In the middle of the whole debate about Agora and its reform, there are people that simply fell in love with our statutory event from the beginning and want to explore all its opportunities. One of them is Erika Bettin from AEGEE-Verona, who is candidating for (Vice)Chairperson of the Agora. 

The AEGEEan: You work as a journalist, you cooperate with The AEGEEan, you are studying at university, on top of that the Chair Team. How do you manage to do everything? Do you think you will have enough time to devote to the preparation of Agora Catania?

Erika: It sounds like I have a busy life [she smiles, ed.]. Indeed, it is not always easy to manage everything and the fact that I came back to school was one of the main reasons of concerns in Chișinău. Once I had my study plan clear, I applied for the Open Call, because I was 100% sure that the dates of both Agorae and my studies (exams, lessons, thesis) would not clash. For now I am lucky enough to do most of my job via remote with few weekly meetings, therefore I am able to tailor my daily schedule based on the various commitments I might have. Throughout my AEGEE life I always managed well to organise myself between the contribution to our association and my daily job. Of course, time management is a refined art and it happened that I was running last minute for deadlines, but I try to limit it at the minimum. The path to Agora Catania is undoubtedly challenging time-wise, but I am planning to keep in place (if not improve) the system we have within the Chair Team now. I must admit that I was extremely lucky working with Marta because we both were very clear and honest with each other regarding our commitments and our internal task division evolved naturally. I believe that when you are not working full time for AEGEE, firstly you need to be able to organise yourself meticulously, and then you need to be clear with your team about your availability in order to have everything always under control, but mostly team members are not overloading with your tasks.

We have seen in previous Agoras that the Chair Team often needs to manage the unexpected, while keeping an eye on the timetable. What’s your strategy to prepare for that?

Erika coping with stress during the Agora

The first thing to do, in my opinion, is to prepare a flexible agenda, allocating if possible some spare time in order to have enough time in case discussions prolongs or some unexpected points of discussion are raised or added. Then, I would say come prepared and analyse the agenda and current happenings in AEGEE to “sniff” potential disagreements or heated arguments. One thing I personally like to do is treating any item on the Agenda as a possible Armageddon, so I am mentally ready that something may or may not happen. It is important also to have several backup plans to be put in action if need be. While at the Agora, to face the unexpected a Chair should have a good amount of cold blood, quick thinking and be clear to the participants when things happens.

You presented your candidature for being Chairperson before, but you didn’t get elected, and that can impact motivation greatly. How did you decide to keep on trying?

Eh. This is a nice question. As you correctly mentioned not being elected twice did have an impact not only on my motivation,  but also on my perception of the association. In Agora  Zaragoza, it was very clear that my chances were thin, therefore I took it as a precious lesson to learn. It motivated me to be more active and I think in 2014 I reached my climax in the association, when I was hungry to learn and experience. Agora Cagliari non-election was harder to digest, I kept on asking myself what I did wrong and why my love for Agora was not mutual. At the same time, few months later I found my place within The AEGEEan and joining AEGEE-Verona gave me new lymph and a renewed energy and willingness to contribute to both. I believed that motivation is a cycle and last summer it hit the lowest point. Maybe it was the fact that I put half of the hemisphere between me and my life putting everything into the right perspective, or maybe the fact that taking a break from laptop, emails, chats was refreshing… I don’t know, but when the open call was sent, I felt that it was worth a try. I won’t be active as much as I can be now for long, and in this sunset boulevard of my AEGEE life I wanted to do something that would make me happy. After all, this is all volunteering is about: finding your passion and working for it.

You have been a member of the Agora Reform Task Force and the Agora Observation Mission, now you are fully involved in the Chair Team. Name one thing you would radically change about Agora and explain why.

It is a recurring question to candidates for (Vice)Chairperson, but then you discover how little margin of movement you have. You cannot propose anything, unless you are involved in the discussion with another body, and you cannot reply to questions such as: Do you agree with this proposal?. We are already changing something within the Chair Team and the Agora Reform Task Force, but if you ask for something radical I would mention one thing: how we perceive Agora. Our general assembly is by definition a place where we decide things. In fact, in its working format mostly verbs such as “approve”, “elect”, “ratify” are used, because at the end of the day Agora is an administrative body. As it is now, it’s not a place to meet with friends, it’s not a budget sleeping location to allow you to visit the city and its surrounding. Is it boring? Perhaps. But why? Currently we have this humongous hybrid between an administrative body and a thematic one, where both parts are neglected always running out of time and making the impossible task to please everybody or every aspect of our organisation.

Is this really how Agora should be? What if we decide that Agora is only administrative and we place there just the essentials: elections, reports and proposals? And about proposals, do we really need so many every Agora? If you look at the Agenda and remove things that are not procedural, Agora will last probably two days and a half. AEGEE is not only this, we have this wonderful and powerful thematic side. Then, how about doing one thematic Agora where we deal just with thematic topics, and one to be only administrative? But then the question is: what about EPM? Isn’t it our annual thematic conference and planning meeting? Shouldn’t we reinforce it?

Also, do we really need 800, 900, 1000 people when last time we didn’t have an extended open call for participants was in 2012? Do we really need so many participants when half of them are not actually in the facilities and one third of the remaining half is sleeping during all the sessions? Wouldn’t it be better to cut down the number of the attendees by half and have even only 400 of them but super active because they know that going to the Agora is not for everyone and they “fight” for it? Because they understand better their role and they are ready to question the status quo?

There are a lot of questions there, fruit of my six years in the association, questions that I know many active people are asking themselves too. Finding a solution is however very complicated, firstly because we are stuck in this bureaucratic spyral and then because we are human, therefore resistant to change. Maybe we should use another verb when it comes to the future of the  Agora: not CHANGE but REVOLUTIONISE.

“My goal is to facilitate all the discussion during the Agora in a fair and objective manner, in order to make every opinion heard.” What’s the biggest challenge in that?

Chair Team Meeting in Brussels before Spring Agora Enschede

Everyone has an opinion and they want to tell it right away. I think this is the biggest challenge. While being an Agora participant, I also felt this urge to go on stage and have my say, but when two, three, 10, 50 people are doing the same, the result is confusing for everyone. The goal, then is to give appropriate amount of time to each speaker, balance objections and answers, recap every now and then and cut the discussion when it’s going too far or losing the focus.

How do you plan to solve possible conflicts arising among parties during the preparation of Autumn Agora Catania?

Getting everyone on the same page organising every aspect of the Agora is impossible because everyone has its own ideas and ways to implement. Being in the Chair Team requires a lot of skills in mediation and compromising, trying to accommodate all the possible requests and disagreements before they can evolve into conflicts. In case something arises, eventually the Chairperson always has the final decision on the Agenda, meaning that when needed Chair Team decisions can be reinforced over feedback or other solutions if they are not deemed necessary or appropriate. At the same time, you can avoid conflicts by listening to the suggestions that you received. After all, every idea is smart on paper, but then you need to take into account the general reception and be able to rethink it and eventually change it.

“During Spring Agora Enschede, we will launch a trial about sending questions online before the presentations for only a specific position, removing them from the plenary.” Could you tell us more about the trial and the reason behind it?

Currently the election system is Questions – Presentations – Restatement of unanswered questions. We wanted to try the online questions to save some precious time and engage more the online part of an Agora. The procedure is rather simple. During plenaries the Chair Team will open the floor for online questions and those will be uploaded to the open slides website we have been using for some Agorae via the option motion. Everyone at the registration desk will be given a password to log in to the website and with that password participants will be able to submit questions and candidates able to read them. Before the plenary ends, we will close also the possibility to ask questions. It will be a trial for this Agora, and of course we will be there in case any problem will arise. AEGEE-Enschede promised us internet won’t fail on participants (in case blame Derk, [she winks, ed.]), and we really hope it will be well received.

One recurring topic seems to be the lack of proper KT in AEGEE, and you as well mention this in your candidature. Have you given KT before and what is your strategy to ensure the process is smooth?

Erika with some members of her local AEGEE-Verona

I indeed gave and received KT and, in the various team, I had the opportunity to experience both lacking (if no) KT and effective one. It is physiological that, when a team finishes its term, some competences are lost, but in our association there is a severe lack of knowledge management, that is why I put it as one of the point of my programme. Within the Chair Team of Spring Agora Enschede, I have experienced a very great management of knowledge transfer from former Chairperson to us, he has been always available for questions and doubts. Also, Marta is at her third Agora preparation, therefore she has more competences and a background experience. This means that whenever I ask even the silliest question she is there to explain or guide the team into the procedure. From Agora Catania to the next Spring Agora, the new Chair team will have at least seven months (assuming, for instance, that Agora will be in April) to prepare themselves and this will give me and my fellow CT members plenty of time to have a deep KT, going through agendas, procedures, system, habits, best practices etc. Also, I will make sure that they can count on us while preparing Spring and Autumn Agora 2018.

You can read her full candidature here.

Written by Federica Soro, AEGEE-Cagliari

During Agora, some people are meant to be in charge of conducting the sessions, giving the timetable, taking minutes and solving any possible problem with the IT infrastructure. They are the Chair Team: Chairperson (Marta Wnuk), vice-Chairperson (Erika Bettin), Secretary (Gabriela Geană) and IT (Jani Dugonik). They have been recently selected to prepare and manage Spring Agora Enschede 2017, and The AEGEEan interviewed them for you. 

Marta Wnuk – Chairperson

The AEGEEan: Please introduce yourself

Marta: I am a member of AEGEE since 2012. I have been active locally in AEGEE-Poznań and AEGEE-Warszawa. Then I became the Content Manager of the Eastern Partnership Project and a Network Commissioner for locals in Poland and in Ukraine.  Recently, I had the opportunity to work on Statutory Events as Vice-Chairperson.

Erika: I am a member of AEGEE since 2011, back then joining AEGEE-Venezia and now I am a member of AEGEE-Verona. I have been part of some team, but my most relevant activity was being Editor- In -Chief of both The AEGEEan and Key to Europe. Speaking about the work of Chair Team, I have been job shadower for Autumn Agora Cagliari, secretary assistant in three Agoras and chaired two prytannia in Autumn Agora Chisinau.

Gabriela: Hello, my name is Gabriela Geană and I am from AEGEE-București. I am 24 and recently employed, I also graduated Communication and PR Faculty, a field which I am really interested to find out more about. I joined AEGEE in autumn 2011 and ever since I have been an active member both in my local and on the European level. I am currently a member of the Public Relations Committee and former journalist for the AEGEEan magazine, which I am really proud of having been a part. I love cats, good movies of all kinds, people who can make me smile, the little things in life. [she smiles, ed.]

Jani: Hello, my name is Jani and I have been an official member for two years and a board member as a representative for IT. I graduated in Computer Science and Information Technology, and currently working at the university as a researcher and teaching assistant. Also, I am in several associations as a board member (IT, disciplinary board,…). I love animals, travelling, meeting new people, experiencing new cultures, and having fun with my friends.

Erika Bettin – Vice-Chairperson

Why did you decide to apply for the Chair Team?

Marta: Chairing a statutory event is both exciting and demanding task. It is a unique experience that teaches a lot and gives a lot of satisfaction. Each Agora is a challenge. Moreover, I realised I am willing to take up this challenge once again. At the same time, I wanted to assure continuity of the Chair Team’s work to make sure that Agora is handled in the best possible way.

Erika: Because I wanted to be part of the team for some time. I always loved the Agora, even if the sentiment was not always mutual, and I have been fascinated by the work of Chair Team.

Gabriela: I decided to apply to the Secretary of the Agora because I always thought I can do more in AEGEE and learn a lot at the same time. I was also thinking of this job before applying to the secretary of the agora, but I felt it was not the right time for me then. This time I did not hesitate, I took the opportunity and applied. It will be challenging, but definitely worthwhile.

Jani: I was always interested in organising conferences and other events. Also, I love challenges and Agora is certainly one of them.

Marta, a second term is in front of you. What will your major challenge be?

Gabriela Geană – Secretary of the Agora

The motto of the Chair Team should be “expect the unexpected”. In other words, the challenge always is to handle the unexpected situation that may occur during the Agora. The challenge is to make fast, accurate decisions that are in line with rules and procedures and which lead to quick resolutions taking all the involved factors into account. Everything else is a matter of a good preparation.

Erika, what will your contribution to the team be?

For now, I already created the hashtag #blueeyedchairteam. What undoubtful contribution, right? [she smiles, ed.] Jokes apart, I hope to bring some ideas that I have for the team and for the agenda. The lack of time is a well-known enemy in our statutory event, so I hope that we will manage to fit everything.

Gabriela, how important are minutes for our association?

Minutes are essential, as they are one of the main sources of information during the Agora, not only to people where the information reaches but also to the people who deliver it. Minutes are messages delivered to the people we want to reach and a constant source of information for all of us at Agora.

How do you envision the cooperation with your fellow Chair Team members?

Erika: For now the cooperation is going well. We all have been members of this association for quite some time and we lived the Agora in different roles: delegates, visitors, envoys, organisers, that I am sure it will bring some different perspectives. We will have the chance to do some team building in Brussel when we will meet in person, in order to be a perfect oiled machine in Enschede.

In Agora Enschede, what is the thing you are most looking forward to?

Marta: The Opening Plenary, I would say. The beginning of the Agora is always a big moment that is a transition point between preparations and the Agora itself. It is a great feeling after the months of preparations to seat finally behind the Chair table with the whole team and take up the challenge of chairing.

Jani Dugonik – IT responsible

Erika: An Agora in Enschede is said to be legendary. I have heard so much about Spring Agora Enschede 2012, that now I am dying out of curiosity to finally taste the touch of the Dutch local at first hand. Needless to say that the thing I am most looking forward to is the very first plenary when all our preparatory work will see the light and the chairing part will start.

Gabriela: The thing I am most looking forward to of the Agora is seeing my friends again, of course. Agora is the best event to meet again with all of your friends or at least a part of them and catch up. I am also looking forward to being on the other side of the table and learning valuable things.

Jani: I am looking to gain even more experience in the IT field as well as in organising such big events and teamwork.

Written by Federica Soro, AEGEE-Cagliari

During the Agorae, there are many candidatures for elected offices, for which you can vote. It is expected that the delegates of the Agora have been properly instructed about who they can vote for, and why these functions are important to AEGEE. Nevertheless, two out of every five participants of the Agora have never been to one before, and AEGEE is a large and multifaceted organisation that can be hard to dissect. That is why we have a short list of all the candidatures for all the functions that could theoretically be voted for at the Agora. So, here is something you can share with everyone who would like to refresh his or her memory of what they are actually voting for.

Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the Agora and EPM

The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson are two vital people at an Agora and EPM in order to streamline the event. Telling everyone when everything is happening, how long everyone can talk, when everyone can ask questions and to whom, and moreover, they are crucial to prevent a cacophony or even a complete derailment of the meeting. Without a (vice-)chairperson, these meetings might very well take ten times longer, while accomplishing the exact same thing.

Member of the Audit Commission

The members of the Audit commission help by checking the bookkeeping of AEGEE-Europe, and locals of AEGEE, and that of Working Groups, and even of events that are hosted by AEGEE-Europe. To top that, they also need to approve the financial reports of all these aforementioned institutions, except for locals. So, if you ever had to fill in a financial report, it was, in part, for these guys.

If you think these financial detectives are finally done after checking and approving  all of this, you’d be wrong. Afterwards, they need to present all of their findings at each Agora, for which there isn’t, as of yet, any reimbursements for their travel costs.

Member of the Mediation Commission

The Mediation Commission, formerly the Members Commission, is basically like your old primary school councellor on steroids. They are mediators, as the name suggests, between any people or bodies of AEGEE, should this be necessary, and, when they mediate, they can also give requested or unrequested advise.

However, what many members may not realise, is that they are also part of the juridical branch of AEGEE; chiefly operating as its judges. Instead of mediating a dispute, they are also allowed to settle it. In extreme cases this can result to the suggestion of disciplinary sanctions as draconic as the expulsion of an entire local from the network. In short, just like for any other function, it is pretty important to elect the right people for this job.

Member of the Network Commission

At first glance, the Network Commission might seem like that collection of big umbrellas under the even bigger umbrella of the CD; a sort of ‘super board’ of your local and its neighbouring ones. The NetCom actually has mostly to do with communication, furthering cooperation between, and giving support to locals.

The Network Commission was established at Autumn Agora Athina approximately twenty years ago, because by then, AEGEE had become so large that it had become hard to organise it as efficiently as in the decade before. Imagine that, if AEGEE did not decide to create the NetCom, nowadays all of its almost two hundred locals had to be managed and supported by a single person; the Network Director of AEGEE-Europe.

The Network Commission takes a vital role, as each of its members supports only a handful of locals, and thus becomes an important link between the locals themselves and AEGEE(-Europe) as a whole. The decision to break the network down into smaller, more manageable bits  in 1996, allowed it to continue efficiently. It, furthermore, allowed the CD to be reduced that same year from twelve to only nine people. For an ever expanding network, it is important for the NetCom to remain functioning.

Member of the Summer University Coordination Team

The Summer University Coordination Team, or SUCT in short, is pretty much exactly what you would picture, when hearing its name: it is a team of four people who coordinate the Summer Universities. There are a lot of intricate details about the responsibilities of the SUCT, but to keep things simple, one can say that the SUCT is a necessary hub that can aid, advise, encourage, and oversee all teams that are going to organise Summer Universities.

The importance of the SUCT also comes from other factors, such as the fact that the Summer Universities are, currently, one of the most, if not, the most significant recruitment events of AEGEE. Another factor, that ties into this, is the programme of the SUs. Summer Universities can fall victim of becoming ‘cheap holidays’, and students could only join AEGEE as a ‘necessary evil’ to go on this ‘cheap holiday’, without the intention of trying anything else in AEGEE. Members of the SUCT, therefore, always have to remain vigilant that the programmes of the Summer Universities include life changing experiences that contribute to the vision of AEGEE, without being boring or losing popularity.

Secretary General of AEGEE-Europe

The role Secretary General, however, might not be what you thought at first glance; at least, if you imagined it as the highest executive office of the Union of Europtimistic AEGEE Locals. The tasks of the Secretary General can most easily be explained by comparing it to the tasks of your local’s secretary; taking minutes, keeping the archive, be present at board meetings, etcetera. Except for that fact, this secretary is also the secretary of the board that represents the entire association. Hence the suffix ‘general’, in order to clarify that it is the secretary with the highest function.

Written by Willem Laurentzen, AEGEE-Nijmegen

The world of politics can be a minefield. That’s why it’s so important to have skilled diplomats to guide us through, one of such being Marta Wnuk from AEGEE-Warszawa. After joining AEGEE she’s been rapidly rising through the ranks, being involved in various successful projects, in which she has shown that she can take on great responsibilities with skill and distinction. Now she’s more than ready to take on a new great step and become your next Chairperson.

The AEGEEan: Each person is like a tiny mystery, only so little is known of each of them. Marta, what would  you like people to know about you?

Marta: Up to recently I was a student of International Relations with special focus on diplomacy and external relations of the EU, particularly Eastern Partnership, about which I wrote my master’s thesis. Currently, I live and work in Warsaw – the city of rich history, Chopin and beautiful parks, which I fell in love with after moving there from Poznań.  In AEGEE I discovered one of my passions, which is being a trainer – delivering sessions and being involved in the content work. I also love Shakespeare, British theatre and good conversation about politics.

Every book has a story. What is your (hi)story with AEGEE?

I discovered AEGEE three and a half years ago when I attended an LTC organised in spring 2012 by AEGEE-Poznań. After that event, nothing was ever the same again. I embarked on passionate and full on unexpected turns of action, fast track of self-development and discovering new possibilities. One of those new worlds was Eastern Partnership. From the beginning I was involved in the organisation of “I’m for the East!” Festival – an event dedicated the six EaP countries. I also coordinated my own charity project “AEGEE with Heart for Georgia”. Naturally, after local activity in Poznań I continued my involvement with EaP by shaping the second phase of the Eastern Partnership Project as its Content Manager. The recent success of our project is the AEGEE Eastern Partnership Youth Convention organised in Kraków in May this year. Besides EaP, I also have experience as a board member of AEGEE-Warszawa. Most importantly, after being subcommie, since Agora Cagliari I am member of the Network Commission having under its care locals located in Ukraine and in Poland. So far it’s been one of the most rewarding and intense experiences for me in AEGEE.

 “Love is a many-splendored thing.” What is it that you like most about AEGEE?

Firstly, AEGEE makes you part of a unique community – people who will appreciate you for who you are and what you do. Secondly, it is the empowerment it enables and impact it leaves on individuals. These are two components that are hard to find almost anywhere else and that’s why they bring so much value. They make all the commitment and hard work worth the effort.

“You are not what you are born, but what you have it in yourself to be.” What made you want to become the (Vice-)Chairperson of the Agora/EBM?

As I wrote in my application, I’ve always been fascinated by possibility to participate in local democracy that AEGEE provides. The Agora is the ultimate experience, from that perspective. The Chairperson plays a very special role as a facilitator of the whole event and the processes that are being conducted there.

My term as a NetCommie will end soon. But I do not treat my candidature as only the next challenge in the organisation. Thought of being a Chairperson I gives me special thrill of excitement and at the same time I am aware how great the responsibility is that this task bears. It’s always been my dream to find myself in this position and now I know it’s the right time to try to realise it.

There seem to be as many people as stars in the night’s sky. What is it about you that makes you shine brighter, and be better than all the other candidates for (Vice-)Chairperson of the Agora/EBM?

I know quite well the world of diplomacy. And I believe that a good Chairperson should be like a good diplomat – respectable, representative, knowledgeable and a master of a compromise. Secondly, having experience as a NetCommie I am not only familiar with the insights of our organisation very well, but I know the perspective of the locals, thus I’ll be able to include it more in Statutory Events and communicate better with the Network.

 “Never measure the height of a mountain, until you have reached the top. Then you will see how low it was.” What do you think would be the most challenging aspects of being a chairperson?

The most challenging is always the unexpected, I would say. After having organised several events in AEGEE I learnt that very well. It is possible to be prepared for every task, but when different situations occur out of the plan, it’s necessarily to know how to act accordingly, which can be only be built upon previous experience and ability to adapt. Agora sometimes happens to be lively and dynamic, and it’s important to take that into account when preparing for role of a Chairperson.

Written by Willem Laurentzen, AEGEE-Nijmegen

You can read her full candidature here.

Tom Simons, a 23 years old Dutch student of Industrial design, is one of the candidates for a position as Chairperson (Vice-Chairperson) of the Agora/ European Planing Meeting (EPM). Member since 2010, Tom covered several positions in his local (AEGEE-Enschede) and was a member of the Mediation Commission. At Autumn Agora Cagliari he was elected as Chairperson of the Agora and now he aims to run for a second term.

The AEGEEan: Why did you decide to run again for the position of Chairperson?

Tom: Being part of the Chair Team last year has been one of the best experiences I had in AEGEE since joining in 2010. It was a big challenge and a great learning experience. I think I can still contribute a lot to improve our statutory events and at the same time keep developing myself by being part of the Chair Team for another year. I think that now I have experience with the basic tasks of the Chair Team, a second term will allow me to go more in depth in implementing possible improvements to our statutory events.

You stated that you still think that there is room to improve statutory events. What did your team do in this sense?

The Agora is our most important decision making body, and thus it should have the most space for discussions in order to come to a fair and representative decision. In the last year we increased this possibility by having as much discussions as possible in Prytania. AT Spring Agora Asturias position papers were presented during Prytania, and at the upcoming Agora the EPM topics and the activity plans of Working Groups will be also presented during Prytania. Besides this, the important topic of finances was also moved from a Progress Meeting to a Prytanium for two reasons. Firstly to increase the influence of the locals in the budgeting process, and secondly to provide the possibility for all locals to send a delegate to this meeting, which wasn’t always possible before when the progress meeting was during a Prytanium slot. Although I am very happy with these changes, I think there is still more that can be improved.

Looking back at what you have done with your current team, do you think you reached all the points you had in your program in 2014?

One of the points in my program last year was to improve the discussion aspect and other content of the Agora, which I think was reached by the points described above. Besides this, a point from my program was to change the role of the Chair in the EPM. Although we had some minor changes, such as chairing two panel discussions, this was still early in our term, and we were still growing in our roles as Chair Team, so I think more can be gained here.
Choosing participants always raised a lot of controversies, what went wrong this time, and how would you ease the process?

I think the main problem this time was that people were unaware of the selection procedure we adhered to. In my opinion we made it as fair as possible for everyone, for all statutory events in the past year, but there will always be people who disagree with us. In the future the main thing I would change is to explicitly explain to the network which steps we will follow in the selection procedure. This way, people will be aware how their application will be processed.

One point of you candidature states: continue helping participants to be prepared for the statutory events. What have you done during your term and what do you think needs to be improved?

Before EPM Burgos, the manual of the EPM for newbies was created in order to help participants gain an understanding of the EPM and everything discussed at this event. Besides this, we updated the Agora for newbies presentation and we continued with the delegate quiz as done by the previous Chair Teams. We also presented a summary of all relevant procedures at the beginning of the Agora, and in the upcoming Agora we will have a short Agora for newbies presentation in the opening plenary. For the next Agora, AEGEE will pilot with a new online system to submit proposals, comment on them etc. I think this is an excellent opportunity to involve participants more in the decision making process.

Having attended Agorae both as delegate and envoy, and now as Chairperson, what do you think is the major point that needs to be improved?

Having 800 people together is such an amazing opportunity, but discussing in this large group poses a difficulty. I would like to see as much content being discussed in smaller groups (Prytania/Progress Meetings) to allocate more time and allow more people to participate in the discussions. I think last year we made some big steps, but there is still more to be gained in this respect. Besides these changes that I think would benefit the Agora, I think the Chair Team should also implement changes the network wants. During the last Agora there was a Progress Meeting on Agora reform, and there will be one during the upcoming Agora as well. This is an excellent opportunity to gather input from the network on improving the Agora, which can then be implemented by the Chair Team.

Would you change something from this past year?

We all make mistakes and I always try to learn from mine and improve my skills so as to not make the same mistake twice. If I would have to name an example, I would say increasing the transparency. As I said earlier, the transparency of the visitor selection procedure would be one thing in particular I would inform the network about beforehand.

Why should people vote for you?

I think people should vote for the candidate they think is most suited for the job, so I’m not going to ask people to vote for me. Instead I encourage everyone to read all applications and listen to the presentations during the Agora, and make a decision based on that.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Verona

You can read his full candidature here.

Claudio Armandi has been active on European level in many different positions. Besides his local activities, he has been a Network Commissioner and a member of the Mediation Commission for two terms. Now he is striving for something new, and is running for Chairperson. Read on to find out about his previous experiences, his motivation and aims.

The AEGEEan: Claudio, even though you have been asked to do this quite a number of times already, please briefly introduce yourself to our readers!

Claudio: Hello, readers! My name is Claudio, 27 years old, originally from Naples, Italy, but lost somewhere between Germany and the Netherlands for the past few years. Basically, I haven’t had enough time to get accustomed to sauerkraut before diving into bitterballen. Beer has been good the whole time though.

About one year ago, you were interviewed by the AEGEEan about your candidature for the Mediation Commission (MedCom) which you were elected for, but that was not even the first time that you ran for a position on European level. Please let the readers know about your AEGEE-experiences.

You are making me relive my previous job interviews! Just promise me you will not ask about my values and flaws and I will be OK.

I joined AEGEE back in 2010. In the first two years, I have been active on local level, serving one year as President and being Network Commission (NetCom) SubCommie in the meantime. Then I stepped up at European level, serving and protecting the Rainbow locals (Italian speaking and Maltese locals, ed.) as Network Commissioner for one year and being in the Mediation Commission for two years, the last term as a President. I have also been active in the first round of the Eastern Partnership Project as Financial Manager.

How will these experiences contribute to your work as a Chairperson?

Such a long time in the organisation and attending many statutory events makes you understand how they work, what their critical moments are and the possible unexpected circumstances that you may encounter.

Two years in the MedCom taught me how to put my opinion aside when it comes to tackling some issues. The first level of mediation happens to be inside the team, where every individual has their own opinion, while the Commission must have a coherent and univocal approach to each matter. After that, you are likely to deal with conflicting parties that have to be treated equally, even in the case where you have a strong opinion about the situation and where the chosen approach to tackle the situation was not the one you were hoping for.

I really hope that no future statutory event will host such strong disputes, but I still think my last two years made me a well-prepared candidate for this position.

What about your non-AEGEE experiences? What did you study, what work experience do you have and to how far will they be useful in case you get elected?

I have an Engineering Bachelor, but then I decided to switch to Management and that move saved my life from years of boredom. I lived and studied in Italy, Germany and the Netherlands, currently residing in Amsterdam and commuting every day to Utrecht, enjoying lots of traffic jams and speed radars. I have been an industrial buyer for around three years, even if not consecutive. In my free time, I like cooking, travelling, photography, and I recently discovered the passion for running. I took part in a couple of races in the past year and I survived all of them.

All of the above things, including my AEGEE experience, forced me to work in diverse and multicultural teams, as the next Chair Team will probably be. My work includes a lot of public speaking and negotiations, negotiations, negotiations. They teach you that you will not always get what you want and that you have to understand everyone’s vision and needs before going head first into a deal. They also teach you that the way you interact with people and the angle you choose to present a situation can change the outcome drastically. Same can be told about photography, can’t it?

Running teaches you how to dose your energies during a long effort and stay mentally focused when everything around you seems to play against it. Cooking is also about doses, but hopefully the challenge there is eating that last bite when you are way too full just because it’s too good not to eat it! Last but not the least, missing a deadline in my job likely means burning lots of money and people being mad at you. If we treated deadlines equally in AEGEE, we would live in a dream world.

You have filled many positions already. Did your former positions not suit you or why do you keep changing from one job to the next?

I simply kept changing because I believe change is one of the keys to keep machines like AEGEE alive. One year is a long commitment for volunteer work and thus it is preferable to have new and motivated people that can bring freshness and new ideas every year. This was not the case for Mediation Commission last year, since I ran for a second term because there were not enough candidates after the deadline. It happens to be the case this year as well, but I think it has been enough for me in the MedCom. In the end, if you never step down, no new people will be encouraged to apply for a position at European level.

Every position has suited me in a different way. I liked being in daily touch with my locals as a NetCommie and being their referral point for small issues. I also liked working “behind the scenes” as a MedCommie, using my gained experience and maturity to manage more serious situations and to deal with the privacy of our network.

What made you decide to run for Chairperson/ Vice-Chairperson of the Agora/European Planning Meeting (EPM)?

As I wrote in my candidature, Leiden and Bergamo have a special meaning in my AEGEE life for different reasons. I do not believe in destiny or similar stuff, but sometimes I interpret some events as signs that tell me something.

Other than this, the role of the Chairperson and the other people sitting on stage during statutory events has always fascinated me. Their work includes a lot of dedication, commitment and planning. I bet they are the only ones to always be paying attention to what goes on during the Agora, the first ones to wake up in the morning and the most probable to skip a party. That is something to admire. All in all, I feel I have the energy and the willingness to commit to another task in AEGEE for another year. It would be a pity to lose them!

One of the other three candidates is Tom Simons, with whom you have worked together in the MedCom already. Is it a coincidence that both of you are running for a position as a chairperson now or did you two have great plans all along?

I did not discuss about it with Tom before submitting my candidature and I only knew he was running again for it when I saw his candidature online. So nothing that we planned together! Of course, it would be great to work with him again since I know the dedication and the effort he puts in what he does in AEGEE. Additionally, I would be working along with someone that already has one-year experience in this position, and this can only be beneficial.

On the other hand, in case I am going to be elected, I am fully open to cooperating with anyone that will be on my side. AEGEE and my professional life taught me to work with anyone who shared some path with me and I learnt that sometimes you could get a great experience in working with someone you did not know beforehand.

In your candidature you say that you would “like to give a special twist to the Chair team, so that participants would spend less time sleeping in the back row”. What exactly do you have in mind to accomplish this goal?

I know that that kind of behaviour boils down to not sleeping enough at night and too many drinks during the previous party. There is little a Chairperson can do about it. But, if you know me just a little bit, you would know I like joking and entertaining people, while keeping a serious approach. I reckon not even Andy Kaufman (an American commedian, ed.) would be able to entertain people for five days in a row and that a Chairperson needs some aplomb, but a laugh from time to time would not be bad.

There are four candidates for two vacant places. Why should people vote for you in particular?

Because everyone loves the Italian accent, even if I do not eat pizza every day and I cannot play a mandolin. I can grow a mustache if I really need it, but I would have to face some complaints at home. Also because I have been around for long in AEGEE, spending my last three years working every day for the good of the organisation. A last year as a Chairperson would be a very nice way to say goodbye and head to something different in my life. I would take it as a chance to keep doing what I love for another year and for AEGEE to renew the trust it had in me in the past years.

I know I am slightly different from the average AEGEEan and that you may either love it or hate it. This means it is a good chance to try something different.

Written by Katja Sontag, AEGEE-Aachen

You can read his full candidature here.

The Chair Team is changing its members during every Autumn Agora. The newly elected team is preparing for the statutory events that are coming, because preparation is the key to a successful event, in this case first of all for the European Planning Meeting (EPM). They have responsibilities that need to be respected so that the event goes on as planned. The AEGEEan got in touch with Tom, Andrea, Svenja and Gianmarco in order to find out more about the new team.

As many of us already know, the Chair Team was elected during Autumn Agora Cagliari. It is represented by four people: the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary and IT Responsible. The Chairperson, in this case Tom Simons (AEGEE-Enschede), as well as the Vice-Chairperson, Andrea Ugrinoska (AEGEE-Skopje), lead the meetings. The Secretary, Svenja van der Tol (AEGEE-Nijmegen), is responsible for taking the minutes of the sessions and the IT responsible, Gianmarco Rodriguez Aviles (AEGEE-Genova), has to take care of all technology needed during the events. The Chair Team is responsible for two Agorae and one European Planning Meeting (EPM).

Active member of the Culture Working Group, Agora responsible for the Election Observation project, Editor for the AEGEEan and co-Editor-in-Chief of the Key to Europe 2013-2014, but also terrified by clowns and mangos, Erika (AEGEE-Venezia) is one of the candidates for the position of Chairperson for the next term. The AEGEEan met her to ask her few questions to know more about her and her plans.

The AEGEEan: Tell us about Erika in few words. What we don’t know about you?

Erika: Well, let’s see. I grew up in the Venetian countryside walking barefoot half of the year. I’m a Gemini, which is a cool zodiac sign, but, since it’s a double sign, the horoscope is particularly bipolar. I’m often referring to myself in third person using my surname instead of my name. I am absolutely terrified by clowns and I strongly believe mango is an evil fruit.

What brings you to run for the position of Chairperson?

The belief I can do the job. The Agora is the ultimate AEGEE experience, it is something we look forward to for six months and we are already speaking about the next one when the current is not yet finished. What could be better than being part of its organisation? Speaking with former Chairpersons, reading minutes from past
Agorae and reading the Corpus Iuridicum Aegeense (CIA) were a boost for me to run. During the Chair Meeting in Brussels, any doubt I may have had disappeared. I trust my feelings and during those three days I was feeling at the right place at the right time.

What do you think are Chair responsibilities for the Agora?

Chairing the Agora, of course. But what the participants see during three days is just the top of the iceberg because the preparation for an Agora already starts months before. Open Calls have to be issued, participants have to be carefully selected and all mails answered. The team is important because you have to work not only with the Vice-Chairperson, Secretary and IT assistant, but also with the Local Organisers, Secretary General of the Comité Directeur and Juridical Commission. Therefore a good communication and good cooperation is the key to deliver a good job. Last but not least: drafting the agenda. It’s a compelling process where you have to take into account several variables like requests from the Network, but at the same time you also have to make sure you allocate enough time for presentations and discussions. It’s like a puzzle where all the pieces have to fit perfectly together with enough room for changes.

What’s the role you expect the Chair to have during EPMs?

The Chair presides over the EPM and s/he has to make sure everything goes smoothly according to the agenda. The content of an EPM is decided by the Comité Directeur and the Content Manager and the role of the Chair is marginal, but we  can still give our contribution to the organisational part of the event, for example by  issuing Open Calls for participants and setting a good timeline.

Did you already have similar experiences in chairing? And in team leading?

I chaired and presented several events, especially thanks to my works as journalist and radio host, and discussions, including some Agora simulation in NWMs. As for leading a team, I was in charge of several teams in and outside AEGEE. The past half year I was the Editor-in-Chief for Key to Europe 2013-2014. Along with Svenja van der Tol (AEGEE-Nijmegen), I was in charge of a team of 15 people, while we also coordinated all the externals who contributed to our annual publication. I was also the team leader of a group of six people reporting live from Venice International Film Festival.

Chairing the Agora means a lot of work before the Agora, with a long term planning and a lot of last minute changes. How much time do you think you will be able to dedicate to your position if you will be elected?

All the time it requires. I put Chair Team on the top of my priorities list. Moreover, I
have a very flexible schedule at work and I can organize my time as I prefer (as long as I deliver my job properly), so there are no obstacles in terms of overlapping. Plus, I spend most probably 18 hours a day in front of my laptop and when I don’t, I have internet on my phone which means I’m available 24/7, and who works with me knows that I can answer mail at any hours.

In your program you wrote you would like to introduce the concept of Agora Debate. What is it about?

This idea came to my mind in Patra while discussing Agora reform in one of the Progress Meetings. We often say there is not enough time for people to present themselves and for delegate to ask questions, so I was thinking: what if we introduce Agora Debate? As I imagine it, it would be similar to Oxford debate, with a given motion and two teams (one in favour and one against) discussing it. Each candidate is running by him/herself, but after all s/he will have to work in a team too, so it could be interesting to see how they interact with each other on a common topic. I think it could be more engaging for delegates and participants to see candidates in another environment expressing their ideas in a more developed way.

How would you like to help participants to be more prepared for statutory events (besides the Agora for dummies?)

Agora for dummies is important, because it introduces delegates to the Agora. The fact that it is translated in several languages helps those people that have trouble with English, but it’s of course not enough. Hangouts with the Chair team would be another good tool to explain what an Agora is and to answer questions. However, the biggest amount of work needed to prepare participants has to be done by locals, although I think the Chair Team should be there to help them whenever possible. Reaching out to almost 200 locals is very complicated, so I think that a good cooperation with the Network Commission is indispensable since NetCommies have a good overview of locals. Several NWMs already have a session to prepare participants for Agorae and, even if it’s not mandatory, it is a precious tool for discussions.

You already have different positions in AEGEE (People Editor for the AEGEEan, Agora Responsible for the Election Observation Project); in case you will be elected how will you manage to carry on so many different activities?

In The AEGEEan we will have elections after the Agora and in case I’m elected I won’t take any board position, but I will stay on as a regular journalist. The Election Observation Project is very dear to my heart because we put a lot of efforts into it in the past year and in Cagliari we will finally sign the contract. Agora Responsible is an appointed task and I do not think I will be appointed again if I’m elected as Chair Team, but having me in the Chair Team will definitely help in terms of communication and future observation missions during the Agora. In both cases I am sure that with a good knowledge transfer and motivation, we will find someone to take over my tasks. I am lucky to be in those teams because they are composed by phenomenal people willing to work and do their best. I will stay active in both projects, and in the Culture Working Group as well, because I firmly believe that projects and working groups need active members, not only board members, so I will keep on giving my contribution to the cause, whenever it’s possible.

What will you do in case you won’t be elected?

First of all I will take some time to recollect myself, then I will let myself have the best European Night ever. Once the Agora is over I will start again. As you said before, I’m involved in some other projects and it is my intention to work in them for the next year or so. Definitely I won’t finish my life in AEGEE abruptly after Agora Cagliari. We always say that our organization is the land of opportunities and you never know what the future holds for you.

Sometimes Agorae are long and discussions may distract (not to say bore) a part of the audience. When this happens, usually people in the plenary room start talking or, even worse, sleeping. What would you do if this happens during the plenary you are chairing?

If people are talking it could be for two reasons. The first one is because participants are discussing the topic with each other. If this is the case, I would invite those people to take the stage to share their thoughts because it may be an additional point of view in the discussion. The second reason is because they are bored or sleeping, in which case I would suggest an energiser! Sometimes destressing for a little bit can help to get focus back; moreover, it happens that we are so overwhelmed by the fact we can reunite with old friends that we want to party and talk all night long, not thinking about the morning after when we have plenaries again. If nothing else works, I can always start singing and that attempt is going to be successful since I’m probably the worst singer in the world. The audience will pray for me to stop [she laughs].

And now a question that came from the Network:

It is not the first time you candidate for this position. What has changed since you have ran for the first time? Why should people vote for you this time?

What changed in one year? I changed. A lot. One of the main points of AEGEE is self
development and I guess that with me it worked [she laughs]. This year I focused on what I love, taking my goals into consideration. I reflected a lot on my skills and the possibility of running one more time. It was a slow process that made me aware of some mistakes I’ve done in the past and the development of my strenghts. Why should people vote for me in Cagliari? Because all the experiences I’ve had so far made me acquire a deep knowledge of the Network and being a Chair Team Job Shadower gave me valuable insights into the work a Chairperson should perform.

Which are the characteristics (personal and professional) the Chairperson should have? Do you honestly see yourself in this role?

I am very fair, objective and partial. This is one of the things that I like to bring from my professional life into AEGEE, no matter of the project. I think these are the core qualities of a good Chairperson too. According to my vision, the Chair Team has, among others, the goal to serve the Network and let the Network decide by itself without influencing their decision. Moreover, I think a Chairperson should have excellent crisis management skills because last minute decisions and problems are always around the corner. So, coming back to your question: yes, I see myself in this role!

Written by Alfredo Sellitti, AEGEE-Salerno

Active member on local level, Member of the Mediation Commission, Tom (AEGEE-Enschede) is one of the candidates for the position of Chairperson for the next term. The AEGEEan met him to ask him few questions to know more about him and his plans.

The AEGEEan: Tell us about Tom in few words. What we don’t know about you?

Tom: hm, you’re starting with the hardest question, you may not know that I lived abroad twice, but never in another European country.

What brings you to run for the position of Chairperson?

After being an active member on the local level for several years, I started to become active on European level. In Agora Zaragoza I ran for MedCom, and after spending a year working with much pleasure in this team, I wanted to remain active on the European level. To ensure I would be motivated enough to spend a year in a certain position, I needed a position which I would find challenging. Chair seemed like a prefect next step and the fact that my study schedule allowed this was of course an added bonus.

What do you think are Chair responsibilities for the Agora?

There is of course the visible part, chairing plenaries and prytania at the Agora/EPM, and then there is the work that goes on behind the scenes. There is the communication with CD, with local organizers, participant selection, etc.

What’s the role you expect the Chair to have during EPMs?

The way it is now, the Chair doesn’t have an as big a role as during the Agora. However there are a lot of discussions taking place during EPM where, in my opinion, the capacities of the Chair can be used to a fuller extent.

Did you already have similar experiences in chairing? And in team leading?

I have chaired several Board meetings, a Nedertop, and was moderator in several discussions during my studies. I also have experience in team leading, I have been speaker of several local committees and project teams.

Chairing the Agora means a lot of work before the Agora, with a long term planning and full of last minute changes. How much time you think you will be able to dedicate to your position if you will be elected?

Because of changes in my countries study policy, I will have this entire year to finish my bachelor before I can start my master, even though I only need a few more subjects. This means that for the spring Agora and EPM, I will have a lot of time to prepare for both events. The Autumn Agora is held in the beginning of the next academic year, so I’m sure I will be able to make time for this important task.

How do you think you will balance the need for allowing all opinions to be heard and respecting the timeline of the Agora?

It is always hard to make sure all opinions get heard in the amount of time there is available, however I hope to be able to cut off the discussion when people start repeating opinions which have already been said.

In your program you wrote about a fair selection of participants. Do you think the selection as done so far is to be improved or it has been fair enough? And in case yes, how can you improve it?

There was an incident last year where the chair selected participants based solely on their motivation letters instead of the order the local boards put them in, which caused some controversy in the network. Afterwards the selection procedure changed to keep room for the motivation letters, but to include board comments in the selection. This would be implemented afterwards for Agora Patra, however there were too few participants to actually test this system. So the actual test is still to come and I want to make sure this happens properly.

How would you like to help participants to be more prepared for statutory events (besides the Agora for dummies?)

Communication mostly. Communicating with participants so they can be prepared by reading the booklets, communicating with candidates so they will know what to prepare, etc.

What will you do in case you won’t be elected?

I’m not sure yet, I will have to find something else to keep me busy.

Sometimes Agorae are long and discussions may distract (not to say bore) part of the audience. When this happens, usually people in the plenary room start talking or, even worst, sleeping. What would you do if this happens during the plenary you are chairing?

Unfortunately, I don’t expect to be able to keep everyone awake, I think this is (unfortunately) an unrealistic goal. Talking people however are more disruptive to the people who do want to pay attention, and I do expect the be able to keep them quiet during the plenaries.

And now a question that came from the Network:

Which are the characteristics (personal and professional) the Chairperson should have? Do you honestly see yourself in this role? 

In my opinion the characteristics described above cover the Chair quite accurately. A lot of those characteristics are also required in being a member of the Mediation Comission, so I have some experience with that. Even though I of course have an opinion about certain subjects, as every long time member would have, I have always seen myself as an objective person, being able to treat people the same in similar circumstances, and a year working as a MedCommie, I have expanded those characteristics and gained more experience doing exactly what is described above. I have been an active member since 2010 and have visited 8 Agorae/EBMs (Cagliari will be my 9th) out of which one was in my home city of Enschede, where I saw the organisation of an Agora up close.

So I dare to say that I do have thourough knowledge of AEGEE and the Agora/EBM to hold this position

Written by Alfredo Sellitti, AEGEE-Salerno

As the Agora is approaching, new candidates are coming: Today we are meeting Miljana Vulevic (AEGEE-Beograd) who is running for the position of Chairperson of our upcoming General Assembly. Active member and HR responsible of her local, Miljana is also engaged on the European level as former Secretary in Patra and current Vice-Chairperson of Agora Cagliari. See if she is the candidate you want as future Chairperson.

The AEGEEan: Can you introduce yourself for the Aegeeans who still don’t know you?

Miljana: Hey there everyone! I am Miljana and I come from Belgrade, Serbia. Currently I am studying management at Faculty of Economics at the University of Belgrade. Why management? Well, I have always been very enterprenurial, even when I was a kid. When I was 8 I started perfume and bracelet making business, I had one employee whom I paid in stationary material my mom excesivelly bought for me for some reason every single week, and my customers were girls from the neighbourhood. Unfortunatelly, my business went under after my customers’ parent found out how their children were spending their pocket money. I was raised to despise politics, but now it is something I really enjoy exploring and learning about. I could never decide if I was a dog or a cat person and I always route for the underdogs. The tendency to ovethink and overanalize the world around me can make me tired from times to times, so I have a hobby that relaxes me – cooking. And when I cook I always turn up the music and improvise a lot. That is, more or less, the only time I allow myself to get crazy and not have a plan.

When did you join AEGEE and why?

My story doesn’t start like you would expect – once upon a time, after an amazing experience at a Summer University, a young girl fell in love with an organization called AEGEE and decided to dedicate her time and efforts towards making Europe a better place for the future generations. Well, it kind of is, but it wasn’t a SU, it was a LTC and two amazing trainers who are also old AEGEE-Beograd members, Aleksandra Adasevic and Miljan Radunovic. They really inspired me, so i decided to join the organization. That was almost 3 years ago.

What’s your local experience in AEGEE-Beograd?

Well, I officialy became a member in January 2012, and I started working on an exchange Beograd was doing with Agrigento. After that, there was not a single event in AEGEE-Beograd that I haven’t took part in, at least as a helper organizer. By the end of my first year in AEGEE, I went to my first event ever- Agora Budapest. After my Agora experience, I felt very motivated, so I entered the board of AEGEE-Beograd 2014/2015 as HR responsible and by the end of my term I organized a LTC. Once I was done with my duties as a board member, I had more time to do something I wanted for a long time , starting a project: The foundation of a local Language Working Group. In November 2013 we had the EDL week, little language/culture workshops facilitated by our members. By March we developed a concept, got everything ready and LanguAEGEE was born! We organized free language courses for students of our University and they were delivered by our members who study those languages. LWG and their newly elected speaker, Adri Lopez, were great and gave us a nice support before and during the course of the project which ended up being a great success. You can read all about it in the K2E.

How about your role on the European level?

After a great year working for my board, I’ve decided I wanted to get more involved on the European level, which kind of happened around the time an OC for the Secretary of Spring Agora Patra was issued. I was already a member of LWG, due to me starting LanguAEGEE in my local, and after Patra I joined Ana Potocnik’s team of subcommies, which is a job I really love. Currently I am the Vice-Chairperson of Agora Cagliari. All these tasks have brought me great joy and experience.

You were the Secretary during Spring Agora 2014. What can you tell us about this experience?

Being a Secretary was a truly amazing experience, much better than I expected to be honest! I learned a lot, starting how to type like a boss (laughs). But in all seriousness, it was a wonderful learning experence and it gave me a deep insight of our organization. It also inspired me to continue working in Chair team. Writing the minutes required, re-living the entire Agora over and over again and listening to the recordings countless times. It was a bit tiresome at times, but with proper organization of time and motivation to finish a document as important as minutes are, I honestly enjoyed a lot doing it. And being able to see the Agora as whole, I got a clear vision of what could be improved. All in all, time excellently spent.

You are one of the candidates for the role of Chairperson of the upcoming Agora in Cagliari. Why did you decide to apply for this position?

The answer is quite easy – I love it so much! While attending my first Chair meeting in March this year, I was so impressed with the job Alberto and Paul were doing and how all those decisions and ideas and efforts finaly add up to something as awesome as Agora. I wanted some of that magic for myself one day. That is the reason I applied to be the Vice-Chairperson and it is the reason I am running for this position. What Agora represents for me is I will say, with all the risk of exaggerating, almost sacred. The place where we meet those amazing people we know and love and miss during the year, the place we come together to make decisions and improve our organization, the place where we give 7 great people who work really hard in Brussels during one whole year some precious feedback, the place where we discuss and grow. Having opportunity to be responsible for planning that would be indescribable. An honor. Apart from my personal motivation, I find myself to objectively have the critical amount of experience for this position, which is a quite important thing when it comes to an event as big and important as Agora. Improvisation and learning on the way are not an option.

According to your opinion what is the role of a Chairperson in our network?

Oh, I like this one (laughs). I could talk about for hours, but in a nutshell, I believe that Chair team should basically keep up the good work, but that there is definitely room for some changes. There are things I would like to see happen because right now we are not taking advantage of the fact that there are 600-1000 people at each Agora and that the majority are new members. For instance, what we are currently trying to do is introducing a new format of sessions to the Agora – trainings. This could be beneficial for the locals, members of those locals attending the Agora as well as for the trainers who would be gaining precious experience. Also, colaborating with other EL bodies and trying to include them in the program would be benefitial not only for the Agora, but for the entire Network. So to answer your question, refreshing the concept of Agora, making constant improvements and taking care that everything goes smoothly during the event while being just and objective would be, in my opinion, tasks of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson.

A question from our readers: Which are the characteristics (personal and professional) the Chairperson should have? Do you honestly see yourself in this role?

Real professionals don’t really let their personality interfere with the job they need to do, they do it “by the book” and strive towards perfection. But some main characterisitcs an ideal Chairperson should have are objectivity, fairness, punctuality, assertivness. Do I honestly see myself in this role? Yes, absolutely.

Do you have any experience in this field?

Being in the Chair team for the second time in a row does give me a good insight of what chair work looks like, both before and during Agora, and working in two different positions within the team gives me a well rounded perspective and a real clear image of the tasks that need to be done and how to do it well. As for my chairing experience, I did chair countless meetings in AEGEE-Beograd, but no matter what you did in life, no matter how many meetings you’ve chaired, Agora is a whole different ball game. Only Agora gives you experience for Agora. We are one of the rare organizations with General Assemblies of this magnitude, so all chairing one does beforehand is a light training compared to this. And I do feel ready for it.

Last but not least: Why should delegates vote for you?

The reason I believe I have the experience and the necessary skills required for this position is the very fact I have been in the Chair team for almost a year now and took part in planning and preparing two consecutive Agorae. As I’ve previously mentioned, having the task to create the minutes of the Agora made me aware of the things that are well done but also the things that could use some improvement. And apart from that I am upbeat, positive, outgoing and reliable which makes me a good team player. Even though I like having fun and laugh as often as I can, I consider myself to be very serious and professional when it comes to work. Work hard, play hard, you know, that sort of thing.

Written by Larisa Smajlagic, AEGEE-Verona