The Comité Directeur 2016-2017 introduced a new concept for trainings in their Activity Plan: the European Training Courses. These trainings are aimed at those members who want to be more active in the European bodies of AEGEE. Their perk? They take place in the AEGEE house for only a weekend. We spoke with Project and Communication Director Joanna Pankowska to learn more about this learning opportunity in our Network. 

The AEGEEan: What is a European Training Course?
Joanna: It is a weekend-long event taking place at the AEGEE house in Brussels.

What is the aim of it?
The aim is to prepare AEGEEans for taking active roles in the European bodies of AEGEE. The concept is related to European Schools and Leadership Trainings, but the most important aspect is that it is very cheap (15 Euros), taking place in the easily reachable Brussels and only one weekend long, so we hope it will make it much more accessible for everybody. It will also happen more then once a year, to make sure that everybody can find a feasible date for attending. We hope that, as a results of the event, we will see not only the increase in managing skills and understanding of AEGEE, but also, and first of all, the increase in motivation and inspiration to take up tasks of responsibility in the European Bodies of AEGEE.

Why just eight participants?
First of all, we want to ensure the quality of the event and the personal relation between trainers and participants, which should result in long-term mentoring. The other reason is more pragmatic – the only way to make such a cheap event without putting efforts into FR is to host it at the AEGEE house, which, as many of you know, faces space constraints.

What is the strongest point of the ETC?
The personal relation that would be built as a results of a weekend with a small group of very motivated AEGEEans. We hope that this relation would be beneficial for both – the participants, who would feel more encouraged to take up responsibilities, and the CD, who would be more in touch with the current and future leaders of AEGEE.

When will the next ETC be organised?
The next one will take place from the 17th to the 19th of February (you can apply until the 22nd of January).
You can find more information on the Members’ Portal or Facebook event. After that, we will have one from the 27th of March to the 2nd of April, which will be ETC + aka Leadership Training (longer version) and another from the 16th to the 18th of June.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Verona

Group sessions about different aspects of working in the board of AEGEE-Europe, information about different initiatives that have to be followed up, visits to the European Parliament and other partners and stakeholders and a teambuilding weekend: after an extensive Knowledge Transfer period, taking place from the 14th until the 31st of July and the official start of their term on the 1st of August, the 52nd Comité Directeur (CD) is ready to rock! The AEGEEan interviewed Aleksandra, Antonija, Holger, Ioana, Ivan, Mayri and Paul about their first impressions of Brussels and the CD house, the Knowledge Transfer and their plans for the upcoming year.

A lot was discussed during the two weeks of Knowledge Transfer, so the question that arises is what the most interesting or funny thing that the new CD members have learned is. For the new Projects and Communications Director, Mayri Tiido, this was “a lot of Slovak wisdom thanks to Ivan [Bielik]” while Ivan himself, Human Resources Director, thought the most interesting aspect “was to observe other board members in non-AEGEE-related activities”. Both President Paul Smits and Vice-President/External Relations Director Aleksandra Kluczka agree that it was interesting to get to know the other team members. As Paul explains: “all the AEGEE knowledge was expected – the details were new, but not too surprising. However, with people it is always a new discovery how they feel, think and live.”

Antonija Parat, Secretary General, found it very interesting to see “how AEGEE is perceived here in Brussels, and to learn more about the different organisations and partners we work with”, while Network Director Holger Schmitt had a very interesting experience being interviewed by two journalists about the role of AEGEE as a student organisation and recording AEGEE’s standpoint on education in short clips. “It was the first time of feeling in charge to represent AEGEE and formulate our goals and visions.” He also remarks another responsibility the new Comité Directeur had to take up, namely the fixing of the floors in the dining and meeting room. As Interim Financial Director Ioana Duca summarizes: “Everything was interesting – it’s amazing to learn so many things from the “oldies”!”

Even before their term officially started, the new Comité Directeur already started taking up some of the tasks they are officially fulfilling now. Mayri has been in charge of the social media platforms, while Ivan is keeping himself busy with – of course – Human Resources, internal education and design. Holger has already got in contact with the Network Commission, but also with external partners and stakeholders he will be in charge of. Antonija and Ioana focused on the expected tasks, respectively administrational tasks and finances. Ola has took up the communication with some of the external partners and started to prepare the AEGEE anniversary, while Paul isn’t only busy with his presidential tasks but has also become the “IT-god”, which means that he is arranging that people can actually use their phones and computers in the house.  “Luckily Ivan will take care of the main website and Holger is managing Podio for us.”

Even though their term has already begun, the team members had some tasks they looked forward to taking up. For Ivan this is the position paper on education, while Aleksandra and Antonija are eager to start developing the Activity Plan “and hopefully achieving the goals we set for ourselves”. Holger is looking forward to “finally be entirely in charge of our beloved Network. As Network Director I adopted 13,000 members and 200 locals for whom I feel a lot of responsibility!”. Last but not least, Paul is ready to work on the ongoing communications, but next to that he also wants “to start working on our own ideas after almost three weeks of brainwashing”. Last but not least, Mayri is looking forward to moving into the room, while Ioana says that “it’s not only the tasks, but the beginning of a new life!”

Of course, we were also curious what the team members think of their new house and hometown. “I really like Brussels”, Mayri says, “as it feels like it has a lot to offer in terms of events, people, shops and culture”. Holger adds to this: “I just love to be in a three- or sometimes even four-lingual (Dutch, French, English, German) city and to understand almost everything, although I have to work on my Dutch!”. Paul wasn’t that impressed at first, but luckily it became better after the city tour by Miguel. “I am really curious how my life will be in the upcoming year outside working hours, and I hope to find lots of nice things to do!” As Aleksandra summarizes: “I think that it’s a good place to live – there are a lot of opportunities for development and participation, but also culture and leisure time. At the same time it is quite a small city compared to many capitals, which makes it cosy.”

The Comité Directeur House has also happily been accepted. As Holger tells us: “I really love our CD house and I already feel responsible for keeping it in shape and presentable to our guests. Like some people in the institutions, I also like to call our house the ‘AEGEE Embassy’ where we can present our work and projects to externals. Indeed, we are living very close together, but the house also offers enough space to find your own place to work and relax while you can quickly switch and socialize with your team members or guests in the house if you want to”. All of the members already have a favorite room too. For Ivan this one is the archives, while Mayri prefers the office and Ioana and Aleksandra like to spend their time in the garden. Paul recommends the attic, because “you can watch the stars from there, but it’s dusty and has a bad climate too.” Holger really likes the meeting room “because it is very light, has a nice working atmosphere where you can focus on your own tasks and it is also the room for discussions, meeting and developing new ideas and concepts in the team which I like very much”. For unknown reasons Antonija enjoys sitting on the stairs. “I already have my preferred place on the stairs, and my team members are teasing me for this habit.”

Asked who the mommy of the house will be, all girls agree that this must be Ioana. “She is already the mommy of the house”, Aleksandra tells us. As for cooking, the team will try to cook together as much as possible to ensure some quality time with the team. As mommy Ioana explains: “We’’ll cook all together as a family!” According to Aleksandra, Ioana is also the “most creative cook”. Antonija on the other side puts herself in the “don’t-know-how-to-cook-category, but I’m learning.”

Written by Svenja van der Tol, AEGEE-Nijmegen

Last year, the Environmental Working Group (EnWG) called upon the Comité Directeur (CD), complaining about the high costs in energy and utility bills of the head office in Brussels. After the decision had been taken at Autumn Agora Budapest 2012, the CD moved to another house. The EnWG took the initiative, and after getting permission from the CD, visited the house for a green audit day in April to make sure that high costs of utilities are not being repeated.

The new CD house seems well in shape when it comes to being environmentally friendly. There are many different examples, like eco-friendly light bulbs, appliances out of plugs, no taps running or dripping etc. But still there are many things that may need to be put into practice or need replacing. Here are some of the issues that came up during auditing:

– Single-flushing Toilets

It is proven that dual flush toilets save up to 67% of water usage. Having that said, some of the toilets had only single flush button/handle. It would be best to install dual flush toilet systems in the house in order to save up on water consumption.

– Insufficient/Over-sufficient lighting

Insufficient and over-sufficient lighting are problems that need to be addressed. A flickering light, a bulb that may not be working and altogether not using eco-friendly light bulbs is something we should all take into account in our own homes. In the CD house there were many eco-friendly light bulbs, but still there were some bulb sockets that were not used and some bulbs that were not functioning. Also, too much lighting, redundant to mention, leads to using energy that is not needed, as observed in a few rooms of the CD house.

– Appliances left in plugs

Appliances left in plugs, even if they are switched off, still consume energy. Although in the CD house they seem to have this rule in mind, still, there were a few appliances left in plugs. This is not only harmful for the environment, but also for our personal health, in case of an appliance catching on fire (eg. hair dryers).

There were many more things that needed to be done, but these were the main issues. Of course, there were many things done that were perfect! For example, the refrigerators were filled and not empty in any way! Also, computers were always switched off if not needed. Finally, none of the taps were dripping any water and were perfectly in shape, and there was also the dishwasher (eco-friendly in comparison to washing by hand).

AEGEE takes a strong stance on its beliefs, and environmental issues are a part of these beliefs. Green auditing the CD house is the first tiny step to making our organization more eco-friendly. Next step? All members leading environmentally friendly daily lives, doing our voluntary work in green AEGEE offices, even if that means installing dual flush toilet systems.

Keep your eyes peeled! Some tips and tricks on making your everyday life and your AEGEE environments more green are coming exclusively in The AEGEEan!

Want to take a glimpse on last year’s green audit?

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Written by John Ikosidekas, HR Responsible of the Environmental Working Group

It has not been such a long time since The AEGEEan introduced Madalena Souza who works in the CD house. Now it is time to let the Network get to know Marcos Dosantos the new intern at the house, who came a little bit better. 

What is your background? What made you interested in volunteering?

I am originally from the Canary Islands (Spain), but living in Madrid currently. I have just finished my degree in Political Sciences at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and am now about to start a Master in ‘Political and Social Leadership’. In terms of participation, I started taking part in the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexuals Transgender) movement in September 2009, which really changed my life and my perspective, I got to know more organizations in which I began to get involved in things like students movement, Spanish Youth Council, etc.

In the past you worked in a LGBT organisation right? What did you do there?

I took things step by step, from very basic volunteering to further responsibilities like representing LGBT Spanish Youth Area in upper level positions (Spanish Youth spaces and even international form like UNESCO’s World Youth Forum)

How did you hear about AEGEE?

I met some members (including Luis Alvarado Martinez, the current President) at the University on Youth and Development in Mollina, September 2011. Since then, I have met some other members in other spaces (Spanish Youth Council meetings, EU Youth Conferences, etc).

How did you end up working in the AEGEE office as an intern?

As I had already done that approach, I felt quite interested in AEGEE’s way of working and I asked myself about the possibility of doing a short internship with you guys during this Summer. I applied and, fortunately here I am.

What are your tasks in the house in Brussels?

I have diverse aims here, but most of them are mainly related to social media and communication stuff -as I am coordinating with the office the development of  a strategy to get members involved in Structured Dialogue process- and advising on LGBT issues, by contributing to AEGEE’s draft document on LGBT rights, searching for EU funding calls for potential programs, etc.

You were recently part of the Structured Dialogue (SD) event in Zaragoza. What was the event about and how was the experience for you?

No, I wasn’t, the last time I participated in a SD event was a month ago in Valencia, but not in Zaragoza. But it was a nice experience, as usual, where young people from many different parts and different kinds or organisations gathered to express our needs in terms of social inclusion.

The National Youth Council in Spain has been closed as far as I know. You were working there before, so I would like to ask what consequences do you believe that this has for AEGEE and youth work in general?

The Spanish Youth Council hasn’t been closed yet, but it is certainly in danger because our Government is not interested in listening to young people’s voice. Regarding the consequences for AEGEE, I must say that any space of participation is necessary, and of course for an NGO as AEGEE, which is doing a quite good job advocating for youth rights all over Europe, and so that work must be shown and shared in Spain, in order to let others know what AEGEES does and to strengthen cooperation with all youth movements.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-Koebenhavn

The AEGEE Youth UnEmployment (YuE) Project Team decided to skip the traditional Skype meeting and instead meet up in Brussels. The team held their meeting in AEGEE head office between the 12th and the 14th of April with the project leader, Florence Franks (European School of Entrepreneurship – ESE); Beata Matuszka (Comité Directeur); FR Responsible, David García Rodríguez (AEGEE-León); and PR Responsible, Iina Lietzén present.

The weekend included not only crazy teambuilding moments, but above all intensive discussions on how to bring the YuE project to a higher level. A physical meeting is a good way to boost the energy and get more effective. Teambuilding is very important in order to keep everyone interested and motivated about the project and their tasks – and with the help of Beata, the YuE team definitely got more energy. Moreover, fulfilling the cooking duties, planning and preparing dinner for everyone staying at the head office, certainly builds up the team spirit!

The biggest topic was the new round of the European School of Entrepreneurship (ESE) – a training that aims at equipping the participants with a complete overview of how to set up and run their own enterprise/business. The preparation for the third ESE just started with a new energy and motivation. The YuE team is working hard on this project but also aims higher – other new initiatives will hopefully also see the light in 2013!

Written by Iina Lietzén, PR Responsible of the Youh unEmployment Project

During the Green Week in Brussels at the end of May, members of the Environmental Working Group met in the CD house to catch up, but also to have a closer look at the house itself from a green perspective. In the past, CD members complained about the high energy costs, so we teamed up to turn the CD house upside down and find all possible energy leakages or inefficient arrangements.

Most of the problems we found were simply related to the age of the house and the lack of continuity of the inhabitants of the house. They range from easy-to-fix small problems to quite expensive ones that call for action from the landlady. Here is an overview of the most common issues:

Examples found in the house

• Inefficient lights
• Leaks from holes in the wall
• Badly insulated of windows
• Furniture positioned in a way that blocks the heating
• Chargers and electronic devices that are not in use left plugged in
• Toilets missing one-touch flush
• Leaking taps

Fortunately there are also many efforts already to save energy, e.g. the existing energy efficient lights in many rooms, the newly placed double-glazed windows, the efforts the CD members are doing to separate their waste and the fact that they started composting their biodegradable waste.

Also some of the above mentioned problems we found are easy to fix and can have a great impact in the energy consumption of the house, e.g. replacing the lights with light-saving bulbs to reduce the electricity bill. Finally, moving the furniture around in order to avoid blockage of the heating only needs some free time and can be combined with identifying all electronic devices unnecessarily running or still plugged chargers.

With these easy steps it should already be possible to save some of the energy costs, and some more problems might be fixed with the help of motivated AEGEEans. If you’re interested in a more detailed analysis or want to offer help or tips on how to save energy, you can contact us at enwg.aegee@gmail.org.

Written by Hans-Peter Bretz, AEGEE-Aachen, Konstantinos Tsoleridis, AEGEE-Aachen, Mathieu Soete, AEGEE-Leuven, Wieke van der Kroef, AEGEE-Amsterdam