was the case study trip to South Africa with Beyond Europe, our flagship project back in 2010. For two weeks we discussed with Europeans, Africans and Indians about the United Nations Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), and their implementation in Southern Africa. Through some other events and trainings I went from international development to envinromental issues and sustainability, and even ended up in Rio de Janeiro last year, representing AEGEE in negotiations of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). I would like to think my work on sustainablility within AEGEE is what inspired the Comite Directeur (CD) to choose this as one of the topics for Europe on Track, but the truth is Luis Alvarado Martinez and of course Miguel Gallardo Albajar from the CD are very much concerned that topic as well.

Such a great example when AEGEE changes your attitude towards something important and you dedicate your time and efforts to succed in this field! I also know that you work for 350.org and even organized your first screening for them, right?

Well I don’t exactly work at 350.org, but I have promoted their activities in the past, also within AEGEE — probably some will remember the huge climate dot picture we took at Agora Enschede. 350.org is a grass-roots campaign on climate change that started in the US some 5 years ago. Their goal is to solve the climate crisis by organising people everywhere around the globe, using online tools to facilitate offline action. Next to taking part in some of these actions, I’m also doing some translation from time to time and as you said, we organised an online screening with Environmental Working Group (EnWG) of their Do the Math documentary, which deals with the numbers of climate change and the way people are taking action.

That is so impressive! And you work for Greenpeace Belgium at the moment, right?

That I do! I started working with them some weeks ago as Ambassador, going round cities and towns in the country, talking to people about the campaigns and actions of Greenpeace in Belgium and around the world, trying to convince them to join Greenpeace. Because Greenpeace is one of those truly independent organisations, accepting money from neither states nor companies, so we only rely on our members to continue our work.

There are some pictures where you support the Arctic30. What do you think of this terrible situation and how in your opinion it will be solved?

In the words of Russian president Vladimir Putin: “I’ve always admired people who devote their lives to environmental problems.” These 30 people — 28 Greenpeace crew and activists, and 2 freelancers — have done nothing but peacefully protest against what is likely to become a big environmental disaster: drilling for oil in the Arctic. Clearly these are not pirates as the Russian authorities are now trying to prove, which we will hopefully see in the coming weeks. Only time will tell how this will be solved, but with over 1 million supporters they are not alone in this. Also AEGEE has added its voice to the call for their immediate release, you can read more about this in the opinion I wrote two weeks ago.

We all hope for the best! And talking about you what is really amazing is that you are also a part in CIA Reform Team at the same time, can you tell about this experience as well?

The aim of this team was to restructure the CIA, after years of editing and adding to it. Don’t get me wrong, having a dynamic set of rules is a basic requirement of a democratic association. But if you let subsequent generations of members edit a document without control, you end up with something which can be hard to understand. That’s why we set out to bring back some internal coherence into the CIA, and to create a strict yet logical separation between the Statutes and the rest of the rules. The work is not done yet, but the Agora in Zaragoza will already see the first results… and perhaps some more people will be inspired to help out.

Now when the readers  have gotten a possibility to know you better, I can reveal that you were voted as a Member of a Month! What are you feelings about that and plans for the future in AEGEE?

It is great to see that, even though sustainability is quite a new topic within AEGEE, my work on it is being appreciated. Especially since much of it takes place behind the scenes or even outside of our own events. Until Agora Zaragoza I will still be AEGEE’s Policy Officer on Sustainability, after that I don’t know yet. I was recently elected as Speaker of AEGEE-Enschede’s European Working Group and there’s the new Strategic Plan where sustainability will hopefully figure more prominently, so I guess you’re not rid of me just yet!

We are happy to know that! What are your hobbies apart from AEGEE and work? Cycling as far as I know?

Well, working at the European level of AEGEE means quite a lot of sitting behind your computer. So when I have the time I try to be outside as much as possible, which is where most of my work with Greenpeace takes place as well. Next to this I took up rock climbing and mountaineering last year and Wieke recently introduced me to long-distance cycling. This summer we spent 4 weeks crossing the UK from the south of England to the north of Scotland, and I can tell you: cycling is the best way to appreciate a country. Slow enough to still enjoy the local life, but fast enough to cover big distances. And you learn that outside of Belgium and the Netherlands, “flat” does not exist!

Good ending! And the last question – what is your motto in life?

Reaching the summit is just one thing, it’s the coming back down that matters!

Thank you it was really nice to talk to you! Lot’s of luck and see you on ZarAgora!

Written by Annie Pykhtina (Smailikova), AEGEE-Kyїv

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

The AEGEEan: Tell me about your experience in AEGEE.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dutchies and their suits. It is a combination like bread and butter and being in the city of Enschede, you will probably find yourself surrounded by suits, ties, dress-shirts and even the occasional tailcoat. Admired and ridiculed alike, this tradition is more than just another wacky expression of local culture.

The habit of students suiting up for meetings, workshops and even parties, occasions where most normal people prefer the comfort of a T-shirt, stems from the traditions of the “corpora.” Corpora are large student associations which can be found in every Dutch student city of any importance. Nowadays more active than their central European counterparts, they are often compared to the notorious fraternities in the USA.

Outsiders often have a very negative image of the corpora. This is mostly due to the massive alcohol intake of their members, rigid hierarchical structure, harsh initiation rituals and strict adherence to an incomprehensive set of unwritten rules, or “mores.” One might say an idealistic open-minded association such as AEGEE should have nothing to do with all of this.

The corpora, however, did lead the way for a very active student culture in the Netherlands. They created a climate which enabled many locals in the region to flourish. Many antennae have borrowed some of the traditions of the corpora, not for fun, but because they have proven to be effective. Their hierarchical structures, which may seem unreasonably strict, do form a solid basis for any efficiently run students’ association. Many big Dutch locals, such as AEGEE-Utrecht or AEGEE-Enschede, have used ideas from the corpora, introducing local commissions, advisory boards and year clubs, to form a professional and well integrated local.

The actual purpose of wearing your suit everywhere is less clear, though probably it is a left-over from the time when all students wore suits. To this day, in a lot of associations you cannot even enter when you are wearing anything less than a jacket-and-tie (or “jasje-dasje” in Dutch). Many people have criticised this tradition for being elitist and exclusive, but showing off your nice attire is far from the point. In fact, ties and blazers, usually bought in second-hand shops for a couple of Euros, are treated with the greatest disregard and are stained with alcohol, dirt, flour and vomit.

Whatever the actual reason is, it does create a sense of belonging together. In much the same way AEGEE-Istanbul proudly wear their sweaters or AEGEE-Alicante wear their bright yellow shirts, wearing similar clothes is not meant to exclude outsiders but to show pride you take in your local or club and to feel a stronger connection with your association and friends.

In fact, we as AEGEE might have more in common with these unruly, sometimes obnoxious students then we would like to think. Their associations strive to bring people from different studies together, forming a network of friends throughout the city; we do the same on a European scale. And although the Statutes of AEGEE-Europe (CIA) may have a clearer practical use, to most people it is exactly as incomprehensible as the unwritten rules stating who can sit where and who is allowed to wear a coat inside. Besides, if we are really honest with ourselves, our alcohol consumption at European Nights does not differ that much from a regular corps party.

I am not saying at all we should become exactly like the corpora. We have an association full of awesome open-minded people, united by the same ideals and we should not lose this. I am saying, though, that perhaps we should not be so quick to judge other peoples’ customs and should make some effort to try to find out the meaning behind them.  We have more in common than we think and we could learn a lot from each other. And is not this what AEGEE is all about? So why not give these traditions a chance and suit up!

Written by Berend Küpers, AEGEE-Delft

Attention: With the permission of the Network Commission (NetCom) this article is re-published in The AEGEEan, after it was previously published in the NetCom Times.