Agora Catania is starting in a few days and as always, the AEGEEan will try to help you better understand the Proposals which will be discussed during the Prytania. These following ones are proposed by the Mediation Commission, the Audit Commission, AEGEE-Aachen and AEGEE-Enschede.

Fixed term for the Mediation Commission

Proposed by Damien Lacatz on behalf of the Mediation Commission. This proposal seeks approval for the establishment of a set starting date for the term of the Mediation Commission, which now starts on the day following the end of Agora, implying that previous commissioners lose access rights due to confidenciality and thus making KT very difficult. If the proposal was to be approved, the MedCom would have a term starting on the 1st of December, allowing a timeframe for KT between the election date and the starting date. The proposal would end up in an addition of this provision to the Statutes of AEGEE-Europe, also granting the newly elected members access to all necessary data for Knowledge Transfer purposes.

Gathering of the financial documents of every European event

Proposed by Luca Bisighini on behalf of the Audit Commission. This proposal aims at making the work of the Audit Commission more comprehensive and more respondent to its features in compliance with article 27 of the CIA and articles 13 and 14 of the Financial Rules. The proposed change to the Financial Rules of AEGEE-Europe aims at collecting and checking the financial data connected to events and projects organised by locals (final budget, bank history, bookkeeping), in relation to every European event and project.

Modification of Locals’ Statutes

Proposed by Nils Barkawitz on behalf of AEGEE-Aachen. This proposal is based on the fact that to fulfill Antenna Criteria, a local should have Statutes compatible with the Convention d’Adhésion and the Statutes of AEGEE-Europe in both the original language and English to be presented to the Juridical Commission upon request or upon modification by the local, but nobody checks if changes were made during the last term. Thus the proposal is to delete from Article 6 (1).1. the expression “upon modification by the local or”.

Nomination of the JC member who is in MedCom

Proposed by Damien Lacatz on behalf of the Mediation Commission. This proposal’s aim is to introduce at Article 29, (4) of the Statutes of AEGEE-Europe a provision making it possible for the Juridical Commission to appoint a member different than its president, suitable for mediation and resolution of conflicting issues, to join the Mediation Commission.

Proposal to set all deadlines for publishing official documents at two weeks before the Agora 2.0

Proposed by Steyn ten Kate, Rik Smale and Timo Haarman on behalf of AEGEE-Enschede. Following a previous proposal during Spring Agora Enschede, this proposal aims at setting the deadline for the publication of all official documents of Agora two weeks before Agora. If approved, it would result in the addition of this provision to the Charter of Honorary Members and the Working Format of the Agora.

You can find all the proposals here.

Written by Federica Soro, AEGEE-Cagliari

Agora Catania is starting in a few days and as always, the AEGEEan will try to help you better understand the Proposals which will be discussed during the Prytania. These following ones are all proposed by the Comitè Directeur. 

EPM topic selection at Spring Agora

Proposed by Loes Rutten on behalf of the CD. This proposal aims at anticipating the selection of the topic for EPM to Spring Agora, in order to have a better correspondence of the timeframe with the preparatory work of the hosting local. Moreover, the announcement of hosting local of EPM would be made at the previous EPM, so that this factor could be taken into consideration for the topic selection. The proposed emendments to the Working Formats of Agora and EPM replace the expression “Autumn Agora” with the expression “Spring Agora” (in the Agora WF) and “the preceding Spring Agora” (in the EPM WF).

On resignation of members from elected European Bodies

Proposed by Fabrizio Bellicano on behalf of the CD. This proposal’s intention is to limit the possibility for members to apply for an elective position before they finish their duties, in case they where already elected for a different elective position at a previous Agora. The proposed changes to the WF of the Agora add that members who hold an Agora-elected position cannot run for a different elective position at the following Agora, except when the end of the previous term and the beginning of the following one do not collide. The same rationale would apply to resignations, unless announced three months in advance before Agora.

Vote of Confidence and Comité Directeur

Proposed by María Ballesteros Melero on behalf of the CD. This proposal is based on the fact that a vote of confidence against the CD is automatic in case the interim Action Agenda fulfillment is not approved by Agora, but the CD doesn’t -and shouldn’t- have control over the Action Agenda fulfillment. It is proposed to link the vote of confidence to the lack of approval by Agora for binding documents for CD such as their Activity Plan or interim Activity Report. This last provision would be added to article 21, (1) of the Statutes of AEGEE-Europe, while at article 3, (3) of the Strategic Plan and Action Agenda, point 5 (“Disapproval of the interim evaluation leads to a vote of confidence for the Comité Directeur”) would be removed.

You can find all the proposals here.

Written by Federica Soro, AEGEE-Cagliari

If you never heard her name in AEGEE, you might have been living on a different planet. Suzan Dilara Tokac from AEGEE-Eskişehir has been very active throughout the nine years of her AEGEE life, going from PRC to being PR for two editions of the AEGEE Day to a term in the MedCom starting at Spring Agora Enschede. She still feels she has a lot to learn in AEGEE, and that’s why she’s candidating again for a full term with the Mediation Commission. 

The AEGEEan: Everyone in the Network must have heard about you at least once, but for those who haven’t, who is Suzan? What drives you to still contribute to AEGEE after nine years? Do you have a secret to keep your motivation always up?

Suzan: Suzan is dinasour member  from AEGEE-Eskisehir and also became a member of AEGEE-Groningen last year, she is 27 years old and just started her phd in Neurolinguistics at University of Groningen this year. She has been participated and contributed to many events, projects, groups, teams, committees with great love and dedication and I am happy to be that person. Actually I am celebrating my 10th year during the Agora, on the 27th of September. However, I have to be honest about one thing, I wasn’t an active member for ten full years. I was active at the beginning and I attended a few agorae and events then I was lost for a while (not very proud of it, though), then my comeback was on November 2012 with the LTC and since then I am doing the best I can to improve the organisation and myself within it. The secret of my motivation is my belief and trust in the value and the structure of this organisation. I always see AEGEE as an association way ahead of being simply a students’ organisation, AEGEE is much more mature and advanced when we know how to make use of it.

You applied to the MedCom at Agora Enschede. Why did you choose this body in particular and what have you experienced there that made you want to continue your work?

From the day that I was chosen as a MedCom member till this day it has only been four months and when you compare it to a proper working period of a commission member, which is usually a year, it is not enough at all. The amount of task and needs of the Mediation Commission need first a lot of time to read and learn; second, concrete planning and action for improvement and resolution. I like to help people and solve conflicts and in order to be a part of the solution I chose this commission. I also believe that my professional background is helping me to understand human nature and psychology, which is very crucial for mediation.

You mention that there are “serious communicational problems” in AEGEE. How do you think this relates to the “lack of interest in AEGEE events, human resources and public relations”?”

It’s a “cause and effect” relation. If you just think about it in this approach you will all remember some personal memories or stories of your friends. My point of view as a MedCom is that we receive many e-mails from individuals, bodies or locals and at a certain point they all stems from communicational roots. When people do not have a healthy environment to develop and participate, they just exclude themselves out and this results in decreased member numbers, thus in less human power. From another perspective, as an experienced member I can say that when people are experiencing some personal issues of course they are sharing this with their friends out of human nature, however sometimes this sharing is turning into influencing and bush telegraphs emerging within and outside of the organisation; this results in negative promotion.

You want to raise awareness about the MedCom. Do you already have some specific action in mind?

Members in need of help may forget or don’t know about our existence. Existence of a single entity whose only aim is to help or support when asked! I am planning to prepare, with my team members, a “How to Use the MedCom” booklet. This will be a really basically depicted booklet of the work and use of Mediation Commission, supported by pictures, examples and caricatures. Moreover, to attend as many events as possible to present the MedCom and give presentations about the commission and related subjects would be really useful to make the Network familiar with the MedCom.

One of the hot topics for the MedCom is data privacy, and you mention it in your candidature. Did you have an occasion to explore the subject in the past months in the MedCom? How would you expand the Network’s knowledge about this issue?

As I mentioned above, this four months were mostly a learning and observing experience for me and I have done my best to learn and read about it. In our MedCom archives there are thousands of pages of documents related to Data Privacy, that’s why I need more time to explore those pages. When it comes to informing the Network of course not everyone has to know about all the jargon and history of the issue. What can be done is to prepare small texts supported with pictures and diagrams and included in the “How to Use MedCom” booklet so that people can be informed properly about their and others’ rights and limits.

Lastly, why should Agora vote for you?

In the end, it is of course Agora’s final judgement to decide if I will work on that position or not but I believe my contribution to this association so far and my AEGEE resume would affect their decision positively. In every position I have been responsible of, first I learnt from it, then fed it and then offered it to the other members. Regardless of years passed and the burden of my professional life, I always give AEGEE the priority and I have never regretted it.

You can read her full candidature here.

Written by Federica Soro, AEGEE-Cagliari

One more application for the Mediation Commission was made by: Matteo Lai. He, amongst other things, has been the IT responsible for AEGEE-Cagliari and an active member of The AEGEEan. Now he wants to give back to our beloved association by joining the Mediation Commission with his juridical knowledge. 

The AEGEEan: Hi Matteo, please introduce yourself for our readers!

Matteo: I am Matteo, from Quartu Sant’Elena, a town very close to Cagliari, capital of Sardinia. I got a master’s degree in law and currently I am an employment and labour lawyer for a very famous law firm in Cagliari centre. Although I have such a serious job, I have a lot of hobbies like dancing, reading Italian literature books, playing football (I was a referee for some regional championships some time ago) and hanging out with friends. In April 2015 I saw some Facebook links about Summer Universities. I did not know what they were, but I had heard somewhere about some holidays only for students and young people. The issue was that I was not a student anymore but a trainee-lawyer. I understood it wes a project of a students’ association, AEGEE. I was not really sure about what I was doing but I decided to approach my University and to get more information. I became an AEGEE member and, until today, joining AEGEE has been one of the best choices in my entire life. Even if I was rejected for the first SU, this association has allowed me to meet new people which have really changed my opinion about Europe and made me help to delete lots of stereotypes. I am one of the AEGEE-Cagliari members who attended more local and European events in a little more than two years. Furthermore, in AEGEE-Cagliari I discovered my second family. Already the first SU as organiser encouraged me to be an active member and that’s why in December 2015 I became the new IT responsible of my antenna.

Why did you decide to run for a position in the Mediation Commission?

AEGEE is one of Europe’s biggest youth organisations where you can talk with people of several faculties and disciplines and, maybe also because of their cultural background, they are not well aware of the legal aspects of the association. I met lots of AEGEE friends that have never heard about the CIA and I would like to transmit them the knowledge of the Statutes, the rules that govern the life of AEGEE and this could be realised especially when the Mediation Commission is addressed to act as a mediator by any person or body in AEGEE. Very often it happens that people violate rules because they don’t know them. Because AEGEE strives for a democratic, diverse and borderless Europe, which is socially, economically and politically integrated, we can get successful in this task if we also respect the rules. Without rules, we would live not in civil society but we would stay in a state of nature where the condition of each person is “bellum omnium contra omnes” (meaning war of all against all), as the philosopher Thomas Hobbes wrote. I would be pleased to do my best, after two years of hard but very satisfying work in my antenna (I also was organiser for the first Network Meeting of AEGEE-Cagliari), in a European body because I believe in the functions of the MedCom and I think both my juridical culture and my previous experience in other organisations could be helpful for the MedCom. I don’t want to impose my personal ideas to the other MedCom members but I want to contribute to find the best solution for all cases that we will deal with.

What do you think it’s the main job of the MedCom?

The main job of the MedCom is to strive for an amicable settlement among the parties involved before considering further actions, serving as mediator. If this is not possible, the MedCom has to take a neutral and transparent decision without being subject to business and friendly relations or love affairs. So if one of the MedCom members cannot be objective, has to abstain for the specific case. Furthermore, the MedCom has the role to make an AEGEE member the future best European citizen with its “punitive” competence to make know and respect the law. Obviously, the MedCom deals mainly with the observance of the statutes but some principles in the statutes are shared in every European state, such as “in dubio pro reo”.

According to you, what do you think is the most important quality to be in the MedCom and why do you see yourself as the perfect person to fulfill the position?

The MedCom requires a lot of observation and knowledge about AEGEE in general and the CIA procedure. I think I gained both of them during my first two years and six months in AEGEE. I like to treat juridical cases and I would like to share this passion with other AEGEE members. Even if there is a psychological side in cases analysis that I have acquired as very active member in my Antenna and in European projects because I know many dynamics that can determine, even just accidentally, the violation of some rules. I am a person that wants to dialogue with members and not just directly to punish them. Even if every final decision, I would like to remind, has to be ratified by the Agora.

What is your idea to strengthen the communication and the cooperation within and between the AEGEE bodies?

The Mediation Commission is expected to co-operate fully with the other bodies of AEGEE-Europe and to use their experience and knowledge. Social networks could be helpful. For example, a Facebook secret group could be created in order to share some cases with some members of the European bodies so that some members not involved in Medcom can express their opinion and offer another point of view. Obviously, the active participation in this Facebook group would be not obligatory as well as uploading all cases by the MedCom. Also some Skype meetings can strengthen the communication between the AEGEE bodies.

Could you sum up your programme in a few clear bullet points? 

I will tell you with some key words: prevention, impartiality and knowledge of the rules. Prevention means that the MedCom should help to avoid conflicts between Locals, in its advisory function, but this is possible only if the MedCom gets a request by any person or AEGEE body. Instead, I think the MedCom can, at least, make some investigations, or also express the advisory function if just one of the MedCom members hears something, or somehow gets some rumours (but not fake news), about any issues between locals, without any request needed.

Impartiality means that the MedCom should take a decision without being influenced by any external element. Every member of the MedCom knows that is working for the good of the association and has to abstain if he/she cannot make the decision.

Knowledge of the rules means that the MedCom should promote the knowledge of the rules by the AEGEE members with its advisory and “punitive” functions, that could be facilitated through spreading the content of the CIA and its practical applications via a new Facebook page, after every decision is ratified by the Agora. In the eventual Facebook page I want to insert some posts about the normal day of the MedCom member, without, obviously, spreading information about the cases. The website of the MedCom has to be updated I would like to take care of it, considered my experience as IT responsible of my antenna and the Your Vision for Europe project.

In you task related experience, you mention mostly your legal work and team experience. Though you also have a lot of experience as the IT-responsible for AEGEE-Cagliari.  Will it help you in the Medcom, which covers tasks concerning data privacy policy?

I will do my best for the issue you mention and I will discuss about it with the team. For sure, my experience will help me in the MedCom for data privacy policy. We can’t use personal data for spamming, selling or giving them to others without consent or abuse them in any other way. This is a rule that is reproduced also in many national laws and so the MedCom has to continue the protection of the personal data. Unfortunately, many companies can spend much money in order to get personal data and there is not a person, in this world, that snubs easy money.

You can read Matteo’s full candidature here.

Written by Mireille Voorendt, AEGEE-Utrecht

When you meet Francesca Zorcolo from AEGEE-Cagliari, you can tell straight away that she is an active member of our association. She was vice-president and president of her local, main organiser for NWM Cagliari 2106, subcommie for the Rainbow for Netcom Gabriele Scollo. Now candidating for the Network Commission. 

The AEGEEan: How would you describe yourself?

Francesca: My name is Francesca, but I love to be called  “Zorci”, I currently study Economy and management at the University of Cagliari but I’m going to finish soon –luckily- ahahah. I’m 24 and I’m from AEGEE-Cagliari. I have been a member since 2014 and from the very first moment I’ve always been an active member, I’ve been for two years on the board and now I’m subcommie for the Netcom Gabriele.

Why did you choose to candidate for the Network Commission?

As I said before, I have been in AEGEE since 2014 and in these past years I’ve gained experience, I’ve learnt a lot about what locals need and how to support them and that’s exactly what I would like to do: support locals, make them shine and be present for everything they could need, giving them my time and the resources they need.

What would be your main objective as a member of NetCom?

Certainly, I would like to work together with the Netcom team to study and put in action a recruiting strategy to spread among our locals in order to solve the problem of decreasing numbers in memberships that AEGEE is facing now. Then I would like to create a strong collaboration among locals and between locals and European Bodies, in this way the right field to share best practices, resources and opinions can be created.

Who would you say is your best source of inspiration in AEGEE?

Aww I didn’t expect this question! I cannot nominate just one, so I answer with Lisa Gregis, because she’s a hard worker and she has inspired me to dream big and to realise bigger! Marina Klancic, because I love the way she works and she keeps me motivated to give my best to the Network Commission and of course Mattia Abis, because I think he had a great impact on the Network when he was Netcommie and his feedbacks are still for me the most important I can receive.

You mention in your application that you would you like to create a strong cooperation spirit among locals. How do you plan to achieve this result?

First, I would like to create chances to get to know each other: through live meeting at events, but even through hangouts, challenges, inviting them to introduce themselves in the locals group and creating focus groups about common interest issues. Then, I would like to invite them to share their best practices filling jointly folders about different subjects, like PR, HR, FR and so on. And lastly inviting locals to organise events, such as Summer Universities or RTC or Promotion Days, together, in this way even those locals which suffer from a lack of members could organise something to involve new ones.

But I would like to know the opinion of the Netcom team and the Subcommie team for building a well-studied strategy together.

You live in Sardinia. Do you think this might be an obstacle for you when you need to visit your locals?

I think not, Sardinia is well-connected with everywhere by plane and by ferry, we have low-cost companies and special offers that connect Sardinia to Italy, so definitely it won’t be a problem.

How do you envision cooperation with your fellow NetCommies?

I think we will set up common projects and go on with those that are currently working, and I imagine our cooperation will be like a constant sharing of opinion and points of view. I hope we will support each other in case we would have any problem or doubt!

Do you already have an idea about your SubCommies team, in case you were elected?

I would like to collaborate again with some people I met this year, but I don’t have a clear idea about it yet. I just know how I would like to work with them, I’d like to structure the subcommie team as Gabriele did before, giving them general tasks for help locals about different fields and giving them specific locals to support.

Questions from the Network

You have experience with Gabrielle’s locals. Would you have a problem if you were assigned to other locals?

I’d say no, because if I will be elected I can count on the previous Netcom’s knowledge transfer for those locals, probably I would choose subcommies who already got experience with some of those locals and of course, I would organise a meeting with all of the locals assigned to know them better

What’s your opinion about cutting a wide series of useless Netcom criteria which just create useless bureaucracy?

As we have seen from the last email about the “possible changes in the Network”, there is of course a problem regarding the Antenna Criteria, but now I cannot says what. Of course, this issue will be discussed with the Netcom team and our Network Director in order to find a solution that it’s suitable for the locals and our network in general.

You can read her full candidature here.

Written by Firdevs Cazim

Few days are missing to Autumn Agora Catania, and one of the most important decisions we will make, is to choose the best people for the Network Commission. Alin Georgescu has already worked as a NetCommie for one year and would like to dare again and commit himself to the Network. 

The AEGEEan: Who are you? For what do we know you?

Alin: Hard question. We don’t usually ask ourselves who we are, and if we do, we come with some cliché answers. I can say I let my actions say who I am (See? Cliché!) and I’m not concerned about this question to be honest. I can be consider a traveller, I like to explore places, people, thoughts, ideas, buildings, everything. So yeah, I can define myself as traveller.

You have already been a NetCom for one year, how would you comment your year as a NetCommie?

Challenging. I didn’t expect it to be so damn challenging, honestly. I hate bureaucracy, and as a NetComm you have a lot. But I don’t mind, we are a team and I’ve always found support when I needed. But overall it’s good, I say it is ‘cause my term is not over yet, I still have until December. I want to continue, I feel I didn’t finish with this. So if something makes you wish for more, that’s good, no?

What did you achieve in your year as a NetCommie? Why would you like to run again?

I was able to come closer to AEGEEans and European Bodies. But most importantly, closer to the members from many locals. I would like to run again because I need more time. I came to that point when I’ve met the difficulties that locals are facing, I want to change the way we see the Network Meetings as training courses. In NWM Debrecen I did it differently, it was a meeting between members, a space for reflection and connecting, learning and sharing. I want more of these events. I will do it in Cluj Napoca and hopefully two more times. I want to prove that it is possible this way and there can be an amazing outcome from it.

You wrote in your programme that you would like to stabilise the current state of the locals you’re responsible for, did you notice something else that might need your commitment after one year in the NetCom?

Isn’t it enough? The engine of our organisation is at local level. No matter how many new, awesome and life changing ideas or initiatives we have, we start at local level. We are a big organisation and we have an impact at European level because we have many locals. Unfortunately we forget that a big number is made by small numbers, our members and locals. We have to focus more on their REAL needs, strengthen their activities, management and resources. This is what I want to work on, for me this is top priority: the local level.

How is the Antenna Criteria Reform, approved during Agora Enschede, working?

Less bureaucracy, but there’s space for improvement.

In the Network Status Update email that the Network received there were many locals in danger, would you like to comment this and how you will work to change this situation?

Unfortunately this is the real state of the Network that we didn’t want to see for a long time. I will continue what I’ve done so far, building a good relationship between locals, trying to improve their activities, their recruitment process and members. Network Meeting will help. Also more thematic projects funded from different grants would do the work. Currently I’m gaining more and more knowledge on this and I’m planning to work closely with locals on applying for Erasmus+ funds. Also criteria should, and they will, suffer some changes, many locals are suffering and are on that list just because of bureaucracy.

Would you prefer a Network of few strong locals or one of many common ones?

Definitely more locals, we have to create the opportunity for as many young people as possible to join our organisation and our goals. A “natural” selection will always exist but we have to open our network for everyone. Maybe one member from a weak local can be the next President of AEGEE Europe, who can deny it?

Describe the features of “the perfect NetCommie”. 

There is no such a thing as perfect. There is just the will to constantly learn, improve yourself and never give up.

In your motivation we can read “During last months I came to the conclusion, there is more work that I have to do from this position so I want to continue”. Can you be more specific about what kind of work would you like to carry out if you are elected?

In my motivation I wrote this for the simple reason that almost no one is reading it. Yeah, some people can accuse me I’m too honest, but this is reality, jut few people are reading 70% of what we write in AEGEE. I will mention again the Network Meeting, the way I see it differently than what we do it now, a mix of trainings after which we get almost nothing, you are just tired and hungover probably. I need this time to proof that we can do way more and really use this events to strengthen our Network. I would also apply for grants, which needs time, and I will focus on planning and a good management. The locals that I’m responsible for need better strategy for recruitment, activities and managing their members. Some of them are even writing that “we need some magic to make the youth do something”. The lack of motivation is still a big issue in our Network and if you combine this with some bureaucracy (I think I used it too many times), you have locals endangered.

Why would we need to vote for you?

Because I can bring something new in AEGEE. Because I’m not perfect but I’m working on it. Because I constantly learn, reflect and share. Because I’m committed to this job.

Question from the Network:

You’re running for your second term in Net.Com. In your current experience as Netcommie what you consider the best goal you achieved and which you in the top urgent to solve or complete? (Consider your personal experience and your assigned locals)

Network Meeting Debrecen is the biggest achievement. Network Meeting Cluj Napoca is the next.

You can read his full candidature here.

Written by Lisa Gregis, AEGEE-Bergamo

Laura Garcia Rueda is a very energic and positive girl from AEGEE-A Coruña, she has a lot of experience on the local level ( she is currently the secretary of her local) and she has already worked with SUCT becaming a SUpporter for it this past year.

The AEGEEan : Can you introduce yourself for those who don’t know you?

Laura : I’m Laura from A Coruña, a beautiful city in the northwest of Spain. I studied oceanography and now I’m going to start my masters’ in environmental management. I really love music: Arctic Monkeys, Oasis, Blur, The Beatles… Brit pop and alternative music in general (also Spanish music). I like to go to music festivals and enjoy the beauty of music having a good time with friends. I’m a cinema lover, a supporter of my Deportivo de La Coruña, always with a smile in my face, positive, and someone who never gives up. Contact me if you are interested to know more about me.

What valuable lessons did studying the ocean give you, that you would apply in your work for SUCT?

After several years studying, I think I have acquired a working methodology that is very necessary when you have to get involved in a project like this. Not only the habit of studying and working that the bachelors’ can give you, but it’s the amount of teamwork that I have done which has prepared me to know how to work on a team. Taking care of the ocean, of the animals, the samples to make measurements is like taking care of all our organisers, you have to be concentrated, be very careful in order to have the best response from them.

Why did you apply for SUCT? Especially, can you tell us why did you decide to run as Project Manager?

I’ve applied for SUCT because for me the SU project has a lot of potential to make the association more known, get and motivate members. A unique experience which brings the opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and, finally, develop more skills once you’re involved in AEGEE. I have chosen project manager because I consider that my experience (being main organiser, helper and participant of different SUs) has gave me a clear understanding of the project. Furthermore, after being participant in some training events (such as Develop Yourself 3 and SUPS in Skopje, among others), I have gained the necessary skills to be a good leader, be able to work within a team and manage it and also to solve conflicts.

In your programme you said that you want to improve the collaboration between SUCT and AEGEE-Academy, in which way?

As main organiser of a SU and having contact with many experienced members from my local and others, I could learn that there is a lack of good trainers and, for this reason, trainings in the Summer Universities. So, I would like to keep more in touch with them and, as much as we can, try to have some agreements to motivate more locals to ask for trainers and, also, more trainers to attend SUs and deliver sessions. We can also work together in the compulsory content for the SUs to make it more attractive for everyone and be able to give content and fun to the participants and organisers. If we are able to give that, the result will be that more people will want to join AEGEE after their SU.

How do you envision the celebrations for the 30th anniversary of SU? Not every day is the 30th aniversary of someone, so why not celebrate it?

I think is a good opportunity to make a great tribute to the Summer University Project and we all know that the current SUCT is preparing something special, so wait a bit and give me the opportunity to surprise you a bit! I can promise that it will be something unforgettable!

If you could choose just one big aim to improve SUCT, what would you choose and why?

The most important thing that SUCT needs to improve is being closer to the locals and other European bodies, in order to help them in a better way, and have more comunication with the European Bodies in order to have more quality in the Summer Universities. They were improving a lot in this sense but, as main organiser this year, I can say that there is room for more improvement.

What are your aims and hopes for SUCT?

I hope that we can continue doing a very good job inside SUCT, rather improving it, achieving all the proposals in ours programmes, or at least letting them have a start. Combining the knowledge, experience, motivation and good relation that we will have in our team, I think that we’ll be able to make a huge work, to contribute a lot in this project and to help organising, once again, the summer of the life of hundreds of young people.

Questions from the Network

You said in your application that you want to keep SUpporters and activate them more. Do you have a programme for that? What exactly, and how can they support you? In your opinion, why right now SUpporters are not so active?

About SUpporters, I was thinking about some improvents to include in our programme: organise more Skype meetings with them, use the survey to the Network that I also want to implement to make guidelines and useful documents in order to make those task more easy. They can support us in a different ways. Working as a team, sharing tasks, or they could even contribute with their own experience and knowledge, in case they have it. If they won’t have enough yet, the knowledge transfer will be fundamental in order to involve them in our work with more confidence. I think that now they are not very active because they are not enough motivated. We should motivate them more, being more communicative and interactive with them.

You can read her full candidature here.

Written by Paola Letizia Murru, AEGEE-Cagliari

During Agora, there can be many scary words going around if you’re there for the first time – especially if you’re a delegate. Don’t worry, the Chair Team is here for the rescue! In this article, the Schulze method (ranked voting) will be explained, so you can come a bit more prepared.

What is ranked voting?

Ranked voting is a type of online voting where instead of simply casting votes, delegates are asked to rank their preferences. It is currently used for the EPM topic selection, and was used for selecting the Focus Areas for Strategic Plan 2017-2020 (in combination with voting on the number of focus areas). Ranked voting was introduced to the CIA by a proposal in Agora Bergamo, and has been used in practice since Agora Chisinau.

What is the Schulze method?

The Schulze method is a specific way of ranked voting which is in the CIA used for ranked voting (by the same proposal in Agora Bergamo). It was developed in 1997 by Markus Schulze as an electoral system for selecting a single winner by using votes that express preferences. Without getting into too many details, the method works with the following system: voters make an ordered preference list (aka ranking the options) where ties and/or leaving out options are allowed. Then for every two options, they are compared (ignoring the other options), checking which option is more preferred by the voters. After the options are compared, the system calculates the strongest paths (aka which option is the most preferred overall by all voters) and the final results are made.

Looks confusing? Here is an example supported by Wikipedia:

Let’s assume that there have been 5 topics submitted for EPM, named A, B, C, D and E. There have been 45 votes cast in the following order:

Number of voters           Order of preference

5                                       ACBED

5                                       ADECB

8                                      BEDAC

3                                      CABED

7                                      CAEBD

2                                      CBADE

7                                      DCEBA

8                                      EBADC

First, the pairwise preferences are calculated which will look like this:

Green means that the voters preferred the option in the column, red means that the voters preferred the option in the row (for example, 20 voters preferred topic A over B, and 25 who preferred topic B over A).

For the next step, the strongest paths are calculated (how it is exactly done is visualised with direct graphs in the Wikipedia article), which will look like this:

Green means that the voters preferred the option in the column, red means that the voters preferred the option in the row (for example, 28 voters preferred topic A over B, and 25 who preferred topic B over A, so with the Schulze method topic A is better than topic B).

Based on the Schulze method, the ranking is E>A>C>B>D, therefore topic E is selected for the topic of the EPM.

How the method is visualised in the AEGEE voting system you can see it in the following pictures:

The Schulze method has been selected for voting for the following reasons:

• It allows the delegates to make ties for the ranking (they can rank one or several options as same importance)
• It allows the delegates to leave out options (they can leave an option out of the ranking if they feel strongly against it)
• It reflects on the majority decision (the option which is preferred by most voters in general)

We hope that with this article we could give you a bit of help for understanding the Schulze method as ranked voting in AEGEE! In case you have any questions or doubts, don’t hesitate to ask us before Agora at chair@aegee.org, or at the HRC help desk during the Agora!

Written by Tekla Hajdu, Chair Team jobshadower

Being part of the big AEGEE family makes you want to discover more, learn and share as much as you can. The same happened with Dermanşah, from AEGEE-Istanbul, and he is taking his knowledge to the next step by being a candidate for SUCT. We asked him some questions, and below you can find out more about his candidature.

The AEGEEan: Dermanşah, describe yourself in 4 words, using the SUCT initials. 

Dermanşah Hazar Ersoy Yalin: Solution oriented, Upstanding, Challenge oriented, Tolerant.

What does the Summer University Project mean to you?

For me the Summer University Project is something – does not matter if you are a participant or an organiser – that makes you leave your comfort zone sometimes by going to a country that you never imagined you could visit, by communicating with a mayor that you never thought yourself talking to or being the only one speaking your language in a group of people who are close to your age. For me the Summer University Project is an opportunity to learn a lot of things that you can never learn in any university, plus there’s no other way to learn things by having that much fun.

You’ve been organiser of the SUs of your local for the past four years. What gives you motivation now to be part of SUCT?

First of all in the past four summers, I always tried to take on different responsibilities in our SU every year and I always worked for organising a better SU. And apart from being an organiser I also wanted to be a participant in order to see this project from a “participant”’s point of view [he smiles, ed.]. And for me it would have been a miss if I didn’t see the “helper” point of view, which is between being an organiser and a participant: thanks to AEGEE-Beograd, last summer I also had opportunity to try that experience. At the end I felt like there are few things left that I haven’t done for this project and there is a lot of knowledge and experience I have gained so far. So when I connected these two facts I realised that member of SUCT is the position where I should be.

You mentioned in your programme feedback meetings with local organisers of SUs. How do you see this happening? How much time do you think it will take and what is the actual idea behind these meetings?

Dermanşah: It will happen directly and indirectly. Directly – we will have Skype meetings and also we might contact locals individually according to the evaluation forms. And indirectly – since locals in the same areas have usually similar issues, we might collect feedbacks through Network Commissioners. The reason is of course to help the locals in order to improve their SUs and it will take maximum until the beginning of application period of SUs for the organisers.

Tell us more about the increasing of number of participants on SUs.

Dermanşah: I think if thematic parts are properly implemented on SUs it will bring better fundraising opportunities to the locals and as a result of this we will have SUs with either lower fees or better facilities. As a candidate for member of SUCT I am planning to help the locals in the cases – which I stated above – with the whole team.

You mentioned the visibility of the SU Project and the cooperation with other student organisations. In your opinion, how will that be beneficial for the development of the SU project?

Dermanşah: Different student organisations have different perspectives. In this case with the cooperation by sharing best practices, contacts, different thematic contents etc. And increasing visibility of the SU Project among private companies will create better fundraising opportunities for the locals, because from my experience with local companies, they are quite interested in our work, on cultural integration and also having members from different kinds of disciplines.

Why should you be a member of SUCT and members should vote for you?

Dermanşah: As I stated on your third question, I have been very active on the local level and now I feel like it’s time for a new challenge for me, which is working on the European Level for the SU Project. On the other hand I always try to be a good team member and what I mean is that I never insist on titles, names, positions or anything but I am always focused on tasks, always try to help achieving team’s goals. Last but not least in the past three and a half years, after organising and attending many events, especially after being part of eight SUs, having several golden moments, feeling almost every emotion, now I feel like I gained a lot of experience and it’s time to pay back for the things I gained and that’s why I would like to help the locals and to offer the members the possibility to enjoy this project and experience as I did.

You can read his full candidature here.

Written by Raluca Radu, AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca

Vasiliki Andrioti, member of AEGEE-Ioannina, main organiser of a Winter University and of a NWM, is one of the most active members of her Antenna. She also collaborated as SubCommie with Network Commissioner Spyros Papadatos.  Now she wants to share her passion for the SU project and improve it. Furthermore, Vasiliki shares some proposals about the 30th anniversary of the SU. We interviewed her about her candidature and her programme. 

The AEGEEan: Why did you decide to run for a position in the Summer University Coordination team?

Vasiliki: Summer University is the project that changed my life. Even if it sounds cliché for an AEGEEan to say so, this is the truth. I consider myself a totally different person before and after Summer 2016. Using this SU’s title BBS, I am Bigger, Better, Stronger after it. I am very passionate about SU. So my will to get involved on the European level (other than The AEGEEan, that matches my academic interests) is an absolute extension to my passion for Summer University. Through this year that I have become actually active by organising and participating to various events (SUPS, SU, NWM, Agora, etc.), I have gained skills and I have come up with ideas that I can see now visualised in the Summer University Project. This is my main motivation for running for Fundraiser and Content Manager. I would like to give back to AEGEE and SU, specifically, what I have been gifted on experience and knowledge. I would consider myself really proud to be part of this team.

You are in the board of AEGEE-Ioannina, appointed main organiser for upcoming events, already active at the European level. How do you plan to balance your committments with SUCT?

The last year I admit that it has been very active for me. As I usually say, my life is all about AEGEE now. Actually I owe this motivation that keeps me moving to Summer University. It wasn’t hard for me to decide that I wanted to involve myself on the local and, after a while, on the European level, as I was seeking a medium to express myself. Until now, I have managed to cooperate very well and to live up to the expectations in every position. I am the perfectionist type of person [she laughs]. I always give 100%+1 of myself in everything I am involved. And this is what I am planning to do with SUCT as well. I am very passionate about this project and I am absolutely ready to be devoted and work for it. As for my other commitments, on the local level I am only busy on a demanding level up to the 5th of November, that NWM-Ioannina finishes its circle.

Other than this, my fellow board members and NetCom Spyros Papadatos are aware of my decision and they support me with any potentially increased duties. My first priorities this year are two: SUCT and The AEGEEan. I am finding myself to have ideas that I would really like to put in practice for both projects. This year I feel the need to create and give back to the association the knowledge and competences I have gained all this time. To conclude, I do not believe in neither quitting nor over-taking responsibilities. I believe on being able to put duties in hierarchy and trust me, I know this well. If it is on stake, SUCT will never come second.

What is your most relevant experience when it comes to Summer University?

In the last two years I have participated in four Summer Universities (Ioannina 2016- helper, Cagliari 2016- participant, Ioannina 2017- organiser & trainer, Cagliari 2017- helper). Ioannina-Cagliari, 2-2 [she laughs]. I have covered pretty much every position available in a Summer University project and I am really thankful for the experience of getting to know this amazing AEGEE spirit. Other than this though, I have gained a series of competences and skills, such as project management, public speaking and communication, risk assessment, delivering sessions, leadership, FR, being the ever happy reader of the gossip box, cooking for fifty people [she laughs], etc. But above all, I would put teamwork. A SU is a teamwork project, from whichever point you may see it, and I consider this my most valuable gain from it.

Your application is very focused on content. Do you have any idea on how to develop a fundraising strategy for SUs?

My application is mainly focused on content, because my primary interest in SUCT is Content Manager. In my years in AEGEE I have mostly worked on this direction on the local and European level. In my local, AEGEE-Ioannina, I have been working as main organiser or organiser for events, meetings, presentations being mainly responsible for the content. I believe that content is what builds the basis on which every activity can be further developed. As for the European level, I have been a member of The AEGEEan for almost a year now and I have gained experience on communicating with various people across the Network for interviews, writing interviews and getting involved with a wide range of subjects that concern AEGEE. Lastly, since Agora Enschede I have been a SubCommie to NetCom Spyros Papadatos (on the field of Thematic Events). I think that quality should be a priority when it comes to a project like Summer University, and I am in the position to offer this quality as Content Manager with my knowledge and experience.

Despite this, being a main organiser twice (“Our Big Fat Greek Winter University”, on behalf of my antenna, and NWM-Ioannina), I also have experience on Budgeting and Corporate Fundraising, which is the strategy that we mainly follow in AEGEE-Ioannina. Therefore, I have realised that, on the field of Corporate Fundraising, it is easier for a company to offer funds to a contentful event or project that means to have an impact. This is the reason why I am insisting that much on content and I am running for the position of Fundraiser as well.

If I am going to be elected, I would like mostly to collaborate with CIRC, the European Body responsible for this. My aim is to bring locals closer to an actual assistance on fundraising, other than providing them only with models, that sometimes can be proven unrealistic or difficult to be adopted. I feel very challenged to achieve this composition between Fundraiser and Content Manager, even if I believe deeply that fundraising for SUCT is the product of teamwork among all SUCTies.

Do you have previous experience in fundraising for associations? As Main Organiser of the upcoming Autumn NWM Ioannina 2017 (main organiser) and “My Big Fat Greek” Winter University 2017 (main organiser for AEGEE-Ioannina), did you use some sort of fundraising strategy (i.e. for goods, gadgets, funds or grants)?

The experience I have on Fundraising is mainly focused, as I have said, on Corporate Fundraising. In AEGEE-Ioannina we mostly follow this strategy because it is more realistic on its goals and more suitable to the current economic situation in Greece. For the upcoming NWM-Ioannina, for which I am the main coordinator, I have chosen this strategy, in collaboration with the Fundraising Director of AEGEE-Ioannina, asking for goods that cover all requirements (meals, logistics, transportation expenses, etc.) of a four days event as NWM is. As for Institutional Fundraising, during “Winter University” we managed to make some steps by contacting and establishing a potentially fruitful relationship with the Municipality of Ioannina.

What would you like to organise for the event for celebrating the 30th anniversary of Summer University Project and why?

Summer University is the biggest and longest running project in AEGEE. As this year is celebrating its 30th anniversary, I believe it should be honoured with a celebration that will recognise and pay its respects to all organisers, participants, SUCTies and every person that has contributed to it. I have two ideas right now in my mind. The first proposal would be an exhibition with the history, photos and memoirs from all year’s of Summer University Project in next Agora. My second thought would be to contact The AEGEEan’s Editor-In-Chief and begin a new section, which will be dedicated to the 30th anniversary. Of course though, if I am going to be elected, I would like to cooperate with current SUCT and CD about the work that has already be done and the aspirations that they both have on the anniversary.

Questions from the Network

During the SUs we ask organisers with no previous experience on how to deliver a session to deliver workshops. Could you elaborate on how you would like to develop the booklet with interactive ways for delivering the compulsory sessions?

I share the same concern about what you are refering to. I have participated in four SUs (and many other events) and if I have to be honest, I have rarely seen organisers or participants enjoying or getting the most out of the knowledge they are being provided with. This is from where I got my idea about the booklet of interactive ways to deliver a session. I would like to mostly work with SUpporters and European Bodies for creating and publishing it.

In extent, I would like to hold an open call for the Network, so that people with relevant experience on delivering sessions in both formal or interactive way can share their knowledge or experience. This booklet is going to involve specific guidelines and examples on how to deliver a workshop (compulsory or of any other subject). Having participated in Erasmus+ projects, which develop in a large scale this system, I have witnessed that non-formal education can be more efficient than traditional ways of knowledge transfer.

Other than this, I am of the opinion that an organiser who has never delivered a session will find it easier to adapt an interactive way to their personality, enrich it with their own experience and therefore, be able to hold the workshop successfully. Make it theirs! Professional trainers or even experienced ones are not always a solution for every local, and besides this everybody starts from somewhere. Moreover, such sessions can be held at any time and any place, which is a big advantage to the overall result. This booklet will be available before SUs and even explained and introduced in the SUPS.

In your programme you refer to a forum/session in the SUs that will aim to provoke discussion on everyday issues. What exactly are you aiming with this?

Thank you for making this question to me, as this is one of the most challenging aspects of my programme. The idea begins from the Open Space that already exists in NWMs. I have participated in two NWMs (Cagliari 2016 and Thessaloniki 2017) and I have been inspired the most during this specific session. This is the reason why I would like to see it implemented in a SU.

SU is the most successful and recognisable project in AEGEE, which attracts hundreds of participants every year. Therefore, I think it is fit to have a forum/session that matches the ever moving world we are living in. The current political, social and economical situation in Europe provokes a sense of instability among every citizen, let alone young people like us. The very successful title of last year’s EPM, “Populism: Europe Under Siege”, describes in the best way possible the reality we are living. In this forum/session young people (participants and organisers) will have the space to express their thoughts and fears regarding AEGEE and beyond AEGEE issues. For me this is a form of public discussion and communication.

Other than compulsory workshops on what AEGEE is and the Focus Areas, we need to listen to the voice of our Network. My aim is to achieve a wider integration to society’s issues and to prepare young people to face the challenges of our era. Finally… IDEAS. Ideas that will lead to future projects/groups in AEGEE and will transfer these problematics from theory to practice. Summer University inspires us all and I believe it is the right place for such a forum/session (whichever the name) to exist.

What do you hope to achieve through the collaboration with European bodies and external partners?

I can only sum it up in two words. Rich content. Through a close collaboration between European bodies and external partners, locals can have an efficient assistance on finding and establishing the core, the basis, around which they can organise their SU. As an organiser, I know that it can be proven difficult to come up with an idea about a SU.

As a potential Content Manager, I would like to help this become easier and also, taking it one step further, support and motivate locals to get out of their comfort zone and create a SU that will challenge them. Moreover, locals can also cooperate with European bodies by asking trainers on that specific theme they choose as content. Content is not to be feared by organisers or participants. It can offer a solid structure to the SU and help with all aspects (FR,PR, etc.). It can be implemented in various ways and have different forms that will appeal on organisers and participants.

We do not share all of the same interest, but we need to make our own the project we are organising. I am very willing to help locals through this process and achieve a wide range of Summer Universities for every interest.

You said in your application that you want to keep SUpporters and activate them more. Do you have programme for that? What exactly and how they can support you? In our opinion, why right now SUpporters are not so active?

I am absolutely in favour of the idea of SUpporters, as I can see a good potential in it. Even if I have not been part of SUpporters this year, I have been informed about the advantages and disadvantages regarding the team and I believe that it was mainly the lack of a certain delegation of tasks, that has prevented SUpporters from working on their full possibilities. This is the reason I would like to establish a more concrete format and activate SUpporters further. Specifically, my intention is to reorganise the team and delegate positions for SUpporters. Through this I would like to achieve creating a team around each SUCTie, which will work close with them on reference to their various and particular responsibilities.

You can read her full candidature here.

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari