Like every year, The AEGEEan is giving a platform to candidates for a position in the European Level boards and commissions of our association to answer to some questions in order to present themselves. This year, we established a cooperation with the Golden Times and, together with his Editor Gunnar Erth, former and current journalists of our magazine will interview the candidates for the upcoming Agora in Krakow. Today we present you with the candidate for the position of  Youth Development Working Group Coordinator Desireé Van Lagen (AEGEE- Amsterdam) and  Antonis Triantafyllakis (AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca). Also, we are presenting you the candidate for Secretary General until the 31st of July Julia de Lange (AEGEE-Utrecht) and the candidate for Comité Directeur until the 31st of July Ksenia Lupanova (AEGEE-Moskva). 

Desireé Van Langen from AEGEE-Amsterdam is already a member of the Youth Development Working Group (YDWG). At the Agora in Kraków she wants to run for the position of Coordinator of the YDWG. Among her plans is more collaboration with the other Working Groups, the AEGEE-Academy and other European bodies – and she expresses her opinion about the locals’ awareness of the Focus Areas.

You can read Desireé’s application here.

Check her interview here.

After the Open Call for Interim Communications Director, Ksenia Lupanova was chosen as the new person to take care of AEGEE-Europe communications. Now, the AEGEE-Moskva member and former Speaker of the Public Relations Committee will present herself to the Agora as candidate for the same position, taking care of the portfolio until the end of this Comité Directeur’s term.

You can read her full candidature here.

Check her interview here.

Antonis Triantafyllakis from AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca is one of the best-known people in AEGEE. Not only because of his work as Academy Speaker or member of the Summer University Coordination Team. You can basically meet him at every corner of the Network and he knows AEGEE inside out. Now he wants to put his knowledge and skills in the service of the Youth Development Working Group (YDWG) – as its new Speaker.

You can read his full candidature here.

Check his interview here.

After the Open Call for Interim Secretary General, Julia de Lange was chosen as the new person to take care of the tasks. Now, the former AEGEE-Utrecht President will present herself to the Agora as candidate for the same position, taking care of the portfolio until the end of this Comité Directeur’s term. 

You can read her full candidature here.

Check her interview here.

Like every year, The AEGEEan is giving a platform to candidates for a position in the European Level boards and commissions of our association to answer to some questions in order to present themselves. This year, we established a cooperation with the Golden Times and, together with his Editor Gunnar Erth, former and current journalists of our magazine will interview the candidates for the upcoming Agora in Krakow. Today we present you with the candidature of  four members, all running for the six positions available for the members of the Network Commission: Aydin Mehdiyev (AEGEE-Baki), Elena Panagopoulou (AEGEE-Athina), Oksana Prokopchenko (AEGEE-Sheffield), Polina Khapaeva (AEGEE-Sankt-Peterburg).

Aydin Mehdiyev gathered local experience as President of AEGEE-Baki and made his first international steps in the Eastern Partnership Project and the Youth Development Working Group. At Spring Agora Kraków he will be one of seven candidates for six open Network Commissioner positions for the term 2018/19.

Check his interview here.

Check Aydin’s programme here.

Second time around: NetCom Candidate Elena Panagopoulou already tried to get elected as Network Commissioner one year ago. In the end, the former board member of AEGEE-Athína member was not elected in a very competitive field of eight candidates. Now, with many new ideas and plans, the 26-year old gives it another try at Agora Kraków.

You can read Elena’s full candidature here.

Check her interview here.

Oksana Prokopchenko, founder of AEGEE-Sheffield, is running as Network Commissioner at Agora Kraków. The antenna president is really motivated to bring the locals in the UK closer and closer to AEGEE-Europe in order to establish a better cooperation, to strengthen the locals in that area and the ones nearby, giving them all the tools to shine as they deserve to.

You can read Oksana’s full candidature here.

Find her interview here.

Polina Khapaeva from AEGEE-Sankt-Peterburg has been really active since she joined AEGEE in 2016, being president of her local for two years, member of the Youth Development Working Group and the AEGEE-Academy. Now she’s ready to take the next step – at Agora Kraków she runs for Network Commissioner.

You can read Polina’s full candidature here.

Check her interview here.

If you have not heard her name yet, you must have been living under a rock. María is (among other things) member of the Civic Education Working Group, content manager of Europe on Track 2016/2017, moderator of the Gender Equality Interest Group and an AEGEE-Academy trainer. Her next step: running for Member of the Comité Directeur. Let’s get to know her personality and programme even better!

The AEGEEan: Hi María! Only a few weeks until Spring Agora Enschede! Are you ready?

María: Nobody is never fully ready for an Agora! I am really looking forward to it.

What makes you a perfect candidate for the Comité Directeur?

Whether I am the perfect candidate or not, is up to the Agora to decide. Being a CD assistant last year for 2,5 months definitely gave me a good insight into what it is like to be a CD member, so I am fully aware of what I am committing to and I am willing to do it. Among my tasks was the responsibility for the archives of AEGEE-Europe, a challenge that provided me with good knowledge about our association since it was founded, a deep understanding of what has been done and what is being done currently and many ideas and inspiration. Apart from that, I consider all my AEGEE experience really valuable for my learning process and therefore to my potential contribution to this position. I also consider my ability to multitask a big asset if I get elected. For several years now I have been used to simultaneously performing many tasks and carrying them out successfully, leading to more efficiency in my work. Last but not least, thanks to my studies (Translation and Interpreting, and Political Science) I come with good theoretical and practical knowledge that would be useful in representing AEGEE.

You want to give Interest Groups a bigger role in AEGEE. How do you want to implement this idea?

Firstly, I found a lack of knowledge of their potential, and a lack of guidance when it comes to internal structure. Of course, being flexible can be an asset for Interest Groups, so I would like to offer them guidance and regular meetings among the Interest Groups’ coordinators and active members to share best practices. In the end, it is a matter for each Interest Group to find their own identity within our organisation, but all possibilities should be on the table from the beginning.

Secondly, one of the biggest disadvantages that I find in Interest Groups is the lack of real-life meetings, which serve multiple purposes, among which team-building and developing projects, ideas and activity plans. In my opinion, progress meetings at Agorae for them should be given a priority, as they could be crucial for their development. Besides, resources should be allocated in order to allow them having real-life meetings in the CD house, just like the other thematic bodies.

Connecting the two points mentioned before, in real-life meetings (or even online), training in project management, moderation and other needs of the Interest Groups should be carried out. The Academy has plenty of materials to provide in this sense, so that these groups feel empowered to unlock their potential.

Finally, I want to foster cooperation among the thematic bodies of AEGEE. Working Groups and Interest Groups can easily work together and collaborate to organise thematic activities and to support each other, as well as with the NetCom and ACT. Furthermore, in the end we are all members of locals, so the more a member with an interest and knowledge on a topic feels supported, the more thematic local activities will happen, and I believe a domino effect could start in this sense.

What are your thoughts on the new Focus Areas for AEGEE chosen at Autumn Agora Chisinau? Is there a specific one close to your own interests?

The current CD did an amazing job representing the Network in the best way possible in the development of the new Strategic Plan, a real democratic process. I was at the Ideas Factory in León and it was amazing to see so many people engaged and motivated in the discussions. So I think the new Focus Areas are ready to be a success, and also I am very happy to see that there are candidates for the four future Working Groups and many more people interested in joining them.

To be honest, I feel connected to all four of the new Focus Areas, as I have worked in a related area in one way or another. I am a member of the CEWG, moderator of the GEIG and a member of the Academy. I study Political Science specialising in the European Union and last year Europe on Track had as its main topic “Borderless Europe”. However, I must point out that I was most involved in the development of Equal Rights, as it is the most revolutionary Focus Area and it had a lot of work behind it. That process taught me a lot about advocating and defending your ideals, compromising and being true to your values, as well as leadership. I wish all the members to have such an intense and exciting experience in AEGEE.

There are multiple people running for External Director. Do you see yourself fit for any other CD position?

Yes, in Projects Director, due to my personal experience. However, I would like to point out that the tasks of CD are flexible and in the end all members of the team do external representation. Furthermore, all members of the team are appointed to a number of European Bodies. My preference is to take both a part of the External Relations portfolio and part of that of Projects Director, as I also think that, for the latter, handling all bodies is an impossible task that should be divided.

If you had to choose one aspect of your programme, what would be the most important one?

Connecting AEGEE with the external world and other stakeholders through thematics is the basis of my programme. More specifically, I would like to highlight enhancing our External Relations in all dimensions and contexts of AEGEE, which is more detailed in the answer to your last question.   

What are your personal strengths? And your weaknesses?

Strengths:

–      Being a solution-oriented person with creativity to find solutions, taking into account different perspectives.

–      I am a seeker of consensus. I believe dialogue and common understanding are always possible and beneficial, leaving space for everyone to contribute and express themselves.

–      I consider myself a responsible and committed person.

Weaknesses     

–      Due to the fact that I have lived in different cities since I joined AEGEE, my local experience is limited, not having been a board member of any antenna. This experience has allowed me to know the reality of different locals and the diversity of the Network at some extent, though I have a lot to learn and I hope to be given the opportunity to do so from the European Board.

–      As I am a very active person and there are many topics that motivate me, I tend to take (too) many tasks, and this is a concern I have if I am elected to be part of the CD, as having too many tasks does not mean that you are performing well in all of them.

–       I have to admit that my memory is not my best skill. I always carry a notebook with me to write everything down and set reminders often not to forget anything.

Are there any aspects where, in your opinion, external representation of AEGEE is lacking right now? Do you have a strategy to improve this during your term as CD member? 

In my opinion, the main problem of AEGEE’s external representation is the limited human resources that we have. Of course, this would be solved by developing a Secretariat that would allow the CD to take less bureaucratic tasks and therefore to be able to improve our external representation.

An idea I have discussed with Maarten and that will be probably on the table already before his term is the possibility to create a Committee grouping all the Liaison Officers and Pool of Representatives. Some of the objectives of this initiative will be to coordinate our actions on external representation and more easily share practices, contacts and information, while at the same time individual support to each one of them from the CD is provided.

As stated in my programme, I think many European Bodies (Working Groups and not only), with the support of AEGEE-Europe, could develop partnerships and collaborations with relevant partners in their fields of expertise. I would like to develop, together with them, a strategy to cover this field in an appropriate way for them, providing them also with contacts and opportunities to approach other stakeholders in their topics.

Another thing AEGEE is lacking currently is positions in current issues. Not having a clear position on certain topics of relevance makes us unable to send a clear message or to represent a clear perspective or idea, which ultimately is detrimental for our external relations. Encouraging our members to make research and consultation and take initiative in such positions, with the support of the CD, will empower our members to take ownership of current issues and take also further action, involve a bigger number of people, create awareness on different topics and connect them with AEGEE-Europe, among others.

Questions from the Network

With the juridical statement about late candidatures, explain why we should consider yours valid when you only started to write motivation and programme just on the 28th. Don’t you think that almost one week after the deadline to insert, not to improve, is too much?
According to the current system, candidates are allowed to edit their candidatures a certain number of days after the deadline has passed, a fact that I personally consulted with the Juridical Commission. Due to the fact that the days prior the deadline I was at the Education for the Present, Democracy for the Future Conference in Budapest, for which I was Content Manager, and a number of unforeseen issues, I was not able to finalise and insert my full candidature in the system by the deadline. This said, I do not think it is my competence to decide whether my candidature should be accepted or not, as it was submitted on time and according to the rules. If the Network thinks this system is not appropriate, a new one should be proposed and voted at Agora to be changed for the future.

In CD you share house and office with Financial Director, Secretary General and President. The work of the CD is really very dependent on the President and her vision for AEGEE. Which candidate do you prefer to work with, Réka or Loes?

First of all, I would like to state that the answer to this question is strictly professional, referring to ideas and working aspects. After having read both candidatures and talked to both of them, I can affirm that Loes and me have a very similar vision of AEGEE for the upcoming year. We share many points and believe in small, concrete changes rather than in revolutionary ideas, and would like to see more action and thematics in our association, for which the implementation of the new Strategic Plan and its first Action Agenda in the upcoming year will be crucial. Furthermore, we see the team dynamics and life in the house in the same way, being her leadership style supportive and empowering, which is, in my opinion, one of the main roles of the president. Finally, I can say we are on the same page as we belong to the same AEGEE generation, willing to provide new energy and ideas to our association.

What is your experience in writing grants?

I was the responsible to write the Franck Biancheri Award Grant from EoT and the CEWG, together with AEGEE-Budapest. I have also been part of the team writing the grant for an international activity for the European Youth Foundation for a training course on gender equality, led by Noemi Lowi and Kasia, together with other GEIG members, which will be submitted in October. As content manager of EoT, I have supervised and provided content for several grants we applied for as a project. I am aware this experience is not enough, and I am willing to train myself in this precious skill in different ways, as I did in November 2016 by doing the online course on Erasmus+ opportunities and grant writing.  

We know that the final task distribution will be done only during KT, but what is the position you would like to cover?

My main preference would be External Relations Director.

You can read her full candidature here

Written by Mireille Voorendt, AEGEE-Utrecht

Since Giuseppe became a member in 2014, he has been active on a lot of different levels in AEGEE. Event and Agora organiser for AEGEE-Catania, SubCom of the Juridical Commission, SubCom of the NetCom and most recently: job shadower of CD is just the tip of the iceberg. Now he is on track to contribute to our organisation even more actively as he is running for Member of Comité Directeur. So let’s get to know Giuseppe even better!

The AEGEEan: Hi Giuseppe! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Giuseppe: Hi, I’m Giuseppe Aquilino, I’m 28 and I am from Aegee-Catania. I study law at the University of Catania. Law is what I really love (keep in mind that I started to think about law when I was a child – I always had a very big sense of justice and always wanted to be active part in initiatives related to legality, as visiting prisons in my birthplace and talking to prisoners about the value of legality  and so on, for a project developed in my high school and created by my teachers and me) . My dream is to become a judge one day (and, if lucky, a judge of CGUE). I am specialising in European Criminal law and I should be graduated at the end of June. I joined AEGEE in 2014 and I started to become very active because I started to love the association since the first time. Now I am subcommissioner of the current JC, I was subcommissioner of Network commissioner Lisa, that I admire really much (especially for the task she gave to me: national beurocracy – I know, boring but I liked it – and organisation) and for the love she has for AEGEE. Now I want to be part of the CD as you all know, because, as I wrote in my programme, AEGEE gave me a lot and it’s time to give AEGEE something back. Some friends asked me: “Why not the JC?”. I love the Juridical Commission; being a SubCom of the JC was the most beautiful experience in my life as AEGEEan BUT I want to be more active to contribute actively to the decisional process of the organisation. I want to be as much active as I can.

We can read in your application that you have been a CD job shadower. What vital experience have you learned from those days?

“I was CD job shadower” is not completely exact. I mean I was “Maarten’s nightmare” for two days. I was, I think, annoying him every time, with questions and stuff, but he was (and is) too kind for telling me to go ahead, so he was patient and he explained to me as much as he could. What did I learn from those days? Well, I learnt that two days are not enough, and I learnt how hard is it to work “in da house” but I also learnt that you (me in this case) have to firstly trust yourself: if you want to do it, you can do it. And last but not least, I learnt that if I will be elected, I will go to Bruxelles before the “knowledge transfer period” in order to stress all CD members and to learn as much as I can, also contributing to their work and doing as much as I can.

There are multiple people running for External Director. Do you see yourself fit for any other CD position?

I saw that, after me, other friends started to run for External Relations director so I didn’t think about another position. Of course that position is the closest to me, but, of course, if elected, the most important thing, for me, is AEGEE’s own good. That means I will cover any position needed. It doesn’t matter how hard it is to learn everything needed for the position I could have after the CD task division. And after all, during these days, I was working as local HR for AEGEE (our HR broke his leg) in “university box” in Catania. So, why not starting to stress a bit Lia, our HR director.

You want to promote ‘AEGEE identity’ through traditional and new media channels. What is your view on what the ‘AEGEE identity’ is?

The answer to this question is very easy. I studied a lot about AEGEE identity, also because I am an active member of my local and I always start to talk about identity – at European level, to the new members. We have three “levels” in our identity: Vision, mission and means. The vision is related to the kind of Europe that AEGEE dreams of (democratic, diverse and borderless Europe, which is socially, economically and politically integrated, and values the participation of young people in its construction and development); the mission is to have a role in reaching this vision, so AEGEE empowers students and young people in Europe to take an active role in society, creating a space for dialogue and learning opportunities as well as acts as their representative towards decision-makers and also AEGEE strengthens mutual understanding and brings Europe closer to young people. And 3^rd we arrive to the means, i.e. tools AEGEE uses in its work to achieve its mission, that are the methods we are using in the activities that our association carries out: we have Intercultural Exchange; Personal Development and Non Formal Education; Thematic Projects; Advocacy and Policy and Forum for Discussion. In my vision, we “just” have to promote all of that and let the people discover how amazing AEGEE is. We can do it, I can’t do it, not alone, but all together we will find a way to come back to the period in which AEGEE was very strong, and we will make AEGEE stronger. A vison to the future but learning from the past.

In your programme we can read you want to do more about the knowledge the Network has about the external relations, especially for new members. What is the value of educating the new AEGEE members on what AEGEE does externally? 

There is an immense value to that. I mean, during the Agora there are a lot of people that are delegates, but, many of them have no idea what a Strategic Plan is, or what they are really voting for, or something like that. It’s just “internal knowledge” they miss of what AEGEE really does. Can you imagine the same for what AEGEE does externally? I mean, we had a lot of results in our mission to be borderless for example. Who really knows about that? My big experience on that comes from my own local: new members (what a mess!) think AEGEE is just fun, Erasmus world, parties and so on; I tested the ground during our main events where I was delegate, the Agora, and people from other locals thought the same, except for the fact that in our European events there are not Erasmus but only AEGEEans. So, let’s try to teach what AEGEE really means, of course in an “easy way”, in a “fun way”, but let’s teach, and that includes also, if not at the top, what AEGEE really does in Europe. Let’s give to our new members a bit of our love for AEGEE and give them the tools to develop their own love.

What are your thoughts on the new Focus Areas for AEGEE chosen at Autumn Agora Chisinau? Is there a specific one close to your own heart?

I was in Chisinau and I was there during the discussion of the choice of the new focus areas. It doesn’t matter if there is or there is not one close to my own heart. I respect Agora, the decision of delegates that represent all the local, so I will work (if elected) for all of them. Maybe one year is not enough, but, you know, if elected I will do my best from the CD, if not elected I will do my best from my own local, I love AEGEE and I respect all the ideas and the points of the new Strategic Plan. But, I can’t deny that I like the aim “Promote civic education by increasing the civic competences of young people and by putting civic education on the political agenda” from the thematic focus area and I like all the organisational improvement of the new Strategic Plan, each part, each point.

What are your strengths and weaknesses as a person?

As for strengths, I am very patient and I never give up: I try and try and try till the time I achieve my goal. Weaknesses? Well I didn’t think seriously about that, I think, maybe, I take care of the opinions of other people and often I try to find a common point, but I don’t think it is a weakness. I could see a defect as a weakness: I am stubborn.

Finally, since the work of the CD is greatly dependent on the vision of the President. Do you have a preference to work with either Réka or Loes as President?

It is a very bad question you know? I have no preference. I know both of them, I like them and I like their programmes (I really read both their programmes). I am feeling comfortable in any case if elected and I, of course, will do my best in one case or in the other. I just say to them both: you are awesome! Good luck to all of you, and I hope to work with you at the house.

Questions from the Network

What is your experience in writing grants?  

My experience in writing grants? I’m writing all the grants for the next agora Catania as member of the legal team. Every kind of grant. I also prepare grants for rentals in my experience in “Anfitrione project” in Catania with students of the Erasmus project that need help in Catania. I am a legal counselor in three different condos.

We know the final task distribution is done during KT, but what is the position you would like to cover?

I thought my programme was clear, maybe I have to look at it again. I would like to be External Relations and Communications Director but, if needed, I will be flexible for AEGEE’s own good.

In your programme you are mentioning communication, external relations and the Academy. What are your relevant experiences in these fields, since you haven’t done much on the European level?

I know I have not much experience in the European level of AEGEE, but, you know, in my opinion for sure it is important but not fundamental. I mean, if I was a commissioner of any other commission, would I have maybe any experience in the CD work? I don’t think so. I mentioned the Academy because I believe in the collaboration between all the European Bodies. I mentioned ER because I always worked with other institution, of course at the local level, but after all I studied European institutions, international law, European Union law, I know how they work and I also, let me say that, know how to formulate a request or anything else to a public institution or European body, I can understand rules of civil and common law and, consequently, I can find the proper way to contact them in each country. Of course, to have a positive feedback is another thing. About communication, I wrote in my application I was press responsible for my high school and, in AEGEE, I am in the IT & press working group, of course I am there for the press and not for IT. About the Academy, there is a guy in the Academy that is my mentor, he talks to me about his ideas, his vision of AEGEE and also the Academy. I agree with his vision and I think CD and Academy can collaborate. Isn’t the main point the future of the association? May the Academy refuse to help AEGEE to become stronger? I don’t have much experience, it’s true, that’s why I need help from the Academy, they “teach”, they are experienced, and I trust them. I also want to learn as much as I can also because I will be not at the top if elected. Conversely I must learn more than before, in order to do everything as better as I can, because, as I learnt during my first experience in Europe (and I was just a SubCom), European bodies in AEGEE – especially the CD – exist to protect and to serve the association. Of course the CD leads, but it can lead only if followed, and to be followed it must serve and protect. I promise: if elected I will do my best to serve and protect.

You can read his full candidature here.

Written by Mireille Voorendt, AEGEE-Utrecht

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

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

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

How did you decide to candidate for the NetCom?

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

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

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

How do you want to implement these policies?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can read her full candidature here.

Written by Vasiliki Andrioti, AEGEE-Ioannina

Here you have one of the candidates for the Network Commission: Spyros Papadatos from AEGEE-Ioannina is really enthusiastic to be a Network Commissioner after being a NetCommie for one year already. The Greek member would like to keep personal communication with Board members of several antennae. Read the article about his candidature.

The AEGEEan: Can you tell us something about yourself?

How did your role as coordinator for “Let’s Do It Epirus” contribute to improve the organisation of the locals?

Let’s Do It is an international volunteering movement that promotes active participation and mobilises citizens. I believe it aligns with our values as an organisation and is a local action that every antenna in Europe can organise. Of course, it is just a sample of activities our association can carry out, but it was for example one of the reasons I joined my local in the first place, so it holds a special place in my heart.

How would you increase the knowledge of the European level?

Together with my SubCommies and NetCom in general we have been trying to do so. For my locals, in cooperation with other European Bodies, we organised open Hangouts and a lot of people joined, met other AEGEEans active in the European level and increased their knowledge about it. Of course, it is a long-term process that needs time, but it is nice to see people increasing their interest towards the European level and joining it slowly.

Here you have one of the candidates for the Comité Directeur: Adonis Meggos, from AEGEE-Peiraias. He is the project manager for the Drinkwise project, the financial manager for Your Vision for EUrope, moderator of the Migration Interest Group and active member of the Language Interest Group, and now he would like to put forward some ideas about statutory events. He is ready to spend one year in the AEGEE House by filling any position in the CD. Read the article for his candidature. 

Adonis Meggos, AEGEE-Peiraias: Adonis Meggos is a multicultural being that seeks a busy living. A passionate, motivated, dreamer he claims to be. And it is on his AEGEE profile, where he spends 55% of his time. That person is me and I am partly a nerd (gamer~Nintendo fanatic, comics & series addict~DC supporter, ex-drummer~3 LIVEs). I want to improve my already healthy lifestyle (cycling, following a diet, attending the gym). And I, that extroverted and hard-working person, can always find a way to relax.

Why did you choose to apply for this European position?

I’ve gathered enough experience and knowledge through these four years and I think it is time to take the final, most challenging step. Being a member of the Comité Directeur is not an easy task for sure. Dedicating a year to volunteering is not a problem. I love AEGEE, but living inside the house is a problem indeed. A house with mold on the wall, crazy showers, zero soundproofing and (as we know) not the best internet connection. That “living with your colleagues and working with your friends” situation seems to be the hardest level of social interaction. But I know what I am applying for and I say … Bring it on!

What would you like to do as a member of the CD?

I am open to any position and that means, wherever/whenever I notice something that can be improved I will focus on it. On the other hand, during the task division I will be in charge of several responsibilities. However, I have always been a team player in my local board and inside European bodies. I was also leading the Drinkwise team and I had to overcome many obstacles in order to build up from nothing a fully functioning and well known AEGEE project. I have a creative and bold personality. I will try to solve issues related to the organisational tasks which are directly connected to some AEGEE upgrades I am planning to work on.

How do you envision the future of AEGEE and what can you contribute to it as a CD member?

I want to see AEGEE growing again in numbers. All those global changes made many people lose their faith in the European idea and it is up to the younger generation to reformulate it. To bridge the gap between Eastern and Western Europe. To develop a prosperous feeling for a sustainable and united future. AEGEE is the right place to start if you are seeking self development. You can dream big and have an impact, presenting your worthy ideas for our common future. Because the followers will approach and support you voluntarily. AEGEE also has to raise critical thinking and support constructive debates within its members. Otherwise, we may end up victims of manipulation and populism. Fight against drama and replace it with fruitful discussions. Allow anyone to raise his/her voice and speak up for personal beliefs. Because our association is just a mixture of individuals that share a common vision. And the only way to contribute to this purpose is by equal participation and equal responsibilities.

How did you learn some basic French and Russian?

I have studied French at school for three years but I haven’t been practicing it regularly. During my first SU in Sankt-Petersburg, I developed an interest in the Russian culture and language. After the SU, I attended a conference at my university about EU-Russia relations and BRICS association. A year passed learning the Russian language, which I tried to speak during the NWM Moskva and the LTC Sankt-Petersburg but Русский язык очень трудный!

Do you have any plans for the 30th anniversary of the SU Project?

The SUpporters Interest Group has already started the working preparations for the upcoming celebration. I will secure its success by supporting it on behalf of the Comité Directeur. I will also search for previous active members of SUCT and other relevant Alumni. The Editor in Chief of the 25th anniversary, Hara Kogkou, was still active in AEGEE-Peiraias when I joined and she explained to me everything about that project.

Can you tell us something about “EU Debt & Refugee Crisis” event?

The “EU Debt & Refugee Crisis” was just a part of our local’s campaign. We are an antenna that has been very sensitive to the refugee crisis because of our city’s location, which is the first city/port in EU territory. At the time of the conference I had huge amounts of work for my job and that’s why I only helped with the preparation. I attended the evenings (where I was asking the participants to cover me on the content and to send me feedback). Unfortunately I missed the speech of the former President of the Greek Parliament, Zoe Konstantopoulou, about her experience of the “Truth Committee on Public Debt” but we recorded it. No wonder why I joined the Your Vision for EUrope team a couple of months later.

What do you suggest to make more AEGEE members able to approach a European body?

<<To make more AEGEE members able to approach an European body>> requires more AEGEE members in general. I think the answer is: Better Internal Communication and rebuilding our Recruiting Policy. About the Internal Communication I will introduce a new system during my presentation. AEGEE suffers from shrinking. Locals’ human resources affect highly the human resources of European Bodies. And the European Bodies lack in human dynamic and funds. If we manage to strengthen each European body then there is no doubt that the locals will approach them for content-filled events.

Can you tell us what CIRC is for newbies?

They say that organisational bodies of AEGEE are the unseen heroes. Corporate & Institutional Relations Committee is probably the most underestimated European Body because only there are you able to provide materialistic fuel for our organisation. CIRC supports the work of AEGEE-Europe by ensuring its financial sustainability and providing help on fundraising strategy. They support locals and other European Bodies on fundraising issues. It is the Bruce Wayne of AEGEE.

How quickly do you answer e-mails?

This interview took me two days to fill, it is an exception. Lia Touska showed me some guidelines for organising my gmail account. I use the filters correctly and whenever I hear the notification in my phone I check it immediately. If it requires a fast response I reply immediately. Otherwise, I reply as soon as I have access to a computer.

Questions from the Network

What is your experience in writing grants?

For corporate grants I never faced an occasion where there was not a prototype paper available. I just had to change a paragraph or two. For institutional grants my experience is limited to financial parts, preparation of the budget with an explanation for the estimated expenses. I am far from being an expert on fundraising. I feel that one person is not enough for all the fundraising and financial tasks. I have some knowledge of finance and I will support the work of the Financial Director whenever it is needed.

You are mentioning Agora Reform. Can you state what is your experience within Agora Reform since you were not part of the Task Force?

I have heard about the task force but I got to know it accidentally, when I messed up with the rooms during Agora Bergamo. Even though I was a delegate, I was totally absorbed by Maarten’s progress meeting and so I went late to my prytania. I attended both Share meetings from the last two Agorae, where Agora reform was always on the table. But most importantly, when Pablo’s article with the title “We Are Making AEGEE Great. Or Are We ?” created the crosstalk in the Facebook group, we asked Maarten to open up the meetings of the task force so anyone interested could have the chance to understand the work of the task force. I attended that open meeting and while I was job shadowing Lia Touska, I had the chance to participate in another one.

In general what is your experience within the Agora?
I attended Agora Patra as an organiser in the social team. I had only night tasks so during the day I was entering different slots, which I found interesting. In Agora Bergamo I was a delegate and I had no time to relax at all. In Agora Chișinău I attended both as envoy and helper. I managed to have a double role because I informed the organisers which slots I wanted to attend in advance. In Agora Enschede I will be a delegate again. It may be exhausting but the responsibility towards my local is a task I gladly take. In conclusion I have attended only three Agorae, but I’ve had the chance to experience all the different roles.

What are your ideas for our statutory events?

There is nothing more beautiful than the view of “hugging session” during the first day of a statutory event. The statutory events are the best opportunity for massive reunions. But statutory events have another role. For the Agorae I believe that delegates are overloaded with the obligation to attend prytanias where visitors go for sightseeing or attending progress meetings and workshops (probably more interesting than prytanias). For the European Planning Meeting we are spending one and a half days on a well prepared conference and one and a half days on a drafting procedure for the Action Agenda. Afterwards the proposed A.A. will be edited many times through online inputs and then ratified at the Spring Agora. Something is wrong with the whole current structure. I believe the European Board Meetings could be reintroduced as completely reformed statutory events adapted to the current needs of AEGEE. We have to think outside the box.

We know that the final task distribution will be done only during the CD Knowledge Transfer, but what is the position you would like to cover?

Laura Pérez from AEGEE-Leon decided to apply for the Network Commission. In order to get to know Laura and her plans for the Network Commission before Spring Agora Enschede, she answer some questions from our magazine. 

The AEGEEan: How would your best friends describe you?

Laura: Even though the question is for me, I decided it would be more fun to ask them directly. I hope the readers enjoy the answers and don’t take them too literally:

Ander (AEGEE-Zaragoza): “How to describe Laura? Just think of how you would describe your sister if you would have one. Beyond the committed hard worker AEGEEan she is, she is truly is a friend you can always rely on.”

Juragis (AEGEE-Tenerife, ACT): “She is the sweetest girl ever, she is always in a good mood, even if you are sad or angry, after talking to her you will feel better. She is full of AEGEE Spirit and she is a very experienced AEGEEan who is always eager to help you when you need her. I cannot imagine a better person to be NetCommie.”

Alejandra (NetCom): “Laura is a nice, hard-working and amazing girl, and such a good friend! She is always full of energy to do anything that she proposes to herself and no one can stop her. I will never regret the day that we started to work together, and, for sure, to be friends, because she is really amazing!”

Anna (AEGEE-Udine): “Laura is among the most committed people I know – in friendships and at work, she will always give her best to keep things going.”

Daniel (Youth Mobility WG): “Defining Laura is not easy; for me, she is a close friend and an important person. Laura makes people feel appreciated even if they don’t deserve it. That makes her a good and communicative person, but she is still in the process of developing herself. Her unstoppable work makes people feel confident and inspired. But there are still some attitudes that she needs to improve as: being too conformist (when a situation is as bad as hell) or being not so visionary. If she is able to configure her vision correctly, her new steps will dazzle us all. One of the most valuable features of Laura, that make her unique, is the way that she sacrifices herself for others. The resulting cocktail is an incredible person, and above all, a good and really important friend. About the rest I do not care.”

Could you give an overview of your experience within AEGEE, both locally and at the European level?

The first thing I did in AEGEE was organising the TSU of León, a bit more than two years ago and, almost at the same time, a post SU weekend event for 140 participants in cooperation with the NetCom (AKA Renove). After all this, I became the secretary of my local. During that board term we organised three LTCs in which I took care of the logistics and/or trainings. One year after, I got elected as president. Then I organised another SU (incoming responsible this time) and then (somehow) helped the organisers’ team of Planning Meeting León.

AEGEE-León works a lot with Mobility students of the University of León, so in the last two years I organised or supervised all kinds of weekly (and sometimes daily) activities for them and in co-operation with our International Relations department, for which I work now. For example: international and welcome weeks, trips, language exchanges… I would say that I have organised almost everything; from parties, pub crawls and city tours to conferences in Russian or sessions of Q&As about mobility learning agreements.

Outside of León I have always attended as many events as I could afford and more so: NWM Valencia, EPM Leiden, SUPS Catania, Leadership Training. And let’s not forget about Agorae; I was delegate and secretary assistant in Bergamo and Chișinău. Thanks to working with the Chair Team in both Agorae I learned a lot. I also typed and listened a lot.

Regarding my experience with the Network Commission, I was lucky enough to be in Brussels one day and to be suggested by a former CD member to a former NetCommie as SubCommissioner. I joined her team and then helped her organise and deliver some sessions at NWM Santander, NWM Barcelona and Renove Zaragoza.
With now a different NetCommie and a different SubCom team, I have also helped organise NWM Bilbao.

I believe NWMs have a lot of potential; so I always wanted to participate (and still do) in some organised by different NetCommies, where I could have the chance of experiencing the realities of locals far away from mine: NWM Aachen and NWM Debrecen were both very different and also different than those I helped organise.
I have recently gained some experience as well with RTCs after the one organised by AEGEE-León and AEGEE-Oviedo and the one organised by AEGEE-Toulouse (in which I was trainer). As for locals, I have been responsible for the following: A Coruña, Burgos, Castelló, León, Lyon, Madrid, Valencia and Zaragoza.

What makes you a good fit for the Network Commission?

I would say that my experience and my motivation do. After a year as secretary, a year as president, and more than a year as subcommissioner, I feel ready for candidating now. But even more important; I am very motivated and excited for the position.

If you are helping a local to organise a NWM, on which things would you mostly focus?

First of all, I would work on the process of selecting a hosting local (and encouraging locals to apply). Then on communication with the chosen local, to make everything as clear and smooth for them as I can. Adapting to the organisers’ needs is also important, as well as supporting them on any problems they can have when organising. Something that I’ve learned recently is that I would like to give the hosting local their own space in the NWM programme; space to show the other participants their local, their city and their best ideas for the social programme. NWMs wouldn’t be possible without a hosting local and the organisers’ team, so I would put the main focus on this collaboration and on working together as one.

You aim to be ‘’a bridge’’ between locals and European Bodies. Could you elaborate how you will improve the communication between them?

Every local is different, some are very active locally and some are not. Some organise activities for the Erasmus and mobility students and some others don’t. Some have members that are also involved in European Bodies and some don’t. But something I’ve learnt from experience is that most locals seem to have something in common; I have seen our Network confused with so many activities and events and happenings…and so many European Bodies and ideas with which many members just don’t feel connected to. So it seems that the problem resides in this gap that we have: Locals vs. AEGEE-Europe and European bodies.

They are all part of the same organisation, have motivated and hard-working devoted members and are depending on each other to maintain a balance. Not only is it one of my aims, but part of the tasks at the core of the Network Commission to maintain that balance and be this “bridge” that connects them.

How will I improve their communication? AEGEE is a mixture of self-development, contribution to society and fun -best definition of AEGEE I have ever heard-. All of this is why Locals, AEGEE-Europe and European Bodies are really all in this together. By managing to make our members aware of this reality, we could reconnect both “levels”, shorten this distance and, therefore, help them to improve communication between them. Also, more concrete actions and very important ones for me in order to be able to support locals and European Bodies on issues related with communication will be:

A) Knowing by heart what is going on on both sides of the river; realising the realities of all the locals and staying updated on what is happening with European Bodies.

B) Staying in touch personally with both, and helping in whatever way that I can: sharing materials or anything that will benefit locals, helping to collect data or any other information European Bodies need, encouraging locals to send their members to European events… And reminders, lots of reminders.

Also, you mention something about working (more) with the NetCom archives, could you give one or more examples of possible uses of these archives?

I’ve always been curious about AEGEE history: data, facts, contacts, ideas and projects that have been happening since our organisation was created. How is all of this useful? Learning more always is! I think that you can always use a good written knowledge transfer and some background information. Since I became SubCommissioner and I had access to La Tripu shared files, I have found out so much about those locals I am responsible for, and about the deep functioning of AEGEE in general, that I do believe it has helped me improve not only as SubCommissioner but also as president and active AEGEEan. More examples of concrete uses: having stored data and reports of previous NWMs can help to organise a better one in the future, due to having an overview of what worked and what didn’t (or even which topics should or should not be tackled) and maybe even the feedback given by the participants. Having information on all projects that the Commission has developed up until now can indicate which direction should future projects follow.

Questions from the Network

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

Our Network is not supposed to be divided in static fixed areas neither I find long term benefits in having a non-flexible distribution of locals between NetCommies, so that is how I would be with the locals’ distribution in case of being elected: flexible. Right now I am excited for it and I would love to work with ANY local of our Network.
Going from having ten members in the commission to (most likely) eleven, will change the current distribution so I don’t see the point in choosing one or another area. Still, I can share a bit more information if it serves as clarification: currently my local is León (where I’m living), however, next August I will move to Den Haag and join AEGEE-Delft. I do have the most experience working with the locals that are currently assigned to NetCommie Alejandra.  As for geographical proximity, and as you can guess, I will be living closer to those locals in the UK, The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

What is your experience in writing grants?

I only have some experience applying for grants locally since in the last two years I’ve had to write and justify different grants for the Youth Council, City Hall and University of León.

You can read her full candidature here.

Written by Susan Nijsten, AEGEE-Groningen

Daniël Amesz from AEGEE-Leiden candidates for the Mediation Commission. He was interested in the Mediation Commission from the beginning, but he feels that the perfect time to apply is right now. He explains why and answers other questions regarding his application.

The AEGEEan: How would you describe yourself in three words, and why?

Daniël: The three words I’d use are dedication, enthusiasm and hugs. Starting with the last, everyone that knows me will immediately understand what I mean. I am a big fan of hugging and what it represents: close friendships and feeling comfortable with other people. Basically I’m a permanent free hugs dispenser. I realise that almost everyone can be enthusiastic, but the reason I chose this word is that most of my friends will agree that I am often a little bit too enthusiastic about things they might completely not care about. It happens quite a lot that I’m talking about, for example, a random European monarch from the 17^th century and halfway through my story I notice that people are clearly not as interested as I am… Finally, I don’t quit something once I’ve started it and put in a lot of effort to make it as good as possible, that is also why I did not apply in Chișinău, because at the time I wouldn’t have been able to invest the time that I now can.

Why are you interested in the Mediation Commission?

As I said in my application, the MedCom fascinated me from the moment I learnt what they did during Agora Cagliari. Both the theory and practice of mediation is something I find very interesting and would like to become better at. Also, it is one of the most people orientated commissions within AEGEE and you really focus on helping people that have a problem. I find it very motivating to be constantly challenged to find the best possible solution for everyone involved and hopefully make a positive change in every situation.

During your board year, did you have direct experience with conflicts between committees? If so, in what way did you solve these conflicts? If not, what things did you do to prevent conflicts?

Luckily there weren’t any conflicts between different committees. Communication is the magic word here. To prevent problems between groups it is important that they are aware of each other’s tasks and goals to make sure there is an understanding of why. Then it’s important to keep everybody informed about areas where tasks or goals may overlap so that there is an understanding of how. An example would be to coordinate when committees are allowed to promote their activities, to prevent them from being in each other’s way. There were, however, conflicts within committees between the different members. In these cases I would try to mediate and solve the problem. Organising a meeting to discuss the issues or calling those involved to hear the different stories. Team-building is very important in trying to prevent internal conflicts.

You mention regarding your programme that you want to establish frameworks to prevent possible disputes and conflicts such as a training in communication. How do you see these trainings being implemented more concretely?

The MedCom could work on a written guide that explains communication techniques, specifically designed for AEGEE’s structure and culture. This could include tips and tricks on listening, academic theory on team roles and a sort of checklist on how to give feedback. This could then also be adapted into an LTC template that locals can use to train their members and into workshops that can be given during NWM’s and/or even Agora.

You mentioned that you first wanted to gain more AEGEE experience, before applying for this Commission. What kind of valuable experiences did you gain in the past years so that you feel comfortable now to apply?

A lot of it has to do with knowledge about the association and how it works. During a board year you learn so much about the different aspects and relations of both a local and the Network as a whole. This is also aided by just going to a lot of different (statutory) events. Besides that, I have gained a lot of experience in the processes of team work and communication, exactly the type of knowledge that I want to help spread throughout the network as MedCom. Finally, during my board year, but also very much during my time as Chair of the local Agora, I became very aware of the different types of rules and regulations that AEGEE locals and bodies deal with. Getting to know all of these and making sure they are followed in the correct way can be a lot harder than it seems. Especially for a body like the MedCom it is important that you know your way around the rules and have experience with interpreting vague lines of text into a world that is much more complex than the rules can cover.

You would like to learn more about privacy issues within AEGEE and what is possible to improve in this field. Do you think the Mediation Commission is the right platform to do so?

To be honest, I think the MedCom is quite a weird body to be responsible for so much regarding the Data Privacy Policy Statement. Whenever I explain to outsiders what I’m applying for, they go “What?” when I start talking about the privacy part. This might be because I’m not good enough at explaining it yet, but there is some strangeness to it. Regardless, as Ombudsman of the data of our members it is important to know as much as possible about how it works and I always aim to improve things where possible.

Which skill do you think you will develop being active in the Mediation Commission?

I hope to learn more on (inter)cultural conflict resolution. One of the greatest benefits of AEGEE is the diversity of our members. At some points however, this can also lead to challenges. Sometimes a cultural difference between two members or between a member and the Mediation Commission can lead to misunderstandings. Recognising these differences and understanding each other is a skill I would look forward to further develop.

You can read his full candidature here.

Written by Susan Nijsten, AEGEE-Groningen