Joining a Summer University is not all about the places you visit and the activities you do. It is also important to get to know the organisers of your SU. They put a lot of effort into organising an SU and you will spend a lot of time with them during your SU.

In this video, organisers from Tilburg try to introduce themselves. They use examples of making sustainable decisions in your life. Green SUs try to promote sustainability in various ways which can be really easy for you to implement in your life.

Showering

Do you realise the length and impact of your showering sessions? Standard showerheads use 15 to 25 litres of water per minute which results in 120 litres of used water for an eight-minute shower. By teaching people about their everyday habits like showering, they can realise their daily impacts on sustainability. People are mostly willing to be sustainable but do not realise the things they can do to act upon it.

Transport

During a green SU of Tilburg and Leuven, bicycles will be the main means of transportation. In the Netherlands, people use bikes a lot since they get used to riding a bike as children. They also have special bike lanes so people can ride a bike safely, which encourage the use of a bike. In some other parts of Europe, bike lanes are not that common or do not exist. This makes it harder for people choosing to ride a bike. In regions where riding a bike is harder, you can encourage people to use public transportation. Dutch municipalities are increasing their demands on public transportation services to increase their sustainability efforts. Trains of NS in the Netherlands, for example, are running 100% on green energy that derives from sources like windmills. This way you can travel on a very sustainable way. Another option for transportation is hitchhiking. Since you are sharing a ride with other people, you reduce the impact on the environment instead of, for example, taking a car by yourself. Hitchhiking can be a lot of fun and it is a way of meeting lots of new people.

Personal sustainability

Now you are thinking that you do not want to shower for a short time or take a train or bus or even hitchhike. Did you know that meat consumption is one of the biggest influences of climate change? Animal agriculture is responsible for 91% of Amazon destruction. By just eating one hamburger less you can save water equivalent to two months of showering.

At the end of a green SU, you will experience all kinds of sustainability initiatives and learn what you can do for the environment. So take over some of the things you learned at your green SU and start making the decisions in your daily life to be more sustainable.

Written by Gökhan Sancak, AEGEE-Tilburg

Summer seems distant but AEGEEans, as busy bees, are already in the process to organise Summer Universities. The Summer University Coordination Team gave the future SU organisers the possibility to collaborate with AEGEE bodies and give their Summer Universities a content twist. We asked the bodies involved to give us some more information about how they envision the collaboration. In this first article we will understand more about Civic Education Working Group, Your Vision for Europe, The Academy, Human Resource Committee and Youth Employment working group.  

Even if summer is the season for relaxation, vacations and parties, a content Summer University is still possible. The Civic Education Working Group launched the motto “a SU that matters” last year, and a lot of locals followed them organising a Civic Education-themed Summer University. This year, the Working Group proposes to organise an event related to Civic Education, intercultural communication, environmental sustainability, human rights or active citizenship like LGBT, Democracy, Refugees/immigrants, Green SU, Climate change, Intercultural communication through music, Volunteering, European Citizenship, Debating SU, Sexual Education and much more.

Last year, 17 Summer Universities were organised in collaboration with Civic Education or on a topic related to it. We asked some of those locals to explain why you should think about it. If you think that a SU with content might be boring, you may be thinking it twice if you consider that last year AEGEE-Udine placed its SU in the first place with their The Dark Side of the Boot SU.

AEGEE-Udine Summer University The Dark Side of the Boot

Stefano Dal Farra, main organiser, says that they chose “this topic for our SU last year because we thought that, in order to create an amazing SU, participants had to know the real Italy, the real conditions in which we are living. We did not want them to see and experience Italy perceived from an idyllic point of view, as if they were seeing it from a postcard. They had to experience the reality of our country, and that meant making them realise and see Italy for what it is right now, with all its problems”. One of the problems in Italy is the refugee crisis and a lot of activities were done with refugees, in the places where they are being hosted. “Participants met them, played volleyball with them, had a human library and an open table with them,  learnt Italian with them, volunteered for them. All these activities helped the participants to clear their ideas about the refugee crisis in Europe, to really understand the causes that are behind it and to meet them, to talk with them, and to understand that they are normal and common people like us, who had to leave their countries because of the war or because of the difficult living conditions”, concludes Stefano.

AEGEE-Leuven and AEGEE-Tilburg Summer University Burgundian Bicycles Vol III: Biking through SUmmer

AEGEE-Leuven, together with AEGEE-Tilburg, organised the Summer University Burgundian Bicycles Vol III: Biking through SUmmer. Elinne Mertens from AEGEE-Leuven told us that they collaborated with the Civic Education Working Group “because all people should (learn how to) act as a responsible citizen, which is exactly what civic education is about. Besides, our European Citizen Initiative is about Civic education and a SU on it can help us reaching the goal of one million signatures and will make people aware of what Civic Education is, also raising the understanding about it”.

CrEATe the Peace with your heART was the Summer University organised by AEGEE-Eskişehir last year. Tuğçe Demir, Treasurer and External Relations Manager of the Turkish local, said that “Civic education is a theme that appeals to everyone and it is very common nowadays”. Positive with the previous experience and the active participation of their participants, AEGEE-Eskişehir decided to choose the same path for their Summer University 2017 as well: “This year we will work on the subject of volunteering under the name of green water and Civic Education. One of the biggest reasons is that the NGOs in our country and the world are working on this issue, but can we give a sense of volunteerism at a sufficient level? We have chosen this theme in order to be able to give and to allow participants to look at it from different perspectives”.

You can contact them at su@civiceducation.eu. 

Your Vision For Europe Project team members

Your Vision for Europe is a project which aims at spreading Europtimism in- and outside the AEGEE-Network, but not only. According to Elinne Mertens, member of the project’s team, they give “tools to encourage young Europeans to think about important European topics, to discuss them with others and in that way, to formulate and express their vision for Europe – an informed and critical view on certain European topics”. During the Summer University, with the help of the project’s team who will act as trainers, participants will develop critical thinking stimulating opinion-formation. They proposed a variety of broad topics as explained by Elinne: “We have proposed some broad topics – more specifically bridging Europe, envisioning Europe, peace building and conflict resolution, refugees and policy and advocacy processes – that can be specified more in different sessions according to the wishes of the SU organisers. Other topics can be proposed too, we are very flexible. Just tell us on which topic you want to stimulate ‘visions for Europe’!”

You can contact them at yourvisionforeurope@aegee.org. 

The Youth Employment Working Group works in the frame of our focus area and it aims at providing participants with the necessary skills and trainings to have a smooth transition from the educational system to the job market. To do so, the working group proposes several workshops on entrepreneurship, but also some visits to companies and activities on self-presentations. At the end, participants should acquire the skills to use and present their “AEGEE skills” on a professional level; the process of becoming an entrepreneur; resumé writing, Motivational Letters, Interviews and so on.

You can contact them at yewg@aegee.org.

The Human Resources Committee and their members want to stress the importance of volunteering and  the possibility it gives to people to develop themselves as human beings. Summer Universities represent a perfect opportunity to develop our members’ skills in a friendly and rather unconventional environment. The workshops they propose are studied to push participants out of their comfort zone, to think about their gained skills and experiences and to reflect about the value of volunteering and the importance of its recognition.

You can contact them at hrc@aegee.org.

The Academy is a partner association that “works” as our pool of trainers: for this summer they proposed to the Summer University organisers the HRESSU (Human Resources European School Summer University). The Secretary Eugenia Casariego has no doubt about why a local should choose them: “Training and Non-formal Education are the best choice for this awesome summer: fun, learning, skills development, and workshops delivered by experienced Trainers, so they will not be the typical workshops you have been through in many other events”. The topic, Human Resources, is very important for locals and bodies that rely massively onto that. “Thus, -she continues- developing skills to support, empower, train, motivate and retain members are key in the functioning of a successful local or body”.

You can contact them at board@aegee-academy.org.

Here the other bodies you can collaborate with.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Verona

Can you imagine your life without meat? Have you tried becoming a vegetarian for a few days or even more, a week? Didn’t you feel much lighter, healthier and stronger at the same time? If you haven’t tried it yet, AEGEE-Leuven gives you the best opportunity to challenge yourself. Being at its second edition, “Days without Meat” is trying to help all the AEGEE people to eat less meat, more vegetables and healthier foods. We talked with Tom Etienne, Main Responsible for the campaign, and we found out more about this year’s edition. So, quit eating that chicken drumstick and join the campaign! It might change your lifestyle completely.

The AEGEEan: To begin with, when was this campaign first created? 
Tom: Days Without Meat is a Flemish citizens’ initiative, so from the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, that exists since 2011. Last year, AEGEE-Leuven set up a campaign in the AEGEE Network for AEGEEans to participate in. This year, we hold the campaign for the second time in a row.

What is the purpose of this campaign?
We aim to raise awareness on the ecological effects of our meat eating habits. According to several studies, our livestock’s share in greenhouse gas emissions is around 15%, although some say it’s a lot more. #AEGEEsDWM is not a plea for vegetarianism, but it does aim to reduce our meat consumption and replace it with more sustainable alternatives.

When does this year’s edition take place?
This year, the campaign takes place from the 10th of February until the 26th of March, forty days in total, not counting Sundays.

Is there a follow-up from the campaign? Are the results going to be published or sent somewhere?
The campaign is organised on two different platforms. The first one is the Facebook event, and the second one is the dagenzondervlees.be website, where you can sign up and indicate on a calendar your eating habits. The website then calculates how much you’ve saved on your carbon footprint. At the end of the campaign, we will have saved a lot, which of course, we’ll let people know.

Do you plan to also organise an event during this campaign? If so, please give us a few details about it.
The campaign is our main event in itself, but because the period includes the EPM in Leiden, they will incorporate it in their catering. We will be there at the AEGEE fair as well.

How many people have joined the campaign this year in comparison to last year?
At this moment, we have around 140 participants on Facebook. On the website, 55 people have signed up. This is slightly less compared to last year, but that doesn’t mean we cannot save more!

What would be the main benefits from joining this campaign?
Aside from the AEGEE spirit of many young and engaged Europeans working together for a better and more sustainable world, there is also your own health as a giant benefit. Eating less meat can be very healthy, especially if you take care of what you replace it with. Of course, joining the campaign sends the clear message that #AEGEEcares.

Do you plan to organise other related health campaigns in the future? Tell us a few words about them.
Just like last year, the campaign is sort of a step to our SU with AEGEE-Tilburg, which has a sustainable theme.

As a conclusion, what would you suggest to people who can’t live without meat?
‘Bitch, please’. We all know meat is very tasty at times, but also that, I repeat, we’re not asking you to ban it completely. Replace it once in a while, and you’ll be off a lot cheaper, healthier and more sustainable. You too can live without it a couple of days per week, it’s not that big of a deal. Just join #AEGEEsDWM and show that #AEGEEcares!

Written by Gabriela Geană, AEGEE-București

The Member of the Month of October is Alessandro D’Ettorre from AEGEE-Leuven. He was nominated because of his huge contribution to the locals in organising events and the Summer University, although he was a member only from April to December. His genuine enthusiasm impressed us and we interviewed him to know a little bit more about him.
The AEGEEan: Please, introduce yourself!

Alessandro: I am Alessandro, a 24 years old guy from Milan. I came to Leuven to write my master thesis in Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology and that was also the reason I became an AEGEE member in the amazing AEGEE-Leuven antenna. I like travelling, getting to know new people, organising events and new experiences…more or less the portrait of the perfect AEGEEan!
How does it feel to be nominated?

Most of all, I feel happy that people appreciate my effort and I’m glad that they took some time of their busy lives to make this superkind present by nominating me.
Who do you think nominated you?

I can not tell, I have met so many amazing people since I became a member in April, but I guess that our new amazing President, Elinne, has something to do with it.
Among the reasons for your nomination was your enthusiasm in doing activities, despite not being a member of the board of AEGEE-Leuven. How important is to make a contribution to your local as a member?

It is very important. For me making my own contribution is more rewarding, than just taking part in events, because it really makes you feel that your contribution is useful, and that you can really make a difference. When you see how successful the event that you helped organise is, you really understand what the AEGEE spirit is.
You will finish your thesis soon and you will be back to your hometown. Are you planning to be active in the local present there?
One of the greatest regrets of my life is not joining AEGEE earlier! So of course I will become a member of AEGEE-Milano (greetings if any of you is reading this) and I hope to be just as useful as I have been in Leuven, and to meet wonderful people, as those I met here.
How is taking a semester abroad and why should people do that?

It is an incredible experience and everybody should use this opportunity at least once in a lifetime.

You change in a way you could have never imagined before leaving, and once you come back home you will never be the same. In a positive way, because you will be more open to new people, to new situations and to life in general.
Last but not least, let’s do a small game. Explain yourself and your personality using the letters that compose your name. 

That’s difficult, I have a really long name.

Altruistic

Laughing

Easy going

Sarcastic

Single

Amazing

Noisy

Daring

Reliable

Optimistic
Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Verona

It’s possible to like the moments of your matches

As a small local, as many of you probably know, it’s not always easy to find a  sufficiently stable members’ base. This seemed like AEGEE-Leuven’s destiny, until Heleen Yu, their previous President, suggested creating a Tinder dating profile for the local. AEGEE-Leuven was quickly convinced, and so it happened:

“Hi there! My name is AEGEE-Leuven, and I am (pardon my arrogance) by far the coolest European youth organisation in Flanders. I strive for a democratic, diverse and border-less Europe where the voice of youth is heard and their participation in society appreciated. It’d be awesome to have you as a member, so ask me anything you want to know!”

AEGEE-Leuven made their profile a bit more ‘love-proof’ by designing a romantic European profile picture, saying that they could take their matches ‘wherever their hearts desire’. Now, wouldn’t you fall for that? Their Tinder team currently consists of Tom, their President and Alessandro, AEGEE-Leuven’s sweetest Italian.

AEGEE-Leuven’s profile

In their first evening on the app, AEGEE-Leuven got 17 matches already! About ten days into the Tinder world, they had over 50. The cool thing about this original way of promotion is that it allows to get in touch with people you would normally not reach or with people who wouldn’t take the first step to attend an activity. You can talk to them personally and convince them to become a member which works a lot better than distant promotion like flyers, posters or even Facebook.

Five people have so far confirmed their membership, which makes for about 10% of the people they’ve spoken to. Not bad, if you ask me! Several others will attend the social programme during their SU ‘Burgundian Bicycles Vol. II: Crossing Borders’ and the final ‘become a member’-hits will be delivered there. Surprisingly enough, it’s mostly boys who swipe AEGEE to the right, even though there are a lot more girls on the app. AEGEE-Leuven’s gender is set to male for now, looking for both men and women.

The application also has a function to share moments, through which it is possible to share pictures with your matches. The local uses that mostly to share the different aspects of AEGEE but in general to convey the awesome AEGEE spirit!

There are two problems though. Since Tinder can be installed on different devices using the same account, everyone with the account details can read each others Tinder conversations. This made for some embarrassing discoveries reading each others “flirts”. Oopsie for the person who was going all for it.

Oopsie! AEGEE-Leuven got reported.

The second problem is that when you use a Facebook profile as a local, you’re first of all going against Facebook’s rule book, but you also are very prone to getting reported on Tinder. That’s something which has already happened once! AEGEE-Leuven got reported for misconduct and spamming (they admit to the latter). After promising it wouldn’t happen again, the “Tinder police” released them.

Another awkward moment was when their second match turned out to be a scam who ‘was desperately looking for some hot fun’ and asked when they could meet up ‘because she was feeling naughty’. Of course, as tempting as that sounded, the team politely declined and went on with their purely professional promotion.

And so, AEGEE-Leuven embarked on a romantic journey with their Tinder matches, and we wish them a long and happy life together!

Written by Tom Etienne, AEGEE-Leuven

Each year, the Days Without Meat (DWM) campaign is organised in Belgium and lasts for forty days. During these days, people join each other to eat less meat and raise awareness about the impact our eating habits have on the environment. This year, AEGEE-Leuven thought it would be nice to join with a group of AEGEEans, and they invite you to join too! We spoke to Tom Etienne, President of the local, to find out more about this initiative and how AEGEEans can join.

The Days Without Meat logo

The AEGEEan: Where did the idea to join the Days Without Meat campaign come from?
Tom: The ‘Days Without Meat’ campaign (DWM) runs every year in Belgium for forty days. This year, two of our board members suggested we take part as a local. We came up with the idea to make this a European event that everyone can participate in from their own homes. It also serves as promotion for our awesome Summer University that we will organise together with AEGEE-Tilburg on the topic of sustainability. This is important to keep in mind: we’re not pleading for total vegetarianism, but for responsible eating habits!

When does the challenge take place?
It is a forty days campaign starting on the 18^th of February and ending during the Agora on the 4^th of April!

How can AEGEEans join you, and how many already have joined?
Joining is a very easy thing to do. In the event on Facebook you can find a detailed description, but you basically just have to make an account on the website and then join the AEGEE group in order for AEGEE to become the biggest participating organisation! We have nearly 100 participants in the Facebook event, but in the actual group there is definitely room for growth! We are currently fourth in the organisations category, but we could easily climb up to the first place!

Why should AEGEEans join you?
This is not a hard question to answer. First of all, it is a perfect opportunity to show that AEGEEans care about their environment. Second, it’s something that we can all do together, and to top it off, the campaign ends during the Agora, which will definitely make for an unforgettable closing party! There is one last thing: everyone who participates gets a free veggie meal in a Greenway restaurant in Leuven (or Ghent, Antwerp or Brussels). Another reason to participate and to visit us in Belgium!

What do you think will be the biggest challenges for people joining you?
I think the name of the campaign might sound rather frightening, because it’s called days without meat, even though that is not the main objective at all. We’d like to raise some awareness about our eating habits and their consequences on our environment, not to rule out meat in its entirety.

Do you have any tips for people who want to eat less meat?
Sure, it might seem like a hell of a job to cook vegetarian if you have barely ever done that before, but it’s totally fine to simply leave out meat for once. If you’re skipping meat for several days in a row, there are very tasty meat replacements, but for instance eggs would also do the job (and they’re so much cheaper!). We will keep the campaign very active during those forty days, so you can expect lots of information, motivation, suggestions, recipes etc. so that you will never feel discouraged! No worries, AEGEE-Leuven will take good care of you.

Since your challenge takes place during both the EPM and Agora, are you thinking of some kind of cooperation or actions to bring attention to the challenge?
We have only recently contacted AEGEE-Oviedo and AEGEE-Burgos to see what it is that we could do to cooperate, but we are aware of how big and difficult it is to organise such a huge event, so we don’t want to interfere with everything they’ve done. We’ll try to make sure you can eat vegetarian though! We would very much appreciate if locals could post this wonderful campaign onto their pages and into their groups, so that we can grow to become a big and friendly group of caring and engaged people. Oh, wait… A big and friendly group of caring and engaged people? This sounds like something we all know. This sounds like AEGEE! So I have only one more thing to say to you! Show that AEGEE cares!

Written by Svenja van der Tol, AEGEE-Nijmegen

Although the Comité Directeur Head Office is situated in Belgium, Brussels to be precise, until recently the country had only two AEGEE antenna, namely AEGEE-Brussel/Bruxelles and AEGEE-Leuven. On the 28^th of November this changed, when a new contact in Louvain-la-Neuve was announced. The AEGEEan spoke to Nada Lakkis to find out more about this new Belgian contact.
Before we start talking about the contact and its future, first it is time to look at the history of the city of the newest Belgian contact. It all started in Leuven, where the Catholic University at first only provided lectures in French, one of Belgium’s official languages, but started to provide lectures in Dutch, the other official language of Belgium and the language spoken in Leuven in 1930. In 1962 the French and Dutch sections of the university became autonomous, but Flemish nationalists demanded a division of the university and expressed their resentment at privileges given to French-speaking academic. In June 1968 this dispute was solved by turning the Dutch section of the university into the independent Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, while the French section was moved to the French-speaking part of the province, where a campus called Louvain-la-Neuve was founded for the Université Catholique de Louvain. The city was later build around this campus, although the university still owns the site.

Seeing that Louvain-la-Neuve is completely built around the university, it would come as no surprise that it is full of students and therefore a good place for future AEGEE members to get in contact with AEGEE-Europe. Nada Lakkis was one of them. She found out about AEGEE through her friend Lana Tomic. “She told me about all the experiences she had the opportunity to go through with AEGEE and this made me want to join the adventure. I lately found myself passionate by the kind of European dream we have the chance to experience here, during our university time, with the mobility programs and other EU-linked cultural opportunities. This interest made me want to get involved in a student union or project related to Europe, but this is when I discovered that such initiative was sadly lacking in the, however very international, student town of Louvain-la-Neuve.”

Nada turned to AEGEE-Brussel/Bruxelles, who answered her and the idea for the founding of a new contact in Louvain-la-Neuve quickly rose. “After discussing it with enthusiastic AEGEE-Brussel/Bruxelles and Comité Directeur members, I was glad to find support for the plan, which I immediately implemented by finding a motivated team of students”, said Nada. Right now, the core of this team is made up of eight active members, but the complete group consists of fourteen members. Although still a small group, they already have some plans for the upcoming year! “We would like to start with the organization of conferences in the university, in collaboration with other institutions here, as we think this is also a great way to make the association better known among students”, Nada states. Next to these conferences, the group wants to organize cultural activities and a visit to the European Parliament.

However, the plans aren’t limited to activities only. “We are definitely going to use social media, as this is probably the most powerful tool for any kind of promotion nowadays.” The new contact already has some great plans, and luckily also a lot of support from AEGEE-Brussel/Bruxelles. “I think their enthusiasm and sympathy has somehow been a catalyst for the initiative and now that the contact is created, they’re still willing to assist us. I sincerely appreciate it, and I’m looking forward to meeting new locals too.”

Written by Svenja van der Tol, AEGEE-Nijmegen

These past days, The AEGEEan has got to know better the local that was elected as Local of the Month of March – AEGEE-Leuven! They organised a brilliant exchange between European and Palestinian students in the framework of the EuroArab Project last February, which was the reason for their nomination. 

The antenna, located in the famous Belgian student city, was founded in 1991 and resurrected around the year 2006. In the words of Heleen Yu, current president of AEGEE-Leuven: “We have always been a small local due to the oversaturated market of student organisations in Leuven”. At this moment, the local has around 50 members, of which 12-15 are active.

The School of Social Entrepreneurship

The School of Social Entrepreneurship (SSE) was an exchange between ten members of AEGEE-Leuven and ten Palestinian students from the West Bank, that AEGEE-Leuven organised in cooperation with the Palestinian NGO Sharek Youth Forum in the framework of AEGEE’s EuroArab-project. As Valérie Boiten, the coordinator of the exchange, explains, the ten Palestinians came to Leuven for a week, where the participants attended lectures, training activities and workshops concerning the idea of a social business.

Some of these workshops were provided by AEGEE members Wessel Reijers (AEGEE-Enschede) and Mathieu Soete (AEGEE-Leuven), but other organisations like JUB International, RootAbility and SPIT [ed. a local social business] were invited too. The participants also spent one day in Brussels to visit the European External Action Service headquarters where they could learn more about the European Neighbourhood Policy and the external actions of the EU, especially the ones concerning the situation between Israel and the West Bank. They also attended a session on quality jobs at the European Youth Forum headoffice. However, AEGEE-Leuven also offered a very rich social programme: dancing to traditional music and tasting Palestinian typical food, an ice-skating evening and a ‘Belgian night’ are only some of the highlights.

But, how did the adventure of the School of Social Entrepreneurship begin? The idea came up for the first time in June last year, during a study visit for youth workers where Valérie met Mahmoud, representative of Sharek Youth Forum, and the idea of organizing an exchange together started to grow. A few months later, Valérie and Dima (the project manager of Sharek) started to develop the plans of organizing SSE more concretely, and the application for the Youth in Action programme was sent to the National Agency in Brussels, which approved the project.

They agree that the challenge was pretty big for such a small local: “It was challenging to combine the multiplicity of tasks, but I guess this is something everyone who has ever organized an AEGEE event will recognize”, Valérie says. “Just when you think you’ve taken care of everything, something new pops up! There are literally a thousand things to think about and the Youth in Action procedures can be very exhausting”. Yet, in the words of the organisers, the biggest challenge was to ensure that the Palestians could get to Belgium in the first place! “We all know the hardship they face, and how their abilities to travel freely, even within their own country, are extremely reduced. It was very difficult to get through the visa procedures, they almost didn’t make it on time. Only two days before the project would start, the visas were granted. A huge relief!”, Valérie concludes.

AEGEE-Leuven, a small but active local

Only a few weeks after the SSE concluded, AEGEE-Leuven was already planning their new event, a local Y Vote 2014 conference. They invited Professor Christoph Crombez, who is an expert on European economics and politics, and Saïd El Khadraoui, a Leuven born and raised MEP. Both gave a short talk on the importance of the past European Parliament elections and the value of the vote of the youth. As Tom Etienne, current Treasurer, explains: “This was particularly interesting, because one point of view was clearly from an academic side, whilst the other one obviously came from a politician”. The event managed to gather a group of international students who asked about all kinds of issues, such as transparency and democracy in the EU, the financial crisis, the environment, and of course the results of the upcoming elections, and it concluded with a very active debate among the guest speakers and the young people.

AEGEE-Leuven is ackowledged for having organised many successful European events in the past couple of years, ranging from Travel Summer Universities, to a Network Meeting, and a thematic event in cooperation with the Human Rights Working Group. According to Heleen, “good teamwork and knowing each others’ strengths is I think in our case our advantage when it comes to organising exchanges. Almost everything is organised by the board, with a limited amount of help of volunteers, which we are grateful for”. Valérie adds that one of their biggest achievements has been “our growing rate of members over the past two years. From a small group of people we’ve seen our membership base evolve quite quickly, though of course we’re still quite small – but charming! On the other hand it is also nice that people seem to find us whenever it’s about European affairs or European organisations. We’ve been contacted quite a few times this year for projects, research and press articles”.

In fact, Leuven is widely-known as one of the biggest and most vibrant student cities in Europe. More than 40,000 students come to live there each year, and around 7,000 are international students coming from over 140 countries. As Heleen says: “It seems rather easy to reach international students since we are in the ‘international students organizations’ category. We are invited by the university to join the info fair for new incoming international students every semester”. However, she adds that, when it comes to reaching the Belgian students “it is more difficult, since there are not a lot of students who are particularly interested in meeting international people, as most people already have their “usual” group of friends and stick to this. But we see a change now, we think that more and more Belgians are open to their international fellows”.

The local has no future plans yet: there will be a new board elected at the start of the academic year which will surely surprise with new events and activities. Meanwhile, we wish AEGEE-Leuven the best and congratulate them once more for such a big achievement!

Written by Anna Gumbau,  AEGEE-Barcelona

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

Following the NetCom meeting in Brussels, The AEGEEan introduces a new initiative: the NetCom Telegram. Every month it will bring you closer to the Network Commissioners and the work they do. First up we have Inez, Dominique, Patricia, Claudio & Anna informing you about the work they have done with the antennae of our Network since April.

Inez Wenta

“Another month passes so quickly when there’s so much happening! May was for sure a very productive time for me. There were two events that must be mentioned!

Firstly, after two months, the first NetCom Meeting was held. The CD was so kind to host us in the new house in Brussels. Brainstorming, team building, discussing, making clear plans – never felt so motivated like after this meeting! We all feel like a strong team – I hope our plans will turn quickly into actions and will soon be visible to the whole Network.

Secondly, even more important for the network, AEGEE-Passau hosted the most amazing Network Meeting! “Pride and Prejudice – Dealing with cultural differences!” was the place where people from 26 locals came together, working, discussing and exchanging knowledge. The sessions were very productive thanks to the contribution of amazing Aegeeans. Not only did we discuss what is happening in the locals, the problems and ideas, but we also dealt with one of the most important issues – AEGEE Identity. The subject wasn’t easy but we came to some conclusions that may help us all to clarify our identity (look out for the results booklet soon!). But we were not only working! Of course some AEGEE traditions were kept – after the Bavarian Evening we celebrated the European Night as well. The organization of this event was very professional and well prepared. I’m very proud to say that AEGEE-Passau did a wonderful job – thank you all again for your hard work!”

Anna Móricz

“After the first meeting at the Agora, discussing responsibilities and local distribution, I messaged and asked my locals (Hungarian and Bratislava) to send me their activities from last year and also their comments on local and European level events. Further on, I also asked for a list of active members, in order to know who is active and on which level currently. Unfortunately in my locals this number is pretty low, so my main aim is to try to involve them more on the European level.

Within the Hungarian speaking locals, a regional training course was organized by one of the smaller antenna, which could be a great best practice example of further co-operation between the locals and also a great example of how such a small antenna can organize a good event.

Besides attending the NetCom meeting in Brussels, in May I also Contacted my two SubCommies and had discussions about their expectations, about further work.

While smaller antennae like Pécs are struggling because of financial issues, Budapest may help them in organizing together European level events in the future.”

Claudio Armandi

“April was the start of my second semester, so I had a new program and a new SubCommie team. Elisa Bracali from Firenze replaced the legendary Matteo Scarpa, to whom I will never be thankful enough. On April 2nd we finally announced the addition of Bologna to the Network. I am so happy AEGEE is back where it has to be, in the oldest University in Europe.

On the NetCom team side, April meant new NetCommies and new speaker team. I can tell you the local division always looks too boring for me. I just take the Italian and Maltese locals with no need to discuss, fight or kill anyone. Being again the only boy, apart from Bartek, means that I will spend another six months chatting and reading about nail polish and hot guys. Conversely, I understand that women are the best when it comes to care and protection.

May, I’ll remember this month because of the first NWM entirely organized by myself in Bergamo! It was quite crazy from the very beginning, when a not really punctual German train had a terrible delay in Berlin and I was about to lose my flight. Trust me, Usain Bolt could not have done better than me in Schönefeld with a backpack and a suitcase. Many thanks to the guys from Bergamo, their organization was state of the art.

May meant also another change in the SubCommie team, where Mattia Abis from Cagliari replaced Sara Cocco who always brought a sunny smile in our team. I am now on a train that is taking me home from Nürnberg. All I can see from the windows is water. Obviously everyone is talking about Turkey right now, but I would also like to give an virtual hug to all the German and Czech people hit by this disaster.”

Dominique Lenssen

Wow, already writing about the past two months as NetCommie! Where April was more about recovering from the Agora, enjoying and getting used to the fact that I have been elected, writing my Work Plan ,getting Knowledge Transfer and finding subcommies, was May a month full of actions…

AEGEE-Utrecht organized a European School, in which I participated one day. Then, during the non-traditional European night of AEGEE-Groningen, I gave a presentation about the NetCom, our European level and all the great opportunities that exist.  As it is quite hard to make people enthusiastic with a presentation, I talked with a lot of people afterwards as well.  Another great initiative of AEGEE-Groningen is their charity night to collect money for their Summer University. Great way to beat that crisis!

In Leuven I had a meeting with the vice-president of AEGEE-Leuven, to discuss their current situation and the plans for the coming months. I also visited AEGEE-Delft, AEGEE-Enschede and the FUN-event of AEGEE-Maastricht, where members from several locals got to know each other. As it is easier to cooperate with other locals if you know people personally, I think that this event will contribute to cooperation on thematic level as well! I also can’t wait to meet all the new boards of my locals.

During our NetCom weekend in Brussels we worked hard on our team spirit, resulting in a lot of craziness, fun and inside jokes. We have a lot of great ideas, inspiration and plans for our Network, so prepare for even more AEGEE awesomeness!

Patricia Anthony

“During my first couple of months in NetCom my focus has been on SubCommies. It is important not only having a strong team of NetCommies but also to have a fantastic team of SubCommissioners! Continuing with Karolina Mazetyte in the team is amazing, but moreover I also have three other highly motivated SubCommies in Sergio Oliveros, Ruta Jankauskaite, and Maria Arends. So April and May have not only been about me getting knowledge transfer (KT) from Karolina but also giving KT to Sergio, Ruta & Maria.

Drawing a lot of inspiration, “La Tripulacion” together with the rest of what we call “Nordic Stars” team, we are especially working on online tools to strengthen the cooperation between the antennae. A new form to submit activity reports, extensive promotion of mailing list & Facebook group, and more frequent posts on our blog are all in our focus at the moment, of course together with organizing local events as well.

I might have been in AEGEE for quite some time now, however it appears that I’m getting worse and worse at travelling. This meant that for my planned trip to Brussels I had a pit stop in Groningen. However, there I got to experience a new kind of European Night where the European Level of AEGEE was introduced to the members present. As my SubCommie Maria (responsible for UK antennae) is in Groningen it was also a great opportunity to meet up and talk about her visit to London at the beginning of May and how we can help the UK in general.”

Written by Network Commission