“Discrimination0”, the project organised by AEGEE-Lviv, AEGEE-Dresden and AEGEE-Moskva has already come to its end. The project consisted of two parts which took place in Ukraine and Germany in the format of youth exchange. The main goal of the event – promoting tolerance and unity for building a society free of any kind of discrimination and stereotypes.

The first part took place in Lviv on October 2nd-7th. During the week, every day was very different from the others and very intensive. The first day of the project was devoted to finding the definition of discrimination and discussing some controversial points about it. Then we talked about the discrimination of disabled people and got acquainted with the international sign language. We also had a day devoted to gender discrimination and meeting with representatives of the League of Women’s Rights Protection “Harmony of the Equal”. They shared with us some important information about gender discrimination in Ukraine and the ways it can be revealed. We also learned some legal aspects of this problem. As Lviv is considered to be one of the oldest and the most beautiful cities of Europe, our organisers also included an excursion part to the programme. So, we had a city tour with an amazing guide who let us in on the city secrets and a trip around three old castles situated in the Lviv region. It is also worth mentioning the informal part of the project – communication, games to know each other, evening walks and parties!

The second part of the “Discrimination0” project took part in Dresden from the 17th to the 22nd of November. Due to our amazing organisers, the second part was mostly focused on the themes that weren’t discussed before. So, we had a reflection workshop with a long conversation on privileges in society and empathy towards other people. We tried to understand the phenomenon of PEGIDA, to find out the real ways to react against discrimination, to develop a civil courage and understand the main problems of the muslim community. A gender issue was also present in our discussions, but not in a way we were used to; an exhibition, “The boringly normal man”, dedicated to masculinity made us think about this social construct. What does it mean – being a man in the XXI century? Which problems are men usually faced with? Now almost everybody agrees we must fight against gender inequality, but without understanding the nature of femininity and masculinity it would not be possible.

“Discrimination0” has come to its end. To sum up, the Dresden part differs from the Lviv one on its topics and on the questions we were trying to solve. But that’s the most important thing! Two countries having a different background and different experiences uniting against the mutual problem, trying to learn from each other and to understand each other. Reacting against discrimination is very important, but the first and the main thing our action can start with is a feeling of empathy towards somebody and understanding of the situation. We strongly believe that “Discrimination0” had an impact on the participants and they will feel now informed and empowered enough to make a difference in their society and stand for values as diversity, trust and understanding. We want to thank the foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future” (EVZ), the Federal Foreign Office and the Robert Bosch Stiftung for making this project possible!

Written by AEGEE-Lviv

It is already that magical season of the year! No, we are not talking about Spring and the rebirth of nature. Of course we are talking about the RTC season. RTCs (Regional Training Courses) are meetings among members and their aim (according to what is written on the AEGEE Europe member’s portal) is to prepare them to take responsibilities in board positions. We have asked for some opinions of the organisers of three RTCs all over Europe from the antennae of AEGEE-Lviv, AEGEE-Touluse, AEGEE-Pisa and AEGEE-Firenze.

All the hosts are very excited and for them this is a great opportunity to grow as antennae. AEGEE-Toulouse told us that “this RTC is one of the only events that will take place in France this year, it happens before important elections for us, so it is a great occasion to discuss the importance of Europe in French people’s life. We have 15 participants, our members will host them to allow the fee not to be too huge (because hostels are incredibly expensive in Toulouse). We really want to make this RTC unforgettable: we willl be chasing a treasure during our visit of Toulouse. The sessions will be, among others, about how to organise local events such as the European Student Festival of AEGEE-Toulouse, and about EVS!”.       

In addition, AEGEE-Lviv said RTCs are also an opportunity to create strong relationships between antennae from different countries that are part of the same Network. “Since we have become one network with Polish antennae, we planned to organise a regional event. By evaluating the abilities of our antennae we decided that an RTC would be the best option. Together with the other locals, we decided that the HR topic would be the most interesting for everyone. Due to a lack of applications, however, we decided that we would organise an LTC for our members and invite foreigners to it. We will make typical LTC sessions, but HR will still be a leading topic.” 

RTCs are also an amazing way to became closer to another antenna. For instance, AEGEE-Firenze and AEGEE-Pisa have decided to organise an RTC together. “We decided to apply for hosting an RTC because both the boards of AEGEE-Pisa and AEGEE-Firenze knew that the new members needed an opportunity to learn more about AEGEE, the possibility to join the board, organise international events and the overall structure of the association.” They also gave us some spoilers about their programme: “We will start with a double session about the structure of AEGEE: one for the newbies, one for more advanced members. Then we will talk about the organisation of European events, teamwork and conflict resolution. The next session will be about managing a local: recruiting, fundraising, how to organise thematic activities and management of a local in general.

The “European events organisation” workshop will be held by AEGEE-Pisa founder, honorary member of AEGEE-Firenze and current member of Les Anciens Paolo Santoni: “This is going to be a huge opportunity for all the participants. But let’s talk about the serious stuff: the programme will be filled with the Regional Night (which, with all the nationalities of the participants, will actually be a real EN) and we are organising games and party also for the second night”.

Written by Paola Letizia Murru, AEGEE-Cagliari

OOPS! We Lviv it again! [Bears edition].

No REST in BuchaREST!

There is another Romanian Antenna that organises something before Agora Chisinau. The pre-event of AEGEE-Bucharest will take place in the Romanian capital from the 7th to the 10th of October. The participants, that will be selected for this pre-event, have to be prepared for mind-blowing activities; they will have a taste of Bucharest’s unique spirit(s), discovering the frantic city and learn the Romanian way of partying. The Romanian Antenna will provide: accommodation in a hostel, two meals per day, sightseeing, a city tour, Bucharest’s nightlife experience, and some surprises. The fee is fifty-five euros, and the optional fee is sixteen euros for travelling to Chișinău.

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari.

With the event of the month of September, we leave behind an era full of Summer Universities and we start to deal with serious matters. AEGEE-Lviv’s event “Let’s Talk” is a clear example of hard work. This local is filled with motivated and hard-working young people, striving for the future of their country. ACT spoke with Nastya Hirnyak, President of AEGEE-Lviv.

​ACT: Congratulations! ​As we would like to get to know this month’s winner, could you tell us a few words about your local?

Nastya: AEGEE-Lviv was the first antenna which was born in the former USSR. We are an active antenna with around 100 members, and 40-50 of them are really active on both local and European level. We organise five or six international events per year and as many as we can on a local level. For example, during last year, we organised an exchange with AEGEE-Budapest, a Travelling Summer University, we hosted an Election Observation Project in Lviv, a pre-Agora event; on a local level, we took part in a volunteering clean-up programme and a marathon advertising antenna. We have also started a new project called “Let’s Talk” for the local students and members of AEGEE-Lviv.

​You have organised the “Let’s Talk” workshop. Can you tell us more about this project?

We started this project in February 2015. The main goal of this project is to involve students, to encourage active youth to join AEGEE, and to give young people an opportunity to express themselves. “Let’s Talk” project is a monthly event covering different topics, ranging from self- development to the European integration process in Ukraine. Each event hosted around 15 young people with common interests.

​ Why did you decide to organise this event ?

The theme of September’s “Let’s Talk” event was the European integration process in Ukraine. We decided to choose that topic as we think everyone, especially youth, should have some basic knowledge regarding what is going on in our country. During the event, we discussed about the relevant reforms that are already happening nowadays (pension, health, education and tax), from a practical point of view, but also about how each Ukrainian can help his or her country to become closer to Europe.

What was the result? 

This meeting was attended by about 13 people. During the meeting we had an interesting discussion on the implementation of certain reforms. It was interesting to observe that young people are interested in this issue and have their own opinion about it.

Why do you think the Action Agenda is important for the Network, and what would you say to another local that is thinking about organising something related to the Action Agenda?

First of all, AEGEE is all about the Action Agenda. It is important to organise events on a local level, to help members grow, and encourage newbies to join AEGEE. For the Network, it is great to know about different kinds of projects done by the antennae. Through that we can share our experience and borrow ideas from each other, as the famous AEGEE slogan says ‘Sharing is caring’.

Do you have any other big plans for the upcoming months?

As I already mentioned, the “Let’s Talk” project is conducted every month. This month, we are planning to organise a workshop on developing interview skills. We also hosted an unofficial New Year celebration in Lviv for those who did not have any plans.

AEGEE-Lviv has certainly shown to the Network that it can be an example to other locals. What would you say to other locals that want to be as awesome as you?

This is one of my favourite quotes: ‘World changes, be part of this change’.

​Which sentence would describe your local and your event?

Our local has always been famous for being crazy but serious at the same time. So, our events reflect this belief, too!

Written by Tugce Carpaz, AEGEE-Eskisehir

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

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

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

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

Travelling Summer University was organized by AEGEE-Bratislava and AEGEE-Lviv on the break of July and August 2014. It started in Bratislava on Thursday, when the participants arrived to the gym where we slept. About half of them gathered for the Slovak language workshop. Instead of the survival phrases, everyone was interested in pick-up lines & dirty words. Boys, remember: “Máš pekné oči.“ (Your eyes are beautiful) and girls, save money by: „tento pán to všetko zaplatí“ (this gentleman pays for all). In the evening, the President of AEGEE-Bratislava, Lucia, officially opened the SU and we also celebrated the 22th birthday of the only Slovak antenna with a cake.

On Friday morning there were some workshops about AEGEE and the European Union and then in the afternoon we did bungee jumping. A navy party followed on a boat anchored on the Danube River. Saturday morning was devoted to a city tour with a guide who knew the history of every single palace on the Michalska Street. Many participants were went for coffee, but everyone was ready to taste the honey wine in a small shop in between the souvenir shops and the Slovak restaurants. Later Erik & Juro took us to the castle. The way was quite unusual, but they claim that it was in order to show us the typical communist bus station under the bridge. From the castle, we went to the beach by the Danube River. It was a good opportunity to play volleyball, enjoy drinks or see the participants in swimsuits, which could be helpful at the traffic light party in the evening.

Actually, traffic light party is an interesting psychological game. In the end, the desire and impressions beat the colour of the t-shirts. A game with the ice cubes breaks the ice, and this is how we met Elvis Campolungo from Siena. Next morning, the bus to High Tatras was full of sleepy people. We hoped that the fresh air in the mountains would wake us up. We made a stop at the Demänovská ice cave. It was almost like the ice bar the previous night, but less ice and no free shots.

First night in Poprad started with a  pub crawl. Participants, divided into 6 teams, had to find directions to 6 bars and in each of them perform a task. Final task was a tequila body shot from AEGEE-Bratislava bodies. This is the Slovak hospitality.

Poprad is a gate to High Tatras – Slovakia’s biggest mountains. AEGEE people departed from civilization in the last village and enjoyed the walk in raw nature. In popular culture, we can label Tatras as the birthplace of Tatra Tea, Tatranky-wafers filled with nut cream- and Tatran – a small brewery.

I did not count the nationalities, but the ‘tables’ at the European Night of TSU Bratislava 2014 lasted over 90 min. The night started with a folk dance by some local guys (you can even see it on the Regional TV from Poprad).

Slovak organizers introduced typical products, including the sheep cheese product bryndza, and several variants of Tatra Tea, ranging from 17 to 72 degrees. Table was topped by Borovička, the revenge of Mother Nature, as Juro from AEGEE-Bratislava told us. The participants from Ukraine followed with their vodka – horilka that tastes always the same, just the adventures are always different. Also, they taught us a dance. I am sorry not to mention all the presentations as I really could not capture all, despite the fact that I was still sober. Best participant Mika was silent while introducing his Finish drink. In contrast, Italian ‘pasta guys’ sung the national anthem like Squadra Azzurra before an international match and educated us on some typical gestures. Diego from Mexico explained the difference between the Mexican and Spanish tortillas and offered tequila, but without salt, lemon and belly buttons. From Giu Di Lu we learned that gulash is really international food because it reminds him of Chinese cuisine.  Around midnight, the party relocated into a gym because AEGEE people are full of energy and even if it looks like that they sleep, they are just getting ready for another party.

On Tuesday, after chilling in the Aqua park, we went for dinner, where we were served traditional Slovak dish ‘bryndzové halušky’. After that, we headed for a private party, which turned out little bit wild. From Wednesday I would like to mention the workshop on culture. For everyone, culture means something different: toast with peanut butter and jam, dinner at 6pm, sweet pasta. Interesting, how simple issues develop into serious talk about national stereotypes and similarities. As Erwin Groot, a participant from the  Netherlands said: ‘Spending time with open minded people from all around Europe creates a bonding within the SU group that feels like family. Because of this family feeling, the moments of being in the hostel or bus or just walking through the city, are just as nice as the moments you are having parties, city rally’s, watching castles, exploring the Tatra mountains, jumping of bridges (with rope). And even though it feels like a year goes by, by being open minded towards everyone, you build friendships in Europe that last many years after.’

Massage workshop followed and in the afternoon I met some guys (and ice bears) looking for massage oil in the supermarket. In the afternoon we played city rally, the first prize went to the Smurfs team. At the closing party, we were writing on t-shirts till 2am, when part of the participants left for Ukraine. And when I read the words of Oksana Konyk, I regret that I did not join them. She also mentions an incredible and a little bit crazy AEGEE family ready for any adventure in romantic and charming Lviv. Besides sightseeing, museums, castles and the awaited tunnel of love,theye had different workshops. The most memorable were varenyky and motanka ones.

It was really a great time with great people. So see you again somewhere in Lviv! Although both parts of TSU are formally over, it still goes on in our open minds, hearts and in the Facebook group. Hope that no one will forget how good it is to meet somebody to #lol.

Written by Erik Redli, AEGEE-Bratislava (with the help of  Oksana Konyk, AEGEE-Lviv and Erwin Groot )

Photos: from the photos posted in the participant’s group.

Here is the daily coverage of TSU Bratislava in Tweets.

This video captures the best moments.

Since last november Ukraine has been in the spotlights because of the happenings in the country. Protests against the government led by former president Viktor Janukovich started in Maidan Nezalezhnosti, but soon spread all over the country. In Ukraine AEGEE is present with seven locals, namely AEGEE-Dnipropetrovsk, AEGEE-Kharkiv, AEGEE-Ivano-Frankivsk, AEGEE-Kyïv, AEGEE-Lviv, AEGEE-Odessa and AEGEE-Sevastopol. Most of their members were actively involved in supporting and helping their fellow countrymen during the difficult times. The Network followed the happenings closely and in the month of February, the seven Ukranians local were awarded with the Locals of the Months title. The AEGEEan spoke with the board of two of them: AEGEE-Kharkiv and AEGEE-Kyïv.

The AEGEEan: The whole world is focusing its attention over Ukraine. How do you feel the atmosphere is like? Does this affect the life of your local and your members  and, in general, how does this affects the live of a normal Ukrainians?

Board Meeting AEGEE-Kyiv

AEGEE-Kharkiv: Ukraine is everywhere these days: TV, social networks, media… And, of course, the atmotphere is rather stressful for Ukrainians. We have to adapt our AEGEE life to the situation in the country too. We had to move the spring NWM from Kharkiv to Lviv for example, because of the situation in the eastern part of Ukraine. As for our local we haven’t made big changes in general and we try to keep the situation out of our daily communication, work and projects. Of course we talk about it (it’s the main topic for all of us), but, there are different opinions sometimes. We still have a lot of ideas to realise in the future. In general, Ukrainians didn’t expect so much attention and a lot of people actually began to feel more patriotic and felt this historical moment. But, the life of the majority of Ukrainians doesn’t change: work, holidays, traveling, weekends and other things (except for some eastern parts of Ukraine, it’s a hard time for them).”

AEGEE-Kyïv: Indeed the situation affected the life of all our members and board in general. We, as local from the capital of the country and the heart of the riots, couldn’t stay calm and pretend nothing happened. As board, we had to make a statement to our members about our attitude towards the situation when all this started at the end of November. Living in the capital means having people with absolutely different opinions about the situation, to be honest even in our board (and we have nine people plus three members of the Revision Commission) we had some controversies. That’s why our statement to members was very diplomatic – we asked them not to keep silent and act, if they feel it’s time but to keep a cold head too as the situation was really dangerous. We also had to cancel many of our events, birthday party and some activities – it was just inappropriate to celebrate and party when people were dying on Maidan. The life of AEGEE-Kyiv changed from a local that always had a lot of motivated people, who travel, want to take part in organising their own projects to a local with members who were mostly tired of the situation. Until March we had only social meetings. And now we, as board, are trying to do everything for our members to act, to participate, to travel and open the world. We changed our HR-strategy so that each member could be heard. The same was happening to Ukrainians – after all they were really tired and some lost the hope. Elections and the latest events might change the situation, and we feel that the young generation finally believes that they can be the change and that their opinion, voice and actions are utmost important.

‘Inspired by SU’ social meeting AEGEE-Kharkiv

The AEGEEan: All Ukrainian locals have been selected to be Local of the Month. It is one of the many examples of AEGEE trying to do something in civil society. Do you feel the support from the network?

AEGEE-Kyïv: We were extremely pleased by everything that was done by AEGEE-Europe, many AEGEE-locals, Working Groups and particular persons, especially knowing that most of Europe didn’t have an appropriate picture of what was happening and trusted only our words and what we posted on social networks. It was inspiring. There was a flashmob, changing profile pictures to a black square with Ukrainian flag, donations that were made, reposts of articles written by Ukrainiasn and of course, the fact that Luis Alvarado Martinez, President of AEGEE-Europe, came to Kyïv. It’s a big step forward, and not just a quote from the Statement of Principles about AEGEE’s aims. It’s action, which means much more.

AEGEE-Kharkiv: Yes, during these months we really felt it. Speaking, for example, about Facebook, where we saw the support of hundreds of people every day: posts, photos, messages. It’s really a big thing for us. These things have made our days better for months.Thank you very much. It’s what happens in a big family too: some children get sick and the whole family does their best in order to relieve the suffering of their kids.

The AEGEEan: In the past, AEGEE has been helping with the improvement of dialogue in places as Cyprus and Western Balkans, while always paying special attention to youth. Do you think AEGEE could play such a role in Ukraine?

AEGEE-Kyïv: Yes. But now the most important for us is to show that it is not so dangerous to come to Ukraine as is shown in the media of many countries (of course Russian news as well, but that’s another story). The success of Election Observation Mission, that sent more than 20 members from different locals to our country, shows that coming here and seeing everything by yourself can have a more powerful impact and communication might be the key to understanding.

AEGEE-Kharkiv: We are young and we are open to the future. We learn something, sometimes make mistakes and after it, we become more experienced. And of course AEGEE can help us with pushing the limits of our mind, and to become more serious, responsible adults.

The AEGEEan: Could you say you feel more European because of AEGEE?

AEGEE-Kharkiv: AEGEE shares European values with us that we just began to learn (and they are not about economic and politic matters). We can take all the best from Europe, for example being more law-abiding. AEGEE is a big platform to make yourself more open-minded, to see what the real Europe is and to involve this in your life in your country.

AEGEE-Kyïv: We would even say we understand more what being European is now. AEGEE definitely changed the life perspective and was the reason that we do not have many typical stereotypes anymore. And we cannot say we feel European in a political way, but for sure we feel more open-minded and struggle more to get new information, news. We have feeling that we can not only do something on a local, but also on the European level to help our country.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Venezia

With contribution of Liliya Buyukliyska, AEGEE-Sofia

Between 7th and 12th of March the members of AEGEE-Lviv visited AEGEE-Aachen. Along with being a cultural exchange event, it was also held within the framework of Eastern Partnership Project. Fellow members got to spend a few days filled with activities aimed at discovering the German culture and exploring the charming city Aachen and it’s surroundings. Next to that, members of AEGEE-Aachen got the opportunity to follow workshops and discussions on history, recent events and the current situation in Ukraine. Both organisers and participants shared their thoughts about the event.

What are your impressions of the part of the exchange held in Aachen, people you have met during it and the atmosphere of the event in general?

Kostas Tsoleridis (AEGEE-Aachen): I believe that the atmosphere was beartastic. Despite the fact that most people did not really know each other from before and only a few of us had met previously, there were no problems like a “slow start” in the beginning. After the first day (or better said, the first few hours) the atmosphere was very warm. I think the various activities that we had planned for the beginning (ice breaking games and a rich, tasty and with love prepared brunch) helped a lot.

I want to strongly encourage other antennas to do their own exchanges. It is a fascinating experience, a wonderful way to understand other people’s traditions, culture and habits and the next action agenda encourages it as well!

I am really looking forward to go to Lviv in June and meet all the wonderful AEGEE-Lviv members again!

Olya Ilnytska (AEGEE-Lviv): It was really amazing. Although I couldn’t stay with these fun, mega kind, curious and slightly crazy people untill the end of the exchange, these few days were enough to understand that a certain piece of my heart (or soul – still undecided) will forever remain in this city. The organizers, with the help of some magic (or typical German potion), managed to make us, at least me, feel like home all the time. The atmosphere was as if I came to visit my beloved cousins for the weekend and I didn’t want to go home. You know what? My impressions are not amazing, they’re fantastic, certainly fantastic.  P.S: But still one question is unanswered: what does the fox say?

Sarah Buchmin (AEGEE-Aachen): In my opinion, the exchange between AEGEE-Lviv and AEGEE-Aachen was great and we all spent some really nice days together. The exchange students were really friendly, open minded and seemed to have enjoyed their stay in Aachen a lot. The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant on all events and trips, which shows that the participants of both countries got along with each other very well. For me the best events were the European Night as well as the day trips to Monschau and Cologne and the city rally. The exchange students told us a lot about their country and culture, so now I am really looking forward to visiting them, too.

Nadiia Stasyk (AEGEE-Lviv): I am very excited while recalling the Aachen exchange and these cool people that made it real! Friendly and sunny atmosphere while discovering Germany, eating currywurst in the morning, playing Flunkyball and sunbathing near Aachen river. I couldn’t feel my legs after exploring new places and dancing all nights and in the end I even lost my voice after singing karaoke like a rockstar! I miss Aachen and these lovely people that created the sweetest memories for me and I have a strong desire to come back again.

Was the exchange effective for you in terms of gaining knowledge about the history of Ukraine and getting a better insight on what’s been happening there during the last four months?

Christian Schumann (AEGEE-Aachen): As usual, we only know what the news reporters say. Hence, we know Vladimir Putin is bad, Yulia Tymoschenko was on hunger-strike and Vitalyi  Klitschko is fighting with words for democracy. As always, only superficial knowledge. However, for the first time in my life, I had the opportunity to get first-hand information about the current crises. The by far most important point to mention, is why Ukrainians are disappointed by late action of the European Union. Back in 1994 Ukraine gave all their nuclear weapons up to gain acceptance of their sovereignty, territorial integrity and independency. Russia seems to have forgotten this. Complemented by an open discussion, the members of AEGEE-Lviv invited us all to ask questions and to discuss the current situation. Overall it was a very important experience.

Maria  Lüke (AEGEE-Aachen): Yes indeed, there was definitely a lot of great cultural exchange! It was especially intense, because during the exchange Russia was just preparing the voting at Crimea and the theme “Ukraine” was (and still is) very omnipresent in the German Media.

Especially interesting was the talk our guests prepared and the discussion that followed. I liked it a lot, that they explained us a lot about the Ukrainian background. Now I know for example, that Cossacks are not necessarily typical for Russia, but also for Ukraine and that there are a lot of special religious groups like the Greek catholics, who acknowledge the Pope in Rome and different Orthodox groups. I liked it a lot that we could discuss even difficult themes, as “how to deal with a transient government, that is authorised not in the typical way” or “reasons for and against being hard with Putin” or “what role do economic interests have for the European governments” in a positive atmosphere.

Also, I enjoyed the chats about the political situation while walking through Aachen and Köln during the following days and I think talking face to face is really good, because it becomes obvious that even if specific views might differ, everyone is caring very much and wants the same thing in the end! For me personally there is a dilemma: on one hand I really want to help Ukrainian people to ensure their sovereignty and support them standing up for more democracy and justice. But, on the other hand I really want to de- escalate a possible conflict between Russia and Europe, especially from a German point of view with the history of brutal fights against Russia during the Second World War and the positive political experience with Russia with the slogan “Change through rapprochement”.

Still, during the exchange I got the point, that for Ukrainians the preventing war argument is not so strong, if there are already some war-like situations in their country. Also for me it was tough to hear, that some were disappointed by Europe, because of the restrained strategy and very tentatively planning of sanctions. I really felt for them when someone said, that it can be exhausting to hear again, that “Europe is deeply concerned“ but doesn’t do something.

If I can make two wishes: firstly, it would be great to have a more neutral and more multi-faceted reporting and commentatorship, because every country seems to have a leak of some pieces of information somewhere. And of course secondly, I wish that after all there will be a good end for Ukraine.

Another cultural highlight for me was the Ukrainian movie- night, where our Ukrainian friends showed us Firecrosser. It is a love story taking place during the second world war in the Ukraine, and very interesting, e.g. because of the diversity in language, with the Ukrainian, Russian and Tatar language and because of the unexpected twist, which is definitely not the predictable Hollywood end we were expecting somehow!

What impressed you the most during the event?

Nataliia Bidnyk (AEGEE-Lviv): Since it was only my second experience as a member of AEGEE and I have never been to Germany before, this exchange was really full of new impressions. I was amazed by the friendliness and hospitality of AEGEE-Aachen members and the beauty of all German cities we have visited. The program of event was very intensive and interesting, which made everyday an exciting adventure. Also I was pleasantly surprised by their profound knowledge about the current political situation in Ukraine and genuine interest towards it and the Ukrainian culture and history. I really liked the first part of exchange held in Aachen!

Sarah Buchmin (AEGEE-Aachen): I was impressed the most by the way people from different countries get used to each other in such a short period of time. The exchange students from Lviv were in Aachen only for a couple of days, but this time was still enough to get to know them pretty well and to take them into ones heart. I was positively surprised by that, because up to that point I only had a comparable experience during my Erasmus semester abroad, which took more than four months. Now I am more convinced of the great value of exchanges, even if they only last four or five days. Additionally, I was impressed by our guests’ ability to speak English. Most of them speak really fluently and hardly any problems came up with regard to communication.

Victoria Horiachko (AEGEE-Lviv): It’s challenging to choose one thing that was the most impressive for me – travelling to a foreign country, living and spending all that time with its citizens and getting to know their culture always brings loads of impressions. Thus I wouldn’t bore the interested reader with my subjective observations and rather concentrate on what amazed me the most about the people who were hosting us, organising everything, showing us around and keeping an enjoyable company.

Probably the most astonishing for me about our friends from Aachen was finding out their deep awareness of the situation in Ukraine. Sure, you would say, everything that’s been happening there has been a hot topic for months already – everyone is acquainted with what’s been going on. However during the workshop and discussions not only were they listening to our points of view but they were also taking active part in those conversations and expressed their attitude to the discussed topics.

Ana Isabel Ramones (AEGEE-Aachen): I was impressed the most by the enthusiasm of the AEGEE-Aachen people. In every part of the programme Aachen people were involved and it was great to see what an active and motivated local we are at the moment! I am really looking forward to the other half of the exchange in Lviv and to see the great spirit of AEGEE-Lviv and Aachen together again!

For five days you were hosted by students in Aachen and have spent all that time with them. How would you compare your everyday life with theirs?

Natalka Kinash (AEGEE-Lviv): People in Aachen seem to be magical creatures, who live in a wonderland, where you have beer instead of water and summer instead of spring. I’ll try to be an unbiased observer, who just compares some obvious facts.
First and foremost, the average age of an university graduate in Lviv varies between 21 and 22, whereas in Aachen people graduate from university when they are already 25-26. The main benefit, of course, is that they can enjoy an independent joyful life without many responsibilities longer than people in Ukraine. On the other hand, if you are willing to start your career as soon as possible, then education in Ukraine is much better option. Aachen is full of students whose studies have more or less a technical orientation. That’s not true about Lviv, because we still have lots of classical disciplines such as history, philosophy, culturology, etc. The next important issue is money. Many Ukrainian students get paid scholarships from government if they pass their exams successfully. You don’t have to apply for it, it’s just a part of our system of education. In Aachen the situation is quite different: you have to pay some fee for your studies and normally you work during your studies. Most students are employed by the university and their job is connected with the topic of a course paper. In my opinion, that’s a really big benefit for them.

Finally, I want to describe my personal impressions. All the people from Aachen are more mature, than we are. Most of them live apart from their families, so they are more independent. They live, work, study, socialize and have fun. Students have to multitask a lot. None of them behaves like a closed strict German from the stereotypes. Everybody is so open-minded, ready to dialogue, that I simply admire that. Leo, who was hosting me and Nadiia, was doing his Erasmus in Barcelona, his diploma is about photoeffect, he teaches children maths at the weekends. Leo is always smiling. I can’t say that many people live like this in Lviv, but maybe it’s just about being in AEGEE, about being active. But anyway I like it!

Oksana Stuha (AEGEE-Lviv): Well, during the five days of the incredible stay in Aachen we have come across a lot of similar and divergent features of life styles among the Ukrainian and German students. I would say that it was not so apparent since the time we have spent with our new friends was not enough for a deeper look into the real everyday life, but still some of the differences were obvious.

The most striking distinctive feature lied in the issues of where to live. It puzzled me that the dorms in Germany are almost the same price as the hired apartments, whereas, the dorms in Ukraine are extremely cheap but correspondingly they are in a bad condition as well. Moreover for Germans the possibility to have a job, at least part-time, is pretty high, notwithstanding the fact that it has some limited hours per week. Sometimes Ukrainian students have to choose between work and studies, but it is not always the case.

And what I liked most in their everyday life was the fact that they are always positive. They always look on the bright side of their lives. This fact inspires a lot! On the contrary, our youth is lost in their problems, which gives an impression that everyone lives in her or his own shell and never wants to put her/his nose out of it. One more thing, Aachen people were very punctual! What interests me too is the fact whether German girls are as punctual while getting ready for a date as they are on the daily basis. I dare to say that it is something that all the girls from all around the world have in common. And last but not the least, both Germans and Ukrainians are very friendly. They are friendly not only every day, but every hour, every minute and every waking moment in general and this is the fact that unites everyone!

Written by Victoria Horiachko, AEGEE-Lviv

Yesterday marked the bloodiest day so far since the protests started in Ukraine. In one single day in Kyiv alone, more than 100 people have been killed and more than 500 people have been hospitalized according to the Maidan medical service coordinator.

People were found on the streets with single gunshot wounds in the neck, head or heart. So they aren’t being shot by police officers with the reason to disperse the crowd. These are no fascist radicals who are out to murder police officers. They are just people who try to protest against Yanukovych’s regime and protect their fellow countrymen from harm, and for this they are being murdered in cold blood. For those still having a hard time to believe all this, watch this video of an innocent grandmother being shot out of nowhere (take care! this video has very graphic contents) in the city of Khmelnytskyi. For good reason, many Ukrainians feel their state has been captured by a corrupt elite, which uses the most extreme forms of violence against its own people and which cannot be dislodged by the usual democratic means.

To understand the current divide in Ukraine, one has to understand the history and geography of the country and what is going on elsewhere. The western part of the country used to be part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and was Polish territory between the two World Wars. While the eastern part and Crimea used to belong to the Russian Tsar. This, of course, left its mark on the different regions both culturally and economically. The west, north and center of Ukraine are primarily Ukrainian-speaking, while in the east and in Crimea, Russian is the dominant language. It’s in that part of the country where Yanukovych has his political base as well as where most of the rich oligarchs pulling strings behind the scenes, are from.

Of course, the real situation is far more complex than being described here. Almost all ethnic Ukrainians speak fluent Russian as well, and not everyone is so nationalistic that they hate everything Russian. In the east, recent events have surely eroded Yanukovych’s power base a bit and many people support him only because they don’t know what is happening right now in Kyiv (there is little or no information shared on the television/ radio) and because of the economic dependency on Russia. However, what is happening in Ukraine is about many other things than just a battle between closer ties with the European Union or with Russia. It’s about violence, corruption, lack of democracy and most of all accountability.

But all of this is still important as background information, if one is to look at the events happening outside of Kyiv. Even if the main Ukrainian TV station is still playing soap operas, the events in Kyiv are actually quite well covered in the European media. But there is a lot happening elsewhere as well, which isn’t getting the media coverage it deserves. Take the beautiful baroque city of Lviv in the western part of the country – the heartland of Ukrainian nationalism. There as well, hundreds of people took to the streets to protest. The offices of Yanukovych administration in Lviv were seized, as well as the prosecutors’ office. People forced the surrender of the police of the Interior ministry making officers come out with their hands up. Train traffic from Lviv to Kyiv was halted by the government because it is afraid that more people will be joining the protest there, while the people of Lviv themselves blocked a border crossing with Poland. Also in other western cities like Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil and Uzhorod, the people were able to capture local government offices.

The situation in Lviv might easily be as chaotic as in Kyiv, described Maryana Semenyak. “At this moment we don’t have any police at all in Lviv, so for the second day in a row it is the people who are patrolling the streets and protecting each other and making sure nobody robs banks or shops. There are always stupid people who want to make use of the situation. I’ve also seen with my own eyes titushki (street hooligans sponsored by the government) being out there to provoke people, destroying everything and trying to rob stores, only to pretend later that we are the terrorists and are to be blamed for this. I saw one yesterday who managed to convince people to destroy one huge shop, but thankfully normal people managed to stop them. All the boys that I know are around the city patrolling to make it safe.”

In Lviv there is a Maidan (large square ed.) as well, where protesters gather and where a lot is happening. “A few hours ago a guy was suddenly shooting with a gun, but no one got hurt as many people were around and were quickly able to stop him.” While the regional assembly in Lviv issued a statement condemning the Yanukovych regime for its violence on demonstrators in Kiev and declaring it took executive power locally for itself, people in the streets are actively building up barricades in front of the captured buildings and around the Maidan, making sure people stay safe from government violence and waiting for events to come. For anyone who watched the events in Kyiv unfold this must be an all too familiar sight, and one that an be seen all over western and central Ukraine now.

Building barricades in front of the Ministry of Interior.

It’s a whole different situation in Crimea, the peninsula stretching into the Black Sea in the south of Ukraine. This is the only region in Ukraine where ethnic Russians have a majority, comprising approximately 60 percent of its population of 2 million. Just 60 years ago the peninsula was transferred to Ukraine by the Russian President Khrushchev (reportedly while he was drunk).

Most of the titushki and berkut (Ukrainian special police) and other police forces in Kyiv are come from regions like Crimea and believe they are actually fighting against some kind of fascist rebellion which is out to threaten their Russian culture. When news got out through pro-Yanukovych TV channels that “far-right nationalist groups in Western Ukraine are arming themselves and creating havoc”, the reply of people here was to arm themselves and organize patrols to defend themselves from a supposed danger to come.

You can therefore also be sure that news about the Lviv regional assembly’s declaration to take the executive power in their own hands, will stir up a lot of emotions here. A majority of people here feel that their history, culture, ethnicity and most importantly their language rights are being threatened by the increasing strength of the anti-government movement.

During the last week, a Russian presidential adviser and leading Kremlin idealist: Surkov made a trip to Crimea to meet local political leaders, suddenly roads all over Crimea had thousands of billboards simply saying: “Stop Maidan”. This mysterious but lavishly funded organisation also managed to hire dozens of people as titushki and sent them to Kyiv and other cities. With a population here at odds with Maidan and with big Russian interests in the peninsula at stake (mostly concerning its naval base in Sevastopol) it no longer requires much imagination to see Ukraine tear up along ethic, linguistic, cultural and historical fault lines.

Even though today an agreement between the opposition and Yanukovych is being signed under auspices of European negotiators and early elections are being called, there is still a lot of mutual distrust, special interests and provocateurs trying to stir up emotions. The democratic gains of the 2004 Orange Revolution quickly evaporated when the victors failed to reach out to the Russophone southeast, énd made the same mistakes as their predecessors: a complete lack of transparency in governance.

Yanukovych failed himself as he also repeated the mistake of supporting the interests of a few oligarchs. He went against the direct wishes of the majority of the people and then ruthlessly destroyed all dissent in a dictatorial manner. It is clear that whatever will happen, he has discredited himself and cannot have a future role in Ukrainian politics.

One can only hope that after early elections, whoever comes out as winner will have the brains and power tp create a national reconciliation and calm down regional fears. There is no reason why people in Crimea couldn’t support Euromaidan. Moving closer to the EU means that Ukraine has to protect minorities and regional languages, which for them paradoxically may actually be what they want most. It will also mean better welfare standards on top of obvious benefits like the rule of law, a proper democracy and political freedom.

Also the European Union (EU) should learn from the past. Only a truly meant effort to win over the whole of Ukraine and seriously counter the destabilizing Russian influences will succeed. This includes financially protecting the country from Russian blackmail with gas and import tariffs, and protecting aging industries in the east of the country that are not ready yet to compete in the EU’s open market.

If Yanukovych is finally forced out of power and cooler heads in Ukraine and the EU persevere, after the rocky start it had as an independent nation since the break-up of the Soviet Union, Ukraine could get on the right track again. Otherwise, the events of the last weeks might only be a warning for more violence and destruction to come. The brave people of Ukraine who are risking their lives on the streets these days, deserve a nation with an accountable government which respects their civil rights and which will never repeat the horrific violence that was used against its own people the last few days.

Written by Koen Berghuis, AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca. Pictures by Maryana Semenyak, AEGEE-Lviv.

The AEGEEan is proud to present our new Member of the Month from AEGEE-Berlin, Hans-Peter Bretz. You may know him by his nickname Hape. Elected for the Summer University Coordination Team (SUCT) at Agora-Budapest, he has been trying something new this year and dedicated most of his summer to it. Travelling between summer universities, meeting new people and observing how all of the work SUCT went the year before turned out in practice. The AEGEEan just could not resist from learning more.

To start off, why is your nickname Hape?

In German people sometimes have double names, which is different from just having two names: they are supposed to be used together. Instead of always saying the full name, they are often abbreviated, e.g. Karl-Heinz to Kalle, or, in my case Hans-Peter to Ha-pe or simply Hape. My name is also completely out of fashion, I have never met someone with the same name who was younger than fifty. Even though Hans sounds like the most German name, most Germans do not really get “Hape” either. But there is a famous comedian called Hape Kerkeling, so they usually ask something like “You mean like Hape Kerkeling? Wait, is he also called Hans-Peter??”

What have you been doing this summer for AEGEE? We heard you were traveling quite a bit

That is true, the SUCT got some Interrail tickets to visit Summer Universities, so I took a three week long trip from Berlin on to the East and visited eight Summer Universities (SU).

Which summer universities did you visit?

I was at the SUs of AEGEE-Praha, AEGEE-Wroclaw/Opole/Lviv, AEGEE-Poznan/Gdansk/Torun, AEGEE-Warszawa/Riga, AEGEE-Krakow/Berlin, AEGEE-Katowice/Bratislava, AEGEE-Debrecen/Sibiu and finally AEGEE-Cluj Napoca.

What were you looking for in the SUs and what were you checking?

The main idea was to look at the programmes and how they realised them, and also to get some feedback by the organisers on our work and communication. Of course it is hard to tell if 100% of a programme is done when you are there for only a few days. But you can get a good impression of how the organisers work and also some feedback from the participants. By the way, it was quite funny how my presence was perceived by the participants at different SUs. At the beginning of my trip, I was at an SU where the group had already had some time to form and bond. When I sat down with some of them between programme points to enjoy a beer and some small talk and asked a general question about the SU to break the ice, they just smiled and made jokes how they would not let me spy on the organisers. At other times, some participants would see me as some sort of complaint box for every little thing they did not like about their SU. For me, it was also very interesting to see how the organisers prepared their SU, what different approaches they took, how they interacted with their group and how the general experience was influenced by the team of organisers, but also by the participants. Often, SUs are said to have their own atmosphere, and I wanted to see where that comes from.

Any favorite SU among the ones you visited?

Before my trip, I was afraid that 2-3 days at each SU would not be long enough to get a good impression. Later I was a bit surprised how much more you get out of a few days if you try to have an open and active mind and pay attention to details instead of just being part of the masses at an event. Still, the impression of a particular SU also depended on the parts of the programme I could take part in. In Prague, I arrived just in time for the city rally, whereas my day in Poznan was the relaxing day in between other days filled with programme (both were very nice, by the way). On a more personal level, the last SU of my trip, in Cluj Napoca, was great. My first SU and AEGEE event was the same SU, 3 years earlier, and it was still done by the same core team. I met some of the old organisers and even a participant again, and also I saw some participants from AEGEE-Berlin there. You could see how having so much experience in a team helps with all the little things in a Summer University. But I also want to thank all the other organizers who hosted me, managed to squeeze me in their planning and put so much effort in their event.

Did you end up going to any SU just for fun? That means, not as a representative of the SUCT but as participant?

I did not have enough vacation to go as participant, so I did not even think about at which one I could apply for.

We have heard you did your part for the Key 2 Europe (K2E) as well. What exactly did you do for it?

As in the last two years, I was part of the research and  statistics team. But other than last year, I did not have time to join the Concept Development Meeting, so my work was mostly to scan through the lists of events and to look for anything particularly interesting or fitting the themes of the K2E.

What are your plans for the Agora? Are you coming and what are your goals for it?

I will be there, and if there happen to be any discussions where I can participate, I will.

How is the SUCT in general feeling about this year’s SU season? Satisfied?

For all of us except Costas Deltouzos, it was the first time that we got this much insight into the project. We tried some new things like the SU maps, which I think, on average, were received positively, the thematic sessions, and the learning objectives, for which we have to wait for the evaluation. We also got the highest number of applicants in the last few years, so I think all in all we can be satisfied with the SU season.

What do you do in AEGEE apart from SUCT?

For the last year, the work with SUCT consumed most of my AEGEE work time and sadly I could not go to more events than the two Agorae. I do not have any position in my Antenna in Berlin, but we are a small local and if there’s anything to do, I help and participate as much as possible.

Planning to stay in SUCT next year as well or some other big plans ahead?

At several points in the last year, I was thinking about running for a second term, but my PhD study will only get more demanding during the next two years and I would like to focus on that.

Written by Olga Volovyk, AEGEE-Kyiv