During the Spring Agora Patra, six new members of the NetCom were elected, namely: Ana Potočnik (AEGEE-Ljubljana), Balázs Kovács (AEGEE-Debrecen), Burak Topaloğlu (AEGEE-Eskisehir), Lia Tuska (AEGEE-Sofia), Maria Arends (AEGEE-Groningen) and Natalia Ivleva (AEGEE-Voronezh). After the resignation of Holger Schmitt, newly elected member of Comité Directeur, Julia Fuss (AEGEE-Mannheim) got assigned the job of NetCom Assistant until the next Agora. The AEGEEan spoke to the new NetCom members to get to know them better!

Ana Potočnik (AEGEE-Ljubljana)

The AEGEEan: Why did you apply to be NetCom?

Ana: I don’t think that I had a special reason; it seemed very natural to apply. I had and still have a feeling that I have enough experiences on the local and European level, and I can use this knowledge to support my locals. Of course Balkan locals and its members have a lot to do with my decision to apply. Since I will be leaving the board of AEGEE-Ljubljana, I see this as a perfect opportunity to keep working with all the amazing people in our Network.

The AEGEEan: What was your first reaction when you heard you got elected as NetCom?

Ana: [she laughs] “Thank you Alberto [Cuesta Noriega, Vice-Chairperson of the Agora ed.] , you misspelled my name and forgot Lia Tuska (AEGEE-Sofia). At the moment I was more nervous about the Comité Directeur elections and I just wanted to see those results. The full realisation that I was elected came waaaay later, when the first NetCom emails started to come in my inbox.

The AEGEEan: What are your plans for the locals in your region?

Ana: Balkan locals are getting more and more connected and we all miss events where we could hang out and work on our ideas. That’s why I am stealing the idea from La Tripulación locals about Renove. For more of my plans you can read my Work Plan!

The AEGEEan: What are your plans for the NetCom team?

Ana: At the moment I am working on our NetCom meeting, and the topics and trainings we will have there. I hope we will be able to come up with a list of certain topics we will all work on with our locals. I think if we all work together we can have a much bigger impact in the Network.

The AEGEEan: What are the nicknames for your region and team?

Ana: We are known as Balkan locals or Balkans, that’s why we (me and my Speaker team) like to call ourselves BalkanMafia.

Balázs Kovács (AEGEE-Debrecen)

The AEGEEan: Why did you apply to be NetCom?

Balázs: I have applied to become a Network Commissioner since I believed that with my experience and enthusiasm, I would be able to help contributing to the further empowerment of my future antennae – locally as well as internationally.

The AEGEEan: What was your first reaction when you heard you got elected as NetCom?

Balázs: I felt VERY delighted and we were all smiling and being overly happy with the closest peers sitting around me.

The AEGEEan: What are your plans for the locals in your region?

Balázs: I intend to help by continuing to develop the quality and quantity of the activities of the antennae as well as boosting their daring attitude towards cooperations with other NGOs – in and outside of the AEGEE Network. Another plan of mine includes the popularization of a mentoring system to strengthen ties between different generations within each and all antennae.

The AEGEEan: What are your plans for the NetCom team?

Balázs: Although we have yet to meet with the group for the final stage of planning our upcoming term together, as the NetCom Meeting in Budapest will take place in late June, I think our shared most important key aim for the Network Commission Team is to be able to work together smoothly and closely with everyone in the group while putting emphasis on encouraging all our antennae to collaborate with others belonging to different Network Commisioners.

Lia Tuska (AEGEE-Sofia)

The AEGEEan: Why did you apply to be NetCom?

Lia: I am one of the founder members of AEGEE-Kastoria. I used to be like their mother for almost two years. I just wanted to take care of more locals. I was thinking of applying at Zaragoza, but I didn’t, because I had my internship for six months and my thesis. Arsenis asked me to be in his team before Zaragoza and we did a great job with the locals I was responsible for and that helped me a lot now that I’m prepared for being a NetCommie. I applied at Agora Patra because I’m having a kind of gap year and I’m really motivated to devote this year on being a NetCommie.

The AEGEEan: What was your first reaction when you heard you got elected as NetCom?

Lia: It’s a funny story. My name wasn’t in the results slide. My friends around me were worried and people were clapping, but I was the only one cool around them because I thought Fotis Pastrakis (AEGEE-Kastoria, Chairteam IT Assistant) was trolling me.

The AEGEEan: What are your plans for the locals in your region?

Lia: Currently, I’m getting to know them. I got a team who helped me a lot so far. I’m going to have a NetCom trip after summer and we’re going to organize a Fall NWM. One of my goals is to implement the Mentorship System, so the contact antennae can be guided properly by experienced members. I’ll concentrate on these plans right now.

The AEGEEan: What are your plans for the NetCom team?

Lia: I’m responsible for the NetCom Telegram. It’s a way to show the rest of the Network what NetCommies do during their term. Some people don’t know who their NetCommie is or are afraid to approach him/her. I want them to realize that we are here to help them and not to inspect them. I want to continue being responsible for the Members’ Portal Section of the Network Commission. It’s a useful tool but it needs to be updated often and we can use it to show our work and upcoming activities (NWMs). That’s all my plans for now. After the NetCom meeting there might be more.

The AEGEEan: What are the nicknames for your region and team?

Lia: We had some thoughts about nicknames, but nothing decided yet.

Maria Arends (AEGEE-Groningen)

The AEGEEan: Why did you apply to be NetCom?

Maria: I have been an active member of AEGEE for three years now, both on local and on European level, and I just thought it was time to share what I have learnt and experienced, and make sure other people can enjoy our network and all it has to offer as well.

The AEGEEan: What was your first reaction when you heard you got elected as NetCom?

Maria: I was really happy.

The AEGEEan: What are your plans for the locals in your region?

Maria: I have some people in different cities interested in establishing new locals, so it is for sure one of my plans to work on that. Furthermore, I would like to strengthen the cooperation between locals and try to be there for the locals as much as possible. This is why I will have an individual Skype meeting with each local at least once per three months. Besides that, I will start a monthly newsletter with updates from the locals, upcoming events, and information about the European level bodies.

The AEGEEan: What are your plans for the NetCom team?

Maria: As we haven’t had our NetCom Meeting yet, I do not have very concrete plans on this, but of course I wish to continue the work that has been done last term on the Network Meeting reform. I will be proofreading the NetCom Telegrams (so if you see any mistakes, you know who to write), and of course I will do my best to cooperate as much as possible.

The AEGEEan: What are the nicknames for your region and team?

Maria: The region already has a nickname: The Nordic Stars, which is a good one, so I believe it should be kept that way. For now, we call ourselves the Nordic Stars NetCom team, but this may change. You never know what happens.

Natalia Ivleva (AEGEE-Voronezh)

The AEGEEan: Why did you apply to be NetCom?

Natalia:Last year I was Vira’s SubCommie and this experience helped me to understand that I didn’t have enough space to realize all of my ideas and projects. I feel that NetCom  is the best position for it.

The AEGEEan: What was your first reaction when you heard you got elected as NetCom?

Natalia: First reaction? Of course it was ‘Thanks God! I did it!’ and then ‘Let’s start to work, I have something to do’.

The AEGEEan: What are your plans for the locals in your region?

Natalia: In general I’m planning to work on cooperation between antennae in my Focus Area to make small locals more active, more motivated and much more stronger, and to give big locals new great experience.

The AEGEEan: What are your plans for the NetCom team?

Natalia: I already feel that we have a great and motivated team that’s ready to rock. Hope that you’re also able to see it soon.

The AEGEEan: What are the nicknames for your region and team?

Natalia: When I discussed my candidature for this position with my ‘PR-Company’, Ksenia Lupanova (AEGEE-Moskva, PRC) & Anna ‘Smailikova’ Pykhtina (AEGEE-Kyiv, SUCT), we ‘created’ the nickname NATCom and now some people from my area proposed to call our NetWork ‘Eastern NATWork’ .

Julia Fuss (AEGEE-Mannheim)

The AEGEEan: Why did you apply to be NetCom?

Julia: Personally, what motivates me most in my AEGEE work is seeing active antennae engaged in many awesome projects. This in turn gives me lots of motivation and energy to help smaller antennae realize their ideas for new projects, as they too of course have tons of potential – often times more than they are currently aware of. Due to the fact that I now finished my term as president on the local level, and feel that my work in AEGEE is far from being over, I am looking for a new challenge which allows me to experience the European level. Thus, being NetCom Assistant allows me to connect both the local and European level in all tasks.

The AEGEEan: What was your first reaction when you heard you got elected as NetCom?

Julia: I was at home when I read the e-mail that I got selected as NetCom Assistant and besides feeling very happy, I soon made myself a Cordon Bleu because I was also feeling very hungry.

The AEGEEan: What are your plans for the locals in your region?

Julia: I would like to especially focus on highlighting existing support structures for locals, organizing many RTCs within this region, as well as setting up a PR data base. Another idea which circulates within our region is to create a manual for board positions to assist boards in their work or offer a basis for creating knowledge transfers in cases where they do not yet exist. As I have already been working together and assisting locals in their work since November, I believe that I can build upon this experience to help strengthen, stabilize and expand German-speaking locals together with the other subcommissioners.

The AEGEEan: What are your plans for the NetCom team?

Julia: Right now I am looking forward to getting to know the other NetCommies, the work of the Network Commission as a whole, and to support the NetCom team wherever I can.

The AEGEEan: What are the nicknames for your region and team?

Julia: For a while now, we have been calling the German-speaking region „Krauts Crowd“. There even exists a Facebook page „AEGEE Krauts Crowd“ to update everyone on what is happening in this part of Europe. You can check it out here.

Written by Svenja van der Tol, AEGEE-Nijmegen

Of course the AEGEEan wants you to meet all the NetCom candidates so we asked Ana Potočnik a load of questions about herself and her plans. Ana was born and raised in Ljubljana and two years ago she became a member of AEGEE-Ljubjana. At Agora Patra she’s hoping to be elected as a Network Commissioner, for which she will put aside her clay sculpting and Biochemistry studies so she can travel and serve the Network in the Balkan area.

The AEGEEan: What was your main reason for joining AEGEE and is that still the main reason why you remain a member? Or has this changed over time?

Ana: My story of how I joined AEGEE is interesting.  Two years ago one of my friends decided it is time to find her a boyfriend and asked me to join her on the meeting for the New Year’s event which was organised by AEGEE-Ljubljana that year. I had no idea what AEGEE was, what kind of event they were organizing or for whom, but as a good friend I decided to support her “let’s find me a boyfriend” mission.

So you joined the event, but what happened there to convince you to stay involved with AEGEE?

“In one month I went from a complete stranger to board member of AEGEE-Ljubljana.”

I have been living in Ljubljana for my whole life and I know how magical it can be in the winter time, that’s why I was super excited to work on the program for 30 students from all over Europe. Of course my enthusiasm and hard work was noticed by one of the members, looking for people who would candidate for the board next month, so in one month I went from a complete stranger to board member of AEGEE-Ljubljana.

First year as a newbie and a board member was not easy, I was struggling with understanding and getting to know AEGEE and how we work, and from time to time also with motivation. But I believe you have to finish what you started and take the responsibility for your tasks. I finished my term and in this year AEGEE found a way to get under my skin. The opportunities that AEGEE gives me and people that I met keep me motivated to dedicate even more time and energy to our organisation.

In your programme you also mention wanting to support members to grasp opportunities AEGEE presents. So what do you think are the most important opportunities that AEGEE-Europe offers?

The most visible is definitely traveling , but for me the most important is personal development and the possibility to develop your own ideas. In the last two years AEGEE changed me a lot.

I gained a lot of confidence and developed countless different skills. If there would have been no AEGEE, I would be sitting at home right now writing a lab report, not caring so much about what is happening in our society and Europe. It is really fascinating how many opportunities AEGEE offers to its members, but it is up to each member to take advantage of them.

How did you ‘meet’ the Network Commission?

I met the last three NetComs of my area. I remember after my first NWM in Kragujevac I rode in the back of a car to Beograd with Marijana Roščić and Ana Dragić. They were explaining what the work of NetCom is and trying to teach me some “Balkanish” words. Even though I was a very fresh member then I found their work very interesting. And I saw their work in the number of locals raising and “old” locals getting stronger and stronger.

Of course NetCom work is the most visible during Network Meetings which I enjoyed very much. And about our current NetCom Antonija, let’s just say that we developed a special bond during the last NWM in Ljubljana where I was the main organiser. In the last year we have been in contact all the time and during our Skype marathons we also talked a lot about NetCom’s work, its difficulties, about Antonija’s locals and problems that we are all facing.

You’ve been to several NWM’s, have you also visited locals in the Balkan Area on different occasions?

I decided to make a small “Balkan tour” and travel to Patra through Zagreb, Beograd and Skopje.”

Unfortunately I have not had the time to visit locals as Antonija’s SubCom, but I visited or attended events of AEGEE-Beograd and Maribor and I even helped for a few days during the SU of AEGEE-Zagreb last year. That’s why I also decided to make a small “Balkan tour” and travel to Patra through Zagreb, Beograd and Skopje.

I really want to get to know locals before I start my term. Which I am also trying to do by reading Activity Reports from locals for the last few months. I hope this will give me a clearer picture of the situation and problems that locals are facing.

What did you learn as a member of ACT on international cooperation and online communication?

The work of ACT was one of the most challenging tasks I have had in AEGEE. Here I learned how important the knowledge transfer is and that it is not always easy to coordinate work in a big team without live meetings, but if everyone takes the responsibility and does their tasks, everything is possible. I think it was very good preparation for NetCom work.

For NetCom as a whole, I think we should use email as our main communication channel, because it is easy to follow them and it allows the possibility of saving information for next generations. But at the same time I know that the amount of email can be overwhelming from time to time, so I am also in favour of using Facebook groups for reminders and informal communication.

You know some of the other candidates right? How did you meet them and how do you feel about cooperating with them?

Yes, I have met most of them. I have met Maria Arends (AEGEE-Groningen) and Burak Topaloğlu (AEEE-Eskişehir) on my first AEGEE event – pre-Agora event of AEGEE-Groningen. With Maria I also cooperated in the Identity team and attended the Leadership training in Brussels this January, where I also met Balasz Kovacs (AEGEE-Debrecen). Oh, and on the European level meeting in Zaragoza I shared the room with Lia Tuska (AEGEE-Sofia).

But even if I didn’t know most of the candidates, it wouldn’t be a problem, because I can cooperate with anyone who answers their emails regularly and has a proactive approach.

You also mention the importance of trainings and knowledge transfer in your programme, what will you do to support locals with this?

“I am already working on writing down all the obstacles, tips and tricks that I am facing as president, which I feel are important for my successor.”

With AEGEE-Ljubljana, we organised the Summer University Project School (SUPS) in cooperation with the Summer University Coordination Team (SUCT) and AEGEE-Academy as well as some simple one-day trainings on different topics. I know how important trainings are for locals, that is why I attended the Training for Trainers (T4T) in Budapest so that I would be able to help and support locals with the organisation and by giving trainings during my term.

A one year-mandate is not as long as it sounds, so using the knowledge of previous generations helps not to lose time learning on our own and from our own mistakes. In my own local I am already working on writing down all the obstacles, tips and tricks that I am facing as president, which I feel are important for my successor.

The current NetCom team is already working on a general booklet about knowledge transfer in boards, which will be distributed before Agora Patra. This booklet contains mostly technical information about working in a board but unfortunately this is not enough for efficient work of new generation. So I will advise and support other board members and locals to write down their tips and tricks as well.

Lastly, what are your personal strenghts and weaknesses?

“A NetCom should have a strong team of Subcommies and not be afraid to share his/her tasks.”

I am very critical and demanding of myself, so it is not easy for me to say what my strenghts are, but I think this is also a good quality. It is the way I keep pushing and developing myself. My other qualities could be that I am fast thinker, a fast learner and that I like to seek new ideas and solutions. This will help me get into the flow of NetCom work fast and develop a new approach to problems that locals are facing.

However, being critical and demanding of myself is also my weakness. Sometimes I like to take a lot of responsibilities on, even too much for the 24 hours that a day has. But I am aware of this and that is why I am already working on building a strong team of Subcommies, whom I trust and will be able to share my work with. I think NetCom work is not a one-man job, so to ensure quality work and support for the locals, a NetCom should have a strong team of Subcommies and not be afraid to share his/her tasks.

I would like to thank you, Ana for your openness and patience with all our questions in this interview and I am sure that your critical thinking and hard work will be appreciated by the Agora. We wish you the best of luck with the elections!

Written by Wieke van der Kroef, AEGEE-Amsterdam/ AEGEE-Leuven

This Spring Agora Patra already looks legendary, with many outstanding candidates for the most important positions. One of the candidates, Claudio Gennaro from AEGEE-Cagliari, runs for one of the positions at the Juridical Commission (JC), and now you have the opportunity to meet him before Agora starts!

The AEGEEan: As we traditionally start our interviews, please tell our readers about yourself and your AEGEE experience!

Claudio: My name is Claudio Gennaro, I’m 21, I come from Agrigento and I’m studying the fourth year of Law. I’m currently an Erasmus student at the university of Silesia in Katowice and I am member of AEGEE since winter 2011. I have known AEGEE during a students’ meeting at the university while I was in my second year, the day after I applied for the New Year’s Event in Valletta and right afterwards my life has never been the same anymore. I have been inmediately active on the local level covering almost every duty; from secretary to driver, from cleaning the hostel before and after any event to external relations with public authorities, from simultaneous translator to bartender. I cannot imagine my daily life without AEGEE, most of my best friends are part of it and I meet or talk with them everyday. I am definitely addicted and I like it!

The AEGEEan: Why did you decide to apply to JC and what are the ideas you would like to implement?

Claudio: I am a law student and after two terms as subcommissioner of the JC, I can say that at the moment this Commission is the place where I can give my best contribution for the network. Moreover, I have always been fascinated by the Juridical Commission and its work, I remember during my first Agora in Enschede, as a fresh law student and member of AEGEE, I was amazed by the professionality and smoothness of the JC in such a tricky situation. I still have a personal admiration and respect for those commissioners.

My aim is to see the Juridical Commission closer to the average member who is not comfortable with legal English, I would like to have meetings, like Q&A rounds for example, where it would be possible to have quick answers to small clarifications about the CIA or other curiosities. This would help not only our members to have a closer relationship with the Commission, but would also help to relieve the amount of work on the agenda of the JC.

 The AEGEEan:  What would you like to keep, and change, in the work of the JC if you are elected?

Claudio: If elected, my main goal would be to find strategies to reduce waiting times. In order to make it possible it will be necessary to have a better internal division of tasks and for this reason it will be a priority to create a strong team of subcommissioners and involve them more actively in the work of the Commission.

This would give as outcome not only to optimize the work of the commissioners but also to have a better knowledge transfer. Personally I loved being a subcommie, is an amazing and crucial experience that every aspirant to the JC should try before running for this position.

The AEGEEan:  What had AEGEE taught you and what have you gained with AEGEE?

Claudio:  Team spirit, passion, dedication to work and that changes don’t come by themselves. AEGEE is the perfect enviroment for self-development, I would consider it like a school where you are not studying only theoretically but where you are actually working and being part of something bigger than yourself. While dealing with any activity you are already learning something new, a new language or how to manage with unexpected events or problems, how to lead  your team and how to be an engine from it. AEGEE is a boost to your potential.

 The AEGEEan:  During your work as Speaker of the Human Resources Committee what were your personal achievements?

Claudio:  We had the possibility of being able to help a lot of members dealing with everyday problems and has been very interesting and motivating to investigate within the network how a different management of human resources can influence the wellness and then the productivity of every team. I would have liked to involve more members into this project but I am sure that my successors will rock the committee. If elected, for sure I will use the skills acquired during my time at the HRC in order to create a cohesive and solid working team.

The AEGEEan:  Will being a member of Juridical Commission be the top of your AEGEE career or do you plan you move to higher positions in the future?

Claudio:  There is a bet between a former president of AEGEE-Agrigento and other oldies about me at the Comité Directeur, but I think that they are just kidding. Right now I am only focused on the JC, if in future there will be favorable circumstances I will also think about other positions.

The AEGEEan:  Share a story when your AEGEE experience helped you in your life.

Claudio:  I can feel it almost everyday in every situation, but I remember an episode in particular, last year at my university, when a teacher had to organize a conference with some foreign guests. Due to a small health problem and procrastination by my university, four days before the event nothing was ready and he was completely panicking. So he decided to call me, since I was the only member of AEGEE in his faculty, and to ask me to help him with the organization of the conference. The same day, after a small meeting with other colleagues, we found an accomodation for almost half of the price and organized everything, from the decoration of the main hall to the pick-up service at the airport, including also a social programme which was not expected in the original schedule. Everything was ready two days before the opening ceremony and when we thought that our job was finished, they called us back because translators were also needed. The event was a success and later on the university decided to give its economical contribution for an exchange with another AEGEE local.

The AEGEEan:  How do you see yourself and AEGEE in 5 years?

Claudio:  I will be a member for sure, maybe more or maybe less active than now, but for sure I will still be a part of it. As for AEGEE, I can see more non-EU locals inside and a stronger impact of our network regarding non-formal education. The YVote or the Europe on Track projects (just to mention a couple) are, in my opinion, just paving the way to a bigger social commitment of AEGEE.

The AEGEEan:  The last question, why do people have to choose you exactly?

Claudio:  Because they would vote for an enthusiastic AEGEEan who will put all his passion and devotion at service of the Juridical Commission!

Good luck to Claudio, we will see him soon in Agora!

Written by Annie Smailikova, AEGEE-Kyiv

Burak Topaloglu, from AEGEE-Eskişehir, is running for the position of Network Commissioner in Spring Agora Patra 2014. I had an amazing opportunity to get to know him better as a person when he was participant in AEGEE-Kyiv’s TSU “Big Kyiv Theory” and heard lots about his great job as president of the local, but now it’s time for you to know more about him!

Anna: How long have you been in AEGEE? What have you done so far?

Burak: I have been in AEGEE since October 2010. I have been working for AEGEE-Eskişehir for almost four years. I have worked in lots of different positions in the local level such as Accomodation Coordinator in IT School’11 of AEGEE-Eskişehir, main coordinator of NWM Eskişehir More Europe, Logistic and Local Staff in Local Training Courses of AEGEE-Eskişehir, Tutor, Case Manager Assistant and Case Manager in Regional Training Course of AEGEE-Eskişehir,2012-2013 Term AEGEE-Eskişehir’s Board member, Vice President and Public Relations Director.

In the European Level, I am the former Human Resources Responsible and Speaker of Visa Freedom Working Group, former member of the Human Resources Committee, PR SubTeam, former member of Europe in Exchage Project, currently SubCom of Meltem Darakci and president of AEGEE-Eskişehir.

 Anna: So tell us WHY people should choose YOU as NetCom?

Burak:  Well, I have worked and seen all processes of Network Meetings. I can say that I am an AEGEE member who has experienced a lot of things in order to be NetCom, however it is never enough. I need to keep learning and sharing. I have also been working in the European Level for the last three years so I have great contacts in the Network. As a result, I love AEGEE and I am still eager to learn and give a lot to and for my organization.

Anna:  You said (in your motivation letter) that in order to define the problems and solve them, you will need the ideas and advice of all the former NetComs since at least 2011 and you are planning to have a SubCom team.  Have you started the communication with old NetComs and potential subcommies?

Burak: I am planning to have a SubCom team, formed by at least three members. I have been in touch with some people, however I will announce who will be my SubCommies in Agora Patra (if elected ed.). I am in touch with our current Netcom Meltem Darakcı, too.

Anna:  Tell us more about the plan you have with your current NetCom Meltem and the other NetCom candidate Elmar Guliyev from your region, in case you are both elected?

Burak: If both of us are elected as Network Commissioners, we plan to divide the Turkcaucasus Network into two parts: Turkish antennae, and the ones from the Caucasus. Right now we are able to organize two NWMs per year, but we can’t organize suitable NWMs for the whole region because it is too big and our antennae are really far away. It results into two NWMs: one is always for the Caucasus locals (Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia), and the other one is for Turkish-speaking locals. If we divide the network into two parts, the distances will be reduced and thelocals will be closer to each other. I think this chance is something that we don’t want to miss. The result of a better communication will affect the future of our Network efficiently.

Anna:  You said you will work on creating an e-magazine of the Network. Can you explain more about it?

Burak: As I think we need better promotion channels, I believe it is all about to work on having things like that. An E-Magazine focused on our Network will give us the chance to be aware of what we are and what we are doing at the same time. If I am elected, locals will have another platform to show what they have been done in the network and, by that, I plan to have a good communication with them.

Anna:  Tell us more about the preparation of AEGEEans for statutory events. How do you plan to give them more information? What information is usually missing in your opinion?

Burak: In my opinion, you really need to be prepared before statutory events such as EBM and Agorae, and it is also the task of NetCom as it is the representative of that region. Unfortunately, members mostly learn something just during Agorae, and I think it is too late. The worst thing is that they sometimes don’t understand and realize what’s going on there. So all these people can’t contribute anything to Agora or EBM. I will try to solve this problem: I want members to know where they actually are. It is also the task of local boards to inform their members. I will use some methodologies to achieve it such as organizing Skype meetings with the delegates of locals plus also a Skype meeting with visitors, too.

Why also visitors? I believe the role of visitors are as important as delegates because they are the potential delegates in next Agorae or next local board members. If they only learn about workshops at Agorae and we don’t get what they learned in there, it might just seem fun to be visitors. I think Agorae have a very important place in AEGEE’s future, so if we don’t want the next generations to forget our process and culture, we need to give more attention on educating and helping our members. I will be there to help and work with locals in this topic. In addition I have the same sensitiveness for EBMs, too.

Anna:  What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?

Burak:  I like doing sports such as fitness, football, basketball and etc., writing, listening music, travelling and reading.

Anna:  What inspires you as a person?

Burak:  I have always been inspired by modest and hard-working people who never gave up to survive.

Anna:  Is there anything you would like to add?

Burak:  I wish good luck to all candidates.

 Anna:  A question from our readers – “My question concerns the gap between the local and European levels. Would you consider making some implementations to reduce it? In case you already thought about it, what are the ideas you would like to be put to work?”

Burak:  I agree, it is a problem I need to work on. I plan to give information about current activities of Projects and Working Groups  in the e-magazine I will create. I can share all the news in mailing lists or groups as well. The most important thing to forward members on European Level is to give them motivation and courage, and I will need the help of local boards in this issue. However, I don’t have a problem to locals in order to forward members to me or to the SubCom team.

 Thanks for a great talk, we wish Burak good luck and see him soon in Agora Patra!

Written by Anna Smailikova, AEGEE-Kyiv

 Being lucky to meet Holger Schmitt, from AEGEE-Berlin, as participant of AEGEE-Kyiv, AEGEE-Kharkiv and AEGEE-Lviv TSU “Hogwarts express”, seeing how he was elected as Network Commissioner and now, running for Comité Directeur really made me excited about interviewing him. Hopefully this conversation will give you more information right before it is time to vote!

Anna: First of all, Holger, congratulations for your candidature! After being the president of AEGEE-Berlin and organising so many events, being elected as NetCom and taking part in some many YVote events, you have decided to go higher. How did this idea come up?

Holger: Thanks for the question. I have always been active in AEGEE my whole student life. Depending on my availability and other commitments in my life I was more or less active, but I never stopped being involved and concerned about all AEGEE activities. Mostly I was in the local level, in Bamberg organising Erasmus activities and Summer Universities, in Berlin organising mostly exchanges, conferences and running the local.

After getting into the YVote Project last summer and then being elected as Network Commissioner I started to rediscover AEGEE with all the possibilities it has to offer on the European level. I stopped regarding AEGEE as a network of locals but rather as a European association with an enormous potential to activate young people and push the interests of students and youth in Brussels and Europe. By being a Network Commissioner I learned about all the projects, working groups and activities AEGEE pursues in detail and I identified even more with AEGEE’s aims, goals and objectives as a European student association. I realized that in Berlin with my normal life I can’t follow the AEGEE initiatives as intensively as I would like to. Therefore I want to be in CD to dedicate my entire life to our association and to be as involved as much as possible. To make it short, I can’t get enough of AEGEE and now I want to do it for real without limits.

Anna:  You have plenty of experience in AEGEE, but can you tell me a bit about the experience you find the most relevant for your candidature?

Holger: I do have much experience on the local level and in AEGEE projects, though AEGEE is changing constantly with the people in charge and the projects that are running, so my experience is not necessarily the most important in being a CD. It just helps sometimes to know how to deal with certain problems, particular regions and locals since you have been working with them before.

The most relevant experience for now is certainly being NetCom, since you get to know about all projects, events, initiatives and also issues in the whole AEGEE network. Having been in the board of Bamberg and long-time president of AEGEE-Berlin means that I can also very well relate to the mentality and problems of the locals board members.

Also my experience of applying for Youth in Action grants in the last two years for the Europe for Citizens program, for the YVote conferences and the New Media Summer School in Berlin is relevant.

Speaking about skills and competences I feel that my work in Berlin as a research assistant at Public One Governance Consulting can help me a lot in being a good CD, since I was involved in the organisation of many high-level conferences, trainings and coachings and made many research dossiers, presentations and applications for projects and funding in the public sector in the last two years. The skills I acquired there will certainly help me in my work.

Anna: And what it is about AEGEE that you love it so much?

What I do love the most about AEGEE is its diversity and the feeling of commitment of young people from all over Europe towards the idea of European integration. AEGEE strives to overcome national boundaries and in doing so it creates an amazingly interesting atmosphere among its members and during its events. I believe that AEGEEans will make an example of how to be a European citizen and will help in creating a true European society.

Anna:  You mentioned that you have applied for external representation, fundraising and PR position, but which ones would be the CD tasks you feel more into?

Holger:  The task I am personally most motivated and excited about is being part of AEGEE’s external representation, meaning cooperation with other NGOs, initiating common projects, keep in contact with National Youth Councils, ministries for Education and other important stakeholders in Brussels and in the European countries. Having been an intern in the German parliament, working in a consultancy agency and having lived in Berlin where I installed contacts with many other NGOs following similar goals as AEGEE (like JEF, European Movement, Citizens of Europe, Democracy International and ESN) I would be very happy to apply my knowledge and skills in this field and extend the network for AEGEE by establishing and deepening cooperations.

The second most interesting task for sure is public and private fundraising. Like I said before during my occupation in governance consulting and dealing with the Commission programms of Youth in Action, European Voluntary Service and as well Europe for Citizens I already gained experience in public fundraising which I would like to continue. Also one of my career options is to be a public fundraiser for European and national funds at the local and regional level, so after my term at the CD I would be applying for business development of local and regional administrations.

Anna:  This year the whole CD team will be changed by new people, who would you like to work with most of all?

Holger:  This is a very nice question. Diplomatically of course I will say that I am happy to work with everyone who applied for CD this year. Luckily I know everyone who has applied personally so I can say without hesitation that I really can imagine myself working with everyone who applied. But to answer your question more in detail, I have been working very closely with Ola Kluczka in the past year at the YVote project as well as with Léa Charlet at several YVote activities. I also know Réka Salamon very well from the Europe on Track project as well as being my subcomissioner for the Action Agenda for the German-speaking locals. Furthermore I know Pauline Létard very well being my colleague in the Network Commission and I was in contact with Mayri Tiido for Health4youth and met her at many Agoras. Also I met Ivan Bielik at last Agora Zaragoza and we got along very well personally.

Anna:  If you win the elections, tell me three things you would like to change about AEGEE and three things you would keep?

Holger: I would like to continue with the excellent work that has been done to complete the common visual identity of AEGEE. It is necessary as a stakeholder that AEGEE has some minimal standards and a common identification pattern, so it is recognizable throughout Europe. Second I want to continue with the great work that has been done to acquire more funds for AEGEE-Europe mainly through foundations and European funds. Dealing with Erasmus+ and all its opportunities will be a very interesting and challenging task for me. Thirdly I want to continue establishing AEGEE as a committed stakeholder for students and youth in Brussels, the visibility of AEGEE in Brussels was namely increased by Luis Alvarado, Lucille Rieux and Kathrin Renner and I would like to keep up the level.

Things I would change:

Mostly I want to involve and associate the network more closely with all the initiatives that have been conducted by the actual CD, namely the Visual Identity, knowledge management and of course the Strategic Plan. To communicate this initiatives more closely to the network using all possible communication channels is a big task I would like to pursue.

I would also like to deepen the cooperation with former AEGEE members, Les Anciencs and local Alumni networks. Something I learned in eight years AEGEE is there is always some oldie who has done the same activity and is almost all the time willing to help and contribute. To strengthen the Alumni network, create an Alumni sponsorship system for AEGEE as well as to deepen the knowledge and trainers database of former AEGEE members in order to help our association with all tasks and issues.

Thirdly I want to widen and deepen the cooperation AEGEE has with associations that follow similar goals. In order to establish new fields of activities, acquire resources to implement projects and to increase the visibility we have to cooperate more intensively with European associations namely European Movement, JEF, ESN and many smaller associations.

Anna: The biggest lesson that AEGEE has taught you?

Holger:  To answer this question I would like you to tell some mottos I follow in my AEGEE life:

“Don´t stop believing in the youth and the amazing project of European integration”

I am a European and in AEGEE I have found the association that is consistenly following the European integration ideal without compromise. In times of eurosceptimism, financial crisis and the perception of the EU only being bureaucratic it is important to remind you why there is a EU and live the European dream in everyday life. For that AEGEE exists and has to be present and visible.

“AEGEE – shaping European integration since 1985”

AEGEE has initiated the introduction of the Erasmus program in 1987 and since then it has been promoting mobility, multiculturalism and exchange in order to create a European society of the future. We have to know our foundation and be proud of what our association has achieved in order to follow these achievements and follow up/build on them.

“Don’t be so fucking German!”

It’s a statement we liked to say to each other ironically in German AEGEE events especially in Erasmus activities. For me it means to constantly be able to leave your comfort zone, to be able to abstract from your cultural and national background and constantly compare your behaviour and your way of dealing with challenges with that of people from other cultural backgrounds.

Anna: Why people should vote for you?

Holger:  I believe I can contribute a lot to our association and I am willing to give back so much what AEGEE has done for me. I feel confident to tackle the tasks that await me and I believe I can contribute in bringing AEGEE closer to its members and install it as a noticeable stakeholder. 

Anna: A question from our readers – do you consider yourself as a team player?

Holger:  I totally and without a doubt do. In my experience I work most efficiently and with the biggest motivation within a team. The outcome and impact that can be achieved is extremely intensified by doing team work In the last years in Berlin and in my AEGEE activities I realized that I always preferred to work in an international team and I do feel in fact more confident and at home dealing with an international team that is more diverse and can contribute in a bigger variety. The condition for that is of course that your team members are on board and share a similar commitment than you, which means that the biggest challenge for me always has been to maintain the communication and the motivation within the team.

It was a pleasure to interview Holger, we wish him good luck and looking forward to seeing him in Agora Patra very very soon!

Written by Anna Smailikova, AEGEE-Kyiv

During the Agora in Patra there will be elections held for not only new Network Commission and Juridical Commission member, but also for members of the Comité Directeur and the more specific functions of Financial Director, President and Secretary General of AEGEE-Europe. Mayri Tiido from AEGEE-Tartu decided to apply for the function of member of the Comité Directeur, where she would like to focus on the Projects and Working Groups and internal education as Projects Director. The AEGEEan asked her some questions about her motivation, plans and dreams for the upcoming year.

The AEGEEan: First of all, the most important question: why did you decide to apply to be a member of the Comité Directeur?

Mayri: I have been a member for four years and I have done quite some things in AEGEE by now. The want of being a member of the Comité Directeur has been there for years, but somehow it never really fit properly in my life situation. This year I finally have no obstacles on my way and my willingness and motivation to work for AEGEE is still there, therefore I finally applied.

The AEGEEan: You applied just a little before the deadline (at 23:38). Did you have a reason for this or was it just to make the applications a bit more exciting?

Mayri: Actually I didn’t mean to apply that late, but it still happened due to a really easy reason – it just took me a very long time to fill in the application. I was checking it several times, proofreading and filling it in very slow so I would be confident that I have applied with a really good candidature.

The AEGEEan: What is your experience within AEGEE until now?

Mayri: I started off on a local level as an active member and shortly after I became a president. Together with my board we organised a lot of events and built up some traditions that are still ongoing. My European Level experience started in the Planning Team 2011, where I was involved in the process of drafting the Strategic Plan 2011-2014. After that, I have been the speaker of the Action Agenda Coordination Committee, became a trainer of the AEGEE-Academy, initiated and started a new project called Health4Youth, been a member of the Identity Team 2013 etc. All in all, I would say that I have been actively involved in the developments in our association for the past couple of years.

The AEGEEan: What goals do you want to achieve during your year in the CD?

Mayri: As my preferred task is Projects Director, most of my programme is related to thematics. In my candidature you can find more points, but here I would like to emphasize the two following. Firstly I would really like to strengthen the project management in AEGEE. Secondly I would want to continue improving the European Boards’ Meeting. I see a lot of unlocked potential there and I believe that AEGEE could benefit from that event a lot.

The AEGEEan: Since you are a couple with Matthijs Overhaal, what would happen if one of you would not get elected? And what would happen if both of you got elected?

Mayri: I have lived together with Matthijs for two years and since then we worked together in many different teams. We are good with living and working together and this turned out to be beneficial several times. I strongly believe we both are valuable for our organisation and our relationship doesn’t stand in between our potential for the benefit of AEGEE and working with other team members. In case one of us won’t get elected, then this just means that the one not being elected has to find something else to do.

The AEGEEan: Your last local activity was in 2011. Why didn’t you contribute to any local activities in the three years after? Did you miss organizing activities on a local level?

Mayri: I have contributed to local activites also after 2011, but on a smaller scale since I moved to another country. For example, I am currently  in the advisory board and also responsible for sharing what is going on the European level. This means that I’m actively involved in my local, unfortunately just not being able to attend events physically. I do miss my dear AEGEE-Tartu, because they all are and do amazing there!

The AEGEEan: In your application you wrote that you want to strengthen the project management. How exactly do you plan to do this?

Mayri: I have some ideas. For example, I would like to explore the options of having a training for project managers. Also, I am seeking opportunities on how to ensure a strong project development in the first place. I believe I can develop a concrete plan after the knowledge transfer process.

The AEGEEan: You also wrote that you want to “develop a better cooperation strategy for the Action Agenda Coordination Committee and Quality Assurance Committee.” Do you have any plans how to do this already? Also, how would you “increase the involvement of ACT members in the process of preparing the EBM and drafting the Action Agenda”?

Mayri: As QAC is responsible for the quality of events and ACT is responsible for the content of events that go under Action Agenda, I see a great chance for cooperation. For the impact we need to deliver quality content and for the fulfillment of our Strategic Plan the cooperation between those two bodies is essential. Firstly I would like to analyse how the cooperation looks at the moment, what is working and what needs to be improved. Then according to the needs and involvement of both bodies I want to develop a proper strategy which contributes to the aims of both bodies.

The Action Agenda and the draft of it is a process with many obstacles, time constraints and difficulties to develop. As ACT is responsible for following the fulfillment of the Action Agenda I believe they also should have more responsibilities in drafting one. There are 11 members in ACT from all over the network, which makes them a good source to get to know the needs of network and to spread the word. In other words I would like to see ACT members facilitating the drafting of Action Agenda and of course the whole network contributing to the process.

The AEGEEan: How will you strengthen the role of the AEGEE-Academy within AEGEE?

Mayri: The Academy is the embodiment of all that AEGEE does: it develops and trains people. One of the most important things is that there are enough qualified people in Academy, who know what they are doing when they give trainings. The new HR strategy in the Academy is a very good start for this, but its implementation will not be easy. Allowing junior trainers to give sessions at Network Meetings as trials is an excellent exercise for them. Also, finalizing some standard forms for all European Schools, especially ES1 and ES2, could really improve our work and continuity. I would like to support the Academy in its work and emphasize the importance of training our members.

The AEGEEan: Are you a team player?

Mayri: I definitely am, because I get a lot of energy and motivation from working in teams. I like the feeling of being part of a team and achieving something together. I find it very motivating and therefore want to work and contribute more and more!

The AEGEEan: What do you expect to be your biggest struggle during your year in Brussels?

Mayri: I would guess that getting used to hearing French outside of the house or having a bit less privacy than I have at the moment.

The AEGEEan: And what would be your favorite aspect about it?

Mayri: Living and working with awesome people!

The AEGEEan: Why should AEGEEans vote for you as a member of the CD?

Mayri: I think I have done a lot of good work in AEGEE and if AEGEEans want to see me around working even harder, then they should vote for me.

The AEGEEan: For which candidates would you vote yourself?

Mayri: I would vote for candidates who are well prepared and have programmes with valuable points.

Written by Svenja van der Tol, AEGEE-Nijmegen

Who observes if democracy works? How does election observation work in international organisations? And should there be an election observation procedure within AEGEE? To answer these questions, AEGEE members Alin-Florin Calin (AEGEE-Wien) and Thomas Leszke (AEGEE-Köln) decided to launch the Election Observation Project during Agora Zaragoza. Almost five months later, the first project meeting took place in Köln from the 7th to 9th March. Ten motivated members of the project met to define the different goals of the projects and to discuss further steps.

The team elaborated four different aims of the project. Each of the aims presents a different level of election observation, and are: to have a pool of AEGEE observers that are capable of observing international elections, to create an observations trainings procedure during Agorae, to get AEGEEans involved in domestic elections and to establish an election observation procedure within AEGEE during elections at Agorae and local Agorae.

After a day full of hard work, the project team members joined AEGEE-Aachen and AEGEE-Lviv, who were visiting Aachen, for an European night. This European night took place in a small and cozy bar in the city and was a great way to end the demanding day. The whole team enjoyed the time spent with them and are grateful to the locals. As usual, it was really fun to meet old friends and to make new ones. The first project meeting was a great success and all members left Köln motivated and dedicated to work more for this interesting and demanding project.

Of course the project didn’t stop after the meeting, but will continue to give members of the Network a lot of new opportunities. In weekly Skype meetings, the election observation project is taking the next steps to achieve its aims. Right now, the project is researching how to participate in the European Parliamentary elections in different countries and also the possible involvement of AEGEEans in international observation.

For the Ukrainian presidential elections in May 2014 the team is working in cooperation with the Eastern Partnership Project in order to accreditate our organisation to be able to send observers. At Agora Patra, team members will be conducting election observation during the Agora elections and show the results to the Network.

If you want to be part of the Election Observation Project, do not hesitate to join the EOP mailing list or check the Facebook page.

Written by Julia Krebs from AEGEE-Osnabrück and Nikolay Kazantsev from AEGEE-Sankt-Peterburg.

During the Agora in Patra there will be elections held for not only new Network Commission and Juridical Commission members, but also for the members of the Comité Directeur and the more specific functions of Financial Director, President and Secretary General of AEGEE-Europe. Matthijs Overhaal from AEGEE-Tartu decided to apply for this last function, which means that if he gets elected AEGEE will have a male Secretary General for the first time again since Evren Erdener in 2008 – 2009! The AEGEEan asked him some questions about his motivation, plans and dreams for the upcoming year.

The AEGEEan: First of all, the most important question: why did you apply to be the Secretary General of AEGEE-Europe?

Matthijs: The Secretary General is in my opinion a key position, since other team members cannot function properly if the administration and sometimes even bureaucracy is not dealt with. I applied because I realized that my assets are very useful and suitable for this position, namely being a bulk worker and being structured and organized. Also, the fact that I am interested in everything that people are doing, helps a lot. Those are very important aspects of being a Secretary General. I love to have the responsibility and even the pressure to work and deal with the administration. Last but not least, I am very motivated to fight what we all fight for in AEGEE: a better Europe for young people.

The AEGEEan: Why did you apply after the deadline had already passed?

Matthijs: It was very unsure whether I would be able to graduate, as it was no longer in my own hands. When it became clear that I managed to do the practically impossible, I realized I can graduate with ease. This was a very big requirement for me to apply, motivation was not the problem. I only found this out after the deadline and then I wrote my application, in which I spend a lot of time as well. I just didn’t want to bring uncertainty about my university to the head office, which is never a good idea.

The AEGEEan: What is your experience within AEGEE until now?

Matthijs: My experience in AEGEE is quite diverse and I consider that a useful strength as Secretary General. Having been an active member in my local, I discovered the seemingly endless possibilities and motivated people in AEGEE since Agora Skopje and Network Meeting Riga in 2011. Ever since, my life has never been the same. For the sake of reading this interview, I cannot mention all the highlights but only the ones that are most dear to me. Life- and mind changing events such as Training for Trainers Warsaw 2011, Leadership Training Brussels 2014 and European School Summer University Patra 2012 have made me realize what amazing people live on this Earth, as well as what my strengths and weaknesses are. The foundation of the Health4Youth project, together with Mayri Tiido and Katre-Helena Käppa, and being a board member for two years now has been an amazing experience, teaching me a lot of what is to be known in AEGEE.

The AEGEEan: Do you have any administrational experience that you’d need being the Secretary General?

Matthijs: Despite not having an official administrative position, I have always fulfilled and dealt with the administration in Health4Youth: taking minutes, host meetings, prepare meetings, data storage of our events and (promotional) documents. I very much enjoy doing so, keeping track of the whole process and gathering what we were doing all the time. Next to that, I am familiar and competent with mailing lists, the administration of the online working format of Podio, shared documents and folders etc. But there are always things to improve, such as setting the agenda for meetings and updating the working agendas from other team members. However, I have no doubt that I will master that as well. And by the way, I am a very efficient cleaner.

The AEGEEan: Which goals do you want to achieve during your year in the CD?

Matthijs: As I wrote in my candidature, there are a couple of points that are really important to me. Being the person who has to keep track of what people and AEGEE is doing, the development of a good, internal measure of our work is very important. This can start with our trainings, and then be extended to Network Meetings, Summer Universities and other events. One year is a very short time for this, but my aim is that measuring the impact of events in AEGEE is a standard procedure in the end. Externally, improving the work of the Liaison and Policy Officers by better cooperation with the Comité Directeur is needed. I wrote it down more specifically in my application.

Next to that, I consider it crucial that we continue to develop the statutory events, and mainly the Agora. I noticed that it has become less inspirational and outgoing for others. Also, I believe that the opportunity to work together when we are all there is diminishing. I think we sometimes don’t realize how special an Agora actually is; not many people can say that they attend an event with a) about 500-1000 people and b) people from all over Europe. So then not using the opportunity to work together fully is a bit of a waste of time and money for all of us. Of course there are good reasons for that (such as comma-bureaucracy), and tackling those is going to be a major challenge I will happily face head-on.

And to keep it short, on a personal level I’d like to work on the recognition of our own Non-Formal Education work, which is quite related to the impact measurement. Also, the defining and development of a permanent secretariat in the head office can be very beneficial for everyone in AEGEE.

The AEGEEan: Since you are a couple with Mayri, what would happen if one of you would not get elected? And what would happen if both of you got elected?

Matthijs: I’d like to stress here that my application is my decision and from no-one else. And I know that the same applies for Mayri. We are two individuals, who happen to also like each other a lot. If one of us doesn’t get elected, it just means that one of us needs to find something else to do. Me and Mayri have lived in every thinkable situation already; long-distance, together in a super-small room (14 square meters), together in a bigger room. Whatever the outcome of the elections, it will make it not much easier or harder to be together in my opinion. If me and Mayri both get elected, it will mean that we can prove again what up to so far we have always done; to work in a team as individuals. In Health4Youth, the Identity team, as trainers in ESSU Patra, as participants in events, we work together, disagree with each other and discuss matters with others. I work with Mayri just as I would work with anyone else.

The AEGEEan: In your application you wrote that you want to “provide a hospitable working environment for others to function, as well as assisting other team members when this is needed.” How exactly will you do this?

Matthijs: For the hospitable working environment part, I can do something which is a bit of a guilty pleasure: cleaning and making sure that the house stays organized. I am actually thinking of making a 30-min round in the office and house before I get to work and just organize and clean where needed. In order to keep things clean and organized, both me, my team mates and guests to the head office will have to comply with the rules of the house and office. As it is part of the Secretary General job, I will make sure that all people respect the house rules. With the assistance of other team members, I referred to the fact that a Secretary General needs to know what goes on in the head office and can help with small tasks (let’s say: checking a grant application for content and grammar mistakes or share information about European institutions), but only when asked.

The AEGEEan: You also wrote that “AEGEE has a good product, but seems to forget to update and improve it.” How would you change this for the better? What are your concrete plans?

Matthijs: AEGEE mobilizes people, broadens their mind and trains them with and about non-formal education. This last year, the process of impact measurement started, but it proved to be difficult to finalize and implement it. So I will start with that, by defining what and how we are measuring ‘the AEGEE effect’. I believe that the Quality Assurance Committee is crucial during both the development and implementation phase and the Network Commission for the awareness among locals to use it. In the end, I see it taking shape in several surveys (for different kinds of events) that are just a standard procedure for participants to fill in.

The AEGEEan: You have a lot of plans for the upcoming year, but do you think you will be able to fulfill all these? It has been said before that the administration of AEGEE-Europe alone already takes a lot of time. How would you deal with this?

Matthijs: Being a full-time (and probably a bit more) member of the Comité Directeur and living in the house already will help me a lot. And even though I probably will have some initial difficulties getting used to the amount of work, it will only go easier as the time progresses. Also, the fact that earlier Secretary Generals have been able to fulfill their tasks as well as focus on personal interests makes me feel very confident that I can manage the administration very well.

The AEGEEan: What do you expect to be your biggest struggle during your year in Brussels?

Matthijs: For sure not the Brussels weather, I am quite used to that and like rain and cold a lot. I think that for everyone the situation of living together with six other people in one house while also working there is already the biggest challenge that they need to overcome first and foremost.

The AEGEEan: And what would be your favorite aspect about it?

Matthijs: Giving food to the bunnies of course! And next to that, I am pretty sure that I will very much enjoy the idea of trying to make a change in Europe in my own way. In fact, the idea of doing the general administration in late, dark hours with shitty weather outside will satisfy me most, as I know that the stage for a better Europe is set for others.

The AEGEEan: Why should AEGEEans vote for you as a member of the CD?

Matthijs: I think that all AEGEEans should vote for the person (in whatever position) with the best ideas and programme. I believe that my plans will help the organisation forward, especially since we need to look at what the organization has done in the past and does every day. My skills, competences and strengths will get me there already halfway.

The AEGEEan: For which candidates would you vote yourself?

Matthijs: If I would have voting rights this Agora (sadly I don’t), I would vote for candidates who have both brilliant ideas and excellent means to execute them. This is not only the case for Comité Directeur but for any other available position as well. AEGEE needs good, common-sense and qualified people in every position, whether it is in a local, working group, Network commission or anywhere else.

Written by Svenja van der Tol, AEGEE-Nijmegen

Member of the Month March is… Fotis Pastrakis, the new IT of the Chair Team, member of AEGEE-Kastoria for more than one year and he is so far exremely active!

 Can you tell us about yourself and your experience in AEGEE? How did you join AEGEE?

I was born and raised in Thessaloniki, my beloved hometown, until my footsteps brought me to Kastoria and university. As a realist and a person quite concerned about the world (politically, socially, etc.), AEGEE seemed to be ideal for me. It took me almost one year of thinking it through and discussing with people who were already in AEGEE, to decide if I really want to join and be active in the association. So when I finally joined AEGEE Kastoria, I was almost directly placed as IT responsible of the local board and started to build a network of connections with other people after sometime. If AEGEE was a program (like the ones in object-oriented programming), the objects for me would be people to meet, places to travel, cultural exchange and ideas which are worth further development.

What is motivating  for you? Is there a person who inspires you?

Motivating? What is more motivating than life itself? Nothing motivates me better than myself and nothing can motivate anyone better than themselves. I really don’t know by whom I am inspired, but I believe in the analysis of human psychology. Philosophy and poetry are some things which I am keen on. Nietzsche and Kariotakis have inspired me a lot, in general, but they are not the only ones.

What motivated you to apply for the Chair Team?

A strong appetite for knowledge. I am still a newbie(or I feel like this) in AEGEE, but as most of the stuff I am involved in, I  face it as a challenge. When I saw the qualifications for this place, I thought I had most of them and the ones I didn’t have, would be a great way (maybe a tough one, too) to obtain them. After all, the whole process of organizing an Agora is a great experience which I have to gain.

What else are you doing in AEGEE?

I am the IT of my local board, member of Culture Working Group, designer in the Public Relations Committee, member of Information Technology Committee and member of myAEGEE Team.

What are you doing at myAEGEE Team?

We administrate the system of all intranet accounts, answer to e-mails and mostly helping members in case they have some problem with their accounts.

What do you do apart from AEGEE? Studies? Work?

I am in the fourth year of my studies at the Technological Institute of Western Macedonia in the field of IT. Apart from my field and the time I dedicate on it, I am involved with beatmaking, lyrics, photography and volunteering. I am not working right now, but I have done several part-time jobs before, not only associated with computers. I think AEGEE is a great gateway to get ready for the labor market from a strange point of view. AEGEE has so many aspects that anyone can take advantage of.  For his own good, but for others, as well.

Recently, you and the rest of the Chair Team had a meeting at Brussels. How was it? Are you ready to work together for Patra?

The meeting was awesome, if someone could describe a preparation meeting for an Agora as awesome. The meeting took a long time  but it was quite interesting. Maybe I was not that talkative, but it was the best knowledge transfer for me, in order to get ready for my position in Agora Patra.

I already had met Miljana in Belgrade so we were a bit connected and, since we are both from the Balkans, we have a special way of communicating. Alberto and Paul were very friendly and have helped us a lot.

Written by Lia Tuska, AEGEE-Sofia/AEGEE-Kastoria

Miljana Vulevic, former Human Resources Responsible of AEGEE-Beograd, decided to be more active in  the European Level by joining the Chair Team as the Secretary of Spring Agora Patra. Now she’s back from the Chair Team meeting in Brussels and we’ve had the chance to interview her!

Can you tell us about yourself and your experience in AEGEE? How did you join AEGEE?

I am Miljana, 24 years old. I’ve been a proud member of AEGEE-Beograd since 2012, so a bit over two years now. I joined my local after being inspired by our old members in one of our amazing Local Training Courses. After one year spent as HR Responsible of my antenna, I’ve decided to become active in the European level.

What motivated you to apply for the Chair Team?

Agora is my all-time favourite event. It’s like a rollercoaster ride – you go from being so full of energy to feeling miserable over and over again. It’s exciting, it’s inspiring, it’s intense: it’s Agora. Being part of the team that is involved in making that magic happen would be just… fantastic!  So, when I saw that an open call for the position was issued, it caught my attention and after getting the support from my amazing AEGEE besties and my Netcommie, lovely Miss Antonija Parat, I decided to just go for it. Obviously, it worked out fine.

What do you do apart from AEGEE? Studies? Work?

I am studying Management at the University of Belgrade, I’m on my final year and I spend all my free non-AEGEE time with my friends.

Do you plan of running  also for  being Secretary of the Agora in Cagliari?

Honestly, I don’t know. But I have some more time to think about it, so who knows. I just might do it.

 Recently, the rest of the Chair Team and you had a meeting in Brussels. How was it? Are you ready to work together in Patra?

True, we had a meeting last weekend and it was pretty great. As a new addition to the Chair team, my contribution wasn’t epic or grand, I just suggested an idea here and there like it is whenever you’re a newbie. But it has been amazing to take part in drafting the agenda, selecting the participants and just being part of the whole process. It  has also been such an inspiration watching Paul [Smits] and Alberto [Cuesta Noriega] work like a well-oiled machine. It reassured me that joining the Chair Team was a good decision and made me want to give my best on this job. All in all, I can’t wait for the Agora!

Written by Lia Tuska, AEGEE-Sofia/AEGEE-Kastoria