Back in December 2017, EPSO interviewed Pavel Zbornik, a EU civil servant and member of AEGEE
since 2009. Pavel holds a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and Management at the Czech
Technical University in Prague, and he’s currently a Business Analysis Assistant in DG Research and
Innovation, working in Unit J5, Common service for Horizon 2020 information and data, in Brussels.

What does your job involve? What are the best/ worst bits about your job?  What has been your
greatest achievement?
I support the elaboration of policy analysis on the basis of data and statistics and prepare related
report. It includes management of requests for statistical information (analysis, research, drafting
replies) from internal and external stakeholders and contribution to the improvement of the
reporting environment.
What are the best and worst parts of your job? 
The best would be probably being part of well-functioning international team and be able see
meaningful results of my work. On the opposite side it would probably be having quite often very tight
deadlines, the word urgent has lost meaning for me. It is difficult to describe any concrete achievements from the nature of my work, one could say that meeting my deadlines is an achievement.
What did you do before working for the EU? What year did you start working for the EU?
I was on the opposite side of the barricade, as board member of AEGEE-Europe for 2 years I was
responsible to write and manage grant proposals for EU and other funders. When my responsibilities
in AEGEE finished in 2014 I was selected to be Blue Book trainee in EACEA where I stayed
another two years as external IT Consultant to help with training users and testing internal grant
management tool. I would consider myself working for the EC more as a series of coincidences than deliberately
trying to get it, triggered by moving to Brussels to work for AEGEE-Europe. To use a cliché quote from
Forest Gump: “Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get”.
What has been the most surprising thing about working for the EU?
As an engineer I never paid too much attention to importance of languages and my arrival to the
multilingual environment that the EC is, was sort of a reality check. Having meetings where language is
changed back and forth requires certain adaptation.

The festivals of  Midsummer’s Eve, known as Saint John’s Eve among Christians, have roots in ancient celebrations related to the summer solstice. Bonfires were lit to protect against evil spirits which were believed to roam freely when the sun was turning southward again. The Bonfires of Saint John’s (Hogueras de San Juan) is a traditional and popular festival, customary for many cities in Spain. The greatest bonfires though are those of Alicante. For this occasion AEGEE-Alicante has organised an event this year. We have talked with the instigators and local organisers of “Alicante on Fire” Elena Agulló, Melissa Carreres and Verónica Pérez. Here is what we have learned of this magical event.

“Alicant on Fire” was held from the 22th until the 25th of June in the coast city of Alicante and 35 participants were part of the group. They were coming from 18 different antennae, mostly Spanish, and they gathered together to celebrate the Hogueras and get to know the local traditions. This was the main aim of the organisers who were a total of eight people. The surprising thing is that inside the group of organisers, just three people were born in Alicante. “The rest of us didn’t have so many idea of Hogueras, but we all could say that we learned and enjoyed a lot these festivities as though we have been doing this for all our life!” says Melissa.

My main question to Melissa, though, was what’s this element that makes Hogueras unique among other festivals in Spain and other countries. The answer I got from all girls contributing to the intreview was simple: “The triplette that Alicante offers during Hogueras: sea, fire and party!”. A festival in essence that manages to combine its long tradition and reveal itself in harmony with the perfect scenery of Alicante. This is what the participants actually appreciated. They had the chance to see the authentic spots of the festival and live the rhythm of Hogueras close to the locals. As one participant says about the event “I am happy because I enjoyed this event so much. I met lots of good people from Alicante and other antennae. It was smart. I enjoyed all activities, thanks to the beach. First event of fogueres? Very good.”

And it was indeed an amazing job if you consider the fact that their motivation started flourishing during the Mini European School for SelfDevelopment which was organised by AEGEE-Oviedo. The local organisers of Hogueras came back with this willingness to deal with the lack of members available in that period -usually due to exams at university- and create something to develop their antenna and show their magic city during this time of the year. And they achieved their goal managing to engage their members and make the participants get the most out of it.

The programme though did not only include activities related to Hogueras. The participants had the chance to practise and learn new skills through various other activities, such for an example a very relaxing yoga workshop on the beach.

Of course, as every AEGEE event that focuses on the local history and tradition of the place where an antenna is located, “Alicante on Fire” managed to have an impact on the community of Alicante as well. Firstly, the organisers supported the local festivities by having them known in a wider range and by giving a refreshing touch through all these young participants that were in the city for the event. But this wasn’t a one-way relationship, as the organisers enjoyed a very fruitful collaboration with the local authorities. They had support from the University of Alicante, Diputación of Alicante and Alicante Municipal Tourist Board, that have all helped this event to reach another level of quality.

In conclusion I would like to leave you with the hidden promise that Melissa left us in the interview. “We are proud of all the hard work that was done and very happy to see that everybody has enjoyed a lot the event. Maybe next year we will have a second edition.. Would you apply?” We, definitely yes!!!

Written by Vasiliki Andrioti, AEGEE-Ioannina

The Charlemagne Youth Prize is one of the most prestigious European Prizes. It has been awarded annually since 1950 by the city οf Aachen, Germany, to people who contributed to the ideals upon which it has been founded. It commemorates Charlemagne, ruler of the Frankish Empire, who resided and is buried in Aachen. Traditionally the award is given to the recipient on Ascension Day in a ceremony in the town hall of Aachen. In April 2008, the organisers of the Charlemagne Prize and the European Parliament jointly created a new European Charlemagne Youth Prize, which recognises contributions by young people towards the process of European integration.

This year AEGEE has the honour to have not one, but two projects that won the national round in Romania and Slovakia, respectively: “Faces of Europe” and “Summer University”.

Faces of Europe is a photo blog launched by Your Vision for EUrope, a project of AEGEE-Europe. Inspired by the famous Humans of New York, the photoblog aims at making Europe more personal and exploring the human diversity of our continent. They want to collect and spread the faces and voices of people from different social, cultural and national backgrounds.

The first edition of Faces of Europe, running from January until June 2016, was already a success. In the first edition, the team consisted of 16 committed reporters from seven different nationalities. As a result of their works, they published more than 100 stories of many Europeans on Facebook, collected more than 2,500 likes and many messages of support and positive feedbacks from readers. The second edition is currently ongoing.

Summer University, one of the most successful, if not the most successful, project of AEGEE, has proven its value to all of us through the years. The Summer University is an event that takes place in the summer between two to four weeks. Usually, 20 to 50 participants are hosted in different parts of Europe, and they have the chance to learn by travelling, meeting new people, integrating with the culture of their hosting country and as a result they broaden horizons.
Specifically, in 2016 it gave the opportunity to over 4000 Europeans to see different parts of the continent, meet other youngsters and learn new skills and abilities together. Since 1988 more than 100,000 people participated in Summer Universities, which took place in over 260 cities in more than 40 European countries, making it the biggest volunteer-based mobility project in Europe.

In 2013, Europe On Track, another project, which was inspired by the current president of AEGEE-Europe, Reka Salamon, was awarded with the Charlemagne Youth Prize.

This month, from the 22^nd to the 24^th of May, the Charlemagne Youth Prize Winners’ ceremony will be held in Aachen. AEGEE will participate with these two nominations that were received from Romania and Slovakia. Due to the fact that AEGEE has already been a laureate in the past, apart from the winner projects, the CD also received some invitations. So our association will have represantitives who will attend several events, including the Youth Prize Award Ceremony, which always takes place two days before the Ascension Day, the day on which the prestigious International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen is awarded.

Written by Vasiliki Andrioti, AEGEE-Ioannina

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne_Prize

https://www.projects.aegee.org/suct/su2017/cyp2017.php

http://www.zeus.aegee.org/portal/

Former Projects Director and current President of AEGEE-Europe Réka Salamon, from AEGEE-Aachen and AEGEE-Debrecen, is an active AEGEEan since 2011. She has covered many different areas of the association and now she is running for a second term as President of AEGEE-Europe. We reached out to her for this interview and also asked her the questions we received from the Network.

The AEGEEan: You mention bringing back more thematic conferences. How do you plan to do that?

Working in AEGEE-Europe for such a long time, I have identified some key structures:

Scenario 1: We provide more space to connect with each other at key events. Imagine thematic projects being born during the Agora and NWMs. When locals come together, share experience and knowledge and want to realise things together, realising they are already working on similar projects and the European dimension can only add to it. The thematic conferences are managed by a small core team from all the locals and the hosting locals don’t need to be found by open call – they came up with the idea on the first place. For example: is your local organising activities related to education about the EU? You can find ten more at least in the Network!

Scenario 2: We as a Network identify something topical that is crucial in the development of the future of Europe and select it as a topic of… not only the EPM, but a topic that a series of conferences should explore. A yearly plan/Flagship topic for the Network. With more conferences taking place in different parts of the Network (under the same or similar theme) we can truly explore not only what AEGEE’s opinion is, but also the conferences should be open to the local community/city students so the locals can recruit new members with conferences. Example: why don’t we organise a series of thematic conferences on the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN? Focus and funding are all over the place!

Your programme is based on analysis of the current situation, that you were able to conduct thanks to your extensive experience and your consolidated presence in the AEGEE House. Have you already shared your perspective with other actors and have you found common ground to work on? How do you think you can convey your vision to the Network?

Réka: The document has been continuously shaped based on a lot of data and discussions, new perspectives and new input that reached me. And it should still evolve with more discussions and reflections. I do not think I have the ultimate truth, nor the perfect solution to our problems. The document aims to provide information based on a lot of research, and it also aims to provoke in order to gain more attention from more actors, as well as being an invitation to a conversation where we can rethink and rebuild together. To convey the message: my vision is a stronger AEGEE that can be a real change-maker in the future of the European continent – the document is only a tool to provoke discussion, and to agree on working together with the Network on the solution.

You stress that going back to a simplification of AEGEE would increase flexibility, which is often mentioned as a failure of an overly bureaucratic system. How do you envision that?

1) Give a direction to the thematic work (keep the focus areas and their aims, but without a pre-drafted Action Agenda homework), 2) rebuild a Strategic Plan that is a smart Growth Plan for the organisational improvements (with external consultation and careful assessment of our resources), and 3) the organisational bodies’ work to be clearly connected to this Growth Plan (be able to provide trainings and meetings for Committee and Commission members).

AEGEE’s structure should be simplified according to a needs-based approach: what are the needs of the Network? What are the needs of the AEGEE-Europe head office? We find where the needs overlap and we create/keep those bodies on higher priority. Simplification and clarity will bring us more members. In this world of information overload, we need to keep our message clear and what we offer to the youth of Europe, easy to understand.

“Fixing the system” and “being a cold-headed robot” sounds a bit detached when talking about a Network of people driven by passion and belief, as you point out in other parts of your candidature. Why this choice of words?

People often see me being cold at first, so I learned how to play with it. I am fun when I feel the atmosphere allows me to relax, and I have the crazy passion that is ready to move mountains, limitless in possibilities. But I am also a smart manager of too many things in a too-complex organisation. The level of engagement in different matters is really different between AEGEE volunteers as well as their expectations of the very few members of the CD.

I see myself as an implementor, and I am continuously learning, studying management to increase my efficiency in managing the workload, filtering information and bringing the best possible opportunities to the organisation. My role in the complex AEGEE world is to strengthen the structure and give more tools to the members so they can live their passions. If you think about it, in a Network of a lot of passionate people, it is also good to have someone who keeps a cold head in the management. [she smiles, ed.]

Your AEGEE State of Play document is very detailed, but also very long and technical. How would you summarise the key points in it for first-time delegates?

The AEGEE State of Play wants to invite the Network for a conversation – because a lot of problems surfacing here and there are connected to or are consequences of each other. It tries to explain complex processes but essentially it wants to point to three learning lessons:
a. Question the status quo – let’s simplify the way we do things so we can breathe again and AEGEE’s crazy passion can run free!
b. The relationship between AEGEE-Europe and the AEGEE Network needs marriage counselling – we need to strengthen the work of AEGEE-Europe bodies to provide better support, but we need to do it with more trainings and more meetings!
c. AEGEE is a playground for the members as it is the change-maker for Europe – let’s use our biggest events to the full and have spaces for the best ideas to come together and build a better Europe together!

Agora is a space for the democratic process of the association. There is already enough discussion on how much time do we have, how long Agora is, how little flexibility we can allow with the programme. How do you think we could manage to fit a thematic part as well? And how would you see EPM, if Agora also becomes thematic?

A lot of discussions around the Agora are quick-fixes in my eyes. Like tackling surface issues when we should just be taking a clean piece of paper and identifying what kind of event we need and what kind of event we want. Agora is not just any event, it is the beating heart of AEGEE, and we literally have to feel its importance in order to clear our schedule, check our finances and want to go to Agora, not only because it is antenna criteria, but because it is mini AEGEE!

Scenario 1: The concept of the Agora has to be clear: it is a general assembly, it is a huge youth gathering, it is a primary meeting point for the AEGEE Network. At the moment it is 80% general assembly, 5% youth gathering (with conference?), 15% meeting for the AEGEE Network (social programme). What if we could reduce the general assembly sessions by having targeted consultations about the proposals during NWMs already? What if we had continuous communication about the activities of European Bodies during the year and only the most critical questions would be discussed at the Agora? What if we had fewer elected positions (that we are usually lacking candidates for) and the people taking leading positions could prove themselves by good work and not gain trust by a funny stage presentation? These modifications are all possible.

Scenario 2: This is a bit more complicated, bear with me. Agora, being the biggest youth gathering among other organisations, is one of the biggest fundraising opportunities, not for corporate but for institutional fundraising and the development of a network area. Imagine a huge thematic project for an area having its opening conference at the Agora, involving the local community and continuing with events taking place in the surrounding locals as well in the upcoming year. The European Commission would love conferences with 700 people where we kick off large-scale Erasmus+ funded projects for the development of our locals, and raise awareness about EU policies at the same time. It’s a win-win!

Do you believe AEGEE reaches out to “all those who are unheard, all those who are disappointed” in the broadest possible sense right now, or has the potential to do so?

AEGEE being inclusive/non-inclusive is a never-ending discussion. I believe in a lot of cases we want to be inclusive but we might not be able to afford the tools to do so. I want AEGEE to be the organisation truly for everyone in Europe, interdisciplinary, students and youth, we can be the destination for everyone from the politically frustrated to the one with disabilities. This approach needs to come with two important things, however: an agreement to live up to our values of being inclusive in our daily practices, and what we are lacking: the management of resources to be able to have bigger outreach. AEGEE’s impact needs to manifest in rising numbers of membership, greater recognition gained, the unheard and disappointed seeing AEGEE as their place to better themselves, and Europe. In a Europe that is burning in all corners, AEGEE should be the ultimate destination for people who want to build a future for Europe!

Questions from the Network

You are running for CD for the 4th time. Do you think it is fair to the current generations of AEGEE members, as if you win, you take away their chance to develop AEGEE and will make them a lost generation?

I did not get elected the first time. I do understand the concerns though. Still, I strongly believe that difficult circumstances require extraordinary efforts. CD is a very demanding experience, but is also the entity that shapes the Network substantially. With the lack of candidates for CD in recent years, and some of our members jumping into the CD too fast, we have to ask ourselves, isn’t it experience and knowledge that is needed in order to develop the organisation?

In addition, I think AEGEE members have plenty of opportunities to learn in the organisation without aiming straight for the “highest position” and becoming members of the CD. There have been many cases where even experienced members crashed under the workload and left demotivated and broken. AEGEE’s membership cycle shortened, but the opportunities to learn have stayed around – launch a project, become liaison officer, run for the Network Commission to help the locals etc. There are many opportunities.

I am aware that my intentions are unprecedented. But I strongly believe that in the current state of the organisation, we need continuity and stability. In a changing Europe, with many new challenges emerging, many of our mechanisms being outdated, and the competition with other organisations being harder to manage. I don’t want to stay for much longer; but I want to use the peak of my knowledge to facilitate the process of rebuilding AEGEE’s internal system, to be the real change-makers in Europe that we have always meant to be.

After two years in the CD, do you think you still have the understanding of the reality of the locals and the connection with the people and Network?

Actually, my understanding of the work of CD has been moving towards seeking a bigger connection with the Network more and more during my time in the house. With the first year dedicating all my energy to strengthening the thematic work, to the second year, trying to juggle a lot of different external inputs that can bring something great to AEGEE – I was continuously seeking connection with the members, to make sure I always have a reality check on my work. Understanding the needs of our Network has always been a challenge, but initiatives like “CD on Track” have given me strong insights into what really matters: I am amazed by the work of all our volunteers in the AEGEE locals. I enjoyed doing “What is AEGEE” workshops for new members and being back at a university fair promoting AEGEE to students. I wish I could visit the locals more, and bring more insight from the head office directly to them.

Populism is happening now in Europe, and we had an EPM about it. Do you think it is also a problem in AEGEE – do you think populism exists in AEGEE?

I am curious how we increased the Network’s understanding of populism during the EPM: did we also have the chance to discuss objectively the negative and the positive elements of populist movements or actions? Did we just condemn populism as being bad or did we explore the other side of the spectrum as well? Have we tried to understand the psychological drives that make people so receptive to populist narratives and how it cannot be labelled as good or bad? I admit to making statements myself that resemble populist narratives – and I do so for provocation. It is a tool to strike up more straightforward conversations, to try to discuss and analyse things together. Let’s question, let’s debate, let’s reform. But let’s do it together.

Are you a team player? Do you think your CD team sees you as a team player?

There are different roles in normal team dynamics that one can take. I take the role of team support usually. The person the others can rely on under any circumstances or hardships and the person who bears the final responsibility for the things finished/unfinished.

When you think of the work of CD, you need to imagine an environment where you are friends/colleagues/flatmates at the same time and you are as much dreamers as you are the executive board and head of administration of an organisation of 10.000 members.

My CD team does not always find me a team player in its normal translation, but they know they can always rely on me. I make conscious decisions every time I oppose or am critical towards things; I received the mandate and trust of the Agora to guide things in the organisation to the best of my knowledge, skills and experience. We learn together with the CD by challenging each other and understanding that there is not black and white, good or bad sides of any story.

How do you understand the vision of AEGEE? Do you have a political vision for Europe and what is it? What are the three biggest European challenges and how can AEGEE respond to them?

AEGEE is meant to be the driver of change in Europe, the organisation that redefines the status quo of the European integration project. You don’t believe me? The fact that AEGEE operates as a network of cities is a political statement of its own! We challenge the way societies are built, we connect cities and communities that are influenced by national policies but are units with their own governance and management. The future of Europe relies on the power of the cities – where the real people are, where the real conversations and real change can happen!

Europe should rethink its political construction by turning more power back to the citizens, by strong educational policies, strong measures to balance inequalities between member states, and even raising Europe’s status as a global actor. All this can and should only happen however, with the citizens’ contribution and awareness. Erasmus has built a generation that breaks down borders, now it is time this generation also takes a bigger role in leading the process of revitalising Europe.

The three biggest challenges Europe faces right now can be analysed under many lenses – but maybe it is more important to notice the pattern of history that is repeating itself. Citizens losing trust in the system, the fear of the unknown and new cultures “invading”, the yearning for security and protection; these social factors have always provided fertile soil for extremist movements to rise.  How can we anticipate the citizens’ reactions and make sure to build a powerful counter-narrative that re-establishes their faith? Not by new campaign promises, but on the level of emotional connection? They need to see the passion of the youth redefining the status quo and we need to remind ourselves of the values Europe has been built upon.

What’s your leadership style? How would you describe yourself as a leader?

I would say I am a strategic leader. A lot of thinking goes into my actions, yet I rely a lot on knowledge and intuition as well, all in service of the vision and higher purpose. I read people with care and try to understand the motivation behind their actions, so I am able to work with them. Thinking cannot be the strongest trait, yet careful deliberation of causes and consequences has to be part of the management of an organisation. I try to be the safety net for people and accommodate their everyday functioning, comfort them and talk to them when they need support.

I am a visionary person, but a pragmatic idealist at the same time. The visionary side of mine is someone who should come forward more often but it really depends on the right environment and people around me. We all feel spaces and people we just connect with, aspire to be and feel good around. I have a really good feeling about some of the people who are running for the Comité Directeur during this Agora, and I believe we would be able to accomplish great things together.

In your application you said you can’t ‘get a life’ because AEGEE needs fixing. Does it mean that if you are elected, you will run for President again next year if AEGEE is not ‘fixed’ yet?

I am preparing for this Agora with the calmness of knowing clearly what I believe in and what I stand for. I believe in the transformative change that AEGEE can make in Europe, as well as I stand for the change that needs to happen inside the organisation in order to make Europe happen. I am ready to give one more year with the most knowledge on the organisation and in the external world, but this year will be dedicated to rebuilding internally.

I will probably not get to see the long-term outcomes of a transformed and strong AEGEE, it will take years to grow. In this new system, the change we want to see in Europe is the only long-term objective we will put forward. We can continue exploring Europe, we can organise bigger and better events, we can join case study trips, we can let our youth and energy run freely and build a better Europe by every new member joining, every new city that welcomes an AEGEE local.

I will not be President any more when this becomes a reality – but I can play my role in setting the course towards this direction.

Regarding your proposal to delay the new strategic plan by one year, we have some questions:

Thank you for all of you under “we”. This is probably the most critical point listed in my analysis and I understand all the concerns raised below. I will try to explain my reasons but I would also like to invite you to find me for a chat on Facebook/Skype/whatever works for you.

(a) Working Groups:

You wrote in your document that you personally don’t feel well about the new working groups. If we were to change the system that Agora adopted, what is going to be the role of the WG? What are they going to do? What is going to be the support for different WG? What is going to happen with all those people who had made a real effort to make these WG real in the new Strategic Plan? What do you want them to do this year?

The Working Groups would go back to their original loose structure (similar to current interest groups) where people can play with ideas, discuss and realise projects together when they want to take bigger initiatives. WGs have always been key to bridging the gap between the local and European levels because of their easy-to-access nature. WGs could also request financial support from AEGEE-Europe for their activities as well.

If a motion would stop the Strategic Plan from coming into effect, the people who wanted to work on the topic can still continue working on it. Would the motion really change your interest in the topic you want to contribute to? Would it really change your belief, would it make you feel less passionate? You are free to realise projects with the others, organise events for your local, organise street actions, campaigns… there is nothing standing in your way.

(b) Action Agenda Coordination Committee:

ACT will not have any impact to measure, is this EB going to disappear next year? What is going to happen with all the members already committed with this EB during 2017-18 term?

The AEGEE locals are organising a lot of amazing activities that can and already are being used for impact measurement. The only difference would be that we will not read out in the presentation, which AA objective is fulfilled, which one is half-fulfilled and which objective is not fulfilled.

The people who were active and engaged during the EPM in drafting are also free to pursue the ideas they came up with by local activities, attending more training courses, discussing with AEGEE members during the events. The Action Agenda does not give permission to do things, it gives direction. Even without the AA, there is nothing standing in active members’ way to take action.

(c) Others:
What is going to happen with all the time and money spent during PM León, EPM Zagreb, Agora Chisinau and Agora Enschede? What is AEGEE going to be without the thematic part in all the events? Are we going to have EPM 2018? Agoras or other events won’t discuss anything related to the thematic part? Will we just discuss topics related to the AEGEE bureaucracy? How can locals and other European Bodies recruit new members if we only focus on the structure and bureaucracy? How are we going to start after a year’s gap with everything planned so far? What is going to be the main difference between AEGEE and other international associations without a strategic plan?

Money and time have been spent on exploring what AEGEE members are passionate about, yet only a small part of the membership has been reached (based on data). The thematic work of the organisation would not be stopped – how could it be? We have active interest groups, some active working groups and projects, and they are not bound to a document that has been loosely followed for the last decade.  Of course, we will have EPM with a thematic topic of the Agora’s choice, of course we will have thematic discussion at events. We have the freedom to realise any actions we want as long as it follows the values of AEGEE; thematic activities are our very essence, and what would make us stand out would be the action we take and not the nicely worded internal documents we adopt for ourselves.

(d) Regarding to your proposal of changing the format of NWM:
Could you explain us a little more about the idea about 70/30% of English / national language?

The idea stems from my genuine curiosity how we understand inclusion and empowerment in AEGEE. While many of our events on the local level are in the local language, or some in English, there are also those events where we should be strategic and keep the main objective in mind. Meaning, if the Network Meeting’s main purpose is to give space for locals to connect, to share and learn together, we need to make sure everyone feels included equally.

Many AEGEEans speak good English but if you have just one friend around who is telling you they are not speaking up because they are not comfortable with their English, this person might have amazing ideas for the development of the network that we will not learn about. Network Meetings should provide more space for opening up and honest discussions, and using your national language could comfort you more in certain situations more than listening to English-speaking trainings half of the day, but not feel connected to it.

You talk a lot about going back to the past and to the roots of AEGEE, using tools and structures from the past. Do you think they fit into the current context and the society we are living in now?

I strongly believe understanding our past, the challenges and victories can bring us valuable lessons to have mechanisms and face challenges of the present with knowledge of our capabilities. I don’t think the past practices fit any more, but their stories are both cautionary tales as well as serve as great source of inspiration to solidify our identity. Our identity of a network of change-makers.

The most important mechanism I have learnt from all the time digging into the past was that we need to aim for simplicity in our functioning and need to have a clear identity to feel for what we strive for as a Network. The society we are living in now is a high-functioning information society where your brand and the key message of your actions need to be clear and simple. We can grab the very essence of AEGEE’s existence and simplify its message to overcome this challenge.

Your candidature sounds a bit like a description of problems in AEGEE. Can you mention what will be your priorities and concrete solutions for all these problems?

My AEGEE State of Play document wants to provide the context for my candidature which is in the official form. Since I am running for a third year in the board, I saw a huge responsibility in my actions to show that I know what I am talking about when I propose ideas and improvement points that AEGEE needs.

I hope I made some modifications in the document though, that the priorities for the solutions are also a bit more clear:

• Needs-based approach towards a Growth Plan for AEGEE to strengthen the organisational structure
• Simplification of the structure – align our priorities, train our members in organisational bodies, find more resources for the thematic activities!
• AEGEE Identity: what unites us as a Network, what is our niche that makes us unique?

Since all three things above are going deep into AEGEE’s current functioning, the change should happen with the awareness, understanding, cooperation and cohesion of the Network.

If I understood your vision correctly, one of the current obstacles to AEGEE’s health according to you is that a lot of things are being done top down. Now, one solution you offer is taking a year off from the Strategic Plan. This process feels like it could become very top down itself and it could kill AEGEE as we know it and the enthusiasm of the members. How are you planning to prevent this?

AEGEE has seen top-down changes for the last ten years with one reform implemented after the other, mostly top-down. What I stand for is the change that provokes and needs everyone’s attention, one comprehensive review that would include all actors of this network, in order to have a realistic overview of where AEGEE stands now, what is our capacity to grow and how to make it happen. I highlight the importance of involving everyone so that the final outcome is something we all own and feel for. This does not mean of course, that the whole Network would work on internal structural reform, no. I need one representative from each local and European Bodies to bring the voices of everyone to the table. In the meantime, the rest of the members can continue pursuing all the action and fun they wanted to explore in AEGEE.

You can read her full candidature here.

Written by Federica Soro, AEGEE-Cagliari

Evrim Emiroğlu from AEGEE-Eskisehir is candidating for the Network Commission. She has given an interview to us sharing her programme, which focuses mainly on increasing the communication between locals and their collaboration with the European bodies through “an information transfer platform/channel”, as well as it underlines the importance of thematic events. She is also discussing with us the current political situation in Turkey and the effect that it has on the life of the locals that exist in this area. Read about all these and much more about her candidature below.

The AEGEEan: Can you present yourself in a few sentences?

Evrim: My name is Evrim Emiroğlu. I am 23 years old and I will finish my bachelor in economics in June. For next year, I am planning to do an MA programme but nothing certain yet. I am also considering to have a year without a job so I can look out for my interests and dream for the future of my life. My hometown is Ankara and I am from AEGEE-Eskişehir. I have been an AEGEE member since spring 2012. Since then, I am addicted to AEGEE and have always been active, especially at the local level. I am a person who loves new experiences, to push my limits and never afraid to step out of my comfort zone. More precisely, I live out of my comfort zone, I always find myself in a busy life without noticing and query myself how have I come to that point again and again. In the simplest terms, this is the story of my life.

How did you decide to candidate for the NetCom?

To be honest, I considered to apply for this position long time before the deadline. Because considering the fact that I am graduating and don’t know what will I do or where will I be during the next year is one of biggest doubts that I face. However, like I mentioned above, for the past five years AEGEE wasn’t just my hobby but it became my life and whenever I have doubts whether to continue I find myself with other responsibilities within AEGEE. That’s why I trust myself whatever I will do or wherever I will be, I am not able to sever my ties with this organisation yet. On the other hand, I believe AEGEE is a unique organisation because it has a big Network and it draws its strength from that. During my board years, these feelings got stronger and I noticed that no matter what you implement in your local, if you are not united with your Network the impact will be inefficient. My experience in AEGEE has shown me the importance of unity and communication within AEGEE. After 5 years of AEGEE life, I feel that this is the only thing that keeps me motivated to stay and contribute to the organisation with my knowledge gained over the years in and outside of AEGEE.

Can you already share some of your policy ideas with us?

For me there are five crucial points as I mentioned in my programme. First of all,  I observed that many locals are working without getting informed from each other. Before everything, I do believe we should improve the collaboration and communication inter locals as well as between locals and European Bodies. Secondly, I believe the thematic part of AEGEE to be the most important aspect of our organisation. Locals need to collaborate in order to use the diversity of AEGEE, become more visible and enhance the impact area together with neighbour locals, if possible with locals in different areas. I would like to encourage and empower locals to organise thematic projects/events in collaboration with other antennae. After that, new locals are our babies. They need most of the help to become part of this organisation and start to contribute as immediately as possible. Moreover, nowadays the number of people who is afraid of getting involved into European Bodies is increasing. There are different reasons behind it, such as language barrier, lack of internal education, lack of knowledge about the tasks. I would like to focus on increasing the number and quality of people working in the European Bodies. Last but not least, if I work with this area, I do believe some people have bias due to the ambiguousness of the country.  This area needs more support from other areas, understands the situation from the inside and tell this to other people.

How do you want to implement these policies?

Firstly, I will work on creating a space included a digital archive especially for board members for sharing information about the current circumstance of locals, best practices of strong locals and opportunities to provide knowledge transfer for new boards in order to encourage locals for effective actions and integrate new locals into the AEGEE world. Secondly, I do plan to create an information transfer platform/channel between a representative from other European Bodies and NetComs in order to be aware of their work and the useful materials which they created for the locals. Moreover, in order to achieve the plan about thematic activities, I am planning to add a section to NWMs, about introducing local projects and constituting possible partnership opportunities, promote Exchange and Twin Antenna Project and create active channels for improving communication. Besides, I want to help new locals to form their statutory rules and orders for ensuring healthy democracy inside the local. Last but not least, I want to keep the locals motivated  by being the voice of antennae and making sure their success is being heard in the Network. I will do my best to listen to their problems and weaknesses and find ways to turn them into opportunities and strengths.

How do you think the current situation in Turkey affects the life of the locals? What are your plans with this situation to overcome the obstacles?

To be honest, Turkey’s current situation is not very pleasant. Especially in the last two years, the terrorist attacks, coup attempt and referendum caused a distressing process. On the occasion of being under a state of emergency, NGOs are facing many obstacles and even closing down if they don’t act according the government’s wishes. All of this is causing NGOs not to be able to act independently and express their opinions. Moreover, due to the foreign policy implemented by Turkey, there are some issues with European countries, these issues causing cooperational problem within the Network and AEGEE members’ to not participate in the events taking place. In order to strengthen the antennae in this area, I am planning to canalise the locals to the European level more and encourage all AEGEE Network to cooperate more with locals in this area. Regardless of the consequences, the society is trying to keep the stability; in order to do so, civil society shoulders a great responsibility. As AEGEE locals in this area, we can create a common action by organising discussions about the perception and what we can do. Together with the locals of the distributed Network area, I believe we can be the analyser of the tense situation and relationship between Turkey and EU; initiate the dialogue by using the power of AEGEE.

In your programme you are talking about your vision to improve the communication between European Bodies and locals through “an information transfer platform/channel”, as well as enhancing their quality and human resources in order to raise motivation and awareness. Could you please clarify to us they way you plan to pursue these?

During my board term and term as member of European Bodies, I contend miscommunication between locals and European Bodies. Even though there are a lot of materials, toolkits and guidelines composed by European Bodies, a few locals actually are aware of these materials and a few of them have motivation to use it. Although there are some information platform, is it clear that this is not really working and not enough to motivate people to involve in it. I believe the NetComs are supposed to be a bridge between locals and European Bodies. Therefore, as a first step we should empower the link between NetComs and other bodies. After that, we can encourage locals to integrate to AEGEE-Europe. So then, I would like to work for creating a platform which can be a drive, mailing list, fb group etc. and involve one representative of each European Body together with all NetComs in order to ensure that European Bodies have enough knowledge of locals’ needs and can create materials accordingly, and the NetComs are aware of materials which they can transfer to the locals.

Question from the Network: What is the area of the Network you would like to work with?

I would like work with all areas but considering my experience and knowledge, I can be more beneficial with Turkish speaking antennae, including AEGEE-Mağusa and locals in Azerbaijan. As the NetCom candidates local distribution has been changing, the distribution of our locals has also kept changing for two years. The situation of this area, as being really wide and very multilingual, creates some negative consequences. Even though there was a great effort from the NetCom side, for the past two years the area faced problems like not sending enough or none participants to NWMs and other events. Therefore, locals in the area lost the communication and cooperation. What I want is to unite the locals which have similar backgrounds and build friendship and communication between them like old times.

You can read her full candidature here.

Written by Vasiliki Andrioti, AEGEE-Ioannina

Elena Panagopoulou is not new to the AEGEE world, she has a lot of experience both at the European and local level. She now decided to start a new adventure candidating for the Network Commission. Here are a few questions for her.

The AEGEEan: Please, introduce yourself.

Elena: I am Elena, born and raised in Athens, subsequently being a member of AEGEE-Athina for two full years. I got involved in AEGEE unexpectedly when, as I have said multiple times, I needed it the most. AEGEE has been giving me inspiration and a whole playground of possibilities and dreams, where I can unfold my creativity and passion for making the Network and the world a better place to be part of. Besides the dreamland called AEGEE, I am trying to finish my studies in Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture, keep writing and exploring life and people. I am a neophiliac, a person who is craving for novelty, adapts in extreme situations and works constantly into bringing a change, shedding new light.

What is your previous AEGEE Experience?

During my very first moments in AEGEE I joined the Democracy in Practice project, since human rights education and raising of awareness of young people on hot topics related to their rights and how to act upon them, was something which has always moved and inspired me as a person. AEGEE is a wonderful platform for educating and creating active European citizens. In this sense, I was also part of HR of the Language Interest Group, which is creating guidelines and activities on the language perspective. Most AEGEEans are multilingual, isn’t it awesome? The field of human resources is kind of my specialty, as I have served my local from this position and simultaneously being a proud member of the Human Resources Committee. Effective HR is a solution on multiple “common problems” locals are facing and I have the experience to make them realise and work towards the solutions of their problems.

What would you like to do if you get elected ?

A change!! I want my locals to live and breathe for their Identity, AEGEE Identity, to work always answering their inner “why”. So many times in AEGEE we forget the “why”, why we are doing what we are doing. Keeping that in mind, my most significant goal is to make my locals realise their potential and explore various ways of solving their problems and opportunities. I am always a person who runs against the stream, and that is what I want to bring.

In your programme you’ve marked the importance of trainings, Can you tell us something more about that?

Many people join our brilliant association, because they want to improve themselves. To be the best version of themselves, and to learn in a different way from which they are accustomed to within the frame of their academic life. Learning with non-formal education tools is what AEGEE is doing for more than 30 years now, and this through its trainings and events. But we need to improve our trainings and give our members better chances of joining them. There’s an interesting idea that we can recruit the AEGEEans of the future, simply by pinpointing out the learning possibilities through our trainings. As a part of HRC, I’ve started working with the Network Commission and the Academy into figuring the best platform and interface of making the “training culture” more vivid and fully adopted. We are still at the very beggining, but I am really optimistic for the future. I am very happy that the new Focus Area of Youth Development will start its three-year journey this summer. For me this a clear indicator that AEGEEans have realised how much we need the trainings.

Question from the Network: What is the area of the Network you would like to work with?

I want to be elected because Agora will believe in me and my programme, because people will feel touched by what I want to accomplish and be willing to be on board with me. On that regard, I could work with any local, from the so called Nordic Stars or British to Greek, Turkish- speaking or even some Italian ones. Or maybe German, Balkanic, Russian. I don’t know. And it doesn’t matter, since actually I am really intrigued into working with any single antenna, because each one has its own uniqueness and need to be served, and I cannot wait to embrace the challenge. As you can see in my programme, I will focus into creating an Identity culture within my locals, a connection with AEGEE’s values and collaboration with local communities, in order to bring a better and more efficient impact.

You can read her full candidature here.

Written by Paola Letizia Murru, AEGEE-Cagliari

Dennis Bosman form AEGEE-Nijmegen has definitely a passion, which may work to his advantage. He has a degree in banking and insurance, he is studying business administration and he had his internship on this field. Moreover, he is a SubCommie to the Audit Commission. Read about him here and learn about his plans to reform the Commission and create a more solid basis to it.

The AEGEEan: Could you please introduce yourself to us?

Dennis: My name is Dennis Bosman. I’m 22 years old and I live in Nijmegen. I am almost finished with my Bachelor in business administration. In my spare time I love to watch good TV series or a nice movie. I have been a member of AEGEE-Nijmegen for almost two years now and currently I’m the treasurer.

What is your experience with economics and how did you decide to candidate for the Audit Commission?

I have a degree in banking and insurance and I almost have my Bachelor’s in business administration. Ever since high school I have been interested in economics because it connects the whole world. Everywhere you look you can see economics and that is what I love the most about it. I have decided to run for the Audit Commission because I have been a SubCommie since Agora Chișinău. Now I have more time to devote to the Commission, so I decided to run officially.

Could you share already some points from your programme?

My programme contains three key points: proper knowledge transfer, more transparency and better storage of previous financial reports.

How do you plan to implement these?

As SubCommie, I have received a lot of questions about how to fill in a financial report. By creating a document which explains what to fill in and where, I hope filling in the financial report gets easier for the treasurer and therefore more fun! My second point is transparency. There should be more transparency between locals and the Audit Commission. Currently we only receive a financial report and we must assume it is filled in properly. By receiving the administration of the local as well, we can audit the local more accurately. It also gives the Audit Commission a better overview of the financial states of the locals. I want to implement this by just asking it to the locals. In case that will not work, we can submit a proposal at Agora Catania of the Agora after Catania. The last point is better storage of the previous financial reports. Currently, they are stored per year in one big file. It is very unclear and hard to find what you need. By storing the documents just like they were handed in, it’s not only easier to search for a specific local, it’s also much clearer to find the data you need.

In your programme you refer to “the creation of the local-by-local storage for the previous years of Audit Commissioners”. What do you think in your point of view was done wrongly in the past and how are you changing it?

The fact that one year is all stored in one Excel sheet is very inconvenient. It’s easy to misread and, therefore, easy to make mistakes. By storing the documents the way we receive them, you’ll have one file per local so it’s easier to read and easier to compare the reports whit the reports of one year ago.

Which skills did your experience as SubCommie help you develop and which sides do you need to strengthen?

My communication skills and my teamwork have definitely improved. By working in an international team I have learned a lot. One thing that I might improve is my Dutch directness, since not every culture likes it and as Audit Commissioner you have to work whit a lot of different cultures. I want to work at my directness.

You say that your previous experience can add value to the Audit Commission. Could you give us some examples?

Currently, I am also in the Audit Commission of International Students Organization Nijmegen and I have done an internship in an accounting company. My main job was to check the administration and fill in the tax forms.

You can read his full candidature here.

Written by Vasiliki Andrioti, AEGEE-Ioannina

Marco Bentoglio from AEGEE-Bergamo is running as a Coordinator of the European Citizenship Working Group. In order to deepen the knowledge of the Network on him and his programme, before the Agora he has given an interview to The AEGEEan answering both our questions and questions coming from the Network.

Marco: I am Gigi, 31 years-old. I am no longer a student. I have a degree in psychology, but I don’t work in that field. Actually, I spent last year working at university events across Europe, mostly about skiing. I am a rugby player, but before that a rugby man.

Nowadays, Elena Efremova from AEGEE-Grodno is the girl who takes on responsibilities in many fields and manages to multitask and keep control over her duties. This is the way she has already worked in AEGEE by getting involved in various European Bodies, learning from them and collaborating with them. Ahead of her presentation at the Agora in two weeks, she was interviewed by The AEGEEan and she shared her vision as a potential NetCommie.

The AEGEEan: For those who do not know you, who is Elena Efremova?

Elena: I am Elena, 24 years old, I have a Bachelor’s degree in History. Yes, I adore history and cannot understand why we still do not have digital archives and official books of AEGEE history in AEGEE! I live in the Russian Federation, in Rostov-na-Donu. I love chocolate, coffee and travelling, so my happiest moments in life are when I sit down with a cup of hot coffee, eat milk chocolate and search for cheap travelling tickets.

Last year I left university and devoted my life to AEGEE. In the year 2016, I visited around 16 countries and more than 52 cities. I have been an AEGEE member for two and a half years now. Firstly, I have been a member of AEGEE-Rostov-na-Donu where I held the positions of Incoming Responsible and Twin Coordinator for a year. Currently I am a member of AEGEE-Grodno and AEGEE-Chişinău. Moreover, I am a member of the Action Agenda Coordination Committee and the Youth Mobility Working Group.

How did you decide to candidate for the Network Commission?

I thought about the NetCom position even before Agora Bergamo, but at that time I did not have that much experience in AEGEE, as I had been active for only one year. Many things were totally unclear for me and I was not ready to take on the responsibility for more than ten locals as a NetCommie. That is why I decided to have a year to learn what I did not know yet. I came from a small local with many troubles. One year ago, I was more needed on the local level, to help with the Summer University and Antenna Criteria fulfilment. Moreover, I travelled a lot last year, visited AEGEE events and locals, collected information and now I hope to see a full picture of what AEGEE is and how locals live. Locals are the cornerstone of the whole organisation, without them there would be nothing. They are an indicator; if they are weak, AEGEE is weak. For me, it will be challenge to be a NetCom. It is a huge responsibility, but right now, I feel that this is the right position for me and the right time to run for it.

Regarding your involvement in many European Bodies within AEGEE, how do you plan to combine them with your duties as a NetCommie? Are you considering to leave some?

My terms in the Action Agenda Coordination Committee (ACT) and Youth Mobility Working Group end on the 31st of July. It means that I would combine three positions at the same time for only two months. As I already worked with the Network Commission, being their General Assistant, I mostly know how to work with Podio and I understand what exactly a NetCom should do. During the past year, I combined three to four positions every time. It taught me how to be good at time-management and how to prioritise. During my NetCom term I will fully devote myself to locals and their needs.

Can you already share some of your policy ideas with us?

Locals are sensitive organisms, nobody from the outside can treat or solve problems. As a NetCommie, I would not be the one to teach people what to do and how. I would be the one to see the full picture and be a link for locals between each other and between locals and European Bodies. I would like to outline several main goals of my term. First of all, I see the power of a network in unity; when people all over the network know each other, visit events around the network (not only official ones, but any), have common Visual Identity. The power of AEGEE is people, and most of us are here because of friends. So, why not start a big AEGEE family from the small ones based on the network? Then, if events like European Schools, Fundraising European Schools, Training New Trainers and others are far away – why not create or host them in our network? If we need and want to get this knowledge but cannot reach the final destination, we need to have our own. If it is expensive to reimburse travel and participation costs for trainers, why not have a deal with local ones? Why not create a pool of trainers in our network and use them for any events when we need trainers with specific knowledge – not even only from AEGEE, but also from other NGOs? If we feel that we cannot manage events alone, why not cooperate with other NGOs in our cities?

How do you want to implement these policies?

How to implement it? I would like to motivate people and locals to travel, to be open, to be involved in AEGEE, to apply for European Bodies and to have cooperation with other NGOs. I cannot tell them what to do and how, but I can share my own experience with them, offer some ideas to be discussed and be available to help at any time. Nothing is impossible when we are together. Of course, I will also work inside the NetCom team, helping with internal projects.

In your programme you are referring to having a “special event – kind of Share Best Practices”. Aren’t Network Meetings (NWMs) supposed to be a space for that already?

That is a really good question. According to the CIA, “This meeting (NWM) has an administrative impact and it is focused on sharing best practices, keeping the Locals closer to each other, connecting them with the European level, updating them about last progresses and launching initiatives”. And it should really be like that. But a NWM is an event from two to five days. You need to combine sessions from the CD and European Bodies, take needs of locals you are responsible for into account, and make it interesting for everyone – both newbies and oldies, participants from your area and outside. Not easy, right? If you have participated in several NWMs, you will notice that some of them are about sharing best practices, some mostly held by European Bodies, and others look like a Soft Skill training. Every region has different problems, and a different political situation which influences the work of AEGEE on the local level. Sometimes, we need to talk about urgent issues face to face, inside one group of people.

My idea is to have events for specific regions, where the programme is made by participants according to their needs. It will be a place where people from my region get to know each other personally, as personal relationship is one of the cornerstones of cooperation. Here, they will also think about common events or future cooperation. Here, they will share problems and possible solutions. Here, people from other NGOs can be asked to join and share their ideas about certain topics. My idea is not unique, we already have events like that – Renove, Czechoslovak Weekends. What is the difference between NWMs and this Share your practices event? This event could be unofficial, does not need to have much time for preparation and could probably be almost for free. It would be an event for specific regions, where actual problems are discussed. During that event, locals would discuss current problems and if they do not know how to solve them, they come to NWMs where they ask people from other parts of the network about them. This would mean that, thanks to our Share Best Practices meeting, we would raise the quality of Open Space sessions during upcoming NWMs and Statutory events.

How would you like to pursue the cooperation between BEST and other NGOs and the antennae on a local level?

We, student NGOs, are very different with different target groups and our power is in unity. Together, we can achieve more than by ourselves. It looks like it is time we start to realise this and move to meet each other. A couple of days ago, I came back from an NGO Weekend in Moscow, where representatives of four NGOs – AEGEE, AIESEC, BEST and ESTIEM – came together to learn how to be a good leader. It was an event with no budget but with invaluable outcomes. Right now, we are considering to create the NGO Weekend vol. two, and to have ambassadors towards each other, not only on the European level, but also on the local one. It is only the first step towards our possible future. Together, we can continue to organise leadership trainings (or any other: PR, HR, etc.), to be infopartners on the social media, and to do NGO presentations together. Being in touch and helping each other with big events means that together, we can get more sponsors, human resources and promotion. If locals all over the AEGEE network work together, they can create one event for all of AEGEE. If locals from one region work together – there is one event for a specific area. But if different NGOs  work together – there are many events in many cities. In that case we can involve more people with limited resources. It is all up to us. I cannot foresee how it will go. But I truly believe that there is a big field of possible cooperation, from theoretical knowledge to practical things. And what we need right now is just to start.

Question from the Network: What is the area of the network you would like to work with?

First of all, this Agora will change the locals’ distribution, since we plan to have 11 NetCommies instead of ten now. It means that right now, it is very hard to say what the network areas will look like. Moreover, we should not forget that the final decision to choose the NetCommie with whom to work is under locals’ power. And I would be happy to work with any local from all over the Networκ.

In general, I would prefer to work with locals which are not so far from the city and country I live in – Rostov-na-Donu, Russia. Why? Firstly, there are locals with whom I am already in contact, at least with part of them, and it will be easier to start working. Secondly, because of geographical reasons, it would be easy for them to ask me to come any moment when they need me, and for me to visit locals, participate in their events and help them. Moreover, during my NetCom trips and NWMs I will need much less money than if I travel far away (thinking about AEGEE-Europe and Network Commission budgets).

You can read her full candidature here. 

Written by Vasiliki Andrioti, AEGEE-Ioannina