Two cities, a full schedule with a strong thematic side, the usual AEGEE spirit: this is what lies ahead for participants to the conference “Brexit-What next?” jointly held by AEGEE-London, AEGEE-Manchester and AEGEE-Sheffield from the 29th of November to the 4th of December. 25 participants, both AEGEEans and non-AEGEEans, will have the opportunity to tackle the issues arising from Brexit, specifically focusing on youth mobility. We reached Dominik Stengele, president of AEGEE-London, to discover more. 

The AEGEEan: Please introduce yourself to our readers.

Dominik: My name is Dominik Stengele. My enthusiasm about our beautiful continent and passion to travel and explore made me join AEGEE in 2013. I was elected president of AEGEE-London in July 2017 and I am programme responsible of our upcoming event “Brexit – What Next?”.

Why did you decide to organise the event “Brexit – What Next?” with AEGEE-Sheffield and AEGEE-Manchester?

Our European Students’ Network has sadly never been too active within the United Kingdom, even though AEGEE-London was one of the founding antennae in 1985. Furthermore, the result of the Brexit referendum concerns us and adds uncertainty to our future as young Europeans. We therefore decided, for the first time ever, to unite as UK-based AEGEE locals and organise a thematic conference together.

Which will be the contribution of AEGEE-London during the event?

There is a very active and passionate group of young Europeans behind this event that works hard to make it happen. We operate in several teams in parallel to cover all aspects of the event, like thematic content, accomodation, fundraising, PR and others. Members of AEGEE-London are active in each of those teams and will be participating the event as helpers and moderators for panel discussions.

In your experience, what has changed for AEGEE locals in the UK after Brexit?

Everyone in AEGEE was deeply saddened by the Brexit referendum result and we received many messages and had discussions with our fellow Europeans both here and abroad. But every crisis also opens a window of opportunity. While the United Kingdom prepares to leave the European Union, a large number of people, which in fact is majority across opinion polls, stands up and speaks out as pro-European. Due to this new enthusiasm across the society, we as AEGEE-London grew faster than the average of AEGEE in 2017, hence are able to be more active than we used to be. However the uncertainty in the air about the conditions of Brexit also worries many of us. If, for example, citizens of the European Union had to apply for tourist visa after Brexit, then this would certainly hurt our abilities to organise larger events in the future. While our impact on the conditions of Brexit is limited, our enthusiasm and dedication isn’t. And AEGEE can expect the UK-based locals to be actively participating across our entire network.

What are the outcomes you would like to achieve with this event?

Our event will focus on the future of freedom of movement in the United Kingdom and its consequences for young people on both sides of the channel. This advantage, which many of us take for granted, can be drastically limited after Brexit. We will discuss youth mobility in detail, both in workshops and panel discussions with experts, and will also cover related topics such as the future of Erasmus+. With this event we also show our fellow Europeans that the UK-based AEGEE locals are not only alive, but more active than ever before. We also want to take advantage of this new dynamic to organise more events in the future.

Who can participate to the event and how?

Everyone is welcome to apply to our event! Please find more information in the ‘Apply’ section of our event webpage.

You can fill this Google Form to apply. If you’re member of AEGEE you also must fill this other form (click Apply next to the application dates, you must be logged in with your AEGEE account). The deadline is Sunday 15th of October. 

Written by Federica Soro, AEGEE-Cagliari

The month of November brought us a new Local of the Month: AEGEE-Manchester, a new local, managed to do beautiful things in the past year. We talked to Bryn, one of the founding members and the Human Resources Responsible, and asked him to tell us how few people can accomplish what they want if they have will.

The AEGEEan: First of all, congratulations! Tell us a little bit about how AEGEE-Manchester began to write history.

Bryn French: Both myself and Pablo felt something was missing in our lives in Manchester, and when we thought about it we realised it was our active lives in AEGEE! I was a member in Toulouse and Durham, and Pablo was a member in Alicante. We met up with each other and agreed to start AEGEE-Manchester! We got in contact with Domitille, who founded the European Union Society at the University of Manchester some weeks before, and everything went on from there.

How did the NWM that you organised at the beginning of November go?

In April 2016, Pablo was elected as Network Commissioner and we thought that if we have a NetCommie from a UK antenna, we’d better have a Network Meeting in the UK too. We had three people in the Core Team (me, Bryn – Main Organiser, John – Treasurer and Silvia – Incoming Responsible). We spent lots of time planning, but this really paid off during the event. There were more than 50 applications for the 26 places we had. Close communication with Pablo, our NetCommie, and between the three organisers meant everyone knew what was happening. The event took place between the 4th and the 7th of November. We had a variety of trainers and members delivering different workshops, a great European night and even some time to explore the beauty and nature of the local area. All the participants enjoyed the event and expressed how much fun they had.

How do you see the development of the local in the last months?

I think in the last months, while working on the NWM, different members have developed various skills, particularly regarding the soft skills of communication and organisation. We have improved links with the University of Manchester Student Union and found a great venue for possible future events with the Youth Hostel Association. We have improved our fundraising experiences and again raised our profile within the AEGEE network.

How do you keep you members motivated?

As a very small antenna, we work together closely. It is really a family feeling, where all the members know each other. Every member is able to contribute as much or as little as they feel like, depending on what is needed at the time and the project we may be working on.

The United Kingdom just has a few AEGEE locals. What is your impact on the community?

The majority of students in the UK have never heard of AEGEE. It is always a difficult job to explain what we do and to recruit new members. At universities in the UK there are lots of different societies and associations for students to be involved in and it can be difficult to make an impact. We have started to branch out and cooperate more with similar societies such as AIESEC and European Movement.

What is happening next in AEGEE-Manchester?

We have been thinking about the NWM for the last 6 months and right now we do not have a project in the pipeline. This is in fact one of our tasks for the first meeting back after the Christmas holidays. We are continuing to send our members to events (EPM, Agora, etc) and will continue to collaborate with other antennae in the UK. Promotion of the Summer Universities will take place in the Spring term like every year and this should help raise our profile within the University of Manchester.

How do you see the local at the end of 2017?

I would like to see fresh new members returning from Summer Universities motivated to make an impact on the European community at the University of Manchester and in Manchester in general; contributing ideas and projects for us to improve European harmony, particularly following whatever may happen nationally!

Written by Raluca Radu, AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca

Up in the north-western part of Europe, there is AEGEE-Manchester, one of the few locals in the UK and one of the youngest in the network. From the 4th to the 7th of November, the English local will host the Autumn Network Meeting (NWM) called “Reconnecting Europe”. We asked the Network Commissioner, Pablo Palazón, and the Main Organiser, Bryn French, some questions to find our more about this meeting. 

 

Pablo Palazón

Who will be the trainers?

In the north of Britain, pass the point where Wales breaks off from England and where the River Mersey makes its way to the sea, lies the city of Manchester. It’s a city that was once famous for its textile industry and its factories giving off noxious gases. However, time has changed. The textile mills don’t spin on the scale they once did, and large sections of the city have been demolished or re-developed. And in these new times, an AEGEE-local has sprouted and eagerly looks forward towards the future.

The AEGEEan: Could you tell us who are behind AEGEE-Manchester?

AEGEE-Manchester: The three founding members of AEGEE Manchester are Domitille, Pablo and Bryn, and since December 2015, Claire, Jeremy and John are members of our board. We are an international team, with a third of us being British!

As President, Domitille is a motivating and energising leader who always challenges us to dream big. Pablo is our most experienced AEGEEan bringing knowledge and guidance from his original antenna in Alicante. Being responsible for Human Resources, Bryn keeps in contact with all our members and tries to make them active. For fun and entertainment we have Claire, our party girl and European Youth Parliament member. Jeremy joined our team to help us with our fundraising while John is our treasurer: he’s the one responsible for the money, so make sure you treat him nicely!

What kind of activities or events has AEGEE-Manchester recently organised?

Since signing the convention d’Adhesion in April 2015, as a team in Manchester we have organised:
– a 3 day, 2 night RTC hosting 11 members from across the UK, with 2 international trainers
– various local events such as bar crawls, movie nights, political discussions and European food night

– we’ve also had members attending Agora, NWMs, EPMs and SUs European Night out with other national societies such as Francophone, Italian and Turkish.

In your opinion, what are the appealing qualities of AEGEE in general and AEGEE-Manchester in particular as a student association/forum for students in Britain to join?

AEGEE-Manchester is a small and friendly antenna where it is easy to make new friends from across Europe. In British universities you can join hundreds of societies depending on your degree or your nationality. But AEGEE-Manchester is the only one that brings you the awesome opportunity to go abroad and meet people from other nationalities or other degrees. Life is better if you mix a little bit!

Do you sometimes collaborate with other AEGEE locals, in Britain and beyond?

We keep in good communication with all other antennas in the UK, and have hosted people from different cities.

We enjoy welcoming others to Manchester and have hosted people from Liverpool, Aberdeen, London, Madrid, and Kyiv.

Following our weekend in Leiden for the EPM, we are hoping to see further collaboration with AEGEE-Canterbury and AEGEE-London particularly on the UK’s favourite hot topic of the moment!

Is AEGEE-Manchester engaged, in any capacity, to events, campaigns, and other projects regarding the upcoming EU referendum in the UK?

AEGEE-Manchester is currently working on a 2 day event around the UK-EU relationship which we will be holding in May. This event will be organised with participation from other student societies and EU referendum groups. We would like to offer a different narrative that focuses on the positive relation between the UK and the EU.

Could you tell us something about AEGEE-Manchester’s future plans?

Our immediate plans are to be upgraded to a full antenna in Agora Bergamo and assist in the referendum as we’ve mentioned above. We will continue to be active in sending our members to European events and organising local events to gain and activate new members. For the future we are also looking into hosting a NetWorkMeeting, but nothing can quite be confirmed. And finally, that question people always want to get the answer… a Summer University in the UK…??? Well AEGEE-Manchester doesn’t yet have the strength or the finances but this has always been a personal dream of Bryn’s and he’s said even if he has to stay in AEGEE until he is 50 years old he will make it happen!

Written by Willem Laurentzen, AEGEE-Nijmegen

From the 2nd until the 4th of May, AEGEE-Manchester organised a Regional Training Course (RTC). As its name says, this RTC was ready to connect different members of the network to learn, share experiences and work together. We interviewed Bryn French, organiser, and Katharina Lawall, trainer, to find out more about it.

The AEGEEan: How did you come up with the idea of organising a Regional Training Course?
Bryn: AEGEE is really starting to grow in the UK and so we needed some training in order to help our antennas grow in the right direction. Organising a Regional Training Course was an opportunity to bring together different members from across the network to share our knowledge and experiences. As Manchester is a fairly new local it gave us a project to work towards to and helps us fulfill antenna criteria in order to be upgraded from Contact Antenna to Antenna as soon as possible.

What were the best moments in organising the event?
The highlight of the event for me was our final dinner. Through Pablo’s close attention to the pennies throughout the event we were able to splash out a bit extra and enjoy a fantastic meal at a local restaurant on the Curry Mile, one of Manchester’s specialities. Treating everyone to an indulgent meal was a real pleasure and it was great to see the friendships we had created over the course of the weekend.

What were the difficult moments in organising the event?
At one stage before the event we did not have accommodation, and we did not have a place to do the training. We were seriously concerned about how we were going to do it all. Fortunately things worked out, so do not panic and never give up!
However, the accommodation was on the other side of the city from the university training rooms and so I personally found transport the most stressful thing to organise. We were able to travel in style, getting taxis everywhere, but it took a lot of coordination.

How did the RTC go? Was it productive?
The RTC was extremely productive as we achieved a number of the aims. Firstly, Manchester showed that we can organise a European event and show our participants a good time. Secondly, the trainers were enthusiastic and informative and developed a good ethos in the group. Thirdly, the participants were all able to contribute something positive and also gain something to take away from the event. Finally, communication and collaboration between antennas was established and improved.

Can you brief us shortly on your programme?
The programme focused on how to motivate our members and get more people to join AEGEE. We had training sessions on teamwork, communication, leadership and public relations. For the social programme we were able to host a city tour and show our participants two different night life scenes in Manchester

What is your overall impression of the RTC?
Katharina: I really enjoyed the RTC and was impressed by how well and with how much energy the team from Manchester organised everything for us, even though they are were not so many. It showed me that so much is possible if lots of enthusiastic people work together. I was also really impressed with our participants who were so enthusiastic and eager to learn even though we had very packed training days and, as in all good AEGEE events, very little sleep.

What was the structure and thematic of the training sessions?
We wanted to design a training that would respond to what all the different UK locals present at the training course needed the most right now: a big focus was therefore on Human Resources and recruitment, but also included training sessions on Public Relations, Teambuilding, Leadership and communication in AEGEE. My co-trainer Maria Arends and me prepared and then facilitated the sessions mostly together which was great!

What was the biggest challenge you encountered during the event?
The biggest challenge for us was to design trainings which were appealing and valuable to all the participants as they were a real mix from experienced AEGEE oldies to very new members. On the other hand, I think this actually turned out to be one of our greatest assets as it allowed very dynamic sharing and learning between the participants!

Anything else you would like to add?
Just that it was a pleasure to give my first training course in Manchester and that I thouroughly enjoyed every bit of it. AEGEE in the UK is alive and kicking and I hope Manchester will invite us over for a next event very soon.

Written by Lia Tuska, AEGEE-Sofia/Thessaloniki