When will the NWM take place?

We have tried to choose the best convenient dates for our NWM, and we are waiting for all of you from the 21st till the 24th of April 2016.

Which will be the focus of your NWM?

The topic of our NWM is Leadership in NGOs. As we all know, there are a lot of people from students’ organisations, such as AEGEE, who built their careers and businesses also on the basis of what they learnt in these organisations. We are very honoured to invite these people to tell us more about how they became who they are at present, and how their participation in the above mentioned organisations changed their way of thinking and their whole lives. During our NWM, participants will have a chance to learn essential leadership skills and by practicing them, they will prepare for the future challenges.

Can you tell us something regarding the social programme of the NWM?

The social programme of our NWM is closely connected with its name. We will link the programme with activities related to the Danube, like Navy party on the boat and other surprises. There will also be a city-tour made as a treasure hunt and much more to be excited about.

Who will be part of the organisation team? How many people are going to help with the NWM as organisers?

Even though AEGEE-Bratislava is a very small antenna, we have enough motivated people who are full of ideas and determination. Overall, you will meet about ten people from the core team, and each of them will be there for you, if you need anything or have any questions. I have to say that we are more than a team, we are a family of friends, and this is our secret of success. Of course, you will meet the bigger team but they will only join for some parts of the event. Be sure to have a chance to talk to our speakers who are our respected old members, the creators of our organisation who made AEGEE-Bratislava as we see it now.

Do you have any local municipality or university support?

Although it is a small old town to be a capital city, it has a lot of highlights to see. Statues are located all around the old town, and everyone takes pictures of them. One of the most beloved activities by locals and guests is to saunter in the center at night. The whole city is splendidly lit up and at some point, sometimes surprisingly, you feel like the whole city is asleep. Slovak cuisine might be a little heavy, but it is also very tasty. All the atmosphere is framed with good restaurants, cafes, music, architecture, beautiful views and it is such a good feeling to walk around. If you have never visited this charming city before, it is the perfect occasion to do so.

Why should people come to Bratislava?

There are many cities in Europe, but only some of them have a unique atmosphere that you will never forget. Bratislava, I strongly believe, is one of them. Slovakia is also known for having some of the most beautiful girls in the world (girls, don’t worry, we have handsome guys as well!), being relatively cheap, and having great places for the day and night life!

Is it easy to access your city?

I would say it is easier than easy. We have our airport in Bratislava and one hour away there is the airport of Vienna. We are really in the center of a lot of big cities with good connections to our city. You can easily reach us by buses, trains, blablacar or even hitchhiking (my friends say it works well in Slovakia). The transportation prices are really cheap. For example, you can travel from Vienna to Bratislava for only one euro by bus every day.

What are the future plans of AEGEE-Bratislava?

AEGEE-Bratislava is always preparing some good stuff for you so when you pass by, just stop to hang out with us. We will be also organising an amazing pre-event of Agora Bergamo with AEGEE-Wien and in the summer, we will have the Summer University organised together with three other antennae: AEGEE-Budapest, AEGEE-Praha, and AEGEE-Wien. Don’t forget to apply! We are waiting for you! 

You can find the Facebook event here and apply here and here.

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari.

The Action Agenda Coordination Committee (ACT) was officially established as a supporting committee of AEGEE-Europe in the Spring Agora Enschede in 2012. ACT’s most important task is to help the Network implement the Action Agenda. The Action Agenda is one of the most important documents created within AEGEE. It contains actions to be taken by locals in order to progress in each of the four thematic areas AEGEE is currently working on -Spreading Europtimism, Youth Employment, Youth Mobility and Civic Education.

Becoming an ACTie is a great way to actively help AEGEE make a greater impact on the aforementioned areas. Marcos Mato from AEGEE-Leon, PR responsible and member of ACT, has had a very fulfilling experience as an ACTie, “I really recommend every member of a local to join a European Project or Body, it’s really nice to work on achieving the same goal with people from different countries” he says.

ACT works in close cooperation with the European Level bodies of the Network, particularly with the Network
Commission. Each member of the Committee is in charge of a part of the Network, working directly with the relevant Network Commissioner to maintain a direct approach to locals. Direct contact with locals is crucial to the fulfillment of ACT’s objectives. “We are trying to establish and maintain a direct contact with locals because we know that nothing beats one-on-one communication. Sometimes locals need some small adjustments to turn their existing activities into ones that fulfill the Action Agenda; we help them with this” explains Miljana Vulevic, ACT’s Vice-Speaker.

ACT is currently working on improving the exchange of best practices among locals. “During our meeting in Brussels, we came up with the idea of making a Best Practices Collection, a publication where all the extraordinary events that do fulfill the Action Agenda will be gathered and sorted. We also have a Facebook group, ACTive AEGEEans, which serves as a platform for discussions, exchanging best practices and seeking advice when needed” Miljana states.

The Action Agenda Coordination Committee is very optimistic about the upcoming period. According to Marcos Mato, PR responsible and member of ACT, “EPM Leiden is going to be really special for us. There, the Network Commission, working groups and ACTies will meet. We are waiting for it to share ideas and start to work in the same direction. I really feel that after this EPM, AEGEE locals and members will start a new, more efficient age”.

2015 has been a great year for ACT, but there is a lot more coming in 2016, “We’ve recently welcomed three new motivated members into our team. Now that there are 11 of us, we are working full capacity; our team is stronger than ever and anxious to face new challenges. Look out for ACT in 2016, we have many great surprises in store for you!”, Miljana exclaims.

Written by Kimberly Townend (AEGEE-Valencia)

“So you have just arrived home from your last AEGEE event where that guy was telling you about a European level body in AEGEE he was secretary of and was convincing you to join the team based on the common interests you share. Sounds good but maybe you want to learn a little more about this body, so let us turn to Google for a second. Well, this page has AEGEE on it and the name of the body but the last post is from 2012. Are they doing anything then? And if they do, where can you find the information? Ah, giving up, maybe it is not a good idea to join after all…”

Have you ever been surprised by the amount of pages related to AEGEE, or how many of them are outdated or simply abandoned, or how many different appearances these pages have – as if they did not belong to the same organisation?

We have good news for you: all the information you need about AEGEE is in one place now, always updated and following our new Visual Identity: the Members Portal has been launched!

And let’s see the 5 (top) reasons why you should visit the Portal:

1. AEGEE History Line: With AEGEE celebrating its 30th anniversary next year, there is a lot to read about the past to get inspired by the great achievements and to recruit new AEGEE-enthusiasts for your local by telling the true story of how awesome AEGEE is. But forget about a never-ending PDF file: check out the interactive AEGEE history timeline!

2. Get Involved!: You are already a hyperactive member of your local but feel like you would like to challenge yourself a little more by joining one of the Projects or Working Groups? The Get Involved! section contains all updates from all European level bodies in AEGEE from their latest activities to the application process for new team members, presenting a clearly structured system of Committees, Commissions and Working Groups. “We need you!”

3. Downloadable Materials: Under Resources you can find various guidelines that will help you understand AEGEE better, the Strategic Plan to help others understand AEGEE’s work better, and you can also download PR materials for promoting AEGEE in your city! (Compulsory advertisement here: in case you are interested in developing further materials, please contact the Public Relations Committee at prc@aegee.org!)

4. Offers for members: Check out the list of our partners and the various discounts they offer for AEGEE members. Also – do you know what ASRF stands for? It is way of benefitting or contributing to our shared interest of overcoming financial obstacles that would permit some of our members from fully experiencing AEGEE – this is all I can tell here!

5. Events: Being directly connected to Intranet, the Members Portal offers an always updated page about the next AEGEE events that are going to take place. Furthermore, the PRC and the Quality Assurance Committee are working on another platform to have a clear overview of AEGEE events, open calls and finding a way to help the locals with the promotion of their events. Stay tuned!

Convinced? With the endless amount of concentrated information on this page, you should bookmark aegee.org/portal in your browser right now!

And if you would like to submit your suggestions for improving the Members Portal, please fill in the following form!

Last but not least, we would all like to thank Pavel Zbornik – Communications and European Institutions Director of AEGEE-Europe who has dedicated an endless amount of his time creating the Portal and making our lives easier. Thank you, Pavel!

 Written by Réka Salamon, AEGEE-Debrecen/Aachen