Spring Agora Bergamo starts on the 18^th of May this year, and its arrival is solemnly heralded by its many Facebook invites and by those of the Pre-Agora events. If you go to the Agora, you can go directly or you can go via one of the six Pre-Agora events (or just go to one of the six Pre-Agora events, no obligations). Regardless of which, the deadlines to apply for these six events are approaching soon, that’s why we, at the AEGEEan, have decided to make a list of all the six pre-events. This… is the road to the Agora.

Sail Forward

The Pre-Agora event that starts first is AEGEE-Genova’s “Sail Forward”, continuing from the 12^th until the 18^th of May. It is both the longest and most expensive of the Pre-Agora events, encompassing almost an entire week and costing €120. The event will take place in both the city of Genova itself, and Cinque Terre (Five Lands), a collection of five villages and tourist hotspot on rugged bit of coastal area on the Italian Riviera between Genova and La Spezia. “Sail Forward” is also perhaps the most sportive of the six pre-events, because the hills of Genova and especially Cinque Terre are perfect for hiking and exploration.

Deadline 29th of March. Application here and here.

Amusic Mi(lano)

AEGEE-Milano’s pre-event could be considered to be the most exclusive of the Pre-Agora events: it is one of the shortest (lasting only five days), the most expensive per day (€19,80 or €22,80, including the costs for the optional fee), together with “All EU need is Love” takes in the least amount of people (only 20), and the culturally most sophisticated (the programme includes, among which, a visit to at least one museum, as well as a live performance of classical music). As mentioned before, there is an optional fee to visit Como, on the shores of lake Como, which has an interesting connection with dictators. There was Julius Caesar, who, in the first century B.C., came, saw and decided that the settlement of Como should  move to its current location, and Benito Mussolini, who was captured and promptly executed on the northern banks of lake Como.

Deadline 3rd of April. Application here and here.

25 and Looking Forward!

Also starting on the 13^th of May is AEGEE-Firenze’s “25 and Looking Forward!”, a pre-event combined with a celebration of their twenty-fifth anniversary, which they promise will be “epic”. Part of this Pre-Agora event will be spent in a country house in the Tuscan hills, while the other part will be spent in the city of Florence itself. There will be a tour of the city, which is arguably most famous for its citizens like the artists, Donatello (1386-1466) and Botticelli (1445-1510), the writers, Dante (1265-1321) and Machiavelli (1469-1527), half of the De’ Medici family, and some people you might not even realise were born in Florence. These being explorer Amerigo Vespucci (1451-1512), nurse Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), and fashion designer Guccio Gucci (1881-1953).

Deadline 30th of March. Application here and here.

All EU need is Love

As mentioned before, AEGEE-Verona’s All EU Need Is Love might contend with AEGEE-Milano’s “Amusic Mi(lano)” to be one of the most exclusive 2016 Pre-Agora events: both accept only 20 participants, and both last relatively short. That being said, AEGEE-Verona has one of the lowest fees of all the six Pre-Agora events. Its participants sleep in a gym, and, instead of museums and classical music, AEGEE-Verona offers workshops about Italian cooking, and language & gestures workshops. They also offer a trip to lake Garda (in between Verona and Bergamo), transportation to Bergamo that is included in the fee, and a city tour at night in a city (so nice) where Shakespeare set his plays thrice.

Deadline 5th of April. Application here and here.

Feel sLOVEnija

Another local that’s tying into the love motif is AEGEE-Ljubljana with their “feel sLOVEnija” Pre-Agora event. It is the only pre-event that does not take place in Italy, and it’s the only one that allows for up to thirty participants to enter. It has some similarities with “All EU need is Love”, in that both take place on the same dates (14-05 till 18-05), offer local drinks, delicious food, a visit to a stunning lake, and provide transportation to Bergamo that is included in the fee. AEGEE-Verona teaches you Italian gestures, whereas AEGEE-Ljubljana teaches you how to flirt in Slovenian. It just comes to show that love comes in many varieties.

Deadline 31st of March. Application here and here.

AAAB: Amazing AEGEEan Adventure Brixiæ

The final Pre-Agora event is AEGEE-Brescia’s “AAAB”, or “Amazing AEGEEan Adventure Brixiæ”, which sounds funny, because of the letter ‘B’ ends a series of ‘A’s, but also because the name of the city, Brescia, is written in Latin, Brixia. This may have something to do with the city’s rich historical heritage, which can be seen during this pre-event. ”AAAB” is also unique in that it’s the shortest of the six pre-events, lasting from Monday evening on the 16^th till Wednesday morning on the 18^th. It also has the cheapest overall fee, which is in part, because, like in Verona, you’ll sleep in a gym, and it’s the pre-event that is closest to the Agora itself.

Deadline 3rd of April. Application here and here.

So there you go… if you go, take a pick of your road to the Agora.

Written by Willem Laurentzen, AEGEE-Nijmegen

The stories that you are going to hear about this TSU are going to be legendary, because those stories are French and Italian legends created by all of the participants and organizers. This TSU included not only discovering Italian and French culture, but also friendship and unforgettable memories within 17 different nations. A legend was made by the antennas of Lyon and Genova in two weeks. Lyon, Annecy, Genova and Cinque Terre… those places are going to be remembered fondly by each one of us.

“We shared umbrellas to hide from the rain. In stormy nights we kept warm with a cuddle. We lost our souls rushing from train to train and found them again at the end of the bottles” said Anja Nedelkovska, one of the participants of the TSU organized by AEGEE-Genova and AEGEE-Lyon. As it is understandable from this meaningful quote from one of our participants, it was more than a cultural exchange and more than just fun activities. We faced bad weather during the first days in Lyon, but we challenged it by appreciating every moment. As this Summer University was the first for many participant, we learned how to act and think within a group of AEGEE people. We never tore apart. Hikes in Italy were very tough, but we were always hiking together even with rain, high temperatures, humid and hot weather.

This amazing TSU was made with big challenges. AEGEE-Lyon is a small antenna with 15 members, and four active members. Those people managed to make a successful TSU with a big help from AEGEE- Genova. Also organizing Summer Universities with different locals have always been complicated, but French Kiss the Italian Beauty was organized in two different countries and it was an amazing event. All of its participants and organizers did a good job. From timetable to meetings and group activities, everybody was energetic and tuned all the time. Magic was in the air like our French song said. We all felt the warmth of excitement which led us to discover every corner of the amazing cities. We had so much fun that at the end of the TSU, we all had six-packs and also some sort of drawings on our bodies as a memory. Form all the crazy stuff we did, there is going to be some fond memories for each of us. Like the 14^th July, French National Day, fireworks that we watched for 20 minutes near the Annecy Lake. The show was breathtaking – we could not closed our eyes for even one second. Also the concert afterwards was also very good. The first night in Genova was also another great time in this TSU, we had a pool party and everybody enjoyed Genova Port with itscity lights and stars.

Besides the amazing nights we spent throughout the TSU, we also had great sport activities like the hike from Camogli and the splendid beach of San Fruttuoso. Hiking took three hours, even if it was exhausting, we loved the view from the top and enjoyed our meal that we ate surrounded by nature.

Activities were magnificently arranged for the sport lovers. In France, Lyon offered us adventure park and Annecy showed us the amazing Annecy lake view by hiking. In Italy, we took Kung-Fu lesson, swam in the warm sea of Sestri Levante and Cinque Terre let us to enjoy all the breathtaking views it has. All the places we stayed or traveled to and all the things that we did, they cannot be said in word, one should experience them. Shortly, this TSU was a metal chain connecting each the people who participated with the help of sport and nature.

Written by Ayşegül Gökdağ, AEGEE-Izmir

It is ten o’clock on October 9th. It had been raining since the early morning but during the night the rain became stronger. The council did not raise the alarm, so the Genoan citizens were not that worried. An AEGEE event was planned for this night: Thursday Night Fever, but the board members decided wisely to cancel it. Looking at the streets, nobody was there; just a few cars battling through a terrible rainstorm. In the memory of the inhabitants there is still the image of the flood of November 2011, when the mud and the rain desolated the neighborhood of Marassi, Quezzi, Borgo Incrociati, Foce and San Fruttuoso, as well as the wonderful Cinque Terre.

Genova is a city built on rivers: Bisagno, Sturla, Fereggiano, Chiaravagna, Polcevera. Those are particularly dangerous but also other torrents are threatening everywhere in Liguria. At eleven, the streets were dark: no electricity and danger could be sensed from the river Fereggiano. Within ten minutes the amount of water on the streets became worrisome. The water had been coloured brown in just a few seconds: it is mud now. The authorities announced bad news: the rivers Bisagno, Fereggiano and Sturla have flooded. It has happened again. The rain is weaker now, but it is too late. Borgo Incrociati, Brignole Station, Corso Torino and Via XX Settembre are under water again, just as they were three years ago. This time, one person died: he was waiting for the bus right at the moment when the river Bisagno flooded. He had no chance.

It is night and darkness is everywhere. We cannot do anything now; we have to wait until the morning after. No work, no university, no school. On October 10th, the authorities raise the alarm: “Don’t go out, more rainstorms are coming!”. But it is not possible to wait: the drains are obstructed by mud and if more floods come, it will be a complete disaster (luckily the announced second flood never arrived). The streets are full of countless young people shoveling mud in the rain. They call them “Angeli del fango” (mud angels), and from the moment they woke up they started working for the flood victims.

Everybody in the country was watching. The flood victims, traders and merchants cheer the boys on. One of them said “You do not deserve us”. It seemed as if Genova had lost its’ Youth. Sucked into a black hole from the grumbling of the “oldest city” in Italy. Forgotten or self-segregated in their bedrooms, in front of the screen of a smartphone. Only the “excesses” of their nightlife displayed in the media. Instead, the dawn after the flood brought them back onto the streets. Not to complain this time, but to shovel, wash, clean, straighten out. The hands, also naked, in mud and not on their keyboards to be indignant on social networks. They did not wait until the end of the alert, which already came too late. They did not ask for permission. They took the city.

Now the city is clean, but the work is not finished yet. We have to take this tragedy as an opportunity to raise the awareness of the importance of sustainability and the care for our land, not only in Genova, or in Italy, but in the whole of Europe. As we are AEGEEans we can do it. What happened in Genova, for the second time in three years, causes indignation and rage. In Italy we feel indignation and rage at least once a day for what is happening in this peninsula.

In AEGEE we’re always encouraged by the whole network to take part in the European level, but when things like this occure, we are pushed to wonder: what is the point? How can you think about the Strategic Plan when your house is covered in mud and the only thing you can do is to shovel it out?

There are territories in Italy which are almost uninhabitable, but people and youngsters are trying their best to live there: these are places in which there is a high percentage of cancer caused by a toxic garbage dump; territories with rivers whose path is obstructed by cement causing them to flood when it rains; in which building your own house will inevitably mean you will see it disintegrated by a earthquake, etc.

This is not about focusing on just a nation and not the continent, this is about living in an environment where an AEGEE antenna is located and without keeping your head in the sand. The burning question is: can AEGEE-Europe give a voice to local problems? Can issues on the European level get closer to the local level?

Maybe it is not only the italian- speaking antennae who live with the same problems. It’s not about solidarity or money donations, it is about having the political weight at the European level and taking advantage of it on a local level. Of course, solidarity and financial donations are important, too. They deal with these tragedies in the immediate aftermath.

What happened in Genova, DOES NOT stay in Genova. We cannot keep on ignoring the flooding emergency and all the other natural disasters which hit Europe this year. In other words we want AEGEE to be more active from this point of view by introducing a new European project aimed to inform and discuss the way in which each country should prevent and react to these kinds of emergency. Why is this idea so important to us? Because, on the one hand, we are talking about an ongoing problem; on the other hand we want to support all those people who lost everything because of natural disasters and who are even angrier because their own country ignores their needs and is not doing enough for them.

When Genova was hit by the floods, many Rainbow members wanted to go there as volunteers but it was not easy because AEGEE is not an association registered to Protezione Civile (the Italian association that acts in similar cases). For many other reasons it was impossible to go there and it made us think: what can we do in similar cases?

First of all, AEGEE should register to the Protezione Civile or an similar association; it is not an easy step because each country has its own institution and AEGEE functions does not have a national level. Consequently, we could decide to register each local antenna to its national association or to register AEGEE Europe to every national equivalent of the Protezione Civile. Being a volunteer in emergency cases is both interesting and useful but it is not enough.

The second step involves each local spreading information about the catastrophe to make people aware of what is happening. It can easily be done through social media but also by organising conferences or international events in which people not only present information about the situation but also debate about prevention and social responsibility.

The third step could be called “long distance help”; it consists simply in the provision of basic human needs and the transmission of an IBAN code to transfer money to associations that could directly help people of the affected areas.

This is in brief our modest but serious proposal. It could be improved but we can work together on this project to make it happen. We know that it is impossible to stop an earthquake, but we are AEGEEans, we pursue a united and borderless Europe. So let us be really united in the time of need.

How to help?

AEGEE-Genova created a campaign called #ForzaGenova to collect money for Genova flood victims. They are donating all this month’s income from local events and merchandise. If you want to be part of this campaign just donate to this bank account:

Bank account SEPA

Card owner: Benedetta Sirianni

IBAN IT 16 S 07601 05138 225240425244

Comments: (donator) Crowfounding floodGenova2014

If each antenna will donate a symbolic amount of 10 Euro we can easily reach the goal of 2000 Euro. Genova would be very grateful.

Written by Savino Delfino, AEGEE-Genova, Lisa Gregis, AEGEE-Bergamo, Larisa Smajlagic and Angie Zandonà, AEGEE-Verona

Pictures courtesy of Angeli col fango sulle magliette Facebook Page

Between the 30th May and 1st of June, AEGEE-Genova organized an inter-regional meeting where people from different antennae took part: AEGEE-Bari, AEGEE-Bergamo, AEGEE-Bologna, AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca, AEGEE-Milano, AEGEE-Padova, AEGEE-Pisa, AEGEE-Roma, AEGEE-Siena, AEGEE-Torino and  AEGEE-Udine sent at least one member to represent them.

“And in the boat of wine we will sail on the reef/emigrants of laughter with nails in the eyes/’till the morning will grow so to be harvested/brother of carnation and girl/lord of the rope, rotten by water and salt/that tie and bring us to a creuza de mä.” sings Fabrizio De André in “Creuza de mä”.

De André may sing this way, strolling on the renowned “Creuza de ma”, the old mule tracks that – stumbling among the cliffs and the harsh shrubs of our land, Liguria – crawl up the terraced hills of the highland or dive, with thousands of shades, in the blue-green sea.

In order to find again these old landscapes, AEGEE-Genova, moved by the excitement to discover and rediscover a bit of these scents and colours that characterize so deeply our region, decided to organize a weekend dedicated to the natural beauty of the hills and the sea, perfectly matched with entertainment and drenched in AEGEE spirit.

Our dearest destination is “Cinque terre” (five lands) an enclosure of 5 villages, named UNESCO world heritage in 1997. From the very beginning our participants were eager to take part in the event, where many antennae met in spite of the distance that separated them. All arrived by train, on highways or….very alternative means of transport! The meeting point chosen was Monterosso al Mare, the most westward among the “lands” , renowned due to its defensive tower “Torre Aurora” and its Giant, namely the marble figuring of Neptune, 14 m high.

We decided to take advantage of some late comers to enjoy the beach in front of the station, the largest one in the entire area. The meeting between oldies and newbies took place in an incredibly joyful atmosphere, made up of jokes and gags concerning the “sporty moment” that was going to come.

The next stop was Vernazza from which, after a tour around the typical pastel-coloured small port, we climbed up a 2 km long path. Our way was long, at least 40 minutes spent between steps carved in the rock and impracticable climbs, surrounded by the lush greenery.

In the end, the Church of “Nostra Signora del Reggio” housed us, with its big garden and immediately the run towards the rooms or the showers began, while the organizers started to prepare the dinner and the after-dinner program.

Across the centuries, many literates honoured the well known wine produced in “Cinque terre” and we decide to do so as well! After classic Italian songs played on the guitar and games, the night cheerfully passed… and soon we realized that the following day we would have to face a long slope and the journey in the missing “lands”. After breakfast, based on home-made biscuits and many coffees, the slope seemed to be harder than expected… nevertheless, we managed to take the first train to Riomaggiore, the most southern part of Cinque Terre.

The hike along the burg allowed us to discover new and characteristic glimpses of the coastline, like a stairway hollowed out in the rock, that brought us to the burg’s highest point and gave us the chance to cherish one of the most breathtaking landscape ever. After taking many photos, the fellowship moves to Manarola, where the trails guided us to the renowned S. Lorenzo church, laying in the shade of the typical terraced hill. After a dive from the deck in order to try out the icy – but crystalline – water of the sea, we wandered around the old town center looking for some food till we found the typical focaccia or the so-called “paper corned of fried fish”, a tradition food of harbor towns.

The new climb towards the Church was faster, proof that we were ready for the most extreme sports! The evening got by with songs, plays, obstacle courses and… the White Party! Every participant, having a white t-shirt and a permanent marker, moved like a whiteboard, ready to get written with whatever kind of message the other might have imagined! The night was awesome!

The last day came, when we had to leave the church and unwillingly to take our luggage and wait for the departure. Once again, our last pathtook us to Monterosso, where we decide to spend our last hours under the hot sun. It was time to say good-bye but nevertheless there were still people who took a last minute dive into the crystal clear sea, who went around the old town center in order to take the some snapshots or the hungry ones that wanted to find something good to eat.

Our wait for the train become a real open-air concert, where De André’s words, through his beloved songs, rang out in the air. Our weekend reached the end, but these few days surely left their mark on everyone with the lopsided pastel-coloured houses, the scent of saltiness, the sound of the waves smashing against the cliffs and new friendships that, once again, prove that bonds are stronger than distance. Perfectly matching the AEGEE spirit!

Written by Concetta Sorvillo, AEGEE-Genova 

Translated by Sonia Sommariva, AEGEE-Genova

If someone still believes that stereotype about the citizens of Genova being greedy and narrow-minded, they haven’t met the members of AEGEE-Genova. This young local, who signed the Convention d’Adhésion at EBM Riga 2011, is growing fast and definitely likes to think big. That was the reason they organized the Planning Meeting 2013, where a wide group of AEGEEans gathered to discuss about the Focus Areas for the upcoming Strategic Plan 2014-17.

Founded: 2010 – Members: around 70 – President: Nicola Grasso – Nominated for: Planning Meeting 2013

The Planning Meeting turned out to be a very valuable experience: the organizers managed to create the perfect combination of hard work and a social program that allowed for a lot of relaxation time and good parties. Punctual, helpful, and always with a good sense of humour, the members of AEGEE-Genova were wonderful hosts. Besides, if we add a truly beautiful scenery such as the city of Genova, there was no better framework for the participants to prepare a draft of the Strategic Plan.

The AEGEEan spoke to the outgoing president of AEGEE-Genova and main organizer of the Planning Meeting, Antonio Carassiti, on the same day that the antenna was holding its local Agora. We spoke about the (short but intense) story of AEGEE-Genova, the ingredients to organize a perfect Planning Meeting, and the future plans of the local.

Thank you very much! Everybody was obviously happy, we opened a bottle of spumante (Italian sparkling wine) yesterday evening to celebrate it.

Can you tell us a bit about AEGEE-Genova?

AEGEE-Genova is a pretty young antenna. Tiziano Tosatti (former President and Vice-President, and now in the Advisory board with me) founded it in 2010. He signed the Convention d’Adhésion at EBM Riga 2011, and believe it or not during Summer 2011 we were already in the middle of our first TSU (Travelling Summer University) with AEGEE-Torino as organizers! We slowly gained new members after that, but it’s only in the last year, after we decided to focus on local level, that we finally managed to have a big group (around 70 members with 10-15 active). I am really happy about my antenna, there is a lot of AEGEE spirit and I’m sure that this won’t be the last time that you’ll find us in The AEGEEan!

Despite its small size it gives you great emotions! – Savino Delfino, IT Responsible

What motivated the team to organize the Planning Meeting?

Well, it was a perfect occasion for us, after a year without European events: it’s a short event, in a perfect period (September) for activating people who just came back from the SUs, and also a perfect occasion for making our newbies aware of what the so-called ‘European level’ is. It worked really well, considering that two girls that helped us during the event have just been elected in the new board.

Which do you think were the biggest challenges about organizing a Planning Meeting?

(smiles) Explaining to people from my local why a big group of people should come to Genova just to discuss all day about serious topics! Jokes apart, the biggest challenge was actually the selection of participants: we had to do the event at the beginning of September, so the entire application/selection process happened during the Summer, with people going to Summer University, home, wherever. That’s the reason why we had less participants than expected. The organization of the event itself is actually easier than other events (a SU for example): the absence of a “day program” helps a lot from this point of view.

 We are a group of friends! Nicola Grasso, Treasurer

And what about the best things?

Showing everyone in Genova what AEGEE is really about. It will help us a lot in our relationship with the university and the local council. And of course, getting to show how beautiful Genova is to a lot of people.

Can you think of any curious anecdote during the organization of the PM 2013?

Unfortunately, the best anecdotes are not suitable for a public interview… but I really want to talk about the wake-up song: since in the previous events as organizer I was hated by everyone because of the music I used (Slayer, Metallica), I’ve decided to use a nicer/happier one, which you can listen clicking here. Right after the first morning, the participants split in two groups: the first group loved it and sang it all day long, while the second group completely hated it. This “hatred” between the groups kept on going also after the event. I was even told that the confrontation moved to the Head office of AEGEE in Brussels, where Miguel Gallardo (Projects Director) uses it everyday as his alarm ringtone, while Beáta Matuszka (Network & Human Resources Director), his roommate, would prefer not to hear that song ever again.

We are the first ones having fun in what we do! – Tiziano Tosatti, Vice President

The members of AEGEE-Genova, at their local Agora last Tuesday.

Oh my, who could forget about that song!? Apart from that, during the event there were no delays, the communications between organizers and participants was very smooth, all the activities were run always on time. Which do you think were the ingredients for such a success?

I could go on for hours on this topic. I will just say: organizers must be always on time, there has to be a very detailed timetable and sometimes you need to kick some participant’s (and organizer’s) ass…! I just want to say that a lot of what I know about organizing events came from the past Summer University Project School I attended, and seeing the results I have to say that trainers did a great job there. The value of European Schools is way underrated in our network, I hope that locals will understand their importance as soon as possible.

We always know how to have a great time! – Antonio Carassiti President

Besides the Planning Meeting, which are the highlights of AEGEE-Genova in this year 2013?

We did a lot of local events: international aperitivo every two weeks, two very successful pub crawls, trips to Viareggio (to attend its popular Carnival), Cinque Terre, and a wine tasting in Barolo region… and also an exchange with AEGEE-Amsterdam, which allowed our members to visit the new CD House and the last Queen’s Day in Amsterdam! We also cooperated with other international associations, like AIESEC, in order to promote youth mobility at university. All those activities, added to some presentations in different faculties for the Summer University Project, helped us to find a very nice group of new members.

Tell us what the future holds for AEGEE-Genova. You are holding new elections tonight and have a brand new board, which are your plans for next term?

The elections were great, the oldies (Tiziano and me) are finally out and we have a new board that is a good mix of newbies and experienced members! They will keep doing the good work that we did during last year, organizing great local events, but also they will organize a great Summer University!

Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona

Pictures on the courtesy of AEGEE-Genova